New York Tour Guide (5)

The Posh UES

We don't go to the Upper East Side very often (getting from the west to the east side is quite a hassle as you may remember from my July 4th post...). So, I must confess that I am pretty unfamiliar with this area. But I do have some recommendations to fill at least one day in the Upper East Side (or UES in short).

Fifth Avenue in the UES is also known as the Museum Mile, with reason. At 89th Street, you will find the famous white Guggenheim Museum. Now, this museum is very beautiful, has a nice permanent collection but if you’re pressed for time I would suggest you skip this one. You might want to quickly go inside the lobby to see the inside of the famous white dome.

Across the avenue, a little bit further down, the treasures of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or "The MET" in short) await you. You definitely need to see this one – the suggested admission is USD20 but here’s a little insider tip: this is only "suggested", you pay as much or as little you want. This museum is the New York equivalent of Le Louvre. It is huge! So, you need a plan of attack: pick out those parts you definitely want to see or you will spend the entire day in here. We recommend the Egyptian wing (with an entire temple imported from Egypt and a big collection of mummies) and the impressionists on the 2nd floor (Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, too many to mention). Also go up to the roof deck (not open in winter) for the sculpture garden with a panoramic view on Central Park. Have a cooling drink (they have really good mojito's) or a quick bite. Don't forget to drop by the store (I especially love their jewelry inspired by the museum's collection).

Many other museums follow on 5th Avenue: the Neue Galerie, the Frick collection, Whitney Museum, … I suggest you do some research on which ones you want to visit – it is impossible to see them all.

If you are getting hungry and you want to mingle with the posh Upper East Siders, I recommend Café Boulud rated with one Michelin star. The chef, Daniel Boulud, has a few restaurants spread over NYC (including the three star rated restaurant "Daniel"). Café Boulud offers an affordable prix fixe lunch ($38 for three courses).

While you are in the neighborhood, also take a stroll on the exclusive Madison Avenue. High fashion brands have their store here. Around 60th Street, you will also find Barneys (an exclusive, high end, edgy and expensive fashion warehouse) and Bloomingdales or Bloomie's (a more affordable higher end shopping warehouse). As Macy's, Bloomingdales offers out of towners a 10% discount on their merchandise.

Since you splurged on lunch, I suggest you grab a quick bite at one of New York's diners or maybe try a hot dog, pretzel, kebab or chicken at one of New York food carts. At sunset, head to 230 Fifth for cocktails in the rooftop garden or in the penthouse lounge. Incredible views!