Upper East Side: Calling on the Woman in Gold
What comes to mind when you hear “Upper East Side?” Old money? Designer boutiques? Swanky hotels? Woody Allen movies? Yippy little purebred dogs and defensive doormen?
I imagine mainlining a giant infusion of culture, stat. World-famous museums line up one after another on the stretch of 5th Avenue next to Central Park, including the Frick, El Museo del Barrio, the Jewish Museum, the Guggenheim and the Met.
Cultural riches aside, this certainly is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Manhattan, a socially rarified place where coming-out balls are still held for debutantes. We’re not going to buy any real estate, but we all can enjoy the neighborhood.
So put on your pearls, insert your pocket square, and join me on a little trip through New York’s Upper East Side.
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Finally, some peace and quiet
Known for its rich residents, fancy restaurants, and fancier apartment buildings, the Upper East Sideis POSH. It’s a lovely neighborhood, with a mix of classic brownstones and upscale high-rises. The Upper East Side, in fact, feels rather refined and set apart from the rest of the city’s chaos.
We felt like we were on a different planet than the one we’d been occupying in Midtown Manhattan, where we competed for space with a veritable stream of humanity jostling along packed sidewalks.
On our short walk, we passed by two schools, likely private, where kids were playing and making the usual noise. Other than that, the streets, lined with historic townhomes, were uncannily quiet. And empty. No other pedestrians.
Had we entered the Twilight Zone? (Key in spooky music.) No one honked and no one elbowed us, two things we had become rather accustomed to.
The Woman in Gold
We were way up on the Upper Upper East side because the movie “The Woman in Gold” inspired us to pay a call on a remarkable painting. The 2015 film tells the true story of spunky Austrian refugee Maria Altmann.
After a great deal of litigation, Altmann reclaimed her family’s paintings from the Austrian government, including the famous Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt.
The painting is commonly known as either the Woman in Gold, as popularized by the film, or the Lady in Gold, from the 2012 book of the same name by Anne Marie O’Connor.
The portrait of Altmann’s aunt is one of the most famous examples of Nazi art theft. The painting, along with the extraordinary necklace Adele is wearing and a number of other artworks, was taken by the Nazis in 1941.
After the war, Galerie Belvedere in Vienna acquired the painting. The Beldevere, an Austrian Federal museum, holds the world’s largest collection of Klimt’s paintings. Adele’s portrait was one of the most loved and famous artworks in their collection; she was dubbed the Mona Lisa of Austria. And indeed, she is breathtaking.
For a wonderful piece about Maria Altmann and why she chose to fight the Austrian government for the painting and ultimately take it out of the country, check out this article from NPR.
Gilded Age mansions
Speaking of gold, Upper Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park was once lined with splendid mansions built by the oligarchs of the Gilded Age: the Rockefellers, the Carnegies, the Vanderbilts, et al. Between 59th and 96th Streets, Fifth Avenue was Millionaire’s Row.
The term “Gilded Age” was satirical, coined by Mark Twain. The “golden age” promised after the Civil War was an age, rather, of serious social problems masked by a thin gold gilding.
When adopted by literary and cultural critics, “Gilded Age” was a pejorative to describe an age of materialistic excess on one side and extreme poverty on the other. The sharply unequal distribution of wealth led to the rise of labor unions and populist movements.
Edith Wharton wrote of this time period in her novels. I can still bring to mind Martin Scorsese’s depiction of a lavish dinner party in his 1993 screen adaptation of The Age of Innocence. Brilliant chandeliers spotlight a ridiculously long table piled with food, all this superabundance cast in a golden glow.
Apparently Wharton’s mother looked and acted like Queen Victoria, and her aunt Mary Mason Jones built a whole row of townhouses on Fifth, since she owned an entire block.
As early as 1916, apartment buildings were replacing mansions on Fifth Ave, albeit, very nice apartment buildings.
The Neue Galerie, new home of The Lady in Gold
One of the surviving Gilded Age mansions now houses the Neue Galerie. Dedicated to early 20th century German and Austrian art, the Galerie opened in November 2001 and is located on Fifth Avenue and 86th Street, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Up front bummer: No photography allowed. While the collections are excellent, a great deal of the museum’s charm resides in the building’s beautiful interiors.
Serge Sabarsky and Ronald Lauder bought the six-story Louis XIII-style townhouse, designed by Carrere and Hastings, in 1994, and began a long process of restoration and renovation.
Co-founder Lauder is the son of Estée and an avid art collector. When Sabarsky died in 1996, Lauder carried on with the task of creating the Neue Galerie as a tribute to his friend.
In 2006, Lauder purchased Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I from Maria Altmann and her family. The painting had just come to the U.S. following years of negotiation and litigation with the Austrian government.
Adele’s portrait reportedly sold for $135 million, the highest price ever paid for a painting at the time. The Lady in Gold now forms the centerpiece of the Neue Galerie’s collection.
Collections and exhibits
Schiele and Klimt centennial
The main exhibit at the time of my visit was a centenary tribute to Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. Though Klimt was nearly 30 years older than Schiele, both tragically died in 1918—the same year the Austro-Hungarian Empire ended.
If you’re an Egon Schiele fan, the Neue holds one of the world’s best collections of his work. More to my taste, there are a number of works by Klimt in addition to the famous Adele.
Franz Marc and August Macke
Another exhibit, featuring artwork loaned from public and private collections worldwide, explored the artistic friendship of two German painters. Franz Marc and August Macke were key figures in the Expressionism movement. Both died in WW1.
Organized with the Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie, Paris, the exhibition will be on view at the Musée de l’Orangerie from March 6 to June 17, 2019. I really enjoyed their work, especially Marc’s. I am excited to see one of his iconic blue horse paintings. I’ve discovered one is in the Walker Art Center’s collection.
The Wiener Werkstätte
The Wiener Werkstätte, or Vienna Workshops, was a production community in Vienna. Established in 1903 by Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser, the WW subscribed to the English Arts and Crafts ideal of exceptionally well-made objects designed by artists and produced by specialized craftspeople.
Like Lalique and Tiffany, Hoffmann and Moser believed jewelry should have artistic merit, not simply monetary value. Ironically, a Hoffmann brooch made from semi-precious stones set in silver recently sold for over $300,000.
Wiener Werkstätte artists worked in many mediums, including ceramics, textiles and fashion design, silver and other metals, furniture, and graphic arts. They were pioneers of modern design. Their influence is evident in the later styles of Bauhaus and Art Deco.
While I was at Neue Galerie, I saw an exhibition of jewelry from the Wiener Werkstätte, miniature jeweled masterworks by leading artists including the firm’s co-founders. Many of these wearable works of art were of one of a kind.
I really enjoyed the display, as well as the Art Nouveau (Secessionsstil in Austrian) decorative objects in the Neue Galerie’s permanent collection.
Some other examples of Wiener Werkstätte design: Silver place setting by Carl Otto Czeschka • A chair by Koloman Moser • A fashion design by Maria Likarz-Strauss. You can peruse The Weiner Werkstätte Archive online from the MAK (Austrian Museum of Applied and Contemporary Art).
Posh pancakes
We had a late breakfast at the charming Upper East Side location of Sarabeth’s. I ordered pancakes and Bee had eggs with lox and an English muffin. The English muffin was clearly housemade, which I found enchanting. Tasted great, too. My pancakes were fluffy and fab, but I ask you, who can actually eat 5 pancakes? Not I, alas.
Pro Tip: When you know you’re on your way to a particular restaurant, call or make reservations online. It will save you time sitting and waiting for a table. I wished I had called ahead, although we wouldn’t have had the leisure to stroll around the neighborhood taking photos.
The Museum Mile and Central Park
I have run on. Part two of our Upper East Side adventure, walking the Museum Mile and visiting* Central Park, will be in an upcoming post.
*getting lost in
Explore More New York City Neighborhoods
Visit Midtown Manhattan with me for everything from Beaux Arts architecture to kooky Christmas displays.
Grand Central Station
New York Public Library
Christmas in Midtown
Holiday Windows in NYC
On the unforgettable Upper East Side, visit some famous museums and tour Central Park.
Visiting Ancient Egypt at the Met
Upper East Side Redux: More Things to Do
On the Lower East Side, see some great street art and places to eat:
New York Street Art and Good Food on Manhattan’s Lower East Side
First-timer sights and bites
On your first visit to NYC, What You Must See and What You Must Eat, according to me. Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, The Plaza Hotel and food court. Eat bagels, New York pizza by the slice, and have afternoon tea in Greenwich Village.
Navigating the New York City subway system
For the harrowing tale of the temporary women’s restroom fiasco, in which I reluctantly enter a tiny scary subway elevator, see Misadventures in the New York City Subway. Learn how to ride the subway (successfully) and have heartwarming encounters in Nice New Yorkers.
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A note about the artwork photos in this post:
All artwork images are in the public domain. The art pictured was not necessarily part of the Neue Galerie exhibits, but is representative. The paintings by Egon Schiele, Franz Marc, and August Macke are from The Athenaeum. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer by Gustav Klimt is from Wikipedia. The centerpiece bowl by Josef Hoffmann is in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The MIA allows free use of noncopyrighted images. I had difficulty finding noncopyrighted images of Weiner Werkstätte jewelry. So, no photos. I’d love to see the Neue Galerie follow the example of the Met and the MIA in publishing and allowing the use of images in their collection. Art is something that we all should be able to see and appreciate. [Descending from soapbox]
Thank you for this, loved reading about the Upper East Side. Although I won’t be able to visit any time soon, your writing has inspired me to both look up the Woman in Gold (obviously missed this when it was first released and I love Gustav Klimt) and also to visit my local museums and art galleries more often – even if I haven’t heard of the artists in current exhibitions (like you’ve just put me on to August Macke now).
That is so lovely to hear. I think you will really enjoy the film (Helen Mirren is always amazing). I love small collections like the Neue that introduce me to artists I may not have noticed in a large museum.
Ok so I have to admit that one of my favourite TV shows was Gossip Girl. So I’ve heard of the Upper East Side. However, I didn’t know much about it. Your article has changed that, it was very interesting to read about the place I have seen in so many TV shows and movies. I also love how you include the most delicious foods in your posts (those pancakes had me drooling!).
It’s funny, doing research about the Upper East Side was how I learned it was a filming spot for Gossip Girl! lol. It is such a fascinating place and like no other area of New York City.
Thank you, Cynthia for this very interesting information, particularly for me. I have never been to NYC or USA, although I have a sister in California. I know about the East Side mostly from Gossip Girl. Your post makes life on the East Side closer to me and, I suppose, anybody else who will read your blog. History is coming alive, that what I like in blogging. Thank you!
What a kind comment, thank you so much, Lana! One of the many things I love about travel is I end up learning so much history of a place, especially when I write about it. It makes history interesting and come alive for me, so I’m thrilled to hear it might do that for someone else as well.
“Woman in Gold” was an unforgettable film. It’s wonderful that you got to see the painting in person. You truly understand the joy of exploration and your visit to the Upper East Side looks like it was relaxing and enjoyable.
Thank you Alecia, it really was wonderful to see the painting itself after having enjoyed the movie so much. Appreciate your stopping by!
Hi, Cynthia.
I’ve yet to read or see “The Lady in Gold”; nevertheless, I would very much like to see in person “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I”. Thanks for highlighting this important piece of art during your time in the Upper East Side.
I got to visit Vienna last year as the city and her people marked the centenary year of “Vienna Modernism,” highlighting the works by Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser, Egon Schiele, and Otto Wagner. Perhaps it was a one-off, but the major art museums last year (at least during my visit!) allowed visitors to take photographs of the art work. Seeing “The Kiss” in person was both remarkable and a little disturbing, but being able to snap away images of Klimt’s and Schiele’s work was a big unexpected bonus. (If you’re interested, I have a summary post of Vienna Modernism.)
Am I interested! Can’t wait to check it out! Schiele is frankly not as appealing to me but I love Moser and Wagner and of course Klimt. You would truly enjoy seeing this painting in person.
Hi, Cynthia. I’m sure I’d very much enjoy seeing the Bloch-Bauer portrait in person. What I like about Schiele is his work was considered “dangerous” for the time; frankly, it still is dangerous. However I understand Schiele’s self-loathing, frank directness, and awkward angles isn’t for everyone. Not only do I refer to the 4 big players honoured in last year’s “Vienna Modernism,” but I also included other contemporaries of the time (e.g., Hoffmann, Loos, Olbrich, Schimkowitz, etc.) in “My Vienna: Disrupting Historicism with Modernism”:
https://fotoeins.com/2018/09/24/my-vienna-modernism-artarch-figures/
Happy reading!
Great post, Cynthia! We love Neue Galerie (and also Cafe Sabarsky, just to mention it, not even so much for the food, but for the Viennese coffee house atmosphere).
Thank you so much, Stefan! We actually didn’t even set foot in Cafe Sabarsky, will have to do that next time. We were pretty full when we got there. As long as it has Viennese-style cake with that coffee, I’m on it. Really appreciate your stopping by.
This is a great article Cynthia! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wish I had time to make the trek up to see the painting when I was in NYC. Maybe next time. Loved that movie. 💙
Thanks so much for stopping by, Lori! I think you’d really like the museum, especially if you enjoyed the movie, it’s really something to see the actual painting.
My partner has been saying he wants to go to New York for a few years now. I remember Upper East Side from a teenage tv series “Gossip Girl”, but its great to get another perspective. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is definitely on my list now and a visit to Sarabeth’s for those pancakes is a must.
I never regret spending time in New York, I know you won’t either if you choose to visit!
Great job on this, Cynthia! You took a small part of the city and highlighted why it’s unique which is such a pleasure to read. I love the old Gilded Age houses that still exist over there and you did a great job capturing their charm. I want to see more of the galleries over on Museum Mile now!
I appreciate that, Natalie! I love the amount of history in the area, it seems like there’s a story around every corner.
Yet another great read, Cynthia and what a great way to spend a day in NYC! It felt like we were visiting all those places with you! We didn’t know about the Gilded Age – very interesting piece of history. And the collection at the Neue Galerie sounds astounding!
Manuel & Roberto
Thank you, guys, for your always kind words. There are perhaps some parallels between the Gilded Age and our own.
We have not spent nearly enough time in the Upper East Side! In fact, we’ve only enjoyed the requisite visit to The Met and some random wandering / food cart sampling. (Hey, it’s NYC, right?) We’ve really enjoyed your posts from The City, and look forward to more! And to visiting Neue Galerie ourselves! (Next trip, for sure. ;))
There are so many museums to choose from, it really is a tough choice! Wanting to see this particular painting made it easy. If you like Art Nouveau, you will love it. I really enjoyed hanging out on the UES a bit. It was a respite from the busyness of Midtown, especially at Christmas. Thanks for stopping by, Rob!
Love this post. Would love to explore New York as an adult and visit the galleries and museums and eat pancakes at posh restaurants. (perhaps one day when we grow up… )
Thank you, Oli! Meet me in New York, no growing up required 😉
I wish I had read your post years ago when visiting NY ! I loved the Upper East Side but had no idea there were so many things for art lovers! I´m a fan of Klimt! #feetdotravel
The Upper East Side is an ideal part of the city for art lovers. So many museums, a stretch of 5th Avenue is called the Museum Mile. I expect to be back there next time I’m in New York.
So interesting and a great piece of writing. Will have to watch the movie now. Those pancakes look amazing!
We didn’t visit New York on our 3 month RV road trip last year because we think it deserves a trip all on its own and this post will be pinned and revisited before we go.
Definitely deserves a trip all on its own, Lindsy! So much to see and do in NYC, always something to go back for. Thanks for your kind words and I’ll be looking forward to hearing about your NYC adventures.
Cynthia, you convinced me to see the Woman in Gold and to read some Edith Wharton novels as well as the Age of Innocence. Also, I’ve never visited the Neue Galerie so I think that I will try to check it out on my next trip to NYC. I always learn from your posts, and I especially enjoyed this one. Thanks for your excellent suggestions including where to find those pancakes!
That’s very kind, Dorothy! I think you’d enjoy the museum, and you’ll definitely like the movie. It was so memorable to see the painting after having learned so much about it through the film. Try to watch it before you go!
The Upper East Side is one part of NYC we have not yet visited. So it was great to go along with you for a tour. The “Woman in Gold” is a stunning piece of art. But the story is fascinating too. Sorry to hear that no photography was allowed in the Neue Galerie. But I guess I understand. It does make you focus more on what you are seeing. And is a tease for others to visit.
Glad I could show you something a bit new, Linda. The no-photo policy did make me focus more on what I was seeing, but so much for being able to remember it ;). So I guess every time you go to the Neue Galerie, you have a new experience.
A well done overview of another part of a fabulous city Cynthia! Not as popular an area usually but still worth the exploring 👍
I guess that’s why it’s nice and quiet! Thanks for stopping by, Paolo!
This looks like an amazing experience. I love the movie and the painting is absolutely gorgeous!!
It really is. More than you can imagine, so different in person. It’s so much more interesting to see a piece of artwork after hearing so much about it in a story.
Such a wonderfully written piece Cynthia. So well researched and a great intro to the history of a district I knew little about. I was engrossed from start to finish. I however would have eaten all 5 pancakes, it wouldn’t be the first time.
John, thank you, you’re too kind. I’m shocked at how many people claim that they can actually eat 5 pancakes. Time for a pancake-eating contest.
Am I not alone in claiming I can eat 5 pancakes? I’m up for the contest.
John you and Lynn of MadHattersNYC will have to schedule a pancake-eating contest 🤣
We are on. I love it when the #TravelTribe get competitive
Nicely written! I’m a big fan of Klimt. My favorite piece is The Kiss.
Thank you, Donna. If you go to visit the Woman in Gold, you might have a contender for favorite Klimt!
That Gilded Age building is so appealing, especially set amongst the apartment buildings that are more like cement blocks. Isn’t this a beautiful section of NYC?! I’m going to look up the Woman in Gold movie, too. I think I missed that one and it sounds intriguing!
It’s really a good movie, of course I am a huge Helen Mirren fan. It really is a beautiful section of NYC, and it was great to spend a fair amount of time just walking around a residential area and soaking up some of the ambience. One of my favorite things to do while traveling.
There are just so many museums in NYC, so I never made it to Neue Galerie. Adding it to my list for my next trip, it does look like they have some beautiful pieces of art. Sarabeth’s is classic NYC, so good choice.
Definitely spoiled for choice for museums in NYC, Anisa! One of the things I love about the city. I think you would enjoy the Neue, especially if you like Art Nouveau. Sarabeth’s certainly felt like a classic, the food was wonderful and it was a beautiful space to spend some time in. I think I most enjoyed the walk from the subway to the restaurant!
Love art, especially visiting modern art galleries and museums. We were in NY 2 years ago we spent a full day in The Met, the Egyptian exhibits are incredible, that’s the only bit of art we squeezed in our trip, next time we’ll have to check out your suggestions I will keep your post for reference! and those posh pancakes look great 🙂
Yessss! My first visit to NYC I spent an entire day at the Met too, and quite a lot of that in the Egyptian galleries! I think the Met is definitely the place to hit first, then it’s nice to explore some of the smaller museums. The Frick is top of my list for next time.
Nice!! The city is so huge that one can go months or years without visiting a particular ‘hood. UWS is fancy. They get ploughed first during a storm lol. What a fab painting and the fold colour is definitely striking!
I can believe it. I figured out this time that the best way to do it is to stay in the area where I want to spend the most time, and plan my trips around particular neighborhoods. Not that I can’t use the subway lol but don’t want to spend all my time getting from one place to another. There’s plenty to do in any one particular area of NYC, tho I’ll always be tripping to the UES to go to one of the museums 🙂
You’ve just brought fabulous memories back of the Neue Galerie. I was doing Museum Mile and almost tripped over it. So glad I did, I loved it. Great read, Cynthia!
Oh thank you, Shona! It really is a lovely museum. Rather new to the museum mile but a great addition. I’m excited to explore the other smaller museums along the Mile as well.
Great post Cynthia! The museums and history, the artistic expressions, and oh… the pancakes! Enjoyed this read for sure! I hope to go back to NY again in the summertime, the first I visited it was cold and chilly but I still walked around all day into the evenings.
Hi Shannon! We’ve been lucky enough to have warm weather, for winter, both times we’ve been to New York. Because walking around all day and night is just the thing to do! I got quite a lot of exercise, which was fortunate since there were so many good things to eat 🙂
What a lovely post, and so well-researched! After reading it I’m feeling inspired to make a visit to the Neue Galerie myself, as well as to reframe my own thoughts of the Upper East Side. It’s refreshing to see it from a visitor’s perspective – I think you truly captured the beauty of it and what makes it special. I am so often guilty of sticking to my same old neighborhoods, but this makes me want to branch out and explore places like the UES a bit. Also–Sarabeth’s is soooo good! I’ve only been for dinner but those pics (esp of the pancakes) looked amazing! Although, I would have a hard time deciding between pancakes and a homemade English Muffin haha. Thanks for such a wonderful article, Cynthia!
Ah, thank you Lauren for this kind and thoughtful comment. The Neue’s collection is so focused that I think they probably have some of the best examples of that period outside of Austria. The Hoffman brooches especially were so gorgeous and they had so many, while the Met just has one belt buckle 🙂 I do the same thing in Minneapolis, stick to the same neighborhoods, so I’m going to try to explore different parts of the Twin Cities. Of course Sarabeth’s has 2 or 3 locations but that one felt very UES. I can totally recommend the pancakes AND the English muffin, as well as the table by the window!
What a beautiful ode to the Upper East Side! We don’t find ourselves there unless there’s a museum exhibition we’re interested in checking out, but this post reminds me to look past the Chanel and appreciate the history 🙂
When we visited the Neue, I was really struck by Klimt’s other works. I’d been a fan of his well-known pieces, but I was pleased to also discover some more subtle artworks. I really appreciate the depth of detail you provided on the other artists exhibited at the Neue.
And by the way, guess who can eat five pancakes? 😉
Can you seriously eat 5 entire pancakes? Well, if anyone can…😆 I enjoyed the other Klimt portraits I saw at the Neue. Like you say, they were more subtle. The subject’s individuality gets sort of subsumed in his paintings like the woman in gold, but a couple of the other portraits really evoked a personality. I remember one, I wasn’t clear if it was unfinished or not so I asked one of the museum employees–he was thrilled to actually get a question about the artwork, since mostly they seem to be policing the no photo policy 😉