I have old friends in San Francisco who grudgingly tell me that the High Line is everything that's wrong with New York. Well, too bad. To me, it embodies a culture that's constantly reinventing itself: a defunct elevated railway that was becoming a burden to the city ("we used to climb up there to throw garbage bags full of rotting Korean food at the Hasids!", noted a successful photographer's assistant) becoming a startling example of urban greening for the public good. The expert landscaping makes it feel like walking on a Montauk beach - but a stone's throw from some of New York's most progressive galleries and hotels.
Giant dinosaurs. And the rest of the museum is great if you also like giant whales and outer space and especially the life size dioramas of animals and cave people, which might be the very best Art in all of the city. Sigh.
Beach approachable by public transportation and can be connected with a visit of MOMA PS1 Art Installation (Katharina Grosse House) Also less crowed than other beaches in NYC.
The Christmas light House in the Bronx is a neighborhood fixture that is hard to miss. It is decorated year round with life size statues and is painted bright pink. Though it draws most of its audience during the holidays it is an anomaly throughout the seasons. Such a bizarre place with such exuberant colors and vibrancy attracts an artists eye and will draw you in.