Manhattan Archives - Page 3 of 9

Manhattan & Covid, Dec. 2021

December 19, 2021December 19, 2021 JWF Leave a comment

MANHATTAN–THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS

Full of optimism for being able to celebrate Christmas this year in person with our son and family, we flew to New York a week ago. The first few days were lovely—spring-like temperatures hovering around 60, dining in favorite eateries, and spending time after school with our marvelous granddaughters. As we watched the Covid-19 case numbers climb and observed the long, around-the-corner lines at Covid testing sites, we became a bit concerned.

We stayed off the subway, we did not go to Rockefeller Center to see the always beautiful Christmas tree, and we did not get tickets for any museums. Instead, we restricted ourselves to eating dinner indoors, often early, at our handful of favorite restaurants. Going early, we avoided large numbers of diners and generally got great service. One day we walked 60 plus blocks for exercise, and on another, we strolled in a lightly populated Central Park. We were staying in comfortable digs, so reading and watching the occasional new film kept us occupied.

Yesterday, that changed when a family member tested positive for Covid. More concerned, and feeling vulnerable at our ages, we made the hard decision to leave town and return to Florida. Alas, it will be another Christmas shared via Zoom. Perhaps 2022 will be better and next Christmas, we can once more celebrate in person! In the meantime, we prize our current good health and will do what we can to preserve it.

COMPELLING NEW FILM

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

Peter, Phil, George, Rose (theplaylist.net)

Jane Campion’s new film has been getting a lot of attention and mostly praise. Set in Montana in 1925, it’s the story of two brothers, Phil and George, and George’s new wife Rose and son Peter. George is the owner of the ranch and seemingly ineffectual while Phil is “cowboy” personified and a mean cuss. Phil berates his brother regularly, calling him “Fatso.” When George marries Rose, Phil turns his venom on her and initially bullies medical student and aspiring surgeon Peter.

Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant with a commanding presence as Phil. He seems to be the one in charge and in control of events. Phil teaches Peter how to ride and makes him a rawhide rope in scenes with erotic undercurrents. How the relations between these four characters play out is shown in acts like a play, and the ending will surprise you. Only in retrospect did I appreciate the clues that were laid out from the beginning. Peter is a much more complex individual than he appears as is Phil.

The cinematography is gorgeous showcasing the wide-open spaces of the west and the smallness of one man against such a vast horizon. I look forward to watching this film a second time. Highly recommended!

NEW FICTION–SUCCESSOR TO THE MORLAND DYNASTY

The Secrets of Ashmore Castle by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

For some of us, maybe Americans in particular, Harrod-Eagles’ long series, The Morland Dynasty, was a way to easily absorb the sweep of British history from the 15^th to the 20^th centuries. I have read nearly all 35 novels about the successive generations of Morlands and found them fascinating. That series seems to have ended in 1931, and now there is a first novel in a new series.

The Secrets of Ashmore Castle introduces the Tallant family and the sons and daughters of the late Earl of Stainton. As the oldest son and the newest earl, Giles has a duty to marry and to marry well. His father left the estate in disarray and in poor shape financially so Giles needs to find a rich bride. He meets Kitty Bayfield and her friend Nina Sanderton and becomes engaged to one of them. The house and stable servants also have a role to play, think Upstairs Downstairs, and have dreams and aspirations of their own.

This first novel covers the courtship and events leading up to and including Giles’ wedding from several different perspectives. Harrod-Eagles has a keen eye for detail, and you get a real sense of the social niceties and rules governing behavior in 1900 Britain. Recommended for fans of historical fiction. (~JWFarrington)

Note: Header photo is the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center we didn’t see (people.com).

Art & Eating in Manhattan

October 22, 2021October 22, 2021 JWF Leave a comment

CURRENT MUSEUM EXHIBITS

Surrealism Beyond Borders

One of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s current exhibitions brings together Surrealism works of art from around the globe from Egypt to Mexico to Europe. Most of the artists I did not know. I also don’t know that I liked these paintings and objects but they are different, often provocative, and sometimes chilling.

*Body Snatcher in Switzerland* by Enrico Baj

At least one, Salvador Dali’s black telephone, has some whimsy.

*Lobster on Telephone* by Salvador Dali, 1938

Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror

The Whitney Museum of American Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art are jointly presenting the largest retrospective ever of Jasper Johns’ work. Prolific since the 1950’s, he is 91 and still producing. There are many rooms of paintings on display at the Whitney. I agree with the critic who stated that the Whitney might have showed two-thirds of what is here.

Lots of American flags in different color combinations; several maps of the U.S., some multi-colored, some black or gray; and various paintings including real objects (tableware, used paint cans) or string and pieces of wood. I especially liked the colorful version of the United States, the placement of tableware along a frame, and the fifteen monotypes of a Savarin coffee can filled with paint brushes.

Frame detail, *Dancers on a Plane,* 1979

Seeing gallery after gallery, one appreciates Johns’ recurring themes and recognizes the repetition of certain elements. I wish we’d been in Philadelphia long enough to see the other half of this massive exhibit!

EATING AROUND

Marwin Thai

A nice addition to the Upper East Side, Marwin has about five tables and offers on site or takeout dining for lunch and dinner. We enjoyed a satisfying and modestly priced meal from the special lunch menu. Between us, we had Thai dumplings and spring rolls to start. The Chief Penguin tried pad Thai while I sampled the green curry with chicken. His pad Thai was good and my curry very satisfying. It’s a brothier curry with less coconut milk and lots of green peppers, bamboo shoots and basil. And since Happy Hour runs from 11:30 to 7:00 pm, we decided on beer—Singha and Stella d’Artois—$5.00 apiece.

Canyon Road

Occasionally, I have a yen for some good Mexican food and prefer to patronize a restaurant that isn’t part of a chain. Canyon Road on the Upper East Side fit the bill for a recent casual dinner. It’s decorated with colorful square flags and strings of little white lights and has a comfortable feel.

We ordered the requisite original margaritas and the house guacamole. Both were very good, and the guacamole had a lively kick. I tried the chicken tacos (three small corn tortillas on a board and plenty of food). The Chief Penguin, who’s a fan of quesadillas, had the shrimp and jalapeno one which came with salsa, sour cream, and a bit of guacamole. We went early so there were only a few other diners. Service was excellent. It’s now on our yes, return list.

Note: All photos by JWFarrington. Header images is Squash with Pan de Muerto by Maria Izyquierdo, 1947.

Manhattan in the Fall

October 3, 2021October 3, 2021 JWF Leave a comment

RETURN TO MANHATTAN

Manhattan in late May was quite lively; Manhattan in October is brimming with energy. Yes, there are a sad number of empty storefronts, but people are out and about and bustling here and there. Outdoor dining structures remain popular while many restaurants seem to have been re-discovered. Having to show proof of Covid vaccination to eat inside provides a welcome sense of comfort. Waiters also are masked.

Before arriving, we downloaded the NYCCOVIDSAFE app to our phones and added photos of our driver’s license and vaccine card. Easy to do and easy to show this when entering a restaurant. So far, we’ve dined at several favorite or familiar restaurants and one new to us. We also ventured to 34^th Street to eye the old post office building, now transformed into the grand and soaring Moynihan Train Hall. Such a magnificent improvement over tired Penn Station!

RESTAURANT REPORT

August

This small Upper East Side restaurant is cozy and welcoming. With mirrors on the back wall and above the bar, the space has a bit of an Art Deco feel about it. Patrons were a mix of ages and gender with several couples, a table of four, and a single woman diner.

Service was efficient and the menu intriguing. Tempted to try several new dishes, we over ordered. The warm cornbread came cut in pieces in a cute square cast iron dish. A wire basket of zucchini strips looked like the world’s best skinny fries. Both were very good!

For entrees, we sampled the ahi tuna on crispy rice and the sole meuniere over spinach and marble potatoes. They were also tasty. Based on this one dinner, we will return to explore more of the menu.

RECENT READING

SCIENCE IN THE TREE CANOPY

The Arbornaut: A Life Discovering the Eighth Continent in the Trees above Us by Meg Lowman

Decades before I knew Meg Lowman, I read a review of her first book, Life in the Treetops in the New York Times. I bought the book and read it and thought about using it as part of a presentation I was going to give. We were in Florida around that time, and realizing she worked nearby, I contemplated contacting her to chat about her career. I didn’t and the years passed.

Fast forward to late 2013 and I had the opportunity to meet Meg. The Chief Penguin hired her at the California Academy of Sciences. We got to know her and consider her a friend. Early on, we celebrated New Year’s Day, January 2014, with a memorable picnic in Myakka River State Park. Having grown up in winter climes, the idea of a picnic in January was unheard of, but appealing. Meg was chief organizer. We met some of her friends, ate well, and then climbed the canopy walkway she helped design. On the tower, you are 75 feet up overlooking the trees and greenery below.

Meg’s new book, The Arbornaut, is partly memoir, partly science, and completely engaging. From a childhood in upstate NY spent outdoors, to graduate school and research in Australia, to stints as a professor/single mom at two colleges, to field work and being an international ambassador for tree conservation, it’s a multi-faceted, varied life. As one of the few, and sometimes the only woman, in class or out in the field, Meg faced discrimination, indifference, and occasional sexual harassment. Yet her love of trees and her passion for saving this key planetary resource kept her plugging away, always creating partnerships for future collaborative work. Along the way, she made it a priority to include and mentor girls and young women in her branch of science.

In person, Meg is exuberant and an enthusiast for her cause. Her infectious spirit comes through on the page too. I learned a LOT about the kinds of leaves in various tree canopies and about which or how many insects nibbled, chewed, or put holes in them. Her explanations of the field work and her research studies are accessible and tinged with the occasional humorous bit.

For her adventuring spirit, no challenge is too much. Individual chapters on the treetop BioBlitz in remote Malaysia, preserving the church forests in Ethiopia, and tree climbing in Kansas with disabled individuals are all fascinating. By the end, the reader is well acquainted with Meg the person and Meg the field biologist. Highly recommended! (~JWFarrington)

Manhattan Moments: Addiction & Art

May 21, 2021May 21, 2021 JWF Leave a comment

MASTER WORK

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

For anyone who’s read Radden Keefe’s book about the Irish Troubles, Say Nothing, you know him as a nonfiction writer who draws you in with meticulous detail and creates a novel-like reading experience. His latest work, Empire of Pain, is equally meticulous and an absolutely fascinating study of the self-absorbed, greedy, and corrupt Sacklers. How many museums or universities here and abroad have Sackler Wings? The family was eager to put its name on and in buildings as a condition of its philanthropy. But they were secretive to an extreme about not having the Sackler name appear anywhere in relation to their business ventures.

The first hundred pages of this hefty work are the history and legacy of Arthur Sackler, older brother to Mortimer and Raymond, and the individual responsible for crafting the questionable marketing practices later adopted by Purdue Pharma. Purdue Pharma, as is well known today, is the maker of Oxycontin and was controlled and micromanaged by the Sackler brothers and their children. Their total denial of any connection between their product and addiction and their singular lack of any remorse for the opioid epidemic are appalling, as is the almost complete lack of any penalty for their actions.

It’s a case study of a family living in their own bubble aided and abetted by a cadre of loyal staff and easily manipulated government officials. Highly recommended! (~JWFarrington)

WORKS OF ART

Museum of Modern Art

This was our first visit to MoMA since they added on to their building in 2019. We were pleased with the larger space and the chance to see more of the permanent collection on display. We went during the members’ hour on Monday and had many of the galleries to ourselves. We spent our time on the 5^th floor and delighted in seeing familiar works (Monet’s huge water lilies in their own room) along with ones new to us. I especially liked a Picasso still life in greens against brown, a bold flower-dominated canvas by Stettheimer, and a colorful lady in the park by August Macke. The latter one really captivated me.

*Family Portrait, II,* 1933 by Florine Stettheimer

Metropolitan Museum of Art

*The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer* by Edgar Degas

There is so much to see at the Met that we went back for a second visit. This time, we were interested in viewing the Impressionist collection and other works of that period. I was struck by this striking bronze sculpture of a young dancer wearing a tutu made of cotton.

I also very much liked two ladies in pink by Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt.

*The Pink Dress,* c.a. 1870 by Berthe Morisot

The Cup of Tea, c.a. 1880-81 by Mary Cassatt

Central to these galleries are the marvelous paintings from the Annenberg Collection. The Philadelphia Museum of Art had hoped to be the hometown beneficiary of Walter and Lenore Annenberg’s collecting, but alas for them, it was not to be. Once loaned to the Met for six months each year, their collection then was given to the museum in a bequest.

*Bouquet of Sunflowers,* 1881 by Claude Monet

Here is gallery after gallery of Renoirs, Cezannes, Manets, Monets, Pissarros, and Van Goghs. They are a treat to behold! And since we went first thing in the morning, the galleries were empty for for awhile.

FOOD FARE

As I have mentioned before, our most frequent go-to place for dinner is the small French restaurant, Sel et Poivre. It’s comfortable, quiet, with relaxed service, a nicely priced prix fixe menu, daily specials, and other tempting dishes. Recently, we’ve made more selections from the main menu. Here are two of them: a white asparagus special and tomato and mozzarella salad. Both appealing on the plate and both very good!

Note: All photos by JWFarrington. Header photo is a flower box near Rockefeller Center.

Category: Manhattan

Manhattan & Covid, Dec. 2021

Like this: