Scenes from a Snowstorm 2020

What else did 2020 need? How about a major snowstorm? Yes, please. This week a powerful nor'easter hit New York City and the northeast with heavy snow and high winds. With at least ten inches recorded in Central Park, it was the biggest December snowstorm in New York City in ten years since a blizzard in 2010 dumped twenty inches. We made our way (carefully) around New York City amid the snowstorm and were able to enjoy a few peaceful moments of freshly fallen snow before it turns to dirty slush. Oh yes, don’t forget to wear a mask!

The Holidays at Hudson Yards

On a chilly day this week we checked out the incredible holiday light display at Hudson Yards. More than two million white lights are featured throughout the shops, the Vessel (which has extended holiday hours), the Edge observation deck, and the outdoor areas. With Hanukkah starting this week, Hudson Yards is also celebrating with traditional sweets and treats and arts and craft activities. If you go, be sure to social distance and wear a mask!

Point of Action

Point of Action by Studio Cooke John invites residents and visitors alike “to contemplate the experience of seeing one another—and being seen.” The installation consists of six-foot circles affixed onto the Flatiron Public Plazas that create nine “spotlights,” each with its own vertical metal lighted frame. Lights embedded on each metal structure illuminate and frame the viewer who can step into the spotlight and connect with viewers across the plazas. “We are at a threshold during this pandemic,” Nina Cooke John, Founder and Principal of Studio Cooke John, says. “Now that our eyes have been opened to realities that have been with us all along, how do we move forward? My hope is that Point of Action makes people think about how we connect to the people we see every day so that we can move forward together.” Point of Action is on view through January 1, 2021 in the Flatiron Public Plazas on Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street in Manhattan.

"Untitled (Four Arches)" at the High Line

The beloved High Line has re-opened! Now requiring a timed ticket, the High Line has re-opened at reduced capacity and with additional safety protocols in place. For those who need to get out of the house for a walk outside, now is a perfect time to check out the High Line’s vibrant foliage and art, including work by American artist Sam Falls. For his piece, Untitled (Four Arches), Falls created four ceramic archways using original steel rail tracks from the High Line. Each of the four archways is dedicated to a different season in the park. To design the piece,  Falls collected plants from the High Line over one year, embedded the plants in ceramic, and fossilized them with colorful pigments. What else? Don’t forget to vote.

Flag Project at Rockefeller Center

The Flag Project at Rockefeller Center features 193 flags flying from the Rock Center parade of poles, all “celebrating in some way the energy, diversity, culture, strength, and resilience of our city.” Artists including Jeff Koons, KAWS, Jenny Holzer, and Marina Abramovic contributed site-specific works for the show but most of the designs were created by the public after an open call for submissions. More than a thousand entries from all over the world were submitted. The flags will be displayed until August 16, so you may need to hurry. This is one time where you can actually walk through Rockefeller Center without having to fight your way through tourists and TV executives. Wait, we actually miss that. Sigh.