The Met went from being open Tues eve's to being open Fri and Sat eve's about 5 years ago. The effect was tremendous. I wondered why noone seemed to have thought of this before. The Tues evenings felt kind of like private showings. I always cherished them, and some of my great moments at the Met happened on Tues. eve's. Fri and Sat are like nights out, celebratory, communal, and generally democratizing. Tho I miss the Tues eve solitude, I have to admit that the Fri and Sat vibe contributes much more to the overall feeling of the Museum, and makes it seem like a central part of NYC life for visitors and locals alike. Eric Siegel [log in to unmask]