My walking tour of the upper reaches of Fifth and Madison opened my eyes to a different section of New York City that I had never experienced. Visiting the city throughout my childhood had primarily consisted of one night trips that usually included seeing a broadway show, but not venturing too far from Times Square and the theater district. This walking tour allowed me to see the trees of Central Park for the first time, as well as witness some historical architecture in this high-end residential area. As someone visiting this area, however, I would recommend stopping by the stunning Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Situated on the eastern edge of central park along Fifth Avenue at the end of E 82nd Street, the Met is the southernmost museum along a section of the Avenue referred to as “Museum Mile.” When I visited the site on a sunny Saturday afternoon, the steps leading up to the museum were packed with visitors most likely enjoying the beautiful weather or taking a hot dog break before entering the museum. With the multiple street vendors surrounding the steps, the outside of the museum still maintains a park-like feel that could be very attractive to tourists who strive to escape from the city environment prevalent throughout the rest of Manhattan.
In addition to its permanent collection consisting of more than two million works of art, the Met presently has special exhibitions that range from the “Arts of the Ming Dynasty: China’s Age of Brilliance,” an exhibit that explores the diversity of art forms in China between 1368-1644, to “The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion,” an exhibit that could appeal to a younger, college-age crowd as it compares the evolution of beauty and how it relates to high fashion. Not a typical museum visitor, I still recommend considering all the exhibitions that the Met has to offer. Whether your interests in visual art include photography, sculpture or merely pen on parchment, the Metropolitan Museum of Art houses such a broad range of art forms that are sure to satisfy anyone who visits this extravagant art gallery.
Duke in New York State of Mind 