Tag Archives: Met After Hours

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-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.

Day Two Hundred and Eighty-Five Halloween Private Members Night at the Metropolitan Museum of Art October 30th, 2023

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, Met After Hours event, My life at NYU-Graduate School, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan at the Halloween Holidays, MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around Manhattan, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Met After Hours Event on Halloween

I was invited to a Metropolitan Museum of Art Private Members Night the night before Halloween, known as ‘Mischief Night’, where more tricks than treats are part of the fun. The museum has these private nights so that members can enjoy the museum on their without the huge crowds that come during the day. These events are so popular now and they have adjusted the hours to 7:00pm-10:00pm where working people can now enjoy the evening.

The Met lit at night for the Private Members Night did look a little spooky but a festive environment was inside waiting for us. A giant house of mystery awaiting us with treasures inside.

The lines started to fill as we entered the museum at 7:30pm. I got there after my Digital Marketing class at NYU was over. All the tricks and treats of the museum were open to members who entered the front door if they dared!

The very festive entrance of The Met at the information booth represented the coming of fall and the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays.

The beautiful Fall arrangements in The Met’s nooks. It really made the night festive.

The first exhibition that I visited was “The Northern Renaissance European Sculpture and Decorative Arts 1520-1630” and the exhibition held some of the most exquisite art of the collection. Beautiful decorative objects with the detailed work in the permanent collection. These treasures were gathered in one spot to show their true beauty.

The sign for ‘The Northern Renaissance European Sculpture and Decorative Arts 1520-1630’ exhibition

The craftsmanship of these objects were some of the most sophisticated of the era and royals competed to have the most beautiful objects adorn their homes. Some of the objects were pulled from the permanent collection and are different parts of the museum but when housed together they really make a statement of the quality and precise workmanship. These objects made a statement of the owners and who they were in society.

Decorative cups and goblets

Description of the cups

Decorative clocks and watches

A jewel encrusted Chalise.

“Diana and the Stag” by artist Joachim Friess.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/193623

One of the most detailed pieces of the show was “Diana and the Stag”. The craftsmanship of the piece was amazing and it is such a beautiful piece.

The silver Diana and the Stag art object.

The next room I went to was the Wrightman Wing down the stairs to see Vertigo of Color” Matisse, Derain and the Origins of Fauvism. All these beautiful and bright colors in paintings from the French coastline.

The Vertigo of Color Exhibition in the Wrightman Wing of the Met.

My favorite piece and the painting that stood out the most was ‘Open Window Collioure’ by Henri Matisse. It was the most beautiful painting of the show.

“Open Window Collioure” is one of the most vibrant paintings in the show.

The other painting that really stood out in the exhibition was by artist Andre Derain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Derain

The Andre Derain Painting “The Faubourg of Collioure”

The sign for the painting.

My next stop was the “Tree and Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India, 200-400 CE” exhibition on the second floor. The display of Indian art was from all over the world and displayed some of the most unusual icons. The exhibition the immense craftsmanship of these early artists.

The entrance to the “Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India 200 BCE-400 CE” exhibition.

The Railroad Panels of the exhibition

The Railing pillars of the exhibition.

The Railing pillar sign.

Statuary from the exhibition.

The Pillar Abacus with elephants venerating the Ramagrama stupa.

The Elephant Pillar sign.

The Drum Panels in the exhibition.

The Drum Panel signs.

The Stupa Panel at the exhibition. I thought this was the most impressive work in the exhibition.

The Stupa Panel sign.

After visiting the intriguing art of India and all the splendor that comes with it, I made my way back downstairs, bypassing the very busy “Manet/Degas” which I had already seen and I made my way back downstairs where the crowds were either heading to the bar area that had been set up in the middle of the museum or to one of the three restaurants that were open that night. The restaurant in the American Wing was only serving popcorn (at $6.00 a bag!!) or drinks as well as the Balcony Restaurant. This was a bit too much for me, so I decided to wait until I left the museum to have some dinner.

The last exhibit for the evening that I visited was the “Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery” in the American Wing. These beautiful pots and decorative pottery is art from the Pueblo culture.

The entrance to the “Grounded by Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery”

The Gallery of Pottery in the exhibition

The “Bean Pot” by artist Lorencita Pino

https://www.adobegallery.com/artist/Lorencita_Pino190788469

The sign for the Bean Pot

Decorative pots that were part of the exhibition

The signs for the decorative pots.

The decorative pots of the exhibition

The Gallery in all its splendor that evening.

In the middle of the museum, the staff set up a festive Halloween bar for members to enjoy and relax. With a lively museum and even livelier cocktails, patrons conversed with their friends and made new ones. This whole part of the museum was alive with laughter and people having a good time before they had to deal with the trick or treating that awaited them the next week. It was a Spooktacular good time!

The cocktail party and bar on the main floor.

When we left the museum that night into the darkness that would become Halloween the next day, the museum employees wished us a good evening and gave us this sweet treat, a chocolate pumpkin that we were all munching on as we left the museum. It was the perfect way to end the evening. This is why I love the Met and have been coming here since 1973 and a member since 1993. It is a place of magic!

The delicious “Treat” we got when we left The Met that evening. The museum knows how to treat its members!

After the haunted night at the museum was over, I walked along the streets of the Upper East Side of Manhattan enjoying the decorations in preparation for Halloween the next day. Families really decorated their homes and the stores and brownstones were decked out for the Halloween holidays. This is becoming just as big as Christmas. Here are some of the great decorations that I saw that night.

Most of the these pictures were taken in the East 80’s and 70’s along the side streets between Madison Avenue and Third Avenue as I explored the neighborhood looking for the best haunts. People were really creative this Halloween.

Walking around the Upper East Side on Halloween week.

Halloween windows at a Park Avenue Florist during Halloween week.

Halloween decorations on the Upper East Side in the East 80’s.

Halloween on the Upper East Side in the East 80’s.

Halloween on the Upper East Side.

The haunting of the Upper East Side.

The haunting of the Upper East Side.

Caught in a spider web on the Upper East Side.

Ghosts protecting the entrance to the apartment building.

The haunting of the Upper East Side.

Escaping spider island on the Upper East Side.

Who says that New Yorkers are not creative? Decorating your home is not just for the suburbs.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Day Two Hundred and Fifty-Eight The Private Members Night at the Met February 14th, 2023

Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, 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 Upper East Side of Manhattan, Historic New York City neighborhoods, Met After Hours event, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Pizzeria's and Italian Restaurants for the budget-minded, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around Manhattan, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Our special ‘Members Only” nights at the Met are a lot of fun!

I had just finished Finance class at NYU and I needed a break. I could tell that my Professor wanted to leave early as well and the whole class was lost on learning the Income Statement so it was a perfect time to end the class for the evening.

I had signed up for the ‘Private Members Night’ on Valentine’s Day thinking that people would not attend this event on Valentine’s Day. Boy was I wrong! The museum was packed with people all over the museum. Since the whole museum was not open (the Roman and Greek Galleries on the first floor with the American Wing to the back being open and upstairs it was the Special Galleries and the Impressionist Wing), the areas of the museum including the restaurants and gift shops filled with members dining together for the evening and snatching up bargains such as the 50% ornaments from Christmas at the Gift Shop. I had never seen a Private Members Night so busy. That made it more fun as people were out to enjoy themselves without the pressure of the holiday.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 Fifth Avenue during the day

https://www.metmuseum.org/

Since I had seen most of the museum in the past and time was limited (I had about an hour and a half), I decided to spend my time at the new “Mayan Exhibition-The Lives of the Gods-Divinity in Maya Art”.

The entrance to the exhibition: “LIves of the Gods-Divinity in Maya Art”

https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/gods-divinity-maya-art

The write up on the exhibition:

‘In Maya art, the gods are depicted at all stages of life: as infants, as adults at the peak of their maturity and influence, and as they age. The gods could die, and some were born anew, serving as models of regeneration and resilience. In Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art, rarely seen masterpieces and recent discoveries trace the life cycle of the gods, from the moment of their creation in a sacred mountain to their dazzling transformations as blossoming flowers or fearsome creatures of the night.

Maya artists, who lived in what is now Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, depicted the gods in imaginative ways from the monumental to the miniature—from exquisitely carved, towering sculptures to jade, shell, and obsidian ornaments that adorned kings and queens, connecting them symbolically to supernatural forces. Finely painted ceramics reveal the eventful lives of the gods in rich detail.

Created by master artists of the royal cities of the Classic period (A.D. 250–900) Maya, the nearly 100 landmark works in Lives of the Gods evoke a world in which the divine, human, and natural realms are interconnected and alive’.

(from the Met website)

These were my favorite pieces from the exhibition:

The Mayan Throne at the entrance of the exhibition

The information on the ‘Throne Back’

The beautiful Jade icon pieces

Conch-Shell Trumpet

Conch-Shell Trumpet

Seated Female

Seated Female

Panel Fragment

Panel Fragment

Maize God

Maize God

The Rain Deity

The Deity Figure

The King Jaguar Bird Tapir

King Jaguar Bird Tapir

The Rain Deity

The Rain Deity Column

The Rain Deity

The Rain Deity Column

The exhibition was not that long and I was able to see everything in about an hour. I will have to go back to take some more time to read things but the art was just amazing. The detail work that these artisans had back then just showed how advanced they were without our modern tools. The Jade work was especially impressive.

After I finished the exhibit, I went down to the Impressionist Wing for twenty minutes before I toured the gift shop to see if anything new had come in. The museum must have emptied the storerooms of all the Christmas merchandise they were keeping in storage because there were tables of ornaments on sale fifty percent off. People were snatching things up and the lines were about fifteen deep. I have to say one thing, I was much more relaxed by the end of the evening.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art at closing

The museum had such an elegant look after dark. As we left the museum that evening, they gave us each sugar cookies that said “Met Member” on it printed on the icing. It was a very nice touch when we left and it was so sweet. It really pepped me up. It was such a nice warm evening (for the winter) and I decided to walked back to the Port Authority. It was quiet on the Upper East Side and it was nice to walk around.

The front of the Met at night is amazing.

When I got back down Fifth Avenue and passed Bryant Park, I saw the most spectacular view of the Empire State Building lit in pink for Valentine’s Day. What a site! This is why I love Manhattan so much. Where else do you get a view like this?

By the time I got back to Port Authority, things had gotten a little quieter. I stopped for a quick slice of pizza at the 99 Cent Pizza place down the road from the Port Authority and then headed home.

99 Cents Pizza at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 40th Street at 143 West 40th Street

https://www.99centsfreshpizzanyc.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d4370781-r878945197-99_Cent_Fresh_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The view of Bryant Park just blew me away. The lights of the buildings surrounding the park were fully lit with the Empire State Building in the background. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Bryant Park on Valentine’s Day. The Empire State Building was in the spirit of the evening with a bright pink lights.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Place to Visit:

Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10028

(212) 535-7710

https://www.metmuseum.org/

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

My review on TripAdvisor:

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

Place to Eat:

99 Cent Pizza

143 West 40th Street

New York, NY 10018

(212) 922-0257

https://www.99centsfreshpizzanyc.com/

Open: Sunday 9:30am-4:30am/Monday-Saturday 9:30am-5:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d4370781-r878945197-99_Cent_Fresh_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Day Two Hundred and Eight: Private Members Museum nights at the Met and the Museum of the City of New York and American Museum of Natural History November 29th, December 2nd and 12th, 2021

Chinese Restaurants for the budget minded, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, Exploring Central Park South in Manhattan, Exploring East Harlem in Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring Manhattan Valley/Bloomingdale/Upper West Side, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring NYC Parks, Exploring the Entire Length of the Island of Manhattan/Broadway Walk, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the New York City Subway System, Exploring The Upper East Side of Manhattan, Exploring the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Gourmet restaurants for the budget minded, Historic New York City neighborhoods, Met After Hours event, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan at the Christmas Holidays, MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Pizzeria's and Italian Restaurants for the budget-minded, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around Manhattan, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I put my walk of the Garment District on hold as many of the museums are having their Private Members nights before the holidays get into the full swing. It gives the members a chance to really enjoy the museums before the City gets crazy with tourists and people are beginning to return to the City.

Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 Fifth Avenue

https://www.metmuseum.org/

My first event that I attended was “The Met After Hours” event. It was a well-attended event that members were able to explore the first floor at their own leisure for three hours.

The Invitation to the Met

https://www.metmuseum.org/

It really was a wonderful night. First it was a warm and clear evening and you could see the stars because it gets dark at 5:00pm. We as members got to the museum before 5:00pm and waited in a long line by the Member’s Entrance on the side of the museum and had to show our COVID vaccine cards and ID. Even though we were all vaccinated, we still had to wear masks the entire time we were in the museum. It was not a problem and did not get in the way of us having a nice time.

For the evening, only the first floor was open and only certain galleries and exhibitions but there was plenty to see and do. In all the galleries, there were docents giving talks on the exhibitions and on the gallery displays that were permanent to the museum.

I started my tour of the museum at the Christmas Tree in the Medieval Galleries. It was decorated for the holidays with full detail but it had been corded off and you could not get as close to it as you once could in the past. They had a very interesting docent who went over the not just the history of the Christmas tree with its German-Pagan roots but how it was decorated by people in different countries at different times of history.

The beautiful Christmas tree is a part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art tradition

She talked about how the manager and the more religious aspects of the art came from Naples and then made its way to the United States with immigration. The works around the tree were collected over time.

Later that evening, they had a singing trio entertaining the crowd with festive Christmas songs. The ladies were very friendly and had wonderful voices. They really put everyone in the Christmas spirit.

I next went to the “In Praise of Painting: Dutch Masterpieces at the Met” exhibition in the Robert Lehman Collection. I was viewing all the works by Rembrandt and Vermeer for most of the evening. It was nice to just take my time and look at the works one by one without rushing like you normally do when the galleries are busy. The gallery was full of portraits and still lives and being a smaller gallery, I was not over-whelmed by the exhibition.

In Praise of Painting: Dutch Masterpieces at The Met should not be missed.

https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2018/in-praise-of-painting-dutch-masterpieces

I walked through the American Wing to the American Wing Cafe which was mobbed. Every table was taken and what was really annoying is that in some cases, one person took a table and threw all their things on the chairs and were eating by themselves. They should have had a limit on that type of behavior as I could see that patrons were struggling to find a place to sit down. I just decided to eat when I left the museum. A $16.00 sandwich did not interest me. I just could not believe how much the food had gone up at the museum.

I spent the last part of the evening in the Temple of Dendur Wing admiring the building. I looked over all the ancient carvings and symbols and then realizing that this temple was created during the Roman Era. I thought that was interesting. I remember reading in the book “Dancing with Mummies” on the former director of the museum discussing how New York City beat out other cities to get the temple.

Every time I enter the gallery I think of this scene in “When Harry Met Sally”

It represents what is best about the Met

I ended the evening exploring the Greek Galleries since the rest of the Egyptian Galleries were closed for the evening. I really loved looking at the Cycladic Art and the way that the galleries are displayed. Even though I have been touring these galleries since they opened, it is always fun to see something new or a piece that you noticed for the first time again.

There is something unique about Cycladic Art

After I left the Met, I walked along the Upper East Side, walking down both Third and Second Avenues and noticing all the restaurants and stores that have closed since the Pandemic and it was scary to see. I thought that Madison Avenue was bad with all the empty stores and the cops protecting them but the other avenues were just as bad. It will take a long time for this to come back.

When I reached East 72nd Street at Second Avenue, I stopped at one of my favorite Chinese Take-out places where you can sit down and eat, Shanghai Chinese Restaurant at 1388 Second Avenue right near the subway station. I am telling you this is some of the best Chinese food in the City and very reasonable for the portion size they give you (see my reviews on TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com).

Don’t miss Shanghai Chinese Restaurant at 1388 Second Avenue

I had the most amazing Shrimp Szechuan with Roast Pork Fried Rice with a side of Hot and Sour soup, the perfect dishes on a cool night. The soup really warmed me up and the shrimp had a nice fiery flavor to it.

The inside of Shanghai Chinese Restaurant

I was so content from the wonderful meal that I ended up walking all the way back to the Port Authority. It was such a nice night to walk back and enjoy the cool air. It really a beautiful night to walk around Manhattan.

After I returned from visiting my mother for her 85th birthday, I had another Members Night at the Museum of the City of New York at 1220 Fifth Avenue to attend the gallery talk of the Founders of the Talking Heads singing group, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, talking about their time with the group and their experiences. Then we watched the film documentary “Stop Making Sense”, which was filmed over a series of concerts in 1984. The talk and the film were both amazing. I never knew that much about the group, so it was an eye-opener.

The Museum of the City of New York at 1220 Fifth Avenue

https://www.mcny.org/

Ms. Weymouth and Mr. Frantz had gotten older but really had not changed that much. They were really engaging and such interesting stories about the band and the clubs that they played in the early 1980’s. It was fascinating to hear of the other artists that they knew like Debbie Harry and the Ramones who played the same clubs and the long-closed clubs that they enjoyed like Danceatiria and the Mudd Club.

They also talked about the work they are doing now and the revival of the music that they performed so long ago. It was a real blast from the past and most of the audience like me were either in high school or college when the group was performing so it was a real Gen X crowd that evening. After the talk, they left the stage with a rousing applause from all of us and then we watched the documentary, which really rocked the room. I could almost see people wanted to get up and dance and the applause from the songs after they were finished matched what was going on in the film (I included the link to the film we watched below).

The “Stop Making Sense” talk and showing of the film with Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth

The ‘Stop Making Sense’ talk at the Museum of the City of New York: The Concert Film we saw that night.

“Stop Making Sense”

I went home that evening humming all the songs that I remembered from the film. It was such a great evening and I still could not believe that I never saw the film when it came out my freshman year of college.

Still my favorite videos from the early MTV days: “Once in a Lifetime”

The last museum Members afternoons that I attended was the “Sharks” exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History at 200 Central Park West. This exhibition was open to the members first before opening later in December.

The American Museum of Natural History at 200 Central Park West

https://www.amnh.org/

I have to say it was interesting and very scientific and technical. I was floored by the number of kids that knew so much about sharks. I was listening to this kid talk to his mother on which sharks were which and he was about eight years old.

The exhibition was on the history of sharks and their habitats and the benefits that sharks bring to the ocean like being bottom dwellers and how their eating habits affect the rest of the ocean population. It was more than the movie “Jaws”.

The exhibition also discussed how sharks have evolved over the years since the era of the dinosaurs and how their population decrease is affecting the rest of the ocean population and food cycles. After about an hour in the exhibition it got a bit over-whelming with the information and I will have to go back again to see it.

‘Sharks’ at the American Museum of Natural History

The exhibition discussion:

After the visiting other parts of the museum in both the Central American Wing and the new Minerals gallery, I went outside and enjoyed the nice sunny day. I ended up walking all over the Upper West Side. Homes were decorated for the holidays and it was festive to see all the garland and trees in the windows and on the outside of the brownstone homes.

For lunch, I went to Tri Dim West, the sister restaurant to Tri Dim Shanghai on the East side at 467 Columbus Avenue for a Dim Sum lunch. The restaurant is right around the corner from the museum and was a nice alternative to the expensive fare at the museum.

Tri Dim West at 467 Columbus Avenue

Home

I had the most wonderful (but pricy) Dim Sum lunch with freshly made Crab & Pork Soup Dumplings, Roast Pork Buns, Chicken Curry Puffs and a Peking Duck Spring Roll. Everything was made fresh to order and one dish was better than the other. The soup dumplings just slurped off the spoon and burst in my mouth with their juiciness. The roast pork buns had their usual sweetness with the combination of roast pork chopped up wrapped in a sweet dough.

The Peking Duck rolls are delicious

The service was so friendly and welcoming. The guy waiting on me kept spooning the dumplings on my plate. I thought that was taking it to the extreme but it was a quiet afternoon.

It is funny for the people who keep saying that New York City is going downhill and Manhattan is falling apart, yet I see that the museums are doing their best to engage with their members and the public in general with taking all sorts of precautions and safety measures. They are doing their best to keep the public informed while still having a good time.

Isn’t this the point of a cultural institution?

Places to Eat:

Shanghai Chinese Restaurant

1388 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10021

(212) 288-8066

https://www.allmenus.com/ny/new-york/359936-shanghai/menu/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-10:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d3579862-Reviews-Shanghai_Chinese_Restaurant-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/706

Tri Dim West

467 Columbus Avenue

New York, NY 10024

(212) 585-1398

Home

Open: Sunday-Thursday 12:00pm-9:00pm/Friday-Saturday 12:00pm-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d17697126-r821822794-Tri_Dim_West_Restaurant-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Places to Visit:

Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10028

(212) 535-7710

https://www.metmuseum.org/

https://www.facebook.com/metmuseum/

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

My review on TripAdvisor:

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

Museum of the City of New York

1220 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10029

(212) 534-1672

https://www.mcny.org/

https://www.facebook.com/MuseumofCityNY/

Open: Sunday-Wednesday 10:00am-6:00pm/Thursday Closed/Friday & Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d15855802-Reviews-Museum_of_the_City_of_New_York-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

American Museum of Natural History

200 Central Park West

New York, NY 10024

(212) 769-5100

https://www.amnh.org/

https://www.facebook.com/naturalhistory/

Open: Sunday 10:30am-5:00pm/Monday-Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 10:30am-5:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d210108-Reviews-American_Museum_of_Natural_History-New_York_City_New_York.html