New York City Midtown East

New York Public Library, 42nd St. and 5th Ave. (www.nypl.org), You may recognize the lions (named “Patience” and “Fortitude”) that valiantly guard the entrance to this marble temple of learning: Ghostbusters, The Day After Tomorrow, and Sex and the City all filmed scenes at the NYPL. The Rose Main Reading Room measures over 23,000 square feet and has astounding, mural-covered ceilings 52 ft. from the floor. For a century, people from all walks of life have used it as a study and research space. The NYPL is also home to several priceless treasures, including a T Gutenburg Bible and copy of The Declaration of Independence. Throughout the year, the library hosts scores of free film screenings, lectures, classes, and exhibitions. Check the website or information desk for schedule information. General research hours Sept-May M 10am-6pm, Tu-W 10am-9pm, Th-Sa 10am-6pm, Su 1-5pm. 1hr. tours leave from the information desk at Astor Hall M-Sa 11am-2pm and Su 2pm. Wheelchair access.
Japan Society, 333 E. 47th St., at 1st Ave. (www.japansociety.org), The Japan Society must hold some kind of record for the non-profit with the most offerings and events throughout the year. The society of best known for their cutting-edge and historical artistic exhibitions, but that's just the tip of the Mochi ball. They have language classes, calligraphy classes, business lectures, family events, film series featuring the most avant-garde in Japanese cinema, lectures by Martha Stewart (we kid you not!), and dance performances just to name a few highlights. And you didn't hear it from us, but celebrities of the alternative world such as Bjork and Matthew Barney have been known to hang around the Society building. Prices vary by attraction and exhibition. Open M-F 11am-6pm (Gallery Exhibitions closed M), Sa-Su 11am-5pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
The United Nations, 1st Ave., between 42nd and 48th St. (www.un.org), After passing through an extremely thorough security check, you will enter the General Assembly Building lobby, which is filled with permanent pieces of international art as well as temporary exhibitions promoting environmentalism, peace, cultural understanding, and other warm and fuzzy political values. To your right as you enter is a stained glass window designed by Belarusian artist Marc Chagall. A Norman Rockwell mosaic, Japanese Peace Bell, and Chinese ivory carving are also exhibited throughout the building. The only way to see the General Assembly is to take a guided tour, available in 15 different languages and led by guides from around 20 countries. The tours also provide the opportunity to see the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as objects such as a guitar made out of an AK47 and artifacts from Nagasaki. Other interesting UN destinations include the Conference Building, th Tours are cash only. $16, students and seniors $11, children $9. Audio and guided tours M-F 9:30am-4:45pm; audio tours only Sa-Su 10:30am-4:15pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Bryant Park, 6th Ave., between 40th and 42nd St. (www.bryantpark.org), Bryant Park has always has always been able to bring New Yorkers together. Once a burial ground for the city's poor, it's now a popular lunch spot. On a pleasant day, the lawn is covered with city-folk munching on their takeout Caesar salads. Late June through late August, HBO and Time Warner Cable show free films on Mondays at sundown as part of the Bryant Park Film Festival, and in early July through mid-August, 106.7 Lite FM hosts Broadway in the Park on Thursdays at 12:30pm. The popular carousel ($2 per ride) runs from 11am-8pm June through October (until 9pm on Halloween). Film Festival and Broadway in the Park free. Open daily 7am-9pm, in summer until 11pm. Wheelchair access.
Grand Central Terminal, E. 42nd St. between Madison and Lexington Ave., where Park Ave. should be (www.grandcentralterminal.com), Although Grand Central Station serves the Metro-North Railroad, New York City Subway, and MTA New York City Bus, you don't have to be catching a train to make a trip to the beautiful, Beaux-Arts Grand Central Terminal. The station is a shopping destination in its own right, with 50 stores and a surfeit of restaurants, food stands, and cocktail lounges. The Grand Central Market on the main level presents a dizzying array of chocolates, cheeses, breads, meats, and pastries (with samples galore if you're in need of a snack). You can also get your daily dose of transportation history at the New York Transit Museum's Gallery Annex and Store ( Open M-F 8am-8pm, Sa-Su 10am-6pm }212-878-0106). Tours leave from the information desk in the main concourse Wednesdays at 12:30pm and from the Scul Admission free. Municipal Arts Society tours suggested donation $10, Grand Central Partnership tour free. Terminal open daily 5:30am-2am. Tours sponsored by the Municipal Arts Society W 12:30pm; meet at information desk on the main concourse. Tours sponsored by the Grand Central Partnership F 12:30pm; meet in the Sculpture Court of the Whitney Museum at Altri Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Southeast corner of 5th Ave. and 51st St. (www.stpatrickscathedral.org), Everyone wanted a Gothic Revival church in the 1850s when James Renwich designed St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1858. Unfortunately, the American Civil War rudely interfered with construction until 1865, and the Cathedral did not open until 1879. Today, St. Patrick's is invariably filled with penitent tourists, passing from one of the many Saints' altars to the next to light votive candles. Favorites include St. Jude, St. Brigid, Patroness of the Americas Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the first American-born Saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton. For a more peaceful experience, try a visit to the smaller Lady Chapel by the South Transept. Free. Mass M-F 7, 7:30, 8am, noon, 12:30, 1, 5:30pm. Confession after every morning mass and noon-1:20pm; Sa 8am, noon, 5:30pm; Su 7, 8, 9, 10:15am, confession noon-12:45pm and 3:30-5:30pm. Wheelchair access.
The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, 301 Park Ave., between 49th and 50th St. (www.waldorfastoria.com), The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel is an American landmark, and proud of it. The Cocktail Terrace contains American songwriter Cole Porter's flower-covered, brown Steinway. Visitors entering the lobby pass an exhibition with objects from the history of the hotel, including an event book from 1915 and antique place settings. (The 1945 film Weekend at the Waldorf also plays on loop in this exhibition. Apparently it never gets old.) In the center of the lobby, the two-ton Waldorf-Astoria Clock (1893) contains the busts of Cleveland, Harrison, Washington, Grant, Lincoln, Franklin, Jackson, and odd-Brit-out Queen Victoria. At the Waldorf-Astoria, more than anything else, they love food. Different editions of the Waldorf-Astoria Cookbook can be found sprinkled throughout the hotel. The tour even goes through the kitchen and includes lunch. For $95 you too can enjoy a historic brunch at this historic hotel. Tours $50, include lunch at Peacock Alley or Oscar's; Su brunch $95. Tours Th and Sa at 11:30am. Brunch in winter Su 11:30am-2:30pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Rockefeller Center, Between 48th and 51st St., 5th and 6th Ave. (www.rockefellercenter.com), Developed by John D. Rockefeller Jr. beginning in 1930, Rockefeller Center is a microcosm of Midtown Manhattan, complete with food, shopping, entertainment, and art. One of the most notable sights is the Lee Lawrie and Rene Chambellan statue of Atlas on 5th Ave. between 50th and 51st Streets. The statue was originally treated with hostility because of its purported resemblance to Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Another nod to the boys of Greek mythology is Paul Manship's Gold-leaf Prometheus Statue in the Tower Plaza, a sunken space between 49th and 50th Streets. The plaza leads the double life of a Christmas Tree embellished skating rink in the winter and an overpriced cafe in the spring and summer. The main entrance to Rockefeller Center is on 5th Ave., between 49th and 50th St. The foliage-rich Channel Gardens (separating the Maison Francaise on the left and the British Empire Buildin $21, ages 6-12 $14, seniors $19; guided tours $15; art + observation deck combo $30. NBC Studio Tour $19.25, ages 6-12 and seniors $16.25. Radio City Tours $18.50, ages 12 and under $10, ages 62 and over $15. Observation Deck between 50th and 51st St., enter on 50th St. Observation Deck open daily 8am-midnight; Rockefeller Center tours leave from GE building every hour 10am-7pm, except at 6pm; NBC Tours leave from 2nd level of NBC Store M-W 8:30am-5:30pm, Th 8 Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Sony Wonder Technology Lab, 550 Madison Ave., at 55th St. (www.sonywondertechlab.com), This is a budding science nerd's paradise. Upon entering, guests take photographs of themselves and create a “digital watermark” that is downloaded to an ID card. They then use that card to participate in the many hands-on exhibitions, from creating an animated character to programming a robot. The whole thing is very Star Trek and tons of fun. Free. Open Tu-Sa 10am-5pm, Su noon-5pm. Last entry 30min. before close. Wheelchair access.
Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Ave., at E. 42nd St. In 1930, Chrysler Corporation founder Walter Chrysler wanted his monument to the car to be the tallest building in the world. Unfortunately for Chrysler, George Ohrstrom of the Bank of Manhattan and John Jakob Raskob of General Motors also wanted their buildings to be the tallest in the world. Thus, the Great Skyscraper Race, a competition fraught with secrets and trickery, began. The Chrysler building, designed by architect William Van Alen was briefly the world's tallest until the Empire State Building opened in 1931. Measuring 1046 ft. and 4¾ in., the spire is meant to evoke a 1930 Chrysler car's radiator grille. The gargoyles of chromium and nickel outside the 59th floor are styled after hood ornaments, and the lightning bolts on the facade symbolize the energy of the new machine. The Art Deco lobby, laden with African marble, onyx, and amber, contains beautiful elevators of Japanese Ash. An Edward Trumbull painting originally executed on canvas and subsequently cement Free. Open daily 8am-6pm. Wheelchair access.