Our Anniversary Trip to New York City
PART 5
As you can tell from the previous posts, we had a wonderful time in New York. Our trip planning started the year before (another example of the importance of planning far ahead)….. we were chatting in August about our next wedding anniversary. Steve suggested New York, so I looked up the Carnegie Hall calendar for that week. Once I saw that “his girlfriend” was playing there the night after our anniversary, we were planning the rest of our trip around it!
The first concert that we attended was in the late afternoon the day we arrived, at a venue that was new to us – the new Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. It’s the home of their Chamber Music Society – and it is breathtaking. I had foolishly obtained seats way up front for us, and they are very very tiny. (for us, anyway) Fortunately, the music was so gorgeous and the acoustics so lovely, it really didn’t matter. Here’s a pic of the stage from where we were, and the program.
The next concert was with the gorgeous Anne-Sophie Mutter at Carnegie Hall.
Violin, Cello, and Piano in a packed Carnegie Hall – what could be better? And Anne-Sophie, resplendent in a lovely Spring dress! It was a fabulous concert – pics below.
The next night was the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center. On our honeymoon in 2007, where we “lost our opera virginity” at the Met Opera, we saw The Barber of Seville. For our 18th, we saw The Mariage of Figaro. As usual, we get there very early, to take in the fountains out front, visit the gift shop, and look around the beautiful venue. My favourite part of the night is watching the chandeliers rise toward the ceiling just before the performance.
I was asked recently how you know what’s going on when the opera is sung in Italian. (or another language we don’t understand) Here’s an explanation from Playbill:
“Unlike most opera houses, the Met’s captioning system is as an individual experience, located on the back of the seat in front of you. As the performance commences, press the red button once for English captions, or continue pressing it to scroll through additional language options. The screens are tinted, so your neighbors’ screens will not be visible to you.” It’s truly amazing. I always read a synopsis of the plot beforehand as well, so I know who the characters are. Steve is usually much more interested in what’s going on in the orchestra pit.
The costumes and sets are always breathtaking, and the height of the stage blows my mind. For us, seats in Dress Circle (if somewhat affordable) work best in terms of comfort and view. It was a beautiful night, and it’s always fun to head over to the Empire Hotel across the street for a cocktail afterward. One thing I should mention that was different for us this trip …… concert venues now have dispensers of plastic bags for your wet umbrella! So smart, especially in the Spring when we did get caught in the rain a couple of times.
Our last night was dinner and the 7:00 set at Birdland Jazz Club. We were treated to a wild concert by the Joe Lovano Tenor Legacy – fabulous band and a great meal.
After a quick cab ride back to our hotel, we grabbed another good night’s sleep before leaving for home the next morning. Our JetBlue flight to Buffalo was perfect, and the drive across the border went well again. Our next New York City trip is already planned for Spring of 2026 – hotel booked, opera and Carnegie Hall tickets purchased!
Next week, this blog is off to Montreal!!
I’d love to help you with your trip planning!
Happy Travels!