The city announced last week that the Statue of Liberty will reopen for visitors and tourists on July 4, which will attract thousands of people from around the world to New York. To avoid the rush, check out these hidden gems to develop a richer sense of the city.
Section of the Berlin Wall
520 Madison Ave.
It’s a piece of world history, and you don’t have to travel to Germany to see a part of the Berlin Wall. Located in a courtyard near an office building on Madison Avenue, there are five panels of the famed wall by cafe tables where one can sit and observe them. The panels display the work of French artist Thierry Noir, who painted sections of the wall in an attempt to beautify it. It’s a monumental bit of history, hidden in plain sight.
The Panorama at the Queens
Museum of Art
New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY
Have a visitor in town who wants to see every last bit of the city? The Queens Museum of Art has you covered. It contains a 9,335-square-foot scale model of New York City that was built by Robert Moses for the 1964 World’s Fair and contains all five boroughs.
Koreatown
West 31st through West 33rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues
Everyone knows Chinatown, but another Asian enclave that’s well worth the visit is Koreatown near Herald Square. Try out a classic Korean dish like bibimbap, purchase some authentic stationery and then sing the night away at one of Koreatown’s many karaoke clubs.
Upright Citizens Brigade
307 W. 26th St and 153 E. Third St.
United Citizen’s Brigade is an improvisational theatre that hosts some of New York City’s finest comedy shows — one of the founders of the theatre is none other than Amy Poehler. There are shows every day of the week in their Chelsea and East Village locations, and with tickets as low as $5, UCB is much more affordable than a Broadway show.
Brooklyn Flea Market
176 Lafayette Ave. and East River State Park
Now that it is spring, your guests from home and from other schools will surely want to spend their time outside enjoying the warm weather. Why not take a trip to the seasonal Brooklyn Flea Market that features over 250 vendors? They sell everything from dresses and jewelry to vintage bikes and house ware — you’ll find something one of a kind.
A version of this article was published in the Monday, April 8 print edition. Keerthi Harishankar is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].