You enter Top of the Rock from 50th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. As you get checked in and head for the elevator, there are various facts about Rockefeller Center and about what you will see from the observation area (some, like the exact number of taxis and people you will see, seem unnecessarily and inaccurately precise!).
There are three observation decks, inside on the 67th and 69th floors, and then an outdoor deck on the 70th floor. This outdoor deck has stone barriers to above waist level, but then no obstructions to open air and open views.
One of the advantages to not being on the Empire State Building or One World Trade, of course, is being able to see the same!
While the daylight views were enjoyable, to me the real magic was going back at sunset and watching the lights come on as night fell on New York City
The experience of being there and witnessing the city’s transformation can’t really be conveyed in words and photos. The best I can do is this series of photos showing the Empire State Building first in a shot taken during the day and then in several more beginning at twilight and ending at full darkness:
Which observation experience is the best? Hey, I loved them all! If you live here, don’t think you are above going to one of these to have a great time; and if you are visiting, try to work in a few different ones if you can. The Edge and SUMMIT One Vanderbilt are certainly the “cool kids” of the bunch. One World Trade has the best “reveal” – the elevator ride up is an integral part of the experience, and then the way you first see the view is in fact breathtaking. The Empire State Building is the classic of course, with the disadvantage that you can’t actually see the Empire State Building while on it! Top of the Rock is a classic and you can see all the iconic buildings from it. One World Trade is far south, so a better view of the Statue of Liberty but a more distant view of the midtown skyscrapers. The Edge is far west, which is why the primary views are oriented east and south. SUMMIT, Empire State Building, and Top of the Rock are all in midtown, so your views are more balanced in all directions. And The Edge and SUMMIT have the most fun “experiences” – especially, I would say, SUMMIT, which is basically an immersive art experience with views.
Finally, there is the issue of going during the day versus at night. I suppose you could argue that you “see the city better” during the day, but to me, the city transforms into its essential self when the unbiased glare of the sun is removed. Then New York City is allowed to show itself as it wants to be seen – lighting what it wants lit, leaving in darkness what it prefers to hide. To love the city as I do means being able to do the same on a daily basis – choosing to see this place as its essential essence and in the light of my own romanticized gaze. The romance of seeing the lights of the city at night from a lofty perch is a win in my book – who wants to go with me?
When Stephen Sondheim died on November 26 of last year, we lost a towering figure in musical theatre. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center quickly put together a pop-up installation of some of his correspondence from their archives, which proved to be so popular that they have recently enlarged it, adding set models from several of his musicals, and highlighting Sondheim’s interactions with collaborators. This exhibit will be on display through February 12, and if you are able to stop by, I believe it is well worth it (as with everything at the library, there is no charge). To me, the most interesting aspects were the way his playfulness and humor showed up in his correspondence with others. It’s easy to be so intimidated by someone’s talent that they seem more than human, but in this exhibition Stephen Sondheim’s personality and humanity shone through.
If you have never visited the Performing Arts Library, you need to put it on your radar. They often have very informative and entertaining displays about various areas of the performing arts. They also hold panel discussions and interviews with well-known artists. They are located just to the south of Lincoln Center Theatre. Bookmark their website!
The photos above show some of the additions made to the original display of Sondheim’s correspondence. The library has an interactive screen that allows you to go through and look at Playbills and production notes from many Sondheim musicals. In addition, they had an early design for a tree for Into the Woods, as well as early design sketches and models for the set design for Company and Follies.
On a screen, images of Sondheim with his collaborators, going all the way back to Gypsy and West Side Story, rotate through candid photos over the years.
The real heart of the display continues to be Sondheim’s correspondence, however.
Look at this thank you note to Broadway lyricist Betty Comden and her husband, “just A note” included!
I loved the personality shining through these notes to playwright Peter Stone and his wife, Mary. Given the date of the one on the left, he was presumably referring to A Little Night Music. After asking them whether they had seen it, he added,” If you adored it so much that you can’t keep away, come again as my guests. And if you didn’t like it, f*** off. Love, Steve.”
Here you can see lyrics written by Michael John LaChiusa in honor of Sondheim’s 80th birthday, and a congratulatory letter from Richard Rodgers to Sondheim on the opening of Company, with Sondheim’s reply (“no letter I have received on the show has meant more”).
I love these notes. In the upper right, he expresses thanks for the gift of a diary from Hal Prince and his wife, Judy, and then claims “I plan to do nothing whatsoever this year. Again.” In the upper left, he thanks them for a wire but says ” . . . we did get mugged. Surprise.” (Presumably, given the year, a bad review for Sunday in the Park with George?) And at the bottom, to Hal alone, notes on Sweeney Todd, which would have just opened a week before. After noting that the pies in the second act should look baked, and that the books coming down the chute when trying out the “special” barber chair should match the ones put in, he claims he dares not risk Hal’s wrath by giving the notes directly to the stage manager.
Stephen Sondheim won eight Tony Awards and a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and has theatres named after him in both New York City and London. He died at the age of 91 on a Friday, after having seeing both a matinee and an evening show on Broadway on Wednesday, and celebrating Thanksgiving with friends on Thursday. A few days later – on a Sunday – the Broadway community gathered on the red steps in Times Square to celebrate his life (I was there, and posted a clip on Instagram that you can see here). As they sang “Sunday” from Sunday in the Park with George the word that rang out was “forever.” Just as the people immortalized in the painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat will be viewed forever, Stephen Sondheim – the icon, and the man – has changed musical theatre and will be remembered with respect and affection forever.
I saw the new 2021 remake of West Side Story last week, and it made me think of when they were shooting some exterior scenes in Harlem. This was in the “before times” – before COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions -in the summer of 2019, July 13 and 14th. It was hot when they were shooting “America,” with temperatures in the 90’s. They had (I believe) wrapped that scene earlier on July 14th, and it was shot on St. Nicholas Avenue between 111th and 113th. As with most shots on location, when not actively filming, you are free to be in the area and look at exterior sets and equipment.
Old-fashioned telephone booth.Partially covered set pieces; vintage magazine rack.Gorgeous old cars!How they get those fantastic shots zooming up over the dancers!Equipment.So difficult to shoot on location, but the result is worth it!
On E. 131st between Fifth and Lenox, there was signage about demolishing buildings to make way for Lincoln Center:
The film was enjoyable on so many levels, one of which being seeing so many Broadway stars on the big screen. Ariana DeBose (“Anita”), from the original company of Hamilton and on to A Bronx Tale and Summer; Mike Faist (“Riff”), from the original cast of Newsies to Dear Evan Hansen; even Brian d’Arcy James (“Officer Krupke” – unfortunately not a singing and dancing role!). with a long resume including Next to Normal, Shrek the Musical, Something Rotten!, and Hamilton. Sentimentally, my favorite was David Alvarez (“Bernardo”), who won a Tony Award in 2009 as one of the three original “Billys” in Billy Eliott the Musical. I remember taking my daughters, who were a little younger, to meet and have things signed by the three young men. It’s fantastic to see him giving such a vivid performance now as a grown man on the big screen.
Looking back on these photos, two-and-a-half years ago but feeling like much longer, it’s clear that the 2021 release of West Side Story involves not only time travel back to the time of the show but also to the time of the filming. Even now, with the film in theaters only, not everyone feels safe seeing it on the big screen with vaccines giving protection but a new variant of COVID-19 running rampant. When you can see this version of West Side Story, however, I do recommend you check it out as I greatly enjoyed it.
When One Vanderbilt, a commercial office building next to Grand Central Terminal in midtown Manhattan, was completed, it soared to 1,401 feet and became one of the tallest 30 buildings in the world. So – of course they had to create a public observation area! But, with the icons like the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock, and newer competitors like One World Trade and The Edge at Hudson Yards, certainly the developers realized they needed to do something a little different when they opened last month. Having been twice, once during daylight and once after sunset, I can affirm that they succeeded in doing just that with SUMMIT at One Vanderbilt.
To get there, enter just to the east of the Grand Concourse at Grand Central Station. At this point (November 2021), there is a vaccination check before seeing a brief film and getting booties to cover your shoes (the reason for that becomes pretty clear once at the observation area). After scanning your tickets, you have two photos taken – one of your group as well as an individual photo of each. All digital photos are linked to a wristband with a QR code that you wear while experiencing SUMMIT.
You go up to the 91st floor in a very fast elevator, and immediately see what is different about SUMMIT once you walk onto the first observation floor. There are floor to ceiling windows and you walk on mirrors (when you reserve, they do recommend that you not wear a skirt, for pretty obvious reasons!). The experience of seeing up and down, seemingly endlessly, is striking.
And what can you see? First is a picture-perfect view of the Empire State Building to the south, and much farther south, One World Trade at a distance. To the east, you look DOWN (a bit disconcerting!) onto the Chrysler Building, and to the west you can look down onto the New York Public Library and the skating rink in Bryant Park, over Times Square, and toward Hudson Yards. To the north, you see Central Park and the super-talls on Billionaire’s Row. You can see the Statue of Liberty, and every bridge, from the Verrazzano-Narrows to the George Washington.
And for bonus activities, there is a room with Yayoi Kusana’s Clouds sculptures, a place to get your picture taken stepping out over the side of the building onto clear glass, with clear glass all around you (called, natch, Levitation), and a very trippy room filled with floating silver mylar globes called Air by Kenzo Digital (see some videos of what that is like here).
When you go up one more level, you can see down to the people entering on the mirrored floor in addition to seeing the views from one level up.
One more level up has a Danny Meyer cafe as well as an outdoor observation deck with clear barriers but open to the sky above.
Of course there is a gift shop!
But what is it like at night, and with the Ascent elevator and enjoying a signature Danny Meyer cocktail? I was back two weeks later for the entire experience.
I found the experience to be much more exciting and beautiful at night, so much so that I feel just posting some full-sized photos is enough to make my point.
I mean, a full moon didn’t hurt! Also, this time I was able to catch my face in the clouds (below), triggered by scanning your wristband and linking the individual photo you took earlier to a moving cloudscape in one of the rooms.
But what of the Ascent elevator? See above, for an extra price, you can stand in a clear glass elevator perched on the side of One Vanderbilt, go up even higher, have 90 seconds to take photos, and come back down. There is an enhanced ticket that you can get that includes the experience, the Ascent elevator, and a Danny Meyer cocktail (menu seen in a photo collage above). Did I enjoy the cocktail (I got the margarita) – of course, it was delicious! But do I think you necessarily need to pay for the Ascent plus cocktail to enjoy yourself? No – if you need to save a little money, just do Summit without any add-ons. Speaking of cost, tickets cost more at night than during daylight, with an extra surcharge for sunset times. There is a $5 per ticket discount for NYC residents. Find out more here.
I read a review of SUMMIT recently in Curbed (read it here) that called it “a ridiculous experience” and said it can’t replace enjoying NYC from ground level. Frankly, I think that misses the point. Of course the quintessential way to experience the city is to walk it (my first post was about just that). That doesn’t mean that it isn’t also tremendously enjoyable and exciting to see the city in a different way – and SUMMIT is a very different experience. Whether you are a New Yorker looking for a fun new sensory trip, or a visitor wanting to add to the ways NYC can wow you, I don’t think you will be disappointed if you decide to give SUMMIT a try.
I’ll never forget hearing on March 12, 2020, that Broadway was going to be shut down until the week of April 13th. It seemed inconceivable to me that it could be true – after 9/11 it was shut for two days, and here and there a blizzard would shut down shows for a day. The idea that there would be no Broadway theatre for over a month was stunning. If someone had told me at that point, as I struggled to process this unprecedented shut down, that in reality Broadway theatres would be closed for at least 18 months, I would not have been able to believe it (or, perhaps, take it). Even when I was taking photos in an entirely empty Times Square that spring (the experience of which I wrote about in this blog post), it still seemed impossible to believe that Broadway, the heart of NYC’s pulsing vitality, would be shuttered for so long. But now the sleeping beauty is waking up, and it’s exhilarating. This is my perspective on Broadway’s reopening, as of the end of September, 2021.
The first time I walked into a Broadway theatre was to see a Disney on Broadway concert (Live at the New Am) at the New Amsterdam theatre. Vaccination checks were in place before the normal security screen. To hear the sound of a ticket being scanned was a delight. When the usher (above) declared “Welcome back to Broadway!” it was almost too emotional. The concert was fantastic, and so many lyrics of Disney on Broadway songs took on new meaning and the performers and audience reacted (for instance, “In the First Time in Forever,” the following: There’ll be actual real live people/It’ll be totally strange/But wow, am I so ready for this change!/’Cause for the first time in forever/There’ll be music, there’ll be light.
The first Broadway play to open after pandemic shutdown was the new play Pass Over, by Antoinette Nwandu. The opening night of previews, August 4, the crowd stood and applauded with stage manager Cody Renard Richards made the preshow announcements (you can see his experience here). After the first preview, the block of West 52nd between Broadway and Eighth was closed off and there was a jubilant block party with DJ.
The next time I was in a Broadway theatre was the Majestic, to see the premiere of a documentary about the Broadway shutdown and a few touring companies that managed to stay open in South Korea. The entire experience was terrific, from being welcomed with Josh Groban singing “Can’t we start again please” (from Jesus Christ Superstar), though the film. But when the end credits were over, the screen rose to reveal the iconic Phantom’s lair, and a bevy of Broadway divas (including Adrienne Warren, Ariana Dubose, and Sierra Boggess) singing “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from Sunset Boulevard.
On September 2, the first Broadway musicals reopened: Waitress, with composer Sara Barielles stepping back into the lead for six weeks, and reigning Tony Best Musical Hadestown. I was at the first night for Waitress, and enjoyed the sticker on the front of the playbill saying “The Diner is Re-Open” along with the date. The audience gave a standing ovation (the first of perhaps 10 or 12 that evening) for the “turn off your cell phones” announcement – which at Waitress is a song. After initial bows, Amanda Kloots, the widow of original cast member Nick Cordero (who lost his battle with Covid-19 last year) came on the stage and everyone sang Nick’s song “Live Your Life.” His song is now also permanently included as one of the pies on the menu board on stage.
I was at the third reopening performance of Hadestown, and loved that their Playbill lists reopening night as well as opening night. The outside of the theatre is enrobed in the red flowers that feature so prominently in the production. Here they represent that “spring will come again” to Broadway as it returns and flourishes.
On September 14, Hamilton, The Lion King, Wicked, and Chicago all reopened. At 5PM that day, casts met in front of the Richard Rodgers Theatre and, led by Lin-Manuel Miranda, delivered a rousing version of “New York, New York.”
Two days before that, however, I had been very fortunate to be allowed to attend the final dress rehearsal of Wicked before reopening. These invited dress performances are not for purchase, and allow the show to run through with costumes, lighting, etc., with a crowd of friends and family. These are always special (I have been to a few) in part because what elicits applause is often very different for these crowds of insiders. I was able to compare that directly when I also attended the first reopening performance of Wicked on September 14. The audience for this was electric, from Kristin Chenowith’s welcome (including a witty “There’s no place like home!”) through bows. After the curtain came down and the lights went up, the audience refused to leave, however, applauding and standing for minutes until the curtain rose again. This time the cast was joined by composer Stephen Schwartz, who seemed unsure whether to say anything before finally stepping forward – almost to be hit by the curtain coming down!
I was at Hamilton at the second reopening performance on September 15. The cast is tight, and the energy level high. I could tell that the conductor was trying to prevent protracted applause from drawing out the show, however, as we can’t keep having shows that go three hours or more when they should clock in at 2 hours, 40 minutes!
Then I was at the third reopening performance of The Lion King. The energy level was still very high, and I liked the Welcome Back insert with an invitation to give feedback.
That weekend, September 17-19, Times Square hosted a huge outdoor welcome back to Broadway, with some performances at the large mainstage, and others at a more intimate outdoor cabaret space. The final two hour concert on September 19 featured most of the shows open or that will open this fall. A highlight was a performance of “Music of the Night” with the current Phantom as well as three previous ones.
That same weekend I went to see David Byrne’s American Utopia, which I had seen four times pre-pandemic at the Hudson Theatre. Now at the St. James, some of the narration has changed to reflect our changed times (his words “Thank you for leaving your homes” has an entirely new significance now!) but the joy and uplifting message remain the same.
On September 21, I was back to see Six, which I had seen twice in previews – and which was hours from opening night when Broadway was shuttered. Now back in previews as of September 17, all six original Broadway queens are back, and the energy level is always high at this show! I loved that they had a “virtual stage door” QR code, since normal stage door interactions and signing of Playbills is not prudent in terms of Covid protocol.
So, speaking of Covid, how is Broadway different due to the need to keep us as safe as possible? First of all, to attend a Broadway show you must show proof of full vaccination and a photo ID to match. Because of this, arrival times need to be earlier than usual. Doors always opened on Broadway about 30 minutes before showtime, but now are opening from 45 minutes to an hour early to allow for vaccine checks as well as the normal security screening. Then, you must wear a mask at all times while inside. Theatres I have been to so far all have “Covid safety teams” and I have seen them roaming the aisles to monitor and ask people to raise their mask when necessary. Meanwhile, every person on Broadway has to be vaccinated, wear masks when possible (obviously it’s not possible for performers on stage) and get tested regularly.
But isn’t any inconvenience worth it??? The exhilaration of being in an audience with other people, experiencing the live performance of these talented people, experiencing emotions together – this is unique and its absence left a huge void during those 18 months away. Even walking home after a show, I have had that thrill of having had somewhere to go, something to do, with other people, after so many nights watching “Bridgerton” or “Tiger King” and trying to set up zoom cocktail parties with friends. Please go and support live Broadway performances! We need it, as a city and as individuals – and they need us.
As Broadway reopens after 18 months of pandemic shutdown, there is an exhibit on West 42nd Street that highlights the incredible costumes that light up the stage (and screen). Open through September 26, tickets are required (go here for more information and to purchase) but proceeds go to help the talented people in the costume industry whose financial stability has been devastatingly impacted by the shuttering of the entertainment business. Here are my impressions from going a few weeks ago.
For a time-limited exhibition like this, I thought the layout and design was excellent. The exhibit aims to teach the observer about the work and design elements going behind these elaborate costumes, while giving the opportunity to see the details of the costumes up close.
Here you see costumes from the Broadway productions of The Cher Show (Bob Mackie), Side Show (a particularly challenging costume) and Six (which was going to have opening night on the very evening that Broadway was shuttered).
Disney productions are represented here: Aladdin, The Lion King, and Frozen.
Wicked – it’s interesting to see Elphaba’s costume up close and see that it is not a matte black. Adding texture and some subtle color gives the dress depth on the stage.
Costumes from Moulin Rouge, Chicago, and Cursed Child (Draco Malfoy).
Hamilton! I was fortunate to be able to go backstage before pandemic and see some of these costumes up close then. Apparently Lin-Manuel Miranda asked for Alexander Hamilton’s costume to be “the color of money” and after several tries this iconic green silk was confirmed. Being able to make the ensemble’s costumes able to dance in – without looking like stretchy dance clothes -is a particular challenge for most Broadway costumers.
I have also been backstage at Phantom and seen the costumes at close range. For solid black or white costumes like these for the Phantom and Christine, texture and small variations in color are used to keep them from appearing flat from the audience.
Costumes from non-Broadway productions were also highlighted. Here you see costumes from a cruise ship, from the circus, for a Broadway Cares production, from dance, and the iconic costume the Radio City Rockettes wear in the March of the Wooden Soldiers.
The exhibit also highlights the importance of cleaning and caring for costumes, with many from films being preserved since, unlike on Broadway where costumes wear through and are replaced constantly, a film is limited in time and requires fewer repairs or replacement of the costumes.
The exhibit ends on a positive note, with Broadway reopening happening on a rolling basis throughout the fall.If you are able to see the costume exhibit, it may improve your enjoyment of the costumes you see from your seat as you return to a Broadway theatre!
Imagine living inside the bold colors, textures, and images of a Van Gogh painting – music swelling as the lush visuals move around you. It can be experienced rather than imagined, by going to the Immersive Van Gogh Experience in NYC through September 6 (tickets are limited and it seems to be sold out the last weekend, so act quickly), and in cities all over the United States and Canada over the next year. I went to the exhibit on the East River here in Manhattan recently, and some of my tips about visiting will be specific to the NYC exhibit while others are more general and should apply to other locations.
The NYC experience is at Pier 36 on the East River, closest to Montgomery Street and South Street on the Lower East Side, between the Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges. The 75,000 square foot interior space was designed by Broadway set designer David Korins (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen), a collaboration unique to New York.
Tickets can be – and should be – purchased in advance, and prices range from $39.99-$69.99 depending on the day of the week and the time of day. Masks are required, and the numbers are limited to keep the experience uncrowded as well as covid-safe.
Before entering the immersive area, there is a reminder of the basic facts of Vincent Van Gogh’s life – his production, lack of success during his lifetime, and posthumous spectacular fame. When MoMA first reopened last year, it was eerily uncrowded, and I posted a selfie of myself in front of his “Starry Night” in part because you normally can’t get ever close enough to see it properly.
The first two rooms in the New York exhibit are smaller, and feature mirrored pieces designed by Korins to refract the larger projections on the walls and let you catch glimpses of yourself caught in the visuals. I noticed that many people got to the first room or two and stopped, and those rooms were more crowded as a result. My first tip would be that when you first enter, walk through the entire exhibit and see everything briefly before settling down to one spot. Also, visuals and music are on an about a 30 minute loop, so try to figure out where you are in the loop (if you see images from the asylum at Arles, with those crows of foreboding, you are near the end). Ideally you would see the entire “show” in one space, and in NYC the best space is the third gallery, which is enormous and has seating.
The third gallery in NYC also has an elevated platform, but my own personal experience was that being there felt less immersive that being on the floor. And what is the experience like? To me, I kept being reminded of an experience at the Rose Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History (no longer offered, sadly) called “Sonic Vision.” That show featured music from Radiohead, Moby, and others, and the music at Immersive Van Gogh is mainly original music by creator Luca Longobardi, but ranges from Thom Yorke and Edith Piaf to Handel and Mussorgsky (see the Spotify playlist here).The somewhat overwhelming experience of being immersed in visuals with music is trippy – I used to say that going to Sonic Vision allowed me to go on a psychedelic trip safely without having to take drugs. There is an element of that here – but with somewhat of a storyline to the experience, and the knowledge of what Van Gogh’s life was like, there was an emotional depth to it as well. You can stay as long as you would like, but I would suggest you need at least an hour – the time you figure out the space before another loop of the experience begins, the entire (about 30 minute) presentation, and time to go back and take photos or see things you might have missed in the first walk through. You can go back and forth between the galleries.
There is an extensive gift shop as you exit, and not just Van Gogh related (not sure why “I’m glad you are as weird as me” candles were included), before you exit and find yourself right on the East River on Pier 36, walking along the back of the building to get back to reality. The real world is discernibly less vivid – but Van Gogh lived in the real world and was able to create gorgeous hyper-reality with his imagination, so the exhibit serves as a reminder to dream in color. I have no idea what Vincent himself would think of this exhibit, and I did wonder that a few times while there, but what would life be indeed, if we had the courage – as he did – to attempt anything?
As I have posted before, I was in NYC during the entire Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, and have blogged about what that was like (“Missing my city while still in it,” here) as well as about how things slowly came back to life after being shut down (like NYC museums). Although it is impossible to pinpoint the exact moment that NYC is back – and in some ways, it still isn’t – the Hometown Heroes parade a few days ago was a celebration of those essential workers who kept the city going while most of us were sheltering in place. Having a parade like that (my favorite sign said simply “We Did It”) was certainly the most joyous indication that NYC is feeling more like itself again, thanks to high vaccination rates and very effective vaccines.
The first person to receive a Covid-19 vaccine in the United States, Sandra Lindsay, was the parade grand marshal.
One of the things that kept bringing up emotion to me during the parade was in part due to seeing it from its starting point in Battery Park. During the most extreme lockdown, when New Yorkers were asked to stay at home except for exercise, I began biking along the Hudson River bike path from Hell’s Kitchen to Battery Park, walking around, and biking back. It was so rare to see anyone else that if I did pass another biker we would generally wave and acknowledge each other. More often than not, I was completely alone walking in Battery Park, gazing out to the Statue of Liberty and seeing signs that once would have been baffling about wearing a mask and keeping six feet apart. To be back in Battery Park in a crowd of vaccinated and unmasked fellow New Yorkers, celebrating those who kept the city going, was especially meaningful to me.
NYC’s reawakening has been gradual, and many new parks (like the Pier 26 ecopark and Little Island Park) have opened during the pandemic while familiar places like Lincoln Center have found new ways to reimagine old spaces. For me, NYC will truly be back once I am in a Broadway theatre (I have so many tickets already!), and that day is coming soon. But on July 7, I remembered all the times we clapped for our essential workers in isolation, hearing our fellow New Yorkers do the same from their own isolation – but as we clapped and cheered as the parade passed by, we were finally able to do it together again.
During New York City’s lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, I took up bike riding, primarily along the Hudson River Greenway (see more detail about my perspective on biking in NYC here). Although I had previously noticed the odd constellation of what looked like concrete mushrooms blooming in the Hudson River just south of Chelsea Piers at Pier 55, on my nearly-daily rides past the construction area I watched with interest the development of the city’s newest park. I was thrilled to visit Little Island Park on its first day open to the public, May 21, have been back recently, and have another visit booked (more on the need to book timed tickets later).
Enter where 13th Street meets the Hudson River, walking over a bridge to get to this park built over the water. One of the first things you see is a series of food trucks with an area to eat in the shade. There are a variety of wines, beers, and cocktails available in addition to food, coffee, pastries, and non-alcoholic beverages.
Flowers and other lush landscaping bloom atop the concrete petals. Once in the park, you barely notice the structure that is so striking from a distance – unless you happen to be walking under a few of them, as the park has many different elevations.
There are numerous whimsical touches – music you can create by jumping on tiles or pulling levers, and a few spinning devices for fun (or perhaps to hypnotize yourself or others).
The views are spectacular as you wind your way around the park, and there are multiple places to sit – some intimate, and others grand (like the amphitheatre that will soon begin hosting performances).
On opening day, they were giving out packets of seeds and colored pencils. Little Island also has large and very clean bathrooms, which is greatly appreciated.
When I went on opening day, I was there in the morning. At that point, they had a policy of requiring free timed tickets from 12-8 (reserve them here), but since then the park has been so popular that they require the tickets from noon until closing. Little Island is open every day from 6AM to 1AM, and if you can’t get a timed reservation, you could try going in the morning. I was just there on a timed ticket on a weekend afternoon, and the need for a reservation kept the park from feeling crowded. The next time I have planned, it will be to meet someone for lunch there (and we have reservations already). I think the park is still working out when they release reservations and for how long in advance, so keep checking if you are looking for a reservation and at first they are all sold out.
I will never forget my first time on the High Line Park (see an old blog post here and another when they expanded the park here). I was charmed, and also exhilarated with the feeling of experiencing something completely new. In our concrete jungle here in NYC, it is all the more important that we find these places to experience nature and feel a sense of integration between artificial and natural worlds that we strive to bridge. Going to Little Island Park has given me that same sense of wonder and appreciation. New York City is constantly evolving, and after a year or more of pandemic hardship and isolation, gathering together in this innovative new space feels like a wonderful way in which change can also heal.
As of mid-May in New York City, we feel on the very brink of real reopening as our vaccination rate increases and our covid positivity level decreases. Many limitations will be lifted May 19th, and Broadway tickets are on sale now for performances beginning this September. Lincoln Center launches its “Restart Stages” performance schedule tonight (May 10) and will be offering multiple opportunities to enjoy the arts through September (check out the calendar here). In addition, they have transformed the iconic plaza into a lush green space with real grass, courtesy of MacArthur “Genius grant” recipient Mimi Lien. Here’s what it was like to be there on the first day it was open.
If you want to visit, you need your mask, and to keep distance from others.
The entire plaza is covered in lush green grass, and it swoops sinuously up on the north and south sides.
There are occasional swoops of green added for extra places to sit or relax.
There’s even an upside-down swoop with free books and a shady reading space! There’s a pop-up sandwich shop for snacking as well.
My favorites were the grass-covered chairs and tables, though!
Elsewhere around the Lincoln Center campus, there are multiple outdoor performance spaces, some smaller and more intimate but others quite large like this one. Tickets are generally free, and can be won through an online lottery through the Today Tix app. Winners get a “pod” of two tickets – good luck and I hope to see you at Lincoln Center!
Julie Brannan, NYC residential real estate 