Sunday, May 16, 2010

Rooftop Bamboo-zle

The recent amazing weather in New York City has made weekends off from work a thing to be celebrated. And what better way to celebrate than to enjoy the great outdoors? Skeptics might say that being outside in NYC's concrete jungle doesn't even compare to places with more greenery. But these folks are mistaken. NYC does several things better than other cities in the summer (free concerts in the various parks; Mister Softee on every corner; biking and running races all over the city) - and one thing, in particular, stands out: rooftops. With so little open outdoor space, New Yorkers make terrific use of their rooftops. My own rooftop often features people laying out, hoping for a tan while reading or listening to music. But I'm not talking about such inconsequential rooftop use. No, what I'm thinking of is the vast number of rooftops where bands play, movies are shown, and art is displayed.



I recently checked out the new bamboo exhibit on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Built by artists and rockclimbers, "Big Bambu" is a huge structure built entirely (as far as I could tell) out of bamboo rods and climbing rope. And visitors can even climb up inside the structure, following pedestrian paths created by the artists (twin brothers). (Think, the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, only better.) It's still a work in progress (set to wrap up in October), but it is definitely worth checking out for those living in/visiting NYC this summer.



For information on this summer's Rooftop Film Series, check out http://www.rooftopfilms.com/.

Enjoy your Sunday!

3 comments:

  1. That looks like it would be SO fun to go through!

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  2. OMG - I can't even imagine. You definetly can't be afraid of heights. :)

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  3. I agree, Heather! Unfortunately, I didn't get to go up onto the paths. In typical New York fashion, you actually had to make reservations to go onto the bamboo trails. But standing next to it, seeing its enormous stature, was pretty amazing in itself.

    Lucky for me, I'm not afraid of heights! But when you're on a rooftop, you barely even know how high up you are until you're right by the edge! Thanks for the comment, Just Scraps N Things. Keep checking back for more weekend updates.

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