Neue Galerie New York

The museum is a nice place to visit, however the security person at the front is extremely rude and made us feel we were going to destroy the place. Friendly manners are no big effort.

The art work was amazing despite the small space and incompatible setting. The level of rudeness of some of the attendants (with the exception of some of gift shop salespeople and one of the coat check staff) was hard to believe. I have been to museums in over 40 countries and had never seen anything like that... We maybe in Moscow...

A beautiful and elegant museum with fantastic historic and educational exhibitions. Couldn't believe my luck seeing the painting of Adel Bloch Bauer coincidntally a week after seeing the movie.

1. Security checks: For us as Austrians and Viennese residents the Neue Galerie was on our must-see list of NYC museums. Sadly, this has been the most disappointing museum visit we have ever experienced. Upon entering the museum our bags were checked and we were told our water and juice bottles were not allowed in the museum. Instead of offering us the possibility to pick them up on our way out we had to throw two juice bottles and one perfectly sealed water bottle into the garbage. Would it have been too much to ask to store the bottles in a corner or on a shelf during our (very) short visit?

2. Admission: After that we were told that only one gallery was open and admissions were on a donation-basis. Had we known that one gallery meant only one single, very small room we would have reconsidered the amount of our donation. For visitors who do not have the luxury to visit the museum at any time and want to make the most of the city, it would have been nice if this information had been posted on their website, so that visitors from abroad can make up their mind if it is worth visiting or not.

3. Coat check: Upon making our way up the stairs, I was suddenly stopped and asked in an unfriendly manner to check in my backpack at the coat check. I would not have minded checking in my backpack, however, considering that it is such a small and flat bag, which had already been checked at security, I honestly felt treated like a criminal. Both the security officer and the lady at the desk had failed to mention before that I needed to check in my bag. This of course begs the question why we were forced to throw away our juice and water bottles if you have to check in a small backpack anyway and we could have left the bottles in our bag? I hadn't even experienced such drastic and harsh security measures during museum visits in the wake of the 2005 London bombings.

4. Gallery: Klimt's paintings are of course exceptional masterpieces and we are very sad that the museum failed to provide the necessary surroundings that would do these paintings justice. The lighting in general was really bad and since standing at close proximity to the paintings is understandably not possible, the experience was further ruined. While I do understand that photography with flash is not permitted, taking photos in general was not allowed.

5. Exit: After our short-lived visit (ca. 10min) we left the building and thought we might pick up our drinks from the rubbish but they had already emptied the rubbish bin, even though it had been nearly empty when we entered.

A small museum featuring 20th century Austrian and German art. It's a bit unknown due to the behemoth that is the MET right down the street, but worth a visit if you enjoy Gustav Klimt. Admission is pricey at $20 given the limited collection, but on the first Friday of every month you may enjoy free admission after 6 p.m. There is always a line and crowd, so beware! I am a fan of Klimt's "Golden Phase," works and was happy to pay the fare to visit during slower hours. "Adele Bloch-Bauer I," aka "The Woman In Gold" was magnificent, and the Neue Galerie's addition of background stories and piece information enhanced the experience. Tips- You may not bring bottle water into the museum, and photo-taking is prohibited (but you can try to sneak a photo by pretending to 'text' a friend ;) ) Happy Adventuring xoxo