Tag Archives: art

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Seven Walking the Borders of Alphabet City from East 14th Street to East Houston Street from FDR Drive/Avenue D to Avenue A August 23rd, 2025

Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Alphabet City NYC, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Historic New York City neighborhoods, Interesting Pizzerias in Manhattan, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Uncategorized, Walking around Manhattan, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Finishing the Meatpacking District the other week and relaxing on the lounge chairs by the Hudson River while the sun was setting gave me one perspective on Manhattan. Walking on the other side of the island in Alphabet City gives you another. Talk about opposites.

My morning had consisted of laundry and yard work. I was trying to straighten the backyard up while doing the first load and cooking dinner. Then I had to come into the City and get a haircut at York Barber on Lexington Avenue. When all of this was accomplished I hopped the Q downtown and started the walk around 4:30pm.

My start point at the corner of West 14th Street and Avenue A

Written on the wall of a building on the corner of Avenue B and West 14th Street. At this point I don’t know who they are talking about because things are crazy all over

Reaching the end of West 14th Street and Avenue C at the Con Ed plant and the turn to West 13th Street to Avenue D

https://www.coned.com/en

FDR Drive is closed off in spots for construction

I walked through the Riis Houses courtyard to get to FDR Drive. The construction all over the highway area blocks all the entrances and exits coming and going from Avenue D

So I was only able to walk about two blocks before I had to double back and walk the rest of the border of the neighborhood down Avenue D.

The upper part of Avenue D facing the East River is the Jacob Riis Houses

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riis_Houses

Click to access Riis.pdf

The Riis Houses line the upper blocks

The Riis Houses like the Wald Houses on the southern side of the were under construction and renovation on all sides. Their green spaces were being updated which is sorely needed.

I could see the reason why when there is no grass to keep off of

I found my name reached in cement

For all the generic appearances on the buildings, there was a glimmer of hope and creativity with this beautiful mural painted on the side of the building.

The mural on the Riis Houses

‘Hope and Opportunity’ on the side of the building

The artists for this mural ‘Hope so Electrifying’ sponsored by the Riis Houses Tenants Association

Home

There were several of these murals all around the neighborhood on the sides of the buildings. It added a little color to otherwise dim buildings.

Avenue D businesses on the other side of the street

I have noticed one thing about Avenue D from East 13th Street is that it is not as bad as everyone says. Most of the buildings on the block have been knocked down and rebuilt with new apartment buildings. Most of the old tenements that have been left have either been renovated or in the process of being renovated.

While not as ‘hipster’ as Avenues A or B which are closer to the NYU campus, I see a lot more students jogging down the street much to the looks of the people living in the housing complexes, as if they see where the future of the neighborhood is going.

Towards the southern end of Avenue D are the Lillian Wald Houses. It amazes me that the builders of these public housing units never had the fourth site to realize that they were giving the residences a million dollar view of the river. Back when these were built though, no one wanted to live near the river as badly as it was polluted back then.

The sign for the Lillian Wald Houses

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Wald_Houses

Click to access Wald.pdf

About Us

Again by the Wald Houses all the entrances to the river park have been blocked by construction. The signs have all said that the City is reconfiguring the green space around the houses.

The Wald Houses don’t look so bad during the day

I turned the corner at East Houston Street and Avenue D on the southern border of the neighborhood and walked towards the river to see if there was any access to Stuyvesant Cove. It had been open during the Great Saunter in May but seemed to be closed off in all sections this time around for renovations.

Taking a walk east down East Houston Street

The Lillian Wald Houses line the borders of East Houston Street, Avenue D and FDR Drive and the whole complex including walkways and green space are all under scaffolding. Here and there you can see the building and closer to PS 188 next door, I saw a series of more murals.

The murals on the Lillian Wald Houses from East Houston Street

The mural along the walls

I couldn’t get any closer to the mural to see who painted it without freaking the residents out. They all looked at me like I was ICE walking around the neighborhood. It was funny because the ever getting drunk college students on Avenue A just ignored me.

The one mural that really caught my eye was on the side wall of PS 188. It was really colorful and whimsical.

Part of the mural on the PS 188 wall

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/schools/M188

Home

The rest of the mural

The artists on this mural

PS 188: Spongebob / Islanders Dive Deeper

I turned the corner to walk up the part of FDR Drive that I could along the sides of the public housing. There are so many twists and turns to this route and it will be a while before you can walk this sidewalk. The residents here did their best to ignore me as well. It’s fun when they pretend not to see me.

The sidewalk along southern FDR Drive is blocked off at East 10th Street

I walked the overpass at East 5th Street to the John Lindsey East River Park, which closed again for renovations. It had been open in May but they closed off all but a small portion of the park and the running track. I still could see the magnificent views of the East River and the Brooklyn skyline.

Interesting street art on the barriers

Interesting street art on the barriers on FDR Drive

Crossing all the construction on FDR Drive

The view of the Wald Houses from the East 5th Street overpass

The John Lindsay East River Park side of FDR Drive with the running park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/east-river-park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_River_Park

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d5961005-Reviews-John_V_Lindsay_East_River_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html

The park is going through a major renovation and is now closed off on all sides. The running track, part of the picnic area and a small part of the river walkway are now open while the rest of the park is behind fencing.

Looking downtown towards the Manhattan Bridge

Looking uptown towards the East River and the Brooklyn skyline

A little street art tucked into the fencing in the park

The full view of the East River and what the park will look like when it is finished

The John Lindsey East River Park has been closed at various stages for renovation and to make it more environmentally friendly to protect the coastline. I have read though that many in the area say the improvements in the park have lead to the rapid gentrification of the area. Still I have seen the park when it was fully open and when it is finished it will be a fantastic park that everyone will enjoy.

After walking around this small portion of the park left open, I walked over the overpass back to East Houston Street and walked the southern most border of the neighborhood.

It still amazes me how many times I have walked this neighborhood and never really noticed what it was about. I justly passed it while I walked around. Now that I took the time to really study it, I was fascinated by what I had missed.

Walking down East Houston Street in the late afternoon

Tucked here and there were community gardens, tiny restaurants and loads of interesting street art. The artists and the taggers are really creative in this part of the City.

Le Petit Versailles Garden at 247 East second Street

https://www.alliedproductions.org/happening-at-lpv

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Petit_Versailles

https://www.nycgovparks.org/opportunities/volunteer/group/le-petit-versailles-garden

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d28180707-Reviews-Le_Petit_Versailles-New_York_City_New_York.html

The tiny garden that stood out was Le Petit Versailles Garden at 247 East Second Street that was closed both on the East Second and East Houston sides of the park. I was still able to sneak in on an open side door and admire all the interesting art.

The inside of the gardens in bloom

The sculpture work and landscaping

The Olmec looking statue at the entrance of the gardens

Inside the gardens were a series of sculptures that looked like something out of the ‘Wizard of Oz’. These unique pieces of are were hidden in the shadows but I hope to take a closer look when the gardens are open.

Sculpture number one

Sculpture number two

Sculpture number three

The back part of the garden in the midafternoon

A bit further down East Houston Street I noticed a G’s Cheesesteak shop at 6 Avenue B. I had their cheesesteaks in Downtown Point Pleasant Beach and can attest to their excellence.

The G’s Cheesesteaks at the corner of East Houston and Avenue B

https://www.gscheesesteaks.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

It wasn’t the restaurant itself that grabbed my attention, it was the artwork painted on the side. Geometric and just wild the street art was just crazy.

I think that people added to the art since

The monster makes a statement

Geometric designs

I was not sure if Flore was the artist

I thought that this was clever

So was this

As I was down East Houston Street, a store window to a thrift shop caught my eye. While the store didn’t strike me as unique, the display in the window I thought was great. Someone used their creativity on this.

I thought this was surreal

Very clever from both views

I finally made it back to the southern part of Avenue A and talk about the extremes in the neighborhood.

Reaching Avenue A at twilight

While Avenue D is still gritty and a bit dangerous, Avenue A is like an extension of the NYU and Pace campuses. It was wall to wall bars and restaurants and outdoor cafes.

Walking up Avenue A in the late afternoon

The Best Housekeeping store at 17 Avenue A is an appliance store with the best murals on their roll down gates.

https://www.besthousekeeping.com/

https://www.facebook.com/besthousekeepingind/

On one side of the gate

On the other side of the gate

As I walked up Avenue A on this warm and clear Sunday night, I could not believe how packed all the restaurants and bars were and how young the crowds were dining. It looked to me that the colleges had just started the semester and everyone was letting loose a bit as classes started.

The tagging and street art dominated these blocks

I then passed 50 Avenue A with its interesting Monkey looking sculptures and its beautiful outdoor pictures.

50 Avenue A, the Hearth House a Condop

https://streeteasy.com/building/50-avenue-a-new_york

https://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/east-village/hearth-house-50-avenue-a/5909

Hearth House is a condop with a wonderful neighborhood vibe. One elevator, six stories…only a handful of units per floor. Most layouts offer two bedrooms. Top floor units have private roof terraces and some are duplexes (Streeteasy.com).

The Monkey (or Tiger motive on the building)

The wild painting outside this pet shop looks like a surreal ‘Magilla Gorilla’

It looks like the pet shop that was here has closed.

Walking up Avenue A at twilight

Interesting street art tucked on the sides of the building

St. Marks Place and Avenue A was closed off for about two blocks for outdoor dining

Much has been written about Tompkins Square Park over the years from a major drug den of the late 1960’s to the early 80’s, then a homeless camp, the Wigstock, the famous drag shows of the late 80’s to early 90’s to Mayor Giuliani closing the park down fencing it off and moving everyone out for a major renovation.

I had not stepped foot in this park since the fencing came down in the late 1990’s and I figured almost thirty years was enough time.

The corner of Avenue A and Tompkins Square Park at East 10th Street

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/tompkins-square-park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tompkins_Square_Park

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d136290-Reviews-Tompkins_Square_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html

The park has definitely changed and for the better. Yes, it does need a good weeding but it attracts a very diverse crowd of people from young couples walking around after eating to the dog walking crowd to the college students lying on the grass talking to the homeless on the benches there is a little bit of everyone at this park.

Walking around the pathways of Tompkins Square Park

The park has been reseeded and landscaped and now like Washington Square Park another extension of a backyard to the NYU, CUNY and Pace students.

The park was in bloom in the late Summer

The statue of Samuel S. Cox stands guard at the southwest entrance of the park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/tompkins-square-park/monuments/341

Samuel Sullivan Cox

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_S._Cox

Samuel Sullivan “Sunset” Cox was born in Zanesville, Ohio, and served his home state as a Democratic Congressional representative from 1857 to 1865 before being unseated. After moving to New York in 1866, Cox served again in Congress for several terms from 1869 until 1889. Although Cox once publicly declared that his most satisfying contribution to public service was championing the Life Saving Service—founded in the 1840s to patrol the coasts and save imperiled boaters during bad weather, the group was absorbed into the Coast Guard in 1915—this statue is sponsored by U.S. Postal Service workers because of Cox’s support for their quality-of-life issues (NYCParks.org).

Artist Louise Lawson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Lawson

Louise Lawson

Artist Louise Lawson was an American born artist who studied at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and Cooper Union. She worked as an apprentice under several famous sculptures and was one of the first American female sculptures to have a professional career. She is known for her Neoclassical sculptures (Wiki).

As I walked up Avenue A, the whole street is like an open air museum of street art but commercial and by taggers. Many of the restaurants had them painted on their walls.

The interesting mural was tucked under a building that was under renovation

Viewer was the creator of this masterpiece

https://streetartcities.com/artists/vewer

I walked down Avenue A looking at menus at all the bars and restaurants , trying to figure out what restaurant to stop at for dinner that evening.

Looking up Avenue A

The mural along the wall of a local restaurant

Another interesting piece of art on the side of another restaurant building

This face stuck out from the side of the mural. I was not sure if it was added later or part of the original mural

This mural was on the side of a building between two businesses

The artist Pra ‘XIS’

This interesting mural was on the side of Two Boots pizza at 42 Avenue A with art by 23TatsCru

https://twoboots.com/east-village/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.in/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d33231065-Reviews-Two_Boots_East_Village-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

The artists 23TatsCru:

https://www.tatscru.biz/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tats_Cru

Artists 23TatsCru is a group of Bronx based graffiti artists turned professional muralist (Wiki).

I walked both sides of Avenue A to admire the artwork and peek at all the menus. By 6:00pm on a Saturday night, the place was filling up with college students and young couples who were visiting the bars and restaurants. On this perfect night, everyone wanted to eat outdoors.

Walking the other side of East 14th Street

I made my way back down East 14th Street in the early evening tour walk the other side of the blocks.

Walking down the other side of East 14th Street in the late afternoon

The street art on the side of a restaurant on East 14th Street

Artist Outtapocket.NYC:

https://outtapocket.nyc/

https://www.instagram.com/outtapocket.nyc/?hl=en

Passing the Pedro Albizu Campos Plaza at 643 East 13th Street, that was closed off for construction that was between two housing project buildings

https://www.facebook.com/camposplazanyc/

https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/1090723251014616/pedro-albizu-campos-plaza/

Pedro Albizu Campos

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Albizu_Campos

Pedro Albizu Campos was a Puerto Rican born American lawyer and activist , who fought for our Country in WWI and was a member of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party.

I saw this piece of art on the sidewalk on East 14th Street

On a plain tenement building, this beautiful carving stood out

The view of the Con Ed Complex at the corner of East 14th Street and Avenue C

This interesting tag was on East 13th Street

Taking another walk down Avenue D again

When I got back to walking the other side of Avenue D, some of the businesses started to close up for the evening including some of the street vendors who were selling food. Many people had been giving me strange looks before had disappeared.

Walking past the Jacob Riis Houses in the late afternoon. They looked much nicer from the other side of the street

Avenue D Pizza at 15 Avenue D

https://www.doordash.com/en/store/avenue-d-pizza-new-york-1305729/1863110/?srsltid=AfmBOopqKUkMr5GnSWSGZmWQ3G5a4dbKHYQqmrY78bG4O1-tMsMZJi1H

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d25542399-Reviews-Avenue_D_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

I stopped in at Avenue D Pizza because I had noticed their reasonable prices before but they were closing up for the evening and most of the food had disappeared from the display cases. I figured for another time.

Looking down the other side of Avenue D and you realize how much these blocks have changed in the last twenty years

Walking back up Avenue A again as the bars really started to fill up

It started to get dark at 8:00pm when I finished rounding East 14th Street for the last time that evening.

There were many restaurants to choose from that evening so I searched my Mileage Plus Dining Club to see any recommendations. It suggested Pop’s Pizzeria at 223 Avenue B not far away.

The front of Pop’s Pizza at 223 Avenue B

https://www.instagram.com/popspizza.ny/?hl=en

My review on TripAdvisor:

What an excellent recommendation because the pizza is wonderful here. They have some unusual pizza topping combinations and it really worked.

The inside of Pop’s Pizza

The selection of pies to choose from

I decided on the classic Margarita and a piece of Pepperoni with Cherry Peppers that had a hot and tangy flavor when they topped it with a little honey. The pizza is excellent here and the service was so friendly. The guys working here made some excellent suggestions and I really enjoyed my dinner.

My dinner that evening

The Margarita slice with freshly grated cheese on top

The Pepperoni with fresh cheese and honey on top

I really enjoyed my meal that night

It was such a beautiful evening, I decided to walk back to the Port Authority. The weather was still warm but crisp that evening and it was nice that the cool weather had come back.

I walked up Third Avenue and then crossed over to Park Avenue where I had admired the views.

Walking up Park Avenue that evening

I figured I worked off my lunch and dinner and it had been an interesting walk considering the neighborhoods shady past as a drug den. It may still have its problems but thirty five years and a reinvented and gentrified City shows you how resilient Manhattan really is and how it just keeps changing for the better.

Places to Visit:

Tompkins Square Park

East 10th Street

New York, NY 10009

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/tompkins-square-park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tompkins_Square_Park

Open: Sunday-Saturday 6:00am-12:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d136290-Reviews-Tompkins_Square_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html

John Lindsay East River Park

FDR Drive

New York, NY 10009

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/east-river-park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_River_Park

Open: Sunday-Saturday 6:00am-1:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d5961005-Reviews-John_V_Lindsay_East_River_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html

Places to Eat:

Pop’s Pizza

223 Avenue B

New York, NY 10009

(917) 439-6404

https://www.instagram.com/popspizza.ny/?hl=en

Open: Sunday-Thursday 11:00am-12:00am/Friday-Saturday 11:00am-3:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Five Private Members Morning ‘Oasis in the City’ tour at the MoMA August 9th, 2025

Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring Midtown Manhattan, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Theater District in Manhattan, Historic New York City neighborhoods, Members Events at the MoMA, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around Manhattan, Walking the Theater District, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The entrance to the Museum of Modern Art 11West 53rd Street in New York City

https://www.moma.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d105126-Reviews-The_Museum_of_Modern_Art_MoMA-New_York_City_New_York.html

The sign for the gardens

What I love about being a member of the museums in New York City is that there is an opportunity to see the museum in the early hours for private events. This morning I got up early to experience Manhattan on a spectacular sunny morning for the event ‘Oasis in the Garden’, a talk on the design, purpose and art in the MoMA outdoor garden.

We met inside the museum before the tour

Since the museum opened at 9:30am and there was no one at the museum at that hour, we had the outdoor garden to ourselves for almost an hour and a half.

The outdoor garden at the MoMA at 10:00am in the morning

Our tour guide led about fifteen of us through a history of the creation of the gardens, the purpose in the museum, its renovation in 2004 when I joined and the sculpture in the garden.

She also talked about taking her students here and that some of them wanted specific answers to what the art meant rather than forming their own opinion. It is funny how I see this in my own students.

What I liked about our tour group was that it was an older, very educated crowd of people who brought different opinions on how the art we were seeing should be thought about. From the time the artist created it to it modern interpretation by the ‘politically correct police’, I was amazed by the other members take on each piece of art.

The gardens are a refuge from the noise and crowds of the museum and the City

Video of the fountain

The Albert Giacometti ‘Talk Figure III’

Each piece of sculpture we touch upon was chosen specifically for the gardens and we talked about its place from when it was made to the modern interpretation and how they differ. Our first discussion was about the Albert Giacometti sculpture ‘Tall Figure III’. Some people talked about hunger and the stance on poverty. I asked if her students had different thoughts of the statue when it was made versus today.

She explained everything is seen differently through the artist’s eyes versus the modern I perception. It was hard to compare the two opinions without a debate. I thought today’s students needed to lighten up a little and stop taking art at face value and just enjoy it. The context of work over a hundred years ago is very different from how it can be looked at today.

We had time to talk and relax between art pieces and I swear the sound of the fountains relaxed me so much I almost feel asleep.

The fountains were so calming that morning

Video of the Japanese fountain

The August’s Rodin ‘St. John the Baptist Preaching’

We talked about the religious standpoint of the sculpture versus its place in modern society. I thought it was a naked guy hitchhiking. It’s funny how you see art.

The Jacques Lipchitz ‘Figure 1926-30’

With the ‘Figure’ many of the member talked about their interpretation of the modern take of Cubism and some members asked about whether these were arms and legs or something else.

The back of the gardens

The back of the gardens were so peaceful. I stood back from the tour so I could just hear the water rumble.

The Henry Moore sculpture ‘ The Family Group 1948-49

We discussed the modern family unit of today versus when the sculpture was created.

The back of the gardens

The Henri Matisse ‘The Back (III) 1913-16

The Aristide Maillol ‘The River’

We talked about the fall from God. One person said it looked like someone was tripping into the fountain. I thought that was clever.

The Jean Dubuffet ‘Study for Tower with Figures’

This was the last figure we discussed and we were asked as a group what was the first thing that came to our minds when we saw this. I said ‘Juxtaposed’. So much going on and a lot being said. We talked about children and their make up in the family unit. How they change things.

I have to say that I saw the art in a different light this morning. It was interesting to hear the artist’s interpretation versus what members thoughts were on what the art meant. I thought it was a good take away when we finished the tour. There were so many interesting opinions on the art. What I liked was the weather was so amazing, and it was so nice to be outside.

The garden as the public entered later that morning

I know I got a lot out of the tour. It’s always nice to see different points of view of what the art means and how we interpret it. This is why it is fun to be a member of the MoMA. It’s nice to see the museum when it is quiet and you can just take your time.

The gardens really are an “Oasis in the City”.

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-One Summer Events in the Hudson River Valley-The Yankee Brass Band at the Clermont Estate Historic Site July 24th, 2025

"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String in New York State, Exploring Germantown NY, Exploring Historic Columbia County, Exploring Historic Dutchess County NY, Exploring Historic Towns of Upstate New York, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring Red Hook NY, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Historic New York State neighborhoods, Little Shop on Main Street in New York City (LittleShoponMainStreet), Little Shop on Main Street in New York State, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Pizzeria's and Italian Restaurants for the budget-minded, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York State, Walking in Downtown Red Hook NY, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Clermont Estate in Germantown, NY the seat of the Livingston family for seven generations

https://www.friendsofclermont.org/

https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/16/details.aspxhttp:/clermontstatehistoricsite.blogspot.comwww.friendsofclermont.org

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47780-d263704-Reviews-The_Clermont_Mansion-Germantown_New_York.html

My review on Visitinga Museum.com:

Clermont State Historic Site County Route 6 Germantown, NY 12526

During the Summer months, the Hudson River Valley, especially towns in Dutchess County host all sorts of events. They are so numerous you have to pick and choose. Plus it’s the distance from New Jersey where I live where you have to plan accordingly.

The Friends of Clermont, the home of the Livingston family holds a series of concerts every summer, of which I never have time to attend being that the estate is two and a half hours away. When I saw that they were hosting a Victorian era Brass Band, with instruments and music from that era, I made a special trip up to the Hudson River Valley to see them.

I started my trip after my class met and headed up to the Hudson River Valley in spectacular sunny weather. The day may have been hot but the cool breezes off the river made it better to walk around.

The concert did not start until 6:00pm, so I had time to explore and visit cultural spots and towns that I had not been to since the early Spring. Everything changes so much during the seasons and Summer is especially beautiful up here. My first stop was Marist College to see the Marist Art Gallery.

Marist College Art Gallery

https://www.marist.edu/communication-arts/art-digital-media/gallery

https://www.facebook.com/maristartgallery/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/R4960NKjustinw/photo/815531525?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

The museum was closed for the summer but it gave me a chance to see the new section of the campus that had been built. The building is amazing as is the art school. I can’t believe how the campus has changed in the last twenty years.

Since I had to be at the Clermont Estate by 5:00pm, I decided to do some touring around the area and stopped in Rhinebeck next. The town was packed with day trippers and there was not much parking available.

The Dutchess County Historical Society at 6282 US 9

Home

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g48443-d27084954-r1020821515-Dutchess_County_Historical_Society-Poughkeepsie_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VistingaMuseum.com:

Dutchess County Historical Society 6282 Route US 9 Rhinebeck, NY 12572

I stopped at the Dutchess County Historical Society at for a visit. The last time I had been it was when it first opened. The museum now is mostly being used for research and people were using the library when I walked in. I walked through the Portrait gallery.

The portrait of local resident Edward Martin

The portrait of Judge and Mrs. Soutenburgh

A Farm scape of one of the local farms

The museum has an extensive Map Collection

The museum was just about ready to close for the day so I headed for my next destination of Red Hook for lunch. I decided on Village Pizza III, which has some of the most delicious food at reasonable prices.

Village Pizza III at 7514 North Broadway in Downtown Red Hook, NY

https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/113437418688745/village-pizza-iii/recent/?locale=us

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g48473-d819096-r1020820206-Village_Pizza_III-Red_Hook_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

Village Pizza III 7514 North Broadway Red Hook, NY 12571

Knowing that there would be no time for dinner on the way home, I ordered a Lasagna dinner for myself. They make the most flavorful red sauce and it brings such flavor to their food. Everything that I have tried at Village Pizza III has been excellent and I have always enjoyed my meals here over the years.

The Lasagna dinner at Village Pizza III

The food is excellent here. The portion sizes are very large and the prices are reasonable (though they just went up a few dollars). Everything was delicious.

The garlic bread was loaded with garlic and olive oil

The Lasagna was a gooey delight of sauce and cheese

After lunch was over, I walked around Downtown Red Hook and it is funny, just like the pizzeria everything seems to be going up in price. The other restaurants that used to be so reasonable have gotten a little more expensive. I guess the Rhinebeck prices have finally found their way to Red Hook. That was the one thing I always liked about Downtown Red Hook, the merchants were meant for the locals. Now they have gotten very gifty and more expensive. Just like the other Hudson River Valley, these cute little towns have gotten expensive with the City expats.

Downtown Red Hook, NY in the Summer of 2025

Here’s my blog on Exploring Downtown Red Hook, NY:

https://mywalkinmanhattan.com/tag/downtown-red-hook-ny/

After I walked Downtown Red Hook and noticed all the new shops and gourmet grocery stores, I figured that the hipsters and artists have finally found their way to Red Hook when I saw the selection of stores that have opened and replaced the ones that had been there for a long time. It is funny when you see a town change the way I have over time. Rhinebeck did the same thing about a decade ago.

I left Red Hook and decided to go up to Tivoli, a small town by the river before I left for Germantown, NY, where Clermont Mansion is located. Tivoli was really quiet on a late Thursday afternoon and I just walked around the downtown area and took some pictures. It is such a great little downtown to walk and explore.

Downtown Tivoli by the Hotel Tivoli

https://hoteltivoli.org/

Review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g48732-d1069233-Reviews-Hotel_Tivoli-Tivoli_New_York.html?m=19905

Downtown Tivoli galleries and stores

Walking through the neighborhoods and coming across this funky barn

The Tivoli Tile Works sign on the side street

https://carolinesclayworks.com/

Queen Anne’s Lace growing on the side of the road is just beautiful

After my tour of Downtown Tivoli, I left for Germantown and the estate. I decided to first walk the grounds and the gardens to work off my early dinner. The estate looked amazing with everything in bloom and everything was green with longs lawns lining the river. It was just gorgeous.

Walking towards the mansion through the lawns and gardens on the Clermont Mansion

I decided since I had an hour before the concert that I would tour the house and grounds. All the gardens were still in bloom and were still at peak blossom. It was nice to take my time and not be rushed as I walked the estate.

Walking though the Lilac Gardens

First I walked through the Lilac Gardens, which had been out of bloom since the summer, but the trees were lush with green. The lawns had just been cut and the estate really looked beautiful.

Clermont Mansion in the summer

A rabbit was posing for myself and other photographers

The South Spring Garden is right next to the mansion and is one my of my favorite gardens on the estate. I love visiting here first.

The South Spring Garden is right of the mansion

The South Spring Garden

The South Spring Garden in full bloom

The Root Cellar for food storage before refrigeration

The ruins of the Root Cellar

I then walked over to the Walled Garden which was under renovation at the time. It was still in full bloom and nicely landscaped. This is one of the nicest gardens when in full bloom.

The sign for the Walled Garden

The entrance to the Walled Garden

Inside the Walled Garden

Inside the Walled Garden

The Walled Garden in full bloom

The Back of the Walled Garden

Leaving the Walled Garden to go to the Cutting Garden

The Cutting Gardens and the Children’s Playhouse by the old Greenhouses

These gardens were created for the foundation of other gardens and for flowers for the house.

The Gazebo in the Cutting Gardens

The Cutting Gardens in bloom

The flower beds in full bloom

Walking through the gardens

The flowers in full bloom

The ruins of the greenhouses

The Gardening shed was converted to a playhouse for the children

The Children’s Garden has now been restored and in full bloom

I then left this part of the estate gardens and headed back to the house and toured the Wilderness Gardens next.

The sign for the Wilderness Gardens

The bridge from the Cutting Gardens to the Wilderness Gardens

The Wilderness Gardens in the late afternoon

The pool in the Wilderness Gardens

The Wilderness Gardens near the woods

The gardens were just amazing that afternoon. Everything was so well taken care of and the new gardener the park had was doing such a good job maintaining things.

I headed back to the house and toured the lawn near the river where the concert would take place.

The mansion in the late afternoon

The lawns in the late afternoon

Walking by the Hudson River

Walking by the Hudson River and admiring the views

The concert lawn is right next to the river so we could enjoy the cool breezes

By the time I got back to the concert grounds, the band was getting ready to play. The crowds had also grown as well. When I arrived at 5:00pm, there were barely any cars in the parking lot but the crowds swelled right before the concert.

The Yankee Brass Band preparing for the concert

The History of the band:

(from the band website)

Since 1986, the Yankee Brass Band has entertained audiences in New England and beyond with historically informed performances of nineteenth-century American brass band music. Using antique brass and percussion instruments from the period, painstakingly restored by their owners, the Yankee Brass Band presents the music of the “Golden Age of Bands” played in much the same manner as in the mid- to late nineteenth century.

To recreate this music, the band plays close attention to the aesthetics, performance practice, and concert attire of an earlier time. For one week each summer, the members of the Yankee Brass Band assemble from across the country to preserve this unique musical legacy through a series of live performances. Each year’s tour repertoire is developed through careful study of period programs, personal papers, manuscripts, and early printed music, along with all sorts of band ephemera.

The musicians of the Yankee Brass Band volunteer their time and talents to bring this music to life. The band is supported by the generosity of tour hosts, donations, and Friends of the Yankee Brass, Inc (a 501(c)(3) organization).

https://yankeebrassband.org/

The start of the concert

The first set of songs

(The performance of the “Victoria Gallop” by the Yankee Brass Band)

The horn solo and duo of the “Duet from “Il Puritani”)

Part One (before someone walked in front of my camera)

The Duet from “Il Puritani”

Part two to finish the duo

The concert was wonderful. The Yankee Brass Band played all the traditional marches from the 19th and early 20th Centuries. All the musicians came from all over the country for a week to play together and all performed on antique instruments.

The second half of the concert and patriot music played

The song “Our National Union March” by the Yankee Brass Band

After the concert was over, it was still early at 7:30pm and the sun was shining bright. While other people prepared to leave I walked around this part of the estate.

The river front by the Hudson River

I walked around to see the ruins of Arryl House, the home of Robert Livingston which buried down in the early part of the twentieth century.

The sign for Arryl House

The ruins of Arryl House

The ruins of Arryl House

After the tour, it was time to go home. I had over a two hour journey home but it was a productive and fun way to spend the afternoon. I think I just needed a break from everything. The views of the river and the tour of the gardens really relaxed and refreshed me and was a great way to end the day.

Until the next trip.

Gallery of New York School of Interior Design: NYSID Gallery 170 East 70th Street New York, NY 10021

Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring The Upper East Side of Manhattan, Historic New York City neighborhoods, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around Manhattan, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Gallery of the New York School of Design; NYSID Gallery

170 East 70th Street

New York, NY 10021

(212) 472-1500

https://www.nysid.edu/exhibitions

https://www.nysid.edu/

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 11:00am-6:00pm/Closed on Sunday and Monday

Admission: Free

My review on TripAdvisor:

 New York School of Interior Design at 170 East 70th Street

I came across the Gallery of the New York School of design when walking the Upper East Side for my project, ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’ when covering the lower part of the Upper East Side.

The entrance to the Gallery

The New York School of Interior Design was displaying their Senior projects as most the college galleries I visited were doing at this time (this takes place between May and June around graduation time). It was interesting to see how the seniors at the college reused space in old buildings for new purposes. The seniors use their creativity to recreate these spaces. It is the student’s project to take a space and redesign it for a new purpose.

The entrance sign to the gallery

We had done similar projects in college but did not have the computer technology that students do today and they really went above and beyond the things we did back then. You can take this project into 3-D if you want and how real it looks. These kids are so talented that their creativity reminds me of us when we were in school. If only we had what they have today.

The Student Projects line the walls

Take time to look at the detail work and space design of each project. Some of the students even include samples of fabrics and stone/wood work that will be used for the surfaces.

The Gallery is located on the Upper East Side in the back of the school’s building on the first floor. The admission is free and the Gallery is open when the school is open. There are only two shows a year. You just have to show your ID to get into the galleries.

The student project along the walls

The student project along the walls

What I like about the museum is that you get to see the student creativity and how they imagine the space will be designed. The use of color and shape play a roll in all the designs. It looks like the students get to choose their own space to design.

The best part is the you get to go in for free with you ID and just enjoy the show and see the students creativity.

History of the Gallery/Museum at the College:

The New York School of Design’s gallery presents two public exhibits yearly on design and architecture. Exhibitions have included ‘Paris in the Belle Epoque’, rare photographs from the years 1880-1914; Perspective on Perspective, an exploration of artistic technique; ‘The Great Age of Fairs; London, Chicago, Paris, St. Louis’, selective coverage from the first World’s Fair in 1851 to the last in 1904; ‘Venice’s Great Canal’, architectural drawings of the buildings along the famous thoroughfare; ‘Stanford White’s New York’, a survey of that classicist’s many metropolitan buildings and ‘Vanishing Irish Country Houses’, a look into the preservation crisis facing these not infrequently grand structures.

The gallery’s Thursday-evening lectures have included ‘Palladio’s Villas’; ‘Beaux-Arts New York’ and a survey of the Grands Projects undertaken in Paris during the tenure of French President Francois Mitterrand.

(New York School of Interior Design Website)

Beacon Historical Society 61 Leonard Street Beacon, NY 12508

"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Beacon, NY, Exploring Historic Dutchess County NY, Exploring Historic Towns of Upstate New York, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Historic Hudson River Valley in New York State, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Historic New York State neighborhoods, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York State, Walking in Downtown Beacon NY, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Beacon Historical Society

61 Leonard Street

Beacon, NY 12508

(845) 831-0514

https://www.beaconhistorical.org/

https://www.facebook.com/BeaconHistoricalSociety/

Open: Sunday- Wednesday Closed/ Thursday 10:00am-12:00pm/Friday Closed/Saturday 1:00pm-3:00pm

Admission: Free but donations are accepted

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47291-d15772700-Reviews-Beacon_Historical_Society-Beacon_New_York.html

The Beacon Historical Society at 61 Leonard Street at Christmas time

The outside of the building in the Summer

The sign for the Beacon Historical Society at Christmas time

The outside sign in the Summer

The Mission of the Society:

(From the Society pamphlet

The Beacon Historical Society was founded in 1976 to preserve, collect and interpret the rich history of the City of Beacon and its predecessor Villages of Fishkill Landing and Matteawan.

History of the Society:

(From the Museum website)

Established in 1976, the Beacon Historical Society showcases Beacon’s history through exhibitions, collections, programs, books and an informative monthly newsletter. The Beacon Historical Society is proud to serve as Beacon’s repository of rare photographs, paintings and prints, Hudson River ship models, objects and ephemera from local factories and Main Street businesses, records of local cemeteries and Civil War veterans, maps of Beacon, Fishkill Landing and Matteawan.

I recently did a walking tour of Downtown Beacon, NY and was impressed by the numbers of restaurants, bars and stores in the downtown area. It is an impressive downtown with very few empty stores and impressive and lively street life. On my first trip to the Beacon Historical Society I learned this was not always the case.

I recently visited this small historical society packed with information on the history not just of the City of Beacon but the surrounding Hudson River area. The museum gives an in depth view of the industrial history of the area and the highs and lows of many of the river communities. These small communities have seen a renaissance over the last decade especially during COVID and many of the older towns have seen new life being breathed into them.

The first exhibition I looked at was the Photographer Patrick Prosser exhibition (being shared with the Howland Cultural Center) ‘Work in Decay: The City of Beacon NY’.

Artist Patrick Prosser

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Beaconphotogroup/posts/30007658412154532

Photographer Patrick Prossner was born and raised in Beacon and a graduate of Beacon High School and SUNY New Paltz with BFA. His work on this project started in 1982 photographing the decay of his home town (Author’s Bio on BHS website).

The photographer moved to the area in the early 1980’s during a time when Beacon’s mills and factories were closing and the downtown was boarded up. It shows what the downtown business district looked like and the changes that were made to shape it today.

The sign for the exhibition

Pictures of the former industrial zone

The pictures showed a once vibrant industrial community and the changes once these factories closed.

The changes in the surrounding area

The exhibition really shows the transformation of these towns from the once industrial hubs to the artsy communities filled with galleries and bars that many of them have become.

Downtown Beacon today filled with art galleries, shops and small restaurants

The former mill is now a luxury hotel and restaurant overlooking the same waterfall that used to power the mill

These small communities factories have now become hotels, lofts and in some cases new cottage industries have moved in. Time transforms areas and what is old becomes new again.

The first floor gallery

The second exhibition that I walked through was the ‘From Haverstraw to Beacon: Inside the Brickyards the built New York City’, an extensive look at the brickyards and the clay deposits that once lined the Hudson River that build most buildings in the City in the end of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries.

The exhibition sign

The map of the location of the brickyards along the Hudson River. This depended on the location of the clay deposits.

Transportation of freight and people for both recreation and business was described in this display of different boats down the Hudson River.

The display of understanding the brick business

Display of the different companies and processes of making bricks

The display of people that make up the industry

The process of mining, making, drying and creating the bricks that would end up in New York City

Some of the bricks and the companies from the New York market that were created in the region

Another display on the companies

More of the companies and processes to making bricks

The exhibition was a very interesting look at what was once a dominant industry in the area but like any industry as the clay ran out and building materials changed, the industry diminished in the area and that way of life changed. With it as well was the transformation of the area.

The former brick factories

The Brockway Brick Company that built Macy’s original building in Manhattan

There were smaller exhibitions as well all over the two floors of displays. First there was a handmade dollhouse on the first floor that is a favorite of the elementary school students.

The handmade dollhouse on the first floor

On the seconded floor is a display is the socially prominent Van Nydeck family. The family donated their family tree and many family heirlooms and portraits.

Part of the Schenck Van Nydeck family tree

The Van Nydeck family heirlooms

There was also artwork and artifacts from the surrounding community on display all over the museum.

The painting is by a local artist and the pottery is locally made

The window is a Tiffany window from a local church that the Historical Society saved for the museum

The first floor gallery

The docent told me after I toured the exhibition that there are more exhibitions being planned for the future.

Touring Downtown Beacon, NY:

After the trip through the Historical Society, I ventured and walked Downtown Beacon. The neighborhood has certainly changed since the early eighties.

Downtown Beacon today

Downtown Beacon today with Mount Beacon in the distance

The beautiful floral arrangements in the downtown today

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Two Private Members Nights at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) May 27th, 2025

Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring The Upper East Side of Manhattan, Historic New York City neighborhoods, Met After Hours event, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around Manhattan, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One of the nicest things about being a member of museums in New York City is when they have the ‘Private Members Nights’, where the museums are open after hours for the membership only. The funny thing about these nights are that the museums seem busier on these nights than they would when the museums are open during the day to the general public.

What also is difficult is when two major museums have their Members Night on the same night. I had to do a lot of coordinating to go to both museums. What made it work is that both museums closed at different times with The Met closing at 10:00pm. I timed it perfectly.

Members Night at the MoMA ‘Behind the Flowers’ for the Hilma af Klint exhibition

The theme that evening was based on the Hilma af Klint exhibition

https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/5779

Going this evening took a lot of planning as I had to teach in the morning and cut the lawn on the afternoon. I was already exhausted by the time I left for the City at 4:00pm. Even on this gloomy afternoon, the weather held and it was a nice evening.

The area around the museum was in full bloom that early evening

The event opened early at the MoMA with their event from 6:00pm-9:00pm and the Met went from 7:00pm-10:00pm so I was able to enjoy both with a lot of walking in between. It was worth it as I was able to see several exhibitions on my bucket list before they closed. With work and finals, it had been tough to visit both of them.

People were enjoying conversation and cocktails when I arrived at the MoMA that evening.

I decided to start my evening at the Sculpture Garden on the first floor. The weather was cloudy but still it was a warm evening. People were conversing near the fountains and listening to music. The lines for the cash bar never let up and they were about thirty deep the whole time.

The Sculpture Garden at the MoMA

While I walked around the gardens and fountains I noticed a lot of the art that they were featuring was really unique, some of which I had not seen before.

The gardens with the poppies in bloom

This beautiful mosaic of a octopus did not have a name

This metal artwork was towards the back of the sculpture garden

The artwork makes quite a statement in the sculpture garden

I watched this interactive art that I had seen at the last Members Night

I love this interactive art in this video

I love watching this video sculpture moving around. I had seen it on my last visit and thought it was very interesting. I then moved upstairs to see the Hilma af Klint exhibition that would be closing that weekend. The galleries were jammed with members who wanted to see the artist’s work. She had some interesting pieces that looked more like a naturalist works.

The entrance sign to the Hilma af Klint

The entrance to the galleries

https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/5779

You could barely move in the galleries it was so crowded. I was not able to get as close to the works as I wanted but I wanted to share from the exhibition the pieces I liked most.

Flowers and an Apple

These interesting drawings on mushrooms

I thought this set of drawings on dandelion’s and strawberries was interesting

As I finished the exhibition, I watched from above other members milling around the second floor

I then moved to the next exhibition ‘Pirouette: Turning Points in Design’, the use of design and concept in everyday life. I thought this exhibition was interesting because it described how we look at functionality and the reasons why things are designed for a specific purpose and then can take on new meaning.

‘Pirouette: Turning Points in Design’ exhibit

https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/5756

Of the many fascinating and famous items in the exhibition that I saw two well known works stood out to me. The first was the “I ❤️ New York” logo and its development in the 1970’s to be one of the most famous tourism campaigns in history

The Milton Glazer campaign for the “I ❤️ New York” campaign which saved New York tourism and is still used today. What was sad was the creator died during COVID in 2020.

The sign on the development of the design

The other stood out for its simplicity and fame was the development of M & M’s. This simple candy was a result of Forrest Mars seeing the rations of candy abroad of chocolate coated in a shell so it would not melt on the battlefield. With some experimentation, he created the modern M& M.

M & M display by Forrest Mars

I thought the whole museum would be open that night but it was just the two floors plus the gift shop and gardens. Since I saw everything at the MoMA already and it was around 7:45pm, off I ran out the back door to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Private Members Night.

Walking up Fifth Avenue at dusk

Walking up Fifth Avenue at dusk

The walk up Fifth Avenue to The Metropolitan Museum

The Met at night is quite dazzling

The entrance to The Met in the evening

Looking down Fifth Avenue at night

The entrance in the Rotunda was filled with fresh flowers and members chatting away. I even saw some of the members I had seen at the MoMA earlier.

The floral arrangements were spectacular

The beauty of the Rotunda in the evening

Maybe because these Members Nights were on a Tuesday evening, they both did not seem as crowded as they had been in the past. The museum was crowded but not as crowded as the past two Member’s Nights. I think that I arrived at 8:00pm most people were starting to leave. What was nice was that the MoMA night went until 9:00pm and The Met Night went until 10:00pm so it gave me the time to run through both museums.

I started my tour of The Met in the Greek Galleries looking at the Cycladic Art. I always loved the looks of these works.

https://www.metmuseum.org/departments/greek-and-roman-art

The entrance to the Cycladic Wing

The Cycladic Gallery in the Greek wing

Some of the interesting cases I admired that night

I then did a quick tour of the Roman Galleries which I had not toured in detail since the galleries opened years ago.

https://www.metmuseum.org/departments/greek-and-roman-art

Touring the Roman Galleries

Touring the Roman Gslleries

Touring the Roman Galleries

After the tour of the Roman Galleries, I headed to the Egyptian Galleries, I wanted to explore the galleries and get a drink at the Members Bar.

https://www.metmuseum.org/departments/egyptian-art

I love the Egyptian Galleries. I have been coming here since 1973 and have loved them ever since.

I love the ancient hieroglyphics

For the last two Members Nights, the Members Bar was in the Temple of Dendur. It is always so well lit and the music was wonderful. It is a nice way to end the evening.

The Temple of Dendur lit for the evening

The Temple of Dendur was the perfect place to relax and have a cocktail

The crowds were rather large at the bar that evening

The Passion fruit cocktail was the specialty drink of the evening

The Passion fruit cocktail was well worth the money

It was nice to just sit back with the other members and relax and listen to the music. After a long week at work, the sounds of jazz with a nice drink and good conversation is a way to enjoy the evening.

I had a renewed energy after being in the Egyptian Galleries for an hour and I headed into the American Wing to tour some of the exhibits around the main court.

Only the outside of the American Wing was open

I decided to see the new Costume exhibition “Superfine”, an exhibition of Black Men’s clothing through the ages from pre-slavery to current times. The exhibition was a discussion on attitudes, tastes, tailoring and how the Black style influences fashion.

The sign for the “Superfine” exhibition

https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/superfine-tailoring-black-style

Clothing and accessories I admired in the exhibition

Clothing styles I thought were interesting in the exhibition

The evening drew to a close and I was exhausted running from work to come into the City to walk from one museum to another and then walk back to the bus station. Still I got to see a lot in both museums.

The Rotunda at the end of the evening

The fountain dancing as I left

It was such a beautiful that I decided to take the long walk back to Port Authority via Second Avenue. I wanted to see if my favorite Chinese restaurant was still open. I was getting hungry but at almost 10:00pm not much was open. The Chinese restaurant had just closed for the evening. Since COVID, the ‘City that never sleeps’ is going to bed early.

As I was walking down Second Avenue, I came across a very reasonable pizzeria named Centro Pizzeria & Restaurant at 1469 Second Avenue. All I had to do is look at the pizza cases and I could not decide on what I wanted to order.

Centro Pizzeria and Restaurant at 1469 Second Avenue

https://www.centropizzeriarestaurantmenu.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d15164626-Reviews-Centro_Pizzeria_Restaurant-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on Diningona ShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.con:

The selection of pizzas in the pizza case

The Cheese and Pepperoni pizzas had just come out of the oven and were the freshest of the pies. I noticed the Pepperoni pizza was loaded with pepperoni and I decided I had to try it. The pizza here is excellent.

My dinner that night

The Pepperoni slice was loaded with slices of pepperoni and cheese

The red sauce which is the base of the pizza gave the Cheese slice lots of flavor

Yum!

It really was a nice walk through Midtown with all the lights on and a nice crowd of people walking their dogs in the various neighborhoods. Walking down the streets of the Upper East Side is really a nice walk and the classic New York experience. These Members Nights are a wonderful way to spend the evening.

Places to Eat:

Centro Pizzeria and Restaurant

1469 Second Avenue

New York, NY

(212) 988-4200

https://www.centropizzeriarestaurantmenu.com/

Open: Sunday-Wednesday 10:00am-11:30pm/Thursday 10:00am-1:30am/Friday 10:00am-3:30am/Saturday 10:00am- 3:30am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d15164626-Reviews-Centro_Pizzeria_Restaurant-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

Places to Visit:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10028

(212) 535-7710

https://www.metmuseum.org/

Open: Sunday-Tuesday 10:00am-5:00pm/Wednesday Closed/Thursday 10:00am-5:00pm/Friday-Saturday 10:00am-9:00pm

Admission: Adults $30.00/Seniors & Disabled People $22.00/Students $17.00/Members and Caregivers with disabled person Free/NYC residents and NY, NJ and CT students: Pay as you Wish

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d105125-Reviews-The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art-New_York_City_New_York.html

The Museum of Modern Art

11 West 53rd Street

New York, NY 10019

(212) 708-9400

https://www.moma.org/

Open: Sunday-Thursday 10:30am-5:30pm/Thursday 10:30am-8:30pm/Friday 10:30am-5:30pm

Admission: Admission: Adults $30.00/Seniors & Disabled People $22.00/Students $17.00/Members and Caregivers with disabled person Free/Children Under 16 are free/Members Free/Guests of Members are $5.00.

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d105126-Reviews-The_Museum_of_Modern_Art_MoMA-New_York_City_New_York.html

Day Three-Hundred and Thirty-Nine Exploring Bay Head, NJ-A Local Journey June 21, 2024 and December 28th, 2024

"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Bakeries for the budget minded, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Bay Head NJ, Exploring Historic Ocean County, NJ, Exploring Historic Towns in New Jersey, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Jersey Shore, Exploring the State of New Jersey, Historic New Jersey Towns and Neighborhoods, Historical Towns of New Jersey, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan at the Christmas Holidays, MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New Jersey, Walking Downtown Bay Head, NJ, Walking In Bay Head NJ, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

While I was writing my blogs on the beach towns of Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach and Seaside Heights and Seaside Park, I drove through the town of Bay Head enough times as I criss-crossed the popular and heavily visited beach towns. When I stopped and actually walked around their historic downtown, I discovered a town not just rich in history but beauty as well.

Bay Head in the Summer months:

Downtown Bayhead in the Summer

Bay Head Historical Society

The sign for the Bay head Historical District

The canal in Downtown Bay head in the Spring

Bay Head is a small town of less than a thousand people and the town is surrounded by Point Pleasant on most sides of the town. The town is also surrounded by water with the ocean and the bay and inlets.

What started as a resort town for people from the City to travel to by train for the summer months has morphed into an upscale community of clapboard beach homes, a picturesque shoreline and a wonderful little downtown. During the warmer months just walking around you can see the sheer beauty of the town.

The view of the Inlet from the dock

It is not difficult to walk the town and its quirky downtown area filled with interesting stores and restaurants. One of my favorite places to go is Mueller’s Bakery at 80 Bridge Avenue. Everything I have ever ordered here was excellent.

Mueller’s Bakery at 80 Bridge Avenue

https://www.muellersbakery.com/#/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46289-d4682046-Reviews-Mueller_s_Bakery-Bay_Head_New_Jersey.html?m=69573

The Mueller’s sign of pride

The selection at Mueller’s is extensive

Some of the creative products in the cases. I loved this hamburger cake

It was hard for me to make a decision when I come to Mueller’s but on the recommendation of the young girl behind the counter I ordered the Apricot Pocket and the Apple Turnover when I could not decide between the two. So I just had them both and they were both excellent!

I settled on a Apricot Pocket

It was outstanding!

I also got one of their Apple Turnovers

The Apple Turnovers here are fantastic! Filled with fresh fruit and surrounded by sugary flaky pastry

I ate all of this while looking at the beautiful views of the inlets and canals that make up the waterways of Bay Head.

The bay at Bay Head on a sunny Spring day

After my snack one of the places I wanted to visit was the Bay Head Historical Society at 1643 Bay Avenue, which is actually in Point Pleasant just on the border.

The Bay Head Historical Society at 1643 Bay Avenue

https://bayheadhistoricalsociety.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46744-d10596027-Reviews-Bay_Head_Historical_Society-Point_Pleasant_New_Jersey.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

Bay Head Historical Society & Museum 1643 Bay Avenue Point Pleasant, NJ 08742

The Historical Society’s sign

The historical plaque of the original Loveland Homestead

The museum is small but has a unique collection of objects from toys to historical furnishings to Native American objects. It tells the story of the areas progression from Native American fishing grounds and summer month community to the farming communities these areas became to the modern resort towns they developed into today.

The Native American artifacts in the museum

A handmade dollhouse from a local resident

The collection of vintage furniture

The museum was having an exhibition “Maps” and it was interesting to see how the country created its borders.

The “Map” Exhibition

The Map Exhibition

The Berkeley-Carteret Agreement

The Founding of New Jersey

The Lord’s signage on the agreement of East and West Jersey

During the summer months, the Slade Dale Cottage building is open for touring. This was donated to the museum and contains a very extensive nautical collection.

The Slade Dale Cottage on the grounds of the Historical Society

The historic plaque for the Slade Dale Cottage

The nautical exhibits at the museum

The Boating exhibit

The Boating display

After the tour of the Slade Dale Cottage, I walked around the Society’s gardens and grounds. The property is beautifully maintained and the gardens were in full bloom.

The grounds in the Spring of 2024

The gardens at the Historical Society in bloom

After enjoying my snack by the bay and my tour of the Historical Society, I decided to walk through the other side of downtown and walk to the beach. I went to the top of the stairs and admired the breathtaking views of the ocean. The waters matched the beautiful blue of the skies.

The beauty of the beach in Bay Head

It was a nice relaxing afternoon just walking around the downtown and window shopping in the stores. There is also a nice selection of restaurants to visit in the future.

The historic Grenville Hotel at 345 Main Avenue

The historic Grenville Hotel in Bay Head

https://www.thegrenville.com/

Review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g46289-d121416-Reviews-The_Grenville_Hotel_Restaurant-Bay_Head_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

While I walked around town before I left for the day and passed the beautiful and historic Grenville Hotel, which was bustling on a warm day. It was after lunch so people were lingering around and enjoying the view. I thought that lunch on the patio might be nice in the future.

It was an enjoyable afternoon and I would have to come back later in the summer.

Bay Head at Christmas time:

After a very long semester both in Graduate School and at the College, I finally traveled back to the Jersey shore on a very gloomy afternoon. I was exploring Point Pleasant and then traveled back to Bay Head. The town was so nicely decorated for the holidays. It was a quiet afternoon and it got very misty outside so I decided to stop at Mueller’s Bakery again for a snack and visit the Historical Society again.

Downtown Bay Head on a gloomy day at Christmas time

The bridge on the Inlet decorated for the holidays

The Bay Head Chapel at 442 Main Avenue

https://bayheadchapel.org/

https://www.facebook.com/thebayheadchapel/

The Bay Head Fire Company One at 81 Bridge Avenue

https://www.bhfire.org/

https://www.facebook.com/Bayheadfireco/

Santa greets everyone outside the firehouse at the holidays. This is such a nice way to celebrate the holidays.

I walked around the downtown to admire the Christmas decorations. The town keeps it simple and elegant and the homeowners did a nice job decorating their homes. Then I went to the historical Society that was open that afternoon.

The Bay Head Historical Society museum decorated at Christmas time

The Bay Head Historical Society Museum explored a “Victorian Christmas” in 2024 and the museum was decorated with period holiday decorations, antique ornaments on their Christmas tree and vintage toys and games to admire as well as the museum was decorated for the holidays.

The display of vintage artifacts

Garland and decorations on the piano

The museum’s Christmas Tree with antique ornaments

I even stopped back at Mueller’s Bakery and an a Glazed Cruller. You should have seen the selection of holiday treats in the cases.

I ate this delicious treat inside the bakery at one of the tables and got to enjoy the holiday atmosphere.

I find Bay Head to be a relaxing alternative to Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights. There you ride the rides and eat fun foods on the Boardwalks. Here you just relax with the sounds of the waves, admire the beautiful homes with their colorful floral landscaping and just be in the moment.

I find Bay Head the perfect place to unwind.

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Five The Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association ‘Man and Member of the Year’ Award Dinner March 28th, 2025

"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Hasbrouck Heights NJ, Exploring Historic Bergen County NJ, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the State of New Jersey, Hasbrouck Heights Men's Association, Historic New Jersey Towns and Neighborhoods, Historical Towns of New Jersey, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Uncategorized, Walking Downtown Hasbrouck Heights, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

With the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association, once a year we honor our own and we honor those who do good in the Hasbrouck Heights community. That’s how we award members and residents who go above and beyond for our community. Every year we chose a member for “Member of the Year”, who helps build our organization and whose contributions go above and beyond and best represent the organization.

Our second award of Community “Man of the Year”’” is given a resident whose contributions benefit the Borough of Hasbrouck Heights. It is our organization’s way of saying ‘Thank you’ to these active members of the community.

For the last three years, we have enjoyed our dinner at Segovia’s Steakhouse in Little Ferry, NJ. Our evening started with a cocktail hour and members and their spouses catching up with one another. It is always a nice way to relax and start the evening.

Enjoying the start of the evening with members and their spouses

It is such a great evening for members and spouses to catch up

The food and the service at Segovia’s is excellent and the meals are top notch. We always enjoy the assortment of dishes at dinner. The restaurant celebrates classic Spanish/Mediterranean food.

Menus

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g46575-d3700411-Reviews-SEGOVIA_STEAK_SEAFOOD-Little_Ferry_New_Jersey.html?m=69573

The Banquet menu at Segovia’s is extensive and the dinner that night was fantastic. While many members enjoyed a drink, then we started with Tapas to start our meal. It was a combination of salads, seafoods and sausages.

Garlic Shrimp, Calamari and Chorizo sausage

Mussels in Red Sauce

Potato Croquettes with cheese

The salad

The freshly baked rolls to sop up all the juices and sauces

As soon as we finished the appetizers, the pasta course came out and we continued our meal with wonderful conversation.

The Appetizer hour is always wonderful

Then we moved on to the Pasta dish that followed the Tapas.

The Penne a la Vodka

The entrees are a classic combination of influences from Spain and Italy representing the owners background from this area of Europe.

The seafood Paella was full of all sorts of meat and seafood

The Chicken Francais

The Poached Salmon

The Grilled Beef Steak

After the main part of the dinner was over, it was time for our honorees. Before that happened, the incoming board recognized me for the twelve years I had spent on the board. My feeling was it was time to step down and let the next group of guys take over from us and keep the building of the organization.

After that it was time to present the awards to our honorees of this evening. Our ‘Member of the Year’ was long time member Ed Hauptman, who was surprised and touched by the award when his name was called.

Congratulating Ed

‘Member of the Year’ Ed Hauptman

“Member of the Year” Ed Hampton with the Executive Board of the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association 2025

Our organization also picks a member of the community for “Man of the Year”, who has given back to our organization and to the community at large. This year we picked Jason Catalano.

Our ‘Man of the Year’ was Hasbrouck Heights resident, Jason Catalano with his son

“Man of the Year” Jason Catalano and son with the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Board

We were very proud of our winners and the contributions they make to our community. Our awards recognize these contributions the Hasbrouck Heights community. To the end the evening, it was time for our traditional group photo and dessert.

The Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Membership for 2025

Our traditional toast at the end of the dinner at the bar at Segovia’s

Our dessert, a traditional Cannoli Cream Cake with our town colors

What a wonderful way to end the evening.

It really was a wonderful evening for our organization, our family’s and the winners of our awards. Thank you to the Hasbrouck Heights community for supporting us and making us the success that we are as an organization.

We are looking forward to another successful year in 2025!

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Four Private Members Night at the Museum of Modern Art ‘Abstraction Unbound’ (MoMA) March 25th, 2025

Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring Midtown East in Manhattan, Exploring Midtown Manhattan, Exploring Midtown West, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Theater District in Manhattan, Exploring Times Square, Historic New York City neighborhoods, Hot Dog, Hamburger & Fries for the budget minded., Little Shop on Main Street in New York City (LittleShoponMainStreet), My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Sandwich and Deli's for the budget minded, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around Manhattan, Walking in the Theater District of Manhattan, Walking the Theater District, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Right after the Metropolitan Museum of Art had their private members night, ‘Met After Hours’, the Museum of Modern Art countered with their event. Neither museum has the whole museum open but at least at The Met there is more than one bar open and they keep two of the restaurants open for patrons so you can have dinner at the museum.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) kept only two floors open and had one very crowded bar open that evening. Still it was nice to visit the museum after hours and walk through the halls.

The front of the Museum of Modern Art at 11 West 53rd Street

https://www.moma.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d105126-Reviews-The_Museum_of_Modern_Art_MoMA-New_York_City_New_York.html

West 52nd Street the night of the Members Night

The entrance to the Members Night

Looking down on the bar crowd as I walked to the second floor

Listening to the music play with the artwork

The first piece of art I saw was ‘Cadence’ by artist Otobong Nkanga. This colorful and impressive piece took up the entire second floor atrium and the interesting part of the work was that it was interactive and you could walk through the display. It looked like a volcano had exploded and the rocks that spewed out you could walk around.

The work ‘Cadence’ by artist Otobong Nkanga

The write up on the this interesting work

The work took up the second floor atrium

The rest of the second floor of the museum was closed that evening so I made my way to the fourth and fifth floor to visit the galleries.

There was no special exhibition on the fourth floor so I stopped room by room to admire the art. Sprinkled amongst the paintings and sculptures, the museum had placed clips of movies, a few of them silent films. One of my favorites was showing, George Meles’s ‘Trip to the Moon’.

George Meles’s silent film ‘Trip to the Moon

The write up of the piece

The YouTube video on the movie “A Trip to the Moon”

I had first seen this film in high school and had fallen in love with the elaborate sets and the campy storyline. I never got how they thought they were going to get home. Still the movie is fun to watch and you think to seventy years later to movies like ‘2001 Space Odyssey’ and ‘Apollo 13’ and even the footage of really landing on the moon and think how far we have come.

Roaming around the Picasso gallery

Then I walked around the Contemporary Galleries and admired all the works by Picasso and Brancusi. Everyone else was still down at the bar on the first floor so I had these galleries to myself for the first forty-five minutes. I quietly walked and admired all the works.

The contemporary gallery

The works ‘Fish’ and ‘Bird in Space’

Brancusi’s works especially ‘Bird in Space’ I had studied in my Art History class at Michigan State University and zI had admired them for a long time. I had forgotten that versions of them were at the MoMA.

‘Broadway Boogie Woogie’ by Piet Mondrian

The signage

Then I passed ‘Broadway Boogie Woogie’, another work I had studied in college. It is amazing how many great works were at this museum. I just liked the colors and whimsy of this painting. Then I walked through the Claude Monet gallery where the famous ‘Water Lillie’s’ paintings were located.

The gallery dedicated to Claude Monet’s ‘Water Lilies’

The signage

Claude Monet’s ‘Water Lillies’

I love these immense murals either their beautiful colors and calmness to the painting.

I then turned the corner and came across Picasso’s ‘Girl before the Mirror’

I had forgotten that this painting was here and I stopped for a while and just admired it. I loved the simplicity of the idea but enjoyed its bold colors and crazy cubism to it. I have been attracted to this painting since I was a kid when my mother took me to the Picasso Retrospect here when I was a freshman in high school.

The signage for the painting

As the night wore on I visited the floors that were open and it was only two floors, four and five and the second atrium that were open so I visited the bar area when I finished with the other floors.

The prices here were just as expensive as the earlier Member’s Night at The Met and the selection was not as nice, so I bypassed it. I just watched everyone from a distance.

I just enjoy watching everyone having a good

time. I makes the evening even more special.

Watching the crowd while admiring the beautiful interactive art. This work kept moving around to the music in the background

The painting would move in different directions to the music

It had been a short but relaxing evening and got my mind off everything between work and home and I guess I needed a change of pace to shake me out of it.

After a short visit to the gift shop, I left the museum and headed home. As I turned the corner past the museum, I stopped to admire the lights of Seventh Avenue. I sometimes forget how breathtaking Manhattan can be at night.

Seventh Avenue at night around the corner from the MoMA

I took a short walk around the neighborhood, thinking about where I could stop for a snack. None of the restaurants at the museum were open the evening and they had nothing at the bar.

I remembered a wonderful hamburger/ hot dog place near Eighth Avenue, Lucky’s Famous Burgers at 370 West 52nd Street.

The meal specials at Lucky’s Famous Burgers

https://luckysfamousburgers.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4345188-Reviews-Lucky_s_Famous_Burgers-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

Lucky’s Famous Burgers 370 West 52nd Street 10019/264 West 23rd Street 10011 (Closed June 2023)New York, NY

I settled on the ‘Double Dog’ special meal with two dressed hot dogs and a large size of French Fries with a large Coke. It was enough food for two people. The hot dogs here are fantastic and the French Fries are cooked to order. The meal just hit the spot and really cheered me up as had the visit to the MoMA. It was the perfect meal to cap off the evening.

The Doubledogs with French Fries meal

The delicious twin hot dogs

They were nicely decorated

What a way to end the evening

It was quick and relaxing evening and shook away the blues of the past days of gloomy weather and some of the long nights of grading papers at work. A pleasant night at the MoMA can really cheer you up!

Walking back to the bus station on Eigth Avenue

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Three Private Members Night ‘Met After Hours’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art March 20th, 2025

Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring The Upper East Side of Manhattan, Historic New York City neighborhoods, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around Manhattan, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I love being a member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 Fifth Avenue

https://www.metmuseum.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d105125-Reviews-The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art-New_York_City_New_York.html

It is especially nice when the museum is closed and you can visit the museum with all the other members in a private event just for us.

It was time for another ‘Met After Hours’ member event

I wait for these evenings as a member. It is so much fun to walk the halls of the Met after the museum closes and just relax, look at exhibitions that I might have missed on my last several trips to the museum, have a much needed cocktail (one specialty drink is more than enough) and enjoy listening to the speaker.

Entering the main hall of the museum

The beautiful Cherry Blossoms are in season in all the urns

Walking through the Greek Galleries on my way to the exhibitions that were open that evening

The Jesse Krimes Corrections exhibition

https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/jesse-krimes-corrections

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/artists/jesse-krimes-met-museum-exhibition-1234728767/

I decided to start on the second floor of the museum since most of the members seem to settle on the first floor. My first stop was the Jesse Krimes exhibition ’Corrections’.

Krimes’s image-based installations, made over the course of his six-year incarceration, reflect the ingenuity of an artist working without access to traditional materials. Employing prison-issued soap, hair gel, playing cards, and newspaper he created works of art that seek to disrupt and recontextualize the circulation of photographs in the media (Met website).

Displayed at The Met in dialogue with Bertillon, whose pioneering method paired anthropomorphic measurements with photographs to produce the present-day mug shot, Krimes’s work raises questions about the perceived neutrality of our systems of identification and the hierarchies of social imbalance they create and reinscribe. An artist for whom collaboration and activism are vital, Krimes founded the Center for Art and Advocacy to highlight the talent and creative potential among individuals who have experienced incarceration and to support and improve outcomes for formerly incarcerated artists (Met website).

The description of the show ‘Jesse Krimes Corrections’

The art work ‘Purgatory’ where the artist put faces of the artist’s imagination while in solitary confinement.

The signage for the piece

The sculpture ‘Naxos’ with thousands of pebbles from prison yards

The signage for ‘Naxos’

I then toured through the Asian Galleries to see what exhibitions were open that evening. Some of the displays for Chinese New Year were still prominent in the galleries and I admired them in the cases.

This very evil looking statue just stares at you while you pass it

I admired the Chinese Zodiac sculptures in the Asian Wing and found my sculpture in the year of the Snake. Chinese New Year was over but the displays for the year of the Snake were still on display.

The sculptures of the Chinese Zodiac

The sign for the Zodiac animals

At the entrance to one of the galleries, one sculpture stood out to me that has been accented by peacock feathers.

The peacock sculpture ‘Mahamayuri on Peacock’

The sign for the sculpture

The piece stood out for its grace and its beauty. There was something unique about it.

I then visited the other side of the floor that was open in the Arabic Wing. I had visited the gallery in length during one of the other member nights when they officially reopened. I love all the displays of rugs and decorative objects throughout the various rooms.

Walking through one of the rug gallery rooms

What I admire the most from some of these artisans is the approach to precious items like gold, silver and jewels in the works. You could really see the amazing detail to these works.

Several decorative items in the display case

One of the special exhibitions in the Arabic Wing was the Merchant Ivory exhibition ‘Ink to Ivory’ from the Director’s private collection.

The sign from the ‘Ink and Ivory’ exhibition

https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/ink-and-ivory-indian-drawings-and-photographs-selected-with-james-ivory

This focused exhibition presents a selection of superlative drawings from the courts and centers of India and Pakistan (with a few related Persian works) dating from the late sixteenth to the twentieth century. These works are mainly selected from The Met collection in partnership with film director James Ivory, whose recent gift to the Museum of nineteenth-century photograph albums will also be featured in the exhibition (Met website).

The drawings will include fresh and informal preparatory exercises for paintings as well as beautifully finished works in their own right. The photographs will present the subject matter and styles that came about in the contexts of royal patronage and ceremony; views of architecture, cities, landscapes, and people, among others. As an artist and filmmaker, James Ivory will help us appreciate this material through his unique gaze (Met website).

The description of the show at the Met

The exhibition was a selection of drawings and photos from the British possession of India. I could see from the pictures the Caste system that had been created. The drawings though were quite interesting and showed a different perspective of Indian life at that time. I liked the mix of royals both from England and India.

When I got to the first floor, I noticed the time as getting late in the evening. This special evening was ending at 9:00pm rather than the usual 10:00pm and after the last three weeks that I had with Midterms and papers to grade and leading a recent field trip with my students. I really needed to relax and have a drink.

The Temple of Dendur gallery was lit for the evening and music was playing when I arrived. I guess all the other members felt the way I did as the place was packed. I was wondering why the halls were so quiet.

The Temple of Dendur Gallery was set up for the Members Bar

The lighting really accented the ancient temple

The crowds really packed the cocktail tables

Everyone had to get drink tickets to get a beverage and trust me this did not look like the soft drink crowd. They were featuring a ‘Berry Fizz’ as their signature drink that evening.

The signature drink ‘The Berry Fizz’

Relaxing at the end of the evening on the rim of the pool at the Temple of Dendur Gallery

Relaxing and talking to other members at the Temple of Dendur that evening

The bewitching hour of 9:00pm came and the bar area was still going strong but other parts of the museum began to clear out and close for the evening.

As we left, members of the staff handed out Chocolate Flowers that represented the Cherry Blossoms that were prominently featured all over that entrance and would be blooming all over the City in the next few weeks.

The Chocolate Flower we got when we left. I think this was a nice touch as was the pumpkin at the Halloween members night

All the Cherry Blossoms around the Great Hall entrance as I left

It was not a pleasant night as we left for the evening. It was pouring down rain and I could see this when I was in the Temple of Dendur Gallery.

I walked to East 72nd Street and had dinner at Shanghai Chinese Food at 1388 Second Avenue for dinner. This little hole in the wall restaurant has some of the best Chinese food in Manhattan.

I needed the ultimate comfort food that night and ordered the General Tso’s Chicken with Pork Fried rice. That took the gloom off this rainy evening.

https://www.mapquest.com/us/new-york/shanghai-chinese-restaurant-527392156

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d3579862-Reviews-Shanghai_Chinese_Restaurant-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

Shanghai Chinese Restaurant 1388 Second Avenue New York, NY 10021

The crispy rich sweetness of the dish is so satisfying

I love this delicious dish

Each piece was a delight

The nice part was that the staff let me relax and finish my dinner. Since I was still dressed in a suit from classes earlier in the day I just assumed they thought I worked at the hospital nearby. It is always so funny to see peoples reactions to me being all dressed up.

It was a nice relaxing evening and a great way to end the day.