The Metropolitan Museum of Art Christmas Tree

As you know, the Met is one of my most favorite museums in the city. I have been visiting since I was a little girl, and am so glad I did. As an adult, I am still amazed by the place, and still get lost at times (thank god for the folks who work there) due to it's size. It is so lovely and such a great tradition for the Met. I hope you enjoy some of the photos I took while admiring it's beauty! 

From the Met's website: 

Exhibition Overview

The Met continues a longstanding holiday tradition with the presentation of its Christmas tree and 18th-century Neapolitan crèche, a favorite of both New Yorkers and visitors from around the world. The installation is set in front of the 18th-century Spanish choir screen from the Cathedral of Valladolid in the Museum's Medieval Sculpture Hall (gallery 305). Recorded Christmas music and daily lighting events add to the enjoyment of the holiday display.

The magnificently lit, 20-foot blue spruce is gracefully adorned with 19 cherubs and 59 angels, while at the base an additional 71 figures represent the three elements of Nativity scenes that were traditional to 18th-century Naples: adoring shepherds and their flocks, the procession of the three Magi, and spirited peasants and townspeople. The display is enhanced by nearly 50 charming animals and by background pieces that create a dramatic setting for the Nativity; these include the ruins of a Roman temple, several quaint houses, and a typical Italian fountain.

Tree-lighting ceremonies take place at 4:30 pm daily, with additional ceremonies on Fridays and Saturdays at 5:30 and 6:30 pm.

If you have never visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, be sure it is on your to do list for 2018. You will not be disappointed!

To be assured not miss a post, sign up for each one to be emailed to you HERE. Be sure to check for your Feedburner confirmation email, or your subscription will not be processed. Your email is not sold or shared with anyone. Thank you so much for visiting! 

Would be thrilled if you gave me a follow here: 

Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest 

Throwback Thursday "Santa in a Diner"

Even though Christmas is past, I thought this was a fun photo to share. It looks like Santa is done with all his deliveries and is enjoying a bite at a NYC diner! I really love these vintage photographs that take us back in time. Santa has a good rest period now for another 365 days until he gets to do it all over again!

To be assured not miss a post, sign up for each one to be emailed to you HERE. Be sure to check for your Feedburner confirmation email, or your subscription will not be processed. Your email is not sold or shared with anyone. Thank you so much for visiting! 

Would be thrilled if you gave me a follow here: 

Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest 

The Warwick New York Hotel Review

The Warwick Hotel in Midtown Manhattan is known to be one of the most historic hotels in NYC and has hosted many different celebrities throughout the years including "the king of Rock and Roll" Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Cary Grant who was a long term resident. The renowned media tycoon Mr. William Randolph Hearst commissioned this iconic four-star hotel in 1926 for the love of his life, his muse and mistress the famous actress, Marion Davies.

I stayed at the Warwick New York when I was in the city for the press event for Michelangelo The Divine Draftsman exhibit at The Met. I choose the hotel because of it's location, and because the one time my Mom stayed in New York City, she told me she stayed at The Warwick. I wanted to experience the only hotel my Mom stayed, plus it has lots of history as well. 

The lobby is very old New York, and elegant. I arrived around 10am, and did ask for an early check in if possible. The room wasn't ready when I arrived, so I headed to breakfast at Murals on 54 until the room was ready. I did get a free upgrade to a larger premium room than I booked which was nice. The room was ready about 10:45, just as I finished breakfast. 

This just oozes elegance! 

Murals on 54 has wonderful murals to enjoy while dining. It is open for breakfast from 6:30 am to 10:45 am during the weekdays, and from 7:00 am to 11:30 am during the weekends / holidays. Designed by Pierre Court, the concept of the dining room was to accentuate the historic murals painted by Dean Cornwell in 1937. They were really very beautiful.  

My breakfast was okay, it did arrive quickly, but could have been more flavorful.  

The room was a very good size, especially for New York. It is for sure old New York, but everything was very well kept. The bed was very fluffy and comfortable. 

This was my view from my room, which is actually the route for the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. To stay here during that time would probably cost an arm and a leg, not to mention, pre-booked at least a year in advance. I was happy to see the Bluemercury store across the street, I enjoyed myself there for about an hour or so. 

I decided to order a burger from room service, I don't usually like to order as it is sooo expensive, but I like to see how they do for these reviews. I would NEVER order food here again. This burger was brought to me, supposed to be medium done, so glad I cut it with a fork before I started eating it. I called down and they brought me another which I thought should have been on the house, but I was charged accordingly for it. 

Nice fixtures in the room, in good condition.  

Bathroom very, very tiny and hard to get dressed in here if you needed to do so. There were no face towels provided which was a bit of a drag. I just used what was available. 

Large size closet, and many drawers available to store your clothes. I suggest always using the safe for any valuables you leave in your room, and if it is full, ask if there is one at the front desk. I read a review on trip adviser that someone left $1,400.00 worth of items in their room, NOT this hotel, and it was stolen because their safe in the room was full. If you have items to leave in the room that are that valuable, ask the front desk to store them in their safe. Many of the hotels do offer that service.   

I was back at Murals on 54 for breakfast the next day, it was decent but the potatoes were cold. I would for sure not dine here at all should I stay again. There are many places within walking distance, my favorite Maison Kayser is on 6th Avenue and West 56th Street, worth the walk. They are open from 7am to 10pm which covers every meal time and those in-between! 

Egg white omelet with spinach and mushrooms was again, okay, but for the price, I would rather go elsewhere.  

They did have a surge protector outlet to charge a few devices at once, which was very handy for me to charge my phone and camera at the same time.   

Loved these vintage photos of the movie stars from the 1940's and 1950's.  

I wanted to take this phone home with me in the worst way! LOVE!  

These photos were in my room.  

I do love the old mail shoot in some of the older, more vintage hotels. It must have been cool when these were in working condition.  

Positives: 

• Old world New York feel in decor and furnishings   
• Free copy of NY Times during the week 
• Room itself pretty large by New York standards, decor well done   
• Location great, easy access to Midtown East and Upper West Side     
• Small but updated Fitness Center has nice views  
• A historic property in New York City since 1926 
• Express check out very convenient 
•  Business center with internet access 

Negatives: 

• $25.00 Daily Resort Fee ( as of 06/25/19) 
• Small elevators but very classic      
• No coffee maker in the room, but can be requested 
• Lobby tiny with not much of a seating area 
• Bathrooms very tiny 
• Daily fee for WiFi, Fitness Center and Business Center 
• Very expensive food and beverages; food not anything special  

Warwick New York Hotel

65 West 54th Street  
New York, NY 10019
212-247-2700

4 star hotel

Old New York Landmark Hotel
Location: Midtown West      
426 guestrooms  
Laundry Service Available 

Room Service Available 24/7

Valet Parking 
Fitness Center   
No Pets except service animals 
Express Check Out 
Murals on 43 and Randolph's Restaurants located within hotel 

Daily Fee $25 for WiFi, Fitness Center, Business Center and Unlimited local/long distance calls 
      

Trip Advisor Ranking 110 of 469 (as of 12/17/17)
Trivago Rating  8.6 out of 10 (as of 12/17/17)
Price Range $221 - $610 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)

Hotel prices are at their lowest in the months of January and February; their highest September and October. Sunday nights are the lowest prices for hotel rooms, in most cases. My go to places for checking prices for hotels are Trivago, Trip Advisor, Hotels.com and Travelzoo. Always remember to check the hotel's website itself, they are really trying to have you   

book direct and sometimes offer specials or a discount with AAA that is cheaper than the websites I mentioned above. 

I am also finding that if you book on your mobile device, you can save some money as well. I actually got a better rate via 

my mobile phone than using my AAA discount online direct at the hotel. You should really do some research on your price 

for hotel a few different ways, and ALWAYS book a room that you can cancel, you never know what may happen 

in the future. 

Remember to take into account for your total cost the NYC Hotel tax of 14.75% plus Daily $2.00 per room occupancy fee.

Would I reserve a night at the Warwick New York again ? I believe I would, for the right price. I enjoyed my stay, the hotel is very elegant and feels like old New York. The location is great, you can walk just about anywhere. Location is a BIG deal in    New York City. If you pay a very cheap price for a hotel, and it is not close to anything you wish to explore, it really isn't      worth the cheaper price. The room was very big, for New York standards, and clean. I would never dine here should I stay  again, but there are so many options in the area it isn't that big of a deal. I enjoy a classic, vintage hotel if it is done right,    
and kept up, which this one has done.  

 My rating for this hotel, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being perfect in every way, is a 7. 

Disclosure: This stay was paid for by me. I will always state at the end of each review whether my stay was paid for by 

myself or if I was hosted by the hotel. I will honestly tell you about my experience at this hotel, not being swayed in any way by complimentary services. I know you value my opinion, and it is important to me to be as honest as possible. All opinions are 
my own. Thank you so much.

To be assured not miss a post, sign up for each one to be emailed to you HERE. Be sure to check for your Feedburner confirmation email, or your subscription will not be processed. Your email is not sold or shared with anyone. 

Thank you so much for visiting! 

Would be thrilled if you gave me a follow here: 

Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest 

Charles Dickens and The Spirit of Christmas

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate today! I thought it would be fun to share this great exhibit from The Morgan Library of Charles Dickens. It is really magical this time of year! I hope you enjoy! 

During his life, Charles Dickens (1812–1870) acquired the kind of celebrity accorded only to international film stars today. That status was secured with the publication of A Christmas Carol, one of the most beloved holiday stories of all time—and one of the Morgan’s greatest literary manuscripts. Its immediate success in 1843 led to four equally popular Christmas novellas in as many years. Catapulting the author out of his study and onto the reading circuit in 1853, its universal popularity also had major consequences for Dickens.

Charles Dickens and the Spirit of Christmas assembles, for the first time, all five manuscripts of Dickens’s Christmas books—A Christmas Carol (1843), The Chimes (1844), The Cricket on the Hearth (1845), The Battle of Life (1846), and The Haunted Man (1848)—to explore the genesis, composition, publication, and reception of A Christmas Carol, and its impact on Dickens’s life. This exhibition explores the personal and socio-political sources of inspiration for A Christmas Carol, Dickens’s method of composition, and the motivations behind writing one of the most famous, enduring, and widely adapted stories in all of literature. 

This exhibition marks the 150th anniversary of Dickens’s famous reading tour of the United States in 1867, and will thus examine his later career as a performer. His public readings of A Christmas Carol, which he began in the 1850s, played a pioneering role in what is now commonplace in the marketing of fiction:  the reading tour. Among the unexpected and unintended consequences of the success of A Christmas Carol was Dickens’s decision to devote enormous energies to his public readings.

How cool to see an original book of The Christmas Carol! 

This was glorious to see in person. Just glorious!! 

The Charles Dickens Museum would be a great place to visit, don't you think? 

Loved this edition of the book 

The day I visited, the Morgan Library was having a Charles Dickens and the Spirit of Christmas tour. It was pretty fantastic! I loved seeing everyone in costume! 

I enjoyed the Dickens tour with a Morgan Burger which is always so good, I think one of the best in the city! 

I hope you all have a joyous holiday with your family and friends! 

Charles Dickens and the Spirit of Christmas

November 3, 2017 through January 14, 2018

The Morgan Library & Museum

225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 685-0008 

Fax: (212) 481-3484

Hours 

The Morgan Library & Museum and the Morgan Shop are open

Tuesday through Thursday: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Morgan closes at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve and at 5 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

Closed Monday, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Admission 

$20 Adults 

$13 Seniors (65 and over)

$13 Students (with current ID)

Free to members and children 12 and under (must be accompanied by an adult)

Admission is free on Fridays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Admission to the McKim rooms only (Mr. Morgan's Library, Study, Rotunda, and Librarian's Office) is free during the following times: Tuesday, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m to 6 p.m.

Admission is not required to visit the Morgan Shop, Morgan Dining Room, and Morgan Café.

To be assured not miss a post, sign up for each one to be emailed to you HERE. Be sure to check for your Feedburner confirmation email, or your subscription will not be processed. Your email is not sold or shared with anyone. Thank you so much for visiting! 

Would be thrilled if you gave me a follow here: 

Instagram / Facebook/ Bloglovin/ Pinterest