New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [87]
SOHO
Children’s Museum of the Arts.
In this bi-level space a few blocks from Broadway, children ages 1 to 14 can amuse and educate themselves with various activities, including diving into a pool of colorful balls; playacting in costume; music making with real instruments; and art making, from computer art to old-fashioned painting, sculpting, and collage. | 182 Lafayette St., between Grand and Broome Sts., SoHo | 10013 | 212/274–0986|www.cmany.org | $10 | Wed. and Fri.–Sun. noon–5, Thurs. noon–6 | Subway: 6 to Spring St.
Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art.
The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art features smartly curated artist spotlights (such as Will Eisner, Todd McFarlane, and Kim Deitch) and genre exhibits. Recent shows included a retrospective of Saturday morning cartoons, which included a Smurf village along with the more predictable (but still swell) sketches, animation cells, videos, a horror-theme Things That Go Bump review, modern fairy tales, and a comprehensive look at the history and future of independent comics.
New shows are mounted frequently, but MoCCA’s Web site tends to list only coming-very-soon shows, so don’t worry if nothing seems to be happening while you’re planning your trip; check the site a week or so before you arrive in the city to see what’s scheduled. And stay on the lookout for MoCCA’s annual Art Festival, a comic and cartoon bonanza typically in June. | 594 Broadway, Suite 401, between W. Houston and Broome Sts., SoHo | 10012 | 212/254–3511 | www.moccany.org | $5 | Tues., Wed., Fri., and Sat. noon–5; Thurs. noon–6 | Subway: B, D, F, G to Broadway–Lafayette St.; N, R to Prince St.
New York City Fire Museum.
In the former headquarters of Engine 30, a handsome Beaux-Arts building dating from 1904, retired firefighters volunteer their time to answer visitors’ questions. The collection of firefighting tools from the 18th century to the present includes hand-pulled and horse-drawn engines, pumps, and uniforms.
A memorial exhibit with photos, paintings, children’s artwork, and found objects relating to the September 11 attacks is also on view. On 9/11 the city’s fire department lost 343 members at the World Trade Center. The museum is two subway stops (via the E train) north of the Ground Zero site. | 278 Spring St., near Varick St., SoHo | 10013 | 212/691–1303 | www.nycfiremuseum.org | $7 suggested donation | Tues.–Sat. 10–5, Sun. 10–4 | Subway: C, E to Spring St.
EAST VILLAGE AND LOWER EAST SIDE
Fodor’s Choice | Lower East Side Tenement Museum.
Step back in time and into the partially restored 1863 tenement building at 97 Orchard St., where you can squeeze through the preserved apartments of immigrants on one of four one-hour tours. This is America’s first urban living-history museum dedicated to the life of immigrants—and one of the city’s most underrated and overlooked.
Getting By visits the homes of Natalie Gumpertz, a German-Jewish dressmaker (dating from 1878) and Adolph and Rosaria Baldizzi, Catholic immigrants from Sicily (1935). Piecing It Together visits the Levines’ garment shop/apartment and the Rogarshevsky family from Eastern Europe (1918). The tour through the Confino family apartment is designed for children, who are greeted by a costumed interpreter playing Victoria Confino. Her family of Sephardic Jews came from Kastoria, Turkey, which is now part of Greece (1916). Another tour explores the life of the Moores, an Irish American family living in the building in 1869, and shows a re-created tenement rear yard.
Building tours are limited to 15 people, so consider buying tickets in advance. A two-hour extended