Guggenheim

Last time I came to New York I didn't get to visit this internationally renowned museum, as we came on the only day it was closed. So as you can imagine, I've been dying to go again and explore this significant art museum and architectural icon.

I will be honest, I was expecting more artists' work for the money I paid to get in, but I did happen to love the main artist on display; Vasily Kandinsky (who I will mention more in another post on this blog). I was also blown away by the architecture of this place, it just stood out from all the rest of the buildings in New York, it really is one of a kind in this City. But what more could you expect from Frank Lloyd Wright, who is famous for his unique designs. He once said that he thought that art museums lacked atmosphere, so here he wanted to create more than just a space to hang paintings. He definitely achieved this, I was impressed with many aspects of the museum, but especially the spiriling gallery. It's just so simple yet captivating, you could tell from everyone's awed expressions that this was impressive.

Another great thing about this gallery, was that you were given audio commentary, so you could select certain paintings and hear all about them. People tend walk and look at the paintings at different paces, so being able to choose what you listened to was really interesting and useful. Overall I would say that I did enjoy the Guggenheim, the fact that it's visually stimulating itself really does help to reflect the art work inside. Shame about the admission price, but truly inspiring.

WiCkEd

For who doesn't know, this is a Tony Award Winning Broadway and West End musical. It's based on the book 'Wicked: The Life and Turns of the Wicked Witch of The West' by Gregory Maguire. It's like a parallel novel to the Wizard of Oz. It's focused around a woman named Elphaba (otherwise known as the wicked witch of the west) and how she came to be so Wicked. Apart from the amazing set design, costumes, and of course vocal performances, I was really impressed by the storyline. It focuses on Elphaba's life before the Wizard of Oz, her younger life experiences and her interesting power. The thing that I liked the most however was the way it linked to the Wizard of Oz, you noticed familiar characters (e.g scarecrow) and find out how they ended up like they did. When it finished I had the biggest urge to go home and watch the Wizard of Oz, just to see if the story did work how it was portrayed in the musical. Overall I really enjoyed the show and would definitely go and see it again!

Which is the Fairest of Them All?

There has long been a debate in New York over which skyscraper should be considered as the most beautiful. On the one hand you have the Chrysler, which is probably the more well known building. But then there's the Woolworth building in lower Manhattan to consider. The Chrysler, built in 1930 by William Van Alen, stands as a masterpiece of Art Deco, with it's famous terraced crown. In contrast, the Woolworth is of the Neo Gothic style, built much earlier in 1913 by Cass Gilbert. It's one of the oldest skyscrapers, but at a modest 57 stories is dwarfed by the Chrysler, which stands as the 3rd tallest building in New York.

It's hard to decide between the two as they're both beautiful in their own ways. But when I got closer to the Woolworth I discovered all the tiny decorative features that just put me in awe, so for that reason, it would just edge ahead of the Chrysler.

Museum of Natural History

I realise that my blog is starting to look a lot like a photo album of New York, but I am genuinely impressed and inspired by everything I post. And of course New York is full of inspiring things, the Museum of Natural History being one of them. The main thing I loved about it was how they'd put so much effort into making everything look authentic, even the tiniest details weren't missed. All the displays looked so realistic, which can be quite scary but ads to the overall feel of the museum. Not only is it a visually exciting museum, but you can learn a lot here too. I can't imagine anyone getting bored here, not even a child.

A View From the Top

I have very recently been to New York for my 21st. Obviously this trip was about celebrating my birthday, but I was also wanted to explore, visit the sights and get a better sense of the culture. I've been before on a University trip, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but it felt quite rushed, so I was hoping to slow down a bit and see as much as possible.

So as you can imagine the next few posts will be all about New York: it's museums and amazing architecture that it's become famous for. Here is one of the most iconic buildings in the World; The Empire State Building. Most people know it for being the tallest building in New York, but there are a couple of interesting and inspiring facts you may not know. For example, this building was built in just over a year back in 1930, which at 102 floors is shocking. However this might have something to do with the fact it was at the centre of a competition for the tallest building, between Walter Chrysler and Jakob Raskob. So if you want a building built well and fast, then form a competition! But in all seriousness, I really was blown away by this building, it's not the prettiest in New York, but it has history and character and obviously amazing views.

Twilight

I saw the film when it came out, not really having a clue what it was about. There had been so much hype surrounding it that I thought I should see what all the fuss was about. The film, which came out last year, was suprisingly good. I didn't know what to expect, which in a way, made the film more interesting.

So after seeing the film I became slightly obsessed by it and bought the DVD as soon as it was released. But for some reason never thought to read the book. I literally picked this up two days ago and have read the whole thing already. There hasn't been a book since the Harry Potter series that has caught my attention quite this much. I was shocked how alike the book and the film were. I suppose this had something to do with my dissappointment of the Sixth Harry Potter film. I couldn't understand why they missed so much out and changed details for no reason. But with the twilight adaptation, I can really see how they tried to keep it as close to the book as possible, which is something I respect.

The book I found to be compelling, I knew what would happen (from seeing the film) but became impatient when reading, therefore finishing it in a couple of days. This is most definitely a good thing however. I get easily distracted, so anything which can keep my attention like this must be good. I won't try to explain the plot in Twilight, but a general overview is that it's a love story with a twist. That twist being vampires.

Tokidoki's Simone Legno

I've been meaning to say something about Tokidoki's creator for a while, as I am totally fascinated by his designs. He is actually Italian but has a deep love and affection for Japan and it's culture, therefore couldn't help but create the massive brand that is Tokidoki. He mentions on his website that tokidoki actually means 'sometimes' in Japanese. But why that word, well he explains that "everyone waits for moments that change one's destiny...tokidoki is the hope, the hidden energy everyone has inside that gives us strength to face a new day and dream something positive." I can't not look at his designs, they're so bright and full of detail, which gives me the inspiration to go and make the world a brighter place also.