I go to New York City at least once a year to visit my family. I don’t tour around too much because I spent many years living there. Mostly I hang with my sister and catch up with the family and in the process I weave my way through the various neighborhood and shops. Next visit though, I plan to check out the new Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) at 2 Columbus Circle. It just opened in September 2008. Formerly the American Craft Museum (chock full of folk art, which I love) it was located across the street from The Museum of Modern Art — quite the contrast.
MAD still has folk art (part of the permanent collection, Permanently MAD), but has expanded to include a gorgeous collection of design. The biggest buzz, however, is the building itself. It has been transformed. I can’t tell you how many times I walked past the original “lollipop” structure. Check out the before and after shots. If you’re really interested, there’s a NY Times video clip on how the architects made the leap.
—Martha
2 Columbus Circle Before. Note the "lollipop" motif at ground level.
2 Columbus Circle After
