Landmark Gallery

The sign above the entrance to PizzArte promises 'Cucina Napoletana', making it clear what is at the heart of the establishment: Naples. The enormous red pizza oven found inside is imported from Naples, and everyone working at the restaurant hails from there too, making for an especially authentic experience. The space is narrow and has a distinctly modern feel to it. As the name suggests, the restaurant doubles as a gallery for contemporary art by Neapolitan artists. The idea of using a meal as an opportunity to engage with art is refreshing, and the perfect pizza dough feels like an artwork in itself.

Although foreign missions and consulates are often hidden away behind locked doors in Manhattan, Argentina has opened its entire first floor to the public displaying the country's art, culture and natural beauty. The entranceway - easily missed among the restaurants and boutiques that dot the busy stretch of pavement between Fifth and Sixth Avenues - functions as a gallery and promotion center. For a serious diplomatic enterprise, the mood at the consulate was welcoming and lighthearted. When I arrived, a tango class was just finishing up, and I observed both foreigners and New Yorkers exiting the room together. Wandering around, first in the reception area, I found couches clustered around a coffee table covered with books about Argentina, and a station devoted to Argentine tourism. To one side of the room, an ornate staircase spiraled, one of the only reminders that the main purpose of the consulate lies elsewhere. I then walked into a beautiful wood-paneled room with a fireplace. On display was the work of Argentine photographer Lucia Fainzilber, her ultra-modern prints at odds with the nineteenth century aesthetic of the room.

The Art Students League was founded by National Academy of Design students who were seeking a new, independent source of instruction as the school was rumored to be closing. Though membership was initially slim enough to fit in one room on 16th Street, the League now teaches thousands of people using a nineteenth-century model that endures today. It serves as “a beacon for any artist with a dream, ” said the head archivist, Stephanie Cassidy. The building is filled with clay, paint, easels, and a constant hum of activity. Visitors can walk its halls and imagine a time when the likes of Jackson Pollock, Norman Rockwell, and Georgia O’Keeffe either took or taught classes at this New York City landmark. However, there is no need to be intimidated by the reputation of its more distinguished alums. Unlike many other serious art education programs that have become increasingly exclusive and expensive, Stephanie is adamant that “there is no gatekeeping here. It is what makes us unique. ” Equally as interesting is the League’s lack of a formal curriculum. Instead, most of its students are empowered to guide themselves and follow their specific passions. Aspiring photographers, graphic artists, animators, and more need only enter the building to find a cornucopia of opportunity.

Offering rental bikes, repair services, and bike tours, Central Park Bike Rental mostly caters to tourists. They give tours in a number of different languages for up to ten people at a time.

Beautifully decorated for the holiday season, Bistro Vendome was still abuzz with chatter when the Manhattan Sideways team stopped by at the tail end of lunch hour to meet with the delightful owner, Virginie Petiteau. Although she and her husband Pascal, who is the executive chef, hail from Brittany, France, they met in New York, where they both worked at Jubilee, a French restaurant on First Avenue. After fifteen years there, Virginie said they felt ready to open their own place. She told us that it was great to already have a base of customers in the area that knew and supported them when they opened Bistro Vendome in 2010. And she was pleased to tell us that they have maintained a loyal clientele ever since. As Virginie put it: "Some people who come here saw me when I was pregnant, and now my daughter is fourteen. "Pascal started working at high-end French restaurants in France at an early age. After coming to New York, he decided to focus on more casual French food. In 2014, he was inducted as Master Chef in Mątres Cuisiniers de France, a prestigious organization aiming "to preserve and spread the French culinary arts, encourage training in cuisine, and assist professional development. " An unusual occurrence continued to happen as we resumed our walking on 58th, as so many other businesses told us that they eat at Bistro Vendome on a regular basis because the food was as traditionally French as one could hope for in Manhattan.

Trendy, immense, packed at any hour and serving intriguing Pan-Asian food, Tao has been a sensation on 58th since opening its doors in 2000. Stepping inside, one cannot help but immediately feel transported to a different world. The interior design is exceptionally meticulous with beautiful calligraphy scrolls adorning the high ceilings, and a sixteen foot massive Buddha sculpture taking center stage down below. Despite the frenetic atmosphere, I have found Tao to be a fun restaurant to dine with friends and to enjoy an excellent meal.