Goal for the future: Visit Some of Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpieces.
The above photo is of the American architect’s “Falling Water,” located about 100 kilometres South East of Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
My first Wright building was the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in NYC. I took a photo of the ceiling from the middle of the museum’s ground floor.
*Click the photo of “Falling Water” for more information about the Frank Lloyd Wright and his work.
(Source: scottape)
On Sunday night, I lined up for 2 hours (outside) to get tickets for the Upright Citizen’s Brigade show, ASSSSCAT 3000. I’m not gonna lie, the main reason I was there was cause Amy Poehler is supposed to be in the cast, and I really, really wanted to see her.
The Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre is an improv group that started in NY, and has since expanded. They’re comparable to the Second City, I’d say.
Anyway, I ended up getting in, but Amy wasn’t there :(. At first I was really disappointed, but then I began to warm up to the show. It was entirely improvised, and actually pretty funny. The audience was great too. The venue, a basement on 26th Street, just west of 8th Ave, holds about 125-150 people. The crowd it attracts is young and hipster, with a sense of humour, and no opposition to getting involved. The show lasted about an hour and a half/two hours, and I ended up having a really good time.
On my way out, my insignificant other turned to me and swore he had just seen Michael Cera in the crowd. I first thought he was mistaken, but when I caught a glimpse of the subject, sure enough, it was him. I decided it was time for me to be bold, so I waited until we were outside, and I approached from behind. I tapped the Juno star on the shoulder, and asked “Hey, are you Michael Cera?” as if I was unsure. “Yeah, I am,” he said, kind of uncomfortably. I pushed on: “Do you think you could take a picture with me?” ….. hesitation on his part. “Or do you not like doing that?” Seizing his opportunity, he responded, “Yeah, photos aren’t really my thing.” SHUT DOOOWWWNN. In an attempt to salvage some pride, I said “well, it was nice meeting you,” to which he politely responded, “yeah,” and then we were each on our way. Oh well, I guess it is kind of annoying having people stop you in the street like that, but I was still kind of instinctually cheesed.
Saw the Sunday matinee of How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Don’t really wan’t to write a review, but I thought the choreography really deserved a nod. It was absolutely spectacular. All cast members were good dancers, which made for many opportunities to use complex dance, and attention-grabbing acrobatics. The use of props and set in the numbers was pretty smart, I thought. Even the use of other actors, in partner and group choreography was a pleasure to watch.
Other than that, the musical was fun, funny, and pretty well delivered, in my opinion. None of the cast members stuck out as being a weak link. The acting, singing, and dancing was all good, so I’ve really got nothing to complain about there.
I wasn’t moved to tears or anything, but I WAS entertained.
Soooo I hit up the warehouse sales on my list (American Apparel, Barney’s, Scoop).
American apparel was HUGE. Things were mostly under $25 (with some $5 and $10 items). It was also empty, though it was a Friday morning. I’d say there were more employees than customers. The storefront shown below is only half the length of the space. There was also a basement.
The sale is supposed to be on until the end of the month (Feb, 2012).
Barney’s, as expected, was too pricey for me. The stuff in my price range was too plain to be dropping that kind of cash on. Most stuff was at least 50% off though, and there were some gorgeous designer dresses.
Scoop, had some nice stuff, even for summer. Brands included Alice and Olivia (which I love) and Haute Hippie. I saw some of the same piece I’d seen at Barney’s, but for cheaper. Stuff was still pretty pricey, though, so I didn’t end up buying anything there. The store is in the meatpacking district (14th and Washington streets). The people walking around were young, trendy and well dressed. The shops were moderately high end brands that you’d find in the “contemporary” section at a Bloomingdales. Definitely my style, just out of my price range at the moment.
Form the meatpacking district, I walked toward the West Village. I found a shop called Zachary’s Smile on Greenwich Ave, just north of Christopher St. There, I bought a vintage Oscar de la Renta silk scarf, that I like to consider my find of the day.
The next day, I went shopping in Soho, on Broadway near Prince. I swear that strip has every store I’d ever want to visit (J Crew, Club Monaco, Aritzia- two storey! I’m from Canada, and I’ve NEVER seen an Aritzia of this size- Topshop, Bloomingdales, and Steve Madden, to name a very select few). This is definitely the place to go if you need to get a ton of shopping done in a short period of time. Keep in mind, however, it can get pretty crowded.
The only thing, shopping wise, that I’m sad I didn’t get to do is browse vintage shops in the East Village. There just wasn’t enough time to do everything :( Next time I suppose!
The tkts booths in NYC are a great place to get discounted tickets (up to 50% off) for Broadway and off-Broadway musicals and plays.
http://www.tdf.org/TDF_ServicePage.aspx?id=56
Today, I got tickets for 30% to see tomorrow’s matinee performance of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (the one I refer to as, “the musical that used to star Daniel Radcliffe, then Darren Criss, and now Nick Jonas”). Instead of doing what I did two years ago, and making the shorter trip to join the longer line in Times Square, I decided to see what it would be like to get the tickets from the South Seaport Booth. I am soooo glad I made that decision. Having woken up late, and only getting down to the booth at 1 pm (it opens at 11 am on Saturdays), I was worried the line would be huge, and there would be no good tickets left. Luckily, I only had to wait twenty minutes, and I didn’t need to worry about a lack of tickets because sales get updated throughout the day. Then, once the tickets had been purchased, I got a chance to wander the streets a bit and take in the view of the Brooklyn skyline (photos in previous post).
Lunch at Westville restaurant on West 10th Street, at Bleecker. There wasn’t really anywhere to eat on that stretch of Bleecker (it was all shopping), and we were really hungry so we stopped at the first place we saw. Apparently this cozy little place is one of three in NYC. The atmosphere was homey and relaxed, the food was good, and the crowd was young and casual. I guess you can sort of see that for yourself.
So this is kinda cliché, but I’m a sucker for desserts, and I could NOT come to NYC and not go to Magnolia. I mean, the bakery IS famous for a reason. Visited the original store, on Bleecker and got myself a red velvet cupcake. What can I say but nomnomnom
I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no “best view of the city”. On my quest to best the Empire State Building (I was not about to pay $22), I noticed that no matter where I went, I was constantly surrounded with interesting architecture and attention grabbing scenes. If you are looking for a skyline, though, I would suggest travelling out rather than up (the edges of Manhattan make for great vantage points of the skyscrapers of the city). Of course, if you can find a place that is both tall enough and accessible, it doesn’t hurt to venture to the top and see what you can see. The Hilton Millennium, across from the World Trade Centre site is a good example. Though you don’t see much Manhattan, buildings of Brooklyn and view of it’s bridge are quite a sight.
Either the barista fixed me a regular frap, as opposed to my usual light, or Starbucks is just better in NYC. Option two wouldn’t really surprise me. Most things here just tend to be better. Take this McDonalds off Times Square for example:
(the sign isn’t burnt out, the letters just light up one by one)
Wow. I would NOT have blogged about Mickey Dees six months ago. I guess it comes with being a full fledged university student. You know what else comes with that territory? Being cheap. Which is why I’ve come up with the following game plan for this trip:
- Find the best free view in the city (the Empire State Building costs 22!)
- Hit up the current warehouse sales (American Apparel, Barney’s- though they might still be out of my range-, Scoop)
-Shop thrift in the East Village
-Use the tkts booth to get discounted tickets on Broadway (one show only. Even discounted tickets are bank breakers)
-And OF COURSE take advantage of all the delicious street eats NYC is famous for
Preview:
So hopefully I’ll get through this list (and more) over the next three days. Better not waste any time!
The London Tower Bridge is the bridge crossing the Thames river at the Tower of London (the ex. residence of the royal family). It was completed in 1894, and to this day, remains one of London’s prominent historical and architectural landmarks. When the London Bridge (different from tower bridge) was dismantled in 1967, it’s pieces were bought by Robert P. McColloch, a Missourian entrepreneur, who used them to reinforce the “London Bridge” in Arizona. People say he thought he was buying pieces of the famed Tower Bridge, and was shocked when he finally saw his purchase. McColloch denied this rumour, but I kind of believe it.
