Manhattan · New York County
David Rubenstein Atrium
POPS - Indoor Atrium / Cultural Space
- Location
- 61 West 62nd Street (David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center), Upper West Side
- Size
- 0.15 acres
- Hours
- Varies (typically 8 AM - 10 PM daily)
- Type
- POPS - Indoor Atrium / Cultural Space
The David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center is one of the most distinctive POPS in New York City: a publicly accessible indoor space that doubles as a cultural venue, offering free performances, a discount ticket booth, and a welcoming environment for anyone seeking refuge from the street.
The atrium, renovated and renamed in 2009 after a major gift from philanthropist David Rubenstein, serves as a gateway to Lincoln Center. The space offers same-day discount tickets to Lincoln Center performances and hosts free Thursday night concerts and other cultural events.
The design features a soaring glass wall overlooking Broadway, comfortable seating, a cafe, free Wi-Fi, and restrooms, making it one of the most genuinely useful public interior spaces in the city. The atrium is open to all, with no purchase required.
The Rubenstein Atrium represents the gold standard for what a POPS can achieve: a beautiful, well-programmed, genuinely accessible public space that enhances both the cultural institution it serves and the neighborhood it inhabits.
This atrium is one of the few POPS that most visitors don't even realize is a privately owned public space, because it functions so seamlessly as a welcoming civic amenity for the Upper West Side and the millions of visitors to Lincoln Center.