Education and Culture

New York City has the largest elementary and secondary school enrollment in the country. Approximately three-fourths of the students at these levels are in public schools; about one-fourth attend private schools, most of which are affiliated with religious groups.

The City University of New York is a municipal system of large senior colleges, such as Bernard M. Baruch, Brooklyn, City, Hunter, Herbert H. Lehman, and Queens colleges, numerous two-year community colleges, a medical school, and a college of criminal justice. Public education is also provided by units of the State University of New York, including the Health Science Center at Brooklyn and the Maritime College.

Largest of the many private universities in New York are Columbia University (founded 1754) and New York University (1832).

Also prominent are:

Cooper Union

Fordham University

Juilliard School

Long Island University (Brooklyn Campus)

Manhattan College

New School University

Pace University

Polytechnic University of New York

Pratt Institute

St. John's University

Yeshiva University

There are also accredited specialized schools of design, business, law, medicine, music, technology, and theology.

New York City is the cultural capital of the United States. It has excellent museums, the country's leading opera company, outstanding dance companies and symphony orchestras, and a preeminent position in the professional theater.

Most noted of the many art museums is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with its medieval branch, the Cloisters. The Frick Collection displays fine paintings, sculpture, and furniture of the 14th through the 19th century in the former mansion of millionaire Henry Clay Frick.

Art of the 20th century is featured at the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. El Museo del Barrio is devoted to Puerto Rican and other Hispanic art.

Historical exhibits may be seen at the Museum of the City of New York and the New-York Historical Society. At the South Street Seaport Museum, on the East River near the Brooklyn Bridge, are refurbished old sailing ships and displays dealing with the city's maritime history. Outstanding in scientific fields is the American Museum of Natural History, including the Rose Center for Earth and Space. In Washington Heights are the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Hispanic Society of America, American Numismatic Society, and American Geographical Society. Other museums include the National Museum of the American Indian, Museum of Television and Radio, the Police Museum, and the Jewish Museum.

The New York Public Library is one of the finest reference libraries in the world. Its main building, at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, was completed in 1911. There are more than 80 branches in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Brooklyn and Queens have separate library systems. The Pierpont Morgan Library contains one of the nation's richest collections of rare books, manuscripts, drawings, engravings, and works of art.

The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts provides auditoriums for music, dance, and drama. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, and the New York City Opera. Lincoln Center also includes the New York State Theater, the Juilliard School, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and the Guggenheim Band Shell.

Carnegie Hall is known for its orchestral performances and recitals. Concerts, lectures, and other cultural events are presented in Town Hall. City Center, a municipally owned theater, and the Joyce Theater are major centers of dance. In summer, free concerts and opera performances are given at numerous city parks, including Central and Prospect parks. In summer also, a Shakespearean troupe performs in the outdoor Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

The professional theater in New York is divided between Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway. Broadway signifies the commercial theater district located mainly on the side streets running west from Broadway in the Times Square area. Off-Broadway productions are usually smaller ventures presented in small theaters away from the main theater district. Off-Off-Broadway plays, often experimental and controversial, are performed in lofts, churches, and other buildings not originally designed as theaters.