Some more art, books, basketball and Oysters. And Brooklyn.
Day 3
Our third day was quite busy, but given it was our last full day we decided to make the most of what we hadn’t yet seen. We started of with some bagels and lox (it had to be done!), and then made our way to the Morgan Library and museum, followed by the Whitney Museum of American Art, then a Basketball game at the Barclays Center, and to end the day- some more oysters…
Morgan library and museum
The Morgan Library and Museum is located at Madison Avenue, and is conveniently located near to some of the city’s other big tourist attractions- including the Grand Central Terminal and Empire State Building.
Similar to the other galleries and museums we visited, there is an admission fee (currently $22 for adults), although it seems admission is free on Fridays for part of the afternoon (but to be booked in advance) see more here. The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays- so do look up opening times in advance.
The Library and Museum, formerly called the Pierpont Morgan Library, was founded to hold the private collection of John Pierpont Morgan (i.e- J.P.Morgan, the very head of the investment banking firm that is now well known globally). This collection, included art, rare books, manuscripts and drawings, and shows a different side to the banker. The museum itself is a collection of buildings, and has been expanded over the years as the collection grew. The original library- known as Mr. Morgan’s library- was built in early 1900s and was an Italian-style building. Following the death of J.P.Morgan, his son made his father’s collection available to the public, and at that point the library became a public institution. Since, the library and Museum has continued to grow in size and has continued to acquire various manuscripts, drawings and rare books. It was last expanded in 2006 and now has even more facilities- including a cafe and restaurant and a shop. More details on the history can be found here.
We spent a fair bit of time walking around- Mr Morgan’s library and the Librarian’s Offices were particularly stunning, with floor to ceiling displays of books, incredibly intricate ceiling decorations. (See here for a map). This place is most certainly worth a visit, even if just to stand and look around in awe.
Lunch at Hou Yi Hot Pot
For lunch that day, we decided to check out Hou Yi Hot Pot. Wally was really craving something hot as it was freezing outside so we thought a Hot Pot would be ideal- and we would recommend this place to anyone looking for something similar in the area. We went halves on the broth- and had one spicy and one plain broth. We found the spicy one a bit too hot for our liking- but was still very tasty!
Whitney Museum of American Art
We then made our way across Manhattan to the Whitney Museum of American Art (the Whitney). Located between the High Line (another place worth a visit!) and the Hudson river in the Meatpacking District, the Whitney moved to it’s current location in 2015. The new building offers a significant increase in exhibition space, as well as stunning views of Manhattan from some of the higher galleries. The building was designed by Renzo Piano (an Italian architect, who also designed the Pompidou Center with Richard Rogers) and takes on a very striking form, fitting in perfectly with the neighbourhood.
The museum tickets are currently $25 for adults, but it is Pay What You Wish on Friday evenings (although tickets need to be booked in advance)- see more details here.
We’re not the biggest fans of modern art, but have to admit that some pieces were interesting. If you enjoy modern and contemporary art- then this is one museum that should definitely be on your list!
Baketball game- Brooklyn
In the evening, we went to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to see Brooklyn Nets take on Miami Heat. We walked there from Manhattan -it took a bit of time, but was nice to walk around and see a bit more of the city. We also ended up crossing the Brooklyn Bridge around sunset- which was stunning and made for a few cool photos!
Neither of us had been to a basketball match before so this really was an experience (and writing this during Covid-19, cannot imagine being in such close proximity to so many people!). The arena is huge- apparently for Basketball it can hold around 17k people! The atmosphere throughtout the match was incredible as well- helped by the fact that Brooklyn nets won by a few points. We also got to sample some standard American burgers and hot-dogs (Wally ate mine frustratingly and still owes me one to this day…)
If you haven’t been to a basketball game and are visiting New York (or somewhere else in America) we would recommend it- both to see some amazing games but also to experience the atmosphere.
Grand Army
For our (rather late) dinner, after the game we went to the Grand Army in Brooklyn. Very quaint and recommended! The food here was incredible- we couldn’t resist having more oysters and clams, which were accompanied with various flavoured vinegars which made for an interesting change. Also- the bread served with seaweed butter was delicious! Made for a very pleasant last evening in New York!
Click below to read more about our other days….the sightseeing we did, the food we ate…and do leave us a comment!
Day One
After arriving and checking in, we visited the Guggenheim, the Frick Collection and spent a fair bit of time walking around the busy Manhattan Streets and having some really good food!
Day Two
On our last day, we managed to visit the 9/11 memorial and the Brooklyn Museum, before sadly leaving the city and catching an overnight flight back to London.
Day Three
Our penultimate day was rather busy- we visited the Morgan Library and Museum,Whitney Museum of American Art, followed by a Basketball game in the Barclays Center, followed by some oysters…
Day Four
On our last day, we managed to visit the 9/11 memorial and the Brooklyn Museum, before sadly leaving the city and catching an overnight flight back to London.
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