Metamorphosis; Le Concert d’Astrée, Emmanuelle Haïm, conductor; Alice Tully Hall, Starr Theater; Adrienne Arsht Stage.  October 26, 2013; White Light Festival 2013.
Photo: © Kevin Yatarola

Alice Tully Hall

Chamber music has never sounded as good as in the revamped Alice Tully Hall, which was given a complete overhaul as part of the Lincoln Center renovation. Named for the chamber music patron (herself a former singer) who helped with the realization of the hall in 1969, it is housed in the same building as the prestigious Julliard School, where many of the musicians now performing at Alice Tully have studied. (The Hall also hosts the New York Film Festival.) Check out the schedule online and know that you can grab a nice bite at the casual restaurant in the lobby: the menu is conceived by Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster.

Interiors - American Museum of Natural History - Courtesy of AMNH, D. Finnin

American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History on New York’s Upper West Side is a bona fide paradise for children (and many adults). The extensive space has a number of rotating exhibitions as well as halls dedicated to such topics as biodiversity, amphibians, the earth sciences, fossils and outer space. For an unforgettable adventure, contact the Indagare Bookings Team to arrange a sleepover (and nighttime tour) at the museum.

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Wine Vessel at Asia Society and Museum, New York City, New York

Asia Society and Museum

John D. Rockefeller III founded this international non-profit with the goal of increasing Americans’ understanding of Asia. The organization’s NYC headquarters houses Rockefeller’s extensive collection of Pan-Asian art and hosts a number of contemporary art exhibits, lectures and panel discussions throughout the year.

Aerial View-Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York-Courtesy NYC & Company and Julienne Schaer

Barclays Center

Opened in 2012, the modern, sweeping Barclays Center has quickly become a crown jewel in Brooklyn's collection. Steps from the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center subway station, the stadium seems to rise out of the ground like a rust-colored beehive, bright lights flashing. You can catch a Brooklyn Nets game or one of the venue's multitude of star-studded concerts, which have included Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake

Exterior View Broadway & Off-Broadway ,New York City, New York - Courtesy Andreas Praefcke

Broadway & Off-Broadway

Long gone are the days where you could discover up-and-coming actors and blossoming writers/directors on Broadway or even off-Broadway. The shows these days are either big-name musicals years in the making, many of which can now also be seen on national tours and in Las Vegas; or plays headlined by celebrities, like Tom Hanks, Daniel Craig and Scarlett Johansson. Some of the shows are still a thrill to attend, if only to see the insides of some of New York’s famous theaters. Find discounted tickets on sale at three locations around the city (Times Square, South Street Seaport and Brooklyn). A good place to keep up with what’s generating buzz is Playbill.com.

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Exterior View-Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) ,Brooklyn, New York-Courtesy NYC & Company and Kate Glicksberg

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

Located in Fort Greene, close to Barclays Center and Mark Morris Dance Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music is renowned for its cutting-edge programming, including contemporary dance, theater, opera, film and music. Its Next Wave Festival in the fall draws some of the world’s most impressive performers, including Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal (this renowned company has never performed in Manhattan, always preferring Brooklyn’s most avant-garde vibe). Friday night, there’s a live music series and you can also catch readings, lectures and conversations with the artists. It’s a vibrant cultural center and its diverse programming makes it well worth the trip from Manhattan.

Aerial View-Brooklyn Botanic Garden ,Brooklyn, New York-Courtesy Antonio M. Rosario

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Clocking in at 52 acres, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden doesn’t have the size of its sister in the Bronx (which measure some 250 acres), but this gem of a green spot in Prospect Heights is well-worth a visit, even if you’re staying in Manhattan. There are festivals throughout the year, particularly around the time the stunning cherry blossoms are in bloom, but the Botanic Garden is a glorious oasis throughout the year. Don’t miss the Japanese pond and garden, the Shakespeare Garden and the impressive vegetable and herb garden. The Botanic Garden can easily be combined with the nearby Brooklyn Museum.

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Aerial View-Brooklyn Bridge + Brooklyn Bridge Park ,Brooklyn, New York-Courtesy NYC & Company and Julienne Schaer

Brooklyn Bridge

One of the oldest suspension bridges in the country, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first bridge to connect Brooklyn and Manhattan.
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brooklyn bridge park views of lower manhattan over the water at sunset

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brooklyn Bridge Park is a former industrial wasteland that is now of the city’s most beautifully landscaped parks, with waterfront views.
Aerial View-Brooklyn Flea ,Brooklyn, New York-Courtesy Kate Glicksberg

Brooklyn Flea

Started as a quaint neighborhood bazaar, the Brooklyn Flea (it launched in 2008) is a sprawling market that takes place in Fort Greene in the summer months and inside the gorgeous One Hanson Place bank building the winter (there's also a smaller spin-off in Williamsburg in Sundays). Judging from the prices, it's more estate and high-end vintage than flea, but it's a great spot for local mementos and cool finds (there are about 150 vendors, from antique furniture dealers to jewelers) and people watching. Location varies.

long paved promenade with view of nyc skyline across water

Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Offering far-reaching views of the Manhattan skyline, a walk down the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is a reminder of why New York City is so special. Come at sunset and bring your camera. Afterwards, dine at one of the many lovely restaurants in Brooklyn Heights.

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Aerial View-Brooklyn Museum,Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Museum

This beautiful Beaux-Arts style museum is the city's second largest, with a staggering 1.8 million works in their collection. There are exhibits from all over the world (including amazing Egyptian artifacts), but the emphasis is on American art and artists. Blue-chip names featured at the museum include Georgia O'Keefe, Mark Rothko, Norman Rockwell and Edward Hopper. Architecture buffs should check out the Memorial Cculpture Garden, which features beautiful salvaged pieces of demolished New York City buildings. On the first Saturday of every month, the museum hosts one of Brooklyn's coolest parties, Target First Saturday, with djs, musicians and free entertainment. Check the museum website for the traveling exhibitions, which have included Jean-Paul Gaultier, Ai Wei Wei and El Anatsui in the past.

Outside Launge at Bryant Park,New York City, New York

Bryant Park

This square of green in the middle of Midtown likes to think of itself as New York’s version of a Parisian garden (albeit much-more modestly sized), with wrought-iron lawn chairs and graveled allées. In the summers, HBO hosts a Monday night film series, ranging from classics to rom-coms (arrive early – these events are extremely popular and New Yorkers claim their patch of green with sheets and blankets by mid-afternoon). In the winter, the center transforms into an ice-skating rink.

Interior View - Carnegie Hall,New York City, New York

  - © Jeff Goldberg / Esto

Carnegie Hall

One of the world’s most prestigious concert venues, Carnegie Hall presides over the corner of Seventh Avenue and 57th Street like a proud grand dame from another era. Clad in red brick, the massive building is impressively made entirely out of masonry (without a steel frame). Inside, the Stern Auditorium is beautifully adorned, and the acoustics are state of the art. The calendar includes every big-name performer passing through New York, from perennial favorites like Joshua Bell and Anne-Sophie Mutter to such world-renowned ensembles as the Vienna Philharmonic and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

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Exterior View - Cathedral of St. John the Divine,New York City, New York

Cathedral of St. John the Divine

Built in the 1890s to rival the grand St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown, St. John the Divine in upper Manhattan is the second largest Anglican church in the world (and much bigger than St. Patrick's). Architectural styles include Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic Revival and stunning stone carvings are integrated throughout, courtesy of Italian stonemasons who came to America expressly for this construction. The acoustics are world-renowned and concerts in the cathedral are extraordinary experiences, particularly around the Christmas season.

Cat at Central Park Zoo, New York City, New York

Central Park Zoo

Despite its location in the heavily visited Central Park, the Central Park Zoo is a small and rather quiet enclave, allowing for a relatively intimate experience. The grounds are home to an indoor rainforest, 4-D theater, and sea lion pool as well as a very popular snow leopard exhibit. Those looking for a full-day activity should head to the Bronx Zoo (www.bronxzoo.com) the world’s largest metropolitan zoo.

Interior View - Chelsea Piers,New York City, New York

Chelsea Piers

Set along the Hudson River Park on the fringes of Chelsea and the Meatpacking District, Chelsea Piers is a massive complex that houses a micro-brewery, sports arenas (including batting cages, basketball courts, ice rinks and more), day spa, bowling alley and driving range. The series of piers origianlly served as a passenger ship terminal in the 1900’s, and was meant to be the destination of the RMS Titantic.

Exterior View - Children's Museum of Manhattan,New York City, New York

Children's Museum of Manhattan

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan on the Upper West Side fuses learning and playtime. The interactive, five-floor museum is geared toward younger children, with areas designated to infants, toddlers and preschoolers, and all the activities are intended to engage mentally, physically and emotionally. When the winter and summer extremes are too much to bear, the museum is a good indoor activity for families.

Exterior View-Cloisters ,New York City, New York

Cloisters

The magnificent pile atop Fort Tryon hill, which looks out over upper Manhattan, has the look of a much earlier construction, though it was built only in the 1930s. The purpose of the institution, which is part of the Met, is however, in fact, dedicated to celebrating the architecture and art from Middle Ages.

Funded and built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the museum has a sacred quality to it, helped in part by its magnificent collection of Medeival church apses, stained glass windows and illuminated manuscripts. Secular pieces abound as well, including the famed Unicorn Tapestries and hauntingly beautiful stone sculptures.

There are multiple gardens and courtyards boasting plants and produce typical of the Middle Ages, gleaned from a great amount of research and seed analysis. On nice days, the views out over the Hudson River extend for miles, courtesy of another of Rockefeller’s gifts: he donated the land across the river to the city to ensure uninterrupted vistas.

Aerial View-Coney Island ,Brooklyn, New York-Courtesy Boris

Coney Island

After the devastation wreaked by 2012's Hurricane Sandy, this Brooklyn institution reopened its gates better than ever. Quintessentially American, Coney Island today is not very different from its 1950's heyday, with kitschy boardwalk shops and legendary Nathan's Hotdogs still intact. It's crammed during the summer months with visitors waiting to ride the storied Cyclone roller coaster, but there's something utterly authentic NYC about the experience. You can also take a stroll along the boardwalk to Brighton Beach with its mostly Russian and Eastern European population. If you go early in the morning, year round, you can see older women (and some men) swimming laps in the freezing ocean.

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Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Photo credit: ©Hans van der Woerd

David Geffen Hall

The home of the New York Philharmonic (formerly known as Avery Fisher Hall) completes the trinity of theaters at Lincoln Center (the Metropolitan Opera sits to its left; New York State Theater is directly across the plaza). These days the prestigious ensemble is led by music director Jaap van Zweden, though throughout the year there are many guest conductors. There are pre-concert talks, open rehearsals and student rush tickets available.

Exterior View - Ellis Island Immigration Museum, New York City, New York - Courtesy of Joe Mabel

Ellis Island Immigration Museum

The former arrivals hall on Ellis Island that processed over 12,000,000 people is today home to a moving museum honoring the immigrants who risked everything to start a new life in the U.S. It is said that half of all today's Americans are descendants of those who came to the country through this hub. Visitors are invited to research their ancestors in the hopes of finding their documentation in the tomes of record books kept archived in the institution. The tour takes guests through the steps of processing that occurred in the monumental hall in order to emphasize the daunting nature of immigration. Artifacts and the building itself are supplemented by first hand video and audio accounts, and there is a children's program that helps kids to understand the importance of the space.

Exterior View - Guggenheim Museum,New York City, New York - Courtesy David Heald,
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheim name has long been associated with modernity and celebrity. Some might even argue that its birth coincides with the rise in our culture of modern celebrity. When philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim founded his first museum in 1939, the “Museum of Non-Objective Painting” in a former car showroom on Manhattan’s East 54th Street, it took him only a few short years to realize that bringing in architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design the museum’s permanent space would also usher in visitors, prestige, and attention to his impressive collection of early modern art.

After nearly two decades of planning and construction, controversy swirled at the Guggenheim’s 1959 opening. What was this new massive, conical structure, seemingly drilled like a giant white bolt into the ground just outside Central Park? It was organic yet cutting-edge, a shade below blinding white; and it was strangely spiritual—or so the architect said. Above all, it was undeniably wrapped in a tinge of Wright’s colorful celebrity. Sadly, he died shortly before the museum’s opening.

The now-iconic structure has become a monument to artistic innovation, and it testifies to a time when New York City was churning in artistic fervor and bursting with new design. Inside, the museum’s collection contains an impressive range of works from the Impressionist era and also continues to acquire contemporary pieces. (Still, many remark from both within and without the museum that the building itself is “the most important object in the museum’s collection,” as architectural critic Paul Goldberger noted in his tribute to the building’s fiftieth anniversary.)

Aerial view - Hudson River Park,Hudson River Park - Courtesy of the Hudson River Park Trust

Hudson River Park

In an effort to beautify Manhattan’s west side, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Governor George Pataki began construction on the Hudson River Park in 1998. The project was the largest park building effort since Central Park, and the 550-acre area now serves a multitude of purposes. The waterside walkway, extending from W. 59th St. to Battery Park, boasts a 5-mile bike path, tennis courts, soccer fields, batting cages, playgrounds and Chelsea Piers. A number of grassy spaces provide space for lounging and soaking in the view across the river.

Interior View - Indagare Tours: Chelsea Galleries, New York City, New York - David Zwirner, courtesy of Stephen Flavin and the Artists Rights Society

Indagare Tours: Chelsea Galleries

In the 1990s, contemporary art galleries flocked to the otherwise bare bones neighborhood of west Chelsea, lured by vast warehouse-type space and some of the lowest rents in Manhattan. Today the district is home to the hottest galleries, both blue chip as well as up-and-coming.

There are around 400 white walled spaces between West 18th and 27th Streets and 10th and 11th Avenues and the best way to discover them is by wandering around the area (there is never a charge for entry, and shows are constantly rotating). Thursday nights are popular for receptions and most galleries are open Tuesday through Saturday. Some of the most established galleries to look out for include: David Zwirner (525 W. 19th St.; www.davidzwirner.com), Gagosian (522 W. 21st St. and 555 W. 24th St.; www.gagosian.com), Gladstone Gallery (515 W. 24th St.; www.gladstonegallery.com), Pace Gallery (534 W. 25th St.; www.pacegallery.com) and Paul Kasmin Gallery (293 10th Ave. at W. 27th St.; www.kasmingallery.com). Indagare members can contact our Bookings Team to arrange for a guided gallery tour of Chelsea.

Sea view - Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, New York City, New York

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Military fans love the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, which is dedicated to maritime history. The institution has an impressive collection of ships, including the Intrepid itself, an aircraft carrier used in World War II and the Vietnem War. Opened in 1982, the museum holds a number of “firsts” for the technology and engineering industries: the first space shuttle (Enterprise), the first submarine with missile capacity and the fastest commercial aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean (the Concorde), are among some of the center’s notable features.

Interior View - James Beard Foundation, New York City, New York - Courtesy of Krishna Dayanidhi

James Beard Foundation

In the 1980s, a former student of James Beard purchased the late chef's home to turn it into the headquarters for the James Beard Foundation, an organization that aims to educate chefs and laymen alike about the culinary world. The annual James Beard awards are considered the most esteemed in the industry, and are announced each May following intense deliberation and voting by the food and wine world's tastemakers. The Beard House also hosts regular events open to the public, ranging from tastings to book signings and formal dinners.

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