Things to Do in NYC: The Forgotten East Pop-Up

One of my favorite things about New York City is that I’m never bored. There’s always something new to see or somewhere new to visit, no matter how many times I’ve been here. Ever since I started grad school in the city last August, I’ve become more aware of iconic photo spots or cool places to check out with friends. Recently, my friend Vanessa found The Forgotten East pop-up on Canal Street in Lower Manhattan. As soon as I looked up the website and social media, I knew I had to visit! There are pastels, gems, neon lights and more in a four-room art display that made me feel like I was on the set of a movie. Unfortunately, this pop-up event only went until June 25th but check out Event Brite and you are sure to find other fun events to attend. Definitely check out the different pop-up displays NYC has around Manhattan because they are extremely interesting and the photo opportunities are endless! You can shop my outfit by clicking on these links at no extra cost to you.

The Forgotten East is an interactive art display complete with rock sculptures, a treasure chest, fog, jewelry, tin foil and more. It represents ancient China and its markets.

The exhibit is actually much smaller than I originally thought. Upon entering, it’s only four rooms and they are pretty small. When I walk in,  two girls greet me and offer a photo opp by The Forgotten East neon sign set up at the beginning of the display. Then, one of the girls gives us a personal tour and explains what each room represents, which is really nice! Each room is ideal for photos and looks different from the previous one. Luckily, my friend and I got really good photos. Usually, the event is limited to an hour but it only costs $15 to attend.

The first room is called The Mountain. There are sculptures shaped like little mountains and a fog machine that created a cool foggy effect when mixed with the lights in the room. Surprisingly, the photos Vanessa and I took in this room came out really cool! We were able to time the fog just right and snap a few quick shots before we had to re-start the machine over again.

The next room is called the desert. This room had a wall of colorful mirrors pieced inside a sand dune. The colors were really pretty, and I loved how reflective the light was of the mirrors! The other side of the wall was covered in silver tin foil and had a few strands of string lights shaped like hearts and stars. There was also a little seat which was perfect for photos!

The third room was my favorite one of all. It was one of the bigger rooms and the artist packed a lot of different pieces in it! There were pearls and jewels dripped from the ceiling, a giant treasure chest filled with jewels and a display of neon lights, pink sand and faux plants. I had the most fun taking photos near the treasure chest and they came out amazing! Out of all the places I’ve ever taken photos, this was easily my favorite.

Ah, the final room. This room had several different things going on. There were white stone steps and a stone pillar that reminded me of ancient Greece. Then, there were colorful streamers hanging down in front of a little market. In the way back I spotted a neon sign and I took a really cool photo standing near it.