Blue Grass Brunch and Museum Madness

It's easy to fall into the brunch and shopping routine on weekends in NYC. Not that this is a bad thing, but sometimes it's nice to check out some of the city's cultural attractions (isn't that why we say we live in New York?) Spending Thanksgiving in the city gave me a few extra days to take advantage of some things I don't always have time for.

If you want to shake things up in your brunch routine, there is a slight variation which you can pretend is cultural at Nolita House. You still get mimosas and eggs Benedict, but the addition of a bluegrass band makes it feel like you've had an experience versus just paid $25 for a meal that costs $2 to make. (Not that I don't love brunch in NYC, but you know how sometimes you can pay a lot for some eggs and a mimosa consisting of Tang and a splash of champagne?) I loved the bluegrass band - these guys were awesome and made me feel like I was back down South in college (yet did I ever wake up early enough for a semblance of something called brunch back then?)

After brunch, we hit up the MoMA (if you think "hit up the MoMA" is an appropriate expression when talking about viewing art) and saw a painting called "people staring at nothing," aka a solid black painted canvas.

MoMA has not only an incredible permanent collection, but always has intriguing rotating exhibits. If you've ever dreamed of screaming in a museum, now's your chance, with the participatory exhibit "Voice Piece for Soprano" created by Yoko Ono. A museum-goer participates here but Yoko's performance is even more entertaining (and totally awkward.) 

The other stop on the Thanksgiving museum tour was the Brooklyn Museum (@ Prospect Park.) There are a lot of interesting pieces here, though the museum flow/ feng shui felt a bit off... it's rather hard to navigate. I'm not a huge Norman Rockwell fan ordinarily, but was fascinated by this exhibit featuring his work and the photographs he used to stage his paintings (exhibit through April 10th.) It made me think about his work in a whole new light.

Also enjoyed this exhibit from Fred Tomaselli - it's hard to see, but much of his work consists of thousands of tiny pills, everything from Benadryl to hallucinogenics. 

Hope this provided a bit of inspiration, and would love to hear about any NYC escapes you've planned for the winter months!

Autumn at Storm King

Sometimes in NYC I forget it's even fall. There are a few trees turning on my West Village block, but it's hard to get that full autumn effect without getting out of the city. So this weekend we journeyed out of the city to the Storm King Art Center and saw a magnificent fusion of natural and man-made wonders:

The Storm King Art Center is, according to its website, "one of the world's most oustanding sculpture parks" and includes works dating from 1945 to the present in a beautiful 500-acre setting. It's a wonderful place to explore on a sunny afternoon, and I'd suggest allowing three hours to casually wander throughout the park. The website notes that it is also beautiful under cloudy or rainy conditions as the sculptures take on a whole new meaning. That could be cool too.

This off-kilter lighter-like structure is an architectural enigma (at least to us):

Many of the sculptures were created to summon UFOs:

 Although we didn't connect with UFOs, the waves spoke to us:

There is also a little cafe with coffee, gourmet sandwiches and other delicious treats. Food must be eaten in two designated picnic areas. We thought it could be nice to pack a bottle of wine and drink along the way, but you'd probably have to be stealthy about it.

Getting there: 

Storm King is an easy one-hour drive from NYC via the Palisades Parkway. Alternatively, the Short Line Bus offers a day trip for just $45.