Midtown East – Culture

Midtown East is a global neighborhood. Home to the United Nations, several times a year dignitaries from around the world converge on the area for the General Assembly. Although these meetings can impact traffic along 42nd Street, they also make Midtown East a vibrant cultural center. The neighborhood has a huge concentration of foreign consulates and high-ranking diplomatic staff, bringing a great deal of diversity to the shops and restaurants catering to this population.

 

Tour the United Nations

The iconic world headquarters for the United Nations sits along the East River at East 42nd Street. However, the UN also puts Midtown East at the center of global politics and the intersection of every culture on earth. There are few better opportunities to see geopolitics in action than taking a tour of the facility. Tours are offered for each of the official languages of the UN including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish, but may also be available in other, high-demand languages on request. The hour-long tours also have a variety of focal points including art, architecture, black history, women, and one program specific for children. Keep in mind children 5 to 12 must be accompanied by an adult, and unfortunately, children under five are not permitted. 

 

Japan Society

Founded in 1907 originally as the mayor’s committee to entertain visiting high-ranking Japanese naval officers, the society has evolved to connect Japanese arts, culture, and business with a New York audience. In the early years, the society was primarily focused on businesses in banking, finance, and the silk trade. Since World War II, the society has focused on programming inspired by the Japanese concept of kizuna (絆)–”forging deep connections to bind people together.” The business forums foster discussions of policy and issues defining U.S.-Japanese relations. But the Society also hosts viewings of Japanese cinema, gallery exhibitions, a language center, and even family-friendly programming.

 

Scandinavia House

North America’s leading center of Nordic culture, Scandinavia House highlights the cultures of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Danish-American industrialist Niels Poulson funded the American-Scandinavian Foundation in 1911 as a non-governmental society to develop goodwill and foster cultural exchange. Today, the society hosts films, concerts, talks, panels, and language courses out of the Scandinavia House. The building, inaugurated in 2000, also serves as the organization’s headquarters. The 168-seat auditorium, gallery, banquet hall, and reception area are all available for private events.

 

Chrysler Building

Is this New York City’s most iconic skyscraper? The Art Deco masterpiece sits just east of Grand Central Terminal, briefly the world’s tallest between 1930 and 1931. The tower won that title during a hotly contested race. At the time, 40 Wall Street, known then as the Manhattan Company Building, was also under construction and promising to be the world’s tallest at just under 1,000 feet. The architect of that tower, H. Craig Severance, had once been partners with the architect behind the Chrysler building, William Van Alen. By 1929, they had separated acrimoniously. In designing the rival towers, they tried to outdo each other. Both towers added floors during construction. Finally, Van Alen conceded the race – at least publicly. Instead, he allowed Severance to think 40 Wall Street had won, all while secretly constructing the iconic silver spire inside the tower. For six months between 1929 and 1930, 40 Wall Street was the tallest building in the world until the Chrysler building’s spire rose an extra 185 feet from inside the top of the tower. At 1,046 feet, the record stood for a year until the Empire State Building was completed. For now, there are no public tours of the building. Visitors can sneak a peek of the stunning lobby during business hours. Otherwise, visitors will need an invitation from one of the commercial tenants.  

 

Have A Laugh At The New York Comedy Club

Not everything in Midtown needs to be serious. The New York Comedy Club has been delivering laughs since 1989 with a quintessential stand-up experience: a comic, mic, and brick wall. Along with rising stars, the club has featured celebrity comics like Tracey Morgan, Janeane Garofalo, and Sarah Silverman, and for anyone who has recently gotten out of a relationship, Pete Davidson. Like all good comedy clubs, there are also open mic nights for the not-yet-rising stars.