Autumn in New York

Last Monday I flew to New York to accompany my husband on a work trip. It was not a long trip as we flew in on Monday afternoon and left on Wednesday morning, but I was looking forward to visiting the city for a full day to have a solo date with myself. New York is one of my favorite cities to visit and I still have many items on my list of things that I want to do and see, but for this trip I was able to mark off one on my list…visit the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). I should also mention that autumn is my favorite time to visit New York (my favorite time to visit any city really). Billie Holiday said it best when she sang longingly, “Autumn in NewYork, why does it seem so inviting?” I have been to New York in the autumn three times and I love it more each time I visit. Here is a recap of my short, albeit cozy trip to New York.

We flew out on Monday afternoon and funny enough flew right into the Nor’Easter that was currently wreaking havoc on the east coast. It was rainy, breezy, and cool and honestly it was the kind of weather that I love for New York.

After we landed we took a taxi to the hotel, freshened up and took a walk around the city. We also stopped into Angelina’s to get a Mont Blanc and eclair for a little evening treat to enjoy.

The next morning the husband and I had breakfast at the hotel together. Afterwards he went to the site of his study and I had a leisurely morning of playing jazz music and getting ready for the day.

After getting ready I grabbed my coat and purse and walked over to the Museum of Modern Art. The rain had passed, but the gray skies remained along with cool breeze which made for a beautiful morning of walking around the city until the museum opened. Below was my outfit for the day.

Walking up on the museum is a beautiful sight to see and one of my favorite corners in New York.

The museum opened at 10:30 and I got there early to be the first one in line because I had two main goals, see Starry Night and Water Lillies before the crowds descend. I knew where each of these were located within the museum so when the attendant scanned my ticket, I went straight to the fifth floor and went to Starry Night first because I knew this one would overflow with people within half an hour at least (and it did). I got to view Van Gogh’s Starry Night up front and center and was in awe that I was viewing one of the most famous paintings in the world. The detail was exquisite, the brush strokes were beautiful, and the colors were even more vibrant in person. A moment that I will be sure to remember for the rest of my life.

After visiting Starry Night for awhile I made my way next to Monet’s Water Lillies. Monet is one of my favorite artists and to enter a room full of his works was a true luxury moment. I stayed in this room the longest and simply savored the beauty on Monet’s work. I did not rush or hurry through. I had in my AirPods, so I played a light jazz music and simply immersed myself in the beauty of it all. One day I hope to travel to Giverny to visit Monet’s home and garden that inspired so many of the beautiful paintings that I have been fortunate enough to visit.

After visiting Van Gogh and Monet, I meandered through the rest of the museum and saw some of the master works of many prestigious artists including Picasso, Manet, Cezane, Matisse, Andy Warhol, and Jackson Pollack to name a few.

As much as I was enjoying the artwork, I was also enjoying the views from within the museum too. There were many windows in the museum and the city outside was looking so beautiful on this particular cloudy day.

Every museum visit concludes for me after I visit the gift shop and MOMA had a few to peruse. It was cozy with the low lighting and there were so many books throughout to enjoy viewing.

After the museum visit I made my way over Ralph’s coffee to get an iced latte to enjoy.

After I picked up my coffee I went to Banana Republic which is right beside of Ralph’s. Banana Republic is one of my favorite stores, but the one in midtown is beautiful with their three impeccably decorated floors and beautiful clothes.

I found this lovely green cashmere sweater that they did not have in my local store. I tried it on and loved it immediately, so it came home with me.

After Banana Republic I walked around mid town some more and enjoyed the beautiful sites and stopped into a few more stores too. Simply walking around the city was a pleasure to see all of the beautiful buildings, statues, and flowers.

By the late afternoon I had walked around 7 miles, so I went back to the hotel room and put on my favorite comfort show, The Great British Bake Off, and relaxed until the husband came back. When he got back to the hotel we walked around the city a little more, then got ready for dinner. We went to dinner at Charlie Palmer’s that night and I enjoyed an exquisite meal in an elegant restaurant. It was a wonderful way to end my New York day.

The next day we packed up and made our way back to the airport to fly home. I am very lucky that my husband does get an annual membership to the Delta Sky Lounge through his work and that I get to tag along. It is truly a most elegant way to start and end each travel.