The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs has a larger annual budget than the United States government’s National Endowment for the Arts. Writer Tom Wolfe said of the city that "Culture just seems to be in the air, like part of the weather." The city's size, multicultural history and variety of arts institutions makes it the cultural capital of the United States.

Many major American cultural movements originated in the city. The city was the epicenter of jazz in the 1940s and later with likes of Louis Armstrong, Count Basie Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald found a home in the mixed communities of Queens and Harlem. The New York School of painters developed abstract expressionism in the post-World War II period. American modern dance developed in New York during that same time. In the 1970s, punk rock developed in the downtown music scene while hip hop was emerging in the Bronx.

And while New York has no Louvre or Smithsonian Institute, the numbers of her facilities arfe staggering. There are 2,000 arts and cultural non-profits and 500 art galleries of all sizes, most in Manhattan. Plus there are hundreds of theaters for an unrivaled experience.

There’s no way to describe them all, but here are some of the best places to start:

Broadway & Off Broadway

While the big-budget film industry has consolidated in Hollywood, New York is the capital of American Theater. The 39 largest theatres (all with more than 500 seats) are collectively known as "Broadway" after the primary street they share. Most of the Broadway theaters are located in the Times Square vicinity. Many Broadway shows are world famous, such as the musicals Cats and The Phantom of the Opera.

But while Broadway has top name talent and extravagent production budgets (and often extravagent ticket prices) smaller theaters, termed off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway depending on their size, have the flexibility to produce more innovative shows for smaller audiences. Some of the hottest tickets are not the 1,000 plus seat Times Square shows, but at little 120-seat, avante-guard offerings in the East Village.

A blizzard of newspapers and magazines comment on the New York live theater scene, so it’s easy for you to find out what’s available, what’s good, and what’s closing after only one night. Whether you go for big ticket, Broadway blockbuster, or off-Broadway darling, there’s nothing like a play seen in New York.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece is his only New York building. Completed in 1959, it is a brilliant work of architecture -- so consistently brilliant that it competes with the world-renowned art collections inside for your attention. Inside, a spiraling rotunda circles over a slowly inclined ramp that leads you past changing exhibits that, in the past, have ranged from Matthew Barney: The Cremaster Cycle to Norman Rockwell: Pictures for the American People, said to be the most comprehensive exhibit ever of the beloved painter's works. Permanent exhibits of 19th- and 20th-century art, including strong holdings of Kandinsky, Klee, Picasso, and many French Impressionists, occupy a stark annex called the Tower Galleries.

The Guggenheim runs some interesting special programs, including free docent tours daily, a limited schedule of lectures, free family films, avant-garde screenings for grown-ups, curator-led guided gallery tours on select Friday afternoons, and the World Beat Jazz Series, which resounds through the rotunda on Friday and Saturday from 5 to 8pm.

1071 Fifth Ave at 89th St
212/423-3500

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is the largest performing arts center in the United States. It is home to some of the most prestigious performing companies in the world, including: Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera, the New York Philharmonic and the New York City Ballet.

These are all venues where the world’s finest artists practice their art. Tickets are tough to get, and can be really pricey too. But taking in a performance at the Lincoln Center means you are enjoying some of the best the planet has to offer.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art attracts some five million people a year, which makes it the most popular attraction in all of New York City. Come and you’ll see why. This place is magnificent. It has 1.6 million square feet of space which makes it the largest museum in the western hemisphere. Nearly all the world's cultures are on display through the ages -- from Egyptian mummies to ancient Greek statuary to Islamic carvings to Renaissance paintings to Native American masks to 20th-century decorative arts -- and masterpieces are the rule. You could go once a week for a lifetime and still find something new on each visit.

One good way to see what you want is to take one of the docent tours. One of the best ways to get an overview is to take advantage of the little-known Museum Highlights Tour, offered every day at various times. There are also subject-specific walking tours covering Old Master Paintings, American Period Rooms, Arts of China, Islamic Art, and more. You can also get a schedule of the day's tours at the Visitor Services desk when you arrive.

What is here? What isn’t? You can see 17th-century paintings, American furniture, or the art of the South Pacific. Highlights include the American Wing's Garden Court, with its 19th-century sculpture; the terrific ground-level Costume Hall; and the Frank Lloyd Wright room. The beautifully renovated Roman and Greek galleries are stunning, as are the collections of Byzantine and later Chinese art. The highlight of the dazzling Egyptian collection is the Temple of Dendur. And the list goes on and on.

Fifth Ave. at 82nd St
212/535-7710

Central Park

Central park is the largest municipal Park in the United States. It has many continuing programs for art exhibitions, open-air plays and concerts to go with her collection of zoos, walk paths, sports fields and greenways. The best part, almost all of the events, from live orchestra to jazz fests to rap concerts are free! Check local newspapers for listings of events.

A visit to New York is never complete without taking in some of the best of Western Culture. Make sure you schedule some time to enjoy the offerings of the Big Apple!