Exploring the Museum of the Moving Image
Leaving Manhattan may feel like a schlep. But the Big Apple has so much more to offer than one tiny island. We ventured out to one of Queens’s most famous neighborhoods to visit the Museum of the Moving Image.
Just a Hop, Skip and Subway Trip Away
We’ll be the first to admit that living and working in Manhattan can make the prospect of visiting NYC’s other boroughs seem like a daunting journey — why leave the island when there’s already so much to do right here? While Manhattan is certainly the most famous of the five, to disregard the “outer” boroughs would mean missing out on the full NYC experience. All five boroughs are steeped in their own history, culture, and attractions, which is why we decided it was high time we ventured outside our comfort zone by checking out the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens.
The Astoria Story
Astoria is a diverse neighborhood, known for its large population of Greek-Americans and strong Italian influences, exemplified by the area’s diverse and tasty selection of Greek and Italian restaurants, among many other ethnic cuisines. At one point, Astoria also housed NYC’s entire filmmaking industry. Now, there are studios in Long Island City, Rockefeller Center (a great place to spend your holidays, by the way), and Brooklyn. At the time, though, Kaufman Astoria Studios was the only film studio in New York City. The Museum of the Moving Image now occupies one of the thirteen buildings from the original studio complex.
Welcome to MoMI
Immortalizing Astoria’s significance in the world of motion pictures, MoMI features a fascinating collection of the art, history, and technology of media — it’s the only museum in the United States dedicated to doing so. Its exhibits contain a wide variety of audio and visual components, designed to educate visitors about the history of the film industry and provide an understanding of film’s evolution over the years.
To be honest, neither of us were quite sure about what to expect from the museum, but we were pleasantly surprised by the depth and range of information and activities we experienced during our time there.
Cats, Because Cats
We were drawn to our first exhibit by the faint meowing coming from the left of the snack bar, and discovered a large screen of viral cat videos. It was the entrance to one of the museum’s temporary exhibits, How Cats Took Over the Internet. As we paused to enjoy some lighthearted entertainment provided by internet-famous felines, we were curious: what exactly started our fixation on videos of our furry, purry friends in the first place?
Through a comprehensive 20-year timeline, we learned about the wonders of caternet history, starting with the introduction of Meowchat, an early “bulletin board” style social media group populated solely by cat lovers, in 1995 and ending with the more recent cat fads, like the I Can Haz Cheezburger meme and the rainbow pooping, feline-poptart hybrid that we so fondly know as Nyan Cat. The exhibit was incredibly amusing and entertaining — so we moved on to the next section of the museum with our interest piqued.
A Peek Behind the Screen
After saying goodbye to our feline friends and their internet stardom, we continued into the next room and the main exhibition of the Museum, Behind the Screen. The exhibit comprises two entire floors of the museum, showcasing the history of the moving image from the 19th century to present day. From props to costume design to historic cameras, sound recording equipment and even video arcade games, this exhibit will teach you anything and everything you’ve ever wanted to know about motion picture and media history.
Within the exhibit, the museum rotates temporary installations, like The World of Anomalisa. The exhibits showcases the new film Anomalisa, which was made using stop-motion animation. The sets and characters on display were truly remarkable, a testament to the level of creative genius that goes into creating our favorite television programs and films.
Flipbook Fun
The Museum offered us cats, film history, and video games — but our favorite part of the entire museum was embracing the opportunity to make our very own flipbook. What can we say? We’re easy to please!
Tip for the frugal museum buffs out there: the museum has free admission on Friday nights from 4–8pm, which is all the more reason to forgo your Netflix binge and experience some of what Astoria has to offer!
Il Bambino
After we finished touring the last floor of Behind the Screen, we decided that our Friday night wouldn’t be complete without dinner. We speed-walked a few blocks from the museum to Il Bambino for delicious, fresh paninis.
The service was fast, friendly, and helpful when it came time to place our orders among the many mouth-watering options on the menu. While waiting for our Prosciutto, Gorgonzola Dolce, and Fig Spread panini and Proscuitto, Basil Pesto, and Goat Cheese crostini, we chatted over glasses of white wine and admired how cozy and inviting the restaurant was. Before we knew it, our waiter delivered the food and we dug right in, only stopping to comment on how delicious it was.
With our appetites for food and fun fully sated, we commended ourselves for leaving the warmth of our Snuggies in Manhattan and executing a Friday night adventure in another part of the city without breaking the bank. Next time you’re looking for a laid-back, budget-friendly Friday night activity in the city that never sleeps, head on out to Astoria for fun, film and food!
