A Unique New York City Souvenir

How ordinary: a simple wooden cube.  At least that’s how it appears at first. But pull it apart into two pieces, lay these side by side and you’ll be facing the New York City skyline, complete with four of the city’s iconic buildings: Empire State, Chrysler, Flatiron and the newest, the Freedom Tower aka Tower One World Trade Center. And, when it’s back in its cube form, rotate it to view the two empty slots, representing the missing footprints of the Twin Towers.

Referred to as the New York Cube, this hand crafted work of art is the brainchild of Aid Rifatbegovic, an artist in Bosnia who’s noted for his sculpted wood objects. The cube is constructed of different types of recycled hardwoods and softwoods, such as oak, cherry, ash and various conifers. The woods vary from cube to cube; each piece is unique. And this medley of woods beautifully reflects the diversity of New York City. This New York City souvenir is so unique, even native New Yorkers -- like me -- find them appealing.

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Walking in the Footsteps of Frank Lloyd Wright

For someone who's an obsessed Frank Lloyd Wright fan, like myself, visiting Oak Park, IL during the annual Wright Plus house walk is a joy. I just returned from the event that's in its 35th year that's run by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust. This was my first year at an event that I've always wanted to attend but the timing never quite worked out before. What could be better than spending the day touring several of the master's private houses and public buildings as well as those of his?


Don't get me wrong, this is not a walk in the park for those committed to touring every property. I found that in order to explore all 10 Oak Park buildings you have to postpone lunch as well as bathroom breaks and make your way briskly from one building to the next. After all, the buildings open at 9 am and close at 5 pm. And, though it sounds like plenty of time to view all 10, it's not without a lot of planning.



With some 2,700 tickets sold this year, I found long lines galore, many requiring a 45-minute wait outside -- not a problem this past weekend when the weather was sunny and mild. And it also provides plenty of opportunity to chat with the other visitors who come from all over the world for this event. I spoke with people from France, Belgium, Canada and Italy. And what I found was that declaring my love of FLW was never met with quizzical stares -- as it usually is -- because everyone on the line was also obsessed.

It's easy to get around, with most people walking from property to property. Others take the free shuttle bus. Some ride bicycles while others preferred to sit in bicycle rickshaws.

Here are more tips and insights for making the most of your visit with minimal hassle:


1. Don't get on line with backpacks or tripods or anything bulky. They'll ask you to check these outside the house. If you come to the event with luggage -- I did because I had to leave for the airport afterward -- you can easily check it at the Orientation Center where you pick up your tickets.

2. You are not allowed to take any photos inside because these are private properties. But you can take as many exterior shots as you like.

3. I recommend pre-ordering the box lunch because otherwise you waste a lot of time walking back into town and ordering lunch. My choice was the turkey/cheese sandwich, which came with a broccoli slaw, BBQ chips, chocolate chip cookie and a beverage.

4. Box lunches are not ready until after 10:30 a.m. So it's best to tote along snacks. I didn't stop for lunch until 3 p.m. and wished I brought something with me.


5. If you didn't pack a snack, there are plenty of local children selling homemade cookies (the chocolate chip were quite good) as well as lemonade, sodas, popcorn and various packaged snack items: chips, pretzels, chocolate bars and peanut butter crackers. (These are very inexpensive.)

6. There are different theories as to how to plan your day. Some suggest visiting the non-FLW properties first because the lines will be short. I did the opposite for several reasons: I love his properties the best and wanted to assure I saw them. In addition, these lines were certainly the longest but I'd rather do my waiting in the morning when I was still fresh.

7. If you can't get everything done in one day, the ticket allows you the rest of the year to visit Wright's two Oak Park public buildings (Unity Temple and his Home and Studio) as well as the Robie House in Chicago.



8. Pack an umbrella because the event isn't cancelled if there's rain.

9. If you're truly into history and architecture, you'll love the end of each property tour because there are usually posters showing photos of the original owners, the original exteriors/interiors as well as house plans. And, though you'll find plenty of volunteers leading you through the house and providing background information, there are often an additional volunteer or sometimes an architect or designer on hand to answer more detailed questions at the end of each tour beside these posters.


10. If you can't get enough of FLW, get to the area early (8 a.m.) and stop by the museum shop to peruse the books and other memorabilia. I purchased "A Guide to Oak Park's Frank Lloyd Wright and Prairie School Historic District." This is a particularly useful book because it lays out each property on maps so you can check these out as you wander through Oak Park for the open house event.

11. I stayed overnight in downtown Chicago and took the Green Line to the end of the line, the Harlem stop. It's a 15-minute brisk walk from the station to the start of the event. When I do this event again, I think I'd prefer to stay in Oak Park at either of these two convenient and comfy accommodations: the Wright Inn or Under the Ginkgo Tree.

12. For next year's event, plan to order tickets by October or November. This year's event was completely sold out.

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Tel Aviv's Art Scene

No matter where I looked in Tel Aviv, I found my senses constantly stimulated by the eclectic- and Bauhaus-style as well as contemporary architecture, art galleries and museums, and design emporia. In fact, I could've easily have spent a week just checking out Tel Aviv's art and architecture scene. This is one of several posts details the venues I fell in love with:

• If you're interested in decorative arts, the Eretz Israel Museum Shop is a must visit. Located just a short cab ride from the heart of Tel Aviv, the museum is an amalgam of everything to do with Israel's history and culture including archeology and traditional crafts. When I visited, I stopped in to check out the temporary "Clay, Sensation" exhibit that displays the works of more than 50 celebrated Israeli ceramics artists, from Samy D. to Karin Zur. This is no ordinary pottery exhibit; many are quite avant garde -- such as a bowl that reminded me of a cell's nucleus and a glowing perforated globe that seems like an alien ship. Definitely worth checking out if you want to see creativity at its best in the ceramics arena.

It's hard to walk away empty handed at their Museum Shop with its array of ceramics and jewelry, both classic and contemporary. You'll find cool glassware and metalworks, Ethiopian sculptures , Bedouin embroidery and even boldly-hued mezuzahs.

• By the way, if you can't get enough of all things design oriented, make sure to get a copy of the "Israel Through Art" guide. Here you'll be able to spend your week or your weekend in Tel Aviv and elsewhere in Israel visiting the boutique shops, private galleries, workshops and studios of some of Israel's top decorative artists. This booklet is a product of AIDA, the Association of Israel's Decorative Arts which is a group of American collectors that are well known in this arena. I wish I had more time because I only found out about this near the end of my trip.

• Along Bialik Street, a placid narrow lane lined with Bauhaus buildings, I appropriately found the new Bauhaus Museum. Open only on Wednesdays and Fridays, this one-room space exhibits the furniture designs that were influenced by the Bauhaus School. Titled "Bauhaus at Home," the display includes tubular tables and chairs constructed of glass, wicker and wood as well as tubular lights, and cabinets with tea sets.

• Almost across the street is the newly renovated Bialik Museum that opened a few months ago. This lovely 1920s home of the country's national poet, Chiam Nachman Bialik, is replete with an ornate tiled fireplace, tiled columns and floors and his painting collection on the first floor. Though all the displays and booklets are in Hebrew, come on a weekend and you might be able to request an English-speaking guide. I did and found out that the building (with its East/West architectural influences) was meticulously restored using the original plans and documents; the the clock in the dining room played what later became Israel's national anthem; and that Bialik would entertain friends and guests at length, discussing politics, philosophy, Judaism and how to build the young city of Tel Aviv.

• Down the same street, don't miss the Rubin Museum, formerly Reuven Rubin's house and studio. The Roumanian-born painter is considered one of Israel's most beloved artists. Dating to the 1930s, the multi-story house displays his sun-bathed landscapes that reminded me a lot of works by Cezanne, photos of Rubin with a multitude of celebrities, including Harpo Marx as well as a few unfinished canvases. The three-floor temporary exhibit -- these change three or four times a year -- is entitled "Van Gogh in Tel Aviv" and displays the oils, charcoals, mixed media and wood sculpture of more than three dozen Israeli artists that pay homage to this master. (Interestingly, the museum's curator was inspired to produce this exhibition when she found an homage to Van Gogh painting among Rubin's unpublished works.)

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Israel Travels

Just wanted to let you know that I'm traveling in Israel and will be back on Sunday. I've been running all over the place checking out hot designers, new restaurants and recently-opened wine bars. Getting back at 2 a.m. each night didn't leave time to post. But you can expect a complete update on what's happening in Tel Aviv this Sunday. In the meantime, you can check my updates on twitter.

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