Looking for the perfect Mother's Day date with Mom? Wow her with an afternoon of fashion and flowers–it just so happens that two of the most spectacular displays in the city happen to be in Upper Manhattan right now.
Monday night's annual celeb-packed Met Gala signaled the opening of the latest fashion blockbuster from the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination."
While much of the show is at the Met's main building on Fifth Avenue, you won't want to miss what the museum has dreamed up at the Met Cloisters in Inwood. The intimate museum, which is laid out like a medieval cloister, is the perfect foil for the exquisite couture on display, which explores the connections between Catholicism and fashion design.
The breathtaking gowns by Christian Dior, Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Jean-Paul Gaultier and other legends have been intertwined with the Met Cloisters' permanent collection: medieval painting, sculpture, architecture, tapestries, furniture, manuscripts, and jewelry. Much of the fashion is so cleverly exhibited, finding it is almost like a treasure hunt. But once you spot the pieces, you will ooh and aah.
As you're heading to or from the A train at 190th Street (which is the closest subway to the Met Cloisters), make sure to swing by Fort Tryon's spectacular Heather Garden.
This winding, flower-filled treasure has something to marvel at during each season, and right now spring flowers–tulips, azaleas, cherry trees–are at their peak. Stroll through the garden's curving paths, walk on a carpet of flower petals–and don't miss the protected views of the Hudson River and the Palisades.
P.S. If you want to grab a bite while there, stop by the picturesque New Leaf within Fort Tryon Park (the patio is now open) or head a few blocks south of the park for a cup of coffee and a pastry at Buunni Coffee. The Met Cloisters also has a nice cafe.
