A Winter Day in Queens at the Socrates Sculpture Park
January 22, 2012 MuseumChick
“But where in New York can one find a woman with grace, elegance, taste and culture? A woman suitable for a king? Queens!”
And remember this one, “Girl, you look so good, someone ought to put you on a plate and sop you up with a biscuit!”
And this one, (Cab Driver, pulling up to apartment) “Is this shitty enough for you?” (Prince Akeem) “Yes it is!”
Ok, I’ll stop now. I couldn’t help myself with a little Coming to America reference.
Not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this to you but I lived in Queens for a bit while I was doing my undergrad degree. This was about 10 years ago, so I was intrigued to see all the development that has taken place in the past 10 years and has as of late started to ramp up even more, especially in Long Island City. The bank of the East River in Long Island City seems like a fantastic place for a sculpture garden, so my first stop was the Socrates Sculpture Park. It’s a 1/4 of a mile trek from the closest stop on the N/Q train but it was a sunny winter day so I was up for it.
The site was previously an abandoned landfill and illegal dumpsite until 1986 when sculptor Mark di Suvero lead a group of artists and community members to create an en plein air exhibition space and neighborhood park. Today Socrates Sculpture Park is an internationally renowned outdoor museum and artist residency program that also offers a wide variety of free public programs.
The views of Upper Manhattan and Roosevelt Island were peaceful this Saturday in January with no rats in sight. On to the Isamu Noguchi Museum only one block away…
