This subtle, lovely, and fascinating museum is in, of all places, the space once occupied by the Women’s Department of Barneys. It is about as far from retail as you could imagine. The museum is dedicated to the art of the Himalayas, and in this case that term has a broad geographical reach, stretching all the way from India to Mongolia. You won’t find such a wide array of art from Tibet, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Burma in one place anywhere else in this hemisphere. The museum’s permanent collection of over 2,000 works is enhanced and supplemented by a changing series of exhibits of art from other museums. The collection, which includes small brass and silver statues of deities, textiles, costumes, wall (or tent) hangings, and paintings is astonishing. The lighting and presentation of the art is elegant. I would recommend going through the museum with a guide. (Call ahead for times or to schedule.) The guide I had was wonderful. You may not walk out of this museum a Buddhist, but I would be very surprised if you didn’t leave with some sense of enlightenment. The museum also has a stylish yet welcoming cafe that serves a selection of food from the countries of the Himalayan region. Note: On Friday evenings, the cafe becomes the K2 Lounge, where you can hang out, have a rotating special like the Dragon Eyes Mojito and, with a $7 bar minimum, see a movie at the museum for free.
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