Skyscraper Museum
Wowed by the sheer verticality in this town? Awed by the architectural marvel that is the high-rise? You're not alone. If you'd like to learn more about the technology, culture, and sheer muscle behind it all, seek out this formerly itinerant museum, which will move into its first permanent home in 2004 in the 38-story Skidmore, Owings & Merrill tower that also houses the Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park. The new space comprises two galleries, one housing a permanent exhibition dedication to the evolution of Manhattan's commercial skyline, the other for changing shows.

Metropolitan Museum of Art
Home of blockbuster after blockbuster exhibition, the Metropolitan Museum of Art attracts some 5 million people a year, more than any other spot in New York City. And it's no wonder -- this place is magnificent. At 1.6 million square feet, this is the largest museum in the western hemisphere. Nearly all the world's cultures are on display through the ages -- from Egyptian mummies to ancient Greek statuary to Islamic carvings to Renaissance paintings to Native American masks to 20th-century decorative arts -- and masterpieces are the rule. You could go once a week for a lifetime and still find something new on each visit.So unless you plan on spending your entire vacation in the museum (some people do), you cannot see the entire collection. My recommendation is to give it a good day -- or better yet, 2 half days so you don't burn out. One good way to get an overview is to take advantage of the little-known Museum Highlights Tour, offered every day at various times throughout the day (usually between 10:15am and 3:15pm; tours also offered in Spanish, Italian, German, and Korean). Even some New Yorkers who've spent many hours in the museum could profit from this once-over. Visit the museum's website for a schedule of this and subject-specific walking tours (Old Master Paintings, American Period Rooms, Arts of China, Islamic Art, and so on); you can also get a schedule of the day's tours at the Visitor Services desk when you arrive. A daily schedule of Gallery Talks is available as well.The least overwhelming way to see the Met on your own is to pick up a map at the round desk in the entry hall and choose to concentrate on what you like, whether it's 17th-century paintings, American furniture, or the art of the South Pacific. Highlights include the American Wing's Garden Court, with its 19th-century sculpture; the terrific ground-level Costume Hall; and the Frank Lloyd Wright room. The beautifully renovated Roman and Greek galleries are overwhelming, but in a marvelous way, as are the collections of Byzantine Art and later Chinese art. The highlight of the astounding Egyptian collection is the Temple of Dendur, in a dramatic, purpose-built glass-walled gallery with Central Park views. The Greek Galleries, which at last fully realize McKim, Mead & White's grand neoclassical plans of 1917, and the Ancient Near East Galleries, are particularly of note. But it all depends on what your interests are. Special exhibitions can range from Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi: Father and Daughter Painters in Baroque Italy to Earthly Bodies: Irving Penn's Nudes, 1949-50.In a response to the huge crowds, in 2003 the Met began opening "Holiday Mondays." On those Mondays, such as Memorial Day or Labor Day, the museum is open from 9:30am to 5:30pm.To purchase tickets for concerts and lectures, call tel. 212/570-3949 (Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm). The museum contains several dining facilities, including a full-service restaurant serving Continental cuisine (tel. 212/570-3964 for reservations). The roof garden is worth visiting if you're here from spring to autumn, offering peaceful views over Central Park and the city.The Met's medieval collections are housed in Upper Manhattan at the Cloisters;.Evenings at the Met--On Friday and Saturday evenings, the Met remains open late not only for art viewing but also for cocktails in the Great Hall Balcony Bar (5-8pm) and classical music from a string ensemble. A slate of after-hours programs (gallery talks, walking tours, family programs) changes by the week; call for the current schedule. The restaurant stays open until 10pm (last reservation at 8:30pm), and dinner is usually accompanied by piano music.

New York Public Library
The New York Public Library, adjacent to Bryant Park and designed by Carrère & Hastings (1911), is one of the country's finest examples of beaux arts architecture, a majestic structure of white Vermont marble with Corinthian columns and allegorical statues. Before climbing the broad flight of steps to the Fifth Avenue entrance, take note of the famous lion sculptures -- Fortitude on the right, and Patience on the left -- so dubbed by whip-smart former mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. At Christmastime they don natty wreaths to keep warm.This library is actually the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, only one of the research libraries in the New York Public Library system. The interior is one of the finest in the city and features Astor Hall, with high arched marble ceilings and grand staircases. The stupendous Main Reading Rooms have now reopened after a massive restoration and modernization that both brought them back to their stately glory and moved them into the computer age (goodbye, card catalogs!).Even if you don't stop in to peruse the periodicals, you may want to check out one of the excellent rotating exhibitions. Call or check the website to see what's on while you're in town. There's also a full calendar of lecture programs, with past speakers ranging from Tom Stoppard to Cokie Roberts; popular speakers often sell out, so it's a good idea to purchase tickets in advance.

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Howard Johnson Hotel - Newark
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