The Wild Westside
The date is October 4th and our adventure started with a chance of rain. Luckily, it held out… mostly. The forecast was a beautiful sunny day with a slight chance of rain. In a quick rush out of the door because my alarm clock wasn’t set (for reasons unknown) I grabbed my stuff quickly, and left my umbrella on the counter. My girlfriend and I rushed to make it on time to the Rockville Centre LIRR. Where, in deed I made it on time. I caught the 10:11
train to Penn and this trip I was not alone. Typically, I ride the LIRR alone. But, today I sat with Joe and Shannon. Once we got to Penn we all walked to the meeting spot and waited for the daily routine of a quick roll call and an
overview of what our journey would entail for the day.
We set off on a brief walk around the corner over to Broadway. Meritta and Mike pointed out how Broadway has changed through the years. In particular they pointed out that it now had a pedestrian zone. This basically means that in the middle of the street there is a place for pedestrians to hang out with tables and chairs. This creation was very controversial because of the effect it would have on traffic in the area because a major road is lost basically. Also, businesses feared that the decrease in traffic would equate to a decrease in spending because the area was less accessible. However, this was the exact opposite. The pedestrian zone actually created an atmosphere that promoted walking around and hanging out in the neighborhood. This philosophy actually increased foot traffic which increased sales.
After we discussed the length of Broadway and the impact the pedestrian zones had on the surrounding area we ventured over to Times Square. According to Wright (2008), “Before 1904 Times Square, then known as Longacre Square, was dominated by horse exchanges, carriage factories, stables, and blacksmith shops” (p.217). Time Square actually got its name because of a strategic push made by The New York Times.
Wright (2008) states “The cities theater district developed around Times Square during the first three decades in the 20th century” (P.217). Today, when most people from around the world think of New York Times Square is a must see. Additionally, Times Square is synonymous with New Years because it is the place where the ball drops and everyone tunes in on T.V. for the count down.
As, we continued forward we stopped outside of a building briefly. So we thought. Actually, it was something known as a public space in
private places. Meritta explained that basically there is a building guideline put in by the state that if a building wants to build higher than the permitted amount, they must offer a public space for the public’s use. I found this very interesting because I would have never guessed that the sitting area was for the general public because of its location. After admiring the quaint space and enjoying a moment to chill we continued to the GE building. The GE building is actually the well-known Rockefeller center. The architecture of the building follows the trend we have been discovering throughout the city, and that is the style of Art Deco. According to Wright (2008), “The first building constructed at Rockefeller Center is still its most famous and imposing: the GE Building, originally the RCA Building (1933)” (p.248). We explored the GE Building and Mike
pointed out a Mural in the lobby of the building created by the artist Diego Rivera. Once we left we were given a few minutes to explore the NBC store before we set off on our next stop.
Moving as scheduled we made our way to the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art).Wright (2008) states, “ The museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is one of the city’s premier cultural institutions, one of the great repositories not only of modern painting and sculpture, but also of drawing, design, photography, and film” (p.260).This is definitely true. I am someone who enjoys the occasional exposure to art and I enjoyed the walk around the Museum. We explored many famous artists such as Picasso, Seurat the dot, Monet, Van Gogh and Jackson Pollock. Personally, I am a fan of impressionism so I enjoyed seeing Seurat, Monet’s Water Lilies, and Starry Night by Van Gogh. As far as Pollock goes, it is not my style, I can understand how people view his work as talent, but, personally it does not vibe well with me. So, while they explored the work of Pollock I snuck off briefly and enjoyed “The Persistence of Memory” by Salvador Dali. I enjoyed seeing the progression we saw of Cubism, Impressionism, and even surrealism. We finished our exploration of the Museum with a quick walk around the garden outside.
Finally, we got to EAT. Not really though. Everyone was craving food at this point so we set off for our approximately 30 minute walk to Hell’s
Kitchen for FREE Thai food. I was very excited for a free meal so I indulged when we finally got there. They had a drink called the Thai tea that was an option included in our meal. So I decided to be adventurous and try it. Never again will I make that decision. The drink was strange. At first I was expecting something along the lines of an Iced Tea. But, wow, was I mistaken. When I got it, the drink was Orange and thick. I took a sip and it was creamy and very different than my taste buds were expecting. I learned that the drink has sugar and half and half and something else I can’t remember, all I know is I am never drinking it again. So, all of us enjoyed our meals and met outside the restaurant when everyone was done eating.
Once, we all met up outside we headed to the nearest subway station and caught the train uptown to Cathedral Parkway. When we got off the train we met up with our guide for the day Jim. Jim tends to do his meet ups outside of this Hungarian Pastry Shop so we helped out with a cause the owner was doing. Basically, we were given an angel to string up in front of the shop to symbolize everlasting love. After stringing up the angel we were each given an additional angel to keep or pass the love on to another. Once everyone from the class hung up an angel we walked over to the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. Jim gave us a discussion of the Church and we continued on. We made
our way to Columbia University, which was beautiful. Wright (2008) states, “Columbia University, one of the oldest, wealthiest, and most respected of all North American universities…” (p.427). we walked around the campus and sat on the steps outside of the Library to have a game of jeopardy. I was amazed by the campus so it was hard for me to pay much attention to jeopardy because of everything I was looking at around me. The buildings age had such beauty. We finally continued on with Jim and he brought us over to Morningside Park. Next, we headed to the Apollo Theatre. While on our way we all noticed the grey sky moving quickly overhead. So, we walked fast. We made it to the Apollo and it was a cool site to see. I have always heard of people performing at the Apollo in their younger years and that is a place that has influenced many of our entertainment stars today. Right as we started walking away from the Apollo, the heads started turning to one another because drops were being felt. Then, the rain started. At this point I was remembering how I forgot my umbrella behind and how much it sucked. So, luckily we were all told we could go home and the Subway was right around the corner. Everyone walked quickly to the subway and from there we split up.
Overall, the day was a success. The rain did not happen until much later so it did not impact the entire class which was definitely a
positive. I am looking forward to see what next class has to offer.
train to Penn and this trip I was not alone. Typically, I ride the LIRR alone. But, today I sat with Joe and Shannon. Once we got to Penn we all walked to the meeting spot and waited for the daily routine of a quick roll call and an
overview of what our journey would entail for the day.
We set off on a brief walk around the corner over to Broadway. Meritta and Mike pointed out how Broadway has changed through the years. In particular they pointed out that it now had a pedestrian zone. This basically means that in the middle of the street there is a place for pedestrians to hang out with tables and chairs. This creation was very controversial because of the effect it would have on traffic in the area because a major road is lost basically. Also, businesses feared that the decrease in traffic would equate to a decrease in spending because the area was less accessible. However, this was the exact opposite. The pedestrian zone actually created an atmosphere that promoted walking around and hanging out in the neighborhood. This philosophy actually increased foot traffic which increased sales.
After we discussed the length of Broadway and the impact the pedestrian zones had on the surrounding area we ventured over to Times Square. According to Wright (2008), “Before 1904 Times Square, then known as Longacre Square, was dominated by horse exchanges, carriage factories, stables, and blacksmith shops” (p.217). Time Square actually got its name because of a strategic push made by The New York Times.
Wright (2008) states “The cities theater district developed around Times Square during the first three decades in the 20th century” (P.217). Today, when most people from around the world think of New York Times Square is a must see. Additionally, Times Square is synonymous with New Years because it is the place where the ball drops and everyone tunes in on T.V. for the count down.
As, we continued forward we stopped outside of a building briefly. So we thought. Actually, it was something known as a public space in
private places. Meritta explained that basically there is a building guideline put in by the state that if a building wants to build higher than the permitted amount, they must offer a public space for the public’s use. I found this very interesting because I would have never guessed that the sitting area was for the general public because of its location. After admiring the quaint space and enjoying a moment to chill we continued to the GE building. The GE building is actually the well-known Rockefeller center. The architecture of the building follows the trend we have been discovering throughout the city, and that is the style of Art Deco. According to Wright (2008), “The first building constructed at Rockefeller Center is still its most famous and imposing: the GE Building, originally the RCA Building (1933)” (p.248). We explored the GE Building and Mike
pointed out a Mural in the lobby of the building created by the artist Diego Rivera. Once we left we were given a few minutes to explore the NBC store before we set off on our next stop.
Moving as scheduled we made our way to the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art).Wright (2008) states, “ The museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is one of the city’s premier cultural institutions, one of the great repositories not only of modern painting and sculpture, but also of drawing, design, photography, and film” (p.260).This is definitely true. I am someone who enjoys the occasional exposure to art and I enjoyed the walk around the Museum. We explored many famous artists such as Picasso, Seurat the dot, Monet, Van Gogh and Jackson Pollock. Personally, I am a fan of impressionism so I enjoyed seeing Seurat, Monet’s Water Lilies, and Starry Night by Van Gogh. As far as Pollock goes, it is not my style, I can understand how people view his work as talent, but, personally it does not vibe well with me. So, while they explored the work of Pollock I snuck off briefly and enjoyed “The Persistence of Memory” by Salvador Dali. I enjoyed seeing the progression we saw of Cubism, Impressionism, and even surrealism. We finished our exploration of the Museum with a quick walk around the garden outside.
Finally, we got to EAT. Not really though. Everyone was craving food at this point so we set off for our approximately 30 minute walk to Hell’s
Kitchen for FREE Thai food. I was very excited for a free meal so I indulged when we finally got there. They had a drink called the Thai tea that was an option included in our meal. So I decided to be adventurous and try it. Never again will I make that decision. The drink was strange. At first I was expecting something along the lines of an Iced Tea. But, wow, was I mistaken. When I got it, the drink was Orange and thick. I took a sip and it was creamy and very different than my taste buds were expecting. I learned that the drink has sugar and half and half and something else I can’t remember, all I know is I am never drinking it again. So, all of us enjoyed our meals and met outside the restaurant when everyone was done eating.
Once, we all met up outside we headed to the nearest subway station and caught the train uptown to Cathedral Parkway. When we got off the train we met up with our guide for the day Jim. Jim tends to do his meet ups outside of this Hungarian Pastry Shop so we helped out with a cause the owner was doing. Basically, we were given an angel to string up in front of the shop to symbolize everlasting love. After stringing up the angel we were each given an additional angel to keep or pass the love on to another. Once everyone from the class hung up an angel we walked over to the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. Jim gave us a discussion of the Church and we continued on. We made
our way to Columbia University, which was beautiful. Wright (2008) states, “Columbia University, one of the oldest, wealthiest, and most respected of all North American universities…” (p.427). we walked around the campus and sat on the steps outside of the Library to have a game of jeopardy. I was amazed by the campus so it was hard for me to pay much attention to jeopardy because of everything I was looking at around me. The buildings age had such beauty. We finally continued on with Jim and he brought us over to Morningside Park. Next, we headed to the Apollo Theatre. While on our way we all noticed the grey sky moving quickly overhead. So, we walked fast. We made it to the Apollo and it was a cool site to see. I have always heard of people performing at the Apollo in their younger years and that is a place that has influenced many of our entertainment stars today. Right as we started walking away from the Apollo, the heads started turning to one another because drops were being felt. Then, the rain started. At this point I was remembering how I forgot my umbrella behind and how much it sucked. So, luckily we were all told we could go home and the Subway was right around the corner. Everyone walked quickly to the subway and from there we split up.
Overall, the day was a success. The rain did not happen until much later so it did not impact the entire class which was definitely a
positive. I am looking forward to see what next class has to offer.
Lower Manhattan and Captivating Chelsea
Today is the 11th of October and the weather forecast was a bit scary with an over 70% chance of rain but, class was not canceled. I took care of my normal routine grabbed a bagel and headed to the LIRR. It seems like I have the worst luck on Fridays because as I am approaching the Long Beach bridge construction is going on and I think I am going to be late to the train. Luckily, I made it with a minute to spare. Once I arrived to Penn, I grabbed a drink from the shop and met up with the rest of the class. Mike and Meritta gave a brief overview of what the plan was for the day. Don one of the other Gotham teachers was there also in case it rained he was going to meet back up with us and give us a more in depth discussion into some works of art.
We started off by heading downtown to Park Pl. As we started walking Mike pointed out the Woolworth Building. Wright (2008), states “ The Woolworth Building at 223 Broadway was the world’s tallest when completed, and thought it was eclipsed in 1930 by the Chrysler Building, it remains one of the city’s most luxuriantly detailed skyscrapers” (p.69). After, mike explained this to us we continued on our way to our real destination New York City Hall. When we got there we were greeted by the NYC police department and needed to be brought in 6 at a time in order to go through security. According to Wright (2008), “City Hall (1811), one of New York’s architectural treasures, houses a noteworthy collection of portraits of the cities mayors, and 19th century celebrities, including 13 paintings by John Trumbull” (p. 83). We were guided through City Hall by a tour guide who was filled with knowledge. She gave us a ton of information, and included many facts and dates about New York’s past. The building is known to have federal style architecture, and was renovated in the 1950’s using limestone. Once our tour ended we waited out front of City Hall for Mike to come and pick us up.
Once Mike picked us up we followed him out of City Halls gates and made our way back down Broadway. We were off to St.Paul’s Chapel. St. Paul’s chapel faces Broadway between Fulton and Vesey Sts. It is manhattans only remaining colonial church (1766), built as a subsidiary chapel of Trinity Church for worshipers who lived to far uptown to make it down to Wall St (Wright, 2008, p.77). We explored the inside of the church and we were able to see where George Washington would sit when he attended church. Also, after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, the church as used as a memorial. Throughout the church you could see memorials that were made during 9/11 and it was very powerful to experience. Once we did our walk through the church Mike had us all meet in the back of the Church. Once everyone got the back of the church we headed off to our next stop.
Once we left St. Paul’s Chapel we made our way to the World Trade Center Memorial. The World Trade Center was attacked by terrorists on September 11th, 2001. I was in 5th grade when this happened and I remember it like yesterday. It was a very scary moment because no one knew how to react. I was happy we were able to go to the Memorial because it was something I have always wanted to do but never got a chance to. When we arrived we needed to wait on a long line as a group until we reached security checkpoints. Mike gave us about 20 minutes to go and explore and that’s what we did. The memorial is made up of two infinity pools that are located where the twin towers once stood. Another site to see was the survivor tree. Around the infinity pools consisted of all the names of the people who lost their lives on 9/11. I found the experience to be very powerful and I am glad that we had the opportunity to see the memorial. When we left the memorial we made our way towards Wall St.
On the walk to Wall St. we walked through Zuccotti Park which is where the Occupy Wall Street movement started. As we made our way through the Financial District we stopped at the famous statue of the Charging Bull. Wright (2008) states, “On an island in front of 25 Broadway, Arturo Di Modica’s bronze Charging Bull (1989) symbolizes the city’s financial district” (p.45). While in this area we made it down to Wall St, and stood outside of the New York Stock Exchange. As a business major, I really enjoyed entering the financial district and seeing the hustle that surrounds the area. I also was very interested in seeing what it was like on Wall St. It was very interesting to see because you can picture how it looked in the late 1700’s because everything was so close by to one another. This is the heart of the economy so I really enjoyed being in the center of it all.
Eventually, we made our way to Chelsea after visiting Battery Park and catching a subway into Chelsea. I really enjoyed Chelsea for some reason. I found the shops and atmosphere enjoyable. We all went into the Chelsea Market for lunch and we were given some time to explore and meet back up when we finished. I bought a burger and it was really good, but also pretty expensive. Once everyone finished eating and we met in the back of the Chelsea Market we made our way down to the High Line. The High Line was originally a rail road system above ground. Demolition costs were too high to tear down the old tracks, so a group of advocates fought for the site to be turned into a park. Now the High line starts at Gansevoort and goes to 30th. I really enjoyed walking along the path and exploring the views we had. Once we finished exploring the High Line, we made our way to explore some local galleries in Chelsea.
Before, we set off to explore the galleries Meritta left us and we were off to our next adventure with Mike. As we walked down random streets in Chelsea there were many galleries to explore. Mike decided to pick the weirdest and craziest galleries with the intention of pissing some people off because of the extreme abstract nature of the art. Personally, I was not annoyed by the choices but, I am not a fan of the style of art that we saw at many of the galleries. Once we finished exploring the galleries we were all allowed to leave and walk back to Penn. On my way back to Penn I actually came across an old gas station that was turned into an outside gallery that I found very interesting. The gas station was filled with grass and staged animals around the pumps, and I found it very interesting. Once I finished taking in the very strange but interesting street gallery I made my way to Penn where I caught the next train to Long Beach and made my way back home.
We started off by heading downtown to Park Pl. As we started walking Mike pointed out the Woolworth Building. Wright (2008), states “ The Woolworth Building at 223 Broadway was the world’s tallest when completed, and thought it was eclipsed in 1930 by the Chrysler Building, it remains one of the city’s most luxuriantly detailed skyscrapers” (p.69). After, mike explained this to us we continued on our way to our real destination New York City Hall. When we got there we were greeted by the NYC police department and needed to be brought in 6 at a time in order to go through security. According to Wright (2008), “City Hall (1811), one of New York’s architectural treasures, houses a noteworthy collection of portraits of the cities mayors, and 19th century celebrities, including 13 paintings by John Trumbull” (p. 83). We were guided through City Hall by a tour guide who was filled with knowledge. She gave us a ton of information, and included many facts and dates about New York’s past. The building is known to have federal style architecture, and was renovated in the 1950’s using limestone. Once our tour ended we waited out front of City Hall for Mike to come and pick us up.
Once Mike picked us up we followed him out of City Halls gates and made our way back down Broadway. We were off to St.Paul’s Chapel. St. Paul’s chapel faces Broadway between Fulton and Vesey Sts. It is manhattans only remaining colonial church (1766), built as a subsidiary chapel of Trinity Church for worshipers who lived to far uptown to make it down to Wall St (Wright, 2008, p.77). We explored the inside of the church and we were able to see where George Washington would sit when he attended church. Also, after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, the church as used as a memorial. Throughout the church you could see memorials that were made during 9/11 and it was very powerful to experience. Once we did our walk through the church Mike had us all meet in the back of the Church. Once everyone got the back of the church we headed off to our next stop.
Once we left St. Paul’s Chapel we made our way to the World Trade Center Memorial. The World Trade Center was attacked by terrorists on September 11th, 2001. I was in 5th grade when this happened and I remember it like yesterday. It was a very scary moment because no one knew how to react. I was happy we were able to go to the Memorial because it was something I have always wanted to do but never got a chance to. When we arrived we needed to wait on a long line as a group until we reached security checkpoints. Mike gave us about 20 minutes to go and explore and that’s what we did. The memorial is made up of two infinity pools that are located where the twin towers once stood. Another site to see was the survivor tree. Around the infinity pools consisted of all the names of the people who lost their lives on 9/11. I found the experience to be very powerful and I am glad that we had the opportunity to see the memorial. When we left the memorial we made our way towards Wall St.
On the walk to Wall St. we walked through Zuccotti Park which is where the Occupy Wall Street movement started. As we made our way through the Financial District we stopped at the famous statue of the Charging Bull. Wright (2008) states, “On an island in front of 25 Broadway, Arturo Di Modica’s bronze Charging Bull (1989) symbolizes the city’s financial district” (p.45). While in this area we made it down to Wall St, and stood outside of the New York Stock Exchange. As a business major, I really enjoyed entering the financial district and seeing the hustle that surrounds the area. I also was very interested in seeing what it was like on Wall St. It was very interesting to see because you can picture how it looked in the late 1700’s because everything was so close by to one another. This is the heart of the economy so I really enjoyed being in the center of it all.
Eventually, we made our way to Chelsea after visiting Battery Park and catching a subway into Chelsea. I really enjoyed Chelsea for some reason. I found the shops and atmosphere enjoyable. We all went into the Chelsea Market for lunch and we were given some time to explore and meet back up when we finished. I bought a burger and it was really good, but also pretty expensive. Once everyone finished eating and we met in the back of the Chelsea Market we made our way down to the High Line. The High Line was originally a rail road system above ground. Demolition costs were too high to tear down the old tracks, so a group of advocates fought for the site to be turned into a park. Now the High line starts at Gansevoort and goes to 30th. I really enjoyed walking along the path and exploring the views we had. Once we finished exploring the High Line, we made our way to explore some local galleries in Chelsea.
Before, we set off to explore the galleries Meritta left us and we were off to our next adventure with Mike. As we walked down random streets in Chelsea there were many galleries to explore. Mike decided to pick the weirdest and craziest galleries with the intention of pissing some people off because of the extreme abstract nature of the art. Personally, I was not annoyed by the choices but, I am not a fan of the style of art that we saw at many of the galleries. Once we finished exploring the galleries we were all allowed to leave and walk back to Penn. On my way back to Penn I actually came across an old gas station that was turned into an outside gallery that I found very interesting. The gas station was filled with grass and staged animals around the pumps, and I found it very interesting. Once I finished taking in the very strange but interesting street gallery I made my way to Penn where I caught the next train to Long Beach and made my way back home.
Immigrant New York
Today is our last class and it is sort of a bitter sweet feeling. I have really started to enjoy going to the city each Friday to explore new areas and learn new things about where I live. The weather is beautiful and I was actually early for the train today. Once, I got to Penn I found the other students at the usual meeting spot and waited for Mike and Meritta to give us our overview for the day.
We started off by walking over to 6th Ave to catch the F train to Delancey St. Our first stop was the Essex Street Market. Wright (2008) states, “Built in 1940 to house pushcart peddlers whom Mayor Firello La Guardia legislated off the streets, the market offers food for all tastes” (p.123). The market was created because at this point the Lower East Side of Manhattan was the most densely populated community in the world. What this meant was that there was a lot of garbage on the streets and the streets themselves were filthy. The intent was to get the food that is being sold to the community in a cleaner space so that is why the market was created. We all were given some time to walk around the market and buy breakfast if we wanted. I actually bought a cronut (croissant/donut). It was amazing and I would highly recommend it. Once we finished at the Essex Street Market we walked down the block where we could see the Williams Bridge. Mike explained to us that the bridge was called “Jews highway” because across the bridge was a predominately Jewish neighborhood and the goal was to get from the Lower East Side across the bridge to live one day. After a quick intro into the neighborhood we met up with Jim for another walking tour.
Jim took us to the Economy Candy Store which is one of the most famous candy spots in the entire city. When I walked in, I was in heaven. I could be considered a candy addict, so I quickly began the hunt for some gummy cherries as well as a variety of other treats. Unfortunately, the minimum debit charge was $10.00 so I stocked up on a lot of candy. I also bought some extra gummy cherries incase Mike wanted some also. Once we left the candy shop we headed out on our tour with Jim. He brought us near the Williamsburg Bridge and he showed us an apartment building that was part of a housing project implemented by the city to put low income families in one area. Jim also explained that the J or Z train goes over the Williamsburg Bridge and this is where the Rapper Jay-z got his name.
Our next stop was the Bialystoker Synagogue up the street. Wright (2008) states, “ The Bialystoker Synagogue (1826) on Bialystoker place , originally the Willet Street Methodist Episcopal church, is a plain late federal building with walls of random fieldstone” (p.123). The design of the Synagogue was interesting because you could tell that at one point it was a church. We heard about the history of the neighborhood from Jim and we continued forward. Our next stop was the Henry Street settlement. Jim explained that the settlement was useful for assimilation when immigrant arrived in the neighborhood. After taking in the federal style building of the henry street settlement we made our way to the Saint Theresa’s Church. Jim pointed out that the clock on the top of the church is one of the oldest running clocks in the city dating back to the 1800s.
Once we finished taking in the amazement of a clock that has not stopped running in over 200 yrs we continued forward to our next stop the Eldridge Street synagogue. Wright (2008) states, “ This was the first established by eastern European Ashkenazi Jews, a congregation sufficiently wealthy to hire the prestigious architectural firm of Herter brothers to design their house of worship” (p.120). The architecture of the synagogue was a blend of Gothic, Romanesque, and Moorish revival. I found this synagogue to be stunning! It was the nicest synagogue I have ever seen in my life and the aesthetics and façade really caught my attention and left a lasting impression on me. Once we finished admiring the beauty of the Eldridge Street Synagogue we made our way further into Chinatown onto Canal St. Wright (2008) states, “ Canal St marks the southern boundary of SoHo but east of Broadway, it is definitely Chinese” (p.109). At this point we all received a map from Mike outlining where we were and where the restaurant we were having lunch at was located. He told us that we could split up but that we should all meet back at the restaurant by 2:30. So, Anthony, Jen, Sarah and I started walking down Canal St looking at the shops and started to be bombarded by woman trying to sell knockoff handbags. Once we made it down a few blocks into Canal St, we decided that we would explore some of little Italy before heading to the restaurant. We walked down Mulberry St, where we saw so many Italian restaurants that looked amazing! We looked at the time and it was about time to start heading to the restaurant so we used our map, found our location and headed to our next destination. We made it to the restaurant Congee Village Restaurant, where we met the rest of the class. I was really looking forward to this meal because I love Chinese, and I knew you couldn’t go wrong with an authentic cuisine. The group was divided into three tables. I found the tables very cool because they were circle tables with a lazy Susan in the middle to make serving easier for everyone. Mike ordered the food, and I eat everything and enjoyed it ALL! Once everyone finished eating we were off to our next stop, the Tenement Museum. Luckily, the Museum was literally around the corner and only took about a minute to get to. It was probably the shortest walk in Gotham history. When we got to the Tenement Museum we were greeted by our tour who took us up to a class room where we were given a brief overview of what we were going to experience. During the discussion in the classroom I was made the grandpa of the group and I needed to be the person to discipline the family. Also, we were told that we were going to pretend to be a Jewish family from Russia, and that we were going to be looking to move into this neighborhood because we just arrived to America. Our guide took us into an old tenement building where we met Victoria. Victoria was part of a Sephardic Jewish family, which is different from the Ashkenazi’s of Russia. Victoria was an actress that worked for the museum but she knew everything there was to know about the family when they lived there in 1916. Victoria was excellent, and she really showed us a lot. I really enjoyed this tour because we were able to see what the living conditions were like for the people in the 1900’s coming to America. The room was so cramped I couldn’t imagine having to sleep with my entire family in this one small space. But, Victoria was able to do it. Once we finished the tour our class was over. It was a bitter sweet moment because I knew that I wouldn’t be coming back on Fridays to explore the city with my class anymore. But, I knew that I now had a taste of many places to explore, and I am going to do so in the future.
Some of the class went to Williamsburg, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to because I had a family party on long island. I wish I was able to go because I know it would have been a lot of fun. From the Tenement museum I caught the F train, and took it back to 6th Ave, where from there I ran my ass off to try and catch the train (which I missed by 15 seconds). I waited at Penn for the next train to Long Beach and took it home.
We started off by walking over to 6th Ave to catch the F train to Delancey St. Our first stop was the Essex Street Market. Wright (2008) states, “Built in 1940 to house pushcart peddlers whom Mayor Firello La Guardia legislated off the streets, the market offers food for all tastes” (p.123). The market was created because at this point the Lower East Side of Manhattan was the most densely populated community in the world. What this meant was that there was a lot of garbage on the streets and the streets themselves were filthy. The intent was to get the food that is being sold to the community in a cleaner space so that is why the market was created. We all were given some time to walk around the market and buy breakfast if we wanted. I actually bought a cronut (croissant/donut). It was amazing and I would highly recommend it. Once we finished at the Essex Street Market we walked down the block where we could see the Williams Bridge. Mike explained to us that the bridge was called “Jews highway” because across the bridge was a predominately Jewish neighborhood and the goal was to get from the Lower East Side across the bridge to live one day. After a quick intro into the neighborhood we met up with Jim for another walking tour.
Jim took us to the Economy Candy Store which is one of the most famous candy spots in the entire city. When I walked in, I was in heaven. I could be considered a candy addict, so I quickly began the hunt for some gummy cherries as well as a variety of other treats. Unfortunately, the minimum debit charge was $10.00 so I stocked up on a lot of candy. I also bought some extra gummy cherries incase Mike wanted some also. Once we left the candy shop we headed out on our tour with Jim. He brought us near the Williamsburg Bridge and he showed us an apartment building that was part of a housing project implemented by the city to put low income families in one area. Jim also explained that the J or Z train goes over the Williamsburg Bridge and this is where the Rapper Jay-z got his name.
Our next stop was the Bialystoker Synagogue up the street. Wright (2008) states, “ The Bialystoker Synagogue (1826) on Bialystoker place , originally the Willet Street Methodist Episcopal church, is a plain late federal building with walls of random fieldstone” (p.123). The design of the Synagogue was interesting because you could tell that at one point it was a church. We heard about the history of the neighborhood from Jim and we continued forward. Our next stop was the Henry Street settlement. Jim explained that the settlement was useful for assimilation when immigrant arrived in the neighborhood. After taking in the federal style building of the henry street settlement we made our way to the Saint Theresa’s Church. Jim pointed out that the clock on the top of the church is one of the oldest running clocks in the city dating back to the 1800s.
Once we finished taking in the amazement of a clock that has not stopped running in over 200 yrs we continued forward to our next stop the Eldridge Street synagogue. Wright (2008) states, “ This was the first established by eastern European Ashkenazi Jews, a congregation sufficiently wealthy to hire the prestigious architectural firm of Herter brothers to design their house of worship” (p.120). The architecture of the synagogue was a blend of Gothic, Romanesque, and Moorish revival. I found this synagogue to be stunning! It was the nicest synagogue I have ever seen in my life and the aesthetics and façade really caught my attention and left a lasting impression on me. Once we finished admiring the beauty of the Eldridge Street Synagogue we made our way further into Chinatown onto Canal St. Wright (2008) states, “ Canal St marks the southern boundary of SoHo but east of Broadway, it is definitely Chinese” (p.109). At this point we all received a map from Mike outlining where we were and where the restaurant we were having lunch at was located. He told us that we could split up but that we should all meet back at the restaurant by 2:30. So, Anthony, Jen, Sarah and I started walking down Canal St looking at the shops and started to be bombarded by woman trying to sell knockoff handbags. Once we made it down a few blocks into Canal St, we decided that we would explore some of little Italy before heading to the restaurant. We walked down Mulberry St, where we saw so many Italian restaurants that looked amazing! We looked at the time and it was about time to start heading to the restaurant so we used our map, found our location and headed to our next destination. We made it to the restaurant Congee Village Restaurant, where we met the rest of the class. I was really looking forward to this meal because I love Chinese, and I knew you couldn’t go wrong with an authentic cuisine. The group was divided into three tables. I found the tables very cool because they were circle tables with a lazy Susan in the middle to make serving easier for everyone. Mike ordered the food, and I eat everything and enjoyed it ALL! Once everyone finished eating we were off to our next stop, the Tenement Museum. Luckily, the Museum was literally around the corner and only took about a minute to get to. It was probably the shortest walk in Gotham history. When we got to the Tenement Museum we were greeted by our tour who took us up to a class room where we were given a brief overview of what we were going to experience. During the discussion in the classroom I was made the grandpa of the group and I needed to be the person to discipline the family. Also, we were told that we were going to pretend to be a Jewish family from Russia, and that we were going to be looking to move into this neighborhood because we just arrived to America. Our guide took us into an old tenement building where we met Victoria. Victoria was part of a Sephardic Jewish family, which is different from the Ashkenazi’s of Russia. Victoria was an actress that worked for the museum but she knew everything there was to know about the family when they lived there in 1916. Victoria was excellent, and she really showed us a lot. I really enjoyed this tour because we were able to see what the living conditions were like for the people in the 1900’s coming to America. The room was so cramped I couldn’t imagine having to sleep with my entire family in this one small space. But, Victoria was able to do it. Once we finished the tour our class was over. It was a bitter sweet moment because I knew that I wouldn’t be coming back on Fridays to explore the city with my class anymore. But, I knew that I now had a taste of many places to explore, and I am going to do so in the future.
Some of the class went to Williamsburg, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to because I had a family party on long island. I wish I was able to go because I know it would have been a lot of fun. From the Tenement museum I caught the F train, and took it back to 6th Ave, where from there I ran my ass off to try and catch the train (which I missed by 15 seconds). I waited at Penn for the next train to Long Beach and took it home.
Impressions of New York: In the End
Now the time has come that the class is officially over and it is truly bitter sweet. Coming into this class i felt like i already knew about the city and i was eager to learn more and broaden things i may have already known.
But, wow was i wrong. I knew nothing! This experience really taught me so much about the history of New York and the experience that so many people have shared by just walking the streets of Manhattan. I could truly say that this was one of my favorite courses at Molloy college. The exposure that Mike and Meritta provided was incredible. I now walk away from this class with a true understanding of gentrification and the impact it has on communities.
I would highly recommend this class to anyone! I am sad that i won't be going to the city on fridays anymore because i really started to enjoy it. One thing that this class also provided me was a great idea for my girl friends birthday. So, on october 19th for my girlfriends birthday i decided to take her into manhattan down to a jewelry store on 47th St where should could pick a pair of earrings she wanted. Then, i arranged for us to go to the Chelsea Market for some fish and chips and a lobster roll. After, we finished in Chelsea Market we walked over to the High Line and we walked all the way to 30th and 10th ave. I would have never been able to come up with this idea without learning about all of the wonderful places manhattan has to offer in this gotham class. She really enjoyed the entire day and i owe it all to Mike and Meritta. Thanks Guys!
Now that the class is over, my impressions of New York are better than ever. I really hope i have the opportunity to live in the city at one point in my life so that i can truly experience all that it has to offer. I enjoy the accessibility of things because of all the street vendors and shops everywhere you go. Also, i love how diverse the city is. I love the combination and blending of cultures that are throughout the city. Now i can say i have tasted many pieces of the cake that Manhattan has to offer.
But, wow was i wrong. I knew nothing! This experience really taught me so much about the history of New York and the experience that so many people have shared by just walking the streets of Manhattan. I could truly say that this was one of my favorite courses at Molloy college. The exposure that Mike and Meritta provided was incredible. I now walk away from this class with a true understanding of gentrification and the impact it has on communities.
I would highly recommend this class to anyone! I am sad that i won't be going to the city on fridays anymore because i really started to enjoy it. One thing that this class also provided me was a great idea for my girl friends birthday. So, on october 19th for my girlfriends birthday i decided to take her into manhattan down to a jewelry store on 47th St where should could pick a pair of earrings she wanted. Then, i arranged for us to go to the Chelsea Market for some fish and chips and a lobster roll. After, we finished in Chelsea Market we walked over to the High Line and we walked all the way to 30th and 10th ave. I would have never been able to come up with this idea without learning about all of the wonderful places manhattan has to offer in this gotham class. She really enjoyed the entire day and i owe it all to Mike and Meritta. Thanks Guys!
Now that the class is over, my impressions of New York are better than ever. I really hope i have the opportunity to live in the city at one point in my life so that i can truly experience all that it has to offer. I enjoy the accessibility of things because of all the street vendors and shops everywhere you go. Also, i love how diverse the city is. I love the combination and blending of cultures that are throughout the city. Now i can say i have tasted many pieces of the cake that Manhattan has to offer.