Lever House

While sculptures of Hello Kitty and Miffy no longer inhabit this rotating exhibition, Lever House continues to feature thought-​provoking public art outside and in its lobby.
If you’re in the neighborhood and curious about art (or the building’s own architecture – preview here:
) then this is a place to stop by. Perhaps don’t plan this into your trip unless Hello Kitty comes back.

Thank you to the Lever House for making ladies and little school girls squeal with glee at the sight of a huge white Hello Kitty statue.
I only feel bad for those that missed out when the giant sized Miffy and My Melody were there too. Like the Loch Ness, Bigfoot, mythical unicorns and free beer, they have all disappeared, only to be stories told by elders such as myself.

What a gem! After mah boo dragged me to have dessert at Serendipity 3 (that movie must’ve made this place famous-​or was it always packed, I wonder), we walked around and ended up at the Waldorf Astoria hotel (also from the movie). WOW. THEN we happened to discover this place. Talk about a fortunate coincidence *ahem serendipitous moment!* What a perfect night – and yes, we went here on Valentine’s Day. Mah boo is smoooooth *swoon.*
Who doesn’t love Hello Kitty, but I’m glad this place made a dedication to Miffy and My Melody, too. My fave would be My Melody, especially since they got the whole ear flap down: P Super cute statues that you MUST check out and take pictures with! Yanno, they would make bank with a Hello Kitty/​Sanrio/​Morning Glory museum. They have one dedicated to Peanuts, so why not? Pure genius.
Come here in the middle of the night and the statues will light up your night. ;)

So I had this amazing lunch date with this doll on this lovely Spring afternoon. She was a Japanese/​White ‘mutt’, but in a good way. There is usually no ‘tween’ category in looks for ‘Hapas’, or multiracial folks. Right off the bat, I knew we had something in common, as I am also a ‘mutt’. At first glance, it looked like she had her bow in her waist back, a good sign that she was not a slutty Geisha, whereby she would have her bow situated waist front. Aside from Badgley Mischka, never have I ever seen such a flawless complexion. Her face glistened more and more with every syllable. The cuisine of choice was Indian, as this was a casual date. She was larger than life, both in vivaciousness and scale. Endless banter ensued and before I knew it, my lunch hour was up and I had to return to work. We reluctantly parted ways as I took one last look back and noticed her perfect face, with hair bow in tow. Unbeknownst to me, I had just had lunch with a ginormous Hello Kitty windup doll.

As of 1998, the Lever House has undergone a glorious renovation and is a must-​see for those interested in modern architecture AND/​OR those who heart Hello Kitty. The public art space located in the building’s outdoor courtyard is currently home to a 21-​foot tall, monochromatically-​white Hello Kitty sculpture by Tom Sachs.
Additionally, the Lever House is almost directly across Park Avenue from Mies’ Seagram Building, which still stands out thanks in part to the 1500 tons of bronze that were put into it, and which along with Mies’ Farnsworth House somehow captures the poetry and softness of the architect’s pre-​exile work. Totally worth staring up at for a while, or venturing into for lunch or dinner at the Four Seasons restaurant, with its total «wow-factor”-inducing «Pool Room» that was designed by Mies and Johnson, with much of the furniture at least co-​conspiratored by Lilly Reich.