I love to plan trips. It is part of the pleasure of travel. This is our 5th NYC trip since 2022, and, with endless choices, New York City demands a good plan. Researching restaurants and menus, museums exhibitions, music performances. Making the list, color-coding reservations and tickets, all activities accounted for. So much for spontaneity.
After checking into the hotel, our first Friday destination was the Poster House. There are many small museums in NYC, and Poster House is relatively new space, opening in 2019. The gallery focuses on the poster as historical documents and as a design vehicle for communication.
We collect posters. Specifically, New Orleans JazzFest posters. Each year a poster designed by a notable New Orleans artist is created for that year’s festival . Our first poster dates to our first trip in 1998. Doctor John. The wall space in our home is depleted, filled by framed JazzFest posters, as well as prints by a New Orleans artist, Marcus Akinlana. We met Marcus many years ago, and have a number of his prints in our collection. More on Marcus in a future post.
A primary goal for this trip was to dine at Don Angie. Located in the West Village, the rolled lasagna for two is their signature dish. We attempted to get in on our last visit, but not to be. We waited in line for the 3:30 Friday opening and were able to secure the last (2) bar seats. It was worth the wait and early time. Mission accomplished.
Our hotel is located on East 44th Street, between 5th and Madison Avenues. This year's St. Patrick's Day parade was held on Saturday, and starts at the corner of E. 44th Street and 5th Avenue, a couple of hundred feet from our hotel.
It’s a perfect day for a parade. There are drums and bagpipes everywhere. It is loud. The buildings amplify the sound of the drums and bagpipes. And here at the start line, there is controlled chaos. Could be the safest place in NYC this morning. Police and fire are everyplace, both in the parade and on patrol. Everyone loves a parade.
The parade was not on the plan, so a wee bit of serendipity courtesy of St Patrick. After some parade viewing, it was off to the Museum of the City of New York, the Guggenheim, happy hour at The Penrose, dinner at Hoexter's (great smash burger), and to the Beacon Theater for Rhiannon Giddens.
We have seen Rhiannon (https://rhiannongiddens.com) numerous times, most recently at Carnegie Hall in a collaborative show, "Songs of Our Native Daughters". Her music blends folk, gospel and roots styles, and she is a great vocalist and a talented banjo and fiddle player.
Saturday was a long day, but we got the job done. The plan was executed, and time for a bit of rest.
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