New York City!  No dispute that this is absolutely the world’s greatest city.  But, a “greatest city” must have distinctions found nowhere else.  We do not have an ancient history that includes, “greatest” something. No incredible mountain image forms our horizon.  We have never had a great king.  New York City has achieved its greatness in a blink of time compared to the world’s other great cities.  It is not easy to pull one great feature from the rest.  But, given our location on the Upper West Side, Park 79 Hotel does boast proximity to the world’s greatest center for  ALL the performing arts. URL’s can bring a reader to each of the 29 indoor and outdoor venues, with facts and figures; each facility is, of itself, worth a blog. Wikipedia leaves nothing out.  We wish to share personal experience that we hope will lure our hotel guests and readers to this extraordinary presence of Lincoln Center. Please keep in mind: This stretch from 59^th to 66^th streets, Amsterdam Avenue to Broadway, was, before this massive urban renewal project, gritty, dangerous, mostly impoverished, avoided. The Rockefeller family saw into NY’s future and led the initiative to have a true performing arts center.  1962–the brilliance came together as the Metropolitan Opera, Philharmonic Hall and the NYS Theater opened.  Today, in 2013, this is “ancient history.” The 21^st Century Lincoln Center is now the architectural as well as cultural center for truly everyone.  While many performance tickets are beyond affordability at times, many free or moderately priced events allow everyone a performing-arts experience. Yes: outdoor HD opera at the Met; summer nights’ dancing around the magnificent fountain to a full band; children are entertained free of charge; the Big Apple Circus comes to town yearly in Fall-Winter;  the Lincoln Center Film Society (and several film festivals) reigns in two theatres; the world’s greatest new student talent in music, theatre and dance at the Juilliard School performs free or at minimal cost; the Lincoln Center Festival in summer; Lincoln Center Out of Doors fills the promenades and stages in summer with talented performers of every style and for all ages. Whew! Don’t want to leave out the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and its free (fabulous) performances and exhibits.  Mozart and friends reign in late summer. Be sure to experience at least one venue during your stay, perhaps joining a guided backstage tour.  Every season, every performing-arts favorite—enrich your PARK 79 HOTEL stay.