Upper East Side – Culture

In a city packed with museums, the Upper East Side still manages to stand out. Most of the institutions of Museum Mile, which runs on Fifth Avenue from 82nd to 110th Streets, fall within the Upper East Side. These include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Neue Galerie, the Guggenheim, Cooper Hewitt, and the Jewish Museum. And alongside Fifth Avenue from 59th Street up to 110th is Central Park. Not all of the neighborhood’s museums are on Museum Mile, however, just as Central Park isn’t its only green space. Nor are museums and parks the only highlights of the neighborhood. Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle offers live jazz, Brandy’s Piano Bar has live music every night, and the Park Avenue Armory hosts everything from classical recitals to dance performances to antiques shows.

 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

You simply can’t talk about the Upper East Side without mentioning the Met. The country’s largest art museum, it has a collection of more than 2 million works encompassing more than five centuries of art, including Bronze Era artifacts, musical instruments from around the world, and apparel dating back to the 15th century. Botticelli, Leonardo, El Greco, Rembrandt, Manet, van Gogh, Picasso, and Pollock are just a few of the masters whose works are included. The Temple of Dendur, an Egyptian temple completed around 10 BC and relocated to the U.S., is one of the most popular permanent exhibits.

Temple of Dendur

Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

The Frick Collection

This collection of European paintings, sculptures, textiles, ceramics, and furnishings from the 15th to 19th centuries is usually housed in what had been the home of industrialist Henry Clay Frick on Fifth Avenue. Though that Gilded Age building is currently being refurbished, you can still view the artworks at Frick Madison. Highlights include three works by Jan Vermeer, a Rembrandt self-portrait, a two-foot-high 17th-century table clock with astronomical and calendar dials, and Sèvres and Meissen porcelain.

 

Central Park Zoo

Just off Fifth Avenue between 64th and 66th Streets, the Central Park Zoo packs a lot of fauna into its 6.5 acres: penguins and puffins, lemurs and snow leopards, grizzly bears and sea lions… The petting zoo area is named the Tisch Children’s Zoo, but you don’t need a little one to interact with the sheep, goats, and other animals (including what the zoo claims is the only cow in Manhattan).

Central Park Zoo

Credit: Central Park Conservancy

 

Carl Schurz Park

On the easternmost part of the Upper East Side, overlooking the East River, is Carl Schurz Park. Just shy of 15 acres, this park is something of a hidden gem. Along with the riverfront promenade—ideal for strolling, bike-riding, or savoring the sunrise—the park has two dog runs, a playground, and plenty of elm-studded green lawns for picnicking. And it’s home to Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence.

Carl Schurz Park

Credit: NYC Parks

 

 

92nd Street Y

This long-time cultural institution really does have something for everyone. It hosts classical concerts and contemporary dance performances, musicals for children and literary readings featuring best-selling authors. In a given month you could attend a lecture on sculptor Alberto Giacometti, take part in a session on favorite cookbooks, and listen to conversations with Malcolm Gladwell, Peter Frampton, and Dr. Ruth. You can enroll in a number of classes too, spanning the gamut from ceramics to CPR to swimming.

92nd Street Y_sm

Credit: Gabriel Gurrola/Unsplash

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