Brandon was in New York City for four days before I arrived, looking at art and meeting with people, so by the time I arrived on Saturday morning, we were both ready for a weekend to enjoy the city and the art at our leisure. I've been to to NYC a few times before, but this trip stands out to me not just because of the wonderful weather, but also because we stayed in a nice hotel in Chelsea, so we didn't have long train rides to get where we wanted to be. In the photo above, the little awning over the sidewalk is our hotel, within walking distance of galleries, parks, and restaurants, including Brandon's favorite shop to buy pizza by the slice.
Even though there are eight and half million people in the city, this neighborhood seems to operate at a slower weekend pace.
Babies in strollers and dogs on leashes were everywhere. We took advantage of park benches and coffee shops and enjoyed some quality people watching while we rested our feet between galleries. We tried to identify that smell that seems unique to NYC. We decided it's a cocktail of exhaust fumes, musty subway air, and urine, with an occasional whiff of marijuana. I miss it already!
Unlike the crowded art museums, most of the galleries we visited allowed for plenty of space to view the art. The price tags were as impressive as the art works.
Each gallery had unique architecture, so seeing the gallery spaces was as much fun as seeing the art.
There are so many galleries that we got good at taking a quick peak and deciding if we wanted to linger.
This is the view from the bar on the roof of our hotel. We had drinks with the other travelers before dinner. I got to take pictures for group of women speaking a language I couldn't identify.
Instead of Broadway shows and musicals, we watched a movie near our hotel, and had to travel up four escalators to get to our theater. We waited on the street for a few minutes so we could eat at a tiny Indiana restaurant which was filling the street with delicious aromas. The tables were so tiny and close it was like eating with a family of strangers.
Brandon had tickets to the Whitney Museum of American Art biennial show, so on Sunday we traveled by train to a different part of town. Brandon has a pretty good understanding of the subway system without a map, but we were both impressed with how easy it is to navigate the city now that we have smart phones with mapping applications. Back in the good old days, I remember ducking off the street to unfold our map while trying to identify cross streets and routes, and pondering elaborate subway diagrams obscured by graffiti. Now, when someone would ask Brandon for directions, he could always look at his phone and easily help them find their way.
The Whitney has multiple floors, all filled with art work. These photos of babies as they are born made an impression on me. I didn't think I had any unconscious taboos left until confronted with these photos. Oh my.
The view from the balcony was impressive too. Can you see lady liberty? She looks so small from here.
On Monday we requested a late checkout from our hotel, and spent the morning closer to the Upper East Side and Central Park. We decided not to view the show at the Guggenheim, but we spent some time with Lucian Freud's work at the Acquavella Gallery, and peaked at the work in the Forum Gallery. We even checked out the MFA shows for Hunter College and the New York Art Academy. Brandon was told by the security guard that he couldn't look at the class rooms at the art academy, but he did it anyway.
We strolled through parts of Central Park when we could, and listened to the saxophone player and the drummer. The park was packed! People were lounging in bathing suits on the grass, and picnicking on rock outcrops under the giant tress. For the first time I noticed how well the hooves are maintained on the police horses. Those horses have beautiful feet! If Hattie the donkey were in NYC and saw those pretty hooves she would probably feel like I do after looking at all the fancy footwear on the ladies, noticeably unfashionable.
We bought hot dogs and sausages from a street vendor and I tried not to laugh too hard at Brandon when he dropped mustard all over his pants.
We arrived at the LaGuardia airport early, stood in a security line for an hour or so, spent a fortune on beers and burgers, and then found out that our flight was delayed. We killed time by watching episodes of Naked and Afraid on Brandon's tablet while we hunched in uncomfortable chairs for more than four hours, then loaded onto a tiny jet, and flew all the way back to Kentucky in less than an hour and a half. The lights from our city looked so welcoming. We wondered, on our drive home in the wee hours of the night, through the winding, tree-lined farm roads devoid of street lights or other cars, if someone who had always lived in NYC would feel uncomfortable and alone. Wendigo jumped in the car as soon as we parked. It's good to be home!
