JOURNAL 1
Impressions of New York
For the most part I love New York city. There are the usual complaints that most people have of the city; there's too much traffic, there's never any parking, people drive like lunatics, everyone is in a rush, everyone is rude, there are too many street vendors, there is garbage on the floor, the subways are dirty, the streets are unsafe etc. But there is something about the city that I have always loved.
I used to live in an apartment in Ridgewood Queens and I have family that lives in Astoria, so I am familiar with that area. I have been to Manhattan countless times for various reasons. I have seen many Broadway shows and attended concerts in the city. My aunt lives in Greenwich Village and works in a cafe there, which I have been to many times. I have been to South Street Seaport with my family as well as for a school field trip to the Bodies Exhibit. My dad runs in the NYC marathon, which ends near Central Park. My family usually goes to cheer him on at the finish line. I also love visiting the John Lennon memorial located at Strawberry Fields in Central Park. I had the opportunity to march down 5th avenue for three consecutive years in the Columbus Day parade with my high school marching band. I've also visited the Empire State Building, as well as taken a ferry to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty. I've only been to the Bronx to watch a baseball game at Yankee Stadium. Last summer I did some shopping on Canal Street with my friends and of course I have spent many nights in Little Italy in my uncle's restaurant as well as attended the San Gennaro feast.
Still, there are many parts of New York that I have yet to see. I am very excited to take this course and explore new sections of the amazing city that is basically in my backyard!
I used to live in an apartment in Ridgewood Queens and I have family that lives in Astoria, so I am familiar with that area. I have been to Manhattan countless times for various reasons. I have seen many Broadway shows and attended concerts in the city. My aunt lives in Greenwich Village and works in a cafe there, which I have been to many times. I have been to South Street Seaport with my family as well as for a school field trip to the Bodies Exhibit. My dad runs in the NYC marathon, which ends near Central Park. My family usually goes to cheer him on at the finish line. I also love visiting the John Lennon memorial located at Strawberry Fields in Central Park. I had the opportunity to march down 5th avenue for three consecutive years in the Columbus Day parade with my high school marching band. I've also visited the Empire State Building, as well as taken a ferry to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty. I've only been to the Bronx to watch a baseball game at Yankee Stadium. Last summer I did some shopping on Canal Street with my friends and of course I have spent many nights in Little Italy in my uncle's restaurant as well as attended the San Gennaro feast.
Still, there are many parts of New York that I have yet to see. I am very excited to take this course and explore new sections of the amazing city that is basically in my backyard!
Bodacious Brooklyn
6/6/13
Today we had our first day of class. I took the LIRR in and talked about my expectations of the class with my best friend Chelsea. Once we arrived at Penn station I realized how glad I was that I took the class with her, since it took us a few minutes to find our other classmates and get a metro card. I would have been very nervous on my own. It also dawned on me the true expense of transportation in the city. Between the LIRR ticket and the metro card I spent almost fifty dollars! Once the whole class was situated we all walked a block to the subway station. We took the D train from manhattan to Brooklyn in order to get to Coney Island. The ride was very long but it gave me a chance to get to know some of the other classmates that I didn't already know. We finally arrived at Coney Island and stopped to chat for a bit. Mike and Don gave us some fun facts about the famous amusement strip, they told us that it was settled by the Dutch in the early 1800's and they called it Konjin Island. They also informed us that Coney Island is actually not an island, but a peninsula which was joined to the mainland by a landfill in the 20th century.
I have wanted to visit Coney Island ever since I first saw the movie "Uptown Girls." It is one of my favorite movies and in it, Brittany Murphy and Dakota Fanning talk about visiting Coney Island and riding the spinning teacups. In the film, the amusement park seems so much nicer than what it looked like in real life. I was expecting a more extravagant place with many different places of interest for people of all ages. Instead it seemed like a washed up amusement park that entertains bored locals during the summer. We sat on the beach to discuss the class and future assignments and then we split up. As we walked around I wondered if it was safe to have so many rides so close together. It was overwhelming to walk through the zoo of children who were running around from ride to ride. All we wanted to do was ride the famous Cyclone which has been landmarked and cannot be removed along with the Parachute Jump and the Wonder Wheel (BG pg 492). We came to the conclusion that the coaster was out of order because we did not see any rides in progress. We later found out we were wrong, and i was upset that we did not get to ride it. After making it about five feet into the chaotic Luna Park, we decided to get a lunch instead at Nathan's Famous, "the iconic hot dog stand founded in 1916" (BG pg 492). The line was massive, and the service was very slow but the hotdog was delicious. We walked into a few gift shops to kill some time and then returned to the meeting spot to gather with the class.
We were ready to board the next train.
Today we had our first day of class. I took the LIRR in and talked about my expectations of the class with my best friend Chelsea. Once we arrived at Penn station I realized how glad I was that I took the class with her, since it took us a few minutes to find our other classmates and get a metro card. I would have been very nervous on my own. It also dawned on me the true expense of transportation in the city. Between the LIRR ticket and the metro card I spent almost fifty dollars! Once the whole class was situated we all walked a block to the subway station. We took the D train from manhattan to Brooklyn in order to get to Coney Island. The ride was very long but it gave me a chance to get to know some of the other classmates that I didn't already know. We finally arrived at Coney Island and stopped to chat for a bit. Mike and Don gave us some fun facts about the famous amusement strip, they told us that it was settled by the Dutch in the early 1800's and they called it Konjin Island. They also informed us that Coney Island is actually not an island, but a peninsula which was joined to the mainland by a landfill in the 20th century.
I have wanted to visit Coney Island ever since I first saw the movie "Uptown Girls." It is one of my favorite movies and in it, Brittany Murphy and Dakota Fanning talk about visiting Coney Island and riding the spinning teacups. In the film, the amusement park seems so much nicer than what it looked like in real life. I was expecting a more extravagant place with many different places of interest for people of all ages. Instead it seemed like a washed up amusement park that entertains bored locals during the summer. We sat on the beach to discuss the class and future assignments and then we split up. As we walked around I wondered if it was safe to have so many rides so close together. It was overwhelming to walk through the zoo of children who were running around from ride to ride. All we wanted to do was ride the famous Cyclone which has been landmarked and cannot be removed along with the Parachute Jump and the Wonder Wheel (BG pg 492). We came to the conclusion that the coaster was out of order because we did not see any rides in progress. We later found out we were wrong, and i was upset that we did not get to ride it. After making it about five feet into the chaotic Luna Park, we decided to get a lunch instead at Nathan's Famous, "the iconic hot dog stand founded in 1916" (BG pg 492). The line was massive, and the service was very slow but the hotdog was delicious. We walked into a few gift shops to kill some time and then returned to the meeting spot to gather with the class.
We were ready to board the next train.
We took the D subway back to Jay street where we walked through Brooklyn Heights. We saw the whole shopping strip on Fulton Street since we took a wrong turn in the opposite direction. Finally we arrived at the New York Transit Museum; a "two-level subterranean museum located in an unused subway station" (BG pg 468). Initially, when we had arrived at the museum we all groaned because we thought we were about to take yet another train. Then we realized that we were actually going underground to visit a museum and became quite intrigued. We had a very enthusiastic and well spoken tour guide who lead us through the main exhibit which is called "steel, stone and backbone." The creative setup showed pictures, videos and artifacts from the early years of the subway. I was very interested in learning about the need for an underground subway, which was due to inclement weather. I also thought it was interesting that people back then estimated that New York City would be buried under horse manure from the carriages of that time. This was another reason to create an alternative mode of transportation. The tour guide informed us about sand hogs and the dangerous jobs they do to build underground transit systems. She also showed us the first subway station ever built, which is now locked away under City Hall park (BG pg. 468). It is beautiful and unlike any modern train station, I hope to one day have the opportunity to see it. My favorite part of the museum was the bottom floor. "Lined up on the tracks of the former Court St. station are examples of most of the subway cars that have traveled the tracks since the first line opened in 1904" (BG pg. 468). It was so fascinating to sit in the old subway cars and see how they have evolved in over one hundred years. It was like sitting in a piece of history, which was truly remarkable. Of course as a future teacher I am always thinking about how I can utilize things in my career. I visited the New York Transit Museum website, which provides important information about the exhibits at the museum as well as the history of the subway and other transit systems in New York. It is a very useful site that has games, lesson plans and information about planning a school trip. I hope to one day take my class to this museum.
After the museum visit we were told about a Greek festival taking place down the street. It seemed entertaining until I walked closer and noticed that it was only a few food stations and a few children's games. It was nothing compared to the Italian festivals that I go to in the city!
We took a class photo in front of the Brooklyn Borough Hall, which used to be Brooklyn City Hall when it was first built in 1848. Later on in 1898 Brooklyn went from being its own city, to a borough of New York City and so the name was changed. It is a beautiful building that houses the office of the Brooklyn Borough president Marty Markowitz, I'm glad I got to see it. As we continued to walk through Brooklyn Heights we witnessed some neoclassical and gothic style architecture upon learning that the area we were in was known for its banks and churches. In fact we took a walk through a Chase bank, which was gorgeous inside. It was marble and stone and had chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, not like any other bank I had ever seen.
Then we took a walk down to the East River, which overlooks the Manhattan skyline. It was surrounded by beautiful apartments which are too expensive to even think of living in and the park below, which was under construction. I liked the fact that the area surrounding the river is being made into an attractive park for people to enjoy. They already had a sports field there, which I thought would be amazing to play on. especially at night with the Manhattan skyline all lit up. So we walked and walked until it seemed like we would never make it up to the Brooklyn Bridge. We stopped to take photos and then stopped for a 15 minute break outside the carousel. I wondered if my feet would carry me any further. I thought it was interesting to see how many children in Brooklyn are taken care of by nannies. I suppose its understood that wealthy parents who work all day will pay for someone to watch their kids, but it seemed like everywhere I looked there was a child with a nanny. In fact, I had to tell one of the inattentive nannies that the child was eating rocks right under her nose. I was baffled.
Anyway. We stopped at Jacques Torres ice cream in Dumbo Brooklyn for some very delicious ice cream. And I was fascinated to learn that it was the same company that provided chocolate for I Love Lucy episode when they work in a chocolate factory.
Finally we made it up to the Brooklyn Bridge. It is enormous and in fact it was the largest suspension bridge in existence at the time it was constructed. In 1883 it was built under the supervision of Emily Roebling, after her husband Washington fell ill (BG pp 465-66). I thought it was interesting that Emily wanted to be the first person to walk across the bridge after it was built but she was told that the President had to be the first. So she woke up extra early that morning to be the first one to walk across it, even though she did not get the credit for it, I think it was cool that she actually went through with it. We took a staircase up to the bridge and walked on the side designated for pedestrians. The bike path was on the right, where exhausted bikers rang their bells for walkers to get out of their way. I thought it was breathtaking to walk across the bridge even though I was very tired. I liked how you could see the new Freedom Tower so perfectly from the bridge. I was surprised to see how many people actually walked across the bridge, I was not aware that it was a prominent way for pedestrians to cross from Manhattan to Brooklyn.
Once we made it to the other side it began to rain so we decided to skip out on South Street Seaport. I have already been there and I was exhausted by that point. A few of us tried to get back to Penn Station, which was quite a project. We looked like a bunch of lost tourists in the subway station trying to find the right train. I found it very funny. Despite the mishap, we managed to get on the right train that took us to Penn Station which got us home. Even though I am extremely tired, I really enjoyed this first day and I cannot wait until next week!
After the museum visit we were told about a Greek festival taking place down the street. It seemed entertaining until I walked closer and noticed that it was only a few food stations and a few children's games. It was nothing compared to the Italian festivals that I go to in the city!
We took a class photo in front of the Brooklyn Borough Hall, which used to be Brooklyn City Hall when it was first built in 1848. Later on in 1898 Brooklyn went from being its own city, to a borough of New York City and so the name was changed. It is a beautiful building that houses the office of the Brooklyn Borough president Marty Markowitz, I'm glad I got to see it. As we continued to walk through Brooklyn Heights we witnessed some neoclassical and gothic style architecture upon learning that the area we were in was known for its banks and churches. In fact we took a walk through a Chase bank, which was gorgeous inside. It was marble and stone and had chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, not like any other bank I had ever seen.
Then we took a walk down to the East River, which overlooks the Manhattan skyline. It was surrounded by beautiful apartments which are too expensive to even think of living in and the park below, which was under construction. I liked the fact that the area surrounding the river is being made into an attractive park for people to enjoy. They already had a sports field there, which I thought would be amazing to play on. especially at night with the Manhattan skyline all lit up. So we walked and walked until it seemed like we would never make it up to the Brooklyn Bridge. We stopped to take photos and then stopped for a 15 minute break outside the carousel. I wondered if my feet would carry me any further. I thought it was interesting to see how many children in Brooklyn are taken care of by nannies. I suppose its understood that wealthy parents who work all day will pay for someone to watch their kids, but it seemed like everywhere I looked there was a child with a nanny. In fact, I had to tell one of the inattentive nannies that the child was eating rocks right under her nose. I was baffled.
Anyway. We stopped at Jacques Torres ice cream in Dumbo Brooklyn for some very delicious ice cream. And I was fascinated to learn that it was the same company that provided chocolate for I Love Lucy episode when they work in a chocolate factory.
Finally we made it up to the Brooklyn Bridge. It is enormous and in fact it was the largest suspension bridge in existence at the time it was constructed. In 1883 it was built under the supervision of Emily Roebling, after her husband Washington fell ill (BG pp 465-66). I thought it was interesting that Emily wanted to be the first person to walk across the bridge after it was built but she was told that the President had to be the first. So she woke up extra early that morning to be the first one to walk across it, even though she did not get the credit for it, I think it was cool that she actually went through with it. We took a staircase up to the bridge and walked on the side designated for pedestrians. The bike path was on the right, where exhausted bikers rang their bells for walkers to get out of their way. I thought it was breathtaking to walk across the bridge even though I was very tired. I liked how you could see the new Freedom Tower so perfectly from the bridge. I was surprised to see how many people actually walked across the bridge, I was not aware that it was a prominent way for pedestrians to cross from Manhattan to Brooklyn.
Once we made it to the other side it began to rain so we decided to skip out on South Street Seaport. I have already been there and I was exhausted by that point. A few of us tried to get back to Penn Station, which was quite a project. We looked like a bunch of lost tourists in the subway station trying to find the right train. I found it very funny. Despite the mishap, we managed to get on the right train that took us to Penn Station which got us home. Even though I am extremely tired, I really enjoyed this first day and I cannot wait until next week!
A Tale of Three Villages
6/11/13
Today we started off in Greenwich Village. I was excited when I heard that we were going there because my Godmother works at Cafe Dante in Greenwich Village. As the class gathered we got ready for what would be a very long day of walking we got onto the 1 train to Houston Street.
First we walked around and noted the architectural style of the buildings. We learned that many of the buildings were built in order to be symmetrical to the buildings around them, unlike Long Island houses, which are all different from each other. We stopped at 75 1/2 Bedford Street at a house that was so narrow that it did not even have a whole number address it is actually considered the most narrow home in the city. It once housed Cary Grant, John Barrymore, Edna St.Vincent Millay and Margaret Mead. The house is back on the market and is listed at $4.3 million, since so many well known people have lived there in the past.
Next we walked four blocks out of the way to see the famous White Horse Tavern, located at Hudson and 11th St. Here we learned about some famous people who used to go there and drink heavily. One of these people was Bohemian writer Dylan Thomas, who was famous in the early 1900's. Thomas died from alcohol poisoning after a night out at the White Horse Tavern. Today the bar serves locals, NYU students and tourists.
As we kept walking we headed toward Christopher Street, where we learned that it is one of the most heavily gay populated parts of the country. We saw stores, bars, and restaurants decked out with gay pride flags. As we walked down the street we spotted a few adult stores with interesting fetish and sex apparel in the windows. Next we got to Christopher Park, where we saw George Segal's statue "Gay Liberation" which portrays the gay people of the area. It was a cute little place to gather and remember those brave people who stood up for their rights against all odds. We came up to the Stonewall Inn, which was the home of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. We learned that the gay people of New York who were constantly treated unfairly due to their sexual orientation had had enough and caused an uproar at this very bar. People gathered in the streets and bombarded police who tried to arrest innocent people. Almost everything in the bar was broken and many people were hospitalized and arrested. It was a defining moment for the gay community and it marked the strength in numbers that these people had. To this day the area surrounding the Stonewall Inn hold pride parades and remember those who fought for gay rights in the past.
We headed to Washington Square next, which is located in the center of the village. There we saw a beautiful plaza circling a fountain in which people were sitting in to cool off. There were benches all around the square and many trees and foliage to shade the people who visit. At the entrance there were two marble statues of George Washington. One was of him as a fighter in battle and one was of him as president.
After our visit to Washington Square, we visited the Old Merchants House of New York. we were guided on a tour of the house beginning with the downstairs and then moved up. The house was built in 1831 by Joseph Brewster and was purchased by Seabury Tredwell. The home of the Tredwell's has been a museum since 1935 and has undergone numerous restorations. Tredwell was a merchant who had eight children. His family occupied the house on 29 East and 4th Street until 1933 when Tredwell's youngest daughter Gertrude died. We started down in the family room where the Tredwells would have their meals and spend time together. The kitchen was cute and had an old stove that the servants would use. We learned that the house had running water but only because the Tredwells were fortunate and well off. Most other New Yorkers of the time had to walk to the well to get water. When we walked upstairs we stood in the main dining room and living room. The tour guide told us that wealthy women of the time had to make time to meet with other wealthy women to socialize and to maintain social standing in the community. This seemed interesting to me because they could not simply pick up the phone to talk to one another. There was a whole procedure for socializing in that era. The Tredwell's home is the only 19th century Manhattan home to survive. What I thought was fascinating was that the house still maintained the original furniture and family belongings. Couches, chairs, mirrors, beds, bedding, and clothing all managed to make it through the years.
After the tour of the Old Merchant's House we went to St.Mark's place, where Joey, Chelsea and I went to this little french fry place called Pommes Frites. It was delicious, they made homemade Belgian french fries and had every kind of dipping sauce you could imagine! Then we went to Japadog. It is a restaurant that specializes in unconventional hotdogs. They are mostly Japanese so the menu consists of hot dogs covered in Japanese foods such as noodles, rice, seaweed, teriyaki sauce and other oriental herbs. We got the Age Ice, which is a deep fried bun filled with ice cream. It was delicious!
Next on the agenda was the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) where we were guided on a walking tour by Bill and Bill. The first Bill did not say much, he gave us a quick introduction to the museum and explained that the history of grassroots activism in the East Village. Bill number two did most of the talking. He led us outside to show us the building where squatters used to live. We learned that the C-squat was the last remaining squat in the 1970's and 80's. The original landlords of the buildings left them to rot and squatters came to inhabit them. They made a community out of an abandoned town. Police tried to kick out the squatters and were successful in dispossessing hundreds of them. Twelve buildings in the lower east side survived and eleven of them have been turned over to the UHAB. The building that the museum is in is the twelfth squat, which refused to participate in the UHAB, and residents are suing for adverse possession. Bill took us to the 9th Street Community Garden, which is a public garden maintained by neighborhood volunteers through GreenThumb. Founded in 1978, GreenThumb helps local residents transform vacant properties into attractive green spaces. Next we went to La Plaza Cultural, which is another community garden across the street. Bill number one told us about how people can come in and plant their own flowers or vegetables in designated plots. He also showed us the compost, and how recycled materials are turned into soil for growing things in the garden. We walked through the garden and saw a mural on the wall that lasted from the 80's. I liked the gardens, I learned that the people of New York City can appreciate nature just as much as people on Long Island. Although they do not have backyards to plant flowers, they have these community gardens which give them the opportunity to enjoy nature whenever they want. The fences of the garden were lined with creative artwork made from recycled materials. Cans and containers were used to create flowers and pinwheels to add an artistic touch to the garden.
Bill walked us past the Christadora House, which is the symbol of Gentrification in the lower east side. In the 80's the building went from being a community center to expensive condominiums, which booted out many of the community members who could not afford to stay there. Locals protested and rioted against the gentrification occurring in alphabet city. Many of the riots happened in Tompkins Square Park, which is where we stopped next. Many of the people of the village were unhappy with the treatment of the homeless people and the poor locals. The people were upset about the government involvement in the culture of the neighborhood and the "cleansing" of Tompkins Square Park. Bill talked a lot about this topic and I honestly lost focus many times throughout the end of the tour. Lastly we ended at the first community based recycling center, where locals can come to bring their recycling, since the city does not have separate recycling pick up. Bill was very informative and spoke passionately about the history of the lower east side. It was nice to learn about, but it was pretty drawn out.
We walked back to Bleecker Street, where some people chose to take the subway back to Penn Station. Chelsea, Joey, Katie and I decided to get drinks and dinner at the Village Lantern. The food was delicious. Then we stopped at Cafe Dante to visit my godmother, where we had ice cream and a canoli.
Today was an extremely long day of walking, but I learned a lot and had fun!
Today we started off in Greenwich Village. I was excited when I heard that we were going there because my Godmother works at Cafe Dante in Greenwich Village. As the class gathered we got ready for what would be a very long day of walking we got onto the 1 train to Houston Street.
First we walked around and noted the architectural style of the buildings. We learned that many of the buildings were built in order to be symmetrical to the buildings around them, unlike Long Island houses, which are all different from each other. We stopped at 75 1/2 Bedford Street at a house that was so narrow that it did not even have a whole number address it is actually considered the most narrow home in the city. It once housed Cary Grant, John Barrymore, Edna St.Vincent Millay and Margaret Mead. The house is back on the market and is listed at $4.3 million, since so many well known people have lived there in the past.
Next we walked four blocks out of the way to see the famous White Horse Tavern, located at Hudson and 11th St. Here we learned about some famous people who used to go there and drink heavily. One of these people was Bohemian writer Dylan Thomas, who was famous in the early 1900's. Thomas died from alcohol poisoning after a night out at the White Horse Tavern. Today the bar serves locals, NYU students and tourists.
As we kept walking we headed toward Christopher Street, where we learned that it is one of the most heavily gay populated parts of the country. We saw stores, bars, and restaurants decked out with gay pride flags. As we walked down the street we spotted a few adult stores with interesting fetish and sex apparel in the windows. Next we got to Christopher Park, where we saw George Segal's statue "Gay Liberation" which portrays the gay people of the area. It was a cute little place to gather and remember those brave people who stood up for their rights against all odds. We came up to the Stonewall Inn, which was the home of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. We learned that the gay people of New York who were constantly treated unfairly due to their sexual orientation had had enough and caused an uproar at this very bar. People gathered in the streets and bombarded police who tried to arrest innocent people. Almost everything in the bar was broken and many people were hospitalized and arrested. It was a defining moment for the gay community and it marked the strength in numbers that these people had. To this day the area surrounding the Stonewall Inn hold pride parades and remember those who fought for gay rights in the past.
We headed to Washington Square next, which is located in the center of the village. There we saw a beautiful plaza circling a fountain in which people were sitting in to cool off. There were benches all around the square and many trees and foliage to shade the people who visit. At the entrance there were two marble statues of George Washington. One was of him as a fighter in battle and one was of him as president.
After our visit to Washington Square, we visited the Old Merchants House of New York. we were guided on a tour of the house beginning with the downstairs and then moved up. The house was built in 1831 by Joseph Brewster and was purchased by Seabury Tredwell. The home of the Tredwell's has been a museum since 1935 and has undergone numerous restorations. Tredwell was a merchant who had eight children. His family occupied the house on 29 East and 4th Street until 1933 when Tredwell's youngest daughter Gertrude died. We started down in the family room where the Tredwells would have their meals and spend time together. The kitchen was cute and had an old stove that the servants would use. We learned that the house had running water but only because the Tredwells were fortunate and well off. Most other New Yorkers of the time had to walk to the well to get water. When we walked upstairs we stood in the main dining room and living room. The tour guide told us that wealthy women of the time had to make time to meet with other wealthy women to socialize and to maintain social standing in the community. This seemed interesting to me because they could not simply pick up the phone to talk to one another. There was a whole procedure for socializing in that era. The Tredwell's home is the only 19th century Manhattan home to survive. What I thought was fascinating was that the house still maintained the original furniture and family belongings. Couches, chairs, mirrors, beds, bedding, and clothing all managed to make it through the years.
After the tour of the Old Merchant's House we went to St.Mark's place, where Joey, Chelsea and I went to this little french fry place called Pommes Frites. It was delicious, they made homemade Belgian french fries and had every kind of dipping sauce you could imagine! Then we went to Japadog. It is a restaurant that specializes in unconventional hotdogs. They are mostly Japanese so the menu consists of hot dogs covered in Japanese foods such as noodles, rice, seaweed, teriyaki sauce and other oriental herbs. We got the Age Ice, which is a deep fried bun filled with ice cream. It was delicious!
Next on the agenda was the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) where we were guided on a walking tour by Bill and Bill. The first Bill did not say much, he gave us a quick introduction to the museum and explained that the history of grassroots activism in the East Village. Bill number two did most of the talking. He led us outside to show us the building where squatters used to live. We learned that the C-squat was the last remaining squat in the 1970's and 80's. The original landlords of the buildings left them to rot and squatters came to inhabit them. They made a community out of an abandoned town. Police tried to kick out the squatters and were successful in dispossessing hundreds of them. Twelve buildings in the lower east side survived and eleven of them have been turned over to the UHAB. The building that the museum is in is the twelfth squat, which refused to participate in the UHAB, and residents are suing for adverse possession. Bill took us to the 9th Street Community Garden, which is a public garden maintained by neighborhood volunteers through GreenThumb. Founded in 1978, GreenThumb helps local residents transform vacant properties into attractive green spaces. Next we went to La Plaza Cultural, which is another community garden across the street. Bill number one told us about how people can come in and plant their own flowers or vegetables in designated plots. He also showed us the compost, and how recycled materials are turned into soil for growing things in the garden. We walked through the garden and saw a mural on the wall that lasted from the 80's. I liked the gardens, I learned that the people of New York City can appreciate nature just as much as people on Long Island. Although they do not have backyards to plant flowers, they have these community gardens which give them the opportunity to enjoy nature whenever they want. The fences of the garden were lined with creative artwork made from recycled materials. Cans and containers were used to create flowers and pinwheels to add an artistic touch to the garden.
Bill walked us past the Christadora House, which is the symbol of Gentrification in the lower east side. In the 80's the building went from being a community center to expensive condominiums, which booted out many of the community members who could not afford to stay there. Locals protested and rioted against the gentrification occurring in alphabet city. Many of the riots happened in Tompkins Square Park, which is where we stopped next. Many of the people of the village were unhappy with the treatment of the homeless people and the poor locals. The people were upset about the government involvement in the culture of the neighborhood and the "cleansing" of Tompkins Square Park. Bill talked a lot about this topic and I honestly lost focus many times throughout the end of the tour. Lastly we ended at the first community based recycling center, where locals can come to bring their recycling, since the city does not have separate recycling pick up. Bill was very informative and spoke passionately about the history of the lower east side. It was nice to learn about, but it was pretty drawn out.
We walked back to Bleecker Street, where some people chose to take the subway back to Penn Station. Chelsea, Joey, Katie and I decided to get drinks and dinner at the Village Lantern. The food was delicious. Then we stopped at Cafe Dante to visit my godmother, where we had ice cream and a canoli.
Today was an extremely long day of walking, but I learned a lot and had fun!
East of the Park
6/13/13
Today was another sticky rainy day. But it was interesting and less tiring than Tuesday, however I was still sore from the ten miles of walking from the last class. As we met with our other classmates and teachers we were told that if we did not complete this class due to the rain we would have to make it up at a later time. So we all knew not to complain during this day's adventures. We took the 2-train to the Time Square Shuttle over to Grand Central Station and took the 6 train uptown to East Harlem.
We walked to the Museum of the City of New York. A museum that "celebrates and interprets the city, educating the public about its distinctive character, especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation." When we got there we started off in the fashion section. It had some interesting mannequins dressed in clothing of the latest trends. After that we went upstairs and noted the beautiful hanging light fixture above the spiral staircase. Once we were upstairs we saw a beautiful doll house that was constructed by Carrie Walter Stettheimer over the course of two decades in the early 1900's. It was a very detailed and intricate model of the grand scale that the Stettheimers lived on. I loved looking inside and seeing the miniature drawings and detailed furniture in the rooms around the house. Many of the tiny works in the eccentric project were created by famous artists of New York. Next we went into the activist New York exhibit, where the walls were lined with posters from activist posters dating back to the 17th century. I really enjoyed this room because I am personally interested in the activist movement. It is intriguing to witness the passions and conflicts that underly the cities history. I enjoyed going to the computers set up in the exhibit and reading about the periods of activism in New York. There were photos, artifacts and videos on civil rights, gay movement, religious freedom, wages and prehistoric conservation.
After the quick walk through of the activist exhibit, we went to watch a movie about the history of the city of New York. I personally found the film to be quite interesting. It gave a thorough explanation of the history of New York City. In the early 1600's Henry Hudson sailed through the river which led to a bay, which became the entrance into North America. The Dutch settled there due to the high level of trade with other countries. The English then came in and took over the land as well as New Amsterdam, which was later named New York after the Duke of York. Soon after, South Street became the biggest seaport in the country and then Wall Street became the center of commerce. Every few years, new roads and streets were built in order to accommodate the mass amounts of trade coming into the country. In the early 1800's Governer Dewitt Clinton decided to begin construction of a man-made canal in order to open the country's trade west of the Appalachian Mountains. It went from upstate New York down to the harbor in NYC. By the late 1840's New York was on its way to being the biggest industrial center of the country, as factories were being built along the Manhattan and Brooklyn shoreline. Immigrants began to come in from Germany and Ireland to work in the factories and live in the tenements of the first slums. People moved across to Brooklyn heights, the first suburbs of the country and traveled to work. For the first time in history, people no longer lived where they worked. After the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution called for a mass transit system. The elevated train ran 30 feet above the ground to move people across the city. With all the positive changes and innovations occurring in this area, there was also a negative side. Manhattan was split between the very rich on 5th Ave and the very poor on the lower east side. Both ends of the economic spectrum were living together on the same island. By the early 1900's more and more people immigrated to New York through Ellis Island in order to work in the biggest industrial center in the country. By World War I, New York had an underground subway, theaters, ball parks, beaches, and resorts that made it a five borough universe that connected to the rest of the country. The movie went on to describe the bohemian trends that entered Greenwich Village, the African American movement into Harlem, Broadway and 5th Ave. By the mid 20th Century Robert Moses had torn down streets and buildings to create highways that connected New York to other parts of the country. By the 1990's New York was a booming metropolis that was safe and financially successful, its population grew as immigrants came in from all countries around the globe. The movie touched upon September 11th, and the pride and unity that brought the people of New York together.
After the museum we went to E 104th Street and Lexington Avenue, where we met our tour guide Luke. He was going to give us a walking tour of Spanish Harlem. As soon as we met him I could tell that he was a nice guy. He got to know all of us individually, which I thought was important, and he wanted to know how we were feeling. Then he talked about the garden that we were standing in front of, and described the mural of the three Spanish queens painted on the wall. One of them was Julia de Burgos. Next he showed us a building who's wall was painted with a beautiful mural. It depicted the community of Harlem and highlighted the key elements that helped to shape the history of that "hood". Paintings of family, friends, unity, entertainment, community and love are all seen on the wall. A man named Jorge stopped to listen to Luke's spiel and Luke asked if he had anything to add. Jorge told us about how gentrification is making it harder and harder for the locals to live their lives the way they used to. The police will arrest someone who is sitting outside with a beer playing dominos, when they are just trying to express themselves in their community. Luke showed us many murals and mosaics located on the walls of the buildings in the neighborhood. My favorite part was the mosaic of John Lennon, since he is my favorite. We saw a wall that was located at a local elementary school which had graffiti on it. He described the importance of expression through street art and having designated areas for people to decorate walls with graffiti. The last stop was the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center. It was formerly Public School 72, but was later turned into a cultural center to expose art of the people of the community. Luke ended the tour with a song about a woman on the D-train who sings to herself, and the true importance of having a voice despite all the struggles in life. I personally really enjoy listening to people speak when they are truly passionate about what they love. Luke seemed to care a great deal about the art and music in his neighborhood and of his culture. I enjoyed listening to him speak because he spoke from the heart and kept me engaged the whole time.
We split up for lunch and decided to have some authentic Mexican food at "El Paso". It was pricey but delicious!
After lunch we walked to Central Park. We started at the Conservatory Garden. We stood at the beautiful gate and Mike told us that the gated doors once belonged at the Vanderbilt mansion. The Conservatory Garden is 6 acres large and is the park's only formal garden. "It is named for an elaborate greenhouse (1898) torn down in 1934 during the Depression as a cost-cutting measure" (BG pg. 297). We took a walk through the garden as it began to rain. Then we stopped and sat on a rock. Mike asked us about our impressions of New York now, compared to our previous impressions. I mentioned that the city has a lot more green space than I had ever imagined. There are many gardens throughout the five boroughs that I never knew about. We kept walking through the park and took a moment to admire the breathtaking view of the skyline seen across the Reservoir. After walking around the path and dodging many puddles, we made it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum occupies 1.5 million square feet and is the largest most comprehensive art museum in the world (BG pg. 326). It was so crowded, and once we got there we found out that we only had 20 minutes inside, since they were closing at 5:30. We walked into the Punk: Chaos to Culture section. There were security workers at every corner telling us not to take pictures, so naturally I took pictures anyway. There were mannequins dressed in eccentric clothing of the 21st century. Every mannequin had a spiky wig on, which added to the fashion of the time. There was a 'Do It Yourself' section that had many outfits made of household items such as newspaper and grocery bags. My favorite one was the Mannequin giving the finger. This was a creative and innovative exhibit. I enjoyed walking through the raunchy and explicit forms of fashion that belongs to the style of punk. We walked through another gallery but we did not get to see much because the security soon kicked us out.
We went back into Central Park and walked past the Model Boat Pond, where people usually race their small boats.
We saw a squirrel who climbed up onto a man's camera tripod and onto his backpack. The man nonchalantly pet the wild animal and fed it a cracker, it was the most bizarre thing I had seen all day.
Then we walked into Bethesda Terrace, which immediately reminded me of the scene from one of my favorite movies "Friends with Benefits" Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis walk under the Bethesda Terrace Arcade. As the blue guide states on page 289 the walls of the underpass are decorated with ornamental stonework by Jacob Wrey Mould. At the center of the terrace we saw the Bethesda Fountain, which is beautiful. At the top of the fountain you can see the Angel of the Waters (1868) by Emma Stebbins (BG pg. 290). We got to sit and enjoy the peaceful sounds of the fountain and 'people watch' because apparently this is prime territory to do so.
Next up was my absolute favorite part of the day. Strawberry Fields! Before we went in, Don and Mike told us a bit about the history of Strawberry Fields and some fun facts about John Lennon, (which I already knew). The 2.5 acre area near Central Park west was constructed in 1985 to honor John Lennon. This section of the park is seen from the Dakota Apartments on 72nd street, where John Lennon lived before he was shot and killed in the lobby of the building. We walked in and passed the rock, which lists the names of countries that contributed to the garden. We walked in and as Mike began talking we were approached by Gary, the mayor of Strawberry Fields. The NYPD gave him this title, and now he spends every day in the park, placing flowers on the stone memorial. He spewed out a bunch of facts about the life of John Lennon and his impact on New York City as well as the rest of the world. He discussed the controversial views that John had about politics, and the way he expressed it through his music. He went on to note about the murder of John by Mark David Chapman, and talked about John's late wife Yoko Ono. He said that she owned the whole 7th floor of the Dakota, and the window with the white curtains is the white room, where John had his piano. Every year on the anniversary of his death, a candle is lit at the Dakota. One thing I did not know, is that originally there were plans to place a statue of John in this part of the park, but Yoko decided against it because she did not want to see his face every time she came to the park, and because she did not want birds to poop on his head! As Gary ended he asked for donations and kindly let me take a photo with him, all while his dog MaryJane stood by and listened. It was an amazing end to a very long day!
Today was another sticky rainy day. But it was interesting and less tiring than Tuesday, however I was still sore from the ten miles of walking from the last class. As we met with our other classmates and teachers we were told that if we did not complete this class due to the rain we would have to make it up at a later time. So we all knew not to complain during this day's adventures. We took the 2-train to the Time Square Shuttle over to Grand Central Station and took the 6 train uptown to East Harlem.
We walked to the Museum of the City of New York. A museum that "celebrates and interprets the city, educating the public about its distinctive character, especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation." When we got there we started off in the fashion section. It had some interesting mannequins dressed in clothing of the latest trends. After that we went upstairs and noted the beautiful hanging light fixture above the spiral staircase. Once we were upstairs we saw a beautiful doll house that was constructed by Carrie Walter Stettheimer over the course of two decades in the early 1900's. It was a very detailed and intricate model of the grand scale that the Stettheimers lived on. I loved looking inside and seeing the miniature drawings and detailed furniture in the rooms around the house. Many of the tiny works in the eccentric project were created by famous artists of New York. Next we went into the activist New York exhibit, where the walls were lined with posters from activist posters dating back to the 17th century. I really enjoyed this room because I am personally interested in the activist movement. It is intriguing to witness the passions and conflicts that underly the cities history. I enjoyed going to the computers set up in the exhibit and reading about the periods of activism in New York. There were photos, artifacts and videos on civil rights, gay movement, religious freedom, wages and prehistoric conservation.
After the quick walk through of the activist exhibit, we went to watch a movie about the history of the city of New York. I personally found the film to be quite interesting. It gave a thorough explanation of the history of New York City. In the early 1600's Henry Hudson sailed through the river which led to a bay, which became the entrance into North America. The Dutch settled there due to the high level of trade with other countries. The English then came in and took over the land as well as New Amsterdam, which was later named New York after the Duke of York. Soon after, South Street became the biggest seaport in the country and then Wall Street became the center of commerce. Every few years, new roads and streets were built in order to accommodate the mass amounts of trade coming into the country. In the early 1800's Governer Dewitt Clinton decided to begin construction of a man-made canal in order to open the country's trade west of the Appalachian Mountains. It went from upstate New York down to the harbor in NYC. By the late 1840's New York was on its way to being the biggest industrial center of the country, as factories were being built along the Manhattan and Brooklyn shoreline. Immigrants began to come in from Germany and Ireland to work in the factories and live in the tenements of the first slums. People moved across to Brooklyn heights, the first suburbs of the country and traveled to work. For the first time in history, people no longer lived where they worked. After the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution called for a mass transit system. The elevated train ran 30 feet above the ground to move people across the city. With all the positive changes and innovations occurring in this area, there was also a negative side. Manhattan was split between the very rich on 5th Ave and the very poor on the lower east side. Both ends of the economic spectrum were living together on the same island. By the early 1900's more and more people immigrated to New York through Ellis Island in order to work in the biggest industrial center in the country. By World War I, New York had an underground subway, theaters, ball parks, beaches, and resorts that made it a five borough universe that connected to the rest of the country. The movie went on to describe the bohemian trends that entered Greenwich Village, the African American movement into Harlem, Broadway and 5th Ave. By the mid 20th Century Robert Moses had torn down streets and buildings to create highways that connected New York to other parts of the country. By the 1990's New York was a booming metropolis that was safe and financially successful, its population grew as immigrants came in from all countries around the globe. The movie touched upon September 11th, and the pride and unity that brought the people of New York together.
After the museum we went to E 104th Street and Lexington Avenue, where we met our tour guide Luke. He was going to give us a walking tour of Spanish Harlem. As soon as we met him I could tell that he was a nice guy. He got to know all of us individually, which I thought was important, and he wanted to know how we were feeling. Then he talked about the garden that we were standing in front of, and described the mural of the three Spanish queens painted on the wall. One of them was Julia de Burgos. Next he showed us a building who's wall was painted with a beautiful mural. It depicted the community of Harlem and highlighted the key elements that helped to shape the history of that "hood". Paintings of family, friends, unity, entertainment, community and love are all seen on the wall. A man named Jorge stopped to listen to Luke's spiel and Luke asked if he had anything to add. Jorge told us about how gentrification is making it harder and harder for the locals to live their lives the way they used to. The police will arrest someone who is sitting outside with a beer playing dominos, when they are just trying to express themselves in their community. Luke showed us many murals and mosaics located on the walls of the buildings in the neighborhood. My favorite part was the mosaic of John Lennon, since he is my favorite. We saw a wall that was located at a local elementary school which had graffiti on it. He described the importance of expression through street art and having designated areas for people to decorate walls with graffiti. The last stop was the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center. It was formerly Public School 72, but was later turned into a cultural center to expose art of the people of the community. Luke ended the tour with a song about a woman on the D-train who sings to herself, and the true importance of having a voice despite all the struggles in life. I personally really enjoy listening to people speak when they are truly passionate about what they love. Luke seemed to care a great deal about the art and music in his neighborhood and of his culture. I enjoyed listening to him speak because he spoke from the heart and kept me engaged the whole time.
We split up for lunch and decided to have some authentic Mexican food at "El Paso". It was pricey but delicious!
After lunch we walked to Central Park. We started at the Conservatory Garden. We stood at the beautiful gate and Mike told us that the gated doors once belonged at the Vanderbilt mansion. The Conservatory Garden is 6 acres large and is the park's only formal garden. "It is named for an elaborate greenhouse (1898) torn down in 1934 during the Depression as a cost-cutting measure" (BG pg. 297). We took a walk through the garden as it began to rain. Then we stopped and sat on a rock. Mike asked us about our impressions of New York now, compared to our previous impressions. I mentioned that the city has a lot more green space than I had ever imagined. There are many gardens throughout the five boroughs that I never knew about. We kept walking through the park and took a moment to admire the breathtaking view of the skyline seen across the Reservoir. After walking around the path and dodging many puddles, we made it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum occupies 1.5 million square feet and is the largest most comprehensive art museum in the world (BG pg. 326). It was so crowded, and once we got there we found out that we only had 20 minutes inside, since they were closing at 5:30. We walked into the Punk: Chaos to Culture section. There were security workers at every corner telling us not to take pictures, so naturally I took pictures anyway. There were mannequins dressed in eccentric clothing of the 21st century. Every mannequin had a spiky wig on, which added to the fashion of the time. There was a 'Do It Yourself' section that had many outfits made of household items such as newspaper and grocery bags. My favorite one was the Mannequin giving the finger. This was a creative and innovative exhibit. I enjoyed walking through the raunchy and explicit forms of fashion that belongs to the style of punk. We walked through another gallery but we did not get to see much because the security soon kicked us out.
We went back into Central Park and walked past the Model Boat Pond, where people usually race their small boats.
We saw a squirrel who climbed up onto a man's camera tripod and onto his backpack. The man nonchalantly pet the wild animal and fed it a cracker, it was the most bizarre thing I had seen all day.
Then we walked into Bethesda Terrace, which immediately reminded me of the scene from one of my favorite movies "Friends with Benefits" Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis walk under the Bethesda Terrace Arcade. As the blue guide states on page 289 the walls of the underpass are decorated with ornamental stonework by Jacob Wrey Mould. At the center of the terrace we saw the Bethesda Fountain, which is beautiful. At the top of the fountain you can see the Angel of the Waters (1868) by Emma Stebbins (BG pg. 290). We got to sit and enjoy the peaceful sounds of the fountain and 'people watch' because apparently this is prime territory to do so.
Next up was my absolute favorite part of the day. Strawberry Fields! Before we went in, Don and Mike told us a bit about the history of Strawberry Fields and some fun facts about John Lennon, (which I already knew). The 2.5 acre area near Central Park west was constructed in 1985 to honor John Lennon. This section of the park is seen from the Dakota Apartments on 72nd street, where John Lennon lived before he was shot and killed in the lobby of the building. We walked in and passed the rock, which lists the names of countries that contributed to the garden. We walked in and as Mike began talking we were approached by Gary, the mayor of Strawberry Fields. The NYPD gave him this title, and now he spends every day in the park, placing flowers on the stone memorial. He spewed out a bunch of facts about the life of John Lennon and his impact on New York City as well as the rest of the world. He discussed the controversial views that John had about politics, and the way he expressed it through his music. He went on to note about the murder of John by Mark David Chapman, and talked about John's late wife Yoko Ono. He said that she owned the whole 7th floor of the Dakota, and the window with the white curtains is the white room, where John had his piano. Every year on the anniversary of his death, a candle is lit at the Dakota. One thing I did not know, is that originally there were plans to place a statue of John in this part of the park, but Yoko decided against it because she did not want to see his face every time she came to the park, and because she did not want birds to poop on his head! As Gary ended he asked for donations and kindly let me take a photo with him, all while his dog MaryJane stood by and listened. It was an amazing end to a very long day!
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