Let me start with this- my daughter went back to college….
Secondly- the best thing about driving home from DC is stopping in Baltimore for Chaps Pit beef. I have no idea what pit beef is, but I know it’s delicious
I love fried green tomatoes (whistlestop optional) – these were pretty good
We did a brief sightseeing jaunt in DC before we headed home-
Had a wonderful in person book club- helped that we all liked the book
Bryant Park has a wonderful “reading room”- outdoor tables and books and magazines. They also sponsor reading/writing events for free. I attended a memoir writing workshop given by Cullen Thomas. He is a wonderful speaker and hope to eventually take a class with him. He also is a cross between James Marsden and Rob Lowe, which in LA speak means he’s quite attractive.
My Tea Society celebrated Coco Chanel’s birthday at Bergdorf Goodman. We had a lovely tea followed by a little quality time at the Chanel counter. There just may be a new lipstick in my collection…every black dress needs a red lipstick every now and then
I saw Aretha. Jennifer Hudson is quite good- however the movie is quite average overall
On my way to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden I experienced subway delays/issues….It was only a track fire and not someone letting their girlfriend drive the train though (true story). As I stood trying to figure out how to get to the garden, all I could think was first subway issue in 18 months- we’re back baby…
Lost Leonardo very interesting if you are an art geek
Obviously- I took time to get in as much self care as possible!!!
If I were to name this week it would be things I never knew:
I’d never heard of Sparks, or there 300 songs or five decade career. I have a lot of catching up to do. Glad I caught the documentary which is great, but their music is better
Walking along the East River we discovered a park with seal sculptures- never saw it before…
I’ve been a member of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for at least ten years. I had never seen there little Brooklyn Walk of fame
Lemon/lychee Thai iced tea- who knew how good Thai Iced Tea could be without condensed milk. This was SOOOOOO good
Immersive Van Gogh was just a new and interesting way to look at the works of Van Gogh- I love when we take technology and use it to bring culture to a wider audience…plus…Starry Night on four walls surrounding you
Saw live music!!! Don’t worry, I took the picture before they performed: they were setting up their instruments so I got a no flash shot of the set up. Lovely rendition of Haydn’s “The Seven Last Words of Christ”. The concert was held in the Assembly Room of the lovely Riverside Church
My tea society had a lovely afternoon at Brooklyn High Low- delicious tea and sandwiches and the room was just beautiful
Cruella was fun. Great clothes.
I know that bird houses are not a big deal to most of you, but in Manhattan they aren’t things we normally see, so when I spotted them on a small stretch of East 81st St, I had to snap a picture
Picnic at Carl Schurz Park Upper East Side of Manhattan overlooking Queens, Roosevelt Island and the East River. Sandwich by Milano Market (delicious Italian meats and cheeses!!)
Tacos and mango margaritas for Cinco de Mayo
Went to Jersey for my Dad’s birthday and Mother’s day- brunch at Feast- fried rainbow cookie and chicken Milanese….What I saw in theatersMy daughter was watching Selena and Chef on HBOMAX. Curtis Stone was the guest chef and he made this awesome steak sandwich. I am happy to say that I was able to recreate it awesomely at home. It was really deliciousBetty in the car going to New JerseyPenny – probably annoyed by the dogBetty had a problem with the toilet paper roll
West Side Community GardenMadison Square ParkPretzel from Kirsh Bakery
First time at a live sporting event since 2019
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Chinese Tuxedo in the Chinatown section of Manhattan. This is a sharing place: we split Sweet potato curry spring roll, shitake and shepherd’s purse dumpling, lobster and shrimp toast, kombu and caramelized XO noodles, smoky roast duck fried rice, crispy eggplant and sweet corn ribs. My cocktail was Flowers on the Island (rose infused grey goose, pineapple, triple sec, plum grenadine and cherry brandy)Betty has taken to hiding her dog biscuits in the house. I think she thought this spot in the sofa cushions would workguess who got a pedicureMighty Quinn’s Barbecue – my husband and I split a three meat platter (brisket, ribs and burnt ends)
Ramps are in season at the Farmers Market- and the tulips were gorgeous
A little ChinatownThe comedian went around table to table asking what the relationships were- when they got to ours- the guy said “Friends?” and I said- “She’s my daughter.” Got the biggest laugh of the night….
Lychee Ice Cream from Chinatown Ice Cream Factory and the cookies at Chip City (west village)Betty at the dog park
Sorry- I went to Brooklyn Botanic Garden twice this week- two times the flower pics!
As seen as I walked about
Taiwanese Mango fruit Tea- I discovered this place by accident- tea soooo good! Spiedini Alla Siciliana at Paul and Jimmys…Some snacks from Milk with a strawberry shortcake theme…caramel donut from Donut Pub
Saw Together Together on the big screen- charming story of friendship
My trip to the Whitney-Julie Mehretu-Madeline Hollander
As seen on the streets where I live
Brunch at Shuka- first- they give you a bag for your mask to keep it clean. Bassara dip (fava bean based) Lamb merguez and egg tagine, olive oil cake
Emmett’s- sometimes New Yorkers need deep dishThis movie has been restored recently, and as I love movies. Did want to say May the force be with you about a thousand times though…fun film that I’d never seen beforesleepy Betty
A few years ago, The Vessel was installed at Hudson Yards. The vessel is a structure with multiple sets of stairs that visitors are encouraged to climb. It is considered to be “interactive artwork”.
Fine.
The Vessel opened on March 15, 2019.
Since it opened, three people have committed suicide by jumping off the structure.
As of late January 2021, The Vessel is closed to the public.
Was it irresponsible to build a piece of interactive artwork that people could possibly use to jump from?
The artwork is 150 feet high. While there are railings, there are no safety fences that would stop someone from climbing atop the railings and jumping.
Should we build a structure that has no safety features because gates and fences would be aesthetically displeasing?
What is the line between builder responsibility and user responsibility? When we create something, how much do we consider how it will be used?
Is art exempt from practicality because it is art?
Should The Vessel be permanently closed to the public?
To what lengths do we go to create a view?
I know. I know. So many questions.
I’ve climbed The Vessel twice, once with my Goddaughter and once with my family. It was quite fun to go inside the beehive like structure, go to different vantage points and take pictures of the Hudson, New Jersey and parts of Manhattan. It’s pretty to look at. This weekend we are going to a restaurant which prides itself on its views of The Vessel. I understand why it was created and built. But should more consideration be taken when building what is essentially an attraction?
So give me any and all thoughts on this subject.
Is this something you would like to visit on a trip to NYC? Or is this something that should never have been built?
Barbounia in the Flatiron District NYC- Lamb Kebab Terra Cotta- they put this delicious bread thing on top- it was soooooo good. My friend ordered the desserts by asking the waitperson to just bring the two best desserts. I don’t know what we ate but it was delicious
Morgan Library- NYC
What I Read this week
As seen on the streets where I liveThis is a comic from my blog buddy Matt. If you want to check out his amazing work www.aprolificpotpourri.artthis is how I was trying to prep for my podcast: can you say cut and pasteIt was so nice to be in a theaterThis is The Strand bookstore in NYC- at the same time there were two movements going on- 1) Save a beloved Indie bookstore from going out of business 2) Don’t save it because the owner invests in stocks of large corporations like Amazon, so you’re not really supporting a small business What I watched this week. Quite good and Daniel Kaluuya is just amazing
Kyma in Flatiron District- the zucchini and eggplant chips were stupid goodSeen in gift shop at Morgan Library
Waking up on the Wrong Side of 50 