A Day Exploring Midtown
Morning
Start at the
Morgan Library & Museum
, and see Morgan’s opulent study, then proceed to 42nd Street and turn east for a tour through
Grand Central Terminal
. Continue east on 42nd Street, stopping to look at the outstanding lobbies of the
Chrysler Building
, the Daily News Building, and the Ford Foundation, and climbing the stairs to see the
Tudor City
complex.
End the morning with a tour of the United Nations HQ. If you reserve ahead, you can have lunch in the very special U.N. delegate’s dining room (212 963 7625).
Afternoon
Take the 42nd Street crosstown bus back to Fifth Avenue and visit the New York Public Library. Walk uptown to 47th Street and turn west for the Diamond District, then pay a quick visit to the
Paley Center For Media
on 52nd Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. Pop in to the new home of the
American Museum of Folk Art
and stop for a coffee in the museum’s café before taking in the exhibits of traditional art.
Return to 5th Avenue where the uptown shops include Tiffany and Company‘s windows of jewels, Bergdorf Goodman’s stylish displays, and F.A.O. Schwarz. Round the day off at the Pen-Top Bar at the Peninsula Hotel, offering stunning views of Central Park.
Places to Shop
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Department Stores
Bountiful stocks of beautiful clothing await at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, and Bloomingdales.
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5th Ave, between 38th & 58th sts
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Takashimaya
Tasteful New York home of a leading Japanese department store, filled with the finest clothing, home accessories, and art .
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693 5th Avenue, between 54th & 55th sts
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F.A.O. Schwarz
Anyone
who is a kid at heart will love this toy store. From ride-on Ferraris
to cuddly versions of American Kennel Club purebreds, the displays here
never fail to delight .-
767 5th Ave at 58th St
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Museum of Modern Art Design Shop
Lamps, furniture, toys, jewelry, posters – whatever the item here, you can be sure it will be the epitome of good design.
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44 West 53rd St, between 5th & 6th Avs
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Designer Boutiques
Many
designers have moved north, but 57th Street between 5th and Madison
remains impressive, with Burberry, Hermes, Chanel, Tiffany & Co. and
Dior. Prada is at No. 724 5th Avenue.-
57th St, between 5th & Madison Avs
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Harry Winston
You’ll
likely only be window shopping here; the diamonds and gems, many of
which Harry Winston supplies to celebrities, are very expensive.-
718 5th Ave
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Louis Vuitton
Perhaps
the flashiest of the high-end shops from the outside, LV’s windows are
imprinted with the same multi-colored pattern as on the handbags for
sale here.-
1 East 57th St
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Midtown Architecture
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General Electric Building
This 1931 Art Deco building has a clock whose arms grasp at lightning bolts.
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570 Lexington Ave
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Closed to public
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Chanin Building
One
of the great early Art Deco skyscrapers (c.1929) notable for its
terracotta frieze and bronze band illustrating the theory of evolution.-
122 East 42nd St
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Lobby open during office hours
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Daily News Building
The Daily News has moved on, but this fine 1930 building is still an Art Deco classic. Step inside and marvel at the revolving globe.
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220 East 42nd St at 2nd Ave
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Lobby open during office hours
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Fred F. French Building
Built for the best-known real estate firm of its day, this 1927 building is opulent inside and out. Don’t miss the lobby.
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551 5th Ave
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Lobby open during office hours
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NY Yacht Club
The window bays of this 1899 private club are the carved sterns of ships, sailing on a sea of sculpted waves.
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37 West 44th St at 5th Ave
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Closed to public
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American Standard Building
Raymond Hood’s first New York skyscraper is an ornate black tower built in 1924, now a hotel.
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40 West 40th St
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Lobby open during office hours
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