Discovering Columbus

Hello Columbus.  Nice to see you all up close and personal.  

I went to see the Tatzu Nishi Discovering Columbus Exhibition by the Public Art Fund a couple weeks ago.  The exhibition is actually a room that has been built around the statue of Columbus in the middle of Columbus Circle.  Overall, I liked it.  It provided a different perspective on Columbus Circle and the statue.  It was surprising how large Columbus felt up close.  However, although there were some clever things about the decor of the living room Columbus entertained us in, I do feel they could have jazzed it up a bit more.  There was a little something lacking.

Regardless, the views from the top of the exhibition were stunning.

59th Street

Broadway, facing North

Central Park West

One fabulous thing about the exhibition is that it is free.  Although you have to reserve tickets in advance.  Originally it was supposed to close mid-November, but it is now scheduled to close December 2nd.  Check it out here.

I love how the woman in this shot appears to be self-consciously smiling at the camera...

I was there at the end of the week Hurricane Sandy hit.  Columbus Circle happens to be right nearby where the crane is dangling in Midtown.  Broadway South of Columbus Circle was cordoned off and so were many of the adjacent streets.

After the Storm

View of Central Park from Columbus Circle. 11.2.2012

There is a melancholy hanging over the city post Hurricane Sandy.  We have been lucky here on the Upper West Side in that we did not lose power and most of the damage up here seems to be confined to the trees.  Regardless, the last week has not been 'normal' by any means, even here.  Most of our friends in our neighborhood did not work all of last week for various storm related reasons: from being unable to get to work due to the loss of the transit system, to their offices having lost power, or having their office indefinitely closed since it was located across the street from the dangling crane in Midtown.  There is a long line of cars that stretches in front of our house every morning while people wait to get gas.  Store shelves are emptier than usual.  Schools have been closed all week.

Although power has been restored to many, our friends and family that are still without power are going on over 1 week without power in winter weather.  Pretty awful.  And then, there are those in worse circumstances still that have lost their homes. The sadness is palpable, although so is the determination to go on.  That people are offering to help in so many ways is uplifting. Things are slowly beginning to feel more normal but I think in some ways we may be only beginning to learn what the true costs of the devastation will be.

How to Help
Artists Giving to Sandy Victims
Help a Family that Lost their Home

Governor's Island Ferry Terminal Art

I love how this art installation by Lawrence Weiner stands against the Brooklyn Skyline on the ferry fender rack at the Governor's Island ferry terminal.

Ice Cream at Dylan's Candy Bar

We were out and about all over the city this past Labor Day weekend.  Patrick was out of town so it was just Fiona and I adventuring about.  We spent part of Friday visiting some home deco stores around the 59th Street and Lexington area.  Since we were indulging my whims, I figured Fiona deserved a break so I treated her to an ice cream at Dylan's Candy Bar.

It was our first time there and she was enraptured by the colors and the kids.  And boy did she savor that ice cream, barely letting me get a bite in.  She had a dairy sensitivity until about a month ago so she has only had ice cream a handful of times.  It is such a riot watching her eat it.  Her eyes roll back in her head a little and she pretty much looks like she has just tasted a little bit of heaven.  Welcome to your lifelong love affair with ice cream kiddo.

We walked back to the West side through Central Park and enjoyed watching people begin their long weekends relaxing in the beautiful sunny weather...

Governor's Island a/k/a Pig Island

We visited Governor's Island over Labor Day Weekend with some friends for the annual Pig Island Festival, a celebration of pig, sourced from local farms.  The day was perfect for an outdoor festival.  Friends, sun, good food, beer and music in the great outdoors.  It doesn't get much better than that!

Visions of New York City: Broadway, NoHo, Near NYU

The first time I visited New York City in 2000 I completely fell for the look, feel and architecture of the area near NYU north of Houston Street on Broadway, and its surrounding streets.  Until I moved here, whenever I imagined New York, I imagined this neighborhood.  I'm still in love.  Took these pictures last weekend...

Washington Square Park, with the small 'pea'

 

Patrick, Fiona and I were in the village last weekend doing some shopping and we decided to stop in Washington Square Park so Fiona could have some time to run around in between stores.  You don't see any of the major park landmarks in the pictures in this post because we spent most of our time with Fiona in the playground.

One of the many things I love love love about NYC playgrounds is that they all most all have water features that are turned on for hot summer days.  Fiona is fascinated by all the water features in New York City playgrounds and this one was no exception.  It is such a joy to see her play in them.

There were a ton of musicians playing in the park that afternoon, and Fiona danced right along to their music.  There is always so much going on in Washington Square Park but this day seemed exceptional and it was all so right.  I'm trying to really remember this visit to the park, since it could be one of my last before we move from NYC (if we move...)!

Organic Modernism...

While walking on W. 18th street with Fiona and our good friend, Jess, I ran across the newly opened Chelsea outpost of Organic Modernism.   With a store name like that I think I was pretty much guaranteed to love its furniture and design since I usually describe Patrick's and my combined interior style direction as 'natural materials with modern lines'...  My pictures of the interior of this store turned out pretty awful...so I tried to pick the 'least awful pics' and they don't really do the place justice but I wanted to give an idea of what's 'in store'.  The pieces appear to be quality and the prices are also not astronomical.

Random NYC subway art...

Fun piece of subway art I came across on the wall of the 50th street 1 train subway station.  Hawaii...in the NYC subway.

The Circus Pendant Light + the Plumen Blub at the Conran Shop

I was recently visiting ABC Carpet & Home in NYC and I ended up at the Conran Shop on the lower level of the store.  I've never made my way down there before.  But their furniture and furnishings are fabulous.  Modern lines with a cozy warm feel.  I really would love to use their Circus Pendant Light somewhere in our home.

The pendant caught my eye first, but then it was also what was inside the pendant that inspired me.  Where
can you get a light bulb like this?? So perfect for a pendant where you will see the light inside on display.

I did a little internet research and it appears to be the Plumen light bulb.  Not only is this bulb's design fabulous, it is also energy efficient!  Win Win!  What a great antidote to the undeniably cool but oh so power hungry vintage filament bulbs that have been in vogue the last few years.

In our neighborhood: Buddhist Statue...

A few blocks from our apartment building, between 105th street and 106th street on inner Riverside Drive, there is a statue of the Buddhist teacher Shinran Shonin located at the New York Buddhist Church.   It's always a great surprise to walk by the statue.  It is beautiful in and of itself, but it carries even greater significance because it survived the atomic bomb at Hiroshima, having been 2.5 kilometers away from the center of the attack.  According to the plaque that lies below the statue, it was brought to New York in 1955 'to be a testimonial to the atomic bomb devastation and a symbol of lasting hope for world peace'.

the MoMa (with Babe)

Joan Mitchell, "Wood, Wind, No Tuba", 1980

As part of the New York City Challenge, Fiona and I visited the MoMa last Friday afternoon during Free Fridays from 4-8pm.  I haven't been to the MoMa for a while, and we were going to go earlier in the week and pay full price.  But our previous attempts to visit were thwarted by a sick and tired babe so I decided we would just go during Free Friday.  I was itching to go but with Fiona not feeling great I didn't want to pay full price if she was going to be fussy and we would have to leave after a short time.

Free Fridays at the MoMa, can be, honestly, a complete madhouse.  If you really want to have any time and space to look at the art then Free Fridays are not the time to go to the museum.  But for a quick and free jaunt through the galleries and exhibits, it's not a bad way to go if you can handle the crowds.  

It ended up being the perfect way for us to visit the MoMa this time.  With Fiona strapped in our BabyHawk baby carrier, we visited ever floor.  Fiona was quite the sport during our whirlwind tour and I took a few pictures of a some of the highlights for me this time around.   We ended our tour in the sculpture garden where I let Fiona walk around.  She was pretty much in heaven there.

Interesting exhibit on re-imagining suburban space after the 2008 housing crisis. 

Felix Gonzalez-Torres, "Untitled" (Placebo) 1991

Mark Rothko

Mr. Jackson Pollack of course

Baby Carrier Shot

Sculpture Garden

Discovering dry leaves....