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Updated by Jacinta O’Halloran

Big is the buzz in Times Square, where giant TV screens, towering skyscrapers, and Broadway theaters play starring roles alongside megastores like Hershey’s and Toys “R” Us. Love it or hate it, Times Square is the flashy and flashing heart of Midtown. A visit to New York demands a photo op in Times Square. Just don’t forget that there’s also a lot more to see and experience on this side of Midtown.

Luckily, you needn’t go far from Times Square to get away from the crowds. Head over to 9th Avenue—also known as Hell’s Kitchen (where the food is heavenly)—and calmer side streets, home to a mixed bag of locals, many of whom work in the theater industry. There are lots of eclectic restaurants, pretheater dining options, and cute boutiques for shopping. Head over to the Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), and discover Bryant Park’s Zen green space, stretched out like a yoga mat at the back door of the New York Public Library (another refuge from Midtown madness).

You can score good seats to some of the hottest Broadway and Off-Broadway shows for half the going rate at the TKTS booth in Duffy Square at 47th Street and Broadway. Although people think of Broadway as the heart of the theater scene, few theaters actually line the thoroughfare. For some of the grande dames, head west on 45th Street. There are several Broadway beauties here, including the Booth, the Schoenfeld, the Jacobs, the Music Box, and the Imperial. On the southern side of 45th Street there’s the pedestrians-only Shubert Alley, distinguished by colorful posters advertising the latest hit plays and musicals, and the Shubert Theatre, one of Broadway’s most lustrous gems. Head west along 44th Street to see the Helen Hayes, the Broadhurst, the Majestic, and the St. James.

You might be surprised to learn that Chelsea is not the only gallery hub in the city; 57th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues is home to some of the city’s most prestigious galleries, including Marian Goodman, the Pace Gallery, and Tibor de Nagy Gallery.

Making the Most of Your Time

Most people think of Times Square when they think of Midtown, but there’s a lot more going on here. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is one of the neighborhood’s top attractions and definitely worth a visit, as is Bryant Park, a cool oasis for Midtown’s workers and locals. If you have enough time, hop in a cab and head over to 12th Avenue to visit the space shuttle Enterprise at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

Times Square is almost always a frenetic mass of people staring up at the lights and the giant televisions. If you’re in a hurry to get somewhere, try to avoid walking—or cabbing—through here. If staying in Midtown, you can take advantage of the prime location and rise early to be first in line at landmarks, museums, or the TKTS booth for discount day-of theater tickets.

Top Experiences

Summer film screenings at dusk in Bryant Park

Skating at Rockefeller Center

Checking out the views from the Top of the Rock; opinions vary on whether the better views are from here or from the Empire State Building. Either way, if you go at night, the city spreads out below in a mesmerizing blanket of lights.

Soaking in the art and serenity of MoMA’s sculpture garden

Getting Here

You can get to Midtown via (almost) all the subways; many make numerous stops throughout the area. For Midtown West, the 1, 2, 3, 7, A, C, E, N, Q, and R serve Times Square and West 42nd Street. The S, or Shuttle, travels back and forth between Times Square and Grand Central Station. The B, D, F, and M trains serve Rockefeller Center.

Coffee and Quick Bites

Blue Bottle Coffee.
Known for their meticulous brewing, freshly roasted organic beans (prepared in a Brooklyn roastery), and delicious treats and pastries (also rushed in fresh from Brooklyn), the Rock Center outpost of this cult California coffee favorite is the perfect refueling spot amid the chaos of Midtown. | 1 Rockefeller Plaza, Concourse level , Midtown West | 510/653–3394 | www.bluebottlecoffee.com | No credit cards | Station: B, D, F, M to 47–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center; E, M to 5th Ave./53rd St.

Café Grumpy.
Stop by this Garment District outlet of the New York minichain and turn any sign of grumpiness into a smile with coffee roasted at the Greenpoint, Brooklyn, location. All pastries are baked at the Lower East Side branch: the black-pepper-and-cardamom banana bread is a standout. | 200 W. 39th St. , Midtown West | 646/499–8747 | www.cafegrumpy.com | No credit cards | Station: 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, S to Times Sq.–42nd St.

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Top Attractions

Bryant Park.
This lovely green space spread out among landmarks and skyscrapers is one of Manhattan’s most popular parks. Tall London plane trees line the perimeter of the sunny central lawn, overlooking stone terraces, formal flower beds, gravel pathways, and a smattering of kiosks selling everything from sandwiches to egg creams (in season). The garden tables scattered about fill with lunching office workers and folks enjoying the park’s free Wi-Fi (signs show you how to log on). In summer you can check out free live jazz and “Broadway in Bryant Park” musical theater performances, as well as author readings. Most popular of all is the Summer Film Festival: locals leave work early to snag a spot on the lawn for the outdoor screenings each Monday at dusk. At the east side of the park, near a squatting bronze cast of Gertrude Stein, is the stylish Bryant Park Grill, which has a rooftop garden, and the adjacent open-air Bryant Park Café, open seasonally. The 5th Avenue terrace is home to a different food truck at lunchtime every day during the week. On the south side of the park is an old-fashioned carousel ($3) where kids can ride fanciful rabbits and frogs instead of horses, and attend storytellings and magic shows. Big kids can play with the park’s selection of lawn and tabletop games, which includes everything from quoits and Scrabble to Chinese checkers and Scandinavian kubb. Come November the park rolls out the artificial frozen “pond” (Oct.–Mar., daily 8 am–10 pm; skate rental $15–$19 ) for ice-skating. Surrounding the ice rink are the Christmas-market-like stalls of the Holiday Shops, selling handcrafted goods and local foods. | 6th Ave., between 40th and 42nd Sts. , Midtown West | 212/768–4242 | www.bryantpark.org | Hrs vary by month; see website for exact times | Station: B, D, F, M to 42nd St.–Bryant Park; 7 to 5th Ave.

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
The centerpiece of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum complex is the 900-foot Intrepid aircraft carrier, Manhattan’s only floating museum. The carrier’s most trying moment of service, the day it was attacked in World War II by kamikaze pilots, is recounted in a multimedia presentation. The museum faced its own trying period when forced to close for several months due to extensive flooding after 2012’s Superstorm Sandy. Fortunately, the Intrepid ’s unparalleled collection of aircraft was not damaged in the storm. While repairs to electrical and safety systems are still ongoing, and plans to build a permanent home for the space shuttle Enterprise are pending, the museum is fully operational. The space shuttle Enterprise, NASA’s first prototype orbiter, joined the Intrepid in July 2012 and is temporarily housed in a climate-controlled bubble tent on the flight deck of the Intrepid, but visitors can check out plans for its eventual permanent home, on the interactive wall outside the Space Shuttle Pavilion. While Enterprise never flew in space, it is presented in a dramatic darkened display with blue lighting to evoke the atmosphere of flight. Images and displays share the shuttle’s history and that of NASA’s 30-year space shuttle program.

The interactive Exploreum contains 18 hands-on exhibits. You can experience a flight simulator, transmit messages in Morse code, and see what it was like to live aboard the massive carrier. An engrossing new exhibit focuses on the Intrepid ’s three tours of duty in Vietnam between 1966 and 1969. History is brought to life through artifacts that include the shared diary of junior pilots who were roommates onboard; a calendar counting down days until the crew members could return home; oral histories and personal effects of prisoners of war; anti-aircraft weaponry used by North Vietnamese forces; and aircraft that served during the war. Docked alongside the Intrepid, and also part of the museum, is the Growler, a strategic-missile submarine. Ticket booths and gift shops have been relocated to the museum’s plaza while the visitor welcome center is being rebuilt. TIP Before you visit, download the Intrepid’s new, free Explore Enterprise app to unlock additional trivia, history, and behind-the-scenes video at trigger points in exhibits throughout the museum. There are also frequent ticket discounts if you purchase through the museum website. | Pier 86, 12th Ave. at 46th St. , Midtown West | 212/245–0072 , 877/957–7447 | www.intrepidmuseum.org | $24; $31 combo ticket with Space Shuttle | Apr.–Oct., weekdays 10–5, weekends 10–6; Nov.–Mar., daily 10–5; last admission 1 hr before closing | Station: A, C, E to 42nd St.–Port Authority .

Art in Rockefeller Center

The mosaics, murals, and sculptures that grace Rockefeller Center—many of them Art Deco masterpieces—were part of John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s plans. In 1932, as the steel girders on the first of the buildings soared heavenward, he put together a team of advisers to find artists who could make the project “as beautiful as possible.” Some artists scoffed at the idea of decorating an office building: Picasso declined to meet with Rockefeller, and Matisse replied that busy businessmen wouldn’t be in the “quiet and reflective state of mind” needed to appreciate his art. Those who agreed to contribute, including muralists Diego Rivera and José María Sert, were relatively unknown, though a group of American artists protested Rockefeller’s decision to hire “alien” artists. More than 50 artists were commissioned for 200 works.

As Rockefeller Center neared completion in 1932, Rockefeller still needed a mural for the lobby of the main buildings and he wanted the subject to be grandiose: “human intelligence in control of the forces of nature.” He hired Rivera. Man at the Crossroads, with its depiction of massive machinery moving mankind forward, seemed exactly what Rockefeller wanted—until it was realized that a portrait of Soviet Premier Vladimir Lenin surrounded by red-kerchiefed workers occupied a space in the center. Rockefeller, who was building what was essentially a monument to capitalism, was less than thrilled. When Rivera was accused of propagandizing, he famously replied, “All art is propaganda.”

Rivera refused to remove the offending portrait and, in early 1934, as Rivera was working, representatives for Rockefeller informed him that his services were no longer required. Within a half hour, tar paper had been hung over the mural. Despite negotiations to move it to the Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller was determined to get rid of the mural once and for all. Not content to have it painted over, he ordered ax-wielding workers to chip away the entire wall. He commissioned a less offensive one (by Sert) instead.

Rivera had the last word, though: he re-created the mural in the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, adding a portrait of Rockefeller among the Champagne-swilling swells ignoring the plight of the workers.

The largest of the original artworks that remains is Lee Lawrie’s 2-ton sculpture, Atlas. Its building also stirred up controversy, as it was said to resemble Italy’s fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini. The sculpture, depicting a muscle-bound man holding up the world, drew protests in 1936. Some even derided Paul Manship’s golden Prometheus, which soars over the ice-skating rink, when it was unveiled the same year. Both are now considered to be among the best public artworks of the 20th century.

Lawrie’s sculpture Wisdom, over the main entrance of 20 Rockefeller Plaza, is another gem. Also look for Isamu Noguchi’s stainless-steel plaque News over the entrance of the Bank of America Building at 50 Rockefeller Plaza and Attilio Piccirilli’s 2-ton glass-block panel Youth Leading Industry over the entrance of the International Building.

Fodor’s Choice | The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
Housing one of the world’s finest collections of modern art, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is renowned for its permanent exhibits, which include masterpieces by Picasso, van Gogh, Monet, and Dalí, as well as its first-rate—and highly buzzed about—exhibitions on modern art, photography, and film. Located minutes from Rockefeller Center, and slowly expanding along 53rd Street to accommodate both its growing collection and audience, MoMA’s current building design features a maze of glass walkways to permit art viewing from many angles; a high-end restaurant and bar, The Modern; and a cinema that offers curated international film selections and talks.

The museum spans six levels, with an impressive lineup of special exhibits on the skylighted top floor; painting and sculpture on Levels 5 and 4; architecture, design, drawings, and photography on 3; and contemporary galleries, prints, and books on Level 2. It’s best to explore the museum from top to bottom, beginning with the museum’s main attractions and ending on Level 1 at a favorite resting spot, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. Designed by Philip Johnson, it features Barnett Newman’s Broken Obelisk (1962–69). The glass wall lets visitors look directly into the surrounding galleries from the garden, where there’s also a reflecting pool and trees. Plans for an expansion into the space next door (which, controversially, meant tearing down the American Folk Art Museum) include additional gallery space, a retractable glass wall, an expanded lobby, and the opening of its entire first floor, including the sculpture garden, as a free public space. Construction is already under way, with an expected completion date in 2019. TIP Entrance between 4 and 8 pm on Friday is free, but expect long lines. | 11 W. 53rd St., between 5th and 6th Aves. , Midtown West | 212/708–9400 | www.moma.org | $25 | Sat.–Thurs. 10:30–5:30, Fri. 10:30–8 | Station: E, M to 5th Ave./53rd St.; F to 57th St.; B, D, E to 7th Ave.

The Rink at Rockefeller Center.
Set in the shadow of the giant Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the city’s most iconic ice-skating rink is a quintessential experience for visitors and a longstanding tradition for many locals. Skaters swoop or stumble across the ice while crowds gather at street level to watch the spins and spills. General-admission skating is on a first-come, first-served basis, so it is best to come early, and on weekdays, to avoid crowds. First Skate tickets ($45–$55, reserved online) allow 7 am access to the rink, followed by a complimentary hot chocolate or coffee and pastry or breakfast. VIP Skate packages ($60–$125) allow guests to skate past the long lines and include skate rental, 90 minutes of ice time, and hot chocolate and cookies. Other packages include Christmas Show and VIP Skate (from $102), which includes orchestra seating for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular as well as admission to the rink, skate rental, and refreshments; and Engagement on Ice packages ($350–$1,000), which provide exclusive ice time, a romantic backdrop, and a variety of romantic add-ons to seal the deal. The rink is a café in summer. | 30 Rockefeller Plaza , Midtown West | www.therinkatrockcenter.com | $25–$32; $12 skate rental | Oct.–Apr., daily 8:30 am–midnight | Station: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center; E, M to 5th Ave./53rd St.

Rockefeller Center.
If Times Square is New York’s crossroads, Rockefeller Center is its communal gathering place, where the entire world converges to snap pictures, skate on the ice rink, peek in on a taping of the Today show, shop, eat, and take in the monumental Art Deco structures and public sculptures from the past century. Totaling more than 100 shops and 50 eateries (including Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery), the complex runs from 47th to 52nd Streets between 5th and 7th Avenues. Special events and huge pieces of art dominate the central plazas in spring and summer. In December an enormous twinkling tree towers above the ice-skating rink, causing huge crowds of visitors from across the country and the globe to shuffle through with necks craned and cameras flashing. The first official tree-lighting ceremony was held in 1933.

The world’s most famous ice-skating rink occupies Rockefeller Center’s sunken lower plaza October through April and converts to a café in summer. The gold-leaf statue of the fire-stealing Greek hero Prometheus —Rockefeller Center’s most famous sculpture—hovers above, forming the backdrop to zillions of photos. Carved into the wall behind it, a quotation from Aeschylus reads, “Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought the fire that hath proved to mortals a means to mighty ends.” The lower plaza also provides access to the marble-lined corridors underneath Rockefeller Center, which house restaurants, a post office, and clean public restrooms—a rarity in Midtown.

Rising from the Lower Plaza’s west side is the 70-story (850-foot-tall) Art Deco GE Building, a testament to modern urban development. Here Rockefeller commissioned and then destroyed a mural by Diego Rivera (upon learning that it featured Vladimir Lenin). He replaced it with the monumental American Progress by José María Sert, still on view in the lobby, flanked by additional murals by Sert and English artist Frank Brangwyn. Up on the 65th floor is the landmark Rainbow Room, a glittering big-band ballroom dating to 1934; it serves a showy and very expensive brunch on Sunday, and dinner and entertainment on Monday nights. Higher up, Top of the Rock has what many consider the finest panoramic views of the city. | 30 Rockefeller Plaza , Midtown West | www.rockefellercenter.com | Station: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center; E, M to 5th Ave./53rd St.

Times Square.
Hands down, this is the most frenetic part of New York City, a cacophony of flashing lights and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds that many New Yorkers studiously avoid. Originally named after the New York Times (whose headquarters have since relocated nearby), the area has seen many changes since the first subway line, which included a 42nd Street station, opened in 1904. You won’t find speakeasies and unsavory clubs around here nowadays; it’s a vibrant, family-friendly destination, with a newly resurfaced pedestrianized stretch of Broadway with granite benches, and stadium seating behind discount-theater-ticket-seller TKTS, all under the glare of brand names like MTV and M&Ms. If you like sensory overload, the chaotic mix of huge underwear billboards, flashing digital displays, and on-location television broadcasts will give you your fix, while naked cowboys, seminude painted ladies, Elmo clones, fake Buddhist monks, and other street performers will shake you down—some quite aggressively—for tips. The focus of the entertainment may have shifted over the years, but showtime is still the heart of New York’s theater scene, and there are 40 Broadway theaters nearby. The Times Square Visitor Center is closed, but you can still learn about Broadway’s history and architecture with a 90-minute walking tour ($30) of the area by Manhattan Walking Tours ( www.manhattanwalkingtour.com ); the guided Broadway Walking tour (daily at 9:30, 11:30, and 2; www.walkinbroadway.com ) includes audio headsets and 30 stops, and leaves from the Actor’s Chapel on West 49th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue. | Broadway between 42nd and 44th Sts. , Midtown West | 212/768–1560 for Times Square Alliance | www.timessquarenyc.org | Station: 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, S to Times Sq.–42 St.

Fodor’s Choice | Top of the Rock.
Rockefeller Center’s multifloor observation deck, the Top of the Rock, on the 69th and 70th floors of the building, provides views that rival those from the Empire State Building (some would say they’re even better because the views include the Empire State Building). Arriving just before sunset affords a view of the city that morphs before your eyes into a dazzling wash of colors, with a bird’s-eye view of the tops of the Empire State Building, the Citicorp Building, and the Chrysler Building, and sweeping views northward to Central Park and south to the Statue of Liberty. Timed-entry ticketing eliminates long lines. Indoor exhibits include films of Rockefeller Center’s history and a model of the building. Glass elevators lift you to the 67th-floor interior viewing area, and then an escalator leads to the outdoor deck on the 69th floor for sightseeing through nonreflective glass safety panels. Then, take another elevator or stairs to the 70th floor for a 360-degree outdoor panorama of New York City on a deck that is only 20 feet wide and nearly 200 feet long. Especially interesting is a Plexiglas screen on the floor with footage showing Rock Center construction workers dangling on beams high above the streets; the brave can even “walk” across a beam to get a sense of what it might have been like to erect this skyscraper. A Sun & Stars ticket ($47) allows you to visit twice and see the city as it rises and sets in the same day. | 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 50th St. entrance, between 5th and 6th Aves. , Midtown West | 212/698–2000 , 212/698–2000 | www.topoftherocknyc.com | $32 | Daily 8–midnight; last elevator at 11 pm | Station: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center; E, M to 5th Ave./53rd St.

Worth Noting

Christie’s.
One of the first items to be auctioned at the New York outpost of this infamous auction house, when it opened in 2000, was the “Happy Birthday” dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang to President Kennedy (it sold for more than $1.2 million, in case you were wondering). Yes, the auction house has come a long way since James Christie launched his business in England by selling two chamber pots, among other household goods, in 1766. You could easily spend an hour or more wandering the free, museumlike galleries, where on any given day, you find impressive works of art, estate jewelry, furniture, and other rarely displayed letters and objects of interest that are usually housed in (and most likely, soon to be returned to) private collections. The lobby’s specially commissioned abstract Sol LeWitt mural alone makes it worth visiting the 310,000-square-foot space. Hours vary by sale, so call ahead to confirm. | 20 Rockefeller Plaza, 49th St. between 5th and 6th Aves. , Midtown West | 212/636–2000 | www.christies.com | Free | Weekdays 9:30–5, weekend hrs vary; hrs vary for specific exhibits | Station: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center; E, M to 5th Ave./53rd St.

David Findlay Jr. Gallery.
This well-established gallery concentrates on contemporary and 20th-century American artists from Whistler to Herman Cherry, Byron Brown, and David Aronson, and specializes in the New York School. | 724 5th Ave., 8th fl., between 56th and 57th Sts. , Midtown West | 212/486–7660 | www.davidfindlayjr.com | Free | Mon.–Sat. 10–5:30 | Station: N, Q, R to 5th Ave./59th St.

Hirschl & Adler Galleries.
Although this gallery has a selection of European works, it’s best known for American paintings, prints, and decorative arts. The celebrated 19th- and 20th-century artists whose works are featured include Stuart Davis, Childe Hassam, Camille Pissarro, and John Singleton Copley. Each year, the gallery presents up to a dozen special exhibits exploring historical themes of works culled from its collection. | 730 5th Ave., 4th fl., at 57th St. , Midtown West | 212/535–8810 | www.hirschlandadler.com | Free | Tues.–Fri. 9:30–5:15, Sat. 9:30–4:45 | Station: N, Q, R to 5th Ave./59th St.

Madame Tussauds New York.
Sit in the Oval Office with President Obama, strike a fierce pose alongside Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen, croon with Pharell Williams and Taylor Swift, pucker up to your favorite heartthrob, be it Justin Bieber or Justin Timberlake, or enjoy a royal chat with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate. Much of the fun here comes from photo opportunities—you’re encouraged to pose with and touch the more than 200 realistic replicas of the famous, infamous, and downright super. The Marvel 4D Experience includes wax likenesses of heroes like the Hulk, Captain America, Ironman, and Thor, as well as a short animated movie shown on a 360-degree screen that surrounds the viewer. Other interactive options at the museum include a karaoke café, a celebrity walk down the red carpet, and a Sports Zone where you can see how you measure up to sporting legends like Lionel Messi, Serena Williams, Derek Jeter, and Eli Manning. Closing hours vary during peak seasons, so call ahead to verify. | 234 W. 42nd St., between 7th and 8th Aves. , Midtown West | 866/841–3505 | www.madame-tussauds.com | $37 (discounts available online) | Sun.–Thurs. 10–8, Fri. and Sat. 10–10 | Station: 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, S to Times Sq.–42nd St.; A, C, E to 42nd St.–Port Authority .

Marian Goodman Gallery.
Perhaps the most respected contemporary art dealer in town, the Marian Goodman Gallery has been introducing top European artists to American audiences for over 40 years. The stable of excellent contemporary artists in the Goodman fold includes Gerhard Richter, Jeff Wall, John Baldessari, William Kentridge, Chantal Akerman, and Steve McQueen. | 24 W. 57th St., between 5th and 6th Aves. , Midtown West | 212/977–7160 | www.mariangoodman.com | Free | Mon.–Sat. 10–6 | Station: F to 57th St.

Marlborough Gallery (Midtown).
The Marlborough Gallery has an international reputation, representing modern artists such as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Beverly Pepper, Red Grooms, and photo-realist Richard Estes. Look for sculptures by Tom Otterness, whose whimsical bronzes are found in several subway stations. There are also two downtown branches (in Chelsea and on Broome Street). | 40 W. 57th St., between 5th and 6th Aves. , Midtown West | 212/541–4900 | www.marlboroughgallery.com | Free | Mon.–Sat. 10–5:30 | Station: F to 57th St.

NBC Studios.
You can join the gawking crowds watching news tapings outside the NBC studios (which are housed in the Art Deco GE Building on Rockefeller Plaza), or you can get even closer to the action (without having to elbow anyone) by taking a recently revamped tour behind the scenes of the legendary NBC studios. Tours depart every 30 minutes daily and delve into the history of television and into the studios of some of the network’s top shows, like Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Nightly News with Lester Holt. Tours start at the Shop at NBC Studios (49th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues). | 30 Rockefeller Plaza, between 5th and 6th Aves. at 49th St. , Midtown West | 212/664–3700 | www.thetouratnbcstudios.com | $33 | Tours depart every 30 mins weekdays 8:30–2, weekends 8:30–5 | Children under 6 not permitted | Station: B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center .

New York Public Library Main Branch.
In 2011 the “Library with the Lions” celebrated its centennial as a masterpiece of Beaux Arts design and as one of the great research institutions in the world, with more than 6 million books, 12 million manuscripts, and 3 million pictures. Expect changes, if not to the look, then to the feel, of the building as it attempts to become more welcoming and useful for its next 100 years of use, all without selling its soul, of course. After years of deliberation and negotiation with a very attached public, renovation plans now include the creation of more public space and amenities as well as state-of-the-art collections storage beneath Bryant Park. For now, the library remains open to visitors. The marble staircase at the library’s grand 5th Avenue entrance is an excellent perch for people-watching, before or after you explore the opulent interior.

The library’s bronze front doors open into Astor Hall, which leads to several special exhibit galleries and, to the left, a stunning periodicals room with wall paintings of New York publishing houses. Ascend the sweeping double staircase to a second-floor balconied corridor overlooking the hall, with panels highlighting the library’s development. Make sure to continue up to the recently restored, magisterial Rose Main Reading Room —297 feet long (almost two full north–south city blocks), 78 feet wide, and just over 51 feet high; walk through to best appreciate the rows of oak tables and the extraordinary ceiling. Several additional third-floor galleries show rotating exhibits on print and photography (past exhibits have included old New York restaurant menus and a 1455 Gutenberg Bible). Free hour-long tours leave Monday–Saturday at 11 and 2, and Sunday at 2 from Astor Hall. Women’s bathrooms are on the ground floor and third floor, and there’s a men’s bathroom on the third floor. | 5th Ave., between 40th and 42nd Sts. , Midtown West | 212/930–0800 for exhibit info | www.nypl.org | Mon. and Thurs.–Sat. 10–6, Sun. 1–5, Tues. and Wed. 10–8; exhibitions until 6 | Station: B, D, F, M to 42nd St.–Bryant Park; 7 to 5th Ave.

The New York Times Building.
This 52-story building with its distinctive, ladderlike ceramic rods is a testament to clean-lined modernism. The architect, Renzo Piano, extended the ceramic rods beyond the top of the building so that it would give the impression of dissolving into the sky. One of the skyscraper’s best features—and the one that’s open to the public—is the building’s lobby atrium, which includes an open-air moss garden with 50-foot paper birch trees and a wooden footbridge; a 560-screen media art installation titled Moveable Type, streaming a mix of the newspaper’s near-real-time and archival content; and the New York flagship store of minimalist home-goods designer MUJI. You never know which famous journalists you’ll spy on the coffee line in Dean & DeLuca. Unfortunately, tours are not offered. | 620 8th Ave., between 40th and 41st Sts. , Midtown West | 212/984–8128 | www.newyorktimesbuilding.com | Station: A, C, E to 42nd St.–Port Authority; 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, S to Times Sq.–42nd St.

The Paley Center for Media.
With three galleries of photographs and artifacts that document the history of broadcasting, a computerized catalog of more than 150,000 television and radio programs, and public seminars, lectures, and programs, the Paley Center for Media examines the past and constantly evolving present state of media. The past is the main draw here. If you want to see a performance of “Turkey Lurkey Time” from the 1969 Tony Awards, for example, type the name of the song, show, or performer into a computer terminal, then proceed to one of the semiprivate screening areas to watch your selection. People nearby might be watching classic comedies from the ‘50s, miniseries from the ‘70s, or news broadcasts from the ‘90s. Possibly the most entertaining part of these TV shows from yesteryear is the fact that the original commercials are still embedded in many of the programs. If ads are your thing, you can also skip the programming altogether and watch compilations of classic commercials. | 25 W. 52nd St., between 5th and 6th Aves. , Midtown West | 212/621–6800 | www.paleycenter.org | $10 | Wed., Fri., and weekends noon–6, Thurs. noon–8 | Station: E, M to 5th Ave./53rd St.; B, D, F, M to 47th–50th Sts./Rockefeller Center .

Tibor de Nagy Gallery.
Founded in 1950, this gallery shows works by 20th-century artists such as Biala, Nell Blaine, Jane Freilicher, and Shirley Jaffe. Instrumental in bringing many of America’s finest Abstract Expressionist artists to public attention in the mid-20th century, the gallery now shows abstract and realistic work. | 724 5th Ave., 12th fl., between 56th and 57th Sts. , Midtown West | 212/262–5050 | www.tibordenagy.com | Tues.–Sat. 10–5:30 | Station: N, Q, R to 5th Ave./59th St.

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