Journal 1
Impressions of New York
When i think about new york city the first thing that comes to mind is diversity. It is a huge melting pot that has so much going on and seems to never stop. The energy i feel when i enter Penn Station and get swept into the hustle of the city is uplifting and adrenaline filled. Lately, i have been traveling more often to the city because of family and work. In the city there are so many things to see and experience. Each time I'm there i notice something new and different which i find very interesting because it shows how upbeat and fast pace new york city really is. My brother lives in Manhattan and i enjoy going to stay at his house.
Quixotic Queens
Today was an exciting day. It started off with everyone meeting at Penn Station right outside of McDonalds at 11:00 am. From Penn we made our way to Grand Central Terminal making stops along the way at Bryant Park, and the New York Public Library. While standing outside, Mike showed the class the beauty of the Chrysler Building and the class discovered the architectural technique of Art Deco. According to Wright (2008) states that it was, “Designed by William Van Alen and completed in 1930, it is one of New York’s finest Art Deco buildings”(p. 231). After, taking in the beauty of the Chrysler building we made our way to Grand Central Terminal. If you were to try and compare Grand Central to Penn Station there wouldn’t be enough words to describe how eloquent Grand Central is compared to Penn. Wright (2008) states, “ Grand Central Terminal (1901-1913; Reed & Stem and Warren & Wetmore) stands proudly athwart Park Avenue at 42nd St.” (p. 228). This location was ideal for transportation and trade at the time it was built because it provided a large hub for industrial and commuter trains to pass through. The Terminal extends three city blocks from 42nd to 45th St. between Vanderbilt and Madison Ave. We explored the massive Terminal briefly and continued in route towards the tram. On our way to the tram we made a stop at a prestigious and well known hotel, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. According to Wright (2008), “The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (1931; Shultze & Weaver), at 301 Park Ave, is still architecturally and socially one of the city’s finest hotels, and an Art Deco landmark” (p.235). The hotel’s lobby was massive and eloquent, and there was a presence of wealth upon arrival. We quickly browsed the lobby and saw a brief glimpse into the history of The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. We left the hotel and happened to stop at the Seagram building. My brother happens to work in the Seagram building so it was a funny coincidence because I have been in the building before. Actually, in the lobby there is a very large Pablo Picasso back drop that covers an entire wall. While standing outside of the Seagram building the class discussed the architectural style of the building and we learned more about an International style building. After taking in the architecture we began to continue forward and we made our way to the tram. This was the first time I ever used a tram for transportation so I was a little intimidated because it looks like a ski lift that’s taking you across water. We took the tram to Roosevelt Island and we explored the island for a brief time. We discussed the history of Roosevelt Island and we walked down to the newly renovated park on Roosevelt Island but we were blocked by a camera crew doing a photo shoot. Eventually, we made our way to the subway on Roosevelt Island and took the train to Jackson Heights, Queens. Upon, arrival to Jackson Heights we made our way to an Indian buffet. At this point, we all tried Indian cuisine on the schools dime, and I really enjoyed it. When everyone finished eating we made our way back to the train and took it to Astoria where we visited the Museum of the Moving Image. This Museum was very hands-on; they had many interactive exhibits that were really fun and exciting. My favorite part of the Museum was the exhibit they had set up on the T.V. show Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad is one of my favorite shows on T.V. and I was not expecting the exhibit so that made the trip even more exciting and fun. Once, we toured the three floors of the Museum for about 45 mins to an hour we made our way back to the subway. From the subway we went off to Long Island City. It was my first time in LIC, and I could tell that there will be many new apartment buildings and renovation coming to this area in the near future. In Long Island City there is a place where graffiti artists have a place to express their creativity for the city to see and experience. This place is known as 5 points, and the institute of higher burning. This was my favorite spot of the entire day. The artwork was amazing, and mind blowing. The entire building was covered in masterpieces created by graffiti artists. The most interesting part about 5 points is that you can put something up one day and the next a new piece of art could be there. Sadly, with all of the pressure of revamping the community and building homes this place will be torn down very soon to create a housing complex. I found this so hard to believe because of the beauty that this place offered as well as the freedom of expression that literally covered this building will eventually be gone. All in all today’s adventure was exhilarating and like no other class I have experienced. I am truly looking forward to our next journey and adventure next week.
Bodacious Brooklyn
Today’s adventure started different than usual. Today I was off to explore my alone because I was making up a class. I started off in Long Beach and took the LIRR to Penn Station. After some quick research I realized I needed to take the F train to Stillwell Ave so that’s what I did. The train took about 45 minutes or so and when I walked out of the train I could see Nathans across the street. I had never been to the original Nathans and I was inclined to get a bite to eat. However, first I decided I would explore the area and take in the sights. Wright (2008) states, “Also in Coney Island is Nathans Famous, the iconic hot dog stand founded in 1916 at 1316 Surf Ave(Stillwell Ave)”(p.492). I walked around the area and saw some of the rides along the coast. It was really cool to see because growing up in Oceanside I was always told that the Nathans in town used to have rides and took up the entire shopping center. Now, it is just one store and only has an arcade so it was hard to envision what Nathans was intended to look like. Witnessing it was a really great experience. After walking around the area and boardwalk I decided to order myself a Nathans hotdog and some fries. I love the fries. After exploring the area around Stillwell station I decided I better get on my way to the next stop on my list of destinations. I needed to hop on the F train again and took it into Brooklyn heights. According to Wright (2008), “Brooklyn heights, bounded by the east river, old Fulton St, Atlantic Ave, and court St, are an old residential neighborhood, sometimes called New York’s first suburb” (p. 466). I was thrown off when I realized that the museum was underground in what is an unused but still functional subway station. Wright (2008) states that, “Run by the Metropolitan Transit Authority, it includes exhibits on buses, bridges, and tunnels, but the emphasis is on the subway” (p.468).I found the exhibit really interesting. I really enjoyed seeing the advertisements in the old subway car. I am always interested in advertisements around the city so I found it really cool to see what an old car would look like and how companies still utilized advertising back then. After I left the museum I went on a walk around the area. Luckily my girl friends 98 year old great grandmother lives in Brooklyn. She decided she would show me around her area and show me what has changed throughout the years. One thing I noticed was her building which was a brownstone. I found it beautiful. We took a stroll around her neighborhood where she lived her entire life. She was actually born in the house she still lives in. She was able to describe what the neighborhood looked like when she was young and how it has changed throughout the years. It was interesting to get her perspective on it because throughout this entire class our focus has been on how gentrification impacts the locals. This experience was a perfect opportunity to get first hand exposure to the perspective of someone who has witnessed 98 years of Brooklyn. After this walking tour with my girl friends Nonna she told me how to get to the Brooklyn Bridge and where I would find the walking park. When I arrived I was amazed at the beauty of the bridge. I never knew that you could walk across the bridge until this class so I was excited to do so. Wright (2008) states, “When the Brooklyn Bridge opened on may 25, 1883, it was justly considered one of the world’s greatest wonders” (p.464). I headed up the stairs near Cadman and I made my way up to the walkway to walk across the bridge. It was so amazing to see the views from so high up and on a bridge! I never thought I would walk across a bridge let alone the Brooklyn Bridge. When I finally made it across and I entered the Seaport area I was so thrilled that I had accomplished what I set out to do, and I did it alone. Finally, I decided to hop on the next train heading uptown in order to get me back to Penn. Once I got back to Penn I felt very accomplished for the day and caught my train home, and I slept the whole way home.
A Tale of Three Villages
Today was our trip to the Three Villages of Manhattan. I was
very excited to go because I have always wanted to really explore each of these
areas. To begin we started on Houston Street and if it’s not pronounced HOW-STON
than it is clear you are not from the area. According to Wright (2008),
“Greenwich Village is or was America’s bohemia, its Left Bank, a cradle of
creativity and individuality and artistic fulfillment” (p.128). I felt alive
when we got to Greenwich, I can’t explain why I felt this way but I really
enjoyed the atmosphere of the surrounding shops and felt like it was a place I
could see myself living. While in this area we make a quick stop at one of
Merritta's favorite bars called the White Horse Tavern. The bar opened in 1880
and has a history of serving well known poets. I found it very interesting to
hear about this bar because every day on my way to work in Jersey City I pass
this bar and it always stood out to me and now I know more about the history
which makes it even more interesting. As we ventured on we made our way to the
Stonewall Inn. Stonewall has major significance to the gay rights movement that
has been sweeping our nation for longer than most people are aware of. According
to, Wright (2008), “The riots at Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher St, were a
turning point in the struggle for gay civil rights” (p.130). I found this very
interesting and significant because I didn’t realize that this movement began in
the late 60’s and has continued into the present day. In my opinion this makes
me sad and glad at once. I feel Sad, because the discrimination and struggle for
this community has been going on for so long that its mind blowing. However, it
makes me glad that finally a tipping point was reached and a movement was
started. So hopefully this movement will continue to make strides in reaching
its goals. As we continued on our adventure we stopped quickly at a building
that had a very interesting architectural layout because it was a triangular
building. The name of the building was The Northern Dispensary and was built in
1831 and is considered a federal style building. Additionally, Wright(2008),
states that “The Northern Dispensary, bounded by Waverly Place, Grove St, and
Christopher St, is a triangular building on a triangular plot, the only public
building from the federal period still standing” (p.130). This building actually
provided free medical assistance to the poor. Edgar Allen Poe was actually
treated at this building. After taking in all that The Northern Dispensary had
to offer we made our way to the Merchant House Museum. Upon arriving to the
Merchant House Museum our guide Bill greeted us. Bill was an older man and was
filled with knowledge. The house was built in 1832 and was owned by the
Treadwell family until 1933. This was a very interesting sight to see because
the house was massive and really depicted the way of life from this time period.
The tour was brief and we learned what it was like from the 1830’s-1930’s in
this part of Manhattan. I enjoyed the tour but it was a little hard to hear our
guide but overall it went well. When we left the Merchants house we made our way
to Washington Square Park which Meritta explained was the spot back in the day
to buy drugs. While in this area we explored and passed by NYU. I found the
campus and atmosphere to be awesome because it was filled with students that
seemed to be within my age range, so it looked like fun. While walking through
the surrounding area it was pointed out that gentrification has occurred and is
occurring in new places where NYU wants to buy old buildings to turn into
housing for their college. Finally, we made our way down by MacDougal Street
where we saw where to go out for the nightlife. I really enjoyed our class today
because I have always wanted to explore the village and that is what we did. I
can’t wait to go back and enjoy all that the village has to offer.
very excited to go because I have always wanted to really explore each of these
areas. To begin we started on Houston Street and if it’s not pronounced HOW-STON
than it is clear you are not from the area. According to Wright (2008),
“Greenwich Village is or was America’s bohemia, its Left Bank, a cradle of
creativity and individuality and artistic fulfillment” (p.128). I felt alive
when we got to Greenwich, I can’t explain why I felt this way but I really
enjoyed the atmosphere of the surrounding shops and felt like it was a place I
could see myself living. While in this area we make a quick stop at one of
Merritta's favorite bars called the White Horse Tavern. The bar opened in 1880
and has a history of serving well known poets. I found it very interesting to
hear about this bar because every day on my way to work in Jersey City I pass
this bar and it always stood out to me and now I know more about the history
which makes it even more interesting. As we ventured on we made our way to the
Stonewall Inn. Stonewall has major significance to the gay rights movement that
has been sweeping our nation for longer than most people are aware of. According
to, Wright (2008), “The riots at Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher St, were a
turning point in the struggle for gay civil rights” (p.130). I found this very
interesting and significant because I didn’t realize that this movement began in
the late 60’s and has continued into the present day. In my opinion this makes
me sad and glad at once. I feel Sad, because the discrimination and struggle for
this community has been going on for so long that its mind blowing. However, it
makes me glad that finally a tipping point was reached and a movement was
started. So hopefully this movement will continue to make strides in reaching
its goals. As we continued on our adventure we stopped quickly at a building
that had a very interesting architectural layout because it was a triangular
building. The name of the building was The Northern Dispensary and was built in
1831 and is considered a federal style building. Additionally, Wright(2008),
states that “The Northern Dispensary, bounded by Waverly Place, Grove St, and
Christopher St, is a triangular building on a triangular plot, the only public
building from the federal period still standing” (p.130). This building actually
provided free medical assistance to the poor. Edgar Allen Poe was actually
treated at this building. After taking in all that The Northern Dispensary had
to offer we made our way to the Merchant House Museum. Upon arriving to the
Merchant House Museum our guide Bill greeted us. Bill was an older man and was
filled with knowledge. The house was built in 1832 and was owned by the
Treadwell family until 1933. This was a very interesting sight to see because
the house was massive and really depicted the way of life from this time period.
The tour was brief and we learned what it was like from the 1830’s-1930’s in
this part of Manhattan. I enjoyed the tour but it was a little hard to hear our
guide but overall it went well. When we left the Merchants house we made our way
to Washington Square Park which Meritta explained was the spot back in the day
to buy drugs. While in this area we explored and passed by NYU. I found the
campus and atmosphere to be awesome because it was filled with students that
seemed to be within my age range, so it looked like fun. While walking through
the surrounding area it was pointed out that gentrification has occurred and is
occurring in new places where NYU wants to buy old buildings to turn into
housing for their college. Finally, we made our way down by MacDougal Street
where we saw where to go out for the nightlife. I really enjoyed our class today
because I have always wanted to explore the village and that is what we did. I
can’t wait to go back and enjoy all that the village has to offer.
East of the Park
Today started very rushed. I woke up late and almost missed my train. I had my girlfriend drive me to the train station and we made it with under a minute to spare. I was happy that I made the train on time because otherwise it could have been a disaster. I arrived at Penn Station by 10:45 and made my way to our normal meeting spot. We needed to make our way uptown so we took the 1 train to the S and then transferred to the 4 to head up to 86th st. We started our journey today in East Harlem. We started off by making our way to the Museum of the City of New York. This museum explored the entire history of New York. This museum was founded in 1923, and was very interesting to see as a New York native. After walking around the museum for a few minutes we went into a small viewing area to view a film on New York’s history. I found this video to be very informative because it took us through a timeline of New York. It was very interesting to see that since New York started it has been a hub for importing and exporting goods, which has created the wealth of this city. The next stop we made was to El Museo Del Barrio. East Harlem is also known as Spanish Harlem. According to Wright (2008), “Located at the edge of Spanish Harlem or El Barrio (literally “the neighborhood”), El Museo was founded in 1969 by community activists, teachers, and artists, mainly Puerto Rican (p. 376). While in El Barrio we took a walking tour of the neighborhood hosted by El Museo Del Barrio. While on this tour we explored the Graffiti hall of fame and we experienced a few mosaics, and murals on the walls of the neighborhood. Something that was astonishing was that there was no graffiti or vandalism on any of the murals or mosaics that we saw. This was interesting to see because it really showed how these works of art are a piece of the community and are protected by the community. As usual we examined the surrounding area and realized that gentrification was occurring in East Harlem. It was evident by the new housing complex’s being built and the shops that are opening up and pushing businesses that have been there for years out. For example the shop we went to with the spiritual healer Justo, he was faced with having to move his shop after many years of being located elsewhere. When we finished the tour of the neighborhood we were able to get lunch. I got lunch with a group from the class and we had some awesome burgers. After lunch we needed to meet back up by the Museo Del Barrio, which was right near Central Park. After a class vote it was decided that we would walk the entire length of Central Park and leave the MOMA for another day! So we started from 110st and made our way to 59th st. This was an adventure. We were the only class in Gotham’s history to do this walk and I think we will be the last. We walked around the reservoir and we learned that the reservoir would last 2 weeks and then NYC would be out of water. While in Central Park it was amazing to see so many trees and greenery in Manhattan. It shows a lot of foresight because today there is not another area like it in all of Manhattan. Central Park was a cool place to see because I have only walked through it on occasion but never through the entire Park. Therefore, I saw a lot of new things and it reminded me of so many movies that take place in Central Park. The last stop we made in Central Park was to Strawberry fields which are right outside of the Dakota Apartment complex where John Lennon was killed. At Strawberry Fields there is an Imagine mosaic in the middle of the ground where many people come to take pictures. After, a very long walk we made it to 59th st and we made our way down 5th Ave. We stopped at the Plaza Hotel which was interesting to see because it was the hotel from home alone which is a classic movie I watched as a kid. Then, we made our way to Tiffany & CO where we admired all of the jewelry most of us will never be able to afford, and finally we ended at FAO Schwartz which is the largest toy store in Manhattan. I felt like a little kid when I walked through FAO Schwartz because of all the toys that surrounded me. Overall, today was very informative and I got to see and learn more about NYC. The walking was a little extensive today but the motto of our class is learning and burning, so that is something we definitely accomplished this class.