December 4, 5 2005 NYC
Trip Start
Nov 29, 2005
1
4
8
Trip End
Dec 13, 2005
New York City,
New York,
United States
Monday, December 5, 2005
Sunday we met up with Joselyn's brother Joel and wife Margo... Drove through Central Park and spent some hours in the Russia! exhibition at the Guggenheim. Ya know, FL Wright did it right... the smooth ascending spiral is easy on the feet and encouraging to leisurely looking at the vast chronology of Russian art. Many striking images.. . even the duds (stiff portraits, derivative still lifes, etc.) were interesting.
As we walked up I dipped into the several side exhibits containing the Guggenheim's ongoing shows of modern art. Was struck by Picasso's "Woman with Yellow Hair, December 1931" and it was all the more expressive for being at the end of a circuit taking the viewer in the room again on a time journey from early Impressionism to the start of World War II (on the spiral Russia
01 Back at 21 Bank Street
! staircase, of course, it's The Great Patriotic War).After the Gug Joel taxied us on a visual tour of the high end shops of Madison Ave and Fifth Ave... Saks, Bloomingdales, Tiffany, Bergdorf Goodman, NY Public Library, Penn Station, and countless others. We saved incredible amounts of cash by never getting out of Joel's car. All streets packed, all shops resplendent, some windows achieving High Christian-derived Art all by themselves. Aint capitalism grand? Wonder where they find enough Gay Guys to do all these windows.
Dinner in an performing artists-only apartment complex with cousin Todd and wife Ann, both jazz musicians. Long 20th story view in two directions from 400 West 43rd Street. Had turkey and stuff and Beaujolais Nouveau. They are involved with fighting high-rise development and gentrification. It's the same all over. We'll be back to stay with Todd and Ann here later in the week.
Monday, Dec 5 was our day to hang in Greenwich Village. Enjoyed the village aspect, had pizza at John's Pizza, and visited my home 1946-1949 on 21 Bank Street. Nostalgia for a time I can barely remember. But it was a great moment to be there and take it in.
There's a woman with two black dogs living at 21 Bank Street (in one of the apartments, anyway). I don't think she recognized me. The old couch covered in melting snow on the sidewalk outside didn't look familiar, either. Took some pictures, of course.
Stopped by Babbo's in a nondescript store front off Washington Square. J went in for menus and to reconfirm. Treated well by at least six people. We go there Wednesday night with John Merryman.
Tonight we go to our local and take in the Five Menu Six Wines thing at Niko's.
In planning this trip I tried to balance getting advance tix to interesting things with leaving free time for serendipity. I left most day times free. Still, we keep hearing about things we'd do if we had the time... And we haven't even had Brooklyn pizza yet.
Comments
Yo
Joel turned me onto your little travel reports. I'm following along. Sounds like you're having a great time. Love to you guys!!
Love, Mo