This is Essential: Art

Jeff Koons's Balloon Dog at the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden at the Met

Date Night: Friday on Museum Mile
Ever wonder how to impress a new date on the cheap? One of the big pluses in the Big Apple is the Friday night policy of free or by-donation admission. MoMA kicks things off at 4pm, but if you want the complete experience, do the whole circuit by moving on to the Whitney and the Guggenheim, before finishing up at the Metropolitan. You’ll look like the art savant we all know you are.

Studio Museum Openings
There’s something special about openings at the Studio Museum In Harlem. Unlike at vernissages in Chelsea, folks aren’t ready to head off rapidly to another venue, so you can have a real conversation about the art. The Studio Museum also pulls in a diverse crowd that’s more representative of the city’s demographic than most other museums. And the folks there certainly know how to throw wicked dance parties as part of the festivities.

Café Fledermaus at the Neue Galerie
The svelter and slightly less glam, but no less tasty, cousin of the much-touted Café Sabarsky is located in this museum’s basement and features the same menu in a less formal setting; the line is often much shorter, or nonexistent, when the upstairs is swamped. Come for the black tiled floors and authentic Viennese pastries; stay for the mulled wine, which will help you reflect on that Klee painting you just saw in the galleries.

Rooftop sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Nothing says NYC like its skyline, and nothing says I heART New York like the rooftop sculpture garden of the Met. Featuring exhibitions of works both modern and contemporary, the garden welcomes visitors from May until October, serving up tasty treats along with spectacular views of Central Park.

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