E 103rd St – Joel Grey at MCNY & Conservatory Garden

The Museum of the City of New York is forever serenading its namesake with adoring love songs, and right now legendary stage and screen performer Joel Grey is “emceeing” the show. Joel Grey / A New York Life presents personal relics, posters and playbills from Grey’s expansive body of work, but the star here is his photography. Grey is the quintessential New Yorker, which is to say he was born elsewhere, fell in love with NYC and has spent his life doting upon it. From a padlock to a reflection in a puddle, his work highlights the beauty in the oft-overlooked details. They are fantastic. Bonus: Go tonight at 6:30pm to see Grey in conversation with Jon Robin Baitz! 

If you have time, stay for Timescapse: A Multimedia Portrait of New York (22’ long). It is a fascinating (and remarkably compact!) history of how New York became one of the world’s greatest cities, and it’s definitely worth a look. Then stop by the Stettheimer Dollhouse on the first floor. The best part is that it is adorned with one-of-a-kind mini-masterpieces by avant-garde artists who happened to be Socialite Carrie Walter Stettheimer’s friends.  

Grab a freshly-made sandwich at the café in the museum’s courtyard and head across the street to Conservatory Garden. From the moment you step through the exquisite Vanderbilt Gate you are instantly transported. Take your pick from French, Italian and English styles, grab a bench (I suggest one by the Frances Hodgson Burnett memorial) and enjoy!

Ingredients:
Venues: Museum of the City of New York; Conservatory Garden
Artists: Joel Grey; Carrie Walter Stettheimer
Streets: 103^rd – 105^th & 5th Ave
Eats: Pyramid Café at MCNY
Map: