15 Best Sights in Midtown West, New York City

This lovely green space spread out among landmarks and skyscrapers is one of Manhattan's most popular parks. Tall London plane trees line the perimeter of the sunny central lawn, overlooking stone terraces, flower beds, and snack kiosks. The garden tables scattered about fill with lunching office workers and folks enjoying the park's free Wi-Fi. In summer, there are free readings, live jazz, and "Broadway in Bryant Park" musical theater performances. Most popular of all is the summer film festival: locals leave work early to snag a spot on the lawn for the outdoor screenings each Monday at dusk.

At the east side of the park, near a bronze cast of Gertrude Stein, is the stylish Bryant Park Grill, which has a rooftop garden, and the adjacent open-air Bryant Park Café, open seasonally. On the south side of the park is an old-fashioned carousel ($4) where kids can also attend storytellings and magic shows. Come late October, the park rolls out the artificial frozen "pond" (October–March, daily 8 am–10 pm; skate rental starts at $18) for free ice-skating (bring your own padlock for the lockers). Surrounding the ice rink are the Christmas-market stalls of the holiday shops, selling handcrafted goods and local foods.

At the New York outpost of this famous auction house, you could easily spend an hour or more wandering the free, museum-like galleries filled with impressive works of art, estate jewelry, furniture, and other rarely displayed objects that are usually housed in (and, most likely, soon to be returned to) private collections. One of the first items to be auctioned here, when it opened in 2000, was the "Happy Birthday" dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang to President Kennedy (it sold for more than $1.2 million). Yes, the auction house has come a long way since James Christie launched his business in England by selling two chamber pots, among other household goods, in 1766. The lobby's abstract Sol LeWitt mural alone makes it worth visiting the 310,000-square-foot space. Hours vary by sale, so call ahead to confirm.

Opened in 2020, Edge is the gleaming new observation deck at the Hudson Yards development, and at 1,131 feet, it is the highest outdoor sky deck in the western hemisphere. Its walled triangular floor juts 80 feet from the tower's edge. The views here are truly panoramic, from those of the streets 100 stories below to those of Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and beyond. An outdoor staircase connects Floor 100, home to a gift shop and indoor champagne bar, with Floor 101's Peak restaurant and cocktail bar ( www.peaknyc.com). Besides regular adult timed-tickets, there are packages with extras, such as the Flex Pass ($60), which includes flexible-arrival-time tickets and a digital souvenir photo.

A merger between the well-established David Findlay Jr. Gallery and Wally Findlay Gallery led to this combined Midtown space with the same concentration of the former's contemporary and 20th-century American artists—from Frank Stella to Barbara Grad, Byron Browne, and Leonard Nelson—and the latter's presentation of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works.

Much of the fun here comes from photo opportunities—you're encouraged to pose with and touch the more than 200 realistic replicas of the famous, infamous, and downright super. Croon with Tina Turner and Taylor Swift, swoon to your favorite heartthrob (be it Justin Bieber or Justin Timberlake), strike a fierce pose with fashionista Heidi Klum, or enjoy a royal chat with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aka William and Kate. 

The Marvel 4-D Experience includes wax likenesses of heroes like the Hulk, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and Thor, as well as a short animated movie shown on a 360-degree screen. Other interactive options include a karaoke café, a celebrity walk down the red carpet, and a Sports Zone where you can see how you measure up to legends like Serena Williams and Eli Manning. Note that closing hours vary during peak seasons, but the last tickets sold are always one hour prior.

Perhaps the most respected contemporary art dealer in town, the Marian Goodman Gallery has been introducing top European artists to American audiences since 1977. The stable of excellent contemporary artists in the Goodman fold includes Gerhard Richter, Jeff Wall, John Baldessari, William Kentridge, Chantal Akerman, and Steve McQueen.

The gallery has an international reputation, representing modern artists such as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Beverly Pepper, and Red Grooms; architect Santiago Calatrava; and photo-realist Richard Estes. Look for sculptures by Tom Otterness, whose whimsical bronzes are found in several subway stations. A Chelsea branch specializes in contemporary art.

The curtain lifted on the new Museum of Broadway late in 2022, in its prime location next door to Broadway’s oldest venue, the Lyceum Theatre. Inside you’ll find three stories filled with 300 years of Broadway history, from early New York theater through vaudeville through daring, unforgettable 20th-century productions. The stage is set with a short film, with the next acts spotlighting hundreds of individual musicals and plays—and the people who make them. Expect to be dazzled by costumes, props, sketches, rare photos, videos, and groundbreaking moments from beloved shows, including West Side Story, Oklahoma!, The Wiz, Hair, Phantom of the Opera, Rent, Cabaret, and many more. The museum is very photo-friendly, so be ready to drop yourself into sets and strike the poses of your favorite characters. As you explore from the top to bottom floors (all of which are accessible), leave a good 20 minutes for one of the last exhibits, “The Making of a Broadway Show,” to learn about all the fascinating elements buzzing behind the scenes of each production, like song- and play-writing, set design, lighting and sound design, music, and the brilliantly talented pros who make Broadway shine.

You can join the gawking crowds watching news tapings outside the NBC studios (which are in the art deco GE Building on Rockefeller Plaza), or you can get even closer to the action (without having to elbow anyone) by taking a slick behind-the-scenes tour of the legendary studios. Tours depart every 20 minutes daily, delving into the history of television and the actual recording studios of some of the network's top shows, like Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and NBC Nightly News. Tours start at the Shop at NBC Studios (49th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues); visitors must reserve tickets, which are sold online, in advance, and children must be at least six years old.

The "Library with the Lions," open since 1911, is a masterpiece of Beaux-Arts design and one of the world's great research institutions, with a repository for millions of items including books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, periodicals, and more. For the building's current modernization, expect changes that will adapt it to the 21st century. Renovation continues through 2023 and includes the creation of more public space, a new 40th Street entrance, improved infrastructure, and expanded exhibition spaces. New in 2021 within Gottesman Hall, the free, permanent Polonsky Exhibition of the New York Public Library's Treasures features more than 250 rare and unique items (check the website for details and to see listings for rotating exhibits).

The library's bronze front doors open into Astor Hall, which leads to special exhibit galleries and, to the left, a stunning periodicals room. Ascend the double staircase to a second-floor balconied corridor overlooking the hall, with panels highlighting the library's development. Continue up to behold the magisterial Rose Main Reading Room, where natural light pours through the massive windows (the room is open to anyone for quiet study; those just viewing the room must be on a tour). Third-floor galleries show rotating exhibits on print and photography. Free hour-long tours leave Monday–Saturday at 11 and 2 from Astor Hall.

Across 5th Avenue from the main branch is the central circulating branch known as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (455 5th Ave.), which completed a major renovation in 2021. There, visitors can see the famous lions built from LEGOs, view an imaginative ceiling installation, and spend time on the free roof terrace overlooking the main branch; and yes, NYPL members can even check out books.

Comprising more than 100 shops and 50 eateries, the Rockefeller Center complex runs from 47th to 52nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues; special events dominate the central plazas in spring and summer. In December an enormous, twinkling tree towers above the ice-skating rink, causing crowds of visitors from across the country and the globe to shuffle through with cameras flashing.

The world's most famous ice-skating rink occupies Rockefeller Center's sunken lower plaza from October through mid-April and converts to a roller-skating rink in summer. A gold-leaf statue of the Greek hero Prometheus hovers above. The lower plaza also provides access to the marble-lined concourse underneath Rockefeller Center, which houses restaurants, a post office, and clean public restrooms.

Rising from the Lower Plaza's west side is the 70-story art deco GE Building. Here John D. Rockefeller Jr. commissioned and then destroyed a mural by Diego Rivera. He replaced it with the monumental American Progress by José María Sert, still on view in the lobby, flanked by additional murals by Sert and English artist Frank Brangwyn. Up on the 65th floor is the landmark Rainbow Room, a glittering big-band ballroom dating from 1934. Higher up, Top of the Rock has what many consider the finest panoramas of the city. Rockefeller Center guided walking tours are available several times daily (tickets start at $27), with the option to add a visit to the observation deck.

With an exhibition gallery, small cinema, screening room, and a computerized catalog of more than 160,000 television and radio programs, the Paley Center's New York outpost examines the constantly evolving state of media. Temporary exhibits on the first floor showcase anything from game shows to sporting events through photographs, recordings, and artifacts. The center also hosts public seminars, lectures, and screenings that explore the history of broadcasting. The fourth-floor library is the top draw: if you want to see an archived awards show, news program, sitcom, or historic event, simply check into a semiprivate computer terminal, enter your search terms, and enjoy. Possibly the most entertaining part of these TV shows from yesteryear is that the original commercials are still embedded in many of the programs. If ads are your thing, you can watch compilations of classic commercials.

Set in the shadow of the giant Rockefeller Center Christmas tree (in season), the city's most iconic ice-skating rink is a quintessential winter experience for visitors and a long-standing tradition for many locals. General-admission, timed-ticket skating can be reserved in advance, in person or online. Saturday mornings are reserved for 30-minute Skate School lessons ($50), which include skate rental and post-lesson rink access. The Rink has changing specials, so check the website for ticket deals. From mid-April through mid-October, expect to trade in ice skates for roller skates for spins at Flipper's Roller Rink ($20 tickets; $10 roller-skate rentals).

This is the most energetic part of New York City, a cacophony of flashing lights and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds that many New Yorkers studiously avoid. Originally named after the New York Times (whose headquarters has since relocated to 8th Avenue), the area has seen many changes since the first subway line, which included a 42nd Street station, opened in 1904. The area was once a bastion of the city's unseemly side, but today it's a vibrant, family-friendly destination, with pedestrian stretches that have lined Broadway Plaza with tables, chairs, and granite benches. There’s no longer a visitor center here, since the official NYC Information Center is down at 151 West 34th Street in Herald Square, with maps, brochures, coupons, and a bilingual staff.

The focus of the entertainment might have shifted over the years, but live shows are still the heart of Midtown's theater scene, and there are 40 Broadway theaters nearby. (A few of the most historic theaters are spotlighted in this chapter's introduction.) Learn about Broadway's history and architecture on a three-hour walking tour by Manhattan Walking Tours ( $75  daily at 9 am  www.manhattanwalkingtour.com) or join the two-hour guided Inside Broadway tour ( $39  daily at 4 pm   www.insidebroadwaytours.com) that leaves from the George M. Cohan statue at West 46th Street and Broadway.

When it opened in 2019, the centerpiece of the new Hudson Yards development was an instant city landmark serving as both an interactive artwork and photo-op paradise. Created by British designer Thomas Heatherwick, Vessel consists of 154 interlocking flights of stairs stretching 16 stories high, resembling a gigantic, woven copper basket. A visit might make you feel like you're inside an M. C. Escher drawing. Trips to the top are paused as of this writing, but it's still well worth a peek from the the surrounding pedestrian plaza.