Tag: travel

New York Botanical Garden 2900 Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10458

New York Botanical Garden 2900 Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10458

New York Botanical Garden 2900 Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10458

(718)817-8700

https://www.nybg.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Botanical_Garden

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g47369-d103513-r1056012355-New_York_Botanical_Garden-Bronx_New_York.html?m=19905

My visit to the New York Botanical Gardens:

I had never been to the New York Botanical Garden before. Being a member of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, I never saw the purpose until my best friend invited me to see the Orchid Show which had been heavily advertised, I jumped at the chance.

The entrance to the Gardens:

It was a cool April afternoon when we arrived. The first wave of Japanese Cherry trees were in bloom as well as the daffodils.

We started our tour of the Gardens at the Conservatory where the Orchid Show was taking place. The Cherry Trees were coming into full bloom. I had never been to the NY Botanical Gardens before. Being a member of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for over twenty years, I just never saw a reason to come up here. Now I will be making many future trips (I also found out that my membership with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden gets me in here as well).

We visited two areas of the Gardens that day, the Conservatory where the Orchid Show was taking place and Daffodil Hill, their section of the Gardens were all the daffodils were starting to bloom at that point of the Spring.

The Garden’s Mission:

(From the Garden’s website):

The New York Botanical Garden is an advocate for the plant world. The Garden pursues its mission through its role as a museum of living plant collections arranged in gardens and landscapes across its National Historic Landmark site; through its comprehensive education programs in horticulture and plant science; and through the wide-ranging research programs of the International Plant Science Center.

The Conservatory

The Conservatory in the Spring

The turn of the Century Conservatory

Visiting the Orchid Show in 2026:

(From the Garden’s website)

New York City has never bloomed like this. At The Orchid Show: Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle, orchids collide with concrete in a dazzling reimagining of the Big Apple, from stoops and slice shops to the subway itself. Step into a breathtaking fusion of nature and cityscape artistry in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and experience the flair and style of New York transformed by thousands of flowers.

The entrance to the Orchid Show

The sign welcoming us to the show

The inside of the Conservatory

The magnificent orchids

The orchids in the beginning of the show

The inside of the Conservatory

The beauty of the potted plants

The beautiful potted plants

They were more beautiful up close

The inside display of the Conservatory

The flowers lined the paths

Then we walked through the fountain area and got to see the beautiful turn of the century fountains. We walked all through the Conservatory that afternoon and these were the breathtaking plants that we saw that day. I had not seen this many orchids out of Hawaii.

The fountain elegantly decorated for the event

The fountain area in full bloom

All sorts of beautiful orchids lined the pools

They came in all colors and sizes

The Tropical display

The orchids in full bloom

The colors were fantastic

Then we walked through the desert display at the end of the Conservatory which was really nice.

The Desert display

The Desert Display

The start of some interesting displays at the end of the show

The Pizza display where I did really think we could order lunch

Blogger Justin Watrel in front of the car washing display

My best friend, Maricel, who toured with me

Blogger Justin Watrel at the end of the Orchid display

The end of the Orchid Show display

The Orchid Show was amazing and I will have to come back next year.

Then we walked the grounds. The New York Botanical Garden’s version of Daffodil Hill is not the same as the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens but still beautiful.

Leaving the Conservatory towards the other gardens.

The path outside the Consrvatory

The beautiful Cherry Blossoms in the gardens that day were in full bloom

We headed to the NY Botanical Garden’s Daffodil Hill display after the Orchid Show and walked down paths of flowering Cherry Trees. It was quite a site as everything was coming into bloom in the park.

The pathway to Daffodil Hill

The pathways to Daffodil Hill

The daffodils were just starting to come in and some were at peak bloom. Though not as impressive as the display at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden it is still impressive and had just come into bloom when we arrived that day. It is a nice place to walk around.

Daffodil Hill at the New York Botanical Garden’s version

Another section of Daffodil Hill

Walking back to the front of the gardens

The Garden Library from the turn of the last century

We even saw a cardinal eating a snack on the side of the sidewalk. He was happy pecking away at an apple core.

The cardinal snacking

He even started to watch us

History of the Gardens:

(From the Gardens website)

The New York Botanical Garden has been a connective hub among people, plants, and the planet since 1891. We’re rooted in the cultural fabric of New York City, here in the heart of the Bronx—its greenest borough. For more than 130 years, we’ve invited millions of visitors to make the Garden a part of their lives, exploring the joy, beauty, and respite of nature. NYBG’s 250 acres are home to renowned exhibitions, immersive botanical experiences, art and music, and events with some of the most influential figures inplant and fungal science, horticulture, and the humanities. We’re also stewards of globally significant research collections, from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library collection to the plant and fungal specimens in the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the largest such collection in the Western Hemisphere.

At NYBG, we’re plant people—dedicated horticulturists, enthusiastic educators, and scientific adventurers—committed to helping nature thrive so that humanity can thrive. We believe in our ability to make things better, teaching tens of thousands of kids and families each year about the importance of safeguarding our environment and healthy eating. Our expert scientists work across the city, the nation, and the globe to document the plants and fungi of our world—and find actionable, nature-based solutions to our planet’s dual climate and biodiversity crises. And our eyes are always looking forward as we train the next generation of botanists, gardeners, landscape designers, and environmental stewards, ensuring a green future for all. At NYBG, we know that it’s nature—or nowhere.

That got us thinking about lunch and we were both starved. So I took Maricel out for a much delayed lunch at Virgil’s in Times Square. It was my treat to her for taking me to the Botanical Garden that afternoon. This is one of our favorite places to have both lunch and dinner.

https://virgilsbbq.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d424440-r1056011275-Virgil_s_Real_BBQ_NYC-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

She enjoyed a some appetizers of Barbecued Wings and we shared these Pastrami Nachos, which I finished the next day they were so big. The food here is amazing!

The Chopped Pastrami Natchos

I had the Pulled Pork sandwich which I love but rarely have anywhere else. There is nothing like it and Virgil’s I consider the best place for barbecue in New York City.

The Pulled Pork sandwich with Potato Salad and Coke Slaw

Yum!

It was a wonderful afternoon out.

Van Bushkirk Burial Ground 45 East Saddle River Road Saddle River, NJ 07458

Van Bushkirk Burial Ground 45 East Saddle River Road Saddle River, NJ 07458

Van Bushkirk Burial Ground

45 East Saddle River Road

Saddle River, NJ 07458

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2160733/edit

Click to access Re-exam_Master_Plan(1).pdf

The Van Bushkirk Burial Ground behind the residence at 45 East Saddle River Road

The Van Bushkirk Burial Ground is part of the history of Saddle River, NJ’s early settlement period. The burial ground has about 40 tombstones that are arched and shaped. These are some of the first residents both of Saddle River and Bergen County, NJ.

The burial ground lies next to a creek off East Saddle River Road and can only be accessed by going through private property of the residents living at 45 East Saddle River Road. Please do not enter without permission of the owner of the home. These pictures were taken with a long distance camera from the street.

The Van Bushkirk Burial Ground at 45 East Saddle River Road

The History of Saddle River:

(from the Saddle River Town website):

In 1675, Lenni Lenape tribal leaders sold a large amount of land on the Eastern side of the Saddle River (known as Werimus) to Albert Zabriskie. In 1708, Zabriskie sold this tract of land to Thomas Van Buskirk. The first house in Saddle River was built by the Van Buskirk family in 1709. The original Van Buskirk homestead still stands at 164 East Saddle River Road across from Borough Hall.

In 1709, the Lenni Lenape sold the land on the west side of the Saddle River to the English as part of the Ramapo Tract. Property on the west side of the Saddle River was acquired from this Tract throughout the 1700’s. The Ackerman Family was the most prolific buyer of these early Saddle River parcels and first settled on the West side of the Saddle River in 1745 when Johannes Ackerman acquired 245 acres.

The graves of George and Margaret Achenbach

Saddle River continued to grow and populate during the 18th century.  Families such as the Van Buskirk’s, the Ackerman’s, the Achenbach’s, the Hopper’s, the Zabriskie’s, the Stilwell’s and the Baldwin’s farmed and developed the area.

The grave of George Achenbach

The first of many Saddle River mills was built in 1714 and the first school was constructed in 1720. Another early 18th century business was the blacksmith shop operated by the Ackerman family. Over the years, these 1st families built the quintessential “Old Dutch Homesteads” from actual sandstone that was found in town.

The Revolutionary War era tombstones

The Revolutionary War was a horrendous time for the residents of Saddle River. The townsfolk had spent the entire 18th century developing the area into a well established community and all growth essentially stopped during the war. Since the Jersey Dutch initially considered the revolution to be an English issue, it was particularly shocking when the fighting came to their backyards. From December 1776 until the end of the war, both American and British forces traveled through Saddle River and many times set up camp in the center of town.

Residents were in constant fear of the British employed Hessian soldiers who would terrorize families by raiding the houses for food and then burning the fields before leaving. Although no major battles took place in Saddle River, there were small skirmishes to fend off raids and the Blue Mill on East Saddle River Road was destroyed. Even George Washington, the future father of our country, passed through Saddle River on multiple occasions and tradition has him staying overnight at the Ackerman Homestead on the East road.

When the Revolutionary War ended, Saddle River residents picked up right where they left off in terms of community and industry development. The Ackerman’s built a Foundry on what is now Waterford Gardens. Tice and Berdan both opened stores in town and the Bulls Head Tavern opened its doors to weary travelers in 1802. Old mills were re-opened and new ones such as Van Riper’s Saw Mill and Basket Factory were established. The post war growth continued for decades and culminated in the 1820s with the construction of the Zion Lutheran Church in 1821 and a new schoolhouse behind the church in 1825.

The worn tombstones in the cemetery

History of the Van Bushkirk family in Bergen County during the Revolutionary War:

(From the Bergen County Historical Society website):

Loyalists in Bergen County | Bergen County Historical Society

Loyalists in Bergen County came from all backgrounds, religions and economic classes. At the beginning of the war, a number were officers in the militia, the military force composed of all able-bodied males maintained by each province, and later the states. The lieutenant colonel of the militia was John Zabriskie of New Bridge. Zabriskie understood the sentiments of many of his neighbors, particularly those of Abraham Van Buskirk, whose property was directly across the bridge in Teaneck. Van Buskirk was a surgeon in the militia under Zabriskie, and with whom he served on Bergen County’s Committee of Correspondence, an entity established to keep in touch with other New Jersey counties and the events occurring there.

Day Three Hundred and Seventy-Nine Exploring The Met at ‘Met After Hours’ February 12th, 2026

Day Three Hundred and Seventy-Nine Exploring The Met at ‘Met After Hours’ February 12th, 2026

One of the things I love about being a member the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the private Member’s Night ‘Met After Hours’ they hold about four times a year. The museum is open after the closing hours and it is a night of wondering the museum galleries, great music and entertainment and wonderful tours and talks in the galleries. You really experience the museum at its best and it does shine.

The outside of The Met at night

https://www.metmuseum.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

My ‘Met After Hours’ reviews on MywalkinManhattan.com:

https://mywalkinmanhattan.com/category/met-after-hours-event/

The lines move very quickly to get into the museum and with traffic getting into the City that night, I arrived about twenty minutes after opening and there were no crowds to face and I got right in. There’s always a sense of excitement on these nights.

The Grand Hall in the front of the museum decorated with Spring flowers

The beautiful Spring flowers lined all the urns around the Great Hall

The museum welcoming all the members of the museum at ‘The Met After Hours’

I started my walk around the galleries in the Greek Wing touring the main hallway. It still boggles my mind how old these statues are and I am looking at something almost two thousand years old.

The Greek Gallery wing

https://www.metmuseum.org/departments/greek-and-roman-art

(From the Metropolitan Museum of Art website):

The Museum’s collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than thirty thousand works ranging in date from the Neolithic period (ca. 4500 BCE) to the time of the Roman emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity in 312 CE. It includes the art of many cultures and is among the most comprehensive in North America. The geographic regions represented are Greece and Italy, but not as delimited by modern political frontiers: Greek colonies were established around the Mediterranean basin and on the shores of the Black Sea, and Cyprus became increasingly Hellenized. For Roman art, the geographical limits coincide with the expansion of the Roman Empire. The department also exhibits the art of prehistoric Greece (Helladic, Cycladic, and Minoan) and pre-Roman art of Italic peoples, notably the Etruscans (Metropolitan Museum of Art website).

One of the statues that stood out that evening

I spent some time admiring the statues and the craftsmanship of the works along the hallway. The only problem is that most of the Greek and Roman Galleries were closed for the evening so I headed off to the Renaissance Wing. I love the luxury objects in the collection of silver and gold and again their craftsmanship is still unrivaled today. To make these objects takes intensive work and talent.

The historic collection of luxury items

The time pieces of the Renaissance period

https://www.metmuseum.org/learn/educators/curriculum-resources/the-art-of-renaissance-europe

The timepieces show how advanced science had become and the importance of it in not just measurements but in beauty.

The lobby of the American Wing with the facade of what was a former bank and a Wall Street private mansion. I love the quiet elegance of this building and to think they moved it here piece by piece. The American Wing Cafe was open for the evening and the area was busy throughout the evening. It is nice to just sit and enjoy the views by the fountain. The artwork is beautiful.

https://www.metmuseum.org/departments/the-american-wing

(From the Metropolitan Museum of Art website):

Visitors to the American Wing will experience in more than 75 galleries on three floors varied art, design, and culture from the mid-seventeenth to the mid-twentieth century, with some contemporary expressions, by a diverse array of artists from across North America. Since our founding in 1924, this curatorial department has evolved its collecting to include some 20,000 artworks in many mediums by African American, Asian American, Euro-American, Latin American, and Native American makers, affirming ever more inclusive definitions of American art and identity. These dynamic holdings include painting, sculpture, drawing, furniture, textiles, regalia, ceramics, basketry, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, as well as historic interiors and architectural fragments, produced by highly trained and self-taught artists, both identified and unrecorded (Metropolitan Museum of Art website).

The evening then moved to the Egyptian Wing and the Temple of Dendur, where the entertainment and the cocktail bar was located.

The Temple of Dendur is the hub of activity on Members Nights

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/547802

(From the Metropolitan Museum of Art website):

This small temple, built about 15 B.C., honored the goddess Isis and, beside her, Pedesi and Pihor, deified sons of a local Nubian ruler. On the outer walls between earth and sky are carved scenes of the king making offerings to deities who hold scepters and the ankh, the symbol of life. The figures are carved in sunk relief. In the brilliant Egyptian sunlight, shadows cast along the figures’ edges would have emphasized their outlines. Isis, Osiris, their son Horus, and the other deities are identified by their crowns and the inscriptions beside their figures (Metropolitan Museum of Art).

These scenes are repeated in two horizontal registers. The king is identified by his regalia and by his names, which appear close to his head in elongated oval shapes called cartouches; many of the cartouches simply read “pharaoh.” This king was actually Caesar Augustus of Rome, who, as ruler of Egypt, had himself depicted in the traditional regalia of the pharaoh. Augustus had many temples erected in Egyptian style, honoring Egyptian deities (Metropolitan Museum of Art). 

The area was packed with patrons enjoying music and talking by the bars. The crowds were so large at the beginning of the evening that I waited until after 9:00pm for the second performance of the group playing. So I headed into the section of the Egyptian Wing to look at the galleries that were open. I love walking around the Egyptian Wing of the Met. It is one of the most extensive collections outside of Egypt and the most fascinating Mummy exhibition.

Admiring one of the Mummy exhibits in the Egyptian Wing

https://www.metmuseum.org/departments/egyptian-art

(From the Metropolitan Museum of Art website):

The Department of Egyptian Art was established in 1906 to oversee the Museum’s already sizable collection of art from ancient Egypt. In the same year, the Museum’s Board of Trustees voted to establish an Egyptian Expedition to conduct archaeological excavations in Egypt. Between 1906 and 1935, The Met’s Egyptian Expedition worked at a number of important sites, including Lisht in the north and Thebes in the south, and the objects gifted to The Met by the Egyptian antiquities service form the core of our collection. Over the years, the Department of Egyptian Art has also been able to acquire, through purchase and bequest, several important private collections (Metropolitan Museum of Art website).

The ancient tablets outside of the Mummy Exhibition

The Egyptian artwork outside the Mummy Room

The tablets outside the Mummy Room

When the whole gallery is open, it is a treasure trove of objects and information from each Dynasty. I have been mind-boggled by these galleries since I first visited the museum in the third grade for a class field trip. I remember sketching artifacts for a class project and am still fascinated about how old some of these objects are and condition they are still in after thousands of years. It is my favorite part of the museum.

By 9:00pm, the entertainment was starting again, so I joined other members for a cocktail and enjoyed the music in the Temple of Dendur Gallery.

The Temple of Dendur fully lit for the evening before the start of the entertainment

The signature cocktail of the evening, the Starlight Spritz

Enjoying a Starlight Spritz while listening to the music

The bartenders can mix a drink

After a long week at work, it was nice to relax and enjoy the music. The music that night was performed by artist Jasim Perales and Friends, an Afro-Latin Jazz performance. The music was relaxing and soulful and the crowd had a wonderful time.

The start of the music again at 9:00pm

The trio performing

A clip from the entertainment that night

The Master of Ceremonies that night, Jasim Perales

https://www.instagram.com/jasimperales/?hl=en

All good things come to an end and it was time leave. The night was dark and the winter air was crisp creating the perfect Winter evening to set out into for the walk back to Port Authority. The Upper East is so beautiful at night.

The front of the Met that night

The artwork is always so impressive outside the Met

It was in the low 40’s that evening and the perfect night for a walk around the Upper East Side and Midtown. It still surprises me after all these years of walking around Manhattan how beautiful the City really is at night.

The beauty of Carnegie Hall in the evening

https://www.carnegiehall.org/

Passing the front of a quiet Carnegie Hall that evening

Looking up Fifth Avenue at night

Looking up Sixth Avenue and West 35th Street by Herald Square

The New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue at night

https://www.nypl.org/

It was another spectacular evening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Thank you to the Membership and Special Events Departments for hosting another wonderful evening.

Day Three Hundred and Seventy-Seven Walking through Brooklyn in the Wintertime January 31st, 2026

Day Three Hundred and Seventy-Seven Walking through Brooklyn in the Wintertime January 31st, 2026

Who says there’s nothing to do in the cold months? It all depends on how much you want to bundle up and enjoy the outdoors.

The last weekend of the ‘Monet & Venice’ showing at the Brooklyn Museum brought me out to Brooklyn on a sunny but chilly Saturday afternoon recently. I knew there would be crowds at the Brooklyn Museum as everyone was probably thinking of doing the same (at the end of the visit I found this to be true) so I got to the museum by noon and got tickets to the first slot open at 2:30pm.

Since I had a couple of hours until my tour of the exhibit, I decided to tour the Brooklyn Botanic Garden next door. There were no walking tours that day and the gardens were under a foot of snow from the recent storm. There was a quiet beauty of all the snow and the way it fell and shined in the sun all over the gardens. There were no lines or crowds (like the recent lightshow a few weeks earlier), so I had the gardens pretty much to myself.

The first stop on my walk was the Japanese Gardens, which has I had visited recently for the lightshow and experienced the fantastic musical display. The pond now sat under snow and ice and still it was impressive looking.

Walking through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden next to the Japanese Gardens

The Japanese Gardens in the early afternoon

The inside of the Japanese Gardens in the middle of winter. It was such a spectacular view of the pond.

The beauty of the snow covered pool

Another view of the Garden

I never realized how beautiful the Japanese Gardens were in the winter. The sun shines so nicely on the snow covered trees. It was just as beautiful snow covered as it is in the Spring and Summer when the garden is in full bloom.

The fountain in the Shakespeare Garden

I then walked through the entire gardens stopping in various gardens to see what they looked like topped with snow. My first stop was the Shakespeare Gardens and I marveled at the elegance of the snow covered fountain I like so much in the Spring. The variety of the colors of this garden are waiting just under the snow for the warmer months.

The view of the snow covered gardens

I then walked around the paths to the back of the gardens along the watershed lawns that were under a foot of snow and still impressive.

Daffodil Hill in the winter. In two months this will be covered by hundreds of brightly colored daffodils

The Magnolia tree court and sun dial

In the Spring, this is my favorite part of the garden with the hues of pinks and whites of the Magnolia trees and the yellows of the daffodils.

My favorite fountain just off the Magnolia Court on the stairs leading to the Lotus polls

The snow covered fountains by the Lotus pools

The snow covered Lotus pools shined in the sun

I then got out of the cold weather and entered into the warmth of the Tropical Garden Collection. This series of gallery of plants is a series of greenhouses at various degrees of temperatures that display a series of themed gardens. They don’t just display plants but also keep you warm in a cold day.

The indoor tropical gardens

The Tropical Garden collection

The first room I visited wasabi the Bonsai Museum room. The temperature controlled room was perfect for a stroll.

The Bonsai museum

These beautiful tiny well pruned trees lined the tables with their elegance and been so well maintained.

The Bonsai trees lining the tables in the galleries

The beautiful bonsai

The flowering bonsai

The beautifully shaped bonsai

The Cherry blossom bonsai in the middle of the winter

The other trees in the gallery

The video tour of one side of the Bonsai Gallery:

The video tour of one side the Bonsai Gallery:

My video of the gallery tour

The Tropical Room

The tropical room

I then toured the Tropical Garden collection with its series of flowering plants and palms. It was so nice and warm inside and a break from the cool temperatures outside.

A video tour of the Tropical Gallery:

The walk is amazing

The Tropical Room

Colorful tropical flowers line the walkway in the dead of winter

The blooming Lotus

The real White Lotus

I then walked through the second tropical room in the rain forest and there were more beautiful plants to see and experience. There was a wedding garden shoot going on so I was not able to tour the complex.

The flowering tiers of plants in the Tropical room

The flowering plants in the Tropical gallery

The beautiful violets

I then began the tour of the Desert Gallery and the beauty and warmth of the room made me very happy.

The Birds of Paradise in bloom

Along the walls of the gallery, more flowering plants were placed.

Flowers in bloom in the winter

The climate controlled Desert collection was filled with cactus and other plantings the defied the weather. They have a pretty extensive collection of desert flowers and cactus in the room.

The Desert Collection gallery

The flowering cactus family

Walking back through the rainforest

Walking back through the Desert Gallery before exiting to tour the snow covered gardens

Video tour of the Desert Gallery:

There was still a foot of snow on the ground when I visited the gardens that day, which did not make it popular with people wanting to visit the gardens but I found a quiet elegance in just walking the paths and admiring the snow covered plantings. It was like they were waiting to awake again in the near future.

I walked through the gardens which while under a blanket of snow still offered the most beautiful views. I was one of the few people walking through the gardens that afternoon so it was quiet and you could just enjoy watching nature.

Walking past the Children’s Garden in the Winter

Walking over the bridge in the Watershed lawn

I saw this little squirrel holding on to the tree looking cold

The geese feeding on the Watershed lawn

The Cherry Blossom lawn in the winter

The Rose Garden Fountain in the winter

Walking through the Cherry Blossom lawn

Walking back through the Magnolia garden

Taking one last walk around the Lotus Pools

Before I left the gardens that afternoon, I stopped in the Gift Shop for some warmth and see the items they were carrying. They have such beautiful selection of flowers and gifts and the perfect place to warm up on a cold day. Everything is so colorfully displayed.

The Gift Shop at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Everything was in full bloom and really colorful

Everything was so beautifully displayed here

Before I left for the Brooklyn Museum to start my 2:30 pm tour, I stopped at one of my favorite sandwich shops down the road from the museum, Bahn Mai Place at 824b Washington Avenue for lunch. I love their sandwiches and drinks.

I ordinarily try a restaurant a few times before I recommend it for my dining website, DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com, but I had the most amazing sandwich for dinner a few years ago and I had to share this place with the world.

Banh Mi Place at 824B Washington Avenue

https://banhmiplacebk.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d8530850-Reviews-Banh_Mi_Place-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/tag/banh-mi-place/

There are also all sorts of rice dishes on the menu, Pho (soups) and salads on the menu as well most priced around $10.00. On the Beverage menu, there is a selection of Hot, Iced and Milk drinks to choose from as well as a selection of Bubble teas and smoothies.

One sandwich I can recommend on a cold day is the Grilled Chicken Banh Mai. I had the sandwich with a mild hot sauce on a cold wintery day. The warm bun and crunchy fresh vegetables with the spicy sauce really warmed me up on a cold afternoon in Brooklyn.

The Grilled Chicken Bahn Mi with a mild spicy sauce

The grilled chicken with fresh veggies

The mild spicy sauce really brings out the flavor of the grilled meat. With a little plumb and chili sauces, it really brings out the flavor of the sandwich.

The chicken was spicy and moist

It was the perfect lunch

The service was very quick and very friendly. The woman who made my sandwich pushed my order ahead of someone else’s who ordered the same thing as me so I could be on my way which I thought was very nice of her.

After lunch, it was off to the Brooklyn Museum and the tour of the ‘Monet & Venice’ exhibition. I was so lucky that I got to the museum early and got the tickets. The show was completely sold out by the time I left.

The Brooklyn Museum at 200 Eastern Parkway

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

The museum was seriously packed that afternoon, not just for the show but all over the museum. I have been coming here for over twenty years and I had never seen it so packed. Every floor was filled with people.

The entrance to the ‘Monet & Venice’ exhibition

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/monet-venice

The description of the show

(from the Brooklyn Museum website):

Claude Monet once claimed that Venice was “too beautiful to be painted,” a challenge he embraced by creating an extraordinary sequence of works depicting the Italian city. Monet and Venice is the first exhibition to focus on Monet’s luminous Venetian paintings—a radiant yet underexplored chapter in the artist’s late career—since their debut in 1912 (Brooklyn Museum website).

New York’s largest museum show dedicated to Monet in over 25 years, the exhibition features more than 100 artworks, books, and ephemera. Two masterpieces, the Brooklyn Museum’s own Palazzo Ducale and The Grand Canal, Venice from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, are presented alongside selections from throughout Monet’s career—including 19 of his Venetian paintings (Brooklyn Museum website).

The artist’s singular vision of Venice is also set in dialogue with portrayals of the city by renowned artists such as Canaletto, Paul Signac, John Singer Sargent, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Where others focused on Venice’s busy streets and canals, Monet’s interpretation is hauntingly devoid of human presence. Instead, he captures the interplay of architecture with color and light, enveloping viewers in the city’s distinctive atmosphere. Sonic installations by Niles Luther, the Museum’s composer in residence, and other immersive elements will further transport you to this fabled place (Brooklyn Museum website).

Walking through the galleries admiring the art

These were some of my favorite pieces from the show. These also were a favorite of Monet himself to the City of Venice.

The paintings of the Grand Canal

The views along the coastline of Italy

One of Monet’s famous ‘Water Lilly’ collection

Views from the Grand Canal

Walking around the gallery

Another view of the Grand Canal

I could not believe how packed the exhibition got behind me as I double backed through the gallery on the way out. Not only did the crowds grow in the exhibition but the line outside the exhibition was over a hundred deep and wrapped around three galleries on the Fifth Floor. It was so busy on the floor, I decided to walk around other exhibitions.

My favorite painting in the American Wing of the Mountain House Hotel in the Catskills

Then I walked down to the Middle Eastern Wing with the Assyrian and Egyptian Art, one of personal favorites in the museum. Unlike the Met, the Egyptian Wing of the museum is not overwhelming and is easier to view as the exhibits are not as packed with artifacts.

I started first admiring the Assyrian panels of the genies gracing the walls of the famous palace. It blows my mind that these are almost over a thousand years old.

The panels of genies along the walls of the old palace

The panels of genies along the walls

The different versions of genies along the walks

I have been visiting the Egyptian Wing of the museum since I attended the opening of the renovation with my father over a decade ago. It has an iconic entrance to the wing of the museum.

The entrance to the Egyptian Wing of the Brooklyn Museum

Walking through the Egyptian Galleries

Admiring the art on the wall

Walking through the Mummy display

The details on the Mummy coffin

Finishing the tour of the Egyptian galleries

I had a nice time at both the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and at the Brooklyn Museum. There is more than enough to see and do at both cultural locations in the heart of Brooklyn.

It was a wonderful walk around neighborhood and even with all the snow on the ground, it was easy to maneuver around the sidewalks and streets. The snow may have covered the ground but was a backdrop for the beauty that it displayed. The recent storm did not keep us inside but brought us outside to see how it looked and enjoy its beauty.

Places to Visit:

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

990 Washington Avenue

Brooklyn, NY  11225

(718) 623-7210

http://www.bbg.org

Open:  Sunday and Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm/Monday Closed/Tuesday-Friday 8:00am-6:00pm

Admission: Depending on the time of year/please check the website

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d103900-Reviews-Brooklyn_Botanic_Garden-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

Brooklyn Botanic Garden 990 Washington Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11225

Brooklyn Museum

200 Eastern Parkway

Brooklyn, NY 11238

(718) 638-5000

Open: Sunday 11:00am-6:00pm/Monday-Tuesday Closed/ Wednesday-Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm

Admission: Adults $20.00/$30.00 Ticketed Events/Seniors-and Students Over 21 $14.00/Children Under 19 and Members Free

My review on TripAdvisor:

Places to Eat:

Banh Mi Place

824B Washington Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11238

(718) 552-2660

https://banhmiplacebklyn.com/

Open: Sunday 11:30am-9:00pm/Monday-Thursday 11:30am-9:30pm/Friday & Saturday 11:30am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d8530850-Reviews-Banh_Mi_Place-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/tag/banh-mi-place/