After decades of visiting NYC I finally took the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building last week. Apparently Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the days to visit, no lines! There really were no lines at all. Except for the guys that make you wait so they can take your photo on the way up against a green screen. More photos.
Update: Hamptons Man was a big success, with hundreds of people attending and enjoying the burning of the wooden man in a green jacket. See the photo gallery.
For those New Yorkers who just can’t make it to Nevada this year, there is Hamptons Man Festival, Saturday Sept 4th, at Cooper’s Beach, South Hampton. Checkout the Hamptons Man blog.
Spent Memorial Day in The Hamptons, New York City’s version of Martha’s Vineyard. (NYkers may take issue with that comparison, as, since NYC is the center of the world, MV would be Boston’s version of the Hamptons. It’s all amusing to me, a Northern Californian, where in the summer more people go TO the city during the weekend than leave it.) Found myself at a party on Saturday night hosted by the publisher of Gotham, LA Confidential, and other fine, extra large glossy magazines showcasing celebrities and parties. Found myself wandering in and wondering of the spectacle of many tan lithe twenty-somethings with gorgeous clothes and bodies to match. Kept wondering why a video camera was pointed my way until I noticed that I was standing behind James Lipton, the guy from the Actor’s Studio. Other notable attendees included Tina Louise (Ginger from Gilligan’s Island) and Ivana Trump. Finally managed to congregate with other fellow wonderers (what are we doing here?) and was able to relax and enjoy the party. Later a friend emailed along this poem by Emily Dickinson. Seems like they had spectacle parties in her time as well…
Robert Longo
Untitled (Hell’s Gate) 2001
Charcoal on paper
How time flies! Here I am with little Hannah who I babysat when she was five, now all of 20 and going to the New School in New York. The picture is post several caipirihnas, a delicious and potent Brazilian drink partaken at Circus, a Brazilian restaurant at 808 Lexington between 62nd and 63rd. (212) 223-2965. Excellent food. Had an acorn squash baked and stuffed with a wonderful mixture of corn, shrimp, and other things. Side of collard greens – lots of garlic and olive oil. Friend Keith had strips of lightly fried polenta served over an oxtail sauce. Delicious. 2 thumbs up. Thanks to Drew Lipsher for the recommendation!
Update 05-05-04
Went to Circus again last night with parents. The food is truly interesting and delicious. I had the grilled shrimp which were fantastic and a baby arugula salad served with slices of chorizo and small white beans. Mom had their special Brazilian stew with every kind of meat, also very good and filling.
Emma, 2002 43×35 inches
If you are in NYC, an exhibit not to miss is Chuck Close Prints: Process and Collaboration at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibit shows over a hundred works, many of them demonstrating the progressive stages of various print processes including lithographs, wood cuts, and silk screens. The exhibit closes April 18th.
Pictured above is my favorite of the exhibition, a 113-color Japanese-style ukiyo-e woodcut. Many thanks to Barbara Linhart for the recommendation!