It’s around this time of year, many people flock to New York City for NY Fashion Week. That is fun and all, but I (Shannon) took the weekend to go to a couple of pop-up museums, and take in the colors that the city has to offer, when absolutely nothing is in bloom.
Fortunately, I have a cousin who lives in Connecticut and is a couple of hours away from the city, so we decided to have a weekend of fun! I flew in on a Friday and ventured to my hotel- Club Quarters World Trade Center. This was my second time staying in this hotel, and it did not disappoint. CQ, as it refers to itself, is directly beside the footprints of the Twin Towers, and allows for a breathtaking view of the footprint fountains themselves, and a direct view of One World Trade center, and the skyline nearby. I love the location of the hotel because it is about a mile from Soho, so walkable (yes, even with the winter chill) towards all that was calling my name that weekend.
The walk from the World Trade Center area to Soho is amazing. Not only is the walk beautiful when the weather is nice (it was) but you get to walk alongside the Hudson River, through Tribeca which allows for a ton of people and window watching. Soho, itself, is trendy, and can take a full day to experience all of the nooks and crannies of each street. Home to many designer boutiques, and high end art galleries, it also is adorned with some cobblestone streets, and cast-iron facades that make for great photo opps.
My purpose this weekend was all about color. The two pop-up museums that were on the schedule were the Museum of Ice Cream, and The Color Factory. Before I get into the deets, let’s just say, right now, hands down, The Color Factory is way better than the Museum of Ice Cream, unless you have kids- then, the MOIC is the way to go. They both charge a $40 fee to get in, so if you are looking at one over the other, just know that while the MOIC is fun, and it is, it is loaded with kids, which as a kid-free gal, it became a bit annoying at times. That, plus, the organization, staff, and the while process of The Color Factory was so well done, and the MOIC needed some help with streamlining the timed entries, and even their coat check.
It seems pop-up museums, or museums that allow for experiences are the trend nowadays, and they are right up my ally. I would much rather visit a city and have a ton of experiences, than to buy a bunch of souvenirs that will turn into items I end up giving away the next time we have a minimalism challenge.
Soho was loaded with fashionistas and designers in black cars, and long lines outside of buildings that were hosting fashion shows, so there was a lot of eye candy, alongside the MOIC and The Color Factory. Despite the frigid temps, the sidewalks were packed. Lucky for us, we had morning tickets to both the MOIC and The Color Factory. Both museums were loaded with color. The Color Factory was very Andy Warhol-esque, allowing for meaning behind the displays and experiences. My fave: jumping into a large room full of plastic balls. There were lots of Instagramable moments, but bonus, The Color Factory has cameras that you swipe a card and pose, and the photos are emailed to you! This was such a great idea! The MOIC had many colorful rooms, and tasting of ice cream along the way, but you had to take your own photos, and finagle your way around kids as they came in large groups. Maybe a Saturday just isn’t the best time to visit.
After the back-to-back museum visits, we walked through Little Italy, were swarmed by knock-off bag sellers on Canal and made our way to Union Square to walk through the market. We found a vendor selling handmade yarn of a rainbow of colors. We visited Dylan’s Candy Bar in the same area, and of course, all the colors of candy make one feel that they have stepped into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
Through the day, we made our way down Broadway to Times Square where there are colors everywhere- digital, but colors nonetheless. While walking back through the Flatiron district, colors displayed in windows, and on the sides of buildings made a cold winter day, feel like spring!
After going to the top of the One World Trade Center, the sky turned pink and orange, and the snow moon came out to shine. Seeing New York City from 110 floors up, is amazing, but then couple it with the color of the bright, full, snow moon, just made the entire trip worth it. I ventured back to my hotel for the evening, not before purchasing a bottle of red wine on the way, I kicked off my shoes, poured a glass of wine, turned off the lights and sat with my feet propped up, taking in the many colors of lights that shined outside of the glass on my Juliet balcony, feeling all of the emotions of being in such a sacred space beside the World Trade Center footprint fountains, as well as the snow moon. I couldn’t help but sing the song to myself, from the film, Arthur, by Christopher Cross:
“If you get caught between the moon and New York City, the best that you can do, the best that you can do is fall in love.”
I did. I fall in love with New York City, each time that I visit.
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