If you think you have to stay in Manhattan to find the best art, history or to simply have a good time, you have obviously never been to Queens.  Just a short N/Q train ride away, Astoria and Long Island City are the home to both popular venues and a few hidden gems.  All of which, are certainly worth a visit.

MoMA P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center

P.S. 1 is a small, eclectic contemporary art center located in Long Island City.  Now an affiliate of MoMA, P.S. 1 was once an independent center started in a former NYC public school (hence the name P.S. 1 as in Public School 1).  P.S. 1 has even won international acclaim for its exhibits, drawing a huge attraction to the blossoming Long Island City.

Museum of the Moving Image

Reopened in 2011, the Museum of the Moving Image is the place for movie lovers.  Great for both kids and adults, the museum is packed with interactive activities and exhibits like adding your own sound effects into a movie scene and creating stop-motion animation.  On the weekends, catch a classic movie screening in the movie theater.

Socrates Sculpture Park

Another Long Island City jewel, the Socrates Sculpture Park, is an internationally renowned outdoor museum and artist residency program which gained official park status in 1998 from Mayor Rudolph Guiliani.  A former abandoned landfill and illegal dumpsite, the four acre site is the largest outdoor space in New York City dedicated to exhibiting sculpture.  In the summer, it is home to many events such as movie screenings and the Astoria Farmer’s Market.

The Noguchi Museum

Just a block away from the Socrates Sculpture Park is the Noguchi Museum.  Designed and created by Japanese-American sculptor, Isamu Noguchi, the museum houses his sculptures, architectural models, stage designs, drawings and furniture designs.  The museum is a two story 24,000 square foot building with an attached outdoor sculpture garden.