Quality Time

I took a break from blogging last week, because I had a childhood friend visiting me from Poland. We were mostly just hanging out together, talking and drinking a lot of wine. Our older daughters are the same age and my friend's daughter just got married and is currently living in Ohio. When she came over for the weekend, the four of us had great time together.

It was a very cold week with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees Fahrenheit which made staying home an attractive option. But eventually, we did decide to brave the cold and took the train to NYC. My friend has already seen all the usual tourist attractions in NYC, so we wanted to venture out to some not so popular destinations. We debated what to see but since she is very much into history and I am into fashion, we decided to visit Merchant House Museum and the Fashion Museum at FIT.

located just blocks from Washington Square

Merchant house is the only 19th century family house in NYC preserved inside and out. The Tredwells, the wealthy merchant-class family lived in the House from 1835 to 1933. During that time the NYC population grew exponentially and most wealthy families have moved uptown but the Tredwells decided to redecorate and stay.  

The house has floor stories with the kitchen and family room located in the warmest part of the house, the basement.

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 First floor included large parlor and the dining area.

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Second floor features his and hers bedrooms. Third floor housed several small children's bedrooms (not open to public) and the servant quarters were on the forth floor.

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As we climbed the stairs to the servant floor my friend and I tried to imagine that we were two immigrant  Irish girls that came to work there.

The garden is small but enclosed and tranquil.

Of course it turns more lush in the spring but winter emphasizes its classic structure.

 

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The visit to the Merchant House Museum took us a little bit over an hour which was just perfect for us. After seeing the garden we headed out for a long lunch at the local restaurant. If it was warmer we would have probably wandered more around Greenwich Village but since it was freezing we went to see Fashion and Technology exhibit at FIT.

Photography is not allowed at FIT exhibits so I don't have any pictures but the exhibit was worth seeing. Again, the exhibit will most likely not take more than 45 minutes of your time but it is free of charge. I thought that the garments looked so much more beautiful in person than in the pictures since it is all in the details. It was also interesting to see the older pieces. When you see them at historical museum they are usually more worn out and faded, sometimes to the point where you miss the actual beauty of them. but here the emphasis in on fashion, so I was able to really appreciate them.
  

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There are plenty of quirky pieces like clutch with electrical plug closure, suit that can be worn in the shower (coming with really funny commercial video), 3 dimensional dresses and many techno fabrics.

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But overall, I was surprised that it was much more eye pleasing and 'wearable' looking than some of the runaway shows.

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I really enjoyed our visit and I am looking forward to upcoming Shoe Obsession exhibit, which I have already put on my schedule for February.

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My friend and I had great time seeing both museum and I recommend them if you are looking for something  more unexpected, if you have short museum attention span or if just want to spend more time drinking margaritas with an excuse of 'quality time' .

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That's all folks!

Have you been to Merchant House or FIT exhibits?

What are your favorite 'off-the-beaten-track' museums and other places to visit?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!