If it were in any city other than New York, the Brooklyn Museum would be the most popular museum in town by far. After all, it boasts no less than 1.5 million works of art and antiquity, from Pablo Picasso's 1942 classic Woman in Gray (Femme en gris) to one of the most spectacular collections of ancient Egyptian art on the planet. But this being New York, it's overshadowed by (admittedly spectacular) institutions like the Met, the MoMA, the Guggenheim, and the American Museum of Natural History. But don't let that stop you from visiting, because a short trip on the subway (or an even shorter taxi ride) will reward you with the rarest of experiences: a world-class museum with plenty of breathing room. Browse the permanent collection without being elbowed and jostled, or check out temporary exhibits (see video) like To Live Forever: Art and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt, which explores the Egyptians' belief about life, death, and the afterlife. A host of compelling exhibits are planned for this year, including American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection (with works by designers such as Elizabeth Hawes and Christian Dior) and Andy Warhol: The Last Decade, with nearly 50 paintings, photos, and sculptures from 1977 - 1987. Nothing second-rate about that. Starwood has hotels throughout the New York City area, including the soon-to-open Sheraton Brooklyn New York Hotel.