In its new home on the Bowery, the New Museum of Contemporary Art is poised to reflect the changing landscape of the Lower East Side, boasting an amazing vantage point from which to observe the ever-evolving downtown arts scene---LITERALLY---as you look out on stunning views from the 7th Floor “Skyroom” and take in the hottest trends in contemporary art!

New Museum's cutting-edge design, by SANNA-- an ultra-hip Japanese architectural firm--serves as a beacon for "New Art and New Ideas" on the Bowery. Great spot to check out the emerging contemporary arts scene on the Lower East Side. Artist Ugo Rondinone's, "Hell, Yes!" sign out front sets the tone for a great museum experience: a museum with a sense of humor, what a novel idea! Exhibitions of contemporary art are always adventurous!

New Museum's bookstore is truly a gem: although it is on the small side, the bookstore boasts great artsy publications, off-beat zines and experimental publications as well as a wide variety of creative gifts. Perfect for lunch time perusing!

after all my friends told me the art was horrible, i thought maybe at least the cafe would be redeemable.

Not only was it filled with old people who had lost their ability to determine personal-space constraints, but they served us the wrong soup and a soggy sandwich. When asked why the tomato soup we ordered was brown, the guy behind the counter said "oh we had the wrong menu up, that's bean soup" and walked away without any apology or attempt to correct the situation.

bad food + bad service + uncomfortably close old people = never going back

I was extremely excited to check this new museum out- hoping that it would bring a sort of Berlin-esque feel to the downtown area- and shake things up a bit. I may just have been highly affected by the absolutely wretched decision to choose "Unmonumental" as their very first exhibit, but I felt like they owned up to their exhibition's title. The facade of the building is an exciting juxtaposition to the rest of Bowery- but then you go inside and the interior seems poorly planned. It's not obvious, other than elevators how to move from floor to floor. People were unknowingly trying stairwells that would set off fire alarms. The first floor we got off on, felt like the sidewalks of the Bowery on a sweltering, muggy summer day in New York- and the art LOOKED like you were on the sidewalks of the Bowery on a swelting, muggy, summer day in New York. Each floor we hoped for something new, or different, but it wasn't. Every floor was another underwhelming collection of almagamated pizza boxes, egg cartons, twigs and smelly sweaters. I did love the Mel Gibson/Braveheart animal pelt mashup with the mountain bike and 80's handbags though. That was worth a laugh. I do hope they tar and feather the poor sods that curated this thing, so that they can redeem themselves with something far more impactful next time.