A few weeks ago, I trekked uptown, not just uptown, but all the way uptown to Fort Tyron Park. Have you ever heard of Fort Tyron Park? –  neither have I! Fort Tyron Park is located north of the West 190th street station on the “A” line in the city. Realizing that this would be an extremely long ride for me from Sheepshead Bay, I wisely chose to drive up instead of taking the train. According to the not so informative website, there would be parking available – maybe.

I have driven around Manhattan, but this was the first time I drove all the way up the west side. I must say that going up Riverside Drive happened to have been a very pleasant ride. It’s not that daunting once you get past the Intrepid and the cruise ship terminal traffic. I drove on and I was told, “You’ve reached your destination,” thank you Google, for getting me there in one piece.

So why was I going to this park – all the way up in practically the Inwood section of the city? I took this ride to see the Cloisters which happens to be situated in the middle of this park.

The Cloisters?

What are the Cloisters?

What is a Cloister and what is it doing in Fort Tyron Park, way uptown in NYC?

Well -I’m glad you asked and if you didn’t – I’m going to tell you anyway!

The Cloisters is a museum that is a part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum, which houses vast and varied collections, is quite different from the Cloisters, which displays medieval art from the Middle Ages.

When arriving, I look up and I don’t see a building – but before me is a grand castle! The museum was built to give you the feeling of being transported back in time. You go in and look at the art around you and think, is this the year 1011? The stone steps and stone walls lend themselves to connect with the art around you.

Primarily the art focuses on Christianity, and you feel the religious intensity right away. Some of the exhibits almost make you feel like you really are in a medieval chapel. With its stained glass, icons and the figure of Christ suspended on the cross from the high vaulted ceiling, there is a church like silence within.

Journeying on to the other exhibits and other incredible sections, I came upon the unicorn tapestries. Now I am quite familiar with the famous unicorn tapestry of a unicorn sitting calmly with a fence around it. What I did not know is that there were other tapestries that were part of this collection. The other tapestries depict a ritualistic scene of this beautiful unicorn being hunted and slaughtered.

Here I had always thought that this was a charming, pleasant piece of art of a penned-in unicorn. Little did I know of the cold-hearted murder that was going to occur after its capture. Needless to say, I was not pleased about seeing this and I no longer have an affinity for any of the unicorn tapestries.

Aside from the blood curdling tapestry experience, there are two small gardens to walk about that are inhabited with beautiful flowers. They were not terribly large, but they are very serene. There is also a balcony on which you can see a beautiful view of the Hudson with the fall foliage emerging on the New Jersey side. Overall, it was a lovely day and an interesting experience -if you like medieval art and unicorn slaying.

The day ended as I made my way into the gift shop, doesn’t it always seem to end in the gift shop? I looked at all the charming, overpriced items and decided to just buy a magnet, even though it was overpriced as well. Thankfully, my day truly ended on a happy note when I found the cloister café and had a coffee.

Yes, even with me being in a makeshift castle, looking at a poor unicorn’s demise, enjoying medieval art, and feeling like I’m in the year 1011, I still had to have a coffee. The perfect end to a fantastic day.