The Museum of Modern Art (or MoMA, as it's usually called) boasts the world's greatest collection of painting and sculpture from the late 19th century to the present, including everything from Monet's Water Lilies and Klimt's The Kiss to later masterworks by Frida Kahlo, Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and many others. Top that off with an extensive collection of modern drawings, photography, architectural models and modern furniture, iconic design objects ranging from tableware to sports cars, and film and video (including the world's largest collection of D. W. Griffith films), and you have quite a museum. If you're into modernism, this is the place to be.

Here's the bad news: MoMA will be closed while you're in town. The museum is undergoing a monster $650 million renovation of its West 53rd Street building under the guidance of Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi that will double the exhibit space when the project is complete, which won't be until 2005.

Here's the good news: The museum has opened temporary exhibit space called MoMA QNS in an old Swingline stapler factory in Long Island City, Queens. This is no flimsy venture: The 45,000-square-foot (4,181-sq.-m) gallery will exhibit highlights of the museum's collection, including some of its biggest draws, among them van Gogh's Starry Night, Picasso's early Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, and Warhol's Gold Marilyn Monroe. Workshops, a limited program schedule, and special exhibitions will also be part of the fun: April through July of 2004 will feature a program on Photography, Fashion, and Film, while July through October there will be an exhibit on Landscape Design. Yes -- it's definitely worth a short subway ride to Queens. Getting there is quick and easy; in fact, from Midtown, you can be here quicker than you can get to the Village. While you're here, also consider visiting the MoMA affiliate P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, also in Long Island City. Why not make a day of it: The Queens Artlink (www.moma.org/qal) is a free weekend arts shuttle, running Saturday and Sunday from 10:30am to 5:30pm and linking five top-flight art institutions in the area, including MoMA QNS, P.S. 1, the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, the American Museum of the Moving Image, and the Socrates Sculpture Park.