St. Bartholomew's Church

St. Bartholomew's Church Review

Known to locals as St. Bart's, this handsome 1919 limestone-and-salmon-color brick church represents a generation of Midtown Park Avenue buildings long since replaced by modernist behemoths and contemporary glass-and-steel towers. It's a pleasant surprise to stumble upon its triple-arched Romanesque portal and see the intricately tiled Byzantine dome set against the skyscrapers, and then have a bite at its popular outdoor café open in good weather. St. Bart's also sponsors major music events throughout the year, including the summer's Festival of Sacred Music, with full-length masses and other choral works; an annual Christmas concert; and an occasional organ recital series that showcases the church's 12,422-pipe organ, the city's largest. The church has been associated with VIPs in many capacities, including weddings.