New York, ground zero, free kayaking and a luxury bathroom.

by sheep on August 18, 2023 with No Comments

New York...all emotions are passing by!

The 9/11 museum: The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is a memorial and museum in New York City. It is commemorating the September 11 attacks of 2001, which killed 2,977 people. Make a reservation in advance to be sure you can visit the Museum. Be aware that this visit will be very emotional!

Ground Zero: The World Trade Center site, often referred to as "Ground Zero" or "the Pile" immediately after the September 11 attacks, is a 14.6-acre area in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The site where the Twin Towers stood until two planes crashed into them on Sept. 11, 2001, sending them tumbling to the ground, looks quite different from how it did two decades ago. It provides history, education, and a quiet place of reflection. There is no cost to visit Ground Zero.

A stunning subway experience: Showing the true spirit of New York is the new and improved transportation hub in the lower Manhattan. Built on the site of the fallen World Trade Centre: The Oculus NYC Transportation Hub.

Free kayaking and wine and dine at the Hudson: One of the most happening of piers along the river is Pier 26 at Hudson River Park. The pier offers visitors a City Vineyard restaurant, lounge areas, a Tide Deck, sports field, free kayaking, and some of the best views of the NYC skyline. So take your paddle!

High society public bathroom for free in Bryant Park: The 310 square foot luxury bathroom is worth a visit! It is plated in Spanish and Italian tiles and houses fresh flowers. Lets you listen to classical music and gaze at museum-worthy artwork while you do your business. It also has attendants stationed in the facility, who will be cleaning it each day. Even the toilets are fancy. Each is installed with electronic seat covers that change with every flush. Enjoy ;-).

New York in Wonderland!

by sheep on February 28, 2023 with No Comments

New York...feeling like Alice in the big Apple!

The place to be: Wonderland Dreams, located at 529 Fifth Avenue, just steps from Bryant Park.

GOOD TO KNOW: Wonderland Dreams New York will be open through April 2023. But maybe it inspires you anyway to take a look at this post even if the exhibition is no longer available in NYC.

What to do: Wonderland Dreams brings the story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to life through 26,000 square feet of mind-bending, immersive art installations in artist Alexa Meade's signature style. So wonder around, fall down the rabbit hole and feel free to be a kid! The living gallery catapulting you into a whimsical scene that blurs the lines between our perspective of art and reality.

Time frame: Buy a ticket in advance on the website of Wonderland Dreamland.

Gadget: You can grab a 3-D pair of glasses for free at one of the experiences, make selfies on every corner of the exhibition, jump into a nice painted jacket or kiss a giant mushroom if you feel the need for that ;-).

New York City’s high end experience at the Summit!

by sheep on October 4, 2022 with No Comments

New York City on a high level.

THE experience: An unique, multi-sensory viewing experience at New York City's newest observation deck - SUMMIT One Vanderbilt.

What to do: SUMMIT is a new global cultural experience that breaks the mold—awakening your senses, your curiosity, and your imagination in the heart of New York City. This is the only thing we tell so the experience will be fantastic and mind blowing! Don't get FOMO...dive into this great spectacle. You don't want to miss this!

Dress code: Please dress appropriately, due to the unique nature of the space and to avoid unwanted exposure to glass and mirrored floors. Pants, shorts, or tights are recommended as well as flat shoes. So be Summit proof ;-)! And leave your high heels at home.

Time frame: The best time of day to visit is in the morning between 8 am and 11 am to avoid the crowds. These time of day will offer you the shortest wait times and the best experience once you head up to the top of the building. You will not regret that you have to wake up early to have the best experience! Take a coffee in between at the café and enjoy the magnificent view!

Gadget: You really need sunglasses because of all the mirrors and the reflection of the sun in them. Grab the free hip white sunglasses that are waiting for you at the entrance. It pimps up your photos nicely ;-)!

New York’s Artechouse experience!

by sheep on June 26, 2022 with No Comments

New York offers a storytelling of the greatest mystery of the human brain!

Which area: Chelsea Market, New York City.

Where to go: The Artechouse at Chelsea Market. Where creative innovation has no limits.

What to do: If you are interested in the human brain you have to visit the Artechouse. You can experience the story of life at the cellular level. The experience is connecting audience to art and pushing the limits of creative innovation at the intersection of art, science and technology. It is an emotional rollercoaster while you are surrounded by the impressive digital images and the fantastic sound effects. All your senses will be affected!

How to get tickets: It is wise to book your ticket in advance on their website. Keep in mind to choose the right destination because the Artechouse is also situated in Washington and Miami.

Suggestion: Walk the High Line in advance. During this walk you can prepare yourself for the experience of the beautiful spectacle of the life of a neuron!

New York City, full of color!

by sheep on April 29, 2019 with No Comments

New York, a city full of colorful surprises.

Engage all of your senses in unexpected ways when you are visiting this briljant place. Color, color, color...and oh yeah...COLOR, not only in a visual sense!

Which city: New York, United States of America.

Where to go: Go to the Color Factory at 251 Spring Street in Soho.

What to discover: You can discover a collaborative interactive exhibit full of colors, tasting, dancing, drawing and more funny surprises! And afterwards you can discover the Manhattan Color Walk as an extension of your visit at the Color Factory.

What to eat: Eat the delicious colorful mango ice cream when entering the exhibition. Eat salty and sweet stuff together and accept all the food and drinks they offer as an experience on its own.

What to expect: You expect the unexpected....so we will tell nothing and keep it as a big surprise ;-)!

New York, Columbia University, Boat Bassin Cafe and an arty dandelion in Midtown Manhattan

by sheep on June 5, 2017 with No Comments

New York: feel like a student at the stairs of Columbia University, relax near the Hudson and enjoy an arty fountain in Midtown Manhattan.

It is interesting to discover Columbia University in the city of New York. A famous university where you can wander around.

Which city: New York City, United States of America.

Where to go: To the Columbia University in Upper Manhattan. It is the highest ranked university in New York.

What to drink and eat: Visit Boat Bassin Cafe. It is located on the scenic Hudson River and have a nice walk from the Columbia University to the Cafe at West 79th Street.

What to do: Chat with the students on the stairs at the main entrance of the University building or walk into the building and feel like a professor by taking place at the catheter or take a glimpse at the interior of the old building.

What to love: The ambiance of the University with all the hustle and bustle or enjoy the view over the Hudson River while having lunch at the Boat Bassin Cafe. And if you are walking from Central Parc to Midtown Manhattan, take a look at the arty dandelion! It is a huge fountain.

Cape Town versus New York

by sheep on January 26, 2017 with No Comments

Summer in Cape Town and snowy weather in New York City!

Big contrast between sunny Cape Town versus snowy big Apple. Take a sip or a culture shot from both worlds!

Desiré

Cape Town is a wonderful place to be especially during summer. The surrounding winelands offer a breath-taking scenery.
I really love going to beautiful wine estates and have tastings. For me It's the perfect opportunity to learn and discover what you like and don’t like and it's a great way to try new wines without having to spent money on a bottle that you might be disappointed with.

First I went to the Morgenster Wine and Olive Estate in Somerset West where you can experience an olive oil tasting. Like wines, olive oils have complex notes ranging from buttery, grassy to peppery and everything in between. Instead of doing the olive oil tasting I had a wonderful lunch at 95 at Morgenster and tried some oils that were offered during the lunch. Because of this great lunch I ended up buying an expensive white truffle oil that I really don't need, but really want to try!

During my time at the Morgenster there was a huge forest fire due to the dry, hot and windy weather. An extensive cloud of brown smoke could be seen creeping towards the suburbs of Summerset West. The sun appeared red due to the smoke and dust. It gave me a sad feeling after spending such a beautiful afternoon there.

Life goes on and so does wine tasting!!. The next morning ( yes, morning!) I explored the decadently sweet and savoury art of wine and chocolate pairing (for which the wine estate is famous for) at Waterford Estate outside Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands close to Cape Town. Three unique wines and three special chocolates were displayed on a platter and it was very tasteful! At the Blaauwklippen vineyards I enjoyed "Ons Sprankle" it is a perfect bubbly all-round wine perfect for hot summer months.
The Guardian Peak Winery has a fantastic restaurant where I enjoyed dijon mustard & brown sugar glazed Eisbein, mashed potatoes & chardonnay braised cabbage. The dessert was dark chocolate fondant with hazelnut ice cream. Mmmmmm!

I ended my trip at Paranga Restaurant at Camps Bay. It has a great vibe and fabulous view over Camps Bay beach. Soft white sand and aqua marine seas, Camps Bay Beach is the place to be during the summer months......Goodbye Cape Town for now!

Margré

This time New York City changed into a white city. It started snowing in the morning and it kept snowing the whole day. At the subway around the corner of my hotel on 34th street I took the R-line to Prince street in Chelsea. I decided to visit the New Museum because I wanted to see the exhibition of Pipilotti Rist. Elisabeth Charlotte Pipilotti Rist, is a visual artist who works with video, film, and moving images that are often displayed as projections. A must see for an art-lover like me!

The New Museum of Contemporary Art, founded in 1977 by Marcia Tucker, is a beautiful museum in New York City at 235 Bowery on Manhattan's Lower East Side. The seven-story 58,700-square-foot facility, designed by the Tokyo-based firm Sejima + Nishizawa/SANAA and the New York-based firm Gensler, has greatly expanded the Museum’s exhibitions and space. In April 2008, the museum's new building was named one of the architectural New Seven Wonders of the World by Conde Nast Travelers.

When you take a look at the outside of New York's New Museum you will notice a pair of skeletal towers extending from the roof and a 30-foot sailboat precariously suspended from the facade. Both are part of artist Chris Burden's project "Extreme Measures". The two skeletal towers certainly reference the Twin Towers, and the boat on the facade is intended to evoke a rescue ship in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

I had to stand in line in the snow and cold to get a ticket but it was worth it. It was such a unique visual and sensory experience. And it was a very real and expressive type of contemporary art. I look forward to future visits when the exhibits change.

After my culture shot I walked around Prince street and ended up in Dean & Deluca on the corner of Broadway and Prince street. Dean and Deluca is a chain of upscale grocery stores carrying specialty foods, including prepared dishes, plus home and kitchen items. I bought some fresh made sushi and sea weed salad and returned to my hotel by subway again because I had to leave a couple of hours later for the airport to fly home to Amsterdam.

It was a very short stay in the Big Apple but it was a great 'tête a tête’ as always! New York never disappoints me. This vibrant city gives me so much energy and inspiration. And the white snowy accent gave it an extra touch of magic this time.

Los Angeles versus New York

by sheep on January 3, 2017 with 1 Comment

West Coast meets East Coast

This time DDTS traveled apart together: Desiré was on the west coast in Los Angeles and Margré on the east coast in New York City. How far can you go ;-)! Read about our adventures with one aspect in common: water!

Desiré

My short stay during the happy holidays in Los Angeles was amazing but exhausting!!. Of course after a long flight I was not very happy to wait in a long line at Target to buy my ' oh so important' whitening toothpaste.( Yes, in the Netherlands you can buy this as well, but I like the big size packs here). Luckily after a few hours the shopping list was completed. It was time to go to Manhattan Beach and watch the amazing sunset.The pier is decorated with beautiful Christmas lights during the holiday season. I walked around and had some dinner at Fushion Sushi.

The next morning I drove around and stopped at the beach near Palos Verdes. You have breath taking ocean views here from the red tile roofs of Palos Verdes all the way to Malibu. Palos Verdes is an affluent, picturesque city on the peninsula. It has a mix of smaller, older and huge, modern homes perched on the hilltops.
There are many trails to choose for hiking or just walking along the ocean. For golf enthusiasts, Trump golf course is also located here. This area is a nice respite from the LA daily grind.
I finished my breakfast at the beach surrounded by strollers, bikers, dog walkers, surf dudes and runners. What a lovely place to be!

Margré

This time I wanted to see New York City from another perspective. So I decided to take the East River Ferry from the Pier at East 34 street across the East River to Pier 11 near Wall Street. It was such a great trip.

Of course it's a normal way of travelling for the commuters in the Big Apple. But for me it was one big party. With a big smile on my face, feeling like the queen of the world, I watched the impressive skyline of New York City on the roof top deck of the ferry. All commuters were inside the ferry, instead of me, struggling with the strong wind! But the blue sky and the sun made it very pleasant to stay outside and I felt like I was on top of the world at that moment. Via Williamsburg I travelled to Pier 11 and had a great view of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and the skyline of Manhattan. Tickets you can buy at the machines near the Pier. This trip cost you only about four dollars. But real entertaining ;-)!

I jumped of the Ferry at Pier 11 and walked to Wall Street. Saw the Trump Building just after Donald Trump won the elections. Some tourists were staring at the building maybe not knowing that THE big Trump Tower is on fifth Avenue. 40 Wall Street, also known as the Trump Building, is a 71-story skyscraper. I had a glimpse of the Wall Street Stock Excange and walked into the Trinity Church for a peaceful moment.

I took the subway from Rector Street uptown till Rockefeller Center to see the big Christmas Tree. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a large Christmas tree placed annually in Rockefeller Center, in Midtown Manhattan. The tree is erected in mid November and lit during a public ceremony on the last day of November just at the time I landed in New York City. Approximately 50,000 multi-coloured LED lights adorn the Norwegian Spruce’s branches. But unforntunately during my visit at the middle of the day it was not as spectacular as I expected. It will be great during the evening and night when it is dark and all the colourfull lights are shining. Don’t forget to watch the Swarovski star on top, which made its debut at the top of the tree in 2004, weighs 550 pounds, spans nine-and-a-half feet in diameter and features 25,000 crystals.

A winter visit to Rockefeller Center wouldn’t be complete without enjoying one of the city's most celebrated traditions. Each winter, visitors lace up their skates and twirl away at The Rink at Rockefeller Center. Here you’ll find New Yorkers and visitors alike skating at the base of the iconic Christmas Tree in the heart of Rockefeller Center. I wandered around, didn’t skate but twirled away at Victoria’s Secret instead ;-).

New York, something old, something new, something borrowed & something blue

by sheep on October 3, 2016 with No Comments

New York...the city that never sleeps! We've already visited New York City many times but there is always something new to discover. And it doesn't always have to be a big discovery. One of these little suprises is the UO café. It's part of Urban Outfitters and is situated next to the shop. Beside all kinds of drinks you can make you own salad and choose from the most delicious ingredients, all healty and reasonably priced. We bought some lunch and before we walked to Central Park we had to deliver a letter for a friend of Margré at the citizenM.

CitizenM is a hotel chain based in the Netherlands. This contemporary, cool hotel is an 11-minute walk from the edge of Central Park. The lobby is a living room away from home. It has an upbeat designer feel, with terrific art work, books and objects of art. The design assumes intelligent, digitally-literate guests, for example, with open computer stations where guests check themselves in and out. So if you want to spend a couple of nights in the middle of Broadway: go on the internet and book a room in this hotel! Meanwhile Margré borrowed some clothes and dressed herself as an English Queen in the lobby of the hotel...a funny feature the hotel offers to promote two brand new venues in the United Kingdom.

We had our UO-lunch in Central Park enjoying a partly blue sky and a nice view of the skyline. The Park was established in 1857 on 778 acres and is the most visited urban park in the United States. It is also one of the most filmed locations in the world. At the time we were there a wedding took place. Such a good place to say: "Yes I do!"

We wandered around the city afterwards and found Paley Park, a hidden oasis in midtown, including a piece of the Berlin Wall. A waterfall, trees, and ivy covered walls transport visitors to a place away from the sights and sounds of the city. Before we had to go back to the Netherlands we picked up some delicious sushi at Roll & Katsu Kitchen on 32nd street near our hotel to be sure we had some healty food during the flight back to Amsterdam.

New York, MoMa PS1 in Long Island City

by sheep on April 29, 2016 with No Comments

We already spent a lot of time in New York City, but we'd never been to Long Island City before. That's why we visited the district this time and combined it with a visit to MoMa PS1. MoMA PS1 is one of the largest art institutions in the United States dedicated solely to contemporary art. It is located in the Long Island City neighborhood in the borough of Queens. The building is a former Primary School. That's why it is called PS1. It is an innovative, unique space devoted to the most challenging, thought-provoking contemporary art of today and part of MoMA. A concrete jungle where dreams are made ;-)!

The museum building itself is unique. It still has the ambiance of the school it used to be. The doors and rooms are still intact. If you peak out the right window, you can see the New York skyline on the other side of the river. In summer they organize festivals, so absolutely worth a visit. The people who run this place are mostly artists themselves and are more than willing to show you interesting details of the exhibitons, artworks and history of the building. The tours, guided by scholars and artists, introduce adults and school groups to cutting-edge contemporary art through interactive discussions of the themes, techniques, and imagery of the art on view, as well as the personal perspective of lecturing artists. We found it interesting to take part in one of the tours. It gave us new perspectives on the artworks shown and on how to look at them.

It takes you only a 15 minute ride with the subway from Manhattan Island to reach MoMa PS1 in Queens. You take Line E and heading East bound. The station you have to go to is Court Square. You only have to walk for 3 minutes to reach 22-25 Jackson Avenue where MoMa PS1 is situated. You can also have lunch at MoMa PS1. We recommend the avocado toast. Yummy!

Long Island City is definitely an upcoming district and known for its artistic habitat. So if you want to live here...don't wait to long ;-)!

New York versus Bangkok

by sheep on October 29, 2015 with No Comments

Desiré

New York! This time I walked around in the neighborhood of NoHo. I wanted to go to the New Museum ….. closed…. ok, then to 41 Cooper Square … not open for public ….. sigh … O well, this neighborhood has enough other nice things to offer, from a candy store, chic Bond street to great wall art!

Margré

Today I arrived in Bangkok after a long long flight. I went by boat to “The endless summer” restaurant. Such a super beautiful industrial-style restaurant! It is nestled between old buildings. You must know where it is or you would never find such a beautiful gem located in between those houses. Very good Thai food and a Hammond organ provided the music from the speakers!

New York

by sheep on June 11, 2015 with No Comments

What a wonderful day in New York City. The weather was magnificent and we started our day in Soho and visited the wonderful bookshop Mc Nally Jackson on Prince Street. Our own Dutch actor Michiel Huisman was represented on a cover of a trendy magazine. We had to make a picture of that! Prince Street is such a nice street. We liked the atmosphere and by chance we came across Ladurée on 396 West Broadway, including the Salon de Thé with the best macarones. In the courtyard it almost seemed like we were in Paris. We had a business meeting while enjoying the delicious macarones and had a perfect cup of tea. We took the subway back to Bryant Park. What a fantastic park. Everybody was sitting on the grass or at a table having lunch, drinking coffee or having a break. A vibrant park! New York is truly our favorite metropolis. Take your Wallpaper City Guide for instance and discover new trendy places!

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