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
Department Stores
Bountiful stocks of beautiful clothing await at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, and Bloomingdales.
H&M
Flagship store of the Swedish retailer known for great young fashion with small price tags .
H&M
Henri Bendel
This is one of the most attractive stores in the city, featuring designer fashions and a notable selection of cosmetics .
Henri Bendel
Takashimaya
Tasteful New York home of a leading Japanese department store, filled with the finest clothing, home accessories, and art .
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 .
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.
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.
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.
Niketown
Commercial, high-tech shopping fun, all to entice you to buy sneakers and sportswear.
Niketown
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.
Midtown Architecture
Lever House
This 24-story building of glass and steel by Gordon Bunshaft was the first “glass box” in New York .
Lever House
General Electric Building
This 1931 Art Deco building has a clock whose arms grasp at lightning bolts.
570 Lexington Ave
Closed to public
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.
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.
Ford Foundation
Considered
one of the city’s best modern designs (1967). Every office opens onto a
skylit, 12-story atrium with lush landscaping and a pond.
Ford Foundation Building
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.
Tudor City
Fred R. French created this mock-Tudor enclave, designed to prove that middle-class housing could succeed in Midtown.
Tudor City
NY Yacht Club
The window bays of this 1899 private club are the carved sterns of ships, sailing on a sea of sculpted waves.
American Standard Building
Raymond Hood’s first New York skyscraper is an ornate black tower built in 1924, now a hotel.
Condé Nast Building
The
48-story tower, built in 1999, is striking and environmentally
friendly, with photovoltaic cells on the façade and integrated recycling
chutes.
