Undoubtedly New York’s artistic epicenter, it’s difficult to keep track of everything the Upper East Side has to offer in the way of world-class museums and art societies. The famed Manhattan bailiwick, incidentally home to our own 737 Park Avenue, boasts everything from world-renowned institutions to niche gems. Here are some of our favorites from all walks:
Morgan Library & Museum
Like many of the nation’s most recognized artistic havens, we have one of the nation’s greatest and best-known financiers to thanks for the Morgan Library & Museum. The collection was started by J. P. Morgan in 1906 as a private library. His son made it public in 1924, initially as the Pierpont Morgan Library.
What’s there? Plenty of books, manuscripts, bindings, prints and drawings. Specific highlights include an early manuscript of A Christmas Carol; three (yes, three) Gutenberg Bibles; one of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s notebooks; original scores by Mahler, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms; and concept drawings for The Little Prince.
Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum
You know you’re in good hands with the Smithsonian, and this museum belongs to the venerable consortium. Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum has been going strong for well over 100 years in one of the Upper East Side’s handsomest mansions to boot.
What’s there? One of the world’s largest collections of decorative arts for a start. There’s also a chair used by Abraham Lincoln and a Rolls-Royce with one previous owner: John Lennon. The website also features a wonderful “Object of the Day” section.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met is known the world over as one of the most comprehensive museums there is. When it opened on the fringe of Central Park in 1870, it even prompted many wealthy denizens to build brownstones in the vicinity.
What’s there? What isn’t. In the Metropolitan Museum of Art you’ll find everything from Eastern art to Egyptian art to arms and armor to musical instruments to costumes from every corner of the world. The building itself is pretty special, especially when they have live classical music playing in the entrance hall.
92nd Street Y
initially established as the Young Men’s Hebrew Association in 1874, the 92nd Street Y has gone on to be a cultural and communal hub that welcomes all races and religions. And while the structure itself might not be as celebrated as the above-mentioned, what goes on inside speaks to some of the best of New York life.
What’s there? There are eight programming centers, covering everything from arts to sport to media to Jewish life. The list of names who have lectured or performed at the 92nd Street Y over the years is dizzying; it includes Truman Capote, Dylan Thomas, Frank Gehry, Margaret Thatcher, Norman Mailer and Patti Smith.
The Frick Collection
Like many an industrialist tycoon (see Mr. Morgan), Henry Clay Frick was a New York gent with a penchant for fine art. His private collection, based in his East 70th Street mansion, later became the public Frick Collection.
What’s there? While there’s Oriental rugs and French furniture abound, most people’s favorite is the collection of European masters, including Hans Holbein Younger’s Portrait of Thomas More and three masterpieces by Johannes Vermeer.
The Upper East Side is home to countless other art societies and institutions including the Neue Galerie, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Irish Georgian Society. We’ll be visiting these in another update soon.
