08_571494 ch05.qxd 10/12/04 6:15 PM Page 118 5 Exploring New York City Don’t try to tame New York—you can’t. Decide on a few must-see attractions, and then let the city take you on its own ride. Inevitably, as you make your way around the city, you’ll be blown off course by unplanned diversions that are just as much fun as what you meant to see. After all, the true New York is in the details. As you dash from sight to sight, take time to admire a lovely cornice on a prewar building, linger over a cup of coffee at a sidewalk cafe, or just idle away a few minutes on a bench watching New Yorkers parade through their daily lives. 1 The Top Attractions American Museum of Natural History This is one of the hottest museum tickets in town, thanks to the $210 million Rose Center for Earth and Space , whose four-story-tall plane- tarium sphere hosts the excellent Harrison Ford–narrated Space Show, “Are We Alone?,” the most technologically advanced sky show on the planet. Prepare to be blown away. The show is short— less than a half-hour from start to finish—but phenomenal. Buy your tickets in advance for the Space Show in order to guarantee admission (they’re available online); you can also buy tickets in advance for a specific IMAX film or special exhibition, such as the Butterfly Conservatory, which I recommend. Otherwise, you might miss out. Start your tour of the museum at the Rose Center with the Space Show. Afterwards, follow the wondrous interactive Cosmic Pathway, which spirals around the sphere and down to the main level, chron- icling 13COPYRIGHTED billion years of cosmic evolution. Other MATERIAL must-sees include the Big Bang Theater, which re-creates the theoretical birth of the 1 universe; the main Hall of the Universe, with its very own 15 ⁄2-ton meteorite; and the terrific Hall of Planet Earth, which focuses on the geologic processes of our home planet (great volcano display!). All in all, you’ll need a minimum of 2 hours to fully explore the Rose Center. Tip: Friday night is a great time to plan your visit, as 08_571494 ch05.qxd 10/12/04 6:15 PM Page 119 THE TOP ATTRACTIONS 119 the center isn’t overcrowded, live jazz and food fill the Hall of the Universe, and, bathed in blue light, the sphere looks magical. The rest of the 4-square-block museum is nothing to sneeze at, either. If you only see one exhibit, see the dinosaurs , which take up the entire fourth floor; or take a highlights tour, offered daily every hour at 15 minutes after the hour from 10:15am to 3:15pm. The museum excels at special exhibitions, so check to see what will be on while you’re in town in case any advance planning is required. After a renovation, the Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites opened in late 2003, transformed into a hands-on exhibit. The magical But- terfly Conservatory , a walk-in enclosure housing nearly 500 free-flying tropical butterflies, has developed into a can’t-miss fixture from October through May; check to see if it’s in the house while you’re in town. Central Park West (btwn 77th and 81st sts.). & 212/769-5100 for information, or 212/769-5200 for tickets (tickets can also be ordered online). www.amnh.org. Sug- gested admission $12 adults, $9 seniors and students, $7 children 2–12; Space Show and museum admission $19 adults, $14 seniors and students, $12 children under 12. Additional charges for IMAX movies and some special exhibitions. Daily 10am–5:45pm; Rose Center open Fri to 8:45pm. Subway: B, C to 81st St.; 1, 9 to 79th St. Brooklyn Bridge Moments Its Gothic-inspired stone pylons and intricate steel-cable webs have moved poets like Walt Whitman and Hart Crane to sing the praises of this great span, the first to cross the East River and connect Manhattan to Brooklyn. Begun in 1867 and ultimately completed in 1883, the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge is now the city’s best-known symbol of the age of growth that seized the city during the late 19th century. Walk across the bridge and imagine the awe that New Yorkers of that age felt at seeing two boroughs joined by this monumental span. It’s still astounding; walking the Brooklyn Bridge is one of my all-time favorite New York activities, although there’s no doubt that the Lower Manhattan views from the bridge now have a painful resonance as well as a joy- ous spirit. There’s a sidewalk entrance on Park Row, just across from City Hall Park (take the 4, 5, or 6 train to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall). But why do this walk away from Manhattan, toward the far less impressive Brooklyn skyline? Instead, for Manhattan skyline views, take an A or C train to High Street, one stop into Brooklyn. Come above ground, then walk through the little park to Cadman Plaza East and head downslope (left) to the stairwell that will take you up to the footpath. It’s a 20- to 40-minute stroll over the bridge to 08_571494 ch05.qxd 10/12/04 6:15 PM Page 120 Downtown Attractions UUnionnion . WW.. 115th5th SSt.t. E.E. 15th15th M SquareSquare e E. 15th St. v A M M M W.W. 14th14th St.St. E.E. 14th14th StSt M M E. 14th St d n . WW.. 113th3th SSt.t. o e e EE.. 113th3th SStt c v BBroadway v GGreenwich Ave. e LLittleittle WW.. 112th2th . r r FFourth Ave. A . S Second Ave. e A t l o e o S e . t t WW.. 112th2th SSt.t. l v n P a u d SSt.t. r s E. 12th St. o w P r d r o A r i v ic y w t i e t h h F First Ave. s h d i h e n t. l E s a Third Ave. a t W.W. 11th11th St.St. T S v A r E.E. 11th11th St.St. GGansevoort St. o io h WWaverly Pl.A y z A e t v . v a a g a e v r i e S e o . v . WW.. 110th0th SSt.t. i t EEighth Ave. h . EE.. 110th0th SSt.t. 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