Tag: north-america

The Frick Collection: Reopening after Renovation

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The Frick Collection, on Fifth Avenue between 70th and 71st Streets on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, is a special jewel box of a museum in a city rich with fabulous places to appreciate art. The Henry Clay Frick mansion, designed in 1914 by Carrère and Hastings in the Beaux-Arts style, was converted to a museum to house Frick’s art collection in 1920 after his death. Henry Frick had personally collected a vast array of art, including works by artists as renowned and diverse as Bellini, Degas, Fragonard, Gainsborough, Goya, El Greco, Holbein, Rembrandt, Titian, Turner, Velázquez, Vermeer, and Whistler. What is truly unique, though, is the display of the art within the cohesive and lush interiors of the mansion. The Frick Collection recently underwent an extensive renovation by Annabelle Selldorf and her team at Selldorf Architects, and has added an auditorium, education room, and cafe, while leaving the essential nature of this unique experience intact. I was fortunate enough to be invited to Member Preview Days by a patron (the museum opens for all April 17, 2025, check for tickets here) and was thoroughly transported by my visit.

I was fortunate enough to be able to go the first day the museum held member previews (April 9) thanks to this patron, and we went first thing upon opening to avoid crowds. I would recommend this strategy if you are able. The entrance area was open and easy to navigate thanks to the renovation. There is a coat check and bathrooms downstairs (and quite some stairs! a new grand cantilevered staircase made of veined Breccia Aurora marble), and the new cafe and gift shop above. The second floor rooms in the mansion, once bedrooms, are smaller and I recommend going to them first before the museum gets more crowded if you are first in.

The experience of being in the mansion and the way art is displayed (rather than white plain backgrounds, the walls are covered in hand-woven French silk damask and velvet in sumptuous colors) makes entering each room like becoming part of a new little immersive world.

In almost every room there were lifelike porcelain flowers by contemporary artist Vladimir Kanevsky. Designed to look like real floral displays set up in the collection when it first opened to the public in the 1930s, these flowers are on display through October 6.

Downstairs rooms are larger, as they were public rooms and many specifically designed to display Frick’s art. The beautiful central courtyard has been restored so that the fountain once again works as designed.

In the center of the mansion, the original grand staircase showcases the ornate organ installed.

The location of the Frick Collection right across from Central Park, means that views from the rooms often highlight stunning views of nature to complement the interior art. Seeing the Collection as spring trees extravagantly bloom made many views out of the windows rival that of the stunning art within.

In the evening, I was fortunate enough to attend a member’s reception through the generosity of the same patron. It was much more crowded in the evening, so I preferred the morning experience overall. I was struck, however, with how the quality of the light at sunset changed the look of some rooms in the mansion. To truly appreciate the collection, I think it is important to come multiple times, and at different times of day, as this museum is a part of its urban environment, not insulated from it.

The new gift shop was tempting (see photos above).

To live in New York City is to enjoy almost an embarrassment of riches when it comes to experiencing art – visual art, music, theatre, and dance. The Frick Collection stands alone with its singular blend of the exceptional quality of the art itself, and the immersive environment enabling you to see this art within such splendid surroundings. Make a pilgrimage there when you can to feed your soul – and go back as often as you are able to see it change with the time of day and the seasons. Thanks to this renovation, the Frick Collection will be ready to welcome us for decades to come.

Aire Ancient Baths in NYC: Tribeca vs. Upper East Side

Published on by juliebrannan1 Comment

I do enjoy a great spa experience, and there are plenty to enjoy in New York City. Previously I have written about a day at the QC NY spa on Governors Island and just recently about having a Aescape robot massage at iLy Only Spa at the New York Lotte Hotel. But my daughters know that the the one gift that I am always thrilled to get is a massage plus baths experience at Aire Ancient Baths. I first went to Aire many years ago (maybe 2017?) and have been at least once or twice a year since then. It was my first massage experience when things started reopening after covid lockdown (we were still wearing masks). But I have never blogged about it because you are not allowed to take any photos whatsoever and your phone is locked up. The only photos I have are of the outside of the building. The original Aire in NYC is in Tribeca, and that was the only one I had experienced until one opened walking distance from me, on the Upper East Side, this month (March of 2025). They are not identical, and I kept comparing the two locations while in the new space. This made me think that even without my own photos I might be able to help others wanting to go but unsure of what location to select. All photos from inside the spas are taken from the Aire website.

The Tribeca location is the OG, and obviously the one I have been to the most. I see that the Tribeca location is closed temporarily for renovations, but should reopen in May. It’s located on Franklin Street, in a restored 1883 building that was once a textile factory. As with all Aire locations, it is inspired by baths of the ancient Roman, Greek and Ottoman traditions. When you enter, you immediately note the luxe and relaxing vibe – dimmed lights, nice scents, big sofas with comfy throw pillows, infused water and warm mint tea to sip. They always send an email to check in the day before, and if you have done that, you will just need to show an ID and take a rubber bracelet or bracelets to wear (these let the staff know how long you will stay in the baths and if you are having additional treatments like a massage). Shortly you go back to the changing room (separate for men and women), where you are given a locker (you lock and unlock with a code you set), robe, little black neoprene booties to wear to prevent slipping, and a towel for afterwards. You wear your own swimsuit, and put the robe over it. You are required to leave everything behind in the locker – especially your phone.

The ambiance inside is magical. It is lit with thousands of flickering votive candles (more, I think, at Tribeca than at Upper East Side), and there are multiple pools to experience. If you have not been before, an attendant will show you around the different options. There is a steam room, a vigorous whirlpool, a very hot pool, a cold plunge pool, a “tepid” pool which is roughly body temperature, and (my favorite) a floating salt pool. Before you get into the salt pool, there is a shower and you can scrub with a gigantic pile of salt for exfoliation. Then in the “floatarium” you can literally float, weightless. I find it possible to anchor my head along the rails at water level and just float. With your eyes closed, it approximates a sensory deprivation experience. I generally start out in the steam room, go to the whirlpool, alternate hot and cold pools, then relax in the tepid area (there are multiple semi-private nooks to relax in), but spend most of my time in the salt pool. There are also heated stone loungers where you can enjoy infused water or mint tea.

If you have a massage or other experience (scrub, etc) booked, they will find you when it is time to go and have that. The first time I was at Aire, I was slightly anxious about “missing” it and not knowing what time I will be taken to that, but now I can completely relax and know they will come to me when it is time for my massage. There is a second level area at Tribeca that holds the massage rooms, and I have never had anything other than an exceptional massage at Aire. When done with that, they will let you know if you have more time to relax in the pools. You generally have 90 minutes or more in the pools, whether you have the pools-only experience (which I have only done a handful of times) or if you have a massage (your overall time will just be longer). They come around with singing bowls to chime every hour and you will be told when your time is up (on the second chime, for instance)

Now some details about the Upper East Side new location before concluding with some thoughts that apply to both locations. The new Aire is on E 61st Street, in a 120-year-old building that most recently was a storage facility for artwork MoMA did not have on display. This location is on multiple floors, while the Tribeca location is generally on one level (except for the massage area). It has the same pools, but things are laid out quite differently. The vigorous whirlpool was more enjoyable to me at this location because it has slots big enough for one person to rest in and almost recline, leading to why the attendant called this one a “aqua massage.” The tepid area doesn’t have the semi-private nooks to relax in, so I prefer the Tribeca one. The steam room and hot and cold plunge areas are relatively equivalent at the two locations. The biggest different is in the salt pool, which on the Upper East Side is a level up from most of the other pools and has a clear floor so that it appears to be suspended from the air. However, the pool is not as deep (perhaps the weight of the water was too much to suspend if it were deeper) which to me makes the floating a little more difficult. The Tribeca salt pool is probably 3 feet deep and I would guess the UES location is 12-18 inches deep at most. While this pool looks cooler, I prefer the Tribeca pool. Like Tribeca, they also have heated stone loungers and infused water/mint tea at the UES location near the pools.

The massage at the UES location was just as excellent as every one I have had at Tribeca. Areas where I would say Aire excels in both locations are: customer service (the staff is extremely helpful and pleasant, from the locker room attendants to those checking you in to those in the bath area – the last time I was there someone accidentally took my robe from where I had it hanging up near the steam room and someone had a new one for me within minutes), getting it as a gift experience (tip is included, so if you are given a gift box, it is all-in), and the locker room experience and inclusions to help you get cleaned up and ready to leave (there are showers with L’Occitane shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel; a machine to dry off your swimsuit before putting into a waterproof bag to take home; hair dryers, etc.). Both locations are wonderful about keeping the experience tranquil by making sure people are quiet if they are with someone (large signs note “Silence” and I have seen staff gently shush people who are talking too loudly). The one issue I would note is that often they book up way in advance, so there are times I am given a gift experience and it might be a few months before I can enjoy it. On the other hand, I appreciate that they limit numbers so that it never feels crowded at all while enjoying the baths.

So which location is better? Both are excellent! For me, it is going to be hard to beat the location of the Upper East Side spa as I can walk to and from my experience. I do prefer the salt pool at Tribeca, but prefer the aqua massage pool on the UES. If you want to try one, go to the one more convenient for you – or better, yet, try them both!