sweet home.

This painting is from the Hotel Chelsea lobby.  This was one of my favorites.  This piece was created as a tribute to the nearby White Horse Tavern.  The same White Horse Tavern where Dylan Thomas drank his last whiskey. 

We came home late on Sunday.  Monday I had piles of work to get through, but I managed to find time to catch up with these local super cool ladies for their traditional lady dayrage.  It's kind of like Zeina's happy day - but strictly women.  Upon entering Bulls, the first bar I met them at, Olivia was in the midst of riding a mechanical bull!  Pretty good!!

I am dropping off film to be developed today, so more NYC pictures to come.  

hotel chelsea

history + art + ghost stories...

winter in new york

In one short week from today, we will be waking up at Chesen + Matt's apartment in Manhattan.  I absolutely cannot wait.  It will be a week filled with friends + family + love + art + good food + new york city things.

It's a tricky thing when your best friend lives so far away, and in such a grande city.  I always make these gigantic lists of things I want to check out, but the truth is, we are perfectly happy in her apartment with good food and drink... catching up the entire time.  

Eli found this place in brooklyn that he wants to check out.  And there are some great exhibits at the Whitney that I want to see and I have never been there so I'm looking forward to that.  We are staying in Chelsea for part of the trip- so I am excited to be surrounded by an abundance of independent galleries.  Maybe we'll head back to WhiteStar for a topnotch cocktail. What are your favorite NYC musts?

We are attending Chesen and Matt's engagement party at PJClark's next Saturday.  They took us there for dinner last time we visited.  It's their favorite spot.  It's also featured in Madmen as the occasional afterwork drink spot.

Last night I dug up some old photos from our last trip out there.  It was in January - and so freezing... two trips in a row in the cold months!  My next trip out there must be in the spring or early summer months.  New York City is magic in the winter time, but I'm ready for a trip in warmer weather...

this is the view from chesen + matt's place in the LES

columbia university

pjclark's

art at l'orangebleu

fancy popsicles & floating swimming pools...

oh new york!  you've got it all.

popbar

plus pool

eleven heavy things - miranda july

There are countless reasons why I would absolutely love to live in Manhattan, one being the accessibility to some really amazing art happenings right there in your own city.  Like Miranda July's new art installation "Eleven Heavy Things" in Union Square Park going on right now!  It's on display until October 2010.

The installation is composed of 11 structures that engage the public to interact with the artwork. I love her use of text in so much of her work, and this piece is no different.  I am a huge fan of Miranda July's ability to touch the heart through a bizarre, quirky, and occasionally perverse way.  She charms.

  

photos from artinfo.com

More photos posted on Flickr 

Here's an interview with her regarding this work - and below an excerpt from that interview.

The hugging one — did it work? Did strangers hug each other?

It was fun to sit in Venice and watch; occasionally someone would ask someone. They’d do it, grinning their heads off. You saw a lot of people who already knew each other hugging. I guess what I also like is that the sculptures seem so inviting. Maybe they’re inviting enough that in the moment you don’t think twice about doing it to take a photograph, but then the artifact you have, the souvenir is a little more complicated.

I was already thinking about an end of summer jaunt to see ches and get my Manhattan fix for the year, and so here's one more compelling reason to go.