New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [77]
Outside, in the cathedral’s south grounds, don’t miss the eye-catching Peace Fountain. It depicts the struggle of good and evil in the form of the archangel Michael decapitating Satan, whose head hangs from one side. Encircling it are whimsical animals cast in bronze from pieces sculpted by children.
On the first Sunday of October the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine is truly a zoo. In honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, the church holds its usual Sunday service with a twist: the service is attended by men, women, children, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, and the occasional horse, sheep, or ant farm. In past years upward of 3,500 New Yorkers have shown up to have their pets blessed. A procession is led by such guest animals as elephants, camels, llamas, and golden eagles. Seats are first-come, first-served for this popular event, so come at least an hour ahead of time. | 1047 Amsterdam Ave., at W. 112th St., Morningside Heights | 10025 | 212/316–7540 | www.stjohndivine.org | Tours $6 | Mon.–Sat. 7–6, Sun. 7–7; tours Tues.–Sat. at 11 and 1, Sun. at 2. A vertical tour with a climb of 124 feet to the top is given on Sat. at noon and 2 (reservations required; $15). Sun. services at 8, 9, 11, 1, and 4 | Subway: 1 to 110th St./Cathedral Pkwy.
Columbus Circle.
This busy traffic circle at Central Park’s southwest corner anchors the Upper West Side and makes a good starting place for exploring the neighborhood if you’re coming from south of 59th Street. The central 700-ton granite monument (capped by a marble statue of Christopher Columbus) serves as a popular meeting place.
To the west looms the Time Warner Center (212/823–6300 | www.shopsatcolumbuscircle.com), its 80-story twin glass towers designed by skyscraper architect David M. Childs. The concave front of its lower floors envelops Columbus Circle’s curve, and the upper towers mirror the angle of Broadway and the lines of the city’s street grid.
Its first three floors and basement house stores that include Whole Foods (good for a quick bite), Sephora, Williams-Sonoma, Borders, and Coach. The third and fourth floors have restaurants, including Masa, an outrageously priced and acclaimed sushi restaurant (a meal for two starts at $900); plus A Voce; and Thomas Keller’s famed (and also costly) Per Se as well as his takeout-friendly Bouchon Bakery.
Above are luxury condos, offices, and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, whose restaurant and beautiful lobby bar (on the 35th floor) make a bird’s-eye perch for surveying the city below. The performing arts center Jazz at Lincoln Center (www.jalc.org) is also in the complex.
Just north of Columbus Circle, the Trump International Hotel and Tower fills the wedge of land between Central Park West and Broadway; it’s home to the self-named Jean Georges restaurant, where the celebrity chef works his culinary magic.
On the circle’s south side, at 2 Columbus Circle, is the former Huntington Hartford building, built in 1964 from the owner’s A&P fortune. In 2008 it reopened as the new home of the Museum of Arts and Design after extensive renovation that clad its exterior in lots of zigzags and narrow slits of glass. | Subway: A, B, C, D, 1 to 59 St./Columbus Circle.
Fodor’s Choice | Lincoln Center.
This massive travertine-clad complex contains Avery Fisher Hall, the Juilliard School, the New York City Ballet, and the Film Center of Lincoln Center, making it one of the most concentrated places for the performing arts in the nation. Its 16-acre campus was built over the course of several years, from 1962 to 1969.
Renovations that were done to celebrate its recent 50th anniversary season included remodeling centerpiece of the plaza, the Revson Fountain, as well as the completely transformed Alice Tully Hall, which has won accolades from critics for its design. Its largest