Page 146 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - New York City

144  NE W Y ORK CIT Y AREA B Y AREA

r 1740 Broadway
1740 Broadway. Map 12 E4. q 57th
St-Seventh Ave. Closed to the public.
Built in 1950, the former head
office of the Mutual of New York
insurance company (acquired
by AXA in 2004) has a weather
vane that once told you
everything except the wind
direction. The mast turned green
for fair, orange for cloudy,
flashing orange for rain, and
white for snow. Lights moving
up the mast meant warmer
weather; lights going down
meant get out your overcoat!
The lights remain, but are now
for display only. The temper- The tiled Moorish facade of the New York City Center for music and dance
ature and time are still shown.
a key venue for dance. Today and brick Renaissance-style
the Alvin Ailey American Dance building has among the best
t New York Theater, and the Manhattan acoustics in the world. On
City Center Theatre Club are based here. opening night, Tchaikovsky was
a guest conductor, and New
131 W 55th St. Map 12 E4. Tel (212) York’s finest families attended.
581-1212. q 57th St-Seventh Ave. y Carnegie Hall For many years it was home to
^ 7 See Entertainment p340. the New York Phil harmonic,
∑ nycitycenter.org 154 W 57th Street. Map 12 E3. under conductors such as Arturo
Tel (212) 247-7800. q 57th St-Seventh
Ave. Museum: Open 11am–4:30pm Toscanini, Bruno Walter, and
This highly ornate Moorish daily & during concert intermissions. Leonard Bernstein. Playing
struc ture with its dome of Closed Wed. ^ 7 8 Oct–Jun: Carnegie Hall quickly became
Spanish tiles was designed in 11:30am, 12:30pm, 2pm & 3pm Mon– an international symbol of
1924 as a Masonic Shriners’ Fri; 11:30am & 12:30pm Sat; 12:30pm success for musicians.
Temple. It was saved from the Sun. = See Entertainment p344. In the 1950s, a campaign by
developers by Mayor LaGuardia, ∑ carnegiehall.org violinist Isaac Stern saved the
becoming home to the New site from redevelop ment, and
York City Opera (1944–1964) Financed by millionaire philan- in 1964 it was made a national
and Ballet (1948–1966). When thropist Andrew Carnegie, New landmark. Reno vation in 1986
the troupes moved to Lincoln York’s first great concert hall brought the bronze balconies
Center, City Center lived on as opened in 1891. The terracotta and the ornamental plaster
back to their original splendor.
In 1991, the Rose Museum
opened next to the first-tier
level, telling the story of the first
100 years of “The House that
Music Built.” In 2003, the Judy
and Arthur Zankel Hall re-
established the lower level
as a performance venue.
Top orchestras and perfor mers
from around the world still fill
Carnegie Hall, and the corridors
are lined with memorabilia of
artists who have performed here.

u Alwyn Court
Apartments
180 W 58th St. Map 12 E3. q 57th
St-Seventh Ave. Closed to the public.
You can’t miss it – not with the
Carnegie Hall, offering some of the best acoustics in the world fanciful crowns, dragons, and

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