The Beauty of Bryant Park

I have been to Bryant Park a zillion times but when I visited recently, I had the chance to take my time and really enjoy the area. I seem to always be in a rush when I have visited before, and it just made me fall in more love with the place. Staying at the Bryant Park Hotel was just a very smart move as well. 

Here is some history from the Bryant Park website:

Given its location at the center of one of the world’s great cities, it comes as no surprise that the history of the area that is now Bryant Park is rich, predating even the Declaration of Independence.

The history of this space as more than true wilderness began in 1686, when New York’s first Royal Governor Thomas Dongan deemed the area, among other “unappropriated lands” to be public property under the control of the Common Council, a precursor to the City Council we have today. It remained as such for more than 100 years with little interruption, although a notable exception came in 1776 when General George Washington and his troops are said to have passed through the area following their retreat from the Battle of Long Island.

I had no idea George Washington and his troops came through here! I think I need to do their tour that they offer the next time I am in for a few days! How beautiful are these scenes ? It was so relaxing with the trees all around, we all need a rest from the busy grind of the day to day. 

This building takes my breathe away every time I walk past and I finally decided to take some photos and photo the plaque as well. So many buildings in this great city have so much history. 

What an impressive history and list of members to "The Engineers Club" 

All that detail just makes me swoon ! 

Bryant Park is located between 40th and 42nd Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues behind the New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman building. 

Please be sure to follow me on Instagram for lots of photos and activity of my travels to NYC. I would be delighted to see you there, be sure to say "hi" 

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Funk You Too! at the MAD Museum

I recently enjoyed a visit at the MAD Museum with their exhibit Funk You Too! Humor and Irreverence in Ceramic Sculpture which was a delight! It made me really smile, and I just loved the Viola Frey lady statue shown above. This exhibit is on until the end of August so plenty of time to visit this summer. I would highly recommend! 

Wonder what her shoe size would be ? 

just loved these 2 pieces and had to share with you 

what fun indeed ! 

Funk You Too!

HUMOR AND IRREVERENCE IN CERAMIC SCULPTURE

Through Aug 27, 2023

Museum of Arts and Design 

2 Columbus Circle New York, NY 10019

MUSEUM HOURS

Tuesday 10 am–6 pm

Wednesday 10 am–6 pm

Thursday 10 am–6 pm

Friday 10 am–6 pm

Saturday 10 am–6 pm

Sunday 10 am–6 pm

STORE HOURS

Tue–Sun 10 am–6 pm

ADMISSION

General $18

Seniors $14

Students $12

Members FREE

18 and Under FREE

On Thursdays, General Admission tickets are half price. (This discount does not include tickets to Taylor Swift: Storyteller.)

Please be sure to follow me on Instagram for lots of photos and activity of my travels to NYC. I would be delighted to see you there, be sure to say "hi" 

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Bistro Verde 2023

I cannot believe 4th of July is over! The time sure seems to be flying by! I wanted to give a shout out to a restaurant that I enjoyed prior to COVID and is still fabulous after COVID. Bistro Verde is located in the fabulous Nordstrom store at West 57th Street near Columbus Circle. I was thrilled to be back after a long break, and the food did not disappoint. It's a top notch choice if you are in this area for lunch or dinner. 

When I visited for Memorial Day weekend, I had a seat with a view of their new patio. I am not a fan of eating outside when very humid so opted to stay in the air conditioning. I had the Wild Salmon Oscar which was salmon with lump crabmeat on top. Their menu was very nice for dinner and their prices are affordable for NYC. It was so delish! 

I like the decor, it's very simple and folks are not on top of each other like in some NYC restaurants. It's a great spot for a break, either from shopping or just walking around the city. 

My trip in the middle of May, when I visited the Met, was good but service wasn't as great. They were not busy and yet it seemed to take forever for my order. The food was amazing as usual, this was Wild Salmon Nicoise, yes, I am a huge seafood lover! It was really so fantastic, I would get it again. The portions are very generous as well. 

The lobster bisque is something I have been getting each time I visit as it's just so tasty. 

I would highly recommend a meal here if you are in the area. Their pasta dishes are great as well and prices very reasonable. I can understand sometimes service is not 100% as they may have been short staffed that day. The service on Memorial Day weekend was spot on. 

You can place reservations on Open Table but if you are there on an off time, it's usually easy to obtain a table. Dining outside is lovely if you do not mind the heat in the summer months. 

Bistro Verde 

Nordstrom NYC 

225 West 57th Street

New York, NY 10019

212.295.2000

Mon-Sat: 11am-7pm

Sun: Noon-6pm

Please be sure to follow me on Instagram for lots of photos and activity of my travels to NYC. I would be delighted to see you there, be sure to say "hi" 

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Nicola's Marketplace Biscotti

I recently had the pleasure of tasting biscotti from Nicola's Marketplace. The website has amazing Italian foods which all look really wonderful and freshly made. Nothing beats Italian cooking, you can use the most simple ingredients and the dish comes out amazing! 

A little bit from their website:

Founded by Chef Nicola, the Marketplace was started in 2021 with a mission to bring customers a delightful experience with every order. Chef Nicola is passionate about high quality and taste when it comes to creating the ultimate culinary experience.

I liked the fact that they were not rock hard, my Mom's recipe is for a very soft biscotti which I love. If I don't want to dip them in espresso or coffee or tea, I can eat them on their own. Lots of cranberry in this one and hint of orange. Just enough. 

I love chocolate in general but when you pair with hazelnut or walnut, it's magic! These flavors were right on point, not too sweet and just perfect. The biscotti is also small size which is nice as well, especially if you want a few for breakfast. They make a very nice light dessert after dinner, 3 of them would be perfect after a heavy meal. 

You can really see them up close in these photos, they are really wonderful and I would highly suggest you give them a try if you are a biscotti lover! 

Just look at all the cranberries and pistachio !!!

Nicola's Marketplace 

Please be sure to follow me on Instagram for lots of photos and activity of my travels to NYC. I would be delighted to see you there, be sure to say "hi" 

**I was sent biscotti from Nicola's Marketplace for the purpose of this review. The opinions herein are based on my own experience and are my own.

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