sarah in nyc

My husband and I love architecture. So the Open House NY weekend is one we anticipate every year. We can’t always participate because some years the weekend falls on yom tov. This year coming as it did after three shul days in a row it was very, very welcome.  One of the sites this year was Central Synagogue. I was inside the magnificent building for this first time this spring to see the adult bar-mitzvah class that I had taught lead a service. I knew my husband would love this jewel-box of a building. The synagogue was built in the 1870’s. Several years ago the building was being renovated to it’s former glory. Just before renovation was completed a giant fire broke out. They began the renovation anew. Every surface of the interior is covered with a pattern. The floors, the columns, the walls, the woodwork are all patterned. One might assume that so much pattern would seem busy. Instead, all of the pattern is soothing. There is a whole lot going on here visually in ...

Yom Kippur was sodden and cold. Today was bright and clear. It was a good day for a city adventure.   We decided to take Ikea ferry to Red Hook and explore.   There is something about taking a ferry as opposed to the bus or a subway that makes you feel like you are on holiday.   It’s only a ten minute or so ride, but the views are spectacular. Here you see the southern tip of Manhattan with Governor's Island in the foreground. Here is the obligatory Statue of Liberty  shot. Now here is the obligatory shot made even better with the orange Staten Island Ferry. Several Civil War era warehouses line the Red Hook waterfront. This one is next to the Fairway stop on the ferry. We ate salmon and salad at Ikea. This was the view from our table. After lunch we walked around Red Hook.    Having grown up in the shadows of the Quincy granite quarries, I always notice great stone work. It turns out that this...