The Travel Chica

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Cultural highlights of New York City

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With only a few days to explore one of the biggest and most exciting cities in the world, I decided to focus my itinerary on experiencing the cultural highlights and seeing new things (no repeats from previous trips).

Yes, that still makes for a ginormous list.

I put out a call for suggestions on my Facebook page, and you guys came through.

I narrowed down a huge list to four goals for New York City.

Goal 1: Run in Central Park every morning

Frozen Lake, Central Park (New York City)
Photo by Luke Redmond at Flickr

This allowed “me time” every day.

It also made me feel like a local, and gave me plenty of time at a cultural icon of the city.

Goal 2: Explore Chinatown and Little Italy

I didn’t want to just walk around on my own.

These areas have history, so I chose to do a tour and eat my way through Chinatown and Little Italy.

Goal 3: Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

Nobody suggested this, but it is something I wanted to photograph.  I loved the architecture and views of the city.  I will share my photo essay  in the next post.

Goal 4: Visit the top art museums

Gary and Indecisive Traveler suggested MoMA.  Luis, Leigh, and A Cook Not Mad suggested The Met.  These are two of the most famous museums in the city, so I had to visit.

Everything is bigger and better in New York City, and art is no exception.

MoMA

The Museum of Modern Art blew me away.

I had never seen queues inside a museum before.  Although the line moved quickly, there really was a winding queue just to get into one of the galleries inside the museum.

I had two hours before they closed.  I only made it through two of the four floors.  I didn’t even make it to the photography exhibit.  I had no clue how much great art there would be.

This is not the type of place you want to speed through if you enjoy art.

It seemed as if there was a famous work of art around every corner.

The Scream

I enjoyed discovering other works by famous artists too.

Another by Edvard Munch

Starry Night

Another by van Gogh

Monet

This large work is so different in person. Here is a detail shot.

Jackson Pollock

The Met

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is HUGE!!

Unless you plan to spend the entire day (or multiple days), you must get a map and pick your top priorities.  I spent 3.5 hours in The Met and saw less than 20% of it, but I did hit all of the exhibits I really wanted to see.

And I only got lost and asked for directions three times.

The building itself is stunning.

After Photoshop: Manipulated Photography in the Digital Age

I really enjoyed this special exhibit.  No photography was allowed.  Yes, I did violate the rule on the photo above, but since the sign is posted further down the hall, I didn’t know.

If you plan to visit these museums and some other top tourist destinations, a City Pass can help save you money.

On my next trip, art will still be a priority.

I will go to The Frick (suggested by Patrick), the High Line (suggested by Quirky Travel Guy), DUMBO (suggested by Leigh), and maybe even do a Brooklyn Graffiti Art Tour (suggested by Duncan).

How do you prioritize when you visit New York City for a short trip?

Comments

  6. These are all fantastic things to do in NYC. One thing I find a lot of people miss when seeing all of the sights (which I think we all do when we have such a short time in a city), is the downtown areas where the great restaurants are and where the real energy of the city is. New York is so beautiful and there are such pretty neighborhoods, but people often overlook those things in favor of highrises and sights further uptown.

    If you ever have any NYC questions, feel free to ask! Looks like you got to do a lot while here!
    Koren @ City Gal recently posted..Channelling our Inner Blair Waldorf

  10. How disappointing that there were so many crowds at the MOMA…I remember when they were building it and much of the art was on display at one of the abandoned public schools in Queens (or it might have been Brooklyn). Glad I saw it then!

  13. Great goals! The museum visits look like so much fun. I went to two museums in NYC too, yet one of them was the Museum of Natural History, while the other was the Brooklyn Museum, which regularly hosts a feminist art exhibition called The Dinner Party. Then I got much more art in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, which was also a great treat. Have you ever been there?
    Ayelet – All Colores recently posted..Puerto Iguazu, Argentina: A Cute, Colorful Airport

  16. Aaah I love reading other people’s perception of my hometown :) As a New Yorker, I do get a bit jaded at times because of work and travel. Sometimes I forget I even live in one of the best cities in the world! I was fortunate enough to have gotten exposed to the museums you mentioned above from school trips growing up. Nowadays, I only visit for special exhibits or if friends from out of town are visiting. Always enjoy your photos :)
    Antoinette | love.antoinette recently posted..Trekking the W-Circuit in Torres del Paine National Park

  17. I loved these cultural highlights. I have never been there yet but i would love to be there soon as i am planning for my new trip with my friends.

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