Manhattan

A place of endless possibility, there’s no shortage of reasons to visit New York City. Since my sister has been living in Manhattan for almost a year, it was time to plan a visit. Mom and I stayed with her, at her adorable apartment. The last time I was in NYC was 8 years ago, a trip with my college roommate. We stayed with her brother in Brooklyn. While we had a crazy, amazing time, it was January and freezing cold. The day I left turned into a blizzard. So this time, I was happy to be going in June.

NYC Green

When you think of NYC, you may think taxis, sky scrapers, and city lights. But do you think nature? Maybe you should. I was amazed by how many pretty parks, tree lined streets, and well tended flower beds we passed.

I loved seeing maple trees in front of the brick buildings. I recently did a post on Japanese Maples. I’m happy they do as well on the east coast as the west!

Central Park

This may be the most obvious place to see nature in NYC, but I was impressed by the conservation efforts made within the park. Last time I was through the park, it was freezing winter weather and night. Total Central Park fail! I didn’t realize that there were several lakes, as well as a 10 mile bike path.

The Dene Slope has been restored to a native New York meadow.

It was easy to rent bikes close to the park. We got a killer deal of $10 for the whole day!

Hudson River

Another way to get some nature in the city is by going river side. There’s lots of docks with restaurants and things to do, all with a pretty view of the water and skyline. You can also take a ferry or river boat cruise with guided narration.

NYC Art

The museums in the city house a multitude of priceless and seen nowhere else artifacts. It may be overwhelming to some, where to start and what to see. My go to is fine art and so that narrows it down quite a bit for me.

The Frick Collection

This museum is so amazing. A must for fine art lovers! A man’s personal collection in his own mansion, right next to Central Park. Rooms are filled with fine furniture, bronze sculptures, and oriental vases. Unfortunately, no photographs were allowed. The art owned by the Frick never leaves and so cannot be seen anywhere else. The collection includes fashion portraits by Whistler, seascapes by Turner and landscapes by Corot, paintings by Vermeer and many others. What is really nice about the Frick is its size. You can see everything and listen to the free audio within 2-3 hours and leave feeling totally satisfied with your experience.

My favorite piece in the collection was Symphony in Flesh Color and Pink: Portrait of Mrs. Frances Leyland by James McNeill Whistler. I know the painting well from my university studies, so unexpectedly seeing the original was really special! It hung in a small wood paneled hallway and had to have been 8 ft tall. I just love the colors and flora.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

A ticket to The Met is good for 3 days, which I didn’t realize until too late! We went on our last day of the trip and only had a few hours, so we spent most of our time in the current exhibitions rather than the permanent collection. A person could easily take three days to see the museum in entirety, so if you enjoy art history, plan accordingly.

A Woman Seated beside a Vase of Flowers by Edgar Degas. This was one of many beautiful paintings in the Public Parks, Private Gardens exhibition. The art featured is all nature scenes painted in France. The collection also had many paintings by Monet that were before his water lily days, which I found refreshing.

These costumes are part of the Heavenly Bodies exhibition. The collection is full of medieval and byzantine inspired designer dresses. As a seamstress myself, I found the amount of work and creativity put into this exhibit simply stunning.

NYC Architecture

Tumbled and painted brick, rusted black fire escapes, and stone carved structures all tell the history of Manhattan. The streets are lined with buildings and each is unique. They’re side by side from different decades, sometimes different centuries.

Mom checking out the Empire State Building and surrounding skyscrapers from the “Top of the Rock” at Rockefeller Center.

Freedom Tower

The 9/11 Memorial is the newest addition to the city skyline and one of the world’s tallest buildings. On my last trip to NYC, 8 years ago, this site was still called ground zero. The new building has pools to the North and South where the Twin Towers once stood. Although there’s crowds of people surrounding the memorial, the atmosphere is subdued. The fountains are truly hallowed ground.

Notes on Manhattan

It was wonderful seeing the city in June, the weather was perfect and everything was in bloom. Next time, I would plan ahead to see a late night show. It always seems to be something you don’t remember until your standing outside the studio wishing you had tickets. We were able to get same day tickets for the off-broadway show Puffs, which was totally delightful for an audience full of Harry Potter fans. There’s just so much to do in NYC, and the city is always changing. With my sister living in Manhattan, hopefully it won’t be another 8 years before my next visit.

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Lynne