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    Ford Foundation

    4.0 (29 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Ford Foundation Photos

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    Tata G.

    I visited this place 10 years ago & came back last week on a whim while im doing errand in the area. The experience was still as fascinating like the first time. A green oasis in the middle of midtown. A nature lover New Yorker would really appreciate this place. What a break from the concrete & skyscraper that sorrounds it. Might be a little intimidating for some to enter. Although it's free to visit, you have to check in. Security guards out number the visitors & the staff don't look welcoming at all. But i would not things like that deter me! And the bathroom is spotless !

    Hunter S.

    The Ford Foundation is known for its social justice initiatives and philanthropy. Locally, they are known to have a beautiful, zen meditation garden that serves as a respite from the heat, noise, and rush. To enter the garden, use the 43rd st. Entrance so you can have your bag checked and provide an ID. You can then enter to check out the garden (there are bathrooms too). The air inside is cool and crisp. It's quiet. Lots of beautiful greenery. Most people visited for a short time. A few people came to work on their laptops. I came to see the garden, but also spent a while looking for my next stop for dinner and recovering from the 90 degree day. Please note there is a designated seating area and visitors should not sit on the various sets of steps (they will enforce this rule). Also, there is an accessible entrance and self-operated lift so those who are less mobile can enjoy the experience. Staff are helpful and professional. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit this as a tourist attraction, but if you're in midtown, it's a pretty stop, and a great break from walking in the heat, or if you just need some time to reset.

    Amy D.

    We stumbled upon this indoor beauty as we were making our stroll to The United Nations. This indoor warm forest/garden is free to the public. It is cute, small, quiet and very peaceful. Great for those Insta photos. Also a great spot for a restroom break before heading back out into the city. No prior reservations needed. Simply walk in through 43rd street, check in with security and you're on your way. Stay as long as you'd like.

    Stairs to central atrium pond
    Anne R.

    Most public visits are here for the garden or the gallery, and both will require a security check with ID and letting security look inside personal bags. That's pretty much the biggest reason for knocking off a star, because other "green atriums" like the Palm Court in Brookfield Place or David Rubinstein Atrium at Lincoln Center don't require the same security checks, and most galleries don't either. It just seems like a lot of security and security guards for such a space. Once you get beyond the whole surveillance issue and feeling and start to immerse yourself in the plants and the sensory aspects of the garden, as a little speaker invites you to do, the peace and lovely oxygenated qualities start to take over and lift the vibe. Some people stay and sit for a while along the upper level, and some just wander the garden, smelling plants, or touching the different qualities of leaves while looking for new blossoms and color. It's a tiny bit of green space in a cement city that can be enjoyed Year round.

    Lizzy K.

    Hidden gem right near the U.N. So glad I discovered this free space, perfect for unwinding and enjoying beauty, culture and art. You first walk in to find a decently sized relaxing sensory garden and down the hall, an art exhibit that is switched up every few months or so. Highly recommend.

    Lucy L.

    It's such a beautiful indoor green house in New York. Its for the public and free to enter and enjoy. I didn't expect this at all. I side a building in Manhattan for sure. It's so calm, peaceful, and serene. There's ferns, a pond, trees, and flowers. After you relax in the garden, the justice exhibit on the 1st floor on the right side once you enter. What an amazing place to relax, and just take a break from the busy buzzing streets of Manhattan.

    Ford Foundation Garden
    Min T.

    Walking from building after building outside and into this garden inside the ground floor of the Ford Foundation building is the craziest transition. A definite NYC secret garden type of place. It's not exactly the type of garden you can sit and read or sit at all. It's a bit small and you can go around in 10 minutes if you want to, but still neat to check out. They also have a small gallery, which you can finish in 10 minutes if you walk slowly to admire each art. The security is a bit too tight in my perspective. My husband said they are constantly looking at him. It's understandable because it is a social justice building and it's a building for work and meetings, but this makes it a bit hard to relax with the garden.

    Atrium
    Christin M.

    A stunning, hidden oasis amidst the concrete of Midtown East. 10/10 recommend this secret escape. The atrium will leave you feeling transported and bonus enjoyment if you're a fan of architecture. The current exhibit in the gallery is "Perilous Bodies" the highlight of which is Dread Scott's moving "The Blue Wall of Violence". You can hear the piece before you even enter the gallery and it continues to resonate with me on my train ride home. Extremely troubling and poignant. https://www.dreadscott.net/works/blue-wall-of-violence/ Also, this experience is ALL FREE OF CHARGE

    Randall M.

    I've passed this building many times and I did not realize that there was a public atrium. The Ford foundation building boasts a fabulous atrium in Tudor City. You can access it from either E 42 St or E 43 St. There are tall trees and a fountain. It is very peaceful and serene. A must visit.

    Marcelle M.

    Wonderful spot midtown east - public space with some seating and peaceful bird sounds

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    2 years ago

    Very disappointed as I tried to visit the garden on a dreary winter day to find it closed until March.

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    Ask the Community - Ford Foundation

    Review Highlights - Ford Foundation

    t. Hidden allll the way down on 43rd Street* near Tudor City is the most lush indoor garden I've ever see

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    Bowery Savings Bank Building

    Bowery Savings Bank Building

    5.0(3 reviews)
    0.3 miMidtown East, Murray Hill

    Tour historic buildings and designated landmarks of New York. Bowery Savings Bank building is one…read moreof many historic. Any history buff or avid amateur architecture enthusiasts would have a full appreciation and admiration of this stone building as old world architectural craft is no longer in use. This building still stands with the passage of time and nature's elements. The correct location of Bowery Savings Bank Building is in Chinatown, Lower Manhattan- NOT Midtown East, Murray Hill. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=132531

    You might find a few Bowery Bums in the doorway of the Bowery Savings Bank Building, but it's New…read moreYork, and more to the point it's the USA, and that goes with the territory. This building is very special to me because when I needed to get my citizenship it was here that my awesome lawyer (whose office is in the upper reaches of this magnificent building) helped me through the process and got me over the line - and I will always be grateful for that. He's David Gottfried of Gottfried & Gottfried, by the way. I would recommend him to anyone as the perfect immigration lawyer for my situation and I wish nothing but the best for him. As for the building it's a typical old rustic early 20th century New York stunner, and it seems haunted. They do make you go through a security check to get up inside here but then so does Barbie with her clients.

    Photos
    Bowery Savings Bank Building - Exterior

    Exterior

    Bowery Savings Bank Building - Lil Bowery Wow

    Lil Bowery Wow

    Bowery Savings Bank Building

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    Van Gogh's Ear - Van Gogh's Ear, a public art sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset

    Van Gogh's Ear

    5.0(3 reviews)
    0.7 miMidtown East, Midtown West

    Don't look for this work of art. It's not there. If you were lucky enough to see it, write a…read morereview. It's pretty cool if you stare and stare. Then all of a sudden you realize what you're looking at! My photos are from April 14, 2016. It was a beautiful Spring Day. I am enjoying reminiciing about today during the Arctic Blast!

    "Van Gogh's Ear", a public art sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset, is in place at 30 Rockefeller…read morePlaza, right across the street from the entrance to Sak's 5th Ave. The sculpture, by the same duo that brought us the Prada Marfa Store in the middle of the Texas desert, is a tribute to the ready-made style of Marcel Duchamp. The sculpture is a 30 foot tall swimming pool, taken out of its normal context and displayed in its side with a diving board built in at the top. One of my favorite elements are the working lights on the inside left and right of the pool sculpture. Being that it's out of context - a recreational object in the middle of a commercial center - it creates a sense of longing and desire for recreation over industry and gives you an off-kilter feeling (why am I going to work when I could be swimming!). Overall a great piece of colorful public art at placed I a great spot for the perfect season. The piece is on display from April 13th though June 3rd, 2016. Catch it while you can!

    Photos
    Van Gogh's Ear - The sign for Elmgreen & Dragset's piece "Van Gogh's Ear"

    The sign for Elmgreen & Dragset's piece "Van Gogh's Ear"

    Van Gogh's Ear - Van Gogh's Ear beautifully backlit by NYC last night.

    Van Gogh's Ear beautifully backlit by NYC last night.

    Van Gogh's Ear - They removed the street-side barricades.

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    They removed the street-side barricades.

    Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Plaque

    Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Plaque

    5.0(1 review)
    0.4 miMidtown East

    "Don't know much about history Don't know much biology…read moreDon't know much about a science book Don't know much about the French I took" (Sam Cooke) I guess you can call me a history nerd. After all, I did major in history and rarely walk past a plaque or memorial or marker that I don't stop to read and more than likely Yelp. So when we were walking out to the street from Grand Central Station's Park Avenue/East 42nd Street entry and saw a wall plaque with the portrait of a familiar woman, I just had to stop and check it out. The portrait was of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Those of my generation will always remember the traumatic and terribly sad photographs of her from Dallas on November 22, 1963 with her pink pill box hat and her blood splattered pink dress. Twelve years after JFK's assassination the former First lady was engaged in a high stakes 1975 battle to save one of her hometown's iconic landmarks. At issue was a plan to take the wrecking ball to New York City's Grand Station Terminal and demolish it, just as Penn Station has been demolished and rebuilt in 1964. She became outraged when she learned of the plan and led a coalition of New Yorkers and the the Municipal Art Society to stop it. She was the star of a famous press conference from Grand Central and declared "If we don't care about our past we can't have very much hope for our future, we've all heard that it's too late, or that it has to happen, that it's inevitable. But I don't think that's true. Because I think if there is a great effort, even if it's the eleventh hour, then you can succeed and I know that's what we'll do." She also wrote an eloquent letter to NYC 's Mayor Beame and asked him "...is it not cruel to let our city die by degrees, stripped of all her proud moments, until there is nothing left of all her history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our city, where will they find the strength to fight for her future? Americans care about their past, but for short term gain they ignore it and tear down everything that matters..." The plaque was dedicated on June 24, 2014 to mark renovations to the station's main entrance. The renovations honor her legacy with photographs, a video display, and the plaque. The entry itself was renamed "The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Foyer".

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    Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Plaque

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    Empire State Building - Photo opportunity with King Kong himself

    Empire State Building

    4.0(2.4k reviews)
    0.8 miKoreatown, Midtown West

    Folks, the Empire State Building built in 1931 in just over a year during the Depression, when…read moreAmerica built fast and huge. Iconic, baby. I went up recently, and let me tell you, it's no One World Trade Center. One World? Smooth, modern, straight to the top no nonsense. Empire State? Lines, more lines, security gauntlet, then they dump you halfway into a gift shop full of overpriced junk. Total tourist trap gimmick! They're making a fortune, but come on let me see the view already! But then you hit the 86th floor deck, wind smacks you in the face, city noise roars up from a thousand feet below horns, life, energy. Tremendous! 360-degree views that make you feel like King Kong himself. Nostalgic as hell Art Deco soul, real history you can touch. Not some sterile glass tower; this is old-school New York grit. Sure, if you want quick and slick, skip to One World. But the Empire State? Pure character. Worth every hassle. Go early, grab the express pass if you're smart, soak it in. It's legendary, folks. Huge! Make New York great again one windy deck at a time.

    I hadn't visited the Empire State Building in probably 20 years, but I decided to visit with my…read morehusband last weekend. It's such a different experience now. 20 years ago, I remember just walking into the lobby, buying a ticket, and heading up to the observation deck. But today? You enter in a different spot, and it's a whole experience. There's a "museum" now and you can spend more time here than just taking in the views from the 86th floor. So why go? It was the world's tallest building when it was completed in 1931 and until the North Tower of the World Trade Center was completed in 1970. (Sad aside: It became NYC's tallest building again after 9/11 until was surpassed by One World Trade Center in 2012.) It features gorgeous art deco architecture and design. It's a cultural icon (one of my favorite parts of the museum experience was a room where you can see dozens of film clips which feature the Empire State Building). The new experience includes exhibits that explain the history, design, and construction of the building. What I learned about its construction was particularly interesting! The construction of the building involved more than 3,500 workers, many of who were Irish and Italian immigrants, and led to an unknown number of deaths of workers (official reports say 5, newspapers at the time reported higher numbers). While I felt this museum addition really added to the experience of visiting the Empire State Building, it has also certainly made visiting the building more expensive. So let's get down to the brass tacks. The base ticket (which gets you entry into everything up to the 86th floor) is $44 for adults, $42 for seniors, and $38 for children (plus a $5 booking charge for each transaction). If you want to visit the 102nd floor for that additional observation deck, it's $79 for adults, $77 for seniors, and $73 for children (plus the booking charge). Then there are ways to spend even more money: a Starbucks Reserve Sunrise ticket ($135 per person); an Express Pass (starting at $85/120 per person); a Premium Experience ($175 per person); and All-Access Tour ($500 per person)... I'm generally not into these expensive view experiences that have popped up all over NYC. But the Empire State Building is special. It's an icon and a view. But I still wasn't willing to pay $80 to visit, so we stuck with the base ticket that gets you access only to the 86th floor observatory. The 86th Floor Observatory contains an enclosed viewing gallery and open-air outdoor viewing area. It's the classic observatory you've seen in movies. And it was certainly enough for me - the museum and the 86th floor observatory! Don't miss/rush through the original main lobby as you leave the experience. Or - if you're not willing to pay for the experience to see the view - stop in at the lobby on its own - it's open to the public (follow the signs for the Starbucks Reserve which is entered through this lobby). The lobby is gorgeous - marble, terrazzo, a scale model of the building... But the highlight is that aluminum relief of the skyscraper as it was originally built (without the antenna). It's incredible. It's an icon for a reason, and it was fun to visit and to see it again after so many years. They've certainly made it more of an experience than it used to be (although now, you can't just pop by for the view on a pretty day, since it's prohibitively expensive for a quick visit), but I had a really good time.

    Photos
    Empire State Building - King Kong poster

    King Kong poster

    Empire State Building - Ahhhh godzilla got me

    Ahhhh godzilla got me

    Empire State Building - The souvenir glass that you can only get in the restaurant on the first floor.

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    The souvenir glass that you can only get in the restaurant on the first floor.

    Ford Foundation - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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