Regarding Warhol, The Met Rooftop and Some of my Favourite Paintings in the World.

On the last Monday of my time in NY I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue to see their special Regarding Warhol Exhibition. The exhibition featured many Warhol pieces, many on loan from the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh as well as work by artists that have been influenced by Warhol. There were many pieces from the likes of Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Takashi Murikami and Jean-Michel Basquait. Unfortunately as it was a special exhibition no photos were allowed. Afterwards I popped over to see my favourite impressionist painting including the below pieces by Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh.

 

While there I also went up to the Rooftop to see the installation by Tomas Saraceno titled Cloud City. The rooftop has amazing views over Central Park and the Manhattan Skyline. It was a perfect last Monday in NYC.

Memories of Last Year Come 'Flooding' Back

Last year I was in New York during Hurricane Irene. It was at the time hyped to be one of the biggest storms to hit NYC in decades. Luckily enough it didn't turn out as badly as was expected. I went out during the high tide to capture some of the storm surge along the banks of the Hudson River around SoHo. I was interviewed by a German and Canadian tv crew while I was out. While it could have been a terrible tradegy, the experience was actually quite fun and exciting for me.

Hope everyone in Sandy's way is staying safe especially those in Atlantic City. The photos of the Casino and Boardwalk zone streets completely covered in water are amazing.

M83 at Hammerstein Ballroom

Recently I went to Hammerstein Ballroom to see the French band, M83. When we arrived we were lucky enough to get upgraded to the VIP balcony area and were given free drinks. The show featured amazing lighting effects and was a great final concert in NY.

Grand Central Oyster Bar

In October I went to the famous Grand Central Oyster Bar for their Oyster Frenzy event. The one day event featured live music, oyster shucking competitions and a special menu.

I had previously only tried the New England Clam Chowder so was keen to finally compare it to the New York style. The tomato based NY chowder provided a stronger clam taste where as the New England chowder had a much creamier consistent taste.  I am still not sure which one I prefer as they are actually quite different in taste even though they are both clam chowders.

For oysters I tried both the oyster anchovy and oyster casino. Both were amazing and would love to try again. 

Avicii at Radio City Music Hall

Last night I went to an great show at the Radio City Music Hall. The performer was Avicii who is a Swedish DJ/producer. I was lucky enough to be given free tickets to the show.

The stage set up was amazing with him performing on top of a large head structure. The sound and lighting effects were wonderful especially with the colours and L.E.D. display.

I personally don't like his sound of dubstep/house as I think it is pre recorded to match the lighting effects. But in terms of an overall performance it was great. The crowd really got into it.

You can see a clip I recorded of his most famous song, Levels, below.

Public Pools in Manhattan

During my previous summers in Manhattan I was for some reason unaware that Manhattan and New York had such a great array of outdoor pool options. It was to my great surprise that I found the NYC Parks Department list of pools across the 5 Boroughs. The past week I have visited both a downtown and uptown pool. The first pool was on Houston Street in the Lower East Side. The Hamilton Fish Park pool has both a wading pool and olympic size pool. There are limited sun beds but I was able to score one quite easily.

The second pool I visited is the Lasker Pool and Rink that during winter is converted into a skating rink. The pool is the biggest one in Manhattan and features one large over sized circle pool. A nice feature was the Fountain at the end which sprayed water that was colder than the pool. The Lasker Pool is in Central Park only a 5 minute walk from 110th St. 

New Concert: M83 at Hammerstein Ballroom.

Just picked up tickets to see M83 at Hammerstein Ballroom in October. Very excited to see them perform.

This is my favourite song by the group. Midnight City.

Will Tourists Bring Helmets on Their Holidays Just to ride in NYC?

Previously I have talked about the Citi Bike Share program to discuss my excitement and to talk about its effects on local businesses. amNY has another article this time discussing the concerns for riders safety. NYC currently has the highest fatality rate from bike wrecks in North America. One of the safety measures discussed includes mandating the use of helmets for all Citi Bike users.

I wonder, will tourists use the schemes if they are forced to wear helmets, which currently isn't the practice in London, Paris or Washington DC?

I certainly support safety measures but is having one rule for Citi Bike riders and one for other bike riders a mistake?

Great video of Downtown NYC

New York has always been a mecca for skateboarding. This video captures some of the exciting street skating you can enjoy on Manhattan Bridge in Chinatown and the Lower East Side. 

Check out my Indie Rock and Electro Mix!

Enjoy!

http://www.mixcloud.com/AustralianAbroad/indie-rock-and-electro-mix-1/

Tips for the Best Brunch in NYC

EaterNY has a list of 15 hot new brunch spots in New York. Restaurants listed include Acme, and The Cannibal in Manhattan and The Good Fork in Brooklyn amongst others.

Some of my all time favourite brunch spots include the celebrity and model filled Cafe Mogador in the East Village, the bustling Peels on Bowery and the intimate 'ino in the West Village. Below are photos of the brunch dishes I tried at each location.

Cafe Mogador

Peels

'ino

Great NY Noodle Town

EaterNY discusses one of Chinatown's most famous restaurants the aptly named Great N.Y. Noodle Town. As the article mentioned, it is a favourite of the city's best chefs including Jean-Georges Vongerichten and David Chang.

It was from Anthony Bourdain's travel show The Layover that I first came to hear of the restaurant. I visited in February this year and, as shown below, enjoyed the roast duck, shrimp fried rice and roast beef. The restaurant is affordable and a must visit when in NYC's Chinatown.

Great NY Noodletown 

28 Bowery, New York, 

NY 10013  

New Photos of Michigan Stadium and NYC are up!

New photos are up on the following websites. Feel free to find me on Instagram as well @australianabroad. Thanks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anaustralianabroad/

http://aus-abroad.tumblr.com/

Deal of the Day: Russian and Turkish Bath Admission

Save Local has a deal on today which gets you and a friend/partner one admission to the Russian and Turkish Baths in the East Village for only $35US. That's 50% off! The Baths have been around since 1892, and have served NYC as the place to experience an unexpected paradise. Their facilities include five saunas and steam rooms, a cold plunge pool, roof deck and a restaurant.

I have visited the baths many times myself and really enjoy detoxing and relaxing after a crazy week of sightseeing and indulging.

To find more about the Russian and Turkish Baths please visit their website.

Tips for the Best Ramen in NYC

EaterNY has a great article on 7 of the best, all be it unknown, ramen restaurants in NYC.  The list includes the No Name Bar, Tsushima and the Brooklyn based Yuji Ramen.

From my experience in NYC I would also suggest trying Ramen Kuboya at 536 East 5th St between Avenue A and B and the always busy Ippudo NY at 65 4th Avenue between 9th and 10th St. Below are photos of the ramen dishes I tried at each location.

Ippudo NY                                                                                                 Ramen Kuboya

Have you had a wonderful ramen meal abroad?

Suits Season 2 and a NYC Pop Up Store

Mr Porter in conjunction with US original series, Suits, has opened up a Suits and Style Gallery/Store in the Meatpacking District of NYC. The gallery/store is open until June 17th at 72 Gansevoort St, New York and will feature outfits inspired by the sartorially inclined show.

For more details on the upcoming show and Mr Porter collaboration please visit their website.

YSL Sale Starting Now!

Racked NY has details on the YSL sale that is running from Tuesday, June 12 through Friday, June 15. Tues—Thurs 9am—6:30pm, Fri 9am—3pm. The sale features mens and women's jackets for $300, denim for $100 and pants for $150. The sale is at 317 West 33rd St between Eighth and Ninth Aves.

Happy Shopping!

Check out my Downtown NYC Mix 1

http://www.mixcloud.com/AustralianAbroad/downtown-nyc-mix-1/

New Photos of New York are up!

New photos are up on the following websites. Feel free to find me on Instagram as well @australianabroad. Thanks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anaustralianabroad/

http://aus-abroad.tumblr.com/