Crazy for Basketball in NYC: Witness Jeremy Lin’s Legendary Performance

Written/Compiled by Liu Jiawen | Source/Editorial Department of Monsieur Magazine

 

The exceptional basketball skills of NBA star Jeremy Lin have sparked a “Linsanity” craze across the U.S. and Taiwan, drawing huge fan attention to every game. But is watching the games on TV not enough? Why not plan a trip to New York, head to Madison Square Garden — the home court of the Knicks — and cheer for Jeremy Lin in person. Also, experiencing the endless charm of New York is a key part of the journey. From countless museums and historical sites, to art and culture performances, as well as a wealth of fashion boutiques, start your exploration with the following attractions.

Must-Visit Attraction: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

This greatest museum in the Western Hemisphere spans 2 million square feet and houses a collection of over 3 million items, covering everything from the Paleolithic era to modern art, with an especially rich collection of American art. When you step into this magnificent artistic temple, you will undoubtedly feel its impressive grandeur and extraordinary value. A group of artists and philanthropists established the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) with the goal of creating an art center that could rival those in Europe. The collection boasts 3 million pieces, and even a brisk walk through the entire museum takes about 2 to 3 hours.

 

The museum was first planned in 1870 and officially opened 10 years later. However, the current majestic Greek-temple-like structure on Fifth Avenue was completed in 1902, built with gray Indiana limestone. The collections are displayed across 17 departments based on regions, with key areas including American art, modern Asian art, Egyptian art, European paintings, European sculptures, and decorative arts. Highlights in the American Art section include Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Red Canna,” Edward Hopper’s “The Lighthouse,” Bingham’s “Fur Traders Descending the Missouri,” Cole’s “The Ox-Bow,” and Sargent’s “Madame X.” The Modern Asian Art department features an extensive collection of Chinese Buddhist sculptures, ceramics, jade artifacts, and Ming dynasty furniture. In 1979, the museum even hired 27 Chinese artisans who specialize in restoring Suzhou’s ancient gardens to build a miniature version of a classical Suzhou garden. The Egyptian Art section showcases ancient Egyptian culture and art from around 3100 BCE to the 8th century CE.

 

The most eye-catching piece is the Temple of Dendur, a Roman-era temple gifted by the Egyptian government. The Met even designed a reflecting pool in the area where the Nile River once flowed. The European Paintings department houses over 3,000 works, making it one of the world’s greatest collections, with many universally acclaimed masterpieces. Italian highlights include Mantegna’s “Parnassus,” Giorgione’s “The Adoration of the Shepherds,” and Bronzino’s “Portrait of a Young Man,” while Dutch paintings are especially abundant and globally unrivaled.

Must-Visit Attraction: Central Park

 

Known as New York’s “backyard,” Central Park covers 843 acres and is entirely man-made. It attracts thousands of locals and tourists daily for various activities. The park is beautiful in all seasons — blooming in spring, sun-drenched in summer, fiery red in autumn, and serene under snow in winter. It also includes a zoo and a children’s zoo. Every year from June to September, the free Shakespeare in the Park festival is held at the Delacorte Theater.

 

The heart of Central Park is Bethesda Fountain, named after a biblical story about a healing pool in Jerusalem empowered by an angel. Nearby, Belvedere Castle serves as the park’s visitor center, with its “Discovery Room” offering information on the park’s wildlife. On the eastern side near 73rd Street, the Conservatory Water is famed for its model boat pond, where Saturday morning races are held from spring to fall. To the north of the water lies a statue of Alice in Wonderland, featuring Alice and the Mad Hatter on a giant mushroom, along with a cat and a rabbit — a great play area for kids. On the west side of the lake stands a statue of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, with an ugly duckling at his feet.

 

On the western edge of Central Park is The Dakota, former residence of The Beatles member John Lennon. This building’s 65 apartments were once home to many famous stars, and its design mimics the rugged tones of the American West. The entrance on 72nd Street features carvings of Native American heads. In front of The Dakota, known as Strawberry Fields in honor of Lennon’s 1967 song “Strawberry Fields Forever,” lies the spot where he was killed. A black-and-white mosaic in the pathway features a star-shaped design referenced in Lennon’s song “Imagine.”

Must-Visit Attraction: Rockefeller Center

 

Rockefeller Center is undoubtedly one of the greatest urban planning projects of the 20th century. In the 1920s, financial tycoon John D. Rockefeller proposed this massive construction plan despite the economic depression, aiming to create enough office space in a limited area to sustain operations. The final design centered around a 70-story main tower, surrounded by 13 shorter buildings to ensure adequate lighting for both the central tower and surrounding structures.

 

Although the project proceeded despite widespread skepticism, it was ultimately completed. Aside from its impressive height, the expanded Rockefeller complex now includes 19 buildings, creating public spaces and innovative use of communal areas that set new standards in urban planning. The integrated mall and office buildings helped establish Midtown as New York’s second central business district after Wall Street. While Wall Street is dominated by financial firms, Rockefeller Center is home to cultural enterprises such as the NBC headquarters, major U.S. publishers like Time Warner, McGraw Hill, and Simon & Schuster, and the world’s largest news agency — The Associated Press.

 

Strictly speaking, the Rockefeller Center area spans from Fifth to Sixth Avenues between 48th and 51st Streets, covering 22 acres. It includes restaurants, office towers, clothing stores, banks, post offices, bookshops, and more. An underground passage connected to the subway weaves through the complex, and architects cleverly used plazas, open spaces, and staircases to guide the flow of over 250,000 daily visitors.

Must-Visit Attraction: Grand Central Terminal

 

Grand Central Terminal is not only the largest and busiest transportation hub in the world (covering 49 acres and serving 700,000 passengers daily), but also the largest public space globally (larger than the nave of Notre-Dame in Paris). Critic Tony Hiss described it as “a splendid building, the most important part of midtown Manhattan...an engineering masterpiece.” Completed in 1913, Grand Central not only highlights the importance of public space for the general public in the New World, but also represents the golden age of train travel. The Main Concourse spans 80,000 square feet, with a 60-foot-high celestial ceiling window that floods the hall with light. Marble covers the floors and walls, while the 125-foot-high arched ceiling features a starry night sky painted by French artist Paul Helleu, based on the Mediterranean star chart from the 10th to 3rd months of the year. The 2,500 gold-leaf stars include 60 brighter constellations.

 

The marble staircases are also a marvel, reminiscent of the Paris Opera House. Two grand chandeliers adorned with gold leaf add to the grandeur. In 1970, as train use declined, the terminal nearly faced demolition, but was saved when the Supreme Court ruled it a national historic landmark. After major renovations in 1998, Grand Central has become not just a transit hub but also a large shopping and dining destination, featuring several popular restaurants and bakeries. Upon arrival, start at the information booth beneath the iconic gold clock in the center of the main concourse.