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New York Arts and Attractions

NYC.com's guide to arts and attractions features comprehensive cultural listings on all New York museums, galleries, classical & opera, dance, universities, parks, parades & festivals, historic city sites, beaches, gardens and hundreds of other venues. Don't miss our list of top must-see sites!

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El Museo del Barrio

Central Park

El Museo del Barrio, like many cultural institutions of its type around the world, was born of the admirable legacy of cultural activism. Thirty years ago, Puerto Rican leaders of East Harlem's El Barrio -- educators, artists, social and political activists -- founded an institution that would preserve and reflect their cultural heritage. The museum's founding values went beyond the usual aesthetic and educational parameters according to which most cultural institutions are established. They included qualities that implied an involvement with the contemporary world and its problems and the aspiration to transform it into a place of justice and equality. Thirty years later, as New York City's only Latino museum dedicated to Puerto Rican, Caribbean and Latin American art, El Museo retains its strong community roots as a place of cultural pride and self-discovery, yet projects itself nationally through exciting exhibitions and programs. Aside from frequent special exhibitions, the Museum possesses an extremely varied, 8,000-object collection of Caribbean and Latin American art, unique in the Eastern region of the United States. The works range from pre-Columbian vessels to contemporary installations. El Museo del Barrio is located in the Heckscher Building, 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street

River to River Festival

Financial District

Lower Manhattan welcomes the world downtown — to the Financial District — and shows that New York's oldest neighborhood is more unified, more vital, and more exciting than ever before. The NYC River to River Festival, features hundreds of cultural, arts, and musical events over five months brought together in a single, unprecedented summer spectacular. The combined events make this the largest free arts festival in New York City history. The driving force behind the festival are lower Manhattan's corporations, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, performing and visual arts groups, museums and historic sites. The purpose is to celebrate the birthplace of New York City, the rebirth of America's most historic square mile and the cultural dynamics and diversity that are the very fabric of this city's greatness. Stretching from the East River's South Street Seaport to over 20 venues throughout the Financial District to Historic Battery Park, Battery Park City and the World Financial Center on the Hudson River, the festival features more than 1500 artists and performers. For complete listing and schedule information, please visit the festival’s official website.

Prudential Center

Newark

The Prudential Center hosts many marque music concerts, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall Men’s Basketball, WNBA’s NY Liberty, family shows, special events as well as other professional, collegiate and amateur sporting events. Located in downtown Newark, just 2 blocks from Newark Penn Station. The arena is accessible via New Jersey Transit, PATH and Amtrak. Bounded by Edison Place to the north, Lafayette Street to the south, Mulberry Street to the east and Broad Street and City Hall to the west In October of 2007, Prudential Center ushered in a new era in sports and entertainment in Newark and the entire Northern New Jersey area. Newark is currently undergoing a major revitalization, converting the city core into a vibrant and energized entertainment district. The Prudential Center, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, The Newark Symphony, Riverfront Stadium and in 2009, Red Bull Park in Harrison, represent just part of the nearly $2 billion in construction underway. Prudential Center is the cornerstone in the revitalization and renaissance of downtown Newark. In addition to the arena, Newark will soon add scores of condominiums, restaurants, themed bars, and mixed retail establishments. Prudential Center will be recognized among the finest arenas in the country and is New Jersey’s home for hockey, college basketball, professional basketball, concerts, family shows and special events. A public / private partnership between the City of Newark and Devils Arena Entertainment, made the $375 million Prudential Center a reality that is changing the face of downtown Newark and making it a destination place for sports and live entertainment in the region.

Grace Church

Greenwich Village

The first Grace Church was established in 1809 and until 1845 members worshipped at the corner of Broadway and Rector Streets. It quickly became a "fashionable" church, and its pews were much in demand. By the time of the rectorate of Thomas House Taylor (1834-1867), however, its congregation had largely moved uptown. It was then decided that no time should be lost in finding a more convenient site for Grace parishioners. The land on which the present church stands was purchased from the Brevoort family and on October 30, 1843, the cornerstone was laid. The commission to build the church was awarded to James Renwick, Jr., a young man of 23. This was actually his first church design. He had never seen the great medieval Gothic cathedrals which he had studied, but he admired them so much that he emulated them in Grace Church. Renwick later went on to design such landmarks as St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Smithsonian Castle. The new sanctuary was consecrated in 1846 and gradually stained glass windows, memorials, and other buildings were added making it the institution it is today. Grace Church is a national, state and city historic landmark. And is also one of seven New York City buildings designated by the Municipal Art Society as being of national importance, to be preserved at all costs. The church is currently engaged in a preservation effort, focused primarily on restoration of its spire, the priceless 19th century stained glass windows, and the stonework surrounding them.

P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center

Long Island City

For over twenty years P.S.1 has been a defining force in New York's cultural life. It combines a world-class exhibition program, a prestigious National and International Artist Studio Program, and a broad spectrum of education and public programs that serve many audiences. Founded in 1971, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center is one of the largest and oldest arts organizations in the United States solely devoted to contemporary art. Recognized as a defining force of the alternative space movement, P.S.1 stands out from other major arts institutions in its cutting edge approach to exhibitions and direct involvement with artists. In particular, P.S. 1 has long been committed to artists creating site-specific works.  On view year-round throughout the building are site-specific installations in spaces not usually considered exhibition spaces such as the basement, bathrooms, stairwells or even underneath floorboards! PS1's affiliation with the Museum of Modern Art further strengthens the already impressive schedule of ongoing exhibitions. Check out the PS 1 website for details.

Central Park SummerStage (Rumsey Playfield)

Currently performances are suspended through June due to Coronavirus. The situation is continuously being assessed. Please check their website for latest scheduling information. Central Park Summer Stage is New York's premier free performing arts festival. Founded in 1986, it brings performances of superior artistic caliber, free of charge, to large and diverse audiences. Through inclusive and eclectic programming, SummerStage provides an important forum for emerging and established artists, and ideas, and exposes its audiences to many different types of artistic and cultural expression. Programming areas include World and American music, modern dance, spoken word, electronic music, and family programming. Schedule For a complete schedule, click on the schedule link above. Directions SummerStage is located right off the 5th Avenue and 72nd Street entrance to Central Park in New York City. Enter at 69th and 5th Avenue. Admission and Seating Policy Admission to all free performances (not benefit concerts) is on a first come, first-served basis, no tickets required. Depending on the show, chairs may or may not be placed on the field. Depending on the show, bleacher seating may or may not be available. E-mail [email protected] for questions concerning specific shows. When to arrive SummerStage Gates open 90 minutes prior to showtime on weekends and benefit concerts, 60 minutes prior to showtime on weekdays. Weather The show must go on! Shows will not be cancelled in the event of rain. Shows will be cancelled, however, in the event of lightning for the safety of the audience and the performers. What NOT to bring Please respect the rules of the City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation at Central Park SummerStage. Do not bring alcoholic beverages, bottles, coolers, pets, bicycles, video cameras, tape machines, or flash cameras to Central Park SummerStage. Food & Beverages Food and beverages are available to purchase at all shows. Menu items include burgers, hot dogs, vegetarian sandwiches, Heineken, Amstel Light and wine. At the free shows, food and non-alcoholic beverages are permitted. However, glass bottles, coolers and alcohol are not permitted. And yes, the Summerstage support staff will search bags on entry. Note that for benefit shows (e.g., Erykah Badu, Lyle Lovett, String Cheese Incident, Bela Fleck), no outside food or drink of any kind is permitted in any way, shape or form. Pets Pets are not allowed into the shows. Seeing Eye Dogs are allowed.

Tenement Museum

Lower East Side

The Tenement Museum's mission is "to promote tolerance and historical perspective through the presentation and interpretation of the variety of immigrant and migrant experiences on Manhattan's Lower East Side, a gateway to America." The heart of the Museum is the tenement at 97 Orchard Street. Located on Manhattan's Lower East Side, 97 Orchard was home to an estimated 7,000 people from over 20 nations from 1863 to 1935. In 1998, President Clinton and the United States Congress designated the Museum a National Historic Area affiliated with the National Park Service. 97 Orchard Street had been named a National Historic Landmark and a featured property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Visitors to the Tenement Museum tour carefully restored tenement apartments and learn about the lives of actual past residents: the Gumpertz family, German Jews (1870s), the Rogarshevsky family, Eastern European Jews (1900s), the Baldizzi family, Italian Catholics (1930s), and the Moores, Irish Catholics (1860s). A living history program for children and families focuses on the Confinos, Sephardic Jews from Turkey (1916). Please note that all tours begin at the Visitors Center & Tenement Shop located at 103 Orchard Street (between Delancey & Broome Streets). Calendar of Tours

Washington Memorial Arch

Greenwich Village

Erected in 1892, the marble Washington Memorial Arch designed by Stanford White. By the year 2000, air pollution had severely eroded parts of the statue of Washington on the arch to the extent that it appeared he had smallpox. An extensive renovation was undertaken, and the arch again has been restored to its former glory. Driving or walking down lower Fifth Avenue, you can't help but be captivated by this monumental entrance to the park and its towering symbolism as the gateway to this great avenue.

Mannes College of Music

Upper West Side

Founded in 1916 by violin and piano duo David Mannes and Clara Damrosch Mannes, what started out as a community music school named The David Mannes School of Music has grown into a world-class conservatory of music. Today Mannes College of Music trains and nurtures classical musicians of all ages. The College attracts superb students from around the world to study at the highest level in the international capital of classical music, New York City. Mannes cultivates an intimate and supportive atmosphere allowing close and constructive relationships among students, faculty, and administrators. The College Division, the institutional core of Mannes, trains aspiring young classical musicians to become first-rate, professional artists. Founder David Mannes believed that music education should be open to all who have a desire to learn. Mannes College of Music remains committed to this mission through its Extension and Preparatory Divisions which serve a diverse population of students from children and adult beginners to young virtuosi and working professionals.

Marriage Bureau — Manhattan

Civic Center

Deputy Mayor Patricia Harris says "We want to be the wedding destination of the world," and the new 24,000-square-foot marriage bureau at 141 Worth Street, a historic 80-year-old building in lower Manhattan, certainly makes for wonderful wedding ceremonies. With a computerized system that cuts down on lines and waiting times, credit cards are now accepted and you can even buy flowers on the spot! Mayor Michael Bloomberg is on track to turn New York City into America's #1 place to get married: almost 70,000 marriage licenses were issued here in 2008, whereas Las Vegas issued just over 95,000—the lowest number in 15 years. Just imagine: • 14 computer kiosks for online application processing • one-stop windows for service instead of multiple windows • large restrooms with vanities and full-length mirrors; refinished and decorated chapel space • iPod docking stations so you can play your own music for your special ceremony • an area to take photos in front of a backdrop of City Hall • a branch of the City Store selling disposable cameras, film, costume rings, and NYC merchandise—plus the flowers mentioned above. The wedding chapels feature artwork on loan from the Brooklyn Museum of Art and the City Hall backdrop was supplied by Duggal. Literature in the new Marriage Bureau will be available in English and Spanish. Customers can also speak to clerks in their preferred language using a telephone interpretation system available in 170 languages. The City’s Marriage Bureau provides marriage licenses, domestic partnership registrations, marriage officiants registrations, copies and amendments of marriage records, certificates of non-impediment, and other services. Click HERE for all the information you need to get married. The Customer Service Group at the Mayor’s Office of Operations has been working with the City Clerk’s office to enhance the experience for the City’s customers during their visits to the Clerk’s Office. For example, the City Clerk has made comment cards available to capture customer feedback. Also, the City Clerk’s office has created printed materials, available at the information desk, providing customers with necessary information about the process for acquiring services and a map so customers can find services appropriate to them. Working with the Mayor’s Office of Operations and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the City Clerk has trained its front-line staff in customer service practices. To further improve the visitor experience, the Clerk’s Office is employing workers from ReServe, a not-for-profit organization that connects New York City’s retired professionals with civic engagement positions. ReServists will help greet and direct visitors to expedite and improve the process within the facility. While Manhattan is its most heavily trafficked location, the City Clerk has offices in each borough. The Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island offices have recently received aesthetic and structural enhancements and the staff in those offices will receive customer service training. These offices also now accept credit cards, can receive applications electronically, and access translation services.

Parsons School of Design

Union Square

Since 1896, Parsons has been the leader in design education. Parsons is one of the largest and most competitive schools of art & design in the world. Located in Greenwich Village - the heart of New York City. Parsons School of Design, now over 100 years old, has been a pioneer in the field of art and design education since its founding in 1896. When he became president of the school, Frank Alvah Parsons acted on a revolutionary idea: create a college that would respond to the tectonic shifts in demographics, economics, and culture brought on by the industrial revolution. Mass produced consumer products allowed millions of middle-class consumers to buy goods that gave them a sense of identity as a new segment of society made them more comfortable and spared their labor. But these goods were frequently of questionable quality, very homogenous, and often ugly. Frank Alvah Parsons responded by reinventing the school he led, and focusing its mission on improving the quality, beauty, and use, of mass-produced goods. At the dawn of the 21st century Parsons is reinventing educational programming and facilities that respond to the next major shift in demographics, economics, culture, technology and the design professions. Designers will produce smaller batches of goods for niche markets around the globe. Tailor-made designing will proliferate in consumer markets. Consumers will design, and perhaps produce, their own products. Professional specializations will merge. As the capacity and speed of the Internet and its successors multiply, it will become a dominant source of information, advertising, sales, and product distribution. At Parsons, your imagination will be challenged to its limits by some of the world's most accomplished artists, designers, architects, advertisers, photographers, illustrators and critics. They bring their professional expertise into Parson studios every day. You will acquire the skills and the broad cultural knowledge that will allow you to become a leader in your creative field, as reflected in the achievements of some of Parsons' most outstanding alumni.

Macy's 4th of July Fireworks

Stuyvesant Town

The Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks display returned to the East River in 2014 after a longer and contentious sojourn to the Hudson River, to the rejoicing of Brooklyn and Queens and the patently ignorable lamentations of New Jersey! Show starts at 9pm, with best viewing spots in East River Park & Brooklyn Bridge Park. Arrive early to snag an optimal spot to see one of the most spectacular fireworks shows you're likely to find on this planet. From rooftops, balconies, parks, boardwalks and highways, spectators gather along the East River to get a front-row view of the show. The approximately 30-minute display fires over 1,100 shells per minute and will be coordinated from several barges at various locations in the two rivers (placement varies from year-to-year). The fame Golden Mile is always a highlight of long-standing tradition of Macy’s Fireworks: a multi-layer explosion that stretches across the skyline for over a mile, filling it with a golden light from the water’s edge to 1,200 feet in the air. While the maritime configuration of the show can change from one year to the next, the displays usually emanate from barges placed along the East River between Greenpoint/Williamsburg and the East Village, near South Street Seaport and the Financial District, and in the Hudson River between Midtown/Chelsea and New Jersey. You can also see the fireworks in HDTV on NBC starting at 9 pm EST. Listen to a music simulcast on 1010 WINS radio. For further information about public viewing tips for Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular, please call (212) 494-4495.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Financial District

Located in the heart of the Financial District in a distinctive Italian Renaissance-revival style building, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York boasts the largest depository gold reserve found anywhere in the world, larger than even Fort Knox, containing 7,000 tons of gold. One of 12 regional reserve banks in the Federal Reserve System, the building assumes a fortress-like presence you would expect from a massive vault containing so much buried treasure located five stories below street level. Please note: At this time, the Museum and Learning Center is not open to the general public and is only open to school groups and student programs. Each school group must have a confirmed, advance reservation to visit and must be accompanied by at least one adult educator/chaperone.

Mermaid Parade

The famous Mermaid Parade takes place every year in Coney Island on the first Saturday after the summer solstice. Join thousands of other Mer-creatures and celebrate the beginning of summer. Mermaid-type costumes highly recommended! The parade begins at 1:00 pm and can best be viewed on Surf Avenue between West 10th and 15th Streets, or else on the Riegelmann Boardwalk between the same cross streets. After the parade there are additional post-parade activities at Astroland at Surf Avenue and West 10th Street. All parade events conclude around 6 PM, but rides will remain open past midnight. Note:To register for the parade, call the number above or visit the official website.

Rockefeller Center

Midtown

In the depths of the Great Depression, Rockefeller Center - then and now the largest private building enterprise ever undertaken in the United States - began rising over midtown Manhattan. Between 1931 and 1939, this massive project provided employment to almost 4,000 New Yorkers. The original fourteen structures remain supreme examples of the heroic slab skyscraper, and the Center as a whole embodies the modernist ideal of multiple use in urban design. And now for the first time in 20 years featuring an amazing observatory on the 70th floor, open 8:30 a.m. to midnight, 365 days a year. (Last elevator goes up at 11 p.m.) A wide-open plaza, the famous ice skating rink, home of the giant Christmas tree every December...Rockefeller Center has it all. In front of the central 70-story tower on Fifth Avenue, you'll find Paul Manship's massive 1934 sculpture of Prometheus. Note the many art deco and art nouveau murals and mosaics throughout the entire Rockefeller Center area, as well as the flags of all nations. You'll find quite a number of stores, selling everything from French books to Swiss chocolates to souvenirs of the city. In recent years, NBC's Today Show studio has been a big draw for tourists in the early morning, as have other NBC shows such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Check out our Event Calendar for ticket information! Since 1933, NBC has offered a historic tour that takes you behind-the-scenes of NBC’s New York City operations and many of Rockefeller Center's highlights. The tour covers the quirks and the controversy from the golden years to the information age. Bring your walking shoes because there is a lot to see! Tours run every half hour 9:30 am-4:30 pm Monday through Sunday. Tickets are sold on a first come first serve basis. Call (212) 664-3700 to reserve tickets. The group rate is $8.00 per person for groups of four or more. A credit card can be used to reserve spaces. Only 25 people maximum per tour. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, located at 50th Street and 5th Avenue, is always a spectacular sight with over 5 miles of lights and hundreds of ornaments. The lighting ceremony is always a fun event and takes place every year on the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving. The tree may be viewed around the clock, but you will want to see it when it is lit. Hours are daily from 5:30am to 11:30pm, all day on Christmas, and from 5:30am to 9pm on New Year's Eve. All good things must end however, and the tree comes down on January 6th. The famous Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Rink opens in late October every year, and remains open through April.

Brooklyn Children's Museum

Crown Heights

A pioneer in education, the Brooklyn Children's Museum was the first museum created expressly for children when it was founded in 1899. With award-winning, hands-on exhibits and innovative use of its collections, the Museum engages children from pre-school to high school in learning adventures. The Brooklyn Children's Museum is now bigger and better than ever, as vast renovations were completed in 2008. The museum offers over 100,000 square feet square feet of interactive exhibition space, designed expressly for kids between the ages of 2 and 10. Nine different galleries offer fun-filled adventures in world culture and natural science. Highlights include: Totally Tots Kids under age 5 have a place all their own at Brooklyn Children's Museum. Totally Tots is inspired by the Museum's natural science, cultural, and historical collections and includes several areas that promote literacy and physical and social development. Gallery spaces include the Baby Patch, the Sand Spot, the Play Pond, the Kids' Quarry, the Reading Nook, the Peek-A-Boutique, and Parent Junction. Totally Tots is open during all public hours and has additional morning hours. Groups must call in advance (718) 735-4400. Together in the City Visit Yankee Stadium, celebrate Chinese New Year, or experience a Bat Mitzvah! You can hang out in the pizza parlor, construct your own fort, or perform on a parade float. This landscape of festive urban places teaches kids how diverse communities live, work, and play together. Collections Central: Artifacts & Specimens Look, feel, make, and know in this ever-changing gallery featuring engaging activities using a selection of cultural artifacts from our 27,000 piece collection. Curate your own exhibit or explore these fascinating treasures through magnifiers, puzzles, games, and special drawing programs. Kids are invited to share their own interpretation of the messages and meanings they find within each artifact or specimen. Children's Library and Education Resource Center Choose from over 4,000 books of stories, science, folktales, poetry and pictures. The Education Resource Center also has a collection of reference materials including encyclopedias, field guides, art books, and nearly 40 magazines and journals. Four eMac computers offer Internet access to the public. Relax, read, and explore in the Museum's library! Animal Outpost Ever wonder if snakes feel slimy? Want to know why the Green Basilisk is blue? Do you have burning questions about tadpoles, what they eat, and how they become frogs? The answers to these questions and more are in the new Animal Outpost where kids can observe live animals eating, sleeping, swimming, and playing. If you're lucky, you may catch a natural science curator feeding Fantasia, the 17-foot-long Burmese Python! Con Edison Greenhouse and Garden Don an apron, grab a clipboard, and record your observations as you study plants, insects, soil, and ecosystems. Ask questions and draw your own conclusions about our collection of flora including a rubber plant, a cocoa tree, cactus plants, and edible herbs! Enjoy a lush community space and special botany programs. Music Mix Study the pitch, rhythm, and melody of music from all over the world. Check out authentic artifacts from China, Peru, Jamaica, India, Spain, Venezuela and the US. Compose your own masterpieces using the steel pan, xylophone, accordion, conga drum, and more! Visiting Exhibit Gallery You'll always find something new in this very special part of the museum. Every three to six months, Brooklyn Children's Museum creates a unique environment for kids to explore. Check out the program calendar for information on current exhibits and programs! Main Stage Mix equal parts make-believe, dress-up, sound, and lights, then sprinkle with imagination, and it's SHOWTIME! Costumes and props, mirrored dressing tables, a stage complete with a red velvet curtain, provide all that's needed to be a star!

Village Halloween Parade

Greenwich Village

Started by Greenwich Village mask maker and puppeteer Ralph Lee in 1973, the Village Halloween Parade takes place every year on October 31st, at 7PM. Given the size and scope of this parade, it is hard to believe it all began as a simple walk from house to house in Mr. Lee's neighborhood for his children and their friends. After the second year of this local promenade, Theatre for the New City asked Ralph Lee to produce the event on a larger scale as part of their City in the Streets program. That year the Parade went through many more streets in Greenwich Village and attracted a larger participation because of the involvement of the Theatre. After that the Parade grew like Topsy, attracting more and more participants and spectators over the years. After the third year the Parade formed itself into a not-for-profit arts organization, discontinued its association with Theatre for the New City and produced the Parade on its own. 35 years later, the Parade draws more than 30,000 costumed participants and spectators estimated at 2 million. The Parade is covered by all media--local, national and worldwide. All those in costume are welcome to join hundreds of puppets, numerous bands of different types of music, dancers and artists, and thousands of other New Yorkers in costumes of their own creation! The atmosphere is festive and carnivalesque.

Federal Hall

Financial District

Few places have played a more important role in American history than Federal Hall. After construction in 1700, it served as the seat of New York’s colonial government; the Stamp Act Congress protesting "taxation without representation" was held here; the First Continental Congress and the infant US Congress met here; and George Washington was sworn in here as the first President of the United States in 1789. Sadly, however, the current building is not the original, which was torn down in 1812. After Philadelphia became the capital of the United States, the building reverted to its original use as New York’s City Hall. There is a fine statue of George Washington on the steps, and the building is one of New York’s most impressive Greek revival buildings. The site’s modest museum gives a feel for New York’s colonial history. Both the guided tour and a short video explain Federal Hall’s unique place in American history. Many tourists enjoy having their photographs taken on the steps in front of the statue of George Washington and then combine their visit here with the nearby Stock Exchange. Also worthwhile is a visit to see the exterior of the nearby Federal Reserve Bank. You might also combine your visit here with nearby Fraunces Tavern, the original tavern where George Washington bid farewell to his troops, or St. Paul’s Chapel, where Washington worshipped (his original pew is intact). Note that the Wall Street area is particularly tranquil on Sunday mornings and perhaps the best time of week for a walking tour, although obviously places such as the Stock Exchange are closed.

The Kitchen

Chelsea

The Kitchen's mission is to identify, support, and present artists whose art influences its medium and contemporary culture. It promotes the growth of artists, audiences, and the presenting field by pushing the accepted boundaries and definitions of contemporary culture, using artistic exploration and education as tools and its own extensive history as a resource. A multi-disciplinary presenting organization that provides visionary artists in all stages of their careers with much needed technical, artistic, and administrative resources for performances and exhibitions, The Kitchen has helped to launch the careers of many artists who define the American avant-garde. The Kitchen literally began in a kitchen. On July 5, 1971, in the unused kitchen of the Mercer Arts Center, housed in the Broadway Central Hotel in Greenwich Village, two video makers and performers invited friends to see the results of a collaborative project. Within this atmosphere of adversity and excitement, The Kitchen grew. It grew along with the new art form it presented and gradually embraced music as part of its presentations. In 1974, it incorporated as the not-for-profit Haleakala, Inc. and moved to 59 Wooster Street in SoHo, rapidly establishing itself as the center of the downtown art world. For the ten year period that followed, The Kitchen became a sort of hotbed of artistic activity. By this point in time, The Kitchen was also presenting performance and dance as part of its season, as well as film. Within the confines of a beautiful, columned, gallery-style loft space, this new Kitchen presented work that was both daring, non-traditional, and cutting edge. Artists would often informally gather at The Kitchen. They talked, questioned, and argued. Ideas happened. Artistic forms would merge and tradition would frequently be broken. Inevitably, through such passionate and ambitious work, many Kitchen artists broke through and achieved national prominence. Over the years, The Kitchen helped foster the careers of many innovative artists. People as diverse as Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, Eric Bogosian, David Byrne with The Talking Heads, Robert Longo, Peter Greenaway, Dana Reitz, Meredith Monk, Brian Eno, John Lurie, Elizabeth Streb, Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, Vernon Reid, Jenny Holzer, and others. It soon became apparent that with more presentations of work, wider audience interest in The Kitchen, and heavy critical attention, The Kitchen needed to expand its physical space. And so, in 1985, The Kitchen came of age. Through the hard work of many people, great generosity and drive, The Kitchen moved into its new and permanent home at 512 West 19th Street. The 16,500 square foot building, an old ice house built in the late 1880's, housing two of the largest black box theaters in the country. Also made possible as a result of the building's spaciousness are a Media Services department and a large administrative space which itself often serves as the backdrop for The Kitchen's role as artistic meeting place.

Trinity Church

Financial District

The first parish and one of the oldest churches in the City of New York, Trinity Church dates back to before the American Revolutionary War. In 1697, Trinity received its charter and land grant from the English King William III; the annual rent set by the Crown was "one peppercorne." Through the ensuing 300 years, Trinity decreased its landholdings, donating or selling nearly 96%. Nevertheless, the Parish remains one of the largest commercial realtors in the city. It has also played an important role in New York City’s history. It was at St. Paul’s Chapel, for instance, a chapel of the Parish of Trinity Church, that George Washington attended a service and worshipped after his inauguration as the first President of the United States. When the present Trinity Church was consecrated on Ascension Day in 1846, its soaring Neo-Gothic spire, surmounted by a gilded cross, dominated the lower Manhattan skyline, serving for many decades as a welcoming beacon for ships sailing into New York Harbor. A registered national landmark, though skyscrapers have risen all around it, this majestic sacred building still commands a special place in the life of downtown New York. The Church is also not the only Real Estate Trinity owns. Trinity Real Estate, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trinity Church happens to be one of New York's largest landlords. The relationship between Trinity Church and New York Real Estate dates to the early 18th century, when Queen Anne of England ceded a large tract of land in lower Manhattan to the parish. As the owner, leasing agent and manager of approximately six million square feet in 23 buildings in the Hudson Square area, Trinity has played, and will continue to play, a leading role in developing downtown Manhattan.

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