A STORY of Introverts:
It’s worth pointing out now that there will be many museums on this blog. Hopefully, the reason for that is apparent but let me spell it out anyway. Museums traditionally provide large spaces to wander quietly with visuals and audio to keep you stimulated. Over the years, museums have evolved to incorporate interactive elements, but those are still, by nature, individual activities versus group activities. These ingredients create the perfect solo adventure, which is why so many introverts take shelter in museums. So, let’s tuck into one really cool museum that I’ll be revisiting again and again.
Specifically, one exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY for short). The exhibit titled “New York, New Music” dances with the music that erupted in NYC between 1980 and 1986, giving birth to everyone’s favorite TV channel, MTV. The MCNY had three floors of New York City content, but I went to the temporary MTV displays first. If wading into waves of nostalgia is your thing, hitting this exhibit early will give you the place to yourself. Feel free to bob along with Cyndi Lauper on the big screen like no one is watching because they probably aren’t.
After I watched every screen cycle through music videos, I noticed the towering display cases freckling the room. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that a museum praising musicians got their hands on some serious memorabilia, but I still gawked at the worn guitars and faded zoot suits. I read about festivals and concerts that fueled the music scene today and gifted so many people a musical escape. The map of New York’s once-greatest venues and clubs filled me with such remorse that I wasn’t born a bit earlier. I would’ve taken a crack at Studio 54, no question.
The exhibit wasn’t huge, but the wonderful feeling you get from that musical and emotional hug is. “New York, New Music” closes on September 18th, 2022, so get out there now. And once you’ve enjoyed the warm glow of the best music, float around the other rooms and exhibits. Even the grand staircase swooping you upstairs is a marvel. On the same floor as “New York, New Music” is “Celebrating the City.” It’s simply a room full of (mostly) black and white photos of New York City. I took the time to consume every photo and, like the Grinch, felt my heart grow in size. You could create a room like that for almost any city or town across the globe, but if you love NYC, you can feel how much more special this one is.
Just-So-You-Know DETAILS:
The MCNY opens up directly across the street from Central Park, and it’s located in an ornate building almost too stunning to set foot in. You can join a tour or wander alone, the earlier the more solitude, and multiple floors give way to permanent and temporary exhibits as well as a café and gift shop. You can ensure your space at a particular time by buying your ticket online for around $20 or take a chance by walking in without a ticket and pay what you can. And don’t forget, “New York, New Music” wraps on September 18th!
The GIST – Should You Visit the Museum of the City of New York?
I love a museum with diverse exhibits and a gift shop full of trinkets and books I’d actually want. Of course, those are my tastes and won’t align with everyone else’s. But I believe this museum understood the love this city is capable of and plugged it into such an appropriate space. Some things are so difficult to explain with words because they’re so visual/emotional, and this is one of those things for me. I’ve meandered through my share of museums, but the feeling I got when I walked into this one hit differently. I could’ve stayed there forever.
Originally published on August 21, 2022.
For more information, visit the museum’s site.
Find more NYC history in my blog about Strand.
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