old new york

every year or so i get this nagging desire to go back to new york. i've been there probably half a dozen times by now, each time for only a day or two. and, while it would have been nice to get to attend the opening of the new islamic art wing in the met (i don't know how i got invited either), i figured sometime after i got back would have to suffice. so from boston i hoped a bus down to new york - and at $12 it was more expensive than both my legs from dc to boston combined. i should preface this by saying that this is by no means a 'what to do on your first trip to new york'. it's not a statue of liberty/empire state/museum (well okay i went to a couple of those) kind of visit. each time i'm in the city i cross a few more items off my never-ending list of its offerings.

can't go wrong with tiles

i arrived in the city around midday and made my way to brooklyn where i was set to stay at my bombay roomie's former place. it's a great place right in fort greene, with bay windows and apparently a rotating group of students and young people cycling in and out over the summer. so one more person didn't seem to matter much. i quickly headed out to grab a late lunch and ended at up at olea, a self-described mediterranean taverna. and what's dining in new york good for if not feeling like you're somewhere else? i had some kind of flatbread with tomatoes and nuts and enjoyed the discarded NY times.

mixed media

then it was over to manhattan, where i was all set to meet some friends for a trip to the met. we'd first met while spending a summer in jordan studying arabic so i had hoped the islamic wing wouldn't be too uninteresting for them. we were not to be disappointed. i wouldn't have expected anything less, frankly, with a reinstall taking as long as this one did. quite literally every time i went to the met (in other words every time i'm in new york) i checked the second floor in hopes of finding the islamic wing finished. always, i was disappointed. i believe this reinterpretation was eight years in the making. well worth it. the many galleries were grouped thematically and geographically, and even included a section for contemporary art. architectural elements are incorporated wherever possible, as with the little tiled niches (originally mihrabs) or the complete moroccan courtyard. (check out this video for some idea of the level of detail that went into its construction.) my friends were just as captivated as i was (or they were very good sports) and put up with my incessant picture taking and endless lingering over ceramic tiles. i was very happy to test out my iphone - much easier for museum photos, and quite a good camera too.

circle takes the square

after thoroughly soaking up the islamic wing, josh, randa and i set out for an evening snack before they had to head back to new jersey. we enjoyed some fancy soups and then unfortunately had to go our separate ways, just as some rain started to fall. i made my way downtown and met the new roommates for a movie at the IFC center, where i had fond memories of seeing the helvetica movie. that's right, people, i paid eleven dollars to watch a documentary about a typeface. here instead it was kumaré, a documentary about a man posing as a guru. having just returned from india it brought up a lot of conflicting emotions about the exploitation of exported indian culture and people's idea of spirituality in general. we discussed this, appropriately, over dosas at a little indian cafe where i had to physically restrain myself from singing along with the faint hindi tunes i could hear. from here i followed the brooklynites to a number of bars that could have easily been in richmond - a mix of craft beers, PBRs and bar games.

torana arches on a jain temple or park slope, brooklyn?

the next day i was up and out the door early to enjoy the brooklyn flea market, conveniently located about a 2 minute walk from my temporary apartment. i couldn't bring myself to shell out the 12 bucks for the lobster roll i'd heard so much about but instead treated myself to a dulce de leche donut. probably the first donut i'd had in.. years? i wandered the market, both admiring the wares and appalled at the prices. if there's one thing i know it's appropriate flea market prices. (no matter, i found a yard sale a few blocks away and scored some necklaces.) i did, however, get a few vintage buttons that should make an awesome ring.

there's probably some metaphor for meditation here

from there it was back to manhattan and into midtown. i began at the rubin museum of art (just can't get away from south asia) where i saw lots of buddhas, and thankfully plenty of other deities too. and some lovely mughal manuscripts too. from there i bounced around the flatiron district, popping into cafes for the occasional scone with lemon curd or cup of coffee. up to the flatiron building, which has to be one of my favorite landmarks, across from which i stopped for a break. i realized i was just opposite the famous shake shack and tried to determine if my low to moderate hunger was worth the wait in the enormous line. in the end my impatience won out. walking again under the shadow of the flatiron i spied a crowd starting to gather. it was none other than heidi klum, filming what looked like a commercial. i ogled for a minute or two and then continued walking over to the strand - 18 miles of books, and i can't seem to leave with out one or two. it's like south bombay all over again.

harbor dusk

after a much-needed respite and very overdue phone date in union square i was feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the evening. that meant meeting up with aforementioned hosts at the south street seaport. i don't think i'd ever been there. and frankly it's pretty cheesy. sort of baltimore's inner harbor meets shopping mall plus probably a bubba gump shrimp restaurant for good measure. but the view of the boats on the river and skyscrapers behind was unique. and the sunlight fading behind the brooklyn bridge? well that's pretty magical. we lingered there and half heartedly listened to the live music accompanied by a handful of tourists breaking out their moves. then realizing we were hungry and that we'd rather not eat at TGIFriday's we set off on foot. we weren't sure where we were headed at first but eventually ended up in little italy, probably about a mile away. and cheesy as it might be, there's something rather lovely about dining al fresco, enjoying your spaghetti bolognese under the perpetually hanging lights. with the stream of tourists walking past and the late day summer heat lingering in the air, you could almost believe you were in italy. a fitting end to any trip to new york; some things never get old.

goodbye, brooklyn