Introduction

Midtown West is the area which best exemplifies the busy streets of New York City seen on television and in the movies. The area is essentially commercial - filled with tall office buildings and notorious for its "midtown traffic".

Entering the lower midtown from Chelsea, you will easily be able to identify your entrance into the Garment District by the delivery trucks holding up traffic and the clothing trolleys delaying pedestrians along Seventh Avenue - known here as "Fashion Av"

Before the 19th century, Herald Square, named after the defunct Herald newspaper, was one of the seedier areas of New York. After the giant Macy's department store was established in the late 1800s, however, it became a popular commercial and shopping district, a character that it retains to this day.

For visitors, Midtown West is best known for its Theater District. Although the majority of commercial theaters are actually located on the side streets offBroadway, the term "Broadway" has come to collectively represent all the major theaters in the area.

Of the 40 or so active theaters, 22 of them have been designated historical landmarks. The Lyceum is the oldest and has operated continuosly since it was built in 1903. The nearby Shubert Theater welcomed an unknown Barbra Streisand in her 1962 Broadway debut.

The nearby International Center of Photography Midtown mounts some excellent photographic exhibits, often focusing on a particular genre or artist. Futher north, you can experience three major New York City museums in just a few short blocks - the Museum of Modern Art, known as "MoMa", the American Craft Museum and The Museum of Television and Radio.

One of New York's most popular tourist attractions, Rockefeller Center is great to visit year round. The best time to come here, however, is during the holidays when the giant Christmas tree is lit in front of the GE Building and ice skaters fill the rink below.

Around the corner, the legendary Radio City Music Hall is famous for its quality productions, and its Christmas Spectacular, which continues to draw the crowds year after year. The Grand Tour provides a fascinating look behind-the-scenes at this landmark Art Deco building.

Along the Hudson River, you can visit the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid which is now the centerpiece of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum. Once a year, sailors from the U.S. Navy gather here for "Fleet Week". Although this is not an event that New Yorkers take part in, they are reminded of its existence when they suddenly notice packs of uniformed sailors filling the streets.

Broadway Theaters

Throughout Midtown West, centered around Times Square, is the famed Broadway Theater district. Of the 40 or so Broadway theaters, almost all of them are not actually located on Broadway themselves, but actually on small sidestreets throughout Midtown. These theaters, some globally recognized, put on shows throughout the year, entertaining the drama and theater crowds 365 days a year.

Each theater is solely independent, and books its own shows based on availability. Tickets are not normally sold at each theater, but can be obtained primarily at ticket booths or by dialing a hotline phone number. If you are interested in seeing a show, refer to the

TKTS is the discounted ticket distributor that is easily recognizable in Times Square,by the large TKTS signs. This company provides theatre goers a break from paying retail prices on theatre tickets. Established in 1973 to better help the theater and theater-goers, TKTS sells unsold tickets for THAT NIGHTs shows for half-price, again the tickets for that THAT NIGHTS PERFORMANCE.

Around the plaza at Duffy Square, in the center island of 47th Street and Broadway, electronic signs display what shows are available for that particular day. New Yorker's know this area very well, as the lines tend to wrap for hundreds of feet around Duffy Square; so get there early!

Evening Performances    Monday-Saturday    3pm - 8pm
Matiness                Wed & Sat         10am - 2pm
Matinee & Evening       Sunday            12pm - 8pm 

Times Square

Located in the heart of Midtown, Times Square is known world over. Pictured in over 100 movies, and hundreds of TV shows, as well as seen in over 45 countries on New Years Eve, its no wonder Times Square is called 'the crossroads of the world'

Centered at 42nd Street, Seventh Avenue an Broadway, the roads intersect in a bowtie pattern, and New Yorkers sometimes call it the 'bowtie'. When the New York Times built their offices above what was known as Longacre Square, at the beginning of the 20th century, th newly named "Times Square" was connected to the subway system and quickly brought the hub of the Theater District to its present location.

Today, Times Square sees one-and-a-half million people pass through every day! It is famous for its colossal neon signs, giant billboards, and the neon apple that falls annually to ring in the New Year.
Recently, an aggressive make-over campaign has focused on shaking Times Square's grimy reputation. The closing of "adult" film theaters and shops along 42nd Street, coupled with major corporate openings like the Virgin Megastore, All-Star Cafe and Disney Store have literally changed the face of the area.

Times Square is the home to many other sights worth taking in. In addition to purely standing in Times Square and capturing glimpses of the massive signs and such, day and night!; one can enjoy the many coffeehouses, shops, and clubs. Centered on Times Square is the headquarters of many companies, including the New York Times, Virgin Records, NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation, and General Electic. Also, if you wish to stay close to the action, and in the 'middle' of New York, stay at posch Times Square hotels that include the Marriott Marquis and the Doubletree Suites Hotel.

If you really can handle crowds and excitement, and want to experience something that is un-comparable; visit New York over New Years, and crowd the streets in Times Square as the ball is dropped upon One Times Square on New Years Eve. A truly memorable moment, crowded among half-a-million screaming, excited Americans ringing in the New Year any way they can!

Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art holds the world's premier collection of modern art. Its unrivaled selection of 20th-century artists range from Picasso to Warhol, Monet to Matisse. Even if you're not very familiar with modern art, you will recognize many works here.

The Museum of Modern Art opened its first exhibition in 1929, displaying Post-impressionist artists such as Cezanne, Gaugin, Seurat, & Van Gogh, who were hardly known in the United States at that time.

This new museum generated an immeadiate response from an appreciative public who were eager to learn more about the art of their day. In the first ten years of its life, the museum outgrew four temporary homes before moving to its current building.

Since its founding, the collection has grown to include approximately 100,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, architectural models and plans, prints, photographs, and design objects. The museum now recieves over one-and-a-half million visitors each year.

Among the museum's finest (and most famous) paintings are Claude Monet's Water Lilies; Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon; Henri Matisse's Dance; and many other works of art by Rene Magritte, Salvador Dali, and Andy Warhol. Perhaps the most treasured painting is Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night.

You will probably want to start your visit to the museum in the Painting and Sculpture galleries, situated on the second and third floors. There you will find major artists and movements from Post-Impressionism to Pop Art, including the famed MoMa sculpture garden.

The second floor also houses the Drawings galleries, featuring works on paper by Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, Georgia O'Keefe, and Robert Rauschenberg as well as drawings that focus on a particular movement such as Surrealism and Dada.
The Photography galleries, on the second floor, span the entire history of the medium, including works by Cartier-Bresson and Steiglitz.

On the third floor, the Prints and Illustrated Books Collection covers artists from over 60 countries, including an impressive selection of works by Picasso. Diverse and expansive, it features lithographs, etchings, screenprints, and woodcuts.

The Museum of Modern Art was the first New York City museum to offer random-access digital audio guide for their permanent collection. It allows you to explore the museum's painting and sculpture galleries at your own pace. You can select up to three hours of commentary by the museum's director and top curators, who provide fresh insights and information about the works and the artists who created them.

Radio City Music Hall

Radio City Music Hall, one of New York City's premier entertainment venues, is a landmark Art Deco building situated around the corner from Rockefeller Center. Opened in 1932, it escaped demolition in 1979 and has since been beautifully restored.

Radio City is probably most famous for its Rockettes - the dance troupe that draws over a million spectators to its annual Radio City Christmas Spectacular, a 90-minute holiday show in which Santa Claus makes a cameo appearance. The Radio City Spring Spectacular is also very popular, especially with children. The theater also hosts first-rate live music acts and special events throughout the year including, pageants and music awards.

You can meet one of the Radio City Rockettes, visit the costume shop and see 60 years worth of history-making fabrics, patterns and costume sketches. You can also explore the celebrated Art Deco interior with its block-long Grand Foyer, 24-carat gold leaf ceiling sweeping staircase and pair of two-ton glass chandeliers.

You see first hand the incredible technology involved in creating these productions, including "curtains" that create steam and rain, a Wurlitzer organ that weighs 5 tons and has pipes ranging in size from a few inches to 32 feet. You will learn about a stage elevator system so sophisticated that its design was borrowed by the U.S. Navy for aircraft carriers during World War II.

Tours depart approximately every half hour from Radio City Music Hall's main lobby at the corner of Sixth Avenue and 50th Street.

Other Attractions

The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum is housed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. Docked on the Hudson River, a short distance from Midtown Manhattan, this World War II vessel has weathered bombs, kamikazes and torpedoes. It was designed a National Historic Landmark and, after 37 years of active duty, it is now the world's largest naval museum. It offers a complete history of naval aviation, space and undersea exploration.

In addition to the Intrepid, other painstakingly restored historic ships include the guided nuclear missile submarine Growler and the large fleet destroyer Edison. Also part of the flotilla are the Coast Guard cutter Tamaroa, which sits next to another World War II veteran, the destroyer escort Slater and the operational school ship Elizabeth M. Fisher. Touring these ships gives you a first-hand look at life at sea.

The SR-2 simulator takes visitors through a series of fast-moving maneuvers in less than seven minutes. And is a great under-sea, virtual simululator that is popular with children.
Location: Hudson River, at 46th Street.

The International Center of Photography Midtown is one of the few museums in the world devoted solely to photography. The main ICP is located on Museum Mile. The midtown branch of this renowned photographic institution is housed in a modern building a block away from Bryant Park. Exhibits generally highlight a particular or photographer.
Location: 1133 Sixth Avenue.

Built between 1931 and 1940 by oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, Rockefeller Center was originally comprised of 14 buildings. Today, it occupies almost three city blocks. A total of 19 buildings are within the complex, including Radio City Music Hall. The tallest building and centerpiece of the complex is the 70-story GE Building, the headquarters of America's largest company. Rockefeller Center was declared a landmark in 1985 and is the largest privately owned business and entertainment center in the world.

Rockefeller Center comes alive at Christmas time when the Rockefeller tree lights up the block with tremendous beauty. Also within the plaza is the huge sculpture of Prometheus - the Greek god of power. As well as flags of many nations, gardens, fountains, and the famed Ice skating rink - so many have heard of. The grounds around the plaza come alive with elves, nutcrackers, and christmas decorations; enough to make children believe their at the North Pole.

Rockefeller Center is a haven for visitors because it contains several sights that attract tourists year round. Not only is Rockefeller Center the home to many corporations among its buildings, but is home to many shops and boutiques centered around the industrialism subject, and around TV and radio. At Rockefeller Plaza,NBC Studios currently opens four shows to guests: Saturday Night Live, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, In Person with Maureen O'Boyle and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. For most shows, you must write for tickets months in advance, but for Late Night with Conan O'Brien, tickets are given out Tuesday through Friday, at 9am in NBC's main lobby, on the day of the show. Call 212.664.3056 for more information or to make a reservation.
The Today Show, NBCs morning newsprogram, you can stand outside the broadcast on the streets surrond Rockefeller Plaza and exclaim your enthusiasm several times throughout the hour as the camera spans the crowd during commmercials; but it does start at 7am and sidewalk space is limited!!!.