NYC Art Museum Intensive Trip Report

Thanks for this museum report on NYC. I used to live in Benbrook and went to all the special exhibits at the Kimball Art Museum in Ft. Worth. For a small museum they put on great shows. Have you been to Chawton to Jane's last home & now museum? I did a couple years ago when I was in London. There is a direct train from Waterloo station & I stayed 2 nights in Alton so I could spend an entire day in Chawton. What a wonderful day that was. WIsh I could get to NYC to see those Vermeers & the John Singer Sargent exhibit. I remember a Matisse exhibit I saw years ago at MoMA which was fantastic.

Lynda, we were also in NYC a couple of weeks ago and visited MOMA, the Frick, Morgan Library and the Cloisters (skipped the Met; will do a return visit to that one next time). I'll agree that all are terrific museums, and will highly recommend the Cloisters if you've not done it yet. That's a good one for escaping the crowds in much of Manhattan, and enjoying its wonderful building and Medieval collection. It's about 1/2 hour north of Midtown by 'A' train; not difficult at all.

MOMA: we found it interesting that the majority of other visitors appeared to be from other countries; we heard more foreign languages than English! A fair amount of young folks in tow with lots to say about the art, too. :O)

Thanks for the nice report!

Oh, Lyndash, a big heart emoji over here too at the 10 Vermeers (!!!). I just finished reading Patrick Bringley's "All The Beauty In The World" last night, so this review has me smiling.

Have made it to The Met a couple of times, mainly for the Egyptian exhibits, but also the Impressionists. Wow to both areas! Both times in NYC tried for the Neue but they were closed so had to indulge in a touch of Vienna at their lovely cafe!

Thank you so much for this report! I’m going to NYC for a long weekend in July. I’m going to print this and keep as a reference. Bookmarking it too.

Laurie Beth, I love the Kimbell and it really is very highly regarded. I’m very grateful to have our museums to visit. I haven’t been to Chawton Cottage but I didn’t know it would be quite so easy to get to from London without a car. I did tour Bath the Jane and Persuasion connections. Next time I go to London I will set that up I think.

Kathy, I went up to the Cloisters my last visit in 2023. And I love it too. And you’re right about MoMA, lots of young people touring, which makes me happy actually. I’ve noticed our Modern Art Museum in Ft Worth is also a younger crowd. I did notice a lot of tourists in general out and about with many different languages in the museums and on the streets.

Mary, I just finished reading Patrick Bringley’s book last month! It was so good. I so wondered about all the guards that I exchanged hellos with or asked directions. If you are at all interested in the Louvre the new book by Elaine Sciolino, ‘Adventures in the Louvre’ is really great. My library had it but after 1/4 of the way in I bought it.

Thank you for this lovely report! I'm planning a trip to NYC in November for an art fix too! And planning to go to some of the same museums. Unfortunately the Jane Austen exhibition is going to be over by then.

Lesley, that is one reason I’m so enamored with the Met. Its collection is amazing and vast. I love the Egyptian stuff, the Temple of Dendur, and the Rembrandts and Vermeers and all the Monets. Also love the Assyrian collection but unfortunately that section is being redone and I think it may be 5 more years!! Not happy news when you just turned 75!

Judy B, have a great time when you go. I’ll also recommend my only splurge meal (and not really expensive, especially for NYC) was at the Union Square Cafe. I usually eat museum cafe stuff and a pick up sandwich from Paris Baguette or some such place. But I make reservations and go there every time. Great food, great wait staff who really treat a solo diner super.

Lyndash, if you haven't already, you should try the Met Dining Room. Very nice food (especially for a museum) and a lovely view of Central Park. Reserve in advance and ask for a table by the windows.

Adventures in the Louvre looks good. Thanks for the recommendation. I also enjoyed Patrick Bringley's book.

Did you get the chance to see the Rijksmuseum's Vermeer show in 2023?

A great advantage of many museum memberships is being able to avoid entrance lines. It's really valuable at the Louvre. Musee d'Orsay lets members in half an hour before the general public. And as you know doubt know the Met has member hours on the weekend. As you note, easy re-entry is a definite advantage.

I also love Vermeer and the Patrick Bringley book. What a wonderful trip!

Richard, I did not get to the big Vermeer exhibit, sad to say. Although I did buy the film that Exhibition on Screen made of it. It is a big regret but the stars just did not align.

I do love walking in the members entrance or going by all the people waiting in a long line at the Frick to enter. So worth it. I’ve decided to get memberships at the Louvre and Orsay next year when I go to Paris and I didn’t know that Orsay had early access for members. Cool! I have yet to go to the Met Dining Room. Maybe next time.

And yes, Barbara N, it was a great trip, thanks. Art (and travel) adds so much to my life and I’m happy to hear from kindred spirits.

I do love walking in the members entrance or going by all the people
waiting in a long line at the Frick to enter.

We don't have a membership but we did make advance, timed-entry reservations. That greatly helped reduce time otherwise spent in that long ticket line! It was really hard to choose skipping the Met this last time but at least we'd been a couple times before, and had to prioritize some either one or both of us hadn't been to yet.

I mentioned the young visitors in my earlier post? One of my favorite things in the art museums is a bit of eavesdropping on the docent talks with elementary school groups. The kids can be so funny - and interesting! - when they get going on a piece of sculpture or a painting!