This weekend will be filled with holiday events, even though it isn’t even Thanksgiving. On Friday, my destination was the NY Botanical Garden’s Train Show. I love the show and go every year. Apart from the trains, the highlights are NYC landmarks constructed entirely from natural materials. They are incredible works of art. Yesterday was opening day and member’s day. … Read More
Lantern Show
It was a warm, clear night. At 6:30 the sky was coal black with a perfect half-moon, ideal conditions for viewing the Lantern Show at the Queens Farm. The light show is enchanting if a bit helter-skelter. Large sculptures, beautifully crafted and vividly colored, are lit from within. There doesn’t seem to be a theme. There are sections of farm … Read More
Gingerbread Houses
Let’s start with a confession. I once baked and decorated a tiny gingerbread house. It took forever and the end product was less than stellar. So, I have a great appreciation for bakers who can create fabulous architectural models out of gingerbread. The Museum of the City of New York hosts an annual “All Borough Gingerbread Competition.” I spent this … Read More
NYC in the Movies
While I was at the Museum of the City of New York yesterday, I wandered into an exhibit about movies shot in the city. Apart from the gingerbread houses, that was where most visitors gravitated. When I’m traveling and mention I’m a New Yorker, people tell me about visiting New York, wanting to come here, loving the city from movies … Read More
Women Dressing Women
This morning I headed over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There were two shows I wanted to see: at the Fashion Institute, Women Dressing Women and in the Japanese Galleries, Anxiety and Hope. The fashion exhibit was interesting, but not spectacular the way the Diva show at the Victoria and Albert was. There were some lustrous fabrics, beautiful designs, … Read More
Metropolitan Museum: Japanese Art Galleries
There’s a new exhibition at the museum, Anxiety and Hope. The art is from the 12th to the early 19th centuries. I was struck by a number of things in addition to the beauty of the work. Considering the age of many of the scrolls, they are in astoundingly good condition—colors are bright and paper intact. They must be loved … Read More
Back to the Future—The Musical
Yesterday I went to see Back to the Future on Broadway with my nephew Scott, his wife Sherrie, and daughter Brianna. I’m always somewhat leery of seeing adaptations of movies into musicals, especially movies that I remember fondly. But this adaptation was fun. The lead looks and moves like Michael J. Fox, the new “Doc Brown” is uniquely his own, … Read More
Terence Blanchard
Until a few years ago I hadn’t been aware of Terence Blanchard. Then his opera, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, premiered at the Metropolitan Opera to rave reviews. Friends told me to see it, unfortunately I didn’t. But Blanchard’s name rose in my consciousness and I began to hear more about him. He is a seven-time Grammy winning musician … Read More
Border Crossings
The NY Public Library for the Performing Arts is a gem located in Lincoln Center. Researchers from around the world head to their massive collections of theater, film, dance, music, and recorded sound materials. The public can also use the library. When I was in High School, I went there often to listen to recordings or watch films. They mount … Read More
Manhatta
The building is now known as 28 Liberty. But the minute I saw it, I knew it was the old Chase Bank headquarters. It was a place I’d visited often; Chase was a client for many years. The building has since been sold. I never noticed or knew about the space on the 60th floor. It’s now occupied by the … Read More