It's sugar-coated shabbyness. I have been there in wintertime, all the rides and attractions were closed, but it´s still nice to have a walk on the beach or spot some funny looking storefronts and vintage-looking rollercosters. A perfect backdrop for photoshootings, a gem for friends of vintage typography. On 4th of july hot dog eating contests are held here (they actually do that!).
I can’t get enough of the dioramas, but my favorite parts of the AMNH are the Halls of Meteorites and Minerals. There are some beautiful specimens here, and best of all you can actually lay your hands on the 4.5-billion-year-old Cape York Meteorite.
The best part of the new Whitney Museum is the view in all directions from the terrace - and also from the staircase facing West. I'm afraid it upstages the Art.
Dia:Beacon is a short train ride from the city in a former Nabisco box printing factory. This art foundation has 240,000 square feet of art from the 1960s to the present. Dia features the work of Sol LeWitt, Imi Knoebel, Andy Warhol, Dan Flavin, Agnes Martin, On Kawara, Bruce Nauman, and many others. I love going during the summer to enjoy the gardens surronding the building.