Category: Manhattan

Christmas Greetings from Manhattan

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AROUND TOWN

Lighted tree on Park Avenue

The Christmas trees on Park Avenue glow golden as the afternoon darkens, pedestrians are bundled up tightly against the chill wind, and there is a bustle and much anticipation as folks prepare for Christmas Day.   

Holiday berries

At our son’s place, presents galore are piled underneath the perfectly shaped tree.  Younger granddaughter F has sussed out all her gifts, even counted them, examined each and everyone, and made guesses at the contents.  

The little blue and red bowl on the coffee table has been filled and refilled with candy cane kisses.  Three bags’ full, they have consumed, she excitedly proclaims.  She and her older sister have made gifts for all the family and done elaborate wrapping and labeling of them, even adding decorative elements to the gift paper.

Tree in Bristol Plaza lobby

HOLIDAY CONCERT

On Thursday, I was one of the lucky grandparents at the middle school winter concert, presented primarily by the 5th and 6th grade classes.  There was a handbell group, two pieces played on recorder, and many songs.  E sang with her classmates, and they sang with the men’s chorus on selected numbers.  The men’s chorus, made up of the girls’ fathers, is a long tradition at Brearley, and one everyone enjoys.  

Playing at home

Also of note, the middle school orchestra (5th through 8th graders) played the Jupiter section from Holst’s The Planets.  E is one of a handful of French horn players in the ensemble.  All very impressive!

(The lower school also had a winter concert, but the hall was just large enough for the girls’ parents.)

MAGIC OF THE SEASON

Even if you don’t get to view the tree at Rockefeller Center or admire midtown’s festive facades, there is magic to be found. For two decades, residents of 73rd Street between Second and Third Avenues have draped their street trees in soft lights from Thanksgiving through January. It’s truly a wonderland to behold!

Merry, merry Christmas!!

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.). Header photo is lighted trees on E. 73rd St.

Manhattan Moments: Art at MoMA

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Entrancing Video Art

One of the most compelling reasons to visit the Museum of Modern Art this season is the floor to ceiling video piece on the main lobby wall.  Created by Refik Anadol, Unsupervised, is an ever-changing mesmerizing mass of colors and shapes that at times flows beyond the boundaries of the screen. It is abstract in form, dark and mysterious sometimes and, at other moments, a riot of intense color.

Just one snippet of Unsupervised

Anadol used artificial intelligence and applied it to a database of the complete works in MoMA’s collection.  This area of the museum was the most populated with people of all ages the two times we visited.

Crowd at MoMA watching video

A Dynamic Collection, 1970s-Present

The Chief Penguin and I spent the remainder of this visit on the second level looking at and liking and not liking some of the stranger pieces of recent art, sculpture, and video. 

It’s the centennial of Ellsworth Kelly’s birth and two works of his dominated the first gallery.  I especially liked his aluminum paneled work with some colored panels, Sculpture for a Large Wall, which he created in 1957 for the Transportation Building in Philadelphia.  

Sculpture by E. Kelly

I also liked the brilliance of Spectrum IV which begins and ends with colorful strips of yellow and gold.  

Kelly’s Spectrum IV 1967

Indian artist Shambhavi is represented by a most intriguing metal work, a tree made of scythes saluting the farmer’s work.

Reaper’s Melody, 2011/2018

To See Takes Time

On our second MoMA visit, we delighted in To See Takes Time, a collection of watercolors, charcoal, and pastels by Georgia O’Keeffe.  In several instances, one sees the evolution of a work from early stages to a final version or to a version that is simply presented in a different color palette.  These are smaller works showing the diversity of O’Keefe’s interests and reflecting her travels (Maine, New Mexico) and her ongoing fascination with nature.

On the River, 1964
Canna Lily 1918-20 (O’Keeffe)
House with Tree-Green

One surprise is the realistic portrait of fellow artist Delaney.

Beaufort Delaney, 1943

Bar Food

Buena Onda

Since Cinco de Mayo was this week, it seems appropriate to mention the new Mexican place we tried.  (We avoided a crowd by not going on the 5th!)  Buena Onda on 1st Avenue is more a bar than a restaurant, with a few tables up front and several booths in the back.  It was recommended to us for its tacos by the waiter at Canyon Road, its sister restaurant up the street.  

We began with guacamole and margaritas, both very good, and then sampled some gorditas filled with chorizo and peppers and two of their tacos, beef and chicken.  Everything was very tasty and fresh so we will definitely return.

Note: Header photo is Pink and Green Mountains No. IV, 1917 by Georgia O’Keeffe.

Memo from Manhattan

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DECEMBER IN NEW YORK

Braving the cold in Central Park

I confess that I’ve become something of a Florida wimp when it comes to weather, and the cold here in New York makes me want to hibernate.  The Chief Penguin and I trek 20 minutes each way for our daily visit with our granddaughters and also walk to dinner at one of several neighborhood restaurants.  We have not been to any museum exhibits yet—that’s on the docket for this coming week. On a recent raw rainy day, we took a day trip to Philadelphia to spend time with some good friends.  The weather was cold, but the reception warm.  We’ve also been enjoying the lighted trees and decorations around town, something we see less of at home.

One of many lighted trees on Park Ave.
Elaborate Christmas decorations
Bells on the Mongolian consulate
Santa at The Mark Hotel

VIEWING 

Astrid (PBS Masterpiece)

Autistic characters are highlighted in several recent TV drama series.  A few years ago, I watched the American series, The Good Doctor, featuring a talented surgeon with autism, played by Freddie Highmore.  And as I mentioned in my last post, I’m now into the South Korean series, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, about an autistic young lawyer.  

My friend Cathie recommended Astrid, a French series set in Paris about a woman who works in the criminal records archives and, with an unusual memory for small details, sees connections between seemingly unrelated cases.  Detective Raphaelle Coste enlists Astrid’s aid in solving a case, and although Astrid is reluctant to step outside of her well ordered routines, she provides insights that no one else can.  It’s another realistic and engaging portrayal of autistic skills and challenges.  

The first episode introduces the characters and is an hour and a half; subsequent episodes run just under an hour.  There are 10 episodes in the first season; season 2 is out, but I am not sure whether it’s going to be available on PBS.

NEW DINING OPTIONS

Mediterraneo

This Upper East Side eatery on 2nd Avenue is a welcome addition to our roster of Italian restaurants.  We had walked by it many times, but never stopped.  This time, we had lunch with our son and family.  Our two granddaughters each ordered pizza, Margherita and an arrabiata and pretty much devoured them.  They were baked in a wood-fired oven with a very thin crust.

The adults ordered pasta from homemade gnocchi bolognese to spinach ravioli to pappardelle with duck ragu.  Everything was very good, but the standout was the almost silky duck ragu.  It deserved the two exclamation points by its description on the menu.  

The menu also includes several enticing veal entrees as well as salads so I see a return visit soon.  Service was pleasant and the restaurant only slightly busy on this Saturday.

Pil Pil

We mourned the loss of our favorite tapas restaurant El Porron which went out of business due to Covid.  Since then, we’ve been scouting around for a suitable replacement. While studying the menu outside the other day, the Chief Penguin met a young man from the Pil Pil staff.  He encouraged the CP to dine here and CP told him we soon would.  Pil Pil is a small place on E. 78th Street off Third Avenue featuring Spanish dishes including some tapas.  Our first foray here was good, but not outstanding.  

We sampled the tomato bread (excellent and more like a bruschetta than pan con tomate), fried calamari (thicker rings heavily breaded with a tasty lemon mayonnaise), ham croquettes, and the shrimp in olive oil and garlic.  

To close the loop, the Chief Penguin stopped the young man greeter from the other day, and then donned his fuzzy wool hat so the man could really remember him!  He’s from Serbia and all of 22. He was very personable and comped us cake for dessert.  We will definitely go back and try some of the ham and cheese selections.   

Note: Photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Manhattan: American Art & Fashion

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Winslow Homer:  Crosscurrents (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

We made two visits to the Met Museum this month.  The first was to see the very large and comprehensive exhibit of Winslow Homer’s work.  A New Englander by birth, Homer (1836-1910) lived in Boston and then in 1859 moved to New York.  Although associated rightfully with his portrayals of the sea, his work was much more than that.  He captured returning soldiers from the Civil War, both Black and white, and showed women at work or enjoying a day at the beach.  Added to that are his luminous watercolors depicting scenes from his trips to the Bahamas, Florida, and other islands.  It’s a wonderful exhibit!

Here are a few examples.

Early Morning after a Storm at Sea, 1900-1903
Eagle Head, Manchester Massachusetts, 1870
Old Mill (The Morning Bell), 1871

In America:  An Anthology of Fashion (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

On our second visit, the Chief Penguin re-visited the Homer exhibit and spent time in the Annenberg Wing admiring the simply marvelous collection of Impressionist paintings.  I missed seeing the first part of the Costume Institute’s fashion exhibit for 2021 but decided to tour this year’s part two which is housed in the American Wing.  

I had never spent any time in this section, but it consists of a series of period rooms from the early 19th century to the 1950’s.  For this exhibit, various curators have dressed manikins in fashions related to the rooms’ furnishings from Shaker Retiring Room to Richmond parlor to 20th century ballroom.  This is not as showy exhibit as some of those of previous years, but interesting, nonetheless.  With the right inclination, one could spend a fair bit of time reading all the information about the setting of the room itself and then the fashion-related labels. 

Shaker Woman, early 1800’s
High style in the 1950’s

Note: Header photo is Winslow Homer’s Oranges on a Branch, 1885. Photos by JWFarrington.