"Everyone must take time to sit & watch the leaves change." - Elizabeth Lawrence
Well hello, it's good to see you.
Autumn is the season to blow the cobwebs away and my autumn began in New York City. I packed my wool coat, hat, scarf and imagined holding hands and kicking autumn leaves around Central Park. The reality was 85 degree heat and a search for flip flops. Despite my wardrobe malfunction it was the perfect start to my favourite season of the year. Todays Friday 5 is devoted to 5 things to do in New York, suitable for any time of year. Most of what I've covered can be seen online and I've added links further down.
1. Museum Mile
Located on Fifth Avenue on the eastern edge of Central Park, Museum Mile is home to several museums and is my idea of heaven. I love art galleries (see London Friday 5 for my favourite London galleries) and I could have spent a month on Museum Mile. I particularly love Impressionist artists (Claude Monet, Edgar Degar, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and pals) and was utterly delighted to see so many Impressionist pieces within the New York Museum Mile galleries.
"The Met", The Metropolitan Museum of Art, is the 8th most visited art gallery in the world and Gallery 899 is currently exhibiting 160 paintings in a Manet / Degas show. The Met website showcases the exhibition, you can view these works virtually, along with a synopsis.
The Guggenheim, known for its distinctive spiral and contemporary art, hosted a wonderfully curated collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works from Degas, Manet & Van Gough. The Guggenheim is very much a working gallery with new shows being hung whilst visitors move around. It was wonderful to see the day to day running of the gallery.
Other 'must visits' on Museum Mile are The Neue Galerie, The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonial Design Museum, The Jewish Museum, El Museo del Barrio, The Africa Center and the Museum of the City of New York which gave great insight into the culture of New York City. The Museum of the City of New York website hosts an incredible interactive digital museum, perfect if you're interested in New York culture and the architectural elements of the city. Links to the all Museum Mile gallery & museum websites are further down the page.
Image: The Guggenheim New York 2023
Image: The Guggenheim Fifth Avenue, Museum Mile.
2. Lunch at Tom's Diner
Tom's Restaurant, often referred to as Tom's Diner, is located in Morningside Heights and is the restaurant used in the Seinfeld TV show and the inspiration for Suzanne Vega's song. I'm a huge fan of both. This year I have seen Suzanne Vega sing Tom's diner and whilst in New York I had lunch in Tom's Diner.
Tom's Restaurant sits on 2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025, USA. I can recommend the big salad.
3. One Vanderbilt
One Vanderbilt, Midtown East, Manhattan, is right next to Grand Central Station, and consists of 93 stories of glass. It's one of the city's tallest buildings and you can take a high speed elevator to the top and experience 'The Summit'. It has great views of New York, particularly the Empire State and Chrysler. I've put a few photographs below, not too many because if you go it's good to experience the drama for yourself.
Image: Chrysler Building view from The Summit
Image: Empire State, the view from The Summit
Image: One Vanderbilt, The Summit
Image: One Vanderbilt, The Summit
4. Carrie Bradshaw
I've previously mentioned Carrie's apartment, how you could stay at the apartment for one night booking via Air BnB. If you missed that opportunity, fear not, you can visit the exterior of Carrie's apartment. Situated in the West Village neighbourhood in Manhattan, my visit to 66 Perry Street saw the house decorated for autumn and a crowd of fan girls in tulle, including yours truly (without the tulle).
Image: 66 Perry Street, New York, NY 10014
I didn't intend for our trip to become a Carrie Bradshaw tribute tour, however later on I found myself in the New York Public Library. I had to take a look at where Carrie's wedding in the first movie was filmed.
Image: New York Public Library, New York City
5. The Apollo
Visiting The Apollo in Harlem is an opportunity to see an iconic building. Amateur night at The Apollo helped launch the careers of legendary performers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, James Brown and Diana Ross. In front of The Apollo, you can find the Walk of Fame, which features bronze plaques embedded in the sidewalk, honouring artists who have made a significant impact on the theater's history. A shout out to my Hip Hop family who shared this special Bronx & Harlem day.
Image: The Apollo, New York City
Now I'm home I've noticed autumn continues to unfold at an astonishing rate. Last year I wrote about being in a new home and seeing the seasons unfold for the first time. In my second year in the countryside, I'm looking forward to getting cosy and enjoying all the traditional elements of autumn. This year I'll be embracing the 5 simple autumn pleasures I previously listed. Meantime, to see what's happening in the studio, read the autumn update here.
Whilst autumn is most definitely my favourite season of all, I'm simultaneously focused on the Christmas season. The Christmas collection is live, and don't forget to join the mailing list to receive a discount code for your first order.
That's it from me, except to share the links to Museum Mile galleries and museums:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Cooper Hewitt,Smithsonial Design Museum
Museum of the City of New York
Image: Tom's Restaurant, New York City.
Right, I'm off to battle the autumn leaves in my garden.
See you for another Friday 5 soon.
2 comments
Really enjoyed reading about New York. I bought one of your skylines last year, had most of the places we visited on it.
Looks fantastic! We are going in autumn. Thanks for the tips.