The New York City Traveler

The Whitney is so much more than just a biennial.  The Whitney Museum of American Art is the leading collection of 20th-century American contemporary art located right in the heart of Manhattan on the Upper East Side.   
The Whitney was founded in 1931 with the donation of 700 objects from Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.  Whitney, herself a well regarded sculptor, initially attempted to make the donation to the Metropolitan Museum of Art but the donation was declined, leading Whitney to be the founding member of the Whitney Museum of American Art. 
Currently, the permanent collection consists of over 12,000 works, …read more

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Memorial Day weekend is just beginning and New York is preparing for the summertime influx of visitors to the Big Apple.  The city can be a pricey destination, but with careful planning, substantial discounts can found to top attractions.  The New York CityPass is one of best the deals in New York City tourism.   
The New York CityPass gives you admission to six of New York’s top attractions:

Empire State Building Observatory
American Museum of Natural History & Rose Center
Guggenheim Museum
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Metropolitan Museum of Art & Cloisters
And your choice of Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises -or- Statue of …read more

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Yesterday I gave you the basics on how to navigate the Big Apple on the New York City subway.  Today, I cover the dos and don’ts of riding the subway to make certain that your ride is safe and pleasant.  
Etiquette  Manners are always important.  Though you may not see everybody follow these guidelines, they should!

Don’t take up more than one seat.  Only lay down on the bench if you’re dead.
Don’t ever stand in front of the doors.  When standing on the platform waiting to board the train, stand to the side of the doors.  When on the train, …read more

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Sniffen Court, one of New York’s only “gated communities,” is located at 150-158 East 36th Street (between Third Ave and Lexington Ave) (map), The buildings were built between 1863-64 and were used as stables by the residents of Murray Hill.  Since then, the buildings have undergone renovations and are now 10 individual houses.  The 1960s rock group The Doors shot the Strange Days album cover in Sniffen Court.  The court was designated a New York City landmark in 1966.
Photo credit: personal collection
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A, B, C or 1, 2, 3.  Downtown or uptown.  Local or express.  It can get a little confusing on the New York City subway for a new visitor to the Big Apple.  New York’s subway is one of the largest in the world with over 600 miles of track and more than 450 stations serving approximately 4 million passengers a day.  With this handy guide you’ll be zipping around town in no time!  
Downtown or Uptown  In Manhattan, the subway generally is a north-south affair.  Uptown means north, towards Harlem, Bronx, and Queens.  Downtown means south, towards Lower …read more

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More portable and infinitely more flavorful than sandwiches, adding an empanada or two to your lunchtime repertoire is sure to cure you’re what-to-pack blues. And if you’re in lower Manhattan, it’s never been easier to get your hands around these warm soft turnovers with a crisp outer layer than at Ruben’s.
If you need an introduction, empanadas are floury pockets filled with different combinations of meat, cheese, vegetables, and fruits. The word empanada is derived from the Spanish word empanar which means "to cover in bread".  In South America, empanadas are a common snack food but despite their Latin origins, …read more

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On May 31, Playing the Building, a 9,000-square-foot, interactive sound installation created by lead singer David Byrne of The Talking Heads opens to the public free of charge in The Battery Maritime Building.  Originally a ferry terminal built in 1909, it is now the last one standing on the East River from an era when 17 ferry lines traveled between Manhattan and Brooklyn. True to character, unconventional Byrne has now transformed the second story interior of this Art Deco landmark, known as Great Hall, into a massive instrument that visitors can sit down and play.  The keys of a retrofitted …read more

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Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of the summer season in the Hamptons.  The Hamptons is popular with New Yorkers who love to make the weekend trip just as “out-of-towners” love spend week-long vacations in the area.  There are several ways to get to the Hamptons, with prices to match every budget.        
LIRR-to-Hamptons:  Least Expensive
The Long Island Railroad (LIRR) offers five daily trips to the Hamptons.  Most trains require a transfer at Jamaica Station to the Montauk Branch train which goes east to the Hamptons.  Be sure you purchase your tickets from an automated vending machine or a ticket window …read more

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Met Holiday Mondays returns to the Metropolitan Museum of Art this Monday, Memorial Day.  The Met is usually closed on Mondays, but with the support of Bloomberg, the Met and all of its galleries are open on select holiday Mondays. 
This is your chance to catch temporary exhibits that are currently on display:

Jeff Koons on the Roof
Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy
American Landscapes
Medieval and Renaissance Treasures from the Victoria and Albert Museum
Tiepolo Drawings from the Robert Lehman Collection
Anatomy of a Masterpiece: How to Read Chinese Paintings
Radiance from the Rain Forest: Featherwork in Ancient Peru
Beauty and Learning: Korean Painted Screens

All …read more

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The New York Post headline “Subways’ Blood-Bug Invasion” screamed at me from the newsstand.  As if New York doesn’t have enough unsavory critters crawling around the subway, we couldn’t possibly have more!  But this time, the Post, known for its sometimes sensational journalism, wasn’t overstating the fact:  bedbugs have show up in the New York City subways and the problem is getting worse. 
At a recent Department of Housing Preservation and Development meeting in Brooklyn, HPD’s Edward Brownbear stated that five New York City subway stations have come up positive as being infested with bedbugs.  Among them are Union …read more

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