New York City Union Square And Murray Hill

You can think of the area around Union Sq., Gramercy Park, and Madison Square Park as a museum in itself. A center of New York culture and upper-class residential life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the area still packs an architectural wallop. Huge fin de siècle landmarks rise above brownstones and former mansions. Exclusive parks are surrounded by even more exclusive social clubs. And the legacy of a long-gone aristocracy remains in the preserved homes and collections of some of America's most famous historical figures.

The Morgan Library and Museum, 225 Madison Ave. (at 36th St.) (www.themorgan.org), J.P. Morgan, Jr. donated his father's extensive collection of rare books, documents, and artwork to the public as a museum in 1924. It soon grew to encompass a complex of nearby buildings, and today they're packed with a surprisingly rich array of manuscripts, drawings, maps, paintings, and books. Treasures include an original, autographed e Mozart score, a Gutenberg Bible, numerous medieval manuscripts, examples of the earliest writing in the Near East, and works by Old Masters like Rubens and Rembrandt. It's worth visiting as an insight into Morgan's behind-the-scenes life—the library itself was built in 1906 in Renaissance palazzo style—and as another priceless museum, complete with a varied rotating set of special exhibits. $12, students $8. Open Tu-Th 10:30am-5pm, F 10:30am-9pm, Sa 10am-6pm, Su 11am-6pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
Flatiron Building, 175 5th Ave. (at Broadway) This striking, much-photographed landmark—New York's first skyscraper—stridently stands at the branching-off point of Broadway and Fifth Ave. Revolutionary in its day, the structure still impressed with an unusual triangular shape that seems to test the limits of architecture—it's only 6 ft. wide at its narrowest point. Originally called the Fuller Building, it derived its current name from its resemblance to a certain pressing instrument used in laundry rooms. The unique shape created wind tunnels that would lift women's skirts in the early 20th century; police dispersed gawkers with the soon famous phrase “23 skidoo” (after neighboring 23rd St.).
The Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace, 28 E. 20th St. (www.nps.gov/thrb), Despite his reputation as a fierce outdoor adventurer and steward of America's national parks, Teddy Roosevelt was the only US president born in New York City. He was born and raised in this luxurious brownstone until the age of 15. Though the building was torn down in the early 20th century, a group of businessmen and other admirers rebuilt the building down to the exact details, and the current museum opened in 1923. It's run by the National Park Service, so you can have an actual ranger take you on the informative tours. You can't see the upper floors otherwise; they include the library, the dining hall, the nursery (check out Teddy's crib), and the front bedroom where the future president was born. There's an added room filled with some of his hunting conquests—a stuffed lion, various heads on walls—while the floor level features chronologically arranged exhibits on TR's life illustrated by the flotsam of his adventures: clothes, letters, dinnerware, and more. A final impetus: admi Free. Open Tu-Su 9am-5pm. Tours at 10, 11am, 1, 2, 3, 4pm. No wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
Union Square, 17th to 14th St., Park Ave. to Broadway (www.unionsquarenyc.org), As the old aristocrats left their mansions and moved uptown in the late 19th century, the square became a center for socialist and radical activity. The first Labor Day parade marched from here up Broadway in 1882, while the park also became home to annual May Day festivities. As the dark 1970s fell, disrepair and drug dealing made the area unwholesome and dangerous. The revitalization effort included the introduction of the Union Square Greenmarket (M 8am-6pm, W 8am-6pm, F-Sa 8am-6pm), New York's most popular open-air market and an ideal place to snatch up some pastries, breads, cheeses, jams, vegetables, and fruits. Impromptu music performances in the southern half, meanwhile, keep things interesting. Take a look (you can't help it) at the Metronome, a huge, controversial, multi-million public art project whose digits count down the day in simultaneous forward and backward motion (the left seven digits display military time Wheelchair access. Has internet. Has outdoor seating.
Stuyvesant Square, Between E. 17th St., Perlman Pl., E. 15th St. and Rutherford Pl. Designed in the 1840s on farmland owned by legendary New Netherlands Governor Peter Stuyvesant, this quiet but sprawling square is an ideal resting place, with far more space and serenity than nearby Union Sq. Divided by Second Ave., the park features several fountains, floral gardens, and a statue of Peter himself—complete with peg leg. The cast-iron fence surrounding the park is the second oldest in the city, dating from 1847. The old prestigious neighborhood that surrounded the square can be seen in nearby landmarks like St. George's Church (1848-1856), a striking Romanesque Revival structure where J.P. Morgan and other luminaries worshiped, the red-brick Friends Meeting House and Seminary (1861), and several row houses that date back to the 1850s. Park closes at 11pm. Wheelchair access. Has outdoor seating.
Madison Square Park, Between E. 26th St. and E. 23rd St. (www.madisonsquarepark.org), Surrounded by some of New York's most recognized buildings, Madison Square Park does its best to provide a bit of calm in the midst of a very busy area. Back in the day, it was an empty lot where the New York Knickerbockers, one of the first professional baseball teams, practiced. The park opened in 1847 at the center of an upper-class neighborhood of brownstones and mansions. The first versions of the Madison Square Garden were built next to the park. By the late 20th century a revitalization effort helped upgrade the disheveled park, and today the space is a clean, though crowded, center dotted with statues of 19th-century New York generals and luminaries, art exhibits, the occasional outdoor concert, and the always-popular Shake Shack. Open daily 6am-midnight. Wheelchair access. Has outdoor seating.
Metropolitan Life Tower, 1 Madison Ave. (at E. 24th St.) The world's tallest building for three years until the Woolworth building stole its title in 1913, the still-intimidating MetLife tower soars into the sky above Madison Square Park. Designed after Venice's campanile, the tower was added to a preexisting office structure in an ambitious bid for maximal phallic power. At night, a constant light illuminates the cupola at the top.
New York Life Insurance Building, 51 Madison Ave. (at E. 26th and E. 27th St.) Though not as tall as the MetLife Tower or as sleek as the Flatiron Building, the enormous New York Life Building outweighs both with its heavy stateliness. Designed by Cass Gilbert in 1926—and partly inspired by Salisbury Cathedral—the building is supported by a broad base covering the entire block. A gold-topped tower rises above, adorned with gargoyles and other modern Gothic touches.
Gramercy Park, Between E. 21st St., Gramercy Park E., E. 20th St., and Gramercy Park W. You can look, but you can't touch. New York's only private park is a doozy, dripping with impossibly manicured exclusivity and majestically surrounded by an 8 ft. iron fence keeping the commoners out. The park and surrounding neighborhood were designed above marshland in 1831 to cater to the city's aristocracy. The air of privilege is still palpable today in the beautiful, stately Victorian-era structures surrounding the park. It's all terribly lovely. Private park; no entry. Wheelchair access. Has outdoor seating.
National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park S. (www.nationalartsclub.org), A gorgeous, sprawling 19th-century brownstone, the National Arts Club building is one of Gramercy's architectural highlights. Designed by Calvert Vaux, co-designer of Central Park, the home once belonged to New York governor, and winner of the popular vote in 1876's presidential election, Samuel J. Tilden. The National Arts Club bought the building in 1906. Members have included Gramercy local Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Robert Redford, Martin Scorsese, and Uma Thurman. Most of the building is members-only, but there are a few free gallery spaces open to the public. Exhibits free. Open daily noon-5pm. Wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
The Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park S. (www.theplayersnyc.org), Next door to the National Arts Club, this other old and prestigious club for the creative was founded in 1888 by none other than Edwin Booth, brother of John Wilkes. Booth lived on the top floor and died there in 1893—they haven't changed his bed since. The 1845 brownstone, fronted by impressive columns, is a sight in itself. Members have included Laurence Olivier, Frank Sinatra, and Richard Gere. Wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
Church of the Transfiguration, 1 E. 29th St. (www.littlechurch.org), The attention-grabbing Church of the Transfiguration has more than distinctive courtyards and sprawling, anomalous architecture. It's acquired a reputation as an “actors' church,” stemming chiefly from an 1870 incident. Friends of a recently departed Shakespearean actor were unable to arrange funeral services at posh, thespian-phobic churches nearby—but they were told that “there's a little church around the corner where that sort of thing is done.” Today the “little church around the corner” is home to the Episcopal Actors' Guild, features scenes from Hamlet in its stained-glass windows, and has held the funerals of artistic celebs like Edwin Booth and O. Henry. The cottage-like exterior is graced by a gentle fountain and shaded benches. Services M-F 8:40am, 12:10, and 5:10pm; Su 8, 8:30, and 11am. Wheelchair access. Has air conditioning. Has outdoor seating.
69th Regiment Armory, 68 Lexington Ave. (at E. 26th St.) Hard to believe, but this hulking structure was the site of modern art's first true introduction to American culture. The 1913 Armory show displayed works by Picasso, Matisse, Gauguin, and Duchamp, among others; locals were appropriately shocked and dizzied. On September 11, the space was used as a command center and gathering point for family and friends of the missing. Today, it's a recruiting center for the Army National Guard—you might see some young men and women in uniform lounging outside. Not open to the public.
Museum of Sex, 233 5th Ave. (at 27th St.) (www.museumofsex.com), New York's most salacious museum takes an alternatively playful and scholarly look at sex. Two permanent exhibits, “Spotlight” and “Action,” display sex objects and documents (incredibly painful-looking, Victorian-era anti-stimulation devices and scientific pamphlets, for example) and video excerpts of the media's representation of sex throughout the decades. The pornography from the 1920s and 30s is especially interesting; the clips from American Pie, not so much. These are complemented by rotating exhibits focusing on such topics as strange American fetishes, the history of condoms, and the sex lives of animals. The admission fees are exorbitant, but you're guaranteed to acquire some unforgettable knowledge. The museum store sells books, dolls, bondage masks, and other sex toys. $16.75, students $15.25. Open M-Th 10am-8pm, F-Sa 10am-9pm, Su 10am-8pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
Murray Hill, Between E. 42th St., the East River, E. 34th St., and Madison Ave. Before the Upper East Side, there was Murray Hill and Gramercy. These neighborhoods were chock-full of stately brownstones and mansions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a quiet, privileged atmosphere remains in these still-upscale neighborhoods. Murray Hill is especially quiet—there's not much to see here besides the excellent Morgan Museum, but admirers of classy architecture will probably get very excited on a stroll through here. Lovers of Indian and Pakistani food should also flock to “Curry Hill,” a conglomeration of South Asian shops and restaurants clustered around the upper 20s and lower 30s along Lexington and Third Ave.