Go New York:Going to New York to shop has been consigned to the boom days. Now is the time to seek out the art on offer in the city, writes EMMA SOMERS
‘IF YOU TOLD ME I had to live here I’d be dead within the month,” the Mayo woman behind me in the immigration queue tells her daughter, apropos of nothing. Granted, we’ve been waiting in line at JFK for the best part of two hours, but still it seems unfair to judge the city before making it as far as the baggage hall.
The Irish contingent from the new 5.30pm Aer Lingus flight is thin on the ground among the travellers shuffling towards the freedom of the city. We should be grateful for the half-empty flight (four seats just for me? You shouldn’t have!) and the stunning sunset over the Manhattan skyline as the plane landed. But we’ve made a virtue of complaining by now, and even the small groups of women with “shop till we drop” written all over their faces are less excitable than they might have been a few years previously.
My last visit was in December 2009, a fortnight or so before Christmas, and shopping was a priority.
Helped in my resolve by a begrudging bank balance and a short trip, this time around I vow to steer clear of the stores, replacing Macy’s and shopping in Greenwich Village with Moma and the galleries of the Lower East Side. And wouldn’t you know it, I came home richer in every sense of the word.
WEEKENDS IN THELower East Side centre around two of my favourite things: food and art.
There are any number of delightful spots to get brunch in – some quaint, some uber cool, but all jampacked at the weekend. That’s not to advise against waiting for a table, but don’t arrive too hungry, hungover or homicidal.
Buoyed by a glass of bubbly (well, it wouldn’t be brunch otherwise), it’s off to the area around Bowery Street to explore some of the gazillion galleries that have been springing up in the Lower East Side since the financial crash.
With art collectors looking for a cheaper alternative to the more established, expensive and cavernous galleries of Chelsea, these new galleries, and their older neighbourhood counterparts, provide an accessible art experience with intimate rooms at street-level.
Our first stop is Simon Preston Gallery (301 Broome Street). Nestled in the remains of Little Italy, in an old fish warehouse, its unassuming shop front gives little indication that a gallery lies beyond. Sitting in the window is the gallery director, Dubliner Paula Naughton, who moved to the city six months ago. Among other emerging contemporary artists, the gallery represents Irish photographer John Gerrard.
On the day we visit, a show by Josh Tonsfeldt is nearing an end. An at first disparate collection of pieces – the hypnotic video footage of oil rushing into a container; the ghostly prints on the back of photograph paper; the thin slab of plaster with a spray-painted spiderweb; the tyre full of fruit – combine to form a quite haunting narrative, with an open trapdoor in the ceiling on the way out making the entire space echo the container from the looped film.
Having returned to New York after four years living in London, Naughton was amazed at the volume of new galleries that had moved to the Lower East Side. “I feel spoilt,” she says. “There are at least 80 within the 10002 zip code.”
She’s not wrong. It seems that every few hundred metres there’s another space to explore. The nearby Dodge Gallery (15 Rivington Street) is another industrial space, this time on split levels with windows letting in natural light from all around.
Sheila Gallagher's ghostly Blue Flocked Mary– I'm a sucker for a title – is immediately striking.
“She uses smoke to make pictures,” says the gallery’s founder and director Kirsten Dodge. The effect is vaguely disturbing.
Speaking of engaging titles, at the Hendershot Gallery (195 Chrystie Street) around the corner the exhibition is a group show called Keep Out You Thieving Bastards. The Lower East Side can get away with this kind of cheek because the galleries are just so friendly and welcoming.
“I usually feel a bit intimidated in galleries,” my New Yorker aunt tells me in hushed tones, “but people are so friendly around here.”
And so we continue to potter contentedly from one art space to the next until we reach the New Museum on Bowery, founded by Marcia Tucket in 1977, although a recent enough addition to the Lower East Side (the museum moved from TriBeCa in 2007). From across the street, the building’s impressive front is reminiscent of one of those pinpoint impression toys you stick your face into.
Inside, the design is just as much fun. Aside from the contemporary art on show (visible from the second you walk in the door), the gift shop has some interesting books and magazines, and the cafe is a surprisingly calm spot for a break after an afternoon’s gallivanting.
FURTHER UPTOWNand upmarket, Moma (11 West 53rd Street, near Times Square) is quite simply magical. Even on a Monday, it's thronged with visitors, but nothing compared to the crowds on Free Friday Nights (save yourself the trouble and stump up the 20 bucks). But whatever day you visit, clear the afternoon for it and allow yourself time for a break in the middle – there comes a point when the brain can't take any more inspiration.
And Moma is inspirational. Bring a notepad. From floor to floor (there are six), the works of modern greats – Warhol's Campbell's Soup, Van Gogh's Starry Night, Picasso's Guitar sculpture – and lesser-known (to this untrained eye, at least) artists sit side by side.
It’s always intriguing to see the scale of iconic art (I won’t ruin the surprises), but more than anything it’s just plain good for the soul to spend a day surrounded by so much beauty and talent and imagination.
New but firm favourites now include Mary Frey's oddly touching Real Life Dramas, David Shrigley's cheeky To Make Meringue You Must Beat The Egg Whites Until They Look Like This, Andrea Bowers's powerful Promises Promises, Luis Camnitzer's hypnotic Infinite Rays of the Sunand Edward Ruscha's giddy OOF.
Whether you start at the top and work your way down, or make your way up from the bottom, take your time and take it all in, including the suspended installations in the stairwells and the odd glimpses of Manhattan from various floors.
Then you can cross the street to the Moma Design Store, where you can finally treat yourself to a little retail therapy.
Lower East Side eats and treats
EATThere are any number of places to stop for brunch, but the Ukrainian cafe Veselka (on Second Avenue and 9th Street) is a real treat. Leave room for its delicious baked cheesecake.
DRINKAfter a busy day, weary culture vultures may find themselves in need of refreshment. Get thee to Max Fish (178 Ludlow Street), the friendly neighbourhood hangout beloved of artists and musicians alike.
SHOPAll around the Lower East Side you'll find cute little boutiques and shops selling accessories, jewellery and all manner of trinkets. But make the effort to visit the independent bookshop McNally Jackson (52 Prince Street), a sight for sore eyes in a city where Borders bookshops are closing on every other corner. Aside from books, it has a cafe, a great selection of independent magazines and some beautiful cards.
The Big Apple’s big six galleries
The Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd Street (closed Tuesdays)Moma's founding director Alfred J Barr wanted to establish "the greatest museum of modern art in the world". Job done. Good work Alfie.
The Met, 1000 Fifth Avenue (closed Mondays)Home to a collection of more than two million works from around the world, the Met represents various periods in the history of art. One for the buffs, but the Egyptian works are a highlight if time is tight.
The Guggenheim, 1071 Fifth Avenue at 89th Street (closed Thursdays)This is one of Manhattan's most recognisable buildings, its spiral concrete facade mirrored on the inside. Some say the structure overshadows the artworks displayed within, which include pieces by Richard Prince and Cai Guo-Qiang.
The Whitney, 945 Madison Avenue (closed Mondays)The Whitney Biennial has become something of a star-maker, helping to launch the careers of cutting-edge contemporary artists. Its collection includes piece by Mark Rothko, Georgia O'Keeffe and Edward Hopper.
American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street (open daily)Okay, so it's not exactly art. But come on, who doesn't want to stand among the fossils of dinosaurs? DINOSAURS! And one of them – the giant sauropod Mamenchisaurus – is on Twitter. But of course. twitter.com/giant_dino
The Frick Collection, 1 East 70th Street (closed Mondays)In the 1800s Henry Clay Frick collected an impressive array of of masterpieces by artists including Goya, Turner and Degas, as well as intriguing bits and bobs from around the world. Since 1935 they've been on display at Frick's former gaff, which is worth a look in its own right. A terribly quaint place to while away a few hours.
An artist's guide to New York
The Highlineis a redundant freight track, 10m above street level, that has been refurbished into a park. It runs from 14th Street right through to 34th and you can pop off and window shop in the Meat Packing District and gallery hop through Chelsea.
From the track you can enjoy great views of the city, as well as the temporary artworks installed along the parkway.
The RooseveltIsland tramway is a treat for architecture and history fans. Costing just $2.50 (€1.70), the tram runs high above the East River between Roosevelt Island and Manhattan.
The tram glides past skyscrapers and runs alongside the Queensborough Bridge, offering an alternative slow cinematic view of the city.
Founded inthe 1960s, the Anthology Film Archive in the East Village shows independent and experimental film through a screening and exhibition programme.
It focuses on the avant garde and provides a platform for new film-makers and art-house cinema.
The archive often shows New York genre films and is a great way to catch a glimpse of the city's rich film history.
Paula Naughtonis a Dublin-born artist/curator who works at Simon Preston Gallery, 301 Broome Street. See simonprestongallery.com and pollywoggs.net.