Other sights in New York City
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Ikea Water Taxi
When in the area it's worth considering hopping on the Ikea water taxi operated by the Swedish furniture store from Pier 11 (six blocks south of South Street Seaport) to its store in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Besides offering the chance to get out on the water and take in breathtaking views of the city, it's free.
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West 4th Street Basketball Courts
Also known as ‘the Cage,’ this small basketball court that stands enclosed within chain-link fencing is home to some of the best streetball in the country. Though it’s more touristy than its counterpart, Rucker Park in Harlem, that’s also part of its charm, as the games held here in the center of the Village draw massive, excitable crowds, who often stand 10-deep to hoot and holler for the skilled, competitive guys who play here. Prime time is summer, when the W 4th St Summer Pro-Classic League, with daily high-energy games, hits the scene. While the height of this court’s popularity was back in 2001 – the year Nike capitalized on the raw energy of the place by shooting a…
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TKTS
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Cage
This park began as a 'potter's field' - a burial ground for the penniless - and its status as a cemetery protected it from development. It is now an incredibly well-used park, especially on the weekend. Children use the playground, NYU students catch some rays and friends meet 'under the arch, ' the recently renovated landmark on the park's northern edge, designed in 1889 by society architect Stanford White. A controversial $16-million renovation plan that some residents feared would reduce the informality and character of the park has meant more symmetry, landscaping and higher fences. The undersized basketball court, the Cage, considered one of the more competitive play…
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Agora Gallery
A socially progressive gallery open since the '80s, Agora's big white space features international artists with perspectives on global warming, education, feminism, human rights and other issues. It also hosts the annual Chelsea International Fine Arts competition and publishes ARTis Spectrum magazine. Recent exhibits include an homage to French painters and sculptors like Laurence Brisson and Elisabeth Guerrier, and a look at the vivid works of Ruth Gilmore Langs. Agora also won raves in 2010 for a long-term exhibit of the Lego art of Nathan Sawaya, who constructed life-sized Lego people for his wacky show.
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Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
She's great, grand and somewhat of a challenge to visit. Lady Liberty, that beacon of freedom, ironically keeps her visitors under tight scrutiny (security checks at boarding points can be long). The good news is that visitors are now able to climb the 300+ stairs - narrow and twisty - into her green crown and stare out across the harbor. Those who want to make the climb have to buy tickets with crown access. Space is tight, and there's a cap on how many crown tickets are sold daily, so advance reservations are a must. Ferries load at Battery Park City in New York and also at Liberty State Park in New Jersey. Adjacent Ellis Island, the second ferry stop, is equally worth…
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White Columns
Geographically, White Columns is part of the Meatpacking District, but aesthetically speaking, it's in Chelsea. The sedate, four-room space has ample installations and exhibits, many of which are by fairly well-known names like Andrew Serrano, Alice Aycock, Lorna Simpson and a White Columns founder, Gordon Matta-Clark. One of its most successful recent installations came from South London's Studio Voltaire, which presented different works all somehow related to the public persona of singer Michael Jackson.
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Alexander & Bonin
Since moving to Chelsea from Soho in 1997, this three-story gallery has made excellent use of its airy space with a stellar roster of artists, including several prestigious Turner Prize winners. In 2010 alone it participated in ARCO 10, Zona Maco, Art 41 and New York's Gallery Week. Carolyn Alexander and Ted Bonin, the directors, can sometimes be seen at their 2nd-story desks. Recent shows include Willie Cole and the videos of Willie Doherty.
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Gracie Mansion
This stately mansion is (in theory) the residence of the Mayor of New York – though few of them actually live here – and is worth visiting just for the views. Surrounded by Carl Schurz Park and the East River esplanade, Gracie Mansion is a throwback to American elegance c 1930 and earlier. History buffs should book a tour, but do it at least two months in advance of your trip; the waiting list is long and walk-ins aren't accepted.
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Mulberry Street
Although it feels more like a theme park than an authentic Italian strip, Mulberry St is still the heart of the ’hood. It’s the home of landmarks such as Umberto’s Clam House, where mobster Joey Gallo was shot to death in the ’70s, as well as the old-time Mulberry Street Bar, one of the favorite haunts of the late Frank Sinatra. Just a half block off of Mulberry is the legendary Ferrara Cafe and Bakery, brimming with classic Italian pastries and old-school ambience. You’ll see lots of red, white and green Italian flags sold in souvenir shops, and you’ll also enjoy the lovely aroma of fresh-baked pastries and pizzas wafting out of doorways. Take a gander at what was once t…
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Puck Building
The southeast corner of Lafayette and Houston Sts is dominated by Albert Wagner's round-arched bit of architectural genius. Wagner designed the building in 1885 as the printing facility for the German-language magazine Puck (now defunct, obviously). The building's dotted with little gold statues – Wagner's version of Puck the fairy – and he's a jolly, round-bellied, top-hatted fellow.
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Church of the Transfiguration
It's been serving New York's immigrant communities since 1801, and the Church of the Transfiguration doesn't stop adapting. First it was the Irish, then Italians, and now Chinese. The same priest delivers sermons in Cantonese, English and sometimes even Latin. This small landmark is not far from Pell St and Doyers St, two winding paths worth exploring.
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Viewing Wall
Tourists snapping photos, local office workers on a lunch break, folks who miss loved ones - all mill about before this high viewing wall that wraps around the ever-changing construction site of the former Twin Towers. Photos with accompanying text along the fencelike wall present an eerie and specific timeline of the attacks.
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Christopher Street Piers/Hudson River Park
Like so many places in the Village, the extreme west side was once a derelict eyesore used mostly as a cruising ground for quick, anonymous sex. Now it's a pretty waterside hangout, bisected by the Hudson River Park's slender bike and jogging paths, with great sunset views. It's still a place to cruise; now it's just much less dangerous.
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6th and B Garden
Le Petit Versailles is a unique marriage of a verdant oasis and an electrifying arts organization, offering a range of quirky performances and screenings to the public. The 6 & B Garden is a well-organized space that hosts free music events, workshops and yoga sessions; check the website for details. Three dramatic weeping willows, an odd sight in the city, grace the twin plots of 9th Street Garden and La Plaza Cultural. Also check out the All People’s Garden and Brisas del Caribe, easily located thanks to its surrounding white-picket fence.
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South Street Seaport
This 11-block enclave of shops, piers and sights combines the best and worst in historic preservation. It’s not on the radar for most New Yorkers, but tourists are drawn to the sea air, the nautical feel, the frequent street performers and the mobbed restaurants. Pier 17, beyond the elevated FDR Dr, is a waterfront-development project that’s home to several floors of shops, restaurants and a rare public bathroom – plus the permanent creepy-fascinating ‘Bodies: The Exhibition.’ Clustered around the piers are some genuinely significant 18th- and 19th-century buildings dating from the heyday of this old East River ferry port, which fell into disuse with the building of the B…
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Greene Naftali
Sharp, edgy and youth-oriented Greene Naftali has an ever-rotating display of art in all kinds of media: film/video, installation, painting, drawing and performance art. Check out the column running through the gallery's center; it's often used to display pieces.
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Belmont
Belmont, bustling stretches of Arthur and Belmont Aves that burst with Italian gourmet markets and eateries; and a super-sized attitude that's been mythologized in Hollywood movies from The Godfather to Rumble in the Bronx.
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New York City & Company
The Times Square branch of New York City & Company sits smack in the middle of this famous crossroads, inside the beautifully restored landmark Embassy Theater. Broadway, the road, once ran all the way to the state capitol in Albany.
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Bowling Lawns
There are two 15,000-sq-ft bowling lawns – one for croquet and one for lawn bowling, where members of the 80-year-old New York Lawn Bowling Club still mix it up with tournaments from May to October.
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Museum of Italian American Heritage
Visit the Museum of Italian American Heritage on the corner of Grand St for a real education on the 'hood. Hours change frequently; check the website for the latest before you go.
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ABC No Rio
Founded in 1980, this internationally known art and activism center features weekly hard-core/punk and experimental music shows, as well as regular fine-arts exhibits, poetry readings and more.
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American Museum of the Moving Image
Moviemaking started in Astoria in the 1920s: the American Museum of the Moving Image exposes some of the mysteries of the craft with amazing exhibits and screenings.
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Water Taxi Beach
Bringing summer fun to the city is the Water Taxi Beach, a sandbox for adults, docked on a pier in the East River (another location is in Long Island City, Queens).
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Clemente Soto Velez
Inside the AAI building, this collective focuses on the work of Puerto Rican poet Velez, but also brings in theater, music, art and film from artists across the world.
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