Springing into a Museum Near You

In addition to warmer weather, blooming flowers, and the occasional allergy, spring also brings a batch of fresh new exhibits to the museums in our area. Here are a few of the highlights:

The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion opens May 6 in the Met’s Tisch Galleries. Sponsored by Marc Jacobs, the exhibit will explore the relationship between high fashion and the twentieth-century models who have influenced it. Featuring both haute couture and ready-to-wear pieces alongside photos and video clips, this is sure to be a fascinating—and quite stylish—collection.

The New American Wing: Also at the Met, part two of the brand-new American Wing will be opening on May 19. In the second phase of a major renovation, the Charles Engelhard Court and the Period Rooms have been upgraded to better display the many sculptures, paintings, stained-glass windows, and other pieces of classic American art they house. The Court will now have new glass barrier walls and a mezzanine that adds over 3,000 square feet of space, while the period rooms will be more spacious and easier to access.

Intervals: Now through July, the Guggenheim has invited a group of contemporary artists to take part in its “Intervals” exhibition, a series of solo presentations featuring works that “propose an alternative notion of temporal experience as a shifting and unquantifiable state.” I’m not quite sure what this means, but, thanks to the Guggenheim, it’s sure to be intriguing.

2009 Student Scholarship: Starting May 6, the Society of Illustrators will be featuring the works of over one hundred of today’s top illustration students from colleges all over the country. Chosen by a group of professional illustrators and art directors, these works are sure to be insightful, inspiring, and extremely skilled. And who knows—you just may discover your new favorite artist.

Mannahatta/Manhattan: A Natural History of New York City: Starting May 20, New Yorkers can explore the history of the island they now call home in a new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. "Mannahatta/Manhattan" will use historical artifacts, maps, and multi-media to show the lush forests, rolling hills, wetlands and wildlife that Henry Hudson would have met with when he first explored the island of Manhattan.

Fashioning Felt: I bet you didn’t know that felt—that fabric you used during arts and crafts hour in kindergarten—is currently being used in everything from chairs to carpeting to designer clothing. You can learn all about the new uses of this versatile material in fashion, architecture, furniture design, and more in an exhibit on display at Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum now through September.

Extreme Mammals: The Biggest, Smallest, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time: What creature had the strongest bite? The biggest claws? Or the fastest legs? Find out in this new and exciting exhibit that opens at the Museum of Natural History on May 16.

Portraits, Pastels, Prints: Whistler in The Frick Collection: Opening June 2 at the Frick is a special exhibition dedicated to James Abbott McNeill Whistler. The museum will be displaying four of Whistler’s full-length portraits, including his “Harmony in Pink and Grey: Portrait of Lady Meux,” alongside his masterful seascape, “Symphony in Grey and Green: The Ocean,” as well as several pastels and etchings, none of which have been displayed together in over twenty years.

Be sure to stop in to explore these fascinating new exhibits as you’re out and about this spring.

Walkers, Beware!

There is perhaps nothing that draws New Yorkers outdoors in larger numbers than the first hint of a sunny spring day after a long and chilly winter. As soon as the city starts to thaw, brightly-colored coats begin to populate the streets, Frisbee-toting twenty-somethings congregate in Central Park, and pedicured toes can be seen peeping out of pumps—even if it’s only 50 degrees and said toes go numb within ten minutes of leaving the house. Tired of being cooped up indoors under layers of fleece, New Yorkers jump on the first opportunity to break out of their winter duds—and their apartments. And, with sunny skies and highs in the 70s expected this weekend, there are sure to be plenty of New Yorkers pouring outdoors.

While it’s always enlivening to see so many people celebrating the onset of spring, the warmer weather does pose a bit of a challenge in that it creates more of a crowd on the city’s already-crowded streets. Now, when the crowd is moving along in sunglass-sporting swiftness, there’s not a problem. But that’s not typically the case, as the city is plagued with several kinds of walkers who, though they may be sporting sunglasses, are not at all swift. Oblivious, preoccupied, or just plain slow, they are the cause of troublesome traffic jams on many a city sidewalk, and they often pose the risk of a dangerous collision that can involve crushing the afore-mentioned toes, or worse.

Here, for everyone’s springtime safety, is a list of such walkers to watch out for.

The Zig-Zagger: The Zig-Zagger might walk at an efficient pace, but her route is anything but, and there is nothing quite so frustrating as walking behind her. She starts in the middle of the sidewalk. When you try to pass her on the right, she goes right., nearly driving you into the corner bodega’s vegetable stand. When you try to pass her on the left, she goes left, and you almost trip over a planter. Right, then left again. Your best bet is typically to hop off the sidewalk and sprint your way around her. Just watch out for oncoming traffic.

The Stopper: Perhaps the most dangerous walker of all, the Stopper moves along at an impressive pace and appears to be helping rather than hindering the sidewalk’s flow of traffic. But then he comes to an abrupt halt, causing you—and the three or four people behind you—to smash into him, or collide off someone else in a last-ditch effort to swerve around him. The Stopper can cause scuffed shoes, squashed groceries, and even broken noses, depending on just how short of a stop he comes to.

The Stander: Oblivious to the fact that there are people on the street other than her, the Stander stops sidewalk traffic by refusing to move at all. She might be checking a street sign or a cell phone; or she could be waiting for a friend or the next bus. Whatever the circumstances, she for some reason prefers to stand right in the middle of the sidewalk—or right on a corner, where you’ll typically encounter her just as the “stop” hand begins to flash and you’re trying to catch the bus across the street—forcing pedestrian traffic to slow down and merge in order to avoid bumping into her. Of course, when she inevitably does get bumped, she shoots dirty looks and “Watch where you’re going”s in all directions. Keep your eyes peeled and try to spot her early enough to avoid her. Then again, a harmless bump or two might encourage her to stand somewhere else.

The Techie: Consumed with his cell phone, Blackberry, or iPod, the Techie is too busy texting, messaging, and attempting to communicate with Russian space stations to pay attention to where he’s going. He may behave as a Stopper, a Zig-Zagger, or a Stander, but it’s more likely that he’ll just crash into you—and then keep right on going without looking up from his nifty handheld device.

The Smoker: Though he usually moves pretty quickly, most likely because of the nicotine coursing through his limbs, the Smoker is easily the worst walker to get stuck behind. He looks and smells like a smokestack, and his trail of smoke will leave you sucking fumes or holding your breath until you’re blue in the face—neither of which are particularly pleasant ways to spend a spring afternoon. When you encounter a Smoker, speed up and sprint around him as quickly as you can—preferably while using exaggerated gestures to wave away his smoke, letting him know just how obnoxious it is.

Grandma and Grandpa: The little old couple out for a stroll almost always finds themselves stuck in the middle of a busy thoroughfare when a quiet side street would be safer for everyone involved. The Grandma is usually in the lead, and she becomes a Stander when she turns around to check on the Grandpa, who’s usually shuffling along behind. Too cute to get mad at, they may just need an arm to hold onto as they’re ushered to a less congested route.

Kids Gone Wild: Sometimes they’re running full force right at your shins, while others they’re barreling down the street on a bike or scooter they haven’t yet learned to stop, their fiberglass helmets at the perfect level to take out your kneecaps. Whatever their method of transportation, kids who move faster than their parents can pop out from any direction—and cause serious damage to your lower extremities. Stay alert, or start wearing kneepads on a regular basis. And try to catch any speedy kids that look like they’re headed toward a busy intersection.

The Biker: Though not a walker, the biker poses just as much of a threat to pedestrians as anyone else on this list. He may be a deliveryman more concerned with delivering his pad Thai on time than taking out innocent bystanders, or a cyclist too afraid to ride in the city streets on his way to the park. Where did he come from? No one knows. But he suddenly appears on the sidewalk—bicycle and all—forcing pedestrians to jump out of his way (because he of course doesn’t think of slowing down). All you can do is hope that he rings his bell first.

The Sightseer: This one goes without saying, but no rundown of troublesome walkers would be complete without mention of the tourist who risks injuring oncoming pedestrians with pointing fingers, outstretched maps, and a surge of camera flashes. Like the Techie, the Sightseer can be a Stopper, a Stander, or a Zig-Zagger. But instead of an electronic device, he is usually absorbed with souvenirs and subway maps. If he asks you for directions, be kind and help him out. Your fellow pedestrians will be grateful.

Enjoy the spring weather this weekend, and walk safely!

Vespa: A Tried and True Favorite

When it comes to restaurants, I try to frequent places I’ve never been rather than returning to the same tried and true favorites over and over again. But favorites are favorites for a reason, and when a restaurant has consistently proven itself, sometimes you just have to go back—again and again. Such was the mentality that prompted a recent visit to Vespa, my favorite UES Italian spot.

Vespa greets visitors with an inviting bar and an eclectic European vibe. On the restaurant’s left side, ambient red lighting and exposed brick walls surround a cozy, café-style set-up; in a room on the right, creamy white walls decorated with classy framed prints reflect flickering candlelight as visitors peruse an extensive menu that changes seasonally.

On this most recent visit, Lauren and I were seated on Vespa’s right (or creamy white) side and greeted by a server with a charming Italian accent and a fresh basket of warm and crispy bread. We ordered glasses of wine and, though both rather familiar with the menu, we took a look at our options.

Of course, with any favorite restaurant come favorite dishes, and I have several at Vespa. One is the thick, doughy gnocchi, which is served with a basil and parsley pesto, gorgonzola cheese, and walnuts—rich, creamy, and delicious. The whole wheat taglierini with a lamb ragu is mouth-wateringly hearty, as is the chicken cacciatore, a chicken dish with sweet sausage, mushrooms, and roasted peppers. I also love the black linguine with shrimp, calamari, spicy tomatoes, green olives, and capers; and then there’s the Atlantic salmon with a harissa-honey glaze and grilled leeks, and the sweet potato and ricotta ravioli with golden raisins and sage butter . . . I think you get the picture.

This time, however, I decided to try something new (surprisingly, there were still a few items on the menu I hadn’t yet tasted), and so I ordered the cavatelli with pancetta, radicchio, pecorino cream, and herbed bread crumbs. When it arrived, I wondered why I had never ordered it before, as it was simply delicious. The cavatelli were cooked to a perfect al dente finish, and the sauce was luscious and creamy, yet at the same time not too rich or heavy.

Meanwhile, Lauren ordered an item from the list of specials: spaghetti squash with shrimp in a tomato sauce. A unique entrée, the spaghetti squash looked and tasted like actual spaghetti, twirling right around my fork as I sampled a bite. Light, fresh, and topped with large, succulent shrimp, the dish was another excellent choice, and Lauren and I both added two more selections to our list of Vespa favorites.

Despite nearly cleaning our plates, we did have a bit of room left for dessert, and so we decided to share a slice of cheesecake topped with a scoop of raspberry gelato. Smooth and velvety yet still light and almost fluffy, the ricotta-based cheesecake was amazing, and the gelato complemented it perfectly.

Now stuffed—and happily so—we left Vespa having experienced the best of both worlds: new and delicious dishes alongside the comfort of an old friend.