Regarding Modernism and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

New York - Day 4

We took a little longer to get out of the door this day (probably my fault). Our first stop was the Museum of Modern Art. I love this museum and I love their gift shops - even if the people who work there seem to have to ace a stick-up-the-ass snob test - but I digress...

Breakfast was enjoyed in the MoMA's Cafe 2. This is a museum cafeteria done right! The food was top quality, service incredibly friendly, and everything - from tables and chairs, right down to the napkins - was designed with that clean and sophisticated eye. What can I say? I'm a sucker for mid-century modernism.

On my previous visit to the MoMA, it was a slow enough day that I was able to have my photo taken next to Van Gogh's Starry Night, but it was incredibly busy this time and I could barely get close enough for a quick shot. As usual, the design floor was amazing, but my favourite part of the visit may have been the commentary I'd overheard from fellow museum visitors: "It looks like a mistake" (Redon's Roger and Angelica) and "It must have taken him so long to paint all these" (Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans).

Unfortunately, we did not realise there were scheduled viewings for the Tim Burton exhibition and the two earliest were already fully booked. The last viewing of the day ran right into our guided cruise around Manhattan (part of the CityPASS package). I tried to stifle my disappointment with photos of the entrance to the exhibition and the giant blow-up monster on the main floor.

It was a tad bit confusing finding the correct bus stop for the cruise, so I am glad we allowed ourselves extra time for the commute. We arrived with tonnes of time to spare and ended up chatting with a food vendor at the terminal. He definitely made the cold and long wait bearable.

The guided cruise was a welcomed opportunity to sit and relax. We sailed for two hours around mid and lower Manhattan, coming up right next to the Statue of Liberty, and going under the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges. It was too cold for anyone to be outside, so I took photos from my seat, though the windows were a bit dirty. My only real gripe though, is that a mother and son with friend/relative who sat behind us chose to talk loudly over the tour guide THE ENTIRE TIME. The friend/relative was clearly a local (of sorts) so deemed herself knowledgeable enough to answer all the dumb questions the two tourists kept spouting out instead of listening to the guide.

After the cruise, we headed back up Manhattan, staying on the west. We weren't hungry, having snacked on the cruise, but we had to check out Tom's Restaurant. Seeing Tom's neon sign lit up in the dark was great. We stood outside for a few minutes trying to get good shots from different standpoints. When we finally entered, we were greeted at the door and shown to a booth near the kitchen.

The walls were covered with Seinfeld TV Guide covers, and other Seinfeld memorabilia. Most of the employees were milling around waiting for it to get busier, I suppose. Though they didn't seem incredibly attentive, the service was pleasant enough. The prices were great; portions generous (though the tuna salad grilled cheese sandwich I had could have been... less cold). We all shared a delicious slice of apple pie for dessert (and no one refused a bite without explanation*).

Before heading home, we wandered around Times Square for a few hours, taking photos of all the lights, spending way too long inside Toys-R-Us... We almost bought some 6 Train (see previous post) t-shirts, but they were about $20 more than we were willing to pay. By the time we left Times Square, it was well past midnight.


*Seinfeld reference