New York, New York
May. 22nd, 2004 08:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lillibetContinuing our tour of "New" places, we drove down to New York last weekend...in
our new MINI! The car did just fine down and back and it is very fun to
drive and quite comfortable.
We left here about six-thirty and made it down there in less than four
hours, despite some construction-related delays in Connecticut. We parked
under Susan & Daniel's building on West 14th and spent a couple of hours
hanging out with them before bed.
On Friday morning we slept later than we had intended, but finally hit the
streets and headed uptown to the Guggenheim. Their current exhibit is
Singular Forms (Sometimes Repeated): Art from 1951 to the Present. It
focused on works by Minimalists and related movements and was more
interesting than we had really expected--their curatorial notes were great.
I think the exhibit is very well suited to the space.
From there we walked down to the Met, which is always a nostalgic place for
me. They've made so many changes since I worked there! We visited the
Andrew Goldsworthy installation up on the roof and then wandered the halls
for a while. We were pretty "full" from the Gugg, but it was good to see
the Temple of Dendur again with more context and understanding and some of
the new spaces they've created are really beautiful.
Leaving there, we wandered down through Central Park. It was a lovely
afternoon and nice to be walking among the trees. At a leisurely pace we
made it to 45th Street right at 7:30, picked up our tickets and met Susan &
Daniel to see The Boy from Oz, starring Hugh Jackman. The story of
Australian singer/songwriter Peter Allen, it was a fun show, but Jackman was
definitely the highlight. He really got into flirting with all the men in
the front rows (as the program notes, Allen wasn't merely a 'friend of
Dorothy', he was her son-in-law) and obviously enjoyed how much we were
enjoying him. He has a strong voice, if a bit nasal at times, and moves
well, but most of all he has enough charisma to fill up a theatre. The
women playing Judy Garland and Liza Minelli were good, but couldn't hold a
candle to him. The most touching moment, especially at this time, was when
he came out to his mother in a phone call--he tells her he's met someone and
she says "That's lovely, Petey, what's her name?" He responds, very
hesitatingly, "Greg," and after a long moment of silence she says "Well,
that's lovely, too." The score was made up of his songs, most of which are
familiar, including "I Honestly Love You" and "Don't Cry Out Loud," and
ending with a real Broadway extravaganza (piano-key stairway and everything)
to "I Go to Rio", which sent us dancing out into the streets.
We made our way to SoHo for a late supper at Balthazar, a wonderfully French
bistro-style restaurant that felt very Parisian. They had my two favorite
oysters, Kumimoto and Fanny Bay, so I had a few of those right off. Jason
and Susan started with the warm goat cheese and caramelized onion tart,
while Daniel had a salad, I think, and I was unable to resist the chicken
liver and foie gras mousse with toast points and greens. For dinner, Susan
took the salmon special, with roasted peppers, while Jason tried the
Balthazar bar steak and Daniel and I both went with the Steak Frites, all
washed down with a nice Cotes-du-Rhone. Everything was wonderful, but a
special mention must go to the fries, which were fantastic. For dessert,
Susan had the selection of sorbets and Jason and I split the Tarte Tatin,
while Daniel had the profiteroles, with chocolate sauce poured on at the
table so dramatically that we feared for his shirt. It was almost 2am, so
we found a cab and were home in a jiffy.
Getting started on Saturday was a slow process, but we finally made it.
Jason had suggested that we should see Ground Zero, so we took the subway
down there and came up through the temporary PATH station, which is right in
the middle of it all. They've put up mesh "walls" around it, with various
quotations about New York printed on them, so you can look out through them
into the construction zone. We went up to street level and walked around
the pit, reading the signs on the fence that detail the history of the site
and have a memorial listing the names of those who died on 9/11. On the one
hand, it is stunning to look at the site and remember what was there, but on
the other hand it's just a construction site now. In the restored Winter
Garden there is an exhibit about the plans for rebuilding, which look
interesting, and once it is rebuilt it will be good to visit and remember
what it looked like now.
It was a very hot day and we were somewhat subdued, so we walked over to
Trinity Church (original home of Kings College, which would become Columbia)
to catch the bus back uptown. After a brief stop at the apartment to shower
and change, we went up to 55th for dinner at Noccello. We were joined by
our friend, Glen, who was in town for meetings. We had a lovely Italian
meal--their specials list made looking at the menu almost moot. Susan and
Daniel reported favorably on a couple of their salads and I enjoyed their
carpaccio. She had the special parsley and duck risotto, while Jason and
Glen took the sweet farm-raised shrimp, butterflied and served with a lemon
garlic sauce. Daniel had the lamb chops Milanese, while I tried the veal
chops with mushrooms. It was very liberating to have the waiter explain as
he served me that I should pick up the chops and gnaw them off the bone. We
had a lovely conversation--Glen and Susan have a number of common interests
and we got into a lively debate over Kill Bill.
The desserts sounded splendid, but we were running late, so we skipped it
and headed down to the theater for Tom Stoppard's Jumpers, starring Simon
Russell Beale and Essie Davis. The play was very Stoppard, with monologues
long enough to make one want to applaud the sheer memorization skill. I
*think* what Stoppard was attempting to demonstrate was the impossibility of
debating belief in God, that is, that no amount of logic will prove it to
those who don't believe and nothing will dissuade those who do. He did this
by essentially summarizing all the main points in the debate to date, while
the main character's batty wife hides a corpse in the bedroom. The
highlight of the show, for me, was bumping into Alan Rickman again. He was
holding court near the stairs as we came in and I stopped and told him that
I had so enjoyed his Private Lives in London and asked if he was working
onstage in New York. He thanked me and said no, he was just in town for a
screening, and I went on up to my seat. During the interval I went to the
bar for a soda and he bumped into me. I looked up and said "I'm always
bumping into you." He said "Excuse me?" and I admitted that I had run right
into him on the street in London a couple of years ago. He said, in that
perfectly dry voice of his, "Pardon me," and then grinned.
During the last few minutes of the show, a terrific thunderstorm broke over
us--we thought at first it was part of the sound effects, which had included
a jet flying past earlier in the show. We dawdled coming out of the theatre
and by the time we emerged it had dwindled to a light rain that wasn't bad
to walk through. When we went to leave the subway, however, it was pouring
again, so we waited in the stairwell until it let up, except for Daniel, who
decided to go back through the tunnels to the entry right near their door
and get umbrellas. He met us around the corner at Emack & Bolios, where we
had dashed during a brief respite in the downpour. We had ice cream, waited
for another let-up and scurried back to the apartment, where we watched the
continuing deluge from their protected balcony.
Sunday dawned bright and clear, or at lest it was by the time we left the
apartment around eleven. We met Glen for brunch at Cafe Elmo, not far from
their building. Jason and I had grilled cheese sandwiches on brioche (his
with tomato, mine with bacon), while Daniel had the steak & eggs, Susan
chose an omelette and Glen got a very nice burger. We stayed there chatting
for a bit, then went back to the apartment to pick up our luggage and then
tropped down to the garage so everyone could see the MINI.
Once it had been suitably admired (it is a lovely little thing), Glen bid us
adieu and the rest of us packed into the car. It was a bit of a squeeze,
but we managed to fit all of us inside for the lovely drive up the Henry
Hudson to Wave Hill. A lovely estate in the Bronx with a stunning view of
the river and the Palisades, Wave Hill has gardens and a greenhouse, as well
as the mansion, with a cafe and shop. We wandered around there for about an
hour, then dropped Susan & Daniel where they could walk downhill to the
subway and continued on our way north. It was gorgeous day and we took a
couple of scenic byways to enjoy the new car and the lovely area before
getting back on the highway and scooting for home.
We made it home around seven on Sunday, took a nap, and then went into Cambridge
to meet Beckie & Neil and join the throngs around City Hall, where the first
legal marriage licenses for same-sex couples were issued at midnight. There
were thousands of people there, but I managed to squirm my way up to the
steps, so Jason and I could see and cheer the couples as they came
through. One of the couples had a sign that said "49 Years Together" and the
thought of finally having their lifelong commitment legally recognized
brought me to tears. It was such a different atmosphere than most political
gatherings I've been to--this was a triumphant moment, a joyous occasion, a
celebration of love and community and it was so wonderful to be in the midst
of it.
our new MINI! The car did just fine down and back and it is very fun to
drive and quite comfortable.
We left here about six-thirty and made it down there in less than four
hours, despite some construction-related delays in Connecticut. We parked
under Susan & Daniel's building on West 14th and spent a couple of hours
hanging out with them before bed.
On Friday morning we slept later than we had intended, but finally hit the
streets and headed uptown to the Guggenheim. Their current exhibit is
Singular Forms (Sometimes Repeated): Art from 1951 to the Present. It
focused on works by Minimalists and related movements and was more
interesting than we had really expected--their curatorial notes were great.
I think the exhibit is very well suited to the space.
From there we walked down to the Met, which is always a nostalgic place for
me. They've made so many changes since I worked there! We visited the
Andrew Goldsworthy installation up on the roof and then wandered the halls
for a while. We were pretty "full" from the Gugg, but it was good to see
the Temple of Dendur again with more context and understanding and some of
the new spaces they've created are really beautiful.
Leaving there, we wandered down through Central Park. It was a lovely
afternoon and nice to be walking among the trees. At a leisurely pace we
made it to 45th Street right at 7:30, picked up our tickets and met Susan &
Daniel to see The Boy from Oz, starring Hugh Jackman. The story of
Australian singer/songwriter Peter Allen, it was a fun show, but Jackman was
definitely the highlight. He really got into flirting with all the men in
the front rows (as the program notes, Allen wasn't merely a 'friend of
Dorothy', he was her son-in-law) and obviously enjoyed how much we were
enjoying him. He has a strong voice, if a bit nasal at times, and moves
well, but most of all he has enough charisma to fill up a theatre. The
women playing Judy Garland and Liza Minelli were good, but couldn't hold a
candle to him. The most touching moment, especially at this time, was when
he came out to his mother in a phone call--he tells her he's met someone and
she says "That's lovely, Petey, what's her name?" He responds, very
hesitatingly, "Greg," and after a long moment of silence she says "Well,
that's lovely, too." The score was made up of his songs, most of which are
familiar, including "I Honestly Love You" and "Don't Cry Out Loud," and
ending with a real Broadway extravaganza (piano-key stairway and everything)
to "I Go to Rio", which sent us dancing out into the streets.
We made our way to SoHo for a late supper at Balthazar, a wonderfully French
bistro-style restaurant that felt very Parisian. They had my two favorite
oysters, Kumimoto and Fanny Bay, so I had a few of those right off. Jason
and Susan started with the warm goat cheese and caramelized onion tart,
while Daniel had a salad, I think, and I was unable to resist the chicken
liver and foie gras mousse with toast points and greens. For dinner, Susan
took the salmon special, with roasted peppers, while Jason tried the
Balthazar bar steak and Daniel and I both went with the Steak Frites, all
washed down with a nice Cotes-du-Rhone. Everything was wonderful, but a
special mention must go to the fries, which were fantastic. For dessert,
Susan had the selection of sorbets and Jason and I split the Tarte Tatin,
while Daniel had the profiteroles, with chocolate sauce poured on at the
table so dramatically that we feared for his shirt. It was almost 2am, so
we found a cab and were home in a jiffy.
Getting started on Saturday was a slow process, but we finally made it.
Jason had suggested that we should see Ground Zero, so we took the subway
down there and came up through the temporary PATH station, which is right in
the middle of it all. They've put up mesh "walls" around it, with various
quotations about New York printed on them, so you can look out through them
into the construction zone. We went up to street level and walked around
the pit, reading the signs on the fence that detail the history of the site
and have a memorial listing the names of those who died on 9/11. On the one
hand, it is stunning to look at the site and remember what was there, but on
the other hand it's just a construction site now. In the restored Winter
Garden there is an exhibit about the plans for rebuilding, which look
interesting, and once it is rebuilt it will be good to visit and remember
what it looked like now.
It was a very hot day and we were somewhat subdued, so we walked over to
Trinity Church (original home of Kings College, which would become Columbia)
to catch the bus back uptown. After a brief stop at the apartment to shower
and change, we went up to 55th for dinner at Noccello. We were joined by
our friend, Glen, who was in town for meetings. We had a lovely Italian
meal--their specials list made looking at the menu almost moot. Susan and
Daniel reported favorably on a couple of their salads and I enjoyed their
carpaccio. She had the special parsley and duck risotto, while Jason and
Glen took the sweet farm-raised shrimp, butterflied and served with a lemon
garlic sauce. Daniel had the lamb chops Milanese, while I tried the veal
chops with mushrooms. It was very liberating to have the waiter explain as
he served me that I should pick up the chops and gnaw them off the bone. We
had a lovely conversation--Glen and Susan have a number of common interests
and we got into a lively debate over Kill Bill.
The desserts sounded splendid, but we were running late, so we skipped it
and headed down to the theater for Tom Stoppard's Jumpers, starring Simon
Russell Beale and Essie Davis. The play was very Stoppard, with monologues
long enough to make one want to applaud the sheer memorization skill. I
*think* what Stoppard was attempting to demonstrate was the impossibility of
debating belief in God, that is, that no amount of logic will prove it to
those who don't believe and nothing will dissuade those who do. He did this
by essentially summarizing all the main points in the debate to date, while
the main character's batty wife hides a corpse in the bedroom. The
highlight of the show, for me, was bumping into Alan Rickman again. He was
holding court near the stairs as we came in and I stopped and told him that
I had so enjoyed his Private Lives in London and asked if he was working
onstage in New York. He thanked me and said no, he was just in town for a
screening, and I went on up to my seat. During the interval I went to the
bar for a soda and he bumped into me. I looked up and said "I'm always
bumping into you." He said "Excuse me?" and I admitted that I had run right
into him on the street in London a couple of years ago. He said, in that
perfectly dry voice of his, "Pardon me," and then grinned.
During the last few minutes of the show, a terrific thunderstorm broke over
us--we thought at first it was part of the sound effects, which had included
a jet flying past earlier in the show. We dawdled coming out of the theatre
and by the time we emerged it had dwindled to a light rain that wasn't bad
to walk through. When we went to leave the subway, however, it was pouring
again, so we waited in the stairwell until it let up, except for Daniel, who
decided to go back through the tunnels to the entry right near their door
and get umbrellas. He met us around the corner at Emack & Bolios, where we
had dashed during a brief respite in the downpour. We had ice cream, waited
for another let-up and scurried back to the apartment, where we watched the
continuing deluge from their protected balcony.
Sunday dawned bright and clear, or at lest it was by the time we left the
apartment around eleven. We met Glen for brunch at Cafe Elmo, not far from
their building. Jason and I had grilled cheese sandwiches on brioche (his
with tomato, mine with bacon), while Daniel had the steak & eggs, Susan
chose an omelette and Glen got a very nice burger. We stayed there chatting
for a bit, then went back to the apartment to pick up our luggage and then
tropped down to the garage so everyone could see the MINI.
Once it had been suitably admired (it is a lovely little thing), Glen bid us
adieu and the rest of us packed into the car. It was a bit of a squeeze,
but we managed to fit all of us inside for the lovely drive up the Henry
Hudson to Wave Hill. A lovely estate in the Bronx with a stunning view of
the river and the Palisades, Wave Hill has gardens and a greenhouse, as well
as the mansion, with a cafe and shop. We wandered around there for about an
hour, then dropped Susan & Daniel where they could walk downhill to the
subway and continued on our way north. It was gorgeous day and we took a
couple of scenic byways to enjoy the new car and the lovely area before
getting back on the highway and scooting for home.
We made it home around seven on Sunday, took a nap, and then went into Cambridge
to meet Beckie & Neil and join the throngs around City Hall, where the first
legal marriage licenses for same-sex couples were issued at midnight. There
were thousands of people there, but I managed to squirm my way up to the
steps, so Jason and I could see and cheer the couples as they came
through. One of the couples had a sign that said "49 Years Together" and the
thought of finally having their lifelong commitment legally recognized
brought me to tears. It was such a different atmosphere than most political
gatherings I've been to--this was a triumphant moment, a joyous occasion, a
celebration of love and community and it was so wonderful to be in the midst
of it.
