Lincoln Center is a real time commitment — fit it in only if it's a priority.
Allow 20–40 min (plaza); evening for a show.
By day, a sweeping modernist plaza with the famous central fountain and the Met Opera's Chagall murals glowing through glass — free to walk and photograph. The real value is a performance: opera, ballet, or the Philharmonic. Without a ticket it's a quick, handsome stop; with one it's a highlight for arts lovers.