NYC Day 1:MOMA & Central Park

Yesterday we hopped on a plane in OC and flew to NYC for a few days of spring break family vacation!  We landed in Newark at around 9pm, and went straight our hotel.  We had booked a suite, but the hotel screwed up the reservation.  We ended up in two individual rooms next door to each other for the night, with a promise that we'd be moved to a suite the next day.  After we got settled at our hotel, I took a little walkabout in the mist/fog to find an evening nightcap.

The next morning, the sun was out and I had a nice run in Central Park before meeting up with S & H for a visit to MOMA.  H is generally into modern art (the bigger, more colorful, and more interactive, the better), and while MOMA had a few of those pieces (the big Pollocks were a hit, as was this dynamic video piece), she was less moved than she was at the Guggenheim in June.  Still, we found some great pieces to look at, and MOMA had a fun area for kids to make their own inspired art!

Also I got to see my first IRL Christine Sun Kim piece!  We studied her in my Sound Art class, but I had never seen one of her pieces in person.  I'm glad to say that I recognized it right away as one of hers...

After MOMA, we grabbed some lunch at Turnstyle (an underground food court on 8th between 57th and 58th) and then headed to Central Park.  H climbed on playgrounds and rocks while S and I visited with B, one of my old students.  It was the first sunny warm day of the year, so the park was jammed full of people.  Many of the fields had signs asking people to stay off them... you can see how well that worked.

While we were out, the hotel staff moved our luggage to the new room, a suite with a view of the park.  We returned from our Central Park fun, rested our feet and unpacked, and then headed to the Carnegie Diner for dinner.  S had a lobster roll, I had a Reuben, and H had chocolate cake.  All were content.

Back at the hotel room for a 10pm lights out for H.  S was tired so didn't stay up much later.  I rallied and went out for a drink, but at this time of the night and week (10pm on a Sunday), not much is open.  I was hoping for a quiet bar with a nice cocktail.  I ended up in a Sheraton hotel bar, which didn't quite suck but wasn't the experience I was hoping for.  Maybe tomorrow will be more successful...