Cracks In Sidewalks

As the summer comes to a close, I need to mention one of my favorite places in New York City, The Cloister’s and Ft. Tryon Park.   For those of us who live in NYC sometimes we forget it’s there, or it seems like a distance to go and too much out of the way, and for those of you who only visit NYC it could be a place you never even heard of before now.

The Cloisters are exactly that, architecturally speaking that is.  The building is a castle like building that incorporates elements from five medieval French cloisters and other monastic sites in southern France, and houses the Metropolitan Museum’s medieval collection of approximately 5,000 works of art from medieval Europe dating from about A.D. 800 with emphasis on the 12th through 15th centuries.  It is best known for its tapestries and also for the beautiful serene gardens incorporated throughout the museum building and its beautiful grounds, which are nestled in and a part of Ft. Tryon Park.  Three of the gardens feature horticultural information found in medieval treatises and have been planted accordingly.  It is a wonderful place to lose yourself either in the art, the gardens, or a little of both.  The art at The Cloisters focuses on the Romanesque and Gothic periods and displays besides the beautiful tapestries a large collection of manuscripts, stained glass, metalwork, enamels, and ivories.

Visiting inside The Cloisters one definitely feels like they are out of NYC and this country for that matter.  It is a wonderful place to escape to and once out of the museum confines you step into a New York City park treasure, Ft. Tryon Park.

Located at the northern tip of Manhattan both The Cloisters and Ft. Tryon Park offer some of the most stunning views of the Hudson River.  Looking off into the distance there is just water, trees, and foliage, and an incredible sense of peace.  In the park you will find absolutely beautiful grounds, wonderfully planted gardens, a great little café set up for outdoor or indoor dining, and many nooks and crannies you can claim as your own.  It is less crowded then Central Park and as stunning in its own way.  Also with fall coming soon you can see some of the best foliage NYC has to offer from this vantage point.

So if you haven’t been to the Cloisters or Ft. Tryon Park lately, consider making the trip while the weather is still beautiful and you can enjoy all it has to offer.  If you’re visiting NYC and have never been to The Cloisters and the park, it is a NYC treasure chest and well worth the time it takes to get there.  With easy access from both the Henry Hudson River Parkway and also the A train there is no excuse not to go.

For more information regarding The Cloisters including directions, hours, and suggested donation fees go to: http://www.metmuseum.org/cloisters/general

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 at 6:13 am and is filed under Daily Crack. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.