even those who have never visited Nova York, when hearing something about the Brooklyn, a Times Square or at Statue of Liberty, a mental image of the city soon comes to mind. One of the most popular destinations among Brazilians traveling to USA, the Big Apple, however, is not just about places full of tourists and shopping. The city, with more than 8.4 million inhabitants, pulses with art, history, culture and, of course, a rich gastronomic diversity.
And for less obvious but equally incredible tips from the “city that never sleeps”, there’s nothing better than talking to someone who lives in the metropolis. Historian and educator, the paulistana Gisela Gueiros he has called New York home since 2007, where he lives with his family, and shared his experiences and favorite addresses around the city with CNN Viagem & Gastronomia. As she points out: sometimes the surprise is where you least expect it.
Check out Gisele Gueiros’ tips and a look at the city below:
tours
As I live in Brooklyn, I recommend a tour of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which is a walkway under Brooklyn Heights that you can walk on and which is amazing, with a privileged view of Manhattan. If you go to Brooklyn, a very nice tour is to watch the basketball game at Barclays Center.
One of the things I notice about New York after living here for so long is that the most amazing things are also those considered the most classic. An example? This year, in the spring, I made a evening sailing trip from Manhattan to the Statue of Liberty.
It’s super cliché, but the Statue of Liberty never stops being awesome. I have this feeling with NY: even with the most obvious tours, or considered tourist, the city continues to impress and attract all audiences.
Gastronomy
My tip is the trendy Via Carrot, no Italian restaurant West Village with a seasonal menu that serves antipasti, fish and meat and has an extensive wine list.
Inspired by a 17th-century villa in the hills near Florence, Via Carota pays homage to Italian roots with its lifestyle, food and decor.
I’ve always heard about him, I’ve already tried to book and couldn’t, until I arrived early one day, around 11:50 am with a group of friends. It’s really worth standing in line and almost having lunch at breakfast to get a table.
Another suggestion mixing gastronomy with art: is the Café Sabarsky, an Austrian restaurant located within the New Gallery, German and Austrian art and design museum on Fifth Avenue. Decorated with period objects, the restaurant is inspired by the great Viennese cafes and by the intellectual and artistic life of these places at the turn of the century.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served there, with a menu that varies between spaetzle (very widespread pasta in southern Germany), sausages, schnitzel (thin slice of breaded veal or pork) to sachertorte, classic Viennese dark chocolate cake. And be careful: don’t confuse “scallops” with escalope, as the translation actually comes down to scallops.
Art
My first tip out of the obvious is the The Noguchi Museum, which is in Queens. The museum preserves and displays the works of Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), which consist of sculptures, drawings, designs and architectural models.
With two floors, it is located in a 1920s industrial building with a pavilion built in the 1980s by the artist himself. In addition to the exhibition space, a sculpture garden complements the site, where Noguchi grew plants native to Japan and the United States.
From the classics, you have to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the MET, on the side of the Central Park on Fifth Avenue. Often the surprise is precisely in the place you think you already know well. The museum, for example, has a life-size replica of the living room in the home of iconic architect Frank Lloyd-Wright. Few people who visit the museum – and who I know – are aware of the existence of this replica. My suggestion for tourists is: visit the MET, which is the basics, but don’t just see the mummies and Renaissance paintings – that would be the instinct of anyone who goes to a museum of this size.
Another mandatory place to get lost without haste is the MoMA, New York Museum of Modern Art, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. With a bold architecture, there are six floors and approximately 200,000 works of art in its collection. It is one of the best known in the world and houses works by important artists such as Andy Warhol, Paul Cézanne, Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and the Brazilian Dalton Paula.
Another tip: I’m obsessed with Frick Collection, which is a collection that occupies the former mansion of Henry Clay Frick – now closed for renovation, they are in the former headquarters of the Whitney Museum on Madison Avenue. This is one of the most amazing art collections in the world. For example, the Dutch artist Vermeer made around 34 paintings in his lifetime and in the Frick collection there are three of them. It’s a must.
Finally, a museum that is very cool and that few people go to is the The Drawing Center, no SoHo. Very small, it is dedicated to drawing and works on paper, with temporary exhibitions and programs with tattoo artists, chefs, novelists, soldiers, prisoners and also those who define themselves as plastic artists.
About Gisela Gueiros
New York resident since 2007, Gisela Gueiros moved to the city to study contemporary art history. A historian and educator, she now offers guided tours of the most important museums and galleries in the metropolis and has held more than 40 independent art exhibitions.
Reference: CNN Brasil
