Monday, July 9, 2007

While you are Waiting

787 Seventh Avenue


Dear Postcard from New York Reader,

With the heat index over 100 degrees; no one needs the weatherman's confirmation, that we are officially in a heatwave.

Oppressive humidity and suffocating temperatures have descended on us just as the tourist season kicks into high gear. Streets teaming with people and buses packed to capacity are evidence that the weak dollar has made our city even more than usual, an attractive tourist destination.

Who is the great beneficiary of this boon? The theatre houses around town of course; This is Broadway's most lucrative season. If you plan to see the following shows: Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Wicked, The Color Purple, 110 in the Shade, Mamma Mia, or Spelling Bee, and happen to show up early; Instead of waiting around on the street, escape the heat and give yourself a rare treat.

Just one block over from David Letterman's Studio on Broadway and 53rd Street, on 52nd Street and Seventh Avenue, in the lobby of 787 7th, you'll find Roy Lichtenstein's 70 feet wonder, Mural with Blue Brushstroke, in an atrium like space open to the public.

So often, large-scale works by contemporary artists are seen best in open, airy corporate spaces instead of museums. This is particularly true when the architect designs with the artwork in mind, as is the case here.

By far Lichtenstein's largest work, Mural with Blue Brushstroke was commissioned by The Equitable Insurance Company, now AXA, to compliment the Whitney Museums Collection , which originally occupied the two galleries facing Seventh Avenue.

It is quite a marvel, whether you have only five minutes to steal a glance or can stay and enjoy it longer.

Jacqueline Cable
For Postcards from New York

P.S. For Kids. Just a reminder, Disney's long running Beauty and the Beast will close on July 29th. Don't miss the last chance to see a heartwarming performance that delights both kinds and adults.

Address to remember: 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019

Directions: From Times Square MTA 1 train to 50th Street or from Avenue of the Americas and 42nd Street, Bus M5, M6 or M7 to 50th Street. Walk to Seventh Avenue and two blocks to 52nd Street.

Photo by Joseph Knight

© Copyright 2007 The Cable Group.

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