United Nations

Welcome to the headquarters of the UN, a worldwide organization that oversees international law, international security and human rights. The building is located on a patch of technically international territory, overlooking the East River. Take a guided tour of the facility and you’ll get to see the General Assembly, where the annual convocation of member nations takes place every fall; the Security Council Chamber, where crisis management continues year-round; and the Economic & Social Council Chamber. If you’re lucky you might even catch a meeting in progress. There is a serene park to the north of the complex, which is home to Henry Moore’s Reclining Figure as well as several other sculptures with a peace theme. English-language tours of the UN complex depart every 30 minutes; limited tours in several other languages are also available. (The visitors’ entrance is at 46th St.) You may sometimes hear this area of Midtown East referred to as Turtle Bay, even though the turtles are long gone; there are also some interesting architectural examples around here, in particular among the permanent diplomatic missions, such as those of Egypt and India.