the cloisters
as i get ready to go to new york city in a couple of weeks, i find myself thinking about one of my favorite peaceful venues, the cloisters in washington heights in upper manhattan. located on a prominent spot in fort tryon on the hudson river, the cloisters, is the medieval art and architecture branch of the famous metropolitan museum. it is a collection of eurpoean cloisters assembled into a series of galleries and courtyards – all made possible through generous funds by the late john d. rockefeller, jr. mr rockefeller also bought vast areas of land across the hudson river in new jersey to preserve the view across from the cloisters. inside, on display in the several galleries, are many medieval paintings and artifacts. my favorite are the unicorn tapestries that depict the hunting and ultimate killing of the mythical unicorn. best time to visit the cloisters is in the winter during a workday to avoid the crowds. and if you are new to manhattan, take the m4 bus from the east side of manhattan – a great tour through the cultural diversity of manhattan, going through the swanky upper east side, the columbia university campus, harlem and some hispanic neighborhoods in upper manhattan on the west side.
the cloisters
fort tryon park
new york, new york 10040
+1 212 923 3700
tuesday–sunday (monday closed)
9.30 am–4.45 pm (november–february)
9.30 am–5.15 pm (march–october)
closed january 1, thanksgiving day, december 25
