Category: Uncategorized

Aescape (robot massage!) at Ila Onlyspa in NYC

Published on by juliebrannan1 Comment

 I enjoy a good spa experience, and luckily for me New York City has endless opportunities. I posted once about the fabulous experience at QC NYC Spa on Governor’s Island, and will soon write about Aire Ancient Baths. Both of those are fully immersive, with lush surroundings and multiple types of experiences. For this post, however, I will describe something completely different – Aescape robot massage! Most of us have sat in a massage chair, and it can be a pleasant few minutes. But the Aescape claimed to actually customize a real massage, so I decided to check it out

There are multiple locations for Aescape in New York City (and some in Florida), most within Equinox fitness centers. I decided to go with the one at the ila Only Spa at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel. I imagined that the fitness locations might smell like workouts and thought going to a spa might be more fun (the spa location is slightly more expensive). Checking in was pleasant, and the spa smells delightfully spa-like! I was sent to the lounge first, and able to enjoy citrus spa water and little spears of fresh berries. From this lounge there was a spectacular view of St Patrick’s cathedral.

When I was invited into the room, they had very form fitting (skin tight) long sleeve tops and bottoms to change into. They asked about size when making the appointment, and recommend you go smaller than you usually wear, as the machine slides along the slippery surface of this clothing. You are entirely alone in this room, and you can lock the door, although they have a heavy tassel on the door letting people know not to enter (unless you summon someone during the massage using the screen, I presume!). The room looked and smelled just like a spa massage room, only with the face rest looking onto a screen and robot arms hovering above.

Once I lay down on the table, I could see a screen directly under my face welcoming me, and walking me step by step through setting up. There is a large button on the screen if you want it to stop immediately (good for those imagining one of the machines from the Terminator going rogue). You are walked through adjustments for the headrest, foot bolster, etc., to be sure you are comfortable. Then it makes a scan of of your body, so that it knows where to massage. If you aren’t perfectly straight on the table with your feet in the scoops for your ankles, it will ask you to reposition before it scans. You can see the outline of your body once the scan is done. When that was done, I hit go – and it started. You could change the music (I left it as it was), and either watch the default, which was a schematic of your body and where the robot arms were and how much time you had left, or change to relaxing scenes. I left the schematic on, and had my eyes closed most of the time but it was good to be able to peek at how far along it was. You could see how long you had left, and the steps of what it had done and what was still to come. You could also move the pressure up or down, and you could “heart” things or skip them to customize. I just let it do its thing. You can do “Power Up” – which is a all-over massage, and I did this – or pick specific areas to target. The robot arms are heated and sort of push and slide, much like a strong Swedish massage.

The room actually had a phone cradle set up for you to take a video of your experience if you wanted (and encouragement to tag them on Instagram), but I chose not to do that. All in all, here’s what I feel it did better than a person – it can get two sides of your body at the same time, while a person usually does one side then moves to the other. And it was good on the glutes, which people usually don’t touch for obvious reasons. But it is not a person, and definitely does not provide the experience or level of pampering/relaxation that you can have with a skilled massage therapist.

For people who are made anxious by the idea of being massaged by a person, or of being unclothed during a massage, I could see this being a wonderful option. However, for those (like me) who don’t feel those limitations, I would say at this point, it is still too expensive (between $60-75 for 30 minutes) to replace a massage by a real person. There is no tipping of course, since there is no person massaging you. But all in all, I would say I liked it much better than I had anticipated, and if the price comes down I could see it being an adjunct to massages by a human being, especially for recovery of large muscle groups like glutes and hamstrings.

Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy

Published on by juliebrannan1 Comment

Luna Luna was an open-air museum/amusement park in Hamburg, West Germany that ran from June 4 to August 31, 1987. Created by Austrian artist André Heller, it was an attempt to “create a traveling terrain of modern art, that in the centuries-old principle of the fairground involves people of all ages and educational levels in playful acts”. Heller commissioned around 30 contemporary artists to design the attractions, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, Salvador Dalí, David Hockney, Kenny Scharf, Roland Topor, Jean Tinguely, and Sonia Delaunay. It was rediscovered and relaunched as a global tour 2023 by Drake (yes, the Canadian singer/rapper) and his entertainment firm DreamCrew with production assistance from Live Nation, and it is currently in New York City’s Hudson Yards at The Shed through March 16, 2025. In this version, called Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy, about half of the original 30 attractions are on display, and many cannot be touched (or ridden) due to their fragility over time. I had a fantastic time when I went recently, and it was perhaps the most joyful immersive art I have ever experienced.

You have to purchase timed tickets (get them directly from The Shed here and use code LUNA20 for 20% off on most days), and you can enter any time during that hour. They don’t care how long you stay in the exhibit, but I think most people would stay an hour or maybe a little longer. I recommend getting your ticket for the the first hour of the day if possible because then there will be no crowds when you first go in. They also offer a more expensive ticket that allows you to enter without waiting at any point during a specific day.

As you enter, you are looking directly at a fantastic full-sized carousel by Keith Haring (you aren’t allowed to ride or this or a few other pieces because of potential damage, but when first displayed full-sized adults were able to ride it). There are also large Haring murals behind the carousel.

You can wander through Roy Lichtenstein’s acrylic fun house maze, and I recommend getting on line for this as soon as you get in, as they only let one or two people go through at a time. They recommend you keep your hands up as you go through this labyrinth because it would be easy to just smack into one of the acrylic walls (and you probably will – I did!). There is a sticky mat to step on before going through this and a few other interactive artworks, both to prevent you from slipping and to keep out dirt that might be on your shoes. Lights change color slowly over time, and it is disorienting in the most fun way. The music you hear when you are in this was composed for the artwork by Philip Glass.

Going into a separate room from the one you first enter, you are immersed in music, lights, and several artworks that periodically turn on and move – a Sonia Delaunay-designed entrance gate, a huge Ferris Wheel by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a swing carousel by Kenny Scharf, and a small carousel by Arik Brauer. None of these can be ridden, but each has its own music and lighting when it activates.

When the Basquiat Ferris Wheel activates, you hear the music that he selected to be played, from the album Tutu by Miles Davis.

Much of the exhibit is unusually kid-friendly for an art installation (it is truly for all ages), especially the Poncili Creacion room, by an art collective from Puerto Rico. There are large soft “body parts” that you can wear to become an oversized kind of fanciful creature.

There is also a room specifically devoted to the history of the original amusement park in Berlin, with lots of memorabilia both from the planning of Luna Luna and from the few weeks it was open to be experienced.

Salvadore Dali contributed a reflecting sphere, which you can enter after stepping on the sticky mat again. The lights and music change over time, and as you walk around all the mirrors reflect an endless array of reflections.

Perhaps my favorite thing was the wedding chapel, conceived by André Heller. Couples are invited to take part in a whimsical wedding ceremony (for example, the exchange of rings involves throwing a hoop, or ring, around the forearm of your partner) and others are invited to be witnesses and shake bells as a form of approval several times during the ceremony. The couple then gets a polaroid picture of themselves and a “marriage certificate.” I took photos and videos of the ceremony I witnessed and then was able to AirDrop all the photos and videos to the couple afterwards (and no, I didn’t know them before this!).

Of course there was a gift shop, with some very very unique items (see above)! I almost purchased the small Haring carousel and am already regretting not doing so. Occasionally while in the installation there would be performance art (also a part of the original Luna Luna park) like a gigantic elephant artwork lumbering around the room, or people fluttering huge butterfly artowrks over your head. You can see some of the performance art as well as the rides in motion in a video reel I posted on Instagram (see it here). Your entrance ticket also allows you access to the Butterfly Bar, which overlooks the installation and has food and drinks for purchase. On Friday nights, for the final hour of the evening, New York jazz musicians take over the soundscape of Luna Luna, improvising to the legendary artworks. All in all, I had a fabulous time and would recommend to everyone. On a deeper level, as is posted in the main room, Heller believed that something like Luna Luna was a way to expose people to art who might not ordinarily be interested in it. I think that if you are already an art lover, there is plenty to think about and study, but for those who are not, these “unconventional guises” truly do provide an entertaining way to enjoy the products of these extraordinary artists.

Times Square at year’s end

Published on by juliebrannanLeave a comment

I didn’t grow up in New York City, and like so many others, when I was a child seeing the ball drop in Times Square on television was a normal part of my routine as one year passed into the next. I have now been fortunate enough to live in NYC for over 30 years now, for many of them just a few blocks from Times Square itself. Have I ever waited all day in Times Square to see the ball drop live on New Year’s Eve? No, I have not! But due to the pandemic I was able to get quite close to the ball as it dropped in 2020 without waiting, and there are many other events in Times Square at the end of each year that have now become a regular part of how I process the year past, and anticipate the year to come. Here’s my take on how you can be a part of the Times Square NYE celebration, with even a few ways to participate if you aren’t in the city.

My favorite year-end event in Times Square is the arrival of the numerals that will replace the previous year’s numbers. They sit on the ground in Times Square for just a few days, and you can take your photo with them. You can find out when they will be available each year on the official Times Square website, but they are generally there for four or five days, and around the middle of the month (for 2024, they were there December 18-22). You might have to wait a bit for your turn at a photo, but if you can be there earlier in the day the area is much less crowded.

I think this is a relatively recent event, and the first year I remember seeing it (2018, to see the 2019 numbers) they only had the last two digits there (see above). Now the full year is on display for these few days.

Another activity in Times Square that I really love is the New Year’s Eve Wishing Wall. For most of the month of December (for 2024, December 2-29) you can write wishes on little slips of tissue paper, and they are saved to throw among all the confetti (over one ton is dropped!) that is released at midnight on New Year’s Eve onto Times Square. I find this to be a wonderful way to crystallize my hopes as I enter a new year. This is fun to do in person, of course, but the Times Square Website also allows you to type in wishes from anywhere and they will also be part of the confetti (find it here).

Another fun event is Good Riddance Day (usually December 28, but you can check the Times Square Instagram each year to confirm). More or less in opposition to the cheerful Wishing Wall (haha), for this you write down things you want to leave behind in 2024 and not take with you to the new year. And they shred or even BURN THEM for you . . . good riddance!

No guarantees that they will do this every year, but in 2024 on December 19 you could swap out old crystals on the actual Times Square ball for new ones, and you could keep the old crystal as a keepsake. Lines were long, but hey, at least the Naked Cowboy was there for entertainment.

The big event of course is the actual ball drop on New Year’s Eve. The area around Times Square becomes entirely blocked off earlier in the day and everyone who enters this area (roughly 40th to 59th Streets, from Sixth to Eighth Avenues) goes through airport-style security. If you are interested in going, all your questions can be answered in the FAQ section of the official Times Square website, but I will answer the most important question here: no, there are no bathroom facilities. During the height of the covid pandemic in 2020, only a few blocks were cordoned off and there was no official viewing area. That year I was able to get just a few blocks away, and with no wait, and I saw the actual ball drop from a few blocks away on 50th and Broadway.

I enjoy going to Times Square the morning of New Year’s Day. It’s eerily quiet, and although the clean up is fast and efficient, you can still see remnants of the confetti drop the night before. I know it’s not cool to like Times Square, and there are certainly times I try to avoid it. But that little girl inside of me who looked longingly at the ball drop on television is still there, on some level, and I love that I have been able to find a way to make the reality of Times Square a part of my end-of-year routine.

Red Bucket Follies

Published on by juliebrannanLeave a comment

If you have attended a Broadway show in the spring or late fall, you may have experienced an appeal to donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BCEFA) after the performers have received applause during their bows. Shows still in previews don’t generally participate, but nearly all shows that have opened do. Often you can purchase Playbills or window cards signed by the entire cast in exchange for a donation to BCEFA, and sometimes there are special items auctioned off to the bidder donating the highest amount. I once watched Glenn Close auction off the false eyelashes she had worn during the last revival of Sunset Boulevard (not to be confused with the currently running Sunset Blvd!), along with a photo opportunity with her, for over $10,000. Daniel Radcliffe has a history of raising quite a lot for BCEFA auctioning things like the literal shirt off his back (in Equus) and a piece of paper he had typed on during the performance (in Merrily We Roll Along). But always during these times of year there are people waiting as you exit with red buckets to receive donations of any size (as I have heard many times, “no donation is too small . . . and no donation is too large!”). They now also have QR codes on the buckets to scan and donate through in these relatively cash-free times.

These fund-raising drives were started in 1987, as AIDS was ravaging the theatre community and so many brilliant artists needed assistance with medical costs and social services. Much of the money raised now goes to the Entertainment Community Fund to fund The Friedman Health Center for the Broadway community, the HIV/AIDS Initiative, and The Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, but also expands to provide grants to AIDS and social service organizations all over the country. With these drives occurring roughly around the Easter season and just before Christmas, BCEFA has held revues since 1989 at the end of each round of fund raising to announce the shows that have raised the most money. In addition, shows that choose to can also perform a short musical skit in front of the Broadway community and a panel of celebrity judges in hopes of winning bragging rights by placing in the top three. The spring drive led to one show being called the Easter Bonnet Competition (and each musical skit ended with one performer wearing an elaborately themed hat) and the one in early December was called Gypsy of the Year until being renamed Red Bucket Follies in 2022. As of this year, Red Bucket Follies was the only show being put on (despite the drives still being twice a year), but perhaps Easter Bonnet will come back!

I have been going to these events for years now. The audience is largely made up of the Broadway community, but for a donation to BCEFA some additional tickets are available to the regular public. Generally there are two performances, one on a Monday at 4:30 (think of this as a dress rehearsal, and a way for the judges to decide which skits they plan to award so that there are no delays the next day) and the finale the next day at 2PM (earlier since most attending and performing have a show that night). At the Tuesday performance the fund raising and musical skit winners are announced, as well as the total raised by everyone during the drive.

One of the great things about going to these is being at an insider Broadway event where the more shows you have seen, the better you will enjoy the musical skits. For instance, I remember when the original cast of Hamilton retold the story of “Demon Barber Sweeney Todd” to the tune of “Alexander Hamilton.” When Phantom was about to close, cast members going back decades had a skit set in a nursing home for Broadway performers. You also see Broadway performers interact and introduce different skits (above see Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff from Merrily We Roll Along at the 2023 Red Bucket Follies). The BCEFA YouTube channel has videos from many of the performances over the years.

Often the musical skits are funny (I remember well the opening number honoring the covid testing teams at the first Follies following the covid shutdown – including dancing nasal swabs), but sometimes are quite touching.

The photos above show you the judges and which shows participated in the Red Bucket Follies in December of 2024.

The final total and the shows that had raised the most for the fall drive in 2024 were announced by Jim Parsons (Our Town), Cole Escola (Oh Mary!), Ruthie Ann Miles (McNeal) and Nicole Scherzinger (Sunset Blvd).

The total for the fall drive in 2024 was over $5.3M! As someone who truly loves Broadway theatre, BCEFA is one of my favorite charitable organizations (every year I send their cards, which also represent a donation, to family and close friends). There are other shows during the year to raise money for BCEFA (for example, Broadway Bares, if you are feeling adventurous) and other ways to support BCEFA (they often have Broadway house seats for even sold-out shows available if you are willing to donate twice the face value of the ticket – better than giving the money to a scalper). If you happen to be at a Broadway show during the fund raising periods, please consider being generous. Every single person who participates in the BCEFA drive donates their time, both while collecting and for the Red Bucket Follies. Even the theatre space for Red Bucket Follies is donated by Disney Theatricals. And if you happen to be able to attend Red Bucket Follies next December, let me know – I’ll see you there!

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Published on by juliebrannanLeave a comment

I truly believe some of my earliest memories are of watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and waiting to see the Snoopy balloon. My mother would be in the kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinner and I would race in to make her come in and see when Snoopy finally arrived! Because I was not fortunate enough to be born in New York City, I watched it as most people do, on television. When I moved to NYC, the very first Thanksgiving I was lined up early on Central Park West to see the parade, and have seen it most years since then. I thought it might be fun to go into different ways to watch the parade, other than on TV. I was going to get photos this year (2024) but it was raining all morning and I knew the photos would not turn out. However, I have hundreds of photos from previous years, and had fun looking through them.

The parade starts on CPW and W 77th Street, and ends in front of the Macy’s department store, on W 34 between Broadway and Seventh Avenue. It heads south along CPW, turns at Columbus Circle for a few blocks along Central Park South, then heads south on Sixth until it turns on 34th Street. The blocks around the end of the parade, where the live performances in front of Macy’s are performed for the television audience and a few lucky people, are not accessible to the public.

So the photos above (from 2024, of Hells Kitchen the musical, and the Rockettes) show the typical TV experience, and also show the parts you cannot see if you decide to watch the parade yourself in the city (Broadway and other live performances). If lucky enough to live in a building with a roof deck, you might be able to see the parade from a distance. The photos below are from the roof of an apartment building on Eighth Avenue and W 53rd Street. It’s fun to see the parade like that (and hey, there’s Snoopy!) but it can be distant.

Midtown along Sixth Avenue can be an easier place to see the parade. There may be lots of people around, but the sidewalks and streets are wide enough that you will see the balloons easily even if you don’t get there early. The photos below are from midtown from a few different years (note that although there is always a Snoopy balloon, it changes out from time to time in terms of the design). The disadvantage to this area is that you may be too far away to really see the floats and clowns, etc., but you won’t need to get there early to be able to see the balloons.

Another way to get up close and personal with the balloons is to go to the balloon inflation the day before Thanksgiving. The official area to walk around where the balloons are being inflated (and held under nets until the next morning) has an entrance at Columbus Avenue and W 72nd Street, and there is airport-style security. The hours are usually 1-6PM and it can get crowded. You can also see some of the balloons and floats, with no waiting and no crowds, from the west side of Central Park. The photos below were taken in the park just off the intersection of CPW and W 81st Street.

An insider tip that I rarely hear people mention is that you can get a surprisingly good view of the balloons (if not the floats) from inside Central Park during the parade, without waiting and with few crowds. The photos below were taken from inside the park on the west side at about W 72nd Street (note the Dakota as a backdrop for some of these). This is a really easy and fun way to see the balloons – and was what I was going to do this year (2024) until the rain descended and I decided TV was fine for this year!

The gold standard of seeing the parade – and the thing I did for years and years when my daughters were young – involves waiting on CPW to get a front row view of the parade. You have to get there early (some people sleep overnight in their spots), weather can be tough (I’ve been there in snow and on years when it was below freezing), but the view is impeccable. You can see everything, and clowns will come right up to you (fun clowns, not scary ones!).

There are always people walking behind any horses in the parade, and everyone along the parade route gives the pooper scooper people a huge round of applause, without fail. It’s always a fun moment.

OK, back to Snoopy. There is simply no view like the one you get on the ground right on CPW. He (like all the other balloons) towers over you. And there is always a float with the other Peanut characters (see below for one year where they had a live beagle with them too!). Snoopy is the balloon character to have been in the most Macy’s parades, so I can’t be the only person obsessed . . .

Here are some more photos of the balloons looming over you if you are standing at the front on Central Park West:

If you are right at the front, you can easily see the performers on the floats. They won’t sing (if they are going to at all) until they get to Macy’s but they will wave and it’s fun to see people. See below from 2007 when Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele were in Spring Awakening on Broadway and on a float, and for Corbin Bleu that same year.

I will say that the BEST way to see the parade is the hardest way – and I have only been fortunate enough to experience it this way once. This way is to have, or know someone with, an apartment with windows facing the parade route. When one of my daughters was in preschool, the grandparents of one of her classmates invited all the families from the class to their apartment on CPW to see the apartment and it was magical. If you have seen the movie Maestro, about Leonard Bernstein, you will have seen the balloons go right past the windows of the Bernstein apartment in the Dakota on Thanksgiving morning, and it is just that amazing to experience (as long as you aren’t having an argument as was happening in that scene). You also get to stay warm, protected from the elements, and eat and go to the bathroom when you need to. My dream is to have such an apartment but it hasn’t happened – yet.

The end of the parade always heralds the beginning of the holiday season, with Santa (yes, the real one, since it’s Macy’s that is in Miracle on 34th Street after all) as the final float. I have blogged before about Santaland at Macy’s, and it opens the day after Thanksgiving so I guess in theory this is the big reveal before he gets to work meeting children at Macy’s.

Other ways to see the parade, that I have not experienced: know someone at Macy’s and get seats on the grandstand (that would be great!) or pay for a hotel room with a view of the parade (expensive to be sure but worth it if you can afford it, I guess).

A few facts about the parade, courtesy of Macy’s, that highlight what a big production this is:

-Years of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – 98 (est. 1924)
-Years on NBC, official national broadcast partner – 72 (since 1952)
-Years of Al Roker as co-host- 30
-Featured character helium balloons – 17
-Heritage and novelty balloons – 15
-Height of tallest balloon – 60 ft (Disney Minnie Mouse by The Walt Disney Company) and Length of longest balloon – 77.5ft (Spider-Man by Marvel)
-Width of widest balloon – 66.5 ft (Gabby by Universal Studios’ Dreamworks Animation)
-Gallons of Paint – 2,000
-Pounds of Glitter – 300
-Pounds of Confetti – 200
-Costumes – 4,500+

Apparently they get to work planning the next year’s parade the day after Thanksgiving – it’s a big production with a standard of excellence, and it shows. I recently also read that the ratings for the Macy’s parade now beat out the Academy Awards, and advertising costs are only slightly less. I’m a fan, and would say that if you are in NYC and get a chance to see it in person (however you choose to do it), take that opportunity! Maybe I’ll wave to you there next year from the windows of my new apartment on Central Park West . . .

October happenings at Carl Schurz Park

Published on by juliebrannan1 Comment

The Yorkville neighborhood on the Upper East Side is a real hidden gem in Manhattan, and I have blogged about it often (Yorkville in the snow: A love letter, Goodbye to Glaser’s Bake Shop, the heart of Yorkville, Yorkville: From Lexington and 86th Street to the East River Promenade, for instance). The heart of this neighborhood is Carl Schurz Park, between East End Avenue and the East River, from 89th to 84th Street. The Carl Schurz Park Conservancy maintains and improves the park, and also holds special events throughout the year. In October, two extremely enjoyable (and entirely free!) events take over the park on two different Sundays: Harvest Festival, and the Halloween Howl. I went to both this year (2024), had a fantastic time, and took a lot of photos.

The highlight of the Harvest Festival is a gigantic pumpkin patch created on the lawn next to Gracie Mansion. Every child that attends can select a pumpkin and take it home at no cost.

Surrounding the temporary pumpkin patch, multiple tables are set up with various ways for children to decorate their pumpkin once they select it.

When the ropes are dropped (this year, at 1PM), there is a bit of enjoyable chaos and mayhem, but even toddlers seemed to be able to go in and select a pumpkin without being trampled by larger kids.

Near the pumpkin patch and decorating tables, there were friendly costumed characters and live music (Nice Brass, see a short video of them playing at the event here).

A really nice touch is that the scarier decorations are all located in a nearby area but one that you can’t see unless you choose to go there – perfect for those with young or easily frightened children (or adults, for that matter!). For my video montage of the entire event, see my Instagram reel here.

The following Sunday, Carl Schurz Park hosted the Halloween Howl.

The Healthy Hound Vendor Fair started at 11AM, and was set up all along John Finley Walk next to the East River.

Text

The canine Halloween costume contest was set up In the basketball court, and began at 1PM.

There were four categories: for small dogs, large dogs, children with their dogs, and groups. Judges were business owners from the Yorkville area, and spectators crowded all around the perimeter of the contest. You can see the video I made of the Halloween Howl here.

There are other events in Carl Schurz Park during the year – opportunities to help with planting, movies under the stars during the summer, a tree lighting in December – and these two October extravaganzas were delightful. But I would recommend visiting this little jewel of a park any time of the year. Hang out and watch the dogs play in either the big dog run or the little dog run. Stroll along the Promenade next to the East River and watch barges or even sailboats go past. You can continue south and connect eventually to the East Midtown Greenway. There’s a wonderful playground for little kids. I love Central Park, of course, but it’s not the only show in town! Check out Carl Schurz Park and let me know what you think.

Stonewall National Monument, NYC

Published on by juliebrannanLeave a comment

When President Obama recognized Stonewall National Monument as part of the National Park Service in 2016, the entire block on Christopher Street between 7th Avenue and Waverly Place became the first official National Park Service unit dedicated to telling the story of LGBTQIA+ Americans. In June of 2024, a Visitor Center opened up adjacent to the Stonewall Inn, and I got a reservation (free; recommended but walk ins are also welcomed) and checked out this new addition to the many places we can go in New York City to learn about our past and think about our present and future.

The park outside the Stonewall Inn has exhibits that are changed over time. Currently on display is “Stonewall Forever: A Living Monument to 50 Years of Pride.”

The Stonewall Inn still exists as a place to go in and have a drink. They also have entertainment in the evenings, with bingo, a piano bar, the Eight Ball Lounge (there is a pool table), and Saturday night dance parties. The Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center is right next door. In 1969, Stonewall Inn occupied both 51 and 53 Christopher Place, but more recently it has only occupied 53 Christopher, with various businesses using the space at 51 Christopher. With the Visitor Center now in 51 Christopher, the original footprint of Stonewall is again intact.

You can reserve free tickets in advance, but walk in visitors are also welcomed. In 1969, the bar was where the merchandise is now; the dance floor was in the back where there is a short video playing.

The visitor center is not large, but it does a good job of explaining the history behind the uprising in 1969. A juke box is an exact replica (with the music available then) of one trashed during the uprising.

There are interactive elements as well, like these empty journals with prompts for you to fill out if you would like your voice added to the story.

In the back of the visitor center, there is a short film shown, and the corporate sponsors who helped make the visitor center a reality are thanked.

There is, of course, merch! And as you can see, those working here wear the uniform of someone working for the National Park Service.

A reviewer for the NY Times criticized the newly opened Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center for delivering an overly optimistic view of how LGBTQIA+ rights have progressed since the uprising at Stonewall Inn in 1969. I get that, and this center does not pack the emotional depth of a visit to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama – which I have also visited. Still, I personally found going to the Visitor Center to be a valuable experience, and one that I would recommend. While there is still significant work to be done to ensure equal opportunities for all, it is also important to remember the events in June 1969 which were the beginning of positive progress for LGBTQIA+ rights.

A Brooklyn beach walk

Published on by juliebrannanLeave a comment

It’s been a hot summer in New York City, and many escape to the Jersey Shore or the Hamptons (or Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, or Bar Harbor, for that matter) to find some cooling ocean breezes. However, we are fortunate that in NYC we have several beaches we can get to fairly easily via public transportation. I have previously blogged about taking the ferry to Rockaway Beach in Queens, and taking the subway to Coney Island. Recently though, I enjoyed a walk through three different beaches in Brooklyn, starting with Manhattan Beach, continuing to Brighton Beach, and then finishing up on Coney Island. Consider this a bit of a summer photo essay, and a reminder that there are always things to do in New York City.

To get to Manhattan Beach, you can take the Q to the Brighton Beach stop, and then either take the B1 or B49 bus toward Sheepshead Bay, or walk about 20 minutes or so. Manhattan Beach looks across Jamaica Bay right at Rockaway Beach. Walk with the water to your left and you will be walking back toward Brighton Beach. You will get a boardwalk beginning in Brighton Beach, which then eventually joins the Coney Island boardwalk.

IMG_3722IMG_3723IMG_3724IMG_3725IMG_3726IMG_3727IMG_3728IMG_3729IMG_3730IMG_3731

IMG_3732IMG_3733IMG_3734IMG_3735IMG_3737IMG_3738IMG_3739IMG_3740IMG_3741IMG_3742

There are multiple public transportation options at Stillwell Avenue for getting back. If you don’t stop, the entire walk from Manhattan Beach to Coney Island Beach is about an hour. There are plenty of reasons to stop though – not only to enjoy the ocean but to have a bite to eat, or sit and people watch. I went late on a weekday when it had been threatening rain off and on, and the walk was quiet, but on a sunny summer day be prepared for it to be crowded. Hey, if you can spend the month of August somewhere cooler looking at some other beach, enjoy! But if you can’t, don’t forget all the beaches that are easy to get to within the city.

Perelman Performing Arts Center

Published on by juliebrannanLeave a comment

Lower Manhattan near the original site of the Twin Towers has completely transformed in the almost 23 years that have passed since September 11, 2001. I have written before about the Oculus and One World Trade, but was happy this summer to visit the Perelman Performing Arts Center, a new space for the performing arts.

The center is nestled in the shadow of One World Trade, across from the reflecting pools and the 9/11 Museum.

The building was designed by REX, an acclaimed architecture and design firm based in New York City, whose name signifies a re-appraisal (RE) of architecture (X). There are three potential performance spaces, and all are designed with flexibility in layout, depending on the needs of any production. I was there to see a reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running feline musical as Cats: The Jellicle Ball (only there until August 11, and it is SOLD OUT – but you could keep checking the website, or go by the box office before a show to wait for returned tickets. I also hear this may transfer to Broadway after a series of rave reviews . . . ). Setting the musical within a new frame of NYC Ballroom culture works brilliantly, and the production is a lot of fun.

Public spaces are cool and visually arresting.

Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelson of Red Rooster fame has a new restaurant in the space, called Metropolis. We dined there before seeing Cats and I would definitely go back. I personally believe it is even worth a reservation even if you aren’t seeing a show at the PAC. If you do have tickets at the PAC, you are allowed access to reservations for your date before they open to the general public, which is a definite plus.

The cocktails at Metropolis were excellent and the bar looked like a great place to stop off and have a bite and a drink if you don’t want a full sit-down meal.

I don’t generally post a photo of the bathroom, but this one was cool – when you lock the stall, a red light goes on, so when you go in you can quickly look up and find a green light to know which stalls are available.

For Cats, the main performance arts area was set up with a catwalk (ha) with cabaret tables around it, elevated side seating, and more traditional seating behind the judge’s table where André De Shields sat as Old Deuteronomy. I look forward to seeing what programming is presented at PAC for decades to come.

As I exited PAC, the joyous music and dance of the performance I had just enjoyed still reverberated in my body even as I immediately faced the reflecting pools on the former footprints of One and Two World Trade. As I said in my post about the Oculus, for many years after 9/11, I completely avoided that area as I found the loss there overwhelming. But the area is now revitalized, while still holding that loss in memory via the reflection pools and the 9/11 Museum. Having a new performing arts center there now brings even more light and life to this area that, after unimaginable tragedy, has been reborn in the past two decades.

Blue Box Cafe at Tiffany and Co.

Published on by juliebrannanLeave a comment

In the beginning of the Audrey Hepburn 1961 film, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” Hepburn’s character Holly Golightly stares into the window displays while eating a croissant out of a paper bag (this scene does not occur in the Truman Capote book the film was based on, although she does reveal at one point that whenever she is anxious Tiffany’s is the only thing that can calm her). Since May of 2023, after the flagship Tiffany and Co. store reopened after a gorgeous renovation, star chef Daniel Boulud’s Blue Box Cafe has allowed you to eat a real breakfast – or lunch, or early dinner – at Tiffany’s on the sixth floor. I recently celebrated my daughter’s birthday here and it far surpassed expectations (and my expectations were high!).

The first thing to figure out was how to get a reservation, as they are not easy to acquire. You can find out more about the cafe at its website (Blue Box Cafe) but reservations are only taken online at Resy. If you want a specific date and time, reservations open up 30 days in advance at midnight, and you need to be fast. However, in playing around with the site I noticed that often last minute reservations would show up a day or so before. You can’t order a celebration cake less than 48 hours in advance (more about that later) but otherwise it is a good option if you don’t get a reservation right at the 30 day mark. Also, note that last minute reservations tend to be for later in the day, I suppose because most people want to say they had “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

The space is exquisite – large windows looking west onto Fifth and north to Central Park, an abundance of little Tiffany blue boxes hanging from the ceiling, and an intimate space where regardless of the small size of the space you aren’t crowded right next to other diners. Service was excellent, as well. Immediately upon being seated, two coin-sized discs were placed in a bowl and hot water poured over them so that they would blossom into warm towels to remove the grime of the city from our hands.

Here are the menus – a wine list, cocktails, desserts and nonalcoholic beverages, an afternoon tea prix fixe, a la carte entrees and sides, and the signature “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” prix fixe selection. Everything was tempting but we both ended up getting a gin-based cocktail called “Holly’s Delight” along with “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Between 10am when it opens and noon, there is also a lighter breakfast option you can choose.

All the silverware and china were of course by Tiffany! The cocktail was delicious.

The first thing brought out was “A glass of Golightly,” a fresh fruit and vegetable juice with a touch of ginger. Then the “Breakfast at Tiffany” service came out with six different delicacies, two of each since we had both ordered this.

The “egg in a shell” was ingenious! A hard boiled egg shell had been hollowed out, and a delicious serving of scrambled egg with cream and chives used this shell as a container. This comes with caviar on top but I don’t care for caviar (I know, most people do!) so I asked for mine without and it was very tasty.

There were three pastries, a croissant, a chausson aux pommes (apple turnover) and a madeleine. They were all excellent (and for some reason, I forgot to take a photo of the madeleine, very anti-Proust of me to find they made me forgetful. . .).

There was a lovely pineapple rosace fruit dish with strawberry, vanilla and lime. There was also a yogurt parfait with granola and a layer of mango and passionfruit. Everything served was elevated in some way and made the entire experience feel special.

Since we were celebrating a birthday, I had ordered a “celebration cake” in advance. To do this you first need to have a reservation, then email the restaurant more than 48 hours in advance of the reservation to fill out an order form and have that linked to your reservation. The choices for flavor are either vanilla cake with seasonal fruit, or chocolate with caramel (which is what we had selected). They bring the cake out with a slab of chocolate personalized with the message of your choice with icing. The cake came with a lit candle, and they let us take pictures of the intact cake (which was beautifully detailed in Tiffany blue with chain decorations) before taking it away to cut for us and box the rest to take away. They asked how many slices we wanted but said they usually recommend for two cutting it in half, boxing half to take home and making two slices out of the other half. We did that and in fact the slices were too large for us to finish, but the cake was wonderful.

The box for the leftover cake continued the theme, as did the postcard attached to the bill. The bar, by the way, is created from gorgeous marble with blue veining. I noticed that there is the opportunity to walk in and sit at the bar if there is availability, so if you don’t have a reservation but really want to come in and experience the food, drink, and decor, that is an option.

I am fortunate enough to live in New York City, close enough that I walked there and back from home. There are so many things to do and places to go that I only go back to those that stand out and surpass expectations. Blue Box Cafe fit this description – I will be back!