Ending October 29, 2006 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

“Contemporary Chinese-born artist Cai Guo-Qiang, known for his elaborate sculpture installations and gunpowder projects, was invited by the Metropolitan Museum to create this site-specific installation for the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, overlooking Central Park with expansive views of the Manhattan skyline. Included are four works that present the artist’s reactions to issues of present-day concern: Clear Sky Black Cloud, an ephemeral sculpture that consists of an actual black cloud appearing above the Museum’s Roof Garden Tuesdays through Sundays at noon; Transparent Monument, a large sheet of glass at the foot of which lie replicas of dead birds; Nontransparent Monument, a multipart narrative relief sculpture in stone; and Move Along, Nothing to See Here, a pair of life-size replicas of crocodiles cast in resin, pierced with scissors and knives confiscated at airport security checkpoints, that loom over the Roof Garden space. Beverage and sandwich service is available from 10:00 a.m. until closing, including Friday and Saturday evenings.”

Museum Hours:
Friday 9:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Sunday 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Monday Closed**
Tuesday 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Wednesday 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Thursday 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Admission: $20 recommended for adults, $10 recommended for senior citizens (65 and older), $10 recommended for students, includes Main Building and The Cloisters on the same day; free to Members and children under twelve with an adult. To help cover the cost of special exhibitions, for which there is no additional charge or special ticketing, we ask that you please pay the full suggested amount.

Tip: The admission fee of $20 is suggested meaning you can pay whatever you like. Please try not to take advantage of this but I do think that $20 is too much for a public museum.

Getting there: Take the 4, 5, 6 subway to 86th St. and walk three blocks west to Fifth Avenue.
Google map.

The Roosevelt Island Tram is a great way to see a unique view of the city and it only costs $2.00. The trip is a short 4 1/2 minutes (each way) over the East River with fantastic views of the east side of Manhattan and the 59th Street bridge, the same bridge from the classic scene in Woody Allen’s “Manhattan”. It’s also the only commuter cable car in North America.

From the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation website:

“The Roosevelt Island Tramway was born in 1976 as a means to shuttle residents to and from Manhattan. It was born due to resident frustration with the New York City Transit Authority, who had made unsuccessful plans to provide subway service from Roosevelt Island to Manhattan and Queens. Over twenty years later, the Tram has serviced over 20 million passengers and provided passengers with a breathtaking view of New York as they are quickly shuttled between Roosevelt Island and Manhattan.

The Tramway was built by the Swiss company Vonroll under designers Prentice & Chan and Ohlhausen in 1976. Holding 125 persons, the Roosevelt Island Tram is the only commuter cable car in North America. It travels a distance of 3,100 feet at an average speed of 16 mph in 4 1/2 minutes. It rises to a maximum height of 250 feet and travels at certain points parallel and slightly above the adjacent Queensboro Bridge, linking Long Island City, Queens, and 59th Street in Manhattan.”

Tram opening date: May, 1976
Total trips, as of November 16, 1999: 1,664,000
Approximate number of passengers since opening: 30,000,000
Capacity of gondola: 125 persons
Number of trips per day - weekday: 120
Number of trips per day - weekend: 100
Cost per ride: $2.00
Cost of construction, 1976: $5 million
Distance from water at highest point: 250 feet
Distance from station to station: 3,100 feet
Average time of trip: 4 1/2 minutes
Top speed of tram: 16 miles per hour

Getting there: Subway F, N, R, W, 4, 5, 6 to 59th St and walk east, you can’t miss it. Google map.

Cost: $2.oo per ride

Tip: Avoid the rush hours 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm unless you like being packed in. Late night is a great time to go to see the lights of the city.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts will reopen October 7, 2006 with the exhibition Tropicália: A Revolution in Brazilian Culture.

“Already the flagship cultural institution of the Bronx, The Bronx Museum of the Arts nearly doubles in size with this facility, gaining a major new gallery for temporary loan exhibitions and expanded space for educational programs and public gatherings.

The new museum space is designed by the internationally renowned New York and Miami-based architecture firm Arquitectonica, which has received three design awards for the project, its first cultural commission in New York City.”

Hours:
Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 12:00PM - 6:00PM
Thursday 12:00PM - 6:00PM
Friday 12:00PM - 8:00PM
Saturday 12:00PM - 6:00PM
Sunday 12:00PM - 6:00PM

Cost:
$5 Adults
$3 Students and Seniors
Free on Fridays
Free for Members and Children under 12
Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Getting there:
Subway - D or B to the 167 St./Grand Concourse station. Exit at rear of station, walk south along Grand Concourse two blocks.
4 to the 161 St./Yankee Stadium station. Walk east three blocks to the Grand Concourse, then, walk north four blocks along Grand Concourse to 165th St.