Things to Do in New York City - page 4

European sculptures, decorative artwork and Old Master Paintings are part of what make a visit to the Frick in New York City so unique. The private collection of Henry Clay Frick, an old-school Pittsburgh industrialist, now lines the halls of a Fifth Avenue mansion, in what has become the perfect display of art and wealth.

In addition to literal masterpieces by renowned artists like Bellini, Vermeer and Rembrandt, visitors can check out rotating temporary exhibits, lively concert series, informative lectures and educational programs on a visit to this iconic museum in Manhattan as well.

Fraunces Tavern is a national historic landmark, museum, and restaurant in New York City, famous for being the place where George Washington bid farewell to his troops at the end of the American Revolution. Since 1904, the building has been owned by the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York Inc., who claim it is Manhattan’s oldest surviving building. It is part of the New York Freedom Trail and the American Whiskey Trail. The museum’s mission is to create appreciation for New York City history as it relates to Colonial America, the Revolutionary War, and the Early Republic.

Through the varied exhibitions of art and artifacts relating to the museum’s historic site, the museum aims to create this appreciation through educating the public. Different exhibits include the ‘Long Room,’ the site of General George Washington’s farewell to his officers at the end of the Revolution. The room is a recreation of an 18th century public dining room.

Broadway, one of New York's most famous streets, runs the full length of Manhattan. However for most visitors to New York the name Broadway is synonymous with theater, musicals and first-run shows. Broadway more than any other street in America stands for entertainment. The heart of Broadway is the few blocks surrounding Times Square. Book Broadway tickets in advance for guaranteed seats and pricing. Local sellers also offer last-minute deals (if not always great seats).

Come learn about the history, the evolution, and the cultural significance of human sexuality. The Museum of Sex (MoSex) collects and preserves art and artifacts, and has had more than 25 exhibitions and 6 virtual installations since it first opened in 2002. The museum’s mission is to advocate open discourse around sexuality while presenting top-notch current scholarship in an unhindered and uncensored way. The museum showcases material and artifacts from many different cultures, continents, and time periods in many different media. The permanent collection has more than 15,000 objects including art, photography, clothing, technology, and historical artifacts (think Japanese Shunga prints and vintage condoms). The research library maintains a collection of works that ranges from the historically significant to current art to fiction.

More than 500 weird and wild artifacts, plenty of interactive exhibits and 20 themed galleries make a visit to this one-of-a-kind museum a real New York experience. From a two-headed calf to a pickled tourist head and an albino giraffe, a visit to Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Times Square is guaranteed to shock and amaze.

In addition to exploring the galleries filled with everything strange, grotesque and truly unique, travelers can also catch sword swallowers and cheese carvers in regularly scheduled (and incredibly wacky) sideshow performances at this quirky museum.

The legendary borough of Harlem has been famous in New York City since the 1920s, when the Harlem Renaissance brought about a cultural revolution among African-Americans in New York with a focus on the arts. Today Harlem is an increasingly gentrified area of classic brownstone townhouses, iconic jazz clubs, churches, cultural centers, cocktail lounges and soul food restaurants.

Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (125th Street) is Harlem’s main roadway. The neighborhood's slew of sights include the Apollo Theater, the Studio Museum, the Cathedral of St John the Divine, Striver's Row, Astor Row and the Museum of the City of New York. Take a local-led walking tour, catch amateur night at the Apollo Theater on a Wednesday, order up some soul food at Sylvia's on Lennox Avenue or listen to the glorious sound of full-throated gospel at the Abyssinian Baptist Church on a Sunday.

Located at 36 Battery Place in Lower Manhattan’s Battery Park City, the Museum of Jewish Heritage is a living memorial to those who lost their lives in the Holocaust. Opened in 1997, the mission of the museum is “to educate people of all ages and backgrounds about the broad tapestry of Jewish life in the 20th and 21st centuries—before, during, and after the Holocaust.” In their collection, the Museum of Jewish Heritage showcases over 25,000 items that are used to tell the story of Jewish history. The permanent Core Exhibition features multiple perspectives on Jewish history, life and culture through artifacts, audio testimonials, photographs and films that are separated into three sections: “Jewish Life A Century Ago,” “The War Against the Jews” and “Jewish Renewal.” Not only is the exhibition itself impressive, but also the six-sided building it resides in, which is symbolic of the Star of David as well as the six million Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

In the lobby of the American Express headquarters at the World Financial Center in New York City, the company has created a memorial honoring the eleven American Express employees who were killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The memorial was designed by lower Manhattan artist Ken Smith. The foundation of the memorial is composed around a black granite reflecting pool with eleven sides. A 600-lb piece of Brazilian quartz is shaped like a tear and carved with eleven sides. The quartz is suspended over the granite reflecting pool by eleven thin cables. Inscribed in the sides of the granite pool are the names of the victims who died in the attack, along with five words or phrases describing each person. “Tear drops” of water fall gently from the ceiling into the pool below, and a nearby plaque offers more personal details on each of the victims.

It’s no surprise that one of the most iconic restaurants on earth also calls one of the most iconic city blocks its home. Hard Rock Café Times Square exists in the heart of New York City, where sky-high buildings, flashing lights and crowded streets meet. This kinetic destination welcomes visitors from around the globe to experience the energy and excitement of the big apple.

Visitors can tuck into heaping plates of American fare—like burgers, fries and frosty milkshakes—surrounded by an impressive collection of music memorabilia. The famed white suit of Led Zeppelin, the glossy white bass used by The Who and handwritten lyrics from Jimi Hendrix make this popular restaurant feel more like a museum than mealtime (though travelers say the vibe is way more fun).