FIVE STARS would go again. INCREDIBLE collection of art under one roof:
Rembrandt, Degas, Renoir, Turner, Whistler, Velazquez, El Greco, Goya,
Vermeer, Van Dyck...and like, FAMOUS paintings by all these people. It's
a perfectly sized art museum -- when I went,
took about 2.5 hours to "see" everything (although that was with two rooms
closed), just the right amount before getting art fatigue. Excellent audio
tour, so you can learn something about most of the pieces. Also very accessible -
the collection is basically "things Henry Clay Frick liked and wanted to
live with" so a lot of interesting portraits and landscapes. And it's in
a beautiful house on 5th Ave.
When I went to New York in Jan 2019 w/ my friend E., this was
a big part of our trip because E is a big smitten kitchen fan. And Deb
did not steer us wrong! We went to Barbuto, Breads Bakery, Ess-a-Bagel,
Mimi Cheng's, Balthazar's, and Murray's Cheese Bar. Barbuto was AMAZING.
Expensive, but so totally delicious and worth it.
outside: Central Park
It's cliche, but...I love Central Park? I love the trees, the benches,
the different moods (the ramble vs the more orderly southern bit,
the big resevoir, the smaller lake, etc.).
outside: Fort Tryon Park
outside: High Line Park
sights Rockefeller Center
The building is really lovely. And there's a Lego Store nearby.
church: St. John the Divine
Okay, so this is mostly because I've read a lot of Madeleine L'Engle.
I seem to recall an organ concert on Sunday afternoons, and morning/evening
prayer services.
A little pricey for the size of the museum. Aimed at late elementary
to early middle school? But fun for adults too. :) Lots of interactive
and hands-on exhibits.
Also Seen
The Intrepid
Ellis Island
Statue of Liberty
Empire State Building
World Trade Center (original towers + memorial)
Carnegie Hall
Want to See
museum: The Tenement Museum
museum: The Cloisters
museum: New York transit museum
sights: An architechtural walking tour (or two)
sights: I'd love to explore more of the different neighborhoods,
get a hotel or AirBnB in somehwere like Little Italy and just walk around.
sights: a borough other than Manhattan. :P
Favorite Books
A Severed Wasp, Madeleline L'Engle
84 Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff
It's Like This, Cat, Emily Neville
This is New York, E.B. White
The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Koiningsburg
Philadelphia
Recommendations
museum: Benjamin Franklin Institute
Absolute favorite museum from my childhood! So many awesome exhibits,
the big pendulum, a planetarium / Imax. The best.
museum: Please Touch Museum
Lots of fond memories of going here as a kid and shopping, playing
in the night kitchen, and being a newscaster.
food/shopping/sights: Reading Terminal Market
A little bit of everything -- so many different little restaurants
and shops.
sights: Independence Hall
outside: Longwood Gardens
This is one of my grandparents' favorites and mine as well. The grounds
are extensive and beautiful if you want to go on a long outdoor walk. During
the winter (or just because), the large greenhouses are nicely arranged
and have specialty rooms for plants like orchids and succulents. There's
also an amazing children's garden/play space with fountains and magical
hidey-holes.
sights: Herr's Factory Tour
I went on this a lonnnnng time ago, but remember it being super fun.
outside: Valley Forge
Lots of family memories here -- hikes along the creek, hiding things
in the old stone buildings in the forest, just walking around the area.
Also Seen
Sub / ship
Maritime museum
Liberty Bell
Winterthur
Books
Ben and Me, Robert Lawson
Other PA
Seen
Jim Thorpe
Buck Hill Falls
Pittsburgh
Recommendations
sights: The Phipps Botanical Garden
sights: The funicular and Mt. Washington! AMAZING.
activities: Bike tour w/ Bike the Burgh: https://www.biketheburgh.com/
activities: other bike rental: http://bikepittsburgh.com/bike-rentals/
museum: Heinz history center
To See
Bike the GAP trail to Cumberland, MD
Mattress Factory
Andy Warhol Museum
Carnegie Science Center / Natural History Museum / Art museum
church: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Absolute beauty of a church. The upper sanctuary is all mosaics, and
HUGE. But I also love the lower chapel/church which has a great solemn,
monastic feel while also being beautifully decorated.
sights: National Zoo
It's a zoo. But it's free! I have a lovely memory of visiting my friend
J., walking to the zoo together, and then spending almost half an hour
just watching the elephants.
outside: Rock Creek Park
museum: Portrait Gallery
The portrait gallery is probably my favorite of the Smithsonian museums.
The building is a great place to kill time, with an covered courtyard with
fountains; the special exhibits are always great; the portraits are fun;
and part of the building is the former patent office and is a beautiful
art-deco type building.
museum: Museum of American History / Museum of African American History
I still have very fond memories of the sangria and calamari.
sights: Arlington
I still find the changing of the guard, and the tomb of the unkown soldier,
a moving moment.
sights National Mall
I love walking down the mall and all the sights you can see -- the
Smithsonian castle, the museums, the Washington monument and WWII
memorial, the reflecting pool and Lincoln memorial. Lincoln memorial
and the Castle are probably my two favorites.
events: Movies on the mall
The usual fun of outdoor movies but with the sun setting over the
Washington Monument behindyou, and the Capitol lit up in front of you.
I went to this with my housemates and we saw 12 Angry Men and I don't think
you could ask for a better movie in that setting.
events: Opera in the outfield
Sit in the outfield of Nats stadium and watch a simulcast of opening
night of opera at the Kennedy Center. Super fun.
A route that touches all 50 of the "state streets" in DC. I've never
done the whole thing (apparently it ends with a killer hill? is 62 miles
long?) but did start it once and it was a lot of fun.
Also Seen
Ben's Chili Bowl
National Air and Space Museum
Kennedy Center
Georgetown
Nats Stadium
Vietnam Memorial
Museum of the American Indian
National Cathedral
Air and Space Museum
Want to See
museum National Portrait Gallery
The Obama's portraits!!
museum National Postal Museum
sights The Capitol
I've been, but it was a LONG time ago and would
like to go again.