Three Places to Go Before the Show
Posted: 11/22/07

By Barbara Hudgins

Going into New York City to see the lights, stroll Rockefeller Center, or visit the frenzied stores? Perhaps you have out-of-town visitors in tow or are going to the theater. Here are a few Manhattan landmarks that are centrally located but offer peace and quiet from the madding crowd for an hour or two of diversion beforehand.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Although the two literary lions in front of the grand stairway entrance to the 42nd Street Library have long been midtown landmarks, it is only since the re-opening of the refurbished marble palace that public tours have been conducted of its interior. Everything has been cleaned and polished and there is new decoration in the special collections rooms. The library seems friendlier to the general public now—although its main purpose is still to provide research to scholars and students.
There are two tours a day (11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and one on Sunday at 2:30) and the docents reel off more facts and figures than you can absorb. The library contains 500,000 square feet of marble and was designed in the Beaux Arts style by the architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings. The original collection was a combination of the John Jacob Astor’s private library with the books of a Mr. Lenox. With financial donations by Samuel Tilden (and later, Andrew Carnegie) the Main Library became one of the great learning centers of the world-- as befitted a city that was, by the late 19th century, the cultural capitol of America.
The Main Library is for reference only, by the way, and it is open to everyone. The famed reading room on the third floor now has computer terminals and new lamps. The Dewitt Wallace Room, devoted to periodicals, features new murals of old-time Manhattan neighborhoods such as Murray Hill and Newspaper Row.
But whether you take the tour or not, be sure to check out the special exhibits which are usually of museum quality. The one I saw, about the various Utopias envisioned by writers, was absolutely stunning. And before you leave the marble halls of the library look for the gift shop on the first floor. Although it’s small, it is chock full of unique items.
Also walk through Bryant Park, which takes up the square block behind the library. It has been restored from its grungy past when it was a gathering place for derelicts and now sports metal chairs and tables set among the arching trees, kiosks for coffee and a central greensward. Of course the park is filled with white tents for the special Fashion Week that takes place in September and creates a whole lot of media attention.
The NYPL is free and is located at 42nd St. and Fifth Ave. Telephone: 212-930-0830 or check their website (www.nypl.org) for hours and events.


THE FRICK COLLECTION

Further uptown, at 70th Street and Fifth Avenue, The Frick Collection is another marble palace that affords an hour or two of relaxation. This handsome Beaux Arts museum was created by the same architectural firm that built the library. But the interior here is homier, with heavy wood paneling and an airy atrium. The primary purpose of the Frick is to feature a magnificent assemblage of art and decorative pieces that the steel magnate amassed during his lifetime. French and English paintings of the 17th and 18th century predominate, with pieces displayed as if in a home.
One room is dedicated to Fragonard, the painter of French aristocratic life just prior to the Revolution. Four delicate panels depict idyllic shepherds and shepherdesses dancing and playing in the garden. British portrait painters of the 18th century such as Reynolds and Gainsborough are also well represented, and there are plenty of Dutch masters hanging from the paneled walls.
Only the first floor is open, but this is a formidable collection, so expect to stay at least an hour. The Frick does not have an eating area, but there is a nice gift shop available. Children under ten are not allowed and those under sixteen must be accompanied by an adult. Check website (www.frick.org) for hours and prices. Telephone: 212-288-0700.

THE CENTRAL PARK ZOO

If you have children along, a good place to stop is the Central Park Zoo at East 64th Street and Fifth Avenue. This is a small zoo (oops, the official name is Wildlife Conservation Park) but it is set up much like its bigger brother, The Bronx Zoo. The largest exhibit is indoors and is called “Jungle World”. It’s nice and warm in here—in fact, it is a transported tropical rain forest with chattering monkeys and colorful toucans moving along the three stories of foliage. Even tiny animals like leafcutter ants and other jungle insects are displayed.
Across the way, past the sea lion pool, you will find the polar bears who are much more at home during the colder weather. An adjoining indoor section is devoted to penguins. It is quite dark in this cave and you can watch these funny creatures dive-bomb through the water when they aren’t waddling about.
Beyond the regular zoo there is a small children’s zoo which has been retrofitted with interactive play areas for children. The admission fees are reasonable. The zoo is open 365 days a year—winter hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telephone: 212-861-6030.