Visiting the New Lincoln Center

En route to the 2010 New York Asian Film Festival (EIGHTH year in a row -- woot!), I just had to pause and take in all the changes that Lincoln Center and its surrounding buildings have undergone in the past year. As a Brooklynite, I hardly make it into Manhattan, let alone above Houston these days (except for work), so it was my first time seeing the renovations in person.

Alice Tully has become quite the hip hang-out, with seemingly impromptu street performances happening and crowds gathering to watch them (first pic via Wikipedia). Love the way the triangular amphitheater juts its back into the sidewalk, both creating a separate visual and aural space for performance and challenging pedestrians to come around to the other side. Plus it blocks the sun out. I know Ourossof wasn't the biggest fan of the Lincoln Center reno as a whole, but I say kudos to them for this part at least.

Down 65th, I also took in the new South Plaza -- including the dramatic lawn-roof on top of Jonathan Benno's (former exec chef at Per Se) new restaurant under construction -- and the new Juilliard and Walter Reade (the venue for NYAFF).