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Photo: Jim.henderson, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Home of Gracie Mansion, the Official Residence of the Mayor of New York, Carl Schurz Park also boasts wonderful views of Hell Gate and the East River. Compared to other New York parks, Carl Schurz is extremely quiet, given that the surrounding area is almost exclusively residential. The park features two bustling dog parks, two playgrounds, a sports court, multiple fields of grass to rest on on a peaceful spring day, and a boardwalk with beautiful views of Roosevelt Island. This is a great destination for any visitor sick of the overwhelming crowds elsewhere in the city.
Carl Schurz Park is a 14.9-acre (6.0 ha) public park in the Yorkville neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, named for German-born Secretary of the Interior Carl Schurz in 1910, at the edge of what was then the solidly German-American community of Yorkville. The park contains Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the Mayor of New York.
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Asphalt Green
With a massive fitness and pool center in the area's signature arches, there's an endless array of activities here, including baseball, flag football, gymnastics, lifeguard training, martial arts, soccer, swimming, tennis, and yoga. On the western half of the block is a turf field that provides a vast playing field for games, playing around, and relaxing. There is a playground just north of the fitness center.
Not many know of the peaceful nature of the area of Manhattan just by the East River, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have any special gems nearby. Just along the bustling FDR Drive is the peaceful yet impressive John Jay Park, which doesn't only include traditional benches and playgrounds for a quick rest but an outdoor pool in the summer that makes this area great for anyone looking for water sports in this area of New York City.
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A full season of concerts, lectures, and other events takes place here. The Y's Kaufmann Concert Hall is one of the premiere concert halls in the city, and its lecture and concert series feature many well-known groups and individuals. Some fans particularly recommend the chamber music concerts featuring members of the New York Philharmonic. The Y also offers classes in various subjects through art, culture, and entertainment. Judaism is also a major part of the community here as well, being a Jewish-based organization with a variety of classes based on religion.
Museum for German and Austrian Art
A vast collection of early-20th century Austrian and German art and design, including famous artists such as Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh alongside less well-known, equally fascinating designers and artists. They host a German-language film series, which is a good value if you can get tickets. Due to the unprotected display of many fragile items, children under the age of 12 are not permitted in the museum except during special family events, though they are allowed to go in the café and the museum store.
Probably the most famous of the Guggenheim foundations (others found in Bilbao and Venice), which hold avant-garde modern art by artists such as Kandinsky and Mondrian, the New York branch is housed in a unique and famous building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and rendered in a rounded, organic form and completed in 1959. Be sure to take the elevator to the top floor, then follow the spiral viewing floors downwards to the street level. One of eight buildings by Wright to be listed as a world heritage site.
A branch of the Smithsonian Institution, the Cooper Hewitt is devoted to over 240 years of contemporary and historic design, with changing exhibits.