Leaving your comfort zone

 Why not shake things up a bit in 2015? Go places and do things that you’ve never done before. Look at life from a different vantage point.

To begin, let’s compare two different spots in New York, namely: the Metropolitan Museum versus Chelsea’s art galleries. (You can use the same approach where you live. Pick two spots that are the same – but different.)

THE MET We visited the Met on a raw day in December to see their much-talked-about Cubist exhibit. This world-class collection, which Leonard Lauder, the cosmetics tycoon, began building 40 years ago, includes 33 Picassos, 17 Braques, 14 Légers and 14 works by Gris. It spans the years 1906 to 1924.

“In one fell swoop this $1 billion gift puts us at the forefront of early-20^th-century art,” says Thomas Campbell, the Metropolitan’s director. Cubism inspired not just Western artists – it had a global impact. We really enjoyed this exhibit in spite of an overwhelming number of visitors at the museum. It ends February 16, 2015.

The Metropolitan Museum in New York

CHELSEA’S GALLERIES After the crowds and hustle of the Met it was relaxing to walk down West 25^th Street between 10^th and 11^th Avenues and pop into five different galleries in slightly over an hour.

Gallery hopping allows one to view many different artists and their works. We particularly liked Brian Finke’s photographs of male/female U.S. Marshals that were featured at the ClampArt gallery. “He spent four years with the Marshals to create this exhibit,” explained one of the gallery’s employees. If you’re in the mood for lots of visual variety the Chelsea galleries are the place to visit.

Moving right along, here are two eating/drinking spots – at opposite ends of the spectrum – that one can enjoy.

RUSS & DAUGHTERS is a deli located at 179 East Houston Street that has been owned by the same family since 1914. Seeing the name include “& Daughters” is surprising because one rarely sees female ownership displayed like this.

We became aware of this place when we saw a documentary titled, “The Sturgeon Queens” on PBS. This prompted us to pay a visit on an overcast January afternoon. Guess what? The store was jammed with people. And outside, in front, were two benches filled with even more customers happily munching on smoked salmon and creamed cheese sandwiches.

Walking down Orchard Street to the owner’s new restaurant was like stepping back in time. Passing a corset shop next to a man’s fedora hat shop, we thought to ourselves, “Are people still wearing these things”?

THE KING COLE BAR & SALON serves cocktails beneath a 30 ft. x 8 ft. Maxfield Parrish mural and is located in the historic St. Regis hotel at 2 East 55^th Street. On our visit, we found that, on a rainy Thursday night in November 2014 at 6:30 pm, this landmark spot was doing a booming business with a noise level to match.

The Bloody Mary at the King Cole Bar, St. Regis

The bar’s claim to fame is that the Bloody Mary was created here in 1934. Are you sitting down? This drink is now $25. But it does come with a small bowl of peanuts, cashews and wasabi peas. We left at 8:30 pm and couldn’t help noticing that no one had left. We wondered, “Doesn’t anyone eat dinner?”

MAY WE SUGGEST…

Gallery going or dining out in winter calls for cozy, but stylish dressing. Take a look at Adea’s long sleeve turtleneck layering top in six delicious colors.

- Shaun

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