Down the Rabbit Hole
By Karen Buros
In March 2020 I thought knew who I was and where I was heading. Suddenly I fell down a Rabbit Hole like Alice in Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass. Now in July 2021 she speaks to what I feel….
“I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then”
As we emerge from the Pandemic, we wonder whether we emerge from this long, dark period of isolation with confidence or trepidation. Some TTN experiences and suggestions follow – where to eat, where to meet and things to do as we come out of hibernation.
Restaurants: A few notables…
Tasca:
505 Columbus Avenue @84th Street
https://www.tasca-nyc.com/
Opened in Feb…” Went last night...fantastic food. Empanadas, flat breads…maduros and more!”
Pershing Square:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CO4RxxqDcPN/
Across From Grand Central Sation New York City,
(212) 286-9600
They have an outdoor patio.
JoJo:
160 E 64th Street
https://www.jojorestaurantnyc.com/
“Open for indoor & outdoor dining at 100% capacity. Join us for an outdoor dining experience at the floral JoJo Oasis.”
Cafe D’Alsace:
88th and 2nd
https://cafedalsace.com/
"Is set up very well for outdoor dining but might be difficult for a medium to large group."
Pastis:
52 Gansevoort Street – “Down the block from the Whitney Museum”
https://pastisnyc.com/
"Reported to have lots of outdoor tables although reservations may be hard to come by."
North Riverlobster Co
Pier 81, W 41st St, New York, NY
https://northriverlobsterco.com/visit/
Dining on the Hudson River? You might want to try this lobster boat.
NYC Restaurant week is coming!
"NYC Restaurant Week summer 2021 will run from July 19 through August 22, with even more options for a delicious dining experience. Whether you prefer dining indoors, outdoors or at home, there are more lunch and dinner deals to be had than ever before."
https://www.nycgo.com/restaurant-week/restaurant-week-about
Arts and Culture
The Frick Collection
“on Madison in the Breuer building formerly the Whitney and The
Met Breuer, a whole new way of seeing favorite works”
Alice Neel at the Met
Contemporary art, ceramics and sculpture at The Met
Daoud Bey's Birminghman series at The Whitney:
“photos of Black people in pairs to honor the children killed in the Birmingham bombing - one person the age of the dead child and an adult the age the child would have been”
MOMA
“permanent collection on Monday for members, with time and space to enjoy the museum”
Cooper Hewitt Museum
“Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is located in the Upper East Side's Museum Mile in Manhattan, New York City.
Admission is free of charge for all through October 31, 2021.Timed-entry tickets are required to visit the museum. A limited number of tickets are reserved each day for walk-ups.”
https://www.cooperhewitt.org/
Agnes Martin at Pace Gallery in Chelsea
540 West 25th Street
https://www.pacegallery.com/
“The view from the terrace at Pace Gallery of Chelsea almost normal again”
Outdoor Theater and Music
For the music lovers who would like to socially distance, here are some ideas. Some tickets offered by lottery. Check out…
Lincoln Center: Restart Stages:
“Josie Robertson Plaza has been re-imagined as we welcome New Yorkers back to our outdoor campus as part of Restart Stages. Celebrated set designer and MacArthur Genius grantee Mimi Lien re-envisioned the space with “The GREEN,” turning the nearly 20,000 square feet of concrete expanse into a participatory public art installation that invites New Yorkers to relax and enjoy the open-air space, along with live performances. With pop-up performances, educational workshops, a reading room, and canteen bites and sips, there's something for the whole family to enjoy this spring and summer at The GREEN.”
https://www.lincolncenter.org/lincoln-center-at-home/show/the-green-521
Shakespeare in the Park
Free Tickets
“Due to current Health and Safety protocols, there will not be any day-of-performance, free ticket distribution lines in Central Park, in the boroughs, or at The Public's flagship on Lafayette Street. Instead, this summer, free tickets will be distributed entirely via an advanced digital lottery hosted by our new partner, GOLDSTAR. Enter the lottery through the Goldstar app on Apple, Android, and the website each Tuesday and Friday, one week prior to the next week’s scheduled performances.”
https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2021/sitp/merry-wives/
Bryant Park:
“Bryant Park is excited to announce the 2021 return of Picnic Performances: twenty-five live and in-person music, dance, and theater events produced in partnership with a diverse and storied lineup of New York City’s performing arts institutions. All events will be free and open to the public with limited capacity. Bryant Park will observe all New York City & New York State guidelines immediate to the time of the performance. “
https://bryantpark.org/series/bryant-park-picnics
Madison Square Park:
“In collaboration with Carnegie Hall, Music on the Green is a free concert series inspired by Maya Lin’s Ghost Forest that brings artists from the Hall’s Ensemble Connect to reflect on the themes of the exhibition. Concerts are held every Wednesday from July 7 through August 11 on the Oval Lawn.”
https://madisonsquarepark.org/community/calendar/
Enjoy the Outdoors!
Little Island Park:
Little Island, a new, free public park pier within the larger Hudson River Park.
“My son and I went to Little Island last week. Before noon you don’t need tickets for the timed entry. It was an interesting place to ramble and not crowded.”
https://littleisland.org/
Governors Island:
“Governors Island is a 172 acre island in the heart of New York Harbor. It’s only 800 yards from Lower Manhattan, and even closer to Brooklyn. It is a world unto itself, unique and full of promise. In order to maintain social distancing on Governors Island ferries, visitors must reserve ferry tickets in advance. Ferries run from Lower Manhattan (daily): The Battery Maritime Building, located at 10 South Street”
Sandy Hook beaches: Gateway National Park
“Sun, sand, waves, and lighthouses a short cruise from Manhattan when you take a Seastreak ferry from E. 35th Street or Wall Street.
Have fun in the surf and sun at Sandy Hook Beach in the Gateway National Park, with lifeguards (through Labor Day), snack bars (through Labor Day), and restrooms. There are parks, fishing, bike paths, and historic lighthouses on Sandy Hook as well!”
https://seastreak.com/daytrips-and-getaways/sandy-hook-beach/
Far Rockaway Beach:
“I grew up in Far Rockaway so would enjoy an outing to Rockaway beach! Now you can take the ferry”:
https://www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules/
NY Botanical Gardens: Kusama exhibit
“Grounds & gallery pass for $32 to view the Kusama exhibit at the NY Botanical Garden in the Bronx. Take Metro North from Grand Central.”
https://www.nybg.org/visit/admission/?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=kusama-imr-on-sale-2021-public&utm_content=tickets