When you think of New York, you think of Broadway, the Statue of Liberty, the 9-11 Memorial or the MOMA. Famous landmarks for sure and not to be missed, but New York has other little gems, that offer brilliant experiences a bit left of center.
Here are arts reviewer Sabine Bee Koch’s current picks:
- Brooklyn Museum https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/
Housed in a building that mirrors the opulence of the Metropolitan Museum, this museum is one of the oldest and largest in the US. The curators of this eclectic institution offer exhibitions that are interesting and extremely well put together.
I had the chance to see “Pierre Cardin: Future fashion” and “JR: chronicles” with it’s wall to wall collages. Both were insightful and fun – definitely worth a trip to Brooklyn!
Pierre Cardin: Future fashion
JR Chronicles
- The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian design museum https://www.cooperhewitt.org/
If there were no exhibitions at all, it would still be fun to visit the mansion, that is home to the Cooper Hewitt – named after Peter Cooper who designed and built the first American steam locomotive, After an extensive renovation in 2014 the architecture in itself is a testament to modern design. But those rooms spring to life with the exhibits assigned to them – most of them immersive and interactive! The current design triennial about nature explores fascinating aspects and highlights the human connection.
design museum
The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian design museum
Always good to hear, that local owned business are thriving and one of the highpoints is the café @ShanesBrooklyn. A wonderful menu with emphasis on breakfast (the waffles – to die for!), nice staff and a location that is both comfy and stylish.
@ShanesBrooklyn
- While musicals are with few exceptions outstanding (watch #beetlejuicebroadway for relentless fun), the spoken word theatre in NY can be a hit and miss – especially of the fringe variety! Sometimes just too didactic or a desperate attempt to emulate Broadway without the budget. Generally you’ll fare better if you can grab one of the London transfers like the ground breaking production of Pinter’s play Betrayal #BetrayalBroadway (Read my review here.) Still some smaller theatres like the non profit Lucille Lortel theatre https://www.lortel.org/ have been doing the good work since the 1950s and my visit to the play Fear https://feartheplay.com/ was splendid. The production is tight and doesn’t outstay it’s welcome and the charming venue on Christopher Street is the epitome of Off-Broadway excellence.
Fear
- If you only observe one rule while in NY it should be this: keep your eyes open to anything and everthing! If it is two weather situations in one picture, elaborate Halloween decorations on private homes, an awesome jazz performance at the next street corner or the stunning beauty of an autumnal, serene Central Park
