This new series on the blog is an admittedly selfish endeavor.  I’m incredibly lucky to live in New York City and experience so many incredible art exhibits, performances, museums, restaurants…the list goes on.  The “NYC DIARY” series is my way to chronicling my wonderful experiences in the city, and to share with you my favorite places in case you would like to check them out when you visit.  I hope you enjoy it!
I’ve marked January 12, 2013 as my first “day of culture” for the year.
It started with a visit to the Foley Gallery with Usha to check out Henry Leutwyler’s BALLET exhibit.  Having just watched First Position (also on Netflix streaming!), I was even more excited to view the exhibit.
Henry Leutwyler, a long-time photographer with the New York City Ballet, photographed this behind-the-scenes series using a Leica camera. Â The gritty composure of the pictures matched the rough point-of-view of the series. Â From the viewer’s eye, ballet is the epitome of grace and beauty. Â The blood and pain that goes into professional ballet, from countless blisters on your feet to the pain of squeezing yourself into a corset, is something rarely shown. Â Both this exhibit and First Position do an excellent job of showcasing the beauty & pain that goes into professional dance. Â A former ballerina myself, I appreciated the honesty & beauty of this exhibit.
Usha and I then headed to Freeman’s Alley for their delicious artichoke dip & crusty bread – a perfect antidote to the gloomy weather NYC has been experiencingx.
After a quick nap and an outfit change, my husband and I headed up to Lincoln Center for date night at the opera.
My husband surprised me with tickets to Maria Stuarda – a phenomenal opera highlighting the animosity between Queen Elizabeth and her big sister, Mary Queen of Scots. Â While the opera wasn’t historically accurate, it was beautifully performed, and my opera-history loving self enjoyed every minute of it. Â Next time, I will surely invest in a pair of opera glasses and continue to wear flats – those stairs to the upper level are no joke.
Since we both failed to eat dinner before the opera, I quickly made a reservation at the nearby Atlantic Grill during intermission (thank you, Open Table app). Â A 1/2 block walk and we were comfortably seated in the best booth.
It was my first time to the restaurant, but certainly won’t be my last. Â Everything was beautifully prepared, despite us having been seated at 11:05 pm. Â The wait staff was pleasant, and I had a great view of the TV to catch the end of the 49ers game. Â I highly recommend everything we ordered, and look forward to returning – I saw a number of other items on the menu that caught my eye.
