Located right in the heart of Lower Manhattan steps from the Statue of Liberty Ferry, Wall Street and close to other historic sites
The National Museum of the American Indian
This is one building you cannot miss! One Bowling Green facing Broadway and Trinity Streets. Just a stones throw from the famous “Wall Street Bull”. And, only a short walk from Castle Clinton and the Statue of Liberty boat entrance.
The U.S. Custom House is a seven-story structure on the south side of Bowling Green.
It has a grand set of stairs facing Bowling Green.
New since I originally wrote this the Diker Pavilion for Native Arts and Cultures has been added to the first floor. This a rotating exhibition which, on my visit, was showing the following:
On the seconfd floor is the Rotunda, As you enter the interior feels immense but is very simply laid out. There are exhibition located in adjacent galleries.
Art work around dome of rotunda
Skylight over rotunda
rotunda
Around the rotunda there are galleries house that permanent exhibition and special exhibits
Masterworks from Native cultures highlight the permanent collection.
The collection of art and artifacts are from a variety of tribes spanning hundreds of years. The individual items selected for showing are outstanding. However, I did not get a sense of history as everything is organized geographically rather than chronologically. While the exhibits are excellent, they seem a little lost in such a large building.
Sleeping Man
(click photos to enlarge)
Masks
Mask – Vancouver Island
artic clothing
clothing
dolls
Alaska doll
small objects
St Lawrence Island Toy – wrestling match
Model: Men’s House
Seal Hunter
ceramics
PiPi bells – Honduras
bells
design
Skull stamp – Mayan
As I said earlier, I enjoyed the individual artifacts and was glad that I went inside this majestic building.
This Saturday the weather was very spring like – plenty of sunshine and a milder temperature. Looking for something to do outside, I heard a TV announcer say that Broadway would be closed to auto traffic from 42nd St to 14th St.. I decided that this is the time to walk down the middle of Broadway. So, off I went!
This walk starts (or ends) at Herald Square and walks down Broadway to the Flatiron Building (Madison Square Park) continuing to Union Square. added a short walk on West 16th Street and then back to Union Square.
Broadway and 23rd Street
Open Street rest stop
Open Street rest stop
Broadway Corner
Broadway Corner
Broadway and 23rd Street
Flatiron Building
Flatiron Building
Madison Square Park
Walking over to West 16th Street
If going from Union Square to the Chelsea Market area, I would suggest walking west 16th Street. It is much more “old” New York than West 14th. West 16th is a great example of a Chelsea neighborhood. And, the Chelsea Market and the High Line Park can be a welcome stop to eat and relax.
Church of St. Francis Xavier – West 16th Street
Church of St. Francis Xavier
This church is quite impressive. The murals are excellent and the Nave is adorned with beautiful art.
Along this walk are many more interesting places to look at or explore. I selected but a few of the sites for this blog. If you look at a map of Manhattan you will see that thre are many other interesting places nearby.
Now that the warmer season is upon us the city begins, almost weekly, presenting us with interesting things for us to see. I happened to be on Broadway on the upper west side and noticed a new sculpture being placed in a plaza. Later I read a few press reports and decided to share the information on my blog.
Some of the material comes form an article written by Barbara Hoffman in the NYPost. I have both edited and added material to the story. I drove by each piece of sculpture and added a photo or two.
A guide to the craziest new outdoor art in NYC by Barbara Hoffman
“It’s amazing what you’ll see in the city streets — rhinos in the East Village; Snoopy and friends in Hudson Square, and half-men, half-forest creatures roaming Broadway.
After an endless winter, sculptures and murals are springing up all over. And although the mediums are different, their messages seem largely the same: Can’t we all just get along — and, while we’re at it, save the Earth? At least, that’s what the artists’ statements suggest. You may look at their work and discover something entirely different.
So get out there with your cellphones and cameras. At the very least, you’ll class up your Instagram”.
Along Broadway there are several pocket parks at various intersections Six interesting sculptures were placed with the parks with 64th and 157th Streets.Kathy Ruttenberg, an upstate New York artist who combines human, animal and plant forms created them that portray characters from a fairytale-like dream and aims to brighten the day of passersby.
Here is a brief look at some of the art. I refer you to the lead photograph for the location and Title.
NYPost
TBradley
Also, get a load of the peanuts gallery downtown
However these murals are in a somewhat removed part of Manhattan – Hudson Square.
They will be up beginning g on May around Hudson Square, where larger-than-life murals of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang are being installed for an art show designed to bring communities together.
.Happiness is a warm pop-up — for the next three months in this Lower Manhattan neighborhood.
This is one building you can’t miss! One Bowling Green facing Broadway and Trinity Streets. Just a stones throw from the famous “Wall Street Bull”. And, only a short walk from Castle Clinton and the Statue of Liberty boat entrance.
The U.S. Custom House is a seven-story structure on the south side of Bowling Green.
It has a grand set of stairs facing Bowling Green.
Everything seems huge and as you enter the interior feels immense but is very simply laid out with a spectacular rotunda.
Art work around dome of rotunda
Skylight over rotunda
rotunda
The second floor gallery houses the permanent exhibition other floors were not open. Masterworks from Native cultures highlight the collections. If you are at Battery Park it may be worth a visit. This is Part Two – Part One – here
The collection of art and artifacts are from a variety of tribes spanning hundreds of years. The individual items selected for showing are outstanding. However, I did not get a sense of history as everything is organized geographically rather than chronologically. While the exhibits are excellent, they seem a little lost in such a large building.
Sleeping Man
(click photos to enlarge)
Masks
Mask – Vancouver Island
artic clothing
clothing
dolls
Alaska doll
small objects
St Lawrence Island Toy – wrestling match
Model: Men’s House
Seal Hunter
ceramics
PiPi bells – Honduras
bells
design
Skull stamp – Mayan
As I said earlier, I enjoyed the individual artifacts and was glad that I went inside this majestic building.
Every year, during May, Jane’s Walks organization puts together free walks throughout the boroughs of New York City. One that caught my eye was a walk in the northern Manhattan neighborhood of Hamilton Heights and Washington heights. It is a project that is attempting to create 314 murals of endangered birds. It is called the Audubon Mural Project.
This was a walk I wasn’t sure I was going to do. However, I am always looking to go for a walk, so I went! However, there were so many people who had the same idea that I created my own walk.
Most of my walk was from west 144th Street to west 158th Street along Broadway. I may have missed some along the way but I have included a web site, at the bottom, that does a great job of showing off the murals.
First the area in question is in section of Manhattan that is old and which has a rich cultural diverse population. Broadway is a typical city street with shops of all kinds along the way
Many of the buildings on the side streets are filled with very nice brownstone buildings while Broadway has a mix of apartment buildings.
The most well-known section is around west 155th Street. Here is the famous Trinity graveyard where many well know dignitaries are buried.
John Audubon Ed Koch Clement Moore Jerry Orbach
Also, a fabulous museum at the Audubon Terrace – Hispanic Society of America should not be missed. It is now closed for renovation but something to be put on your future visit to NYC.
If you are coming to NYC for the first time, this is a walk that I recommend you take virtually. This is far from the normal tourist areas and the placements of the birds are somewhat hard to find. The web site below is excellent and will show much more than this brief look at the murals.
This web site has a better view of the birds. Click here
Magical Designs for Mozart’s Magic Flute is at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (Lincoln Center) until August 27, 2016
Let me begin by confessing that I have never attended an opera.
I happened to be on my way home from the Time Warner Building (earlier blog) and stopped in to The New York Public Library at Lincoln Center. They always have interesting exhibitions – the last one was Frank Sinatra this one about a famous opera.
The Mozart Opera – The Magic Flute.
Helped by brochure and Internet, it is a story about a quest for love, light and wisdom, in a world where nothing is what it seems. There is a malicious serpent and an evil sorcerer who is holding the beautiful princess captive, a dark queen with manipulative motives and three testing trials of his courage and virtue.
The exhibit has some very colorful costumes as well as wonderful pictures of 18 different productions over several years. I enjoyed looking at the costumes and can only guess it to be a show that can only be called “eclectic”.
I have no background to describe the photographs. However, I got a feeling that this might be an enjoyable first opera for me. Who knows?
Spoiler Alert: The Opera begins with a Prince being pursued by a menacing snake but is saved by three ladies who kill it.
The opera ends with the Prince being welcomes into the Temple of Light – victory over darkness is celebrated.
https://thombradley.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/nyc-automobile-row-2/ Walking along Broadway and 57th Street, I have often marveled at the large ground-floor windows and wondered why they were so large. An article in the NY Times mentioned that some of these buildings were part of an area was once called Automobile Row.
Short History
In the first decade of the 20th century what had been the carriage-making district of Broadway from Times Square to approximately 72ndStreet was becoming known as “Automobile Row.” The horseless carriage was rapidly taking over America’s roads with manufacturers cranking out around 200,000 automobiles a year. By 1910 the industry-related buildings would stretch as far as 110th Street.
News Item 1910 :The automobile had changed the complexion of Broadway and these Broadway buildings have become the sites, not of apartment houses, but of salesrooms and garages…To-day the automobile business has become so firmly established in this section that it is not likely to be displaced easily.”
Simultaneously the Peerless Motor Car Co. of New York, a branch of the Cleveland automobile manufacturing firm, planned its new showroom and headquarters. Peerless Motor Cars were the top of the line—luxury automobiles built for discriminating and wealthy consumers.
I imagine that some of the automobiles that may have been displayed and sold are ones you have never heard of before. Maybe in another log I will research some of these bygone marvels of the automobile industry.
Peerless
Warrn Nash
Packard
In the 1950s there was the dealership that sold Hudson Hornets. And there was the storefront on Broadway that was once a Reo Motor Car showroom. (The company’s name took the initials of its founder, Ransom Eli Olds, better known for another car he had a hand in naming, Oldsmobile.) Also, Fiat took over a four-level store and showroom.
Ford Motor Company 1922
Ford Motor company 2013
Many of the original buildings have been renovated or demolished but there are several that still exist and have enormous ground floor windows – I can only image that the latest automobile was showcased in these windows.
Peerless Motor car – the building still exists
Some additional Photos, I hope will be of interest
Automobile Showroom
Hotel Astor – Showroom
Warrn Nash
In 1985, the last car dealer on Automobile Row, the stretch of Broadway from the West 50s to slightly north of Columbus Circle that was home to showrooms for almost as long as there had been cars. That year, he turned off the lights, locked the door one last time and left for 11th Avenue. It was one of those end-of-an-era moments.
Most visitors come to New York City during the Holiday Season to see the Christmas Tree, Bryant Park, 5th Avenue and/ or several museums. Also, many will visit he major stores and Holiday Tents (Set up in many parks throughout Manhattan).
The city really helps you get the feel of the season as each store presents their interpretation of Christmas.
As I walked around west 66th street at Broadway, I photographed some pictures of store windows such as Baby Gap, Gracious Home and Century 21. Also, adding to the festive mood of a cloudy day was a farmer’s market… doesn’t get much better than this!
Put on you hat and go for that walk
Click on pictures to enlarge
Ornaments or food?
Oh yes, It is Christmas.
A farmer’s market too.
I Continue to urge you, as you walk through your neighborhood, – to find that hidden piece of joy.
rhinos in the East Village; Snoopy and friends in Hudson Square, and half-men, half-forest creatures roaming Broadway.
Just Looking Around - with ThomBradley 