I can't think of much better to do on a summertime Friday evening in NYC than to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

First, hit the Egyptian section--say hello to William the hippopotamus, visit the Temple of Dendur (one of the most beautiful spots in a large building full of beautiful spots), admire the heiroglyphics.

Get on the virtual queue for the costume institute exhibit, "Sleeping Beauties." It's extremely popular, so it will take a little while until your timed entry. While you are waiting, it is an excellent time to go up to the rooftop, which is as summertime as summertime gets in New York City.

There are phenomenal views of Central Park and the buildings surrounding it. You may have to wait a few minutes but there's a bar with wine, beer, iced tea, some fruity specialty cocktails, and snacks. And this year there's a site-specific installation by Kosovar artist Petrit Halilaj. As a child of a war-torn country, his work is rooted in the childhood he didn't have the opportunity to experience, with sculptural images of birds, flowers, stars. They're whimsical, delightful, and universal, at the same time illustratating the artist's personal trauma and resilience. By the time you've explored the rooftop, admired the scene, and finished your drink, it's time to check out Sleeping Beauties.

Sleeping Beauties is just lovely--a curated collection from the Met's Costume Institute covering over four hundred years of fashion and beauty. The clothing is arranged thematically by natural subects--birds, butterflies, beetles, flowers, seashells, and so on. It's a feast for the senses, with scents wafting through the exhibition rooms, a recorded soundscape, and even opportunities to touch, not the fabrics themslves, but textured materials to resemble them. The 'sleeping beauties" here are the garments too damaged, old, or fragile to be exhibited upright. There's a lot to see. Even with the timed entry it's a bit crowded, but it's absolutely worth your time and attention.

Eventually you'll get hungry, or tired, and it will be time to leave the museum, for home, or for your next adventure. The city is yours.

(If you sign up for a membership for $110 dollars, you don't have to wait on the virtual queue, and you get discounts at the gift shops and invitations to events. New York City residents, and students from New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey can enter under a "pay as you wish" policy, as can children under 12. Other non-members are required to pay $30 for adults, $22 for seniors (65 and over), and $17 for students. My advice: if you can afford it, even if entitled to free admission, do make a contribution to support the arts. This is how we are able to have nice things.)

IMAGE: the Guardian

Website: https://www.metmuseum.org/

Address: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028

Hours:

Sundays through Tuesdays 10 AM–5 PM

Closed Wednesdays

Thursdays 10 AM–5 PM

Fridays and Saturdays 10 AM–9 PM