I often have a free day in NYC on a Monday and want to go to a museum but not all are open that day. Just checked for this month’s trip and there’s good news and bad. Museum of Modern Art – open on Monday! New Museum in the Bowery – not so new. not open on Monday.
Category Archives: New York
New York on the cheap
As if.
well everything’s relative and I guess that means New York’s version of cheap is Des Moines’ version of not-so-cheap but that said, the NYT had some suggestions for people visiting the Big City on a Tight Budget:
– The Jane – 113 Jane Street (a very sweet street in the West Village that my cousin used to live on)…”50-square-foot cabins” for $99 a night (that’s a single withe shared bath)…www.thejanenyc.com
– The Hotel Chelsea, studio and shared bath for $99…if it was good enough for Sid and Nancy it may be okay for you.
– MOMA is free on Friday nights. Otherwise it’s $25 as I recall painfully.
– for other free events look in the listings of Time Out NY and New York magazine also FreeNYC.net and ClubFReeTime.com
– a seven-day unlimited ride metrocard $27. soon to be $29.
Filed under cost-saving travel, LODGING, New York City
MOMA at Thanksgiving
Most Thanksgivings we visit relatives in New York City and I have one or two day to explore the city, which usually involves picking one museum to visit. This year’s winner? MOMA – which I haven’t visited for several years. Several exhibits have caught my attention that I”m eager to see – CounterSpace: Design and the Modern Kitchen (through March 14) and Pictures by Women: A History of Modern Photograph (through March 21).
First runner-up (and a museum I hope to visit) is the New Museum downtown on the Bowery, which has an exhibit an old newspaperwoman can’t resist entitled “The Last Newspaper.”
Filed under museum exhibit, New York City
“affordable” NYC hotels – sort of
We’re talking “affordable boutique” hotels in NYC – and the NYTimes ran a list of them last Sunday. Except that they didn’t seem all that affordable, were in sometimes undesireable locations, and several seemed quite claustrophobic and/or sterile. All this for $159 to $269. The one that sounded most appealing is Eventi in Chelsea ($249 right now; $399 starting next fall – hardly “affordable”).
But after an unpleasant experience at a trendy affordable boutique hotel in San Fransisco – which despite its trendy art and toiletries felt like an insufficiently tarted-up hotel for transients with still-tiny rooms and still-narrow halls – I’d prefer for my money an affordable non-boutique hotel – with less “style,” and more space and comfort.
Filed under New York City
Healthy Deli?
Yes, it seems like a contradiction in terms – healthy deli – but apparently some Jewish delicatessens are making a stab at providing more healthful food – some even going so far as to ban salami. (Say it’s not so.) A story in the NYTimes about this featured several delis I’ve been at or near recently, including Kenny & Zuke’s, a deli we visited for breakfast last month in Portland. Apparently the thing to have there is the specially-made pastrami – we came close. We ordered a corned beef sandwich which we happily shared – it was huge – in the Denver airport during our trip home.
The story also mentioned Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor which we visited last summer – who knew they made their own cream cheese although I wasn’t surprised they made their own rye bread. (I think we were supposed to have pastrami there too – again, we had the corned beef. Noticing a trend here?)
And earlier this month, we were on the lower East Side of Manhattan, standing outside of Katz’ s deli debating whether to join a long, albeit fast-moving, line at Saturday lunchtime. We decided not – and I guess this is good since the article seemed to single out old-school delis like Katz’s as, of course, serving stuff that’s not good for us (even if it tastes good.)
downtown manhattan and brooklyn
A gorgeous spring day lured us downtown to ramble around Soho, Nolita, Little Italy, Lower East Side, Chinatown – that mishmash of interesting neighborhoods that bump up against east other downtown. We stopped at Russ and Daughters on E. Houston to pick up rugalach and babka for Sunday brunch; wandered along Orchard Street south of Delancy past the Tenement Museum, which was doing a brisk biz, then to Prince Street where we ate a terrific lunch at Cafe Habana – not the sit down place but the one with a counter and a few tables. Place was packed for good reason – as we suspected (we’d never heard of the place) and soon discovered. Delicious cuban sandwiches, spicy sautéed spinach, corn on the cob doused with some parmesan-like cheese, spices and lime; homemade lemonade.
At night, the big event was my brother’s wedding in Park Slope at the lovely old Montauk Club. Wonderful event, of course, but my new sister-in-law made it extra special with all kinds of thoughtful touches including framed photos for each guest with the bride and/or groom. We danced until they kicked us out and a lot of us ended up at a nearby bar on Flatbush Ave. – Sharlene’s. We didn’t get back to our borrowed digs on the upper east side until 2:30 a.m.
Filed under New York City
Return to the High line:nyc
Another gorgeous day in nyc and D and E had never been to the High Line so I gladly went with them. This time, we stopped for gelato at Chelsea markets. Last night we went to a rehearsal dinner for my brother and H at Craftbar.We were in a private room but the restaurant itself looked interesting – our food and service was very good. That area around Broadway and 20th looks like its full of interesting restaurants including the Gramercy Tavern.
Filed under New York City
High life on the High line: NYC
What better place to spend a gorgeous spring day in NYC than the High Line, the new park that was once an abandoned railbed along the Hudson River. My pal Myra and I found wooden lounge chairs overlooking the water. Great people watching, scenery, landscape, had a nice chat with two young Dutch guys who were touring architectural sights in the city. Stopped by the Chelsea Market on 15th Street, had tea and peruvian something or other – a cupcake shaped savory dish that was very colorful – yellow and green. Yellow turned out to be mashed potatoes, the green avocado, and there was tuna in there. Yum. Then onto the west village which was humming with people – in the early evening, you could just hear the sounds of people celebrating the day everywhere, spilling out of bars with the windows removed and sitting at outdoor cafe tables. We ate at Westville, a tiny place on 10th street that is one of my favs – 6:45 was a good time to go. Only had to wait 10 minutes and tables all filled and line got longer through the night. No one does fresh vegetables better. Another gorgeous day.
Filed under New York City
Roaming around NYC
Is it my imagination or are airlines trying harder to be flyer friendly. Today my flight attendant on Delta even offered me peanuts. free of charge. I got two packets. Oh joy.
NYC was overcast but no longer rainy and I did my usual walk until my ankles swelled. The blossoms are coming out in central park – yellow, white, red – and the grass is green. I roamed past Belvedere Castle – which for some strange reason I’d never seen. Walked past the Museum of Natural History and spotted my first movie star of the trip – actor Matt Dillon who was eating at a window table at a restaurant at 79th and Columbus. Then onto Nice Matin at 79th and Amsterdam for a very nice lunch with my brother. Mediterranean Lamb salad and pizza with sundried tomato pesto and anchovies.
Filed under New York City
TakeBetsywithyou 