cherrypatter nyc
and great ideas for what to do too!
james surls: a metallic park avenue
so maybe you can only appreciate the beauty of park avenue if you have lived on the upper east side (and have nothing to do with the financial meltdown), but i do have to say that i always loved going up and down this grand street, particularly from the beginnings of spring through christmas when there are always glorious flowers planted in the medians (the tulips are especially great) and meticulously cared for shrubbery. in recent years, the city, through its new york city parks public art program, and the fund for park avenue, have held public sculpture exhibits along a stretch of this boulevard with a range of works including huge heads by jun kaneko, life-size horses by deborah butterfield and gigantic steel linear forms by bernar venet.
this year’s exhibit features large bronze and steel sculptures by james surls that are as high as 15 feet and in all sorts of configurations. the pieces will be on view between 50th and 57th streets, and last weekend when k and i went by there were just a few installed, but they were striking. by this weekend, all seven should be up and ready for viewing hopefully right when the flowers start blooming so it won’t look quite as gloomy as it did for us. i particularly loved the piece pictured above, and how it connected with one of my all-time favorite new york buildings the seagram building. i will confess that i am a bit obsessed with mies van der rohe ever since i commuted to chicago for a year a while back. one of the saving graces for having to stay in a very dreary hotel was that it looked onto the chicago federal center — three glorious buildings designed by rohe, and walking by the plaza on my way to a long stretch of difficult meetings was the best part of my day. the surls’ sculptures will be on view till july 1st. park avenue, from 50th to 57th streets.
mini guide new york: park avenue: although i cannot say that this stretch of the east 50s has the most exciting shopping possibilities, there are definitely places to eat and hang out, and even a few more casual snack options.
food:
the seagram building restaurants: philip johnson designed these two iconic restaurants here back in the early 1960s, and they are still going strong: the brasserie, redesigned about ten years ago by diller and scofidio is the cooler, cheaper spot (it’s all relative) with good hamburgers and other bistro food; and the incredibly high end four seasons with the most over the top expensive food i have ever had (the lunch burger and fries clocks in at $39) though i don’t think people come here for the food — just the scene. for those of us looking for a little more value and who want to experience the beauty of the rooms, through the end of may the restaurant is offering a $59 three-course prix fixe menu celebrating the year the building was conceived. that might be a deal i can afford. brasserie, 100 east 53rd street, ; four seasons, 99 east 52nd street. both restaurants are between park and lexington avenues, .
the cafe at st. bart’s, a more affordable, lower-key spot with decent food for lunch or dinner. 109 east 50th street between lexington and park avenues, .
itzy bitzy patisserie: located in the doubletree hotel (don’t be put off by the ambiance of the hotel) in the tafu new yorkshop at 569 lexington avenue, and the direct entrance is on 51st street between lexington and 3rd avenues, and be sure not to go sunday like k and i did because it is closed sadly.
chocolate bar: a little further afield, i am a big fan of the chocolate bar and was so sad when they closed their 8th avenue store in the village (and so happy to hear they may be reopening in that area soon). i have not tried out their shop at super trendy department store henri bendel but as long as they have the usual treats it should be a worthwhile stop. 712 fifth avenue at 55th street, 3rd floor atrium, .
shop/do:
lever house: the the sculpture garden on the ground floor (with the fun tom sachs bronze work pictured above) is a nice diversion and the art work usually rotates at least once a year. 390 park avenue at 54th street, manhattan, new york, .
paley park: one of the hidden gems of new york, this lovely outdoor garden with a waterfall is just about perfect any time when the weather hovers over 50. one of the few great public spaces developed through nyc’s zoning requirements, this is a great place for a snack or to just chill out. 53rd street between madison and park avenues, manhattan, new york.
asahiya: while this japanese bookstore chain doesn’t have the extensive stationery selection of kinokuniya, they are less expensive and have a big literary selection as well as the most recent magazines and if you can read japanese it is a real treasure. 360 madison avenue at 45th street (right across from grand central), manhattan, new york, .
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You need to add a photo of Hello Kitty from Lever House!!!
[...] new york art james surls sculptures art along park avenue … [...]
[...] and so i am taking a break. plenty of mini guides for the upper east side can be found here and here and here. i obviously need to venture elsewhere in this fair city of [...]