Madrid ... or when can I return to Spain?

Oh Madrid.

I'd heard such contrarian things about you: The food is nothing special. It's not a very fun city.  There's hardly anything to do there.  It's not even pretty.

But oh, how very wrong all those statements proved to be!

El Retiro Park: a perfect place for an inversion

Madrid is a beautiful, walkable, historic city filled with beautiful parks, art of all types, and interesting architecture almost everywhere you look.  Consider the Glass Palace in El Retiro Park, which meets all of these descriptions at once.

PRO TIP: Visit early or on a cloudy day if you go in the summer as it can get very hot inside!

The Glass Palace is perhaps the finest example of cast iron architecture in Spain, designed by Ricardo Velazquez Basco and built in 1887, located in what is currently called El Retiro Park, which has roots dating to the 17th century.  Originally built to house plants, the Glass Palace is now part of the fantastic Reina Sofia Museum and houses temporary exhibits, like the one featuring Charles Ray sculptures during the summer of 2019.

The feet of "Mujer recostada" by Charles Ray

But there is beauty all around Madrid.

From street art ...

... to the street musicians outside our hotel.

From world class art museums ...

... to street vendors offering beautiful books.

From colorful buildings ...

... to rainbows on buildings ...

... to rainbows of love.

From stairways ascending from sunken gardens ...

... to rooftop sunsets.

But perhaps the best part of Madrid is having family in the area who plans a tapas tasting tour for you, including a special summer treat of Tinto de Verano!

Yes, Madrid: you are a magical city.  As with so many things, I'm glad I didn't rely on the opinions of others and head somewhere else.  I'm already wondering when I can return!

New York City 2019: filling in with free: Part Two: Public Art and Public Parks

You read about a lot of museum and U.S. National Park options in Part One of NYC: filling in with free, but what else is there to do that doesn't cost a fortune?

So much.

Well ... do you?

So very much.

A whimsical Keith Haring sculpture.

PUBLIC ART

Public art is typically defined as art that is available in a public place, usually outside, costing nothing to see.  It differs from street art in that street art (what some people call graffiti) is often seen as rebellious and is typically illegal while public art is usually commissioned and is considered culturally enriching.  I love all types of art in the public domain!

Mural by Ben Angotti, with the Oculus in the background.

NYC offers more than its fair share of public art.  It's hard to walk down a Manhattan street without encountering something - a mural, a sculpture, a fountain.  Sometimes the art makes you think, and sometimes the art is simply happy and uplifting.

Dream Big! (says A J LaVilla)

Near the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the city has commissioned art that is full of color and positive ideas.  It's a perfect way to remind us of the good in life, even when we might be remembering or learning about more disturbing actions in our not-so-distant past.

A colorful garden by Chinon Maria and Sebastian Mitre.

Outside another museum mentioned in Part One, the Museum at FIT, are walls full of chalk art.  Each artist was awarded one rectangle of space, and each work of art was completed by one artist over a series of weeks.

Simply studying these temporary bits of art could take hours!  The theme is different each year, as are the artists, so you're unlikely to see the same thing twice - no matter how many times you get to experience Chalk FIT.

And sometimes you get to take some silly pictures of yourself along the way!




And along almost every street, certainly in every park, you will find art of all sorts.

From modern art, like Red Cube (by Isamu Noguchi) ...

Red Cube, by Isamu Noguchi, in Lower Manhattan

... to famous actors ...

Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kranden, near the Port Authority Bus Terminal

... to historic figures ...

George Washington, outside Federal Hall

The Immigrants, by Luis Sanguino

... to important historical events.  According to the NY Parks webpage, the sculpture depicts figures of various ethnic groups and eras, including an Eastern European Jew, a freed African slave, a priest, and a worker. The figures’ expressive poses emphasize the struggle and toil inherent in the experience of the immigrant or dislocated person.

... to sidewalk art (by Hani Shihada) ...

Hani Shihada sidewalk art is so detailed!

... to the Charging Bull on Wall Street (by Arturo Di Monica) ...

Charging Bull is a very popular tourist attraction!

... mosaics in subway stations ...

Subway station near NYU

... to advertisements for Broadway shows ...

Broadway advertisements adorn the walls of the Theatre District.

Vessel as seen from near the Hudson River.

... to major public art features like Vessel.

Vessel requires tickets, which may be reserved at no charge, up to two weeks in advance, with some tickets possibly available at the site on the day of visit.

Looking down into the center of Vessel.

PUBLIC PARKS

Everyone has heard of NYC's largest and most famous public park: Central Park.  You've likely seen it in movies and t.v. shows most of your life.  And you could spend a week just walking the 59 miles paths there (many of which contain public art, as discussed above).

But what other public parks are in NYC?  So, so many!
From Bryant Park, just behind the famous library mentioned in Part One ...

... to Battery Park (of Hamilton fame, if nothing else!) ...

Don't miss the Sea Glass Carousel in Battery Park!
As of this writing, tickets are $5 for a three-minute spin in a fish.

... to smaller parks, like Bowling Green.

NYC is filled with green spaces.  We like to think of a city as all buildings and concrete, but it's just not true.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Truly NYC has something for everyone: from fine dining to street food,

from world class museums to public art,

Fearless Girl used to face Charging Bull, but now has a nearby spot all her own.

to street art,

from Broadway productions to street performances,

from crowded Times Square to quiet spots under public park trees, NYC is truly a melting pot.  And a visit there does not have to leave you with months worth of debt.

New York City: filling in with free: Part One: Museums and Such

New York City is the #1 most expensive city in the world to visit.  So wouldn't it be nice to fill your free time with a few free fun - or at least less expensive - activities along the way?

Hello! ... from Times Square

On my most recent trip to NYC, I searched for just those kinds of things.  Sure, I went to a couple of Broadway shows (mostly on discounted tickets!) while eating and drinking my way around the city (price fixe lunch, anyone?), but I also found ways to maximize my dollars by filling in my free time with a few of the many free things to do in Manhattan.

MUSEUMS

NYC is filled with world class museums.  And these world class museums often have hefty admission prices: adult tickets currently run $25 for the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met), $25 for the Guggenheim, $25 for the Museum of Modern Art, $23 for the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH).  These world class museums are certainly worth the prices they charge, and they are all certainly worth a visit.  But when you are treating your family to a NYC vacation, those prices can add up very quickly.  

And let's be honest: most of us don't want to spend an entire day exploring a museum.  Museums can be overwhelming - not in a bad way, but there are so many things to see, things to learn, things to remember that more than a couple of hours at a time is often fatiguing rather than fun and exciting.  

So ... how to minimize the cost of a museum while maximizing your experience?

One option is pick only one museum on your visit.  Do you love modern art best?  Visit MoMA.  Do you prefer more traditional art or sculptures?  Check out the Met.  Or if science is more your speed, the AMNH may be the best choice for you.  Limiting the number of museums you visit will certainly reduce the cost of your museum experience.

Inside Federal Hall

Another option is to find out if and when the museum you'd like to visit lowers or waives its admission fees.  Some do!  For instance, the Guggenheim offers "pay what you wish" on Saturday evenings from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  And MoMA offers free admission on Friday nights from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

MoMA reopened in October 2019.

PRO TIP: The website says that the line is long at 5:30 p.m. and to please come after 6:00 p.m. if you want to avoid a line.  We went to MoMA at about 7:00 p.m. on November 1st and did not have to wait in a line at all.  We had two hours to explore, which was enough time to see the top two floors, including new exhibitions plus old favorites like Van Gogh's Starry Night.  

Friday night patrons interacting with Starry Night.

One of my favorite things to do is observe people interact with art, and two hours was plenty of time for this.

And yet another option is to visit museums that are free all the time.  NYC is filled with museums that do not ever charge an admission fee, and they are almost always far less crowded than any of the ones you might have heard of ... but they are no less worthy of a visit.

The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) includes information on all things fashion.  For instance, when I was there, the Fashion and Textile History Gallery featured an exhibit called "Minimalism/Maximalism" (now closed).  The Special Exhibitions Gallery is hosting "Paris, Capitol of Fashion" (until January 4, 2020).  And admission is always free!

The Museum at FIT currently features chalk rectangles transformed into building-long murals.

The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), in lower Manhattan not far from the 9/11 Memorial (free) and Museum ($26, and worth every penny), is a part of the Smithsonian Institution.  Like all other Smithsonian museums, this one is extremely well curated and incredibly interesting.  

Pod III and Pod IV, by Rose B. Simpson

Covering parts of two floors of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, a visit to NMAI allows you to experience both current art inspired by traditional ways and the stories of the different peoples who have lived on the grounds of this country far longer than most of us.  

Maya Skull Necklace

And the National Museum of the American Indian is very accessible from any part of the city as a subway stop is literally outside the front door,   As with the Museum at FIT, admission is always free.

SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE TYPICAL MUSEUMS

In addition to the well-known museums are things like historic sites, smaller exhibitions in a non-museum setting, and monuments remembering important people and events.

One option is to explore U.S. National Park System (NPS) sites.  We often think of sprawling forests or endless desserts when we think of national parks, but the NPS includes many historic sites and monuments as well, about a dozen of which are in NYC proper - and many of them are free to visit.

The African Burial Ground Memorial and Visitor Center is one such site that was uncovered during the construction of a new federal building in the 1990s.  Scientists and historians discovered that the human remains found onsite were those of the enslaved Africans who built New Amsterdam (the former name of NYC).  This memorial honors their contributions to the current city of New York and helps visitors understand the history of slavery in colonial New York.  Admission is free, and it's easily accessible by public transportation.

Another free-to-visit lower Manhattan NPS site is Federal Hall, where George Washington took his first oath of office to become the first U.S. President.  The exhibits were scant on my visit, but the site carries the full weight of history and is definitely worth a visit (not to mention the public art just outside, discussed in Part Two).

Statue of George Washington outside Federal Hall

Toward the other end of Manhattan is another U.S. National Park System site: the General Grant National Memorial.  This memorial is the largest mausoleum in North America, and it is the final resting place of General Grant and his wife, Julia.  It is a tribute not only to General Grant, but to the architects and artisans and craftsmen who created this amazing resting place.

Another non-museum option is to visit the libraries: the New York Public Library (NYPL) boasts numerous branches, all of which feature some type of art and many of which host free temporary and permanent exhibits.

Right in the middle of Manhattan is the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, which is the branch of the NYPL you've most likely seen.  This library has been seen in countless movies and t.v. shows as it's a popular filming location.  Head to the visitor desk to sign up for a free tour, or simply explore on your own.  At this branch of the NYPL, I've seen exhibits on Alexander Hamilton, algae, J.D. Salinger (open until January 19, 2020), the 1960s, and more.

NYPL

The original Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals are on display in the basement, in the children's section. 

PRO TIP: If you are traveling with children, the children's section is a great place for a break!  There are lots of books to read, there is seating for adults and children, and there are water fountains and a restroom just outside the door.

The Rose Reading Room and the McGraw Rotunda just outside are definitely worth climbing to the top floor to see.  And all of this is free to the public!

The NYPL at Lincoln Center is a perennial favorite of my family!  We once saw an exhibit on The Beatles at this public library, where we actually got to play a drum set with video instruction from Ringo Starr.  We also thoroughly enjoyed an exhibit on Broadway, including authentic costumes, props, and playbills from many shows over many years.  And again, the exhibits here are free to visit.

Each library in the NYPL system has something special to offer; check on what's on in whichever part of the city you happen to be wandering.

And don't miss the Staten Island Ferry: it's a free ferry between Lower Manhattan and Staten Island, and it includes a terrific view of the Statue of Liberty!  It was too chilly on my most recent trip to enjoy the ride, but on warmer days, watching the city and the statue from a sunny deck is a must-do attraction.

I'll stop now so I can start working on Part Two of this blog.  But I could go on for ...well, for a long time ... because there are so many museums and historic sites to see all over NYC.  Here, I've only talked about Manhattan, and I haven't even covered very much of what's available there.  Harlem alone deserves its own post about the interesting things to do there!  And Brooklyn and Long Island and the Bronx and Queens and Staten Island also have untold numbers of free and inexpensive museums, libraries, and other interesting sites.

Yes, NYC is the #1 most expensive city to visit in 2019.  But check out Part Two of this blog to discover other free things, like public art and parks that are well worth your time!