Journal 1: Impressions of New York
When people think of New York City, they often call it the “city that never sleeps” or the “concrete jungle,” and in recent years it has become known as the only place where you can find a surprisingly good Halal stand open until about 4 am. All of these prove to be true. The millions of people that inhabit the city, as well as all of those who commute to-and-from their jobs in the city almost every single day through seemingly endless blocks of towering skyscrapers and tall buildings truly give off the vibe of it being a “concrete jungle”. New York City can also be rightfully called the “city that never sleeps”, given the high volumes of human traffic at all hours of the day and the fact that many cafes, restaurants, pubs, and even most hot dog/roasted nut/pretzel/Halal stands on street corners are open until the early hours of the morning still offering meals to those who appear lost in the city’s attractive glow, both local and tourist alike. However, aside from most of the common names and phrases that New York City is associated with, everyone experiences and interprets the city in different ways. I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to appreciate the city in my own light ever since I was a young child.
For me, NYC symbolizes artistic freedom, inspiration, passion, and, most importantly, love. Growing up, I did not spend as much time with my parents as I would have liked. My mother was a nurse and my father was a New York City police officer. They both worked shifts during the daytime and would then come home and go right to sleep. As a result, I was often sent to Middle Village to spend time with my grandmother, whom I lovingly call “Mamar”. Since I was primarily raised by Mamar in Queens, New York, I would often travel into the city with her just to pass the time. I did not know it then, but Mamar opened my eyes to many of the city’s secrets and also taught me how to be open to and have an appreciation for many different things in the world. Various forms of art only found in this city, ranging from stylized graffiti, renowned art museums, public performances in famous concert halls, and Broadway plays would inspire me so deeply that one day I would soon find myself pursuing these interests in college and potentially for the rest of my life.
There was always one distinct memory of my childhood that I cannot forget even if I tried: the first time Mamar ever unveiled the beauty of the city to me. I remember that it was a bright and sunny day in New York and that I was so excited to finally be going somewhere fun with my grandmother. I remember Mamar driving on the Long Island Expressway with me in the backseat and looking up to see the city skyline grow larger as we approached the skyscrapers. As soon as we hit the Midtown Tunnel, I recall glancing out at the lights that illuminated the tunnel and, as they flickered past my wandering eyes, I knew we were approaching a place that was truly remarkable. Entering Manhattan for the very first time was definitely a sensation that ignited something at the very core of my soul, something between a simultaneous feeling of excitement and awe. Exiting that tunnel felt as if I had been reborn into a new light; seeing the tall buildings and the hustling and bustling of passers-by felt like a whole new world. For that I am forever grateful to my Mamar. Little did I know that once we were in the city, she would introduce me to something that would change my life forever.
My grandmother was extremely passionate about the arts, specifically in the areas of visual art, music, and theatre. I remember Mamar would always take me to various events and exhibits around New York City just to keep me occupied as a younger child. Because of her, I had visited Broadway and Lincoln Center often and even saw a concert from the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. I remember I was usually mesmerized with the various sounds of the instruments, and even realized how each instrumental accompaniment was crucial to the togetherness of the harmony and to the orchestra as a whole. We also have visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art numerous times. Mamar taught me the fact that art does not have a defined meaning, but rather the genius behind it is that it presents enough details to let the viewer discover his/her own feelings, interpretations, and meanings about the piece. The area of the arts that has my heart, however, is Broadway. There is something about the stage that, even since I was a younger child, has always fascinated me. An actor's ability to fully become one with and personify the character they are portraying, and evoke all kinds of different emotions from an audience during a live performance is amazing. Unlike film acting, theatre acting is performed live and actors must delve deep into their characters instantly, nothing can be “rolled back” or “re-shot”. My grandmother pointed out to me that if you forget that an individual on the stage is actually just another person representing that particular character, the actor has succeeded. Mamar is the reason that I have fallen in love with New York City and have an admiration for all of the arts, especially acting and theatre.
New York City is also called the “art capital of the world,” and my appreciation for the arts originated from spending most of my childhood wandering around New York City under the care of Mamar. Since I am currently heavily involved with the Molloy Performing Arts Program (MPAC), I believe that the experiences I had with my grandmother in Manhattan have helped mold my hobbies and future career aspirations. In many ways, New York City is the land of opportunity to millions of young artists and art enthusiasts like me. It is also a special place where I could escape the loneliness of an empty household and, like many others who seem so lost, strive to find myself. In short, my first impression of New York City is that it was a place where I would discover new interests I love and enjoy them with someone I care for so deeply: my loving Mamar.
Journal 2: Quixotic Queens
July 10, 2013.
As I awakened this morning, a wave of excitement rushed through me when I realized that today was the start of our Gotham: The New York Experience core class! I quickly prepared myself for the day’s exciting adventures and proceeded to walk to the train station. During my walk, I noticed that it was rather hot outside and knew it was only going to get worse when the humidity set in. When I finally reached the Great Neck train station, I looked around at the other people waiting for the train and I felt that, in a way, I was now just like many other city commuters. After a moment of pondering, the train finally arrived and I boarded it to Penn Station to meet up with the professors and my fellow classmates for the first time!
When I arrived at Penn Station, I immediately walked up the stairs to the designated meeting spot and noticed that I was about ten minutes early. I met a friend and fellow classmate of mine, Diana, right outside the McDonald’s in Penn, and we walked over to Jamba Juice to grab a smoothie so that we could both say we had something in our bellies before the busy day began. When we walked back over, we noticed that more of our classmates had appeared and introduced ourselves to them. Before we knew it, the professors had met us all there and “gave us the run-down” of how the day was planned out. Penn Station was actually where the class got our first lecture, and we learned that the Penn Station we were standing in was not the original Penn Station. Rather, the original Penn Station was torn down and rebuilt in the 1960s. As soon as the professors gave us this fun fact, we continued on our way to touring the greatest city in the world!
After we left Penn Station, we immediately picked up the pace and headed up Fifth Avenue to the New York Public Library. We all sat down on the steps and got our second lesson of the class. Dr. Russo taught us that during the Great Depression, Mayor La Guardia named the two stone lions that sit outside the library “patience” and “fortitude" (I assume he named them appropriately and as a way to rally the people and remind them that, even during hard economic times, they should continue to push forward). Professor Hey also taught us that the New York Public Library is one of four main research libraries, and is commonly called the “people’s palace of triumphant glory”. As we rose and proceeded to enter the library, we climbed two flights of marble stairs to reach the beautifully-decorated Rotunda which contained walls of chiseled mahogany and was adorned with paintings. As noted in the Blue Guide of New York, “The Rotunda is decorated with murals (1940) by Edward Laning depicting the story of the recorded word” [BG, 208]. We continued inside to the Rose Main Reading Room and were all assigned to take a few minutes and write a New York City haiku. Too distracted by the beauty within the surrounding room, I buckled myself down and proceeded to write my New York City haiku:
Chandeliers above
wandering eyes glistening
true beauty is found.
About ten minutes later we left the New York Public Library but before we carried on with our first class, we took a few minutes to stand outside the library to admire the architecture and learn about four main architectural styles commonly found in buildings all around the city: neo-Classical, art deco, neo-Gothic, and International. I was able to classify the columns found outside the New York Public Library as belonging to the neo-Classical style because of the detailed chiseling and the Corinthian-style heads atop the columns that are of a Greek influence (I took an art history class in high school and vaguely remembered this chapter).
We learned more about the other architectural styles and saw examples as we continued on our journey, but before we did this we walked to the front of Grand Central Terminal and admired the clock and the statue that was looking down on us. The Blue Guide of New York provides more information about the statue: “Jules-Félix Coutan created the sculptural group (1914) that crowns the façade. Entitled Transportation, it depicts Mercury (Commerce) flanked by Hercules (Physical Energy) and Minerva (Intellectual Energy). Directly beneath the clock (13ft in diameter) stands a heroic bronze figure of Cornelius Vanderbilt, commissioned by the Commodore himself (1869)…” [B.G., 229]. The professors told us that Grand Central Terminal is the largest train station in the world, and accounted for 40% of all train traffic in the early 1900s. However, with the help of Robert Moses, train traffic began to slow down in the 1950s with the invention of cars and the parkway systems. The main advocator for keeping Grand Central Terminal open was actually Jackie Kennedy Onassis and The main advocator for keeping Grand Central Terminal open was actually Jackie Kennedy Onassis and, if it weren’t for her, the station might not have existed today. All this talk about the exterior and the history of Grand Central terminal brought us inside, where we saw even more beautiful works of art. In the middle of the terminal stood a golden clock, which serves as a symbol of Grand Central Station. Dr. Russo told us that there was an old film entitled “The Clock,” in which the lovers’ meeting place was by the clock located in the center of the station. This was appropriate and ironic because it parallels with the mural when you look upward towards the ceiling and see the astrological heavens, as told by Dr. Russo, “not from your perspective on Earth, but rather from a god’s-eye perspective in the heavens”.
After being mesmerized by this mural, it was time to exit the station and continue on past the Helmsley Building and down Park Avenue to see more examples of the four different types of architectural styles used primarily in many buildings in New York City. The first place we stopped was the famous Waldorf Astoria hotel, which presented a 1930s-looking art deco style interior (its columns were more squared-off and of a simple block structure) and whose paintings resembled a Roman influence. Then, we came across St. Bartholomew’s Church, which was built in 1914 and is the oldest building on Park Avenue. This church represents the neo-Gothic style. We continued on to the Seagram Building which, at first, appeared as an illuminated replica of the monolith as seen in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Just as the monolith in this film was seen by viewers, the internationalist style of the Seagram Building was frowned upon by many because it was seen as “simple” and “cold” as compared to the neo-Classical and art deco styles we have seen before.
We then crossed over to Lexington Avenue and East 60th Street and saw Bloomingdale’s, and continued over another block to the tram and took it to Roosevelt Island. I have to say, I have never been in that tram before, and the ride actually helped a bit with quelling my fear of heights! When we got off the tram, we learned that “…the first inhabitants of Queens were the Rockaway Indians, whose name lives on in the peninsula stretching across Jamaica Bay. The first settlers were Dutch, who arrived c. 1635, followed by the English some 20 years later” [B.G., 494]. Dr. Russo told us that the Dutch initially named the city New Amsterdam, but it later was named New York by the English after the Duke of York. The island we stood on was initially named Blackwell Island because the family that owned the land was called the Blackwater family, but it was later named Roosevelt Island after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. As we made our way around the island, we noticed two interesting sites: the Strecker Laboratory which was built in 1892 and was the first laboratory for patheological and bacterial research in the nation, and the old and run-down Smallpox Hospital which was built in 1854 by James Renwick, the same architect who built St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The last stop on Roosevelt Island was the Four Freedoms Park, or the monument that was built in honor of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his speech about our four main freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom from fear, freedom from want and freedom of worship (religion). There was even a large statue of FDR’s face on the monument in his honor.
After the class sat down and unwound for a few minutes, we hit the road again and took the F train off Roosevelt Island and went to Jackson Heights to eat Indian food at the Jackson Diner. I have to say, Indian food is absolutely excellent and a great way to spice things up a bit (pun intended)! Dr. Russo walked around and made sure we were all satisfied, and even suggested that we “try something different”. Diana, Amanda, Chris and myself unanimously decided that we were all going to be brave and try goat, seeing as though none of us have ever had it before. We all agreed that the texture was a bit chewy and similar to that of pork, but the taste was a bit gamey for my liking. Nonetheless, it was not “bad” at all, and stepping out of your comfort zone every once in a while never hurt anyone—it’s a major part of being in this class, it’s all a learning experience!
Once everyone had their fill of Indian cuisine and the most refreshing water they’ve ever had, we were on the move again and walked over a block to take the R train to Steinway Street and visit Astoria, Queens. From my own experience in Astoria, I already knew that it was primarily a Greek-inhabited community, but it is diversified and even has an influx of high-class whites moving in and trying to inhabit that lower-class area (this is called gentrification). Before the big Hollywood scene moved across the country to L.A., most films were actually shot in Astoria, Queens during the silent film and Old Hollywood eras because of its urban atmosphere. We passed Kaufman Studios, where most popular movies and television shows such as Law & Order, Nurse Jackie, Men in Black, and Sesame Street are still shot today. The class then visited the Museum of the Moving Image across the street from the studios, and we were taught by a very informative and intelligent guide named Joel. Joel taught us that the building we were in (a part of the Museum of the Moving Image) was initially a part of the Kaufman studios for processing and post-production purposes in the 1920s. After learning this history, we toured the museum’s three floors from top-to-bottom and learned the history of film and its different aspects (such as directing, acting, make-up/costume design, audio, lighting, and special effects). Since I am a Communications major here at Molloy College, I was already a bit familiar with the history of film and knew that it developed from photography which was perfected by Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicephore Niépce. The calotype process was invented by William Fox Talbot, and is the earliest form of film: different images were individually shown on one side of a wheel and there were slits on the other side of the wheel for each of the images and when the viewer spun the wheel, the images appeared to be in motion. The kinetoscope was later invented by Thomas Edison, and ever since then technological advances in film and photography have helped make it what it is today. What fascinated me the most was a separate area in which there were multiple bars with different figures that were spinning on a cylinder and, when the lights turned off in the room, the images appeared to be animated (check out a video below to see more). I find it fascinating how different forms of technology can manipulate the human eye and be used to create the very things we enjoy to watch today (this is often used by directors and is a part of the art of cinematography).
After basking in my glory at this museum, we all took the M train to 23rd Street and Ely Avenue in Long Island City and learned that this area has come very far from its dark past: it used to be an area where prostitutes would lurk at night, but now gentrification is entering LIC and wealthy landowners are looking to build high-rise apartment buildings right on the East River. One main group that gentrified into the LIC area first was the artists, and this is evident with the first stop we had planned to hit: PS1. PS1 is a public school that had partnered with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to show different exhibits in each of the classrooms, but unfortunately we did not visit it because the place was closed. Instead, we walked across the street to the renowned 5Pointz building. I am very familiar with the 5Pointz building; I would pass it every time I took the 7 Train into the city. Anyway, just to give a brief description: the 5Pointz building is New York City’s first and only legal aerosol museum where graffiti artists can display their work (with a license/permit, of course). Rumor has it that the high-class people that are gentrifying into LIC want to tear it down and use the property to build more high-rise apartment buildings, but there are many people vouching for it to stay open. A young graffiti artist spoke to us a bit about the etymology of the name “5Pointz”: basically it represents all 5 boroughs coming together to share their own artwork and create one main work of art. At the end of his discussion, myself and many other classmates signed a petition to try and save this amazing urban piece of art.
After this, we walked a few blocks west to the East River and took a look at the waterfront apartments, and took portraits right by the large “Pepsi-Cola” sign. Finally, the class ended with our trip to the LIC gantries, a place where ships would dock. “Long Island” is painted over these gantries because Queens is still a part of Long Island. Many people were very tired after this long day and just went home, but Diana, Amanda and myself decided to make one last stop and grab a bite to eat after a long days’ worth of walking at a Mexican restaurant called Salsa y Salsa (thank you so much for everything, professors--you guys are the best!). The food was delicious, and wrapping up a fantastic first class made it even more worthwhile!
Check out the music player below while reading and listen to a few tracks that
come to mind when I think of these three areas of New York City
As I awakened this morning, a wave of excitement rushed through me when I realized that today was the start of our Gotham: The New York Experience core class! I quickly prepared myself for the day’s exciting adventures and proceeded to walk to the train station. During my walk, I noticed that it was rather hot outside and knew it was only going to get worse when the humidity set in. When I finally reached the Great Neck train station, I looked around at the other people waiting for the train and I felt that, in a way, I was now just like many other city commuters. After a moment of pondering, the train finally arrived and I boarded it to Penn Station to meet up with the professors and my fellow classmates for the first time!
When I arrived at Penn Station, I immediately walked up the stairs to the designated meeting spot and noticed that I was about ten minutes early. I met a friend and fellow classmate of mine, Diana, right outside the McDonald’s in Penn, and we walked over to Jamba Juice to grab a smoothie so that we could both say we had something in our bellies before the busy day began. When we walked back over, we noticed that more of our classmates had appeared and introduced ourselves to them. Before we knew it, the professors had met us all there and “gave us the run-down” of how the day was planned out. Penn Station was actually where the class got our first lecture, and we learned that the Penn Station we were standing in was not the original Penn Station. Rather, the original Penn Station was torn down and rebuilt in the 1960s. As soon as the professors gave us this fun fact, we continued on our way to touring the greatest city in the world!
After we left Penn Station, we immediately picked up the pace and headed up Fifth Avenue to the New York Public Library. We all sat down on the steps and got our second lesson of the class. Dr. Russo taught us that during the Great Depression, Mayor La Guardia named the two stone lions that sit outside the library “patience” and “fortitude" (I assume he named them appropriately and as a way to rally the people and remind them that, even during hard economic times, they should continue to push forward). Professor Hey also taught us that the New York Public Library is one of four main research libraries, and is commonly called the “people’s palace of triumphant glory”. As we rose and proceeded to enter the library, we climbed two flights of marble stairs to reach the beautifully-decorated Rotunda which contained walls of chiseled mahogany and was adorned with paintings. As noted in the Blue Guide of New York, “The Rotunda is decorated with murals (1940) by Edward Laning depicting the story of the recorded word” [BG, 208]. We continued inside to the Rose Main Reading Room and were all assigned to take a few minutes and write a New York City haiku. Too distracted by the beauty within the surrounding room, I buckled myself down and proceeded to write my New York City haiku:
Chandeliers above
wandering eyes glistening
true beauty is found.
About ten minutes later we left the New York Public Library but before we carried on with our first class, we took a few minutes to stand outside the library to admire the architecture and learn about four main architectural styles commonly found in buildings all around the city: neo-Classical, art deco, neo-Gothic, and International. I was able to classify the columns found outside the New York Public Library as belonging to the neo-Classical style because of the detailed chiseling and the Corinthian-style heads atop the columns that are of a Greek influence (I took an art history class in high school and vaguely remembered this chapter).
We learned more about the other architectural styles and saw examples as we continued on our journey, but before we did this we walked to the front of Grand Central Terminal and admired the clock and the statue that was looking down on us. The Blue Guide of New York provides more information about the statue: “Jules-Félix Coutan created the sculptural group (1914) that crowns the façade. Entitled Transportation, it depicts Mercury (Commerce) flanked by Hercules (Physical Energy) and Minerva (Intellectual Energy). Directly beneath the clock (13ft in diameter) stands a heroic bronze figure of Cornelius Vanderbilt, commissioned by the Commodore himself (1869)…” [B.G., 229]. The professors told us that Grand Central Terminal is the largest train station in the world, and accounted for 40% of all train traffic in the early 1900s. However, with the help of Robert Moses, train traffic began to slow down in the 1950s with the invention of cars and the parkway systems. The main advocator for keeping Grand Central Terminal open was actually Jackie Kennedy Onassis and The main advocator for keeping Grand Central Terminal open was actually Jackie Kennedy Onassis and, if it weren’t for her, the station might not have existed today. All this talk about the exterior and the history of Grand Central terminal brought us inside, where we saw even more beautiful works of art. In the middle of the terminal stood a golden clock, which serves as a symbol of Grand Central Station. Dr. Russo told us that there was an old film entitled “The Clock,” in which the lovers’ meeting place was by the clock located in the center of the station. This was appropriate and ironic because it parallels with the mural when you look upward towards the ceiling and see the astrological heavens, as told by Dr. Russo, “not from your perspective on Earth, but rather from a god’s-eye perspective in the heavens”.
After being mesmerized by this mural, it was time to exit the station and continue on past the Helmsley Building and down Park Avenue to see more examples of the four different types of architectural styles used primarily in many buildings in New York City. The first place we stopped was the famous Waldorf Astoria hotel, which presented a 1930s-looking art deco style interior (its columns were more squared-off and of a simple block structure) and whose paintings resembled a Roman influence. Then, we came across St. Bartholomew’s Church, which was built in 1914 and is the oldest building on Park Avenue. This church represents the neo-Gothic style. We continued on to the Seagram Building which, at first, appeared as an illuminated replica of the monolith as seen in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Just as the monolith in this film was seen by viewers, the internationalist style of the Seagram Building was frowned upon by many because it was seen as “simple” and “cold” as compared to the neo-Classical and art deco styles we have seen before.
We then crossed over to Lexington Avenue and East 60th Street and saw Bloomingdale’s, and continued over another block to the tram and took it to Roosevelt Island. I have to say, I have never been in that tram before, and the ride actually helped a bit with quelling my fear of heights! When we got off the tram, we learned that “…the first inhabitants of Queens were the Rockaway Indians, whose name lives on in the peninsula stretching across Jamaica Bay. The first settlers were Dutch, who arrived c. 1635, followed by the English some 20 years later” [B.G., 494]. Dr. Russo told us that the Dutch initially named the city New Amsterdam, but it later was named New York by the English after the Duke of York. The island we stood on was initially named Blackwell Island because the family that owned the land was called the Blackwater family, but it was later named Roosevelt Island after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. As we made our way around the island, we noticed two interesting sites: the Strecker Laboratory which was built in 1892 and was the first laboratory for patheological and bacterial research in the nation, and the old and run-down Smallpox Hospital which was built in 1854 by James Renwick, the same architect who built St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The last stop on Roosevelt Island was the Four Freedoms Park, or the monument that was built in honor of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his speech about our four main freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom from fear, freedom from want and freedom of worship (religion). There was even a large statue of FDR’s face on the monument in his honor.
After the class sat down and unwound for a few minutes, we hit the road again and took the F train off Roosevelt Island and went to Jackson Heights to eat Indian food at the Jackson Diner. I have to say, Indian food is absolutely excellent and a great way to spice things up a bit (pun intended)! Dr. Russo walked around and made sure we were all satisfied, and even suggested that we “try something different”. Diana, Amanda, Chris and myself unanimously decided that we were all going to be brave and try goat, seeing as though none of us have ever had it before. We all agreed that the texture was a bit chewy and similar to that of pork, but the taste was a bit gamey for my liking. Nonetheless, it was not “bad” at all, and stepping out of your comfort zone every once in a while never hurt anyone—it’s a major part of being in this class, it’s all a learning experience!
Once everyone had their fill of Indian cuisine and the most refreshing water they’ve ever had, we were on the move again and walked over a block to take the R train to Steinway Street and visit Astoria, Queens. From my own experience in Astoria, I already knew that it was primarily a Greek-inhabited community, but it is diversified and even has an influx of high-class whites moving in and trying to inhabit that lower-class area (this is called gentrification). Before the big Hollywood scene moved across the country to L.A., most films were actually shot in Astoria, Queens during the silent film and Old Hollywood eras because of its urban atmosphere. We passed Kaufman Studios, where most popular movies and television shows such as Law & Order, Nurse Jackie, Men in Black, and Sesame Street are still shot today. The class then visited the Museum of the Moving Image across the street from the studios, and we were taught by a very informative and intelligent guide named Joel. Joel taught us that the building we were in (a part of the Museum of the Moving Image) was initially a part of the Kaufman studios for processing and post-production purposes in the 1920s. After learning this history, we toured the museum’s three floors from top-to-bottom and learned the history of film and its different aspects (such as directing, acting, make-up/costume design, audio, lighting, and special effects). Since I am a Communications major here at Molloy College, I was already a bit familiar with the history of film and knew that it developed from photography which was perfected by Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicephore Niépce. The calotype process was invented by William Fox Talbot, and is the earliest form of film: different images were individually shown on one side of a wheel and there were slits on the other side of the wheel for each of the images and when the viewer spun the wheel, the images appeared to be in motion. The kinetoscope was later invented by Thomas Edison, and ever since then technological advances in film and photography have helped make it what it is today. What fascinated me the most was a separate area in which there were multiple bars with different figures that were spinning on a cylinder and, when the lights turned off in the room, the images appeared to be animated (check out a video below to see more). I find it fascinating how different forms of technology can manipulate the human eye and be used to create the very things we enjoy to watch today (this is often used by directors and is a part of the art of cinematography).
After basking in my glory at this museum, we all took the M train to 23rd Street and Ely Avenue in Long Island City and learned that this area has come very far from its dark past: it used to be an area where prostitutes would lurk at night, but now gentrification is entering LIC and wealthy landowners are looking to build high-rise apartment buildings right on the East River. One main group that gentrified into the LIC area first was the artists, and this is evident with the first stop we had planned to hit: PS1. PS1 is a public school that had partnered with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to show different exhibits in each of the classrooms, but unfortunately we did not visit it because the place was closed. Instead, we walked across the street to the renowned 5Pointz building. I am very familiar with the 5Pointz building; I would pass it every time I took the 7 Train into the city. Anyway, just to give a brief description: the 5Pointz building is New York City’s first and only legal aerosol museum where graffiti artists can display their work (with a license/permit, of course). Rumor has it that the high-class people that are gentrifying into LIC want to tear it down and use the property to build more high-rise apartment buildings, but there are many people vouching for it to stay open. A young graffiti artist spoke to us a bit about the etymology of the name “5Pointz”: basically it represents all 5 boroughs coming together to share their own artwork and create one main work of art. At the end of his discussion, myself and many other classmates signed a petition to try and save this amazing urban piece of art.
After this, we walked a few blocks west to the East River and took a look at the waterfront apartments, and took portraits right by the large “Pepsi-Cola” sign. Finally, the class ended with our trip to the LIC gantries, a place where ships would dock. “Long Island” is painted over these gantries because Queens is still a part of Long Island. Many people were very tired after this long day and just went home, but Diana, Amanda and myself decided to make one last stop and grab a bite to eat after a long days’ worth of walking at a Mexican restaurant called Salsa y Salsa (thank you so much for everything, professors--you guys are the best!). The food was delicious, and wrapping up a fantastic first class made it even more worthwhile!
Check out the music player below while reading and listen to a few tracks that
come to mind when I think of these three areas of New York City
Journal 3: Bodacious Brooklyn
July 12, 2013.
Today was actually a very busy morning: I was still a bit tired after Wednesday’s hike, but more than eager to begin another exciting day with the Gotham class! I arrived to Penn Station early again in anticipation of today’s adventure in Brooklyn and even realized that most of the class was already at the meeting spot for the very same reason. Not too long afterwards the professors showed up and we discussed our plans for the day. Before we knew it, we were on the road again!
The first thing we did was walk a block down to 6th Avenue (also called Avenue of the Americas) and 34th Street (Herald Square) to catch the D train to Coney Island because the D train does not go through Penn Station. After a long train ride, we finally arrived at our first destination: Coney Island. When we got off the train, we had a lecture of the history of the iconic Coney Island from the professors. According to the Blue Guide of New York, “Coney Island was settled by the Dutch, who named it Konjin Eisland after the rabbits they found there” (B.G., 492). We also learned that Brooklyn was originally its own city but, in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was built and it connected Brooklyn and Manhattan. In the 1920s and 1930s, Coney Island was renowned around the world for its amusement park. Upon reading the Blue Guide, I learned that there were originally three amusement parks: Steeplechase Park which opened in 1897 and featured a funhouse and a horse-racing ride, Luna Park which opened in 1903 and was decorated with light bulbs, and Dreamland which opened in 1904 and later burned down in 1911 (Blue Guide of New York, 492). Professor Russo informed us that Coney Island lost much of its popularity in the mid-20th century with the invention of the automobile and Robert Moses’s construction of parkways. People would rather have traveled out to the gold coast of Long Island in their new and fancy automobiles rather than enjoy some rides at Coney Island because Brooklyn was a rather slum-ish and dirty area. To briefly bring things up to the present, we were also told that parts of Coney Island are now being destroyed as a result of gentrification (because people apparently love to live by the water).
After our brief history lesson, Professor Russo informed us that we had an hour to roam around and do whatever we pleased. After taking pictures on the beach with some classmates, my friend Diana and I split from the group and headed over to Nathan’s to enjoy a famous hot dog. Is there a better way to enjoy lunch than to have a Nathan’s hot dog and take in all the sights of a major part of American and New York City history? Afterwards, we walked around the boardwalk and I tried my luck at a dart game in which I had to pop the balloons in order to win a prize. It turns out that my aim isn’t so bad after all: I won a stuffed husky! Time got the best of us though and we had to hurry back to the station to meet back up with the class before they left without us.
It was a relief to find out that we had made it back in time, phew! Once everyone was back from exploring, we boarded the F train and got off at the Jay Street stop and then walked up Smith Street to Schermerhorn Street. Many of us believed we had to transfer over to another subway, but we found that our next stop was at the New York Transit Museum! It was a bit deceiving because it looked like an actual subway station from the outside, which added to how cool the place really was. Before we started our tour, a very nice woman taught us a few things about the history of the museum: the New York Transit Museum itself used to be a subway station on Court Street (that explained the “Court Street” signs that adorned the place…) that was built in 1936 and only used until 1946. The Court Street station only went three blocks because subways back then did not have the efficiency that most engines have today. We then began our tour of the main exhibit entitled “Steel, Stone, and Backbone”.
We learned many things from this great teacher, among them being that on October 27, 1904 the first subway in New York City opened. She even showed us a population map of Manhattan and it showed that during the 1880s, most people lived in lower Manhattan because their jobs were there (they wanted to live closer to their jobs so they would not have to strain themselves during the commute). Long before the subway, people either travelled to their jobs by foot or used an omnibus, or a horse-drawn carriage. Our guide then went into a detailed explanation about the history of subways, and stated that the first elevated (above-ground) trains that were introduced were powered by steam locomotives. The worst blizzard in New York City’s history struck in March of 1888 (the same year that the city finally got a Sanitation Department) and left 50 feet of snow in three days. During that same year, the city had decided to move its subways and power/communication lines underground.
We then continued on through the tour and learned how the railroads were built. In lower Manhattan, most subway stations were already present and in upper Manhattan they had to build underground railroads. According to NYCSubway.org, “The Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) Subway…was the first subway company in New York City”. The IRT was responsible for hiring workers who dug tunnels deep underground and formed the numbered subway lines most of us are familiar with today. Workers used a method called deep rock mining as they continued building the lines uptown because the bedrock was uneven. Also called “cut and cover drilling,” workers would switch their mining equipment from pickaxes to dynamite as the rock foundation got deeper and they moved their way uptown.
One group of craft union laborers that risked their lives every time they went to do their job was a group called the sandhogs. Sandhogs worked primarily in underwater tunnel construction and would travel underwater in compressed air chambers while they worked. They were at risk of drowning or coming down with Caisson’s disease, or “the Bends”. According to The Free Dictionary, Caisson’s disease is “…a dangerous and occasionally lethal condition caused by nitrogen bubbles that form in the blood and other tissues of…divers…who surface too quickly” (Medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com). In order to prevent the workers from acquiring this condition, sandhogs were allowed to stay in the air chambers for a certain period of time to have their bodies adjust to the changes in sea level (water pressure)., They would then exit the chambers and continue their work for another certain period of time, and this cycle would keep occurring until the day was done. Most workers that built the transit system were immigrants, mainly of African, Italian, and Irish descent. The average union worker would earn about $2.00 a day, which was actually very good pay back then. Despite the good pay, workers did very strenuous work, had horrible working conditions, and risked their lives every single day.
After the history segment of the tour, it was time for us to go down onto the Court Street subway platform and view the variety of subway cars that were used throughout the years (see pictures below for many different examples). Upon seeing most of the different types of subway cars, I found the BMT Q Car to be very interesting. The BMT Q Car was used to transport people to and from the 1939 World’s Fair, and was distinctively painted orange and royal blue. Because I actually work at Citifield, I noticed that these were the colors of the New York Mets…how ironic because Flushing Meadow Park is the home of the World’s Fair and Citifield also sits there today; maybe this was where the inspiration for the team colors of the Mets came from! Moving on, I have to say that my favorite was the 1907 wooden car. Also called the Brooklyn Union Elevated Car, these cars featured a cozy interior, straps for handrails (which were sturdy and in very good condition), and even had the “BRT” emblem detailed on the glass window inside the car.
After an hour of exploring the museum and the subway cars downstairs, we met up again in the lobby of the museum and continued on our way. Although it was lightly raining outside, we would not let this stop us from touring the beautiful area of Brooklyn Heights! We continued our art history part of the course (we learn nearly everything there is to know about NYC in this Gotham class, we are not limited to a few topics) and walked up Court Street to a court building that, in 1898, became Brooklyn Borough Hall. The name of Brooklyn Borough Hall for the building was decided the same year that it became a part of Manhattan. The building itself presented a neo-Classical architectural style with a heavy Greek influence. Then, we walked across Remsen Street and passed St. Francis College (I gave it a little wave since I have friends that go there). The Gotham group then turned onto Montague Street and saw St. Ann’s Church of the Holy Trinity, which resembled a neo-Gothic architectural style. Across the street was the Brooklyn Trust Building (now a Chase bank) that resembled the art deco style, and next to that was a Citibank building, upon which the elaborate engravings blatantly resembled the neo-Classical style. After walking through this building (which Professor Russo deemed the “coolest bank ever”), we arrived at the other side and walked up to the see the Brooklyn Historical Society.
The Brooklyn Historical Society holds many historical and ancient artifacts, and Professor Russo told us it was built by George B. Post, the same man who built the New York Stock Exchange Building. The Blue Guide of New York notes that: “on the façade [exterior] are terra-cotta heads of a Norseman and a Native American (over the main entrance) and busts of Johann Gutenberg, Benjamin Franklin, Michelangelo, Christopher Columbus, Shakespeare and Beethoven…all are by Olin Levi Warner…” (472). As we continued on our journey, Professor Hey taught us that Brooklyn Heights housed many great American writers because the atmosphere for writing was exquisite and serene—I could totally see that, it was beautiful down there!
The Gotham class walked up towards the water and we studied the elegant brownstone apartments that help make New York unique. As we were walking, Professor Russo told us that there are two things that make the brownstones unique: first is their Dutch stoops that were meant to last hundreds of years, and the second is that they have distinct fire escapes. In our stroll we paused and studied the “Four Chimneys” site where George Washington’s headquarters once stood during the American Revolution. At the Battle of Long Island in 1776, Washington surprised the British and decided to withdraw his troops from Long Island and evacuated them safely to Washington Heights. After a minute of admiring the site, we continued to walk along the Brooklyn Promenade and learned a bit of history about the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge was constructed in 1883 and, according to the Blue Guide of New York, “…was considered one of the world’s greatest wonders…it was the largest suspension bridge [at the time], with a single span arching 1,595 ft. across the East River, and massive granite towers that stretched 276 ft. above the water…” (464). The Brooklyn Bridge was designed by John Roebling who planned to build the bridge, but he died of gangrene poisoning and handed the job down to his son Washington. Washington Roebling took over the plan but he also died later because of Caisson’s disease, also called “the Bends”. Without a choice, the project was finally in the hands of his wife, Emily Roebling, whom Mike Russo claims was supposedly the first person to ever cross the Brooklyn Bridge.
After this history lesson, the professors took us on a new route through the streets of Brooklyn Heights to admire more of the scenery and federalist style houses. Throughout our stroll, we passed a monument that was dedicated to Henry Ward Beecher. I did not hear much of this lecture, except for the fact that he was a Pilgrim preacher and was involved with the purchasing of a slave named Pinky’s freedom. We then walked to DUMBO, an area abbreviated for “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass” and snapped a lot of photos as we took in the wonderful scenery (see Mike Russo’s awesome photography above next to the first paragraph of this journal entry). As promised, the professors made sure we stopped for ice cream at a place called Jacques Torres. The place was originally a chocolatier, but I guess they expanded and now make ice cream…and thank God they do, the ice cream was fantastic! Right after we finished enjoying our delicious cold treat, we noticed that it started to rain a bit heavier. However, even a little bit of rain does not stop this Gotham class! We hiked up to the entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge and our last task of the day was to walk across the entire 1.1-mile long bridge. While walking across the bridge, I noticed that there were many amazing views of both the East River and the New York City skyline. There was also another view that many may miss while being awestruck by the view of the city’s skyline: much closer than the skyline, there were love locks that bore the names of people in either friendships or relationships that were hung on the fence of the Brooklyn Bridge. These locks symbolized the different connections and relationships that people had between one another; after they were hung, the key to the lock was thrown away to symbolize the fact that that special place had significance to their relationship and would forever remain a part of their lives. This is going to sound a bit cheesy but I have to admit I was tempted to also put a lock on this bridge to represent the fact that this Gotham class will always remain a part of many of my life’s experiences, but unfortunately I did not have a handy lock on my person to do it with.
With achy legs from the day's tiring tread and the rain coming down even harder on us, making it to the other end of the bridge left myself and many of my other classmates feeling accomplished. Although it is now time to go home to dry off and rest my sore body, the first week of the Gotham class was definitely a great experience and I cannot wait to see what the next adventure will bring!
External Sources:
1) <http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/The_First_Subway>
2) <http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Caisson's+disease>
Today was actually a very busy morning: I was still a bit tired after Wednesday’s hike, but more than eager to begin another exciting day with the Gotham class! I arrived to Penn Station early again in anticipation of today’s adventure in Brooklyn and even realized that most of the class was already at the meeting spot for the very same reason. Not too long afterwards the professors showed up and we discussed our plans for the day. Before we knew it, we were on the road again!
The first thing we did was walk a block down to 6th Avenue (also called Avenue of the Americas) and 34th Street (Herald Square) to catch the D train to Coney Island because the D train does not go through Penn Station. After a long train ride, we finally arrived at our first destination: Coney Island. When we got off the train, we had a lecture of the history of the iconic Coney Island from the professors. According to the Blue Guide of New York, “Coney Island was settled by the Dutch, who named it Konjin Eisland after the rabbits they found there” (B.G., 492). We also learned that Brooklyn was originally its own city but, in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was built and it connected Brooklyn and Manhattan. In the 1920s and 1930s, Coney Island was renowned around the world for its amusement park. Upon reading the Blue Guide, I learned that there were originally three amusement parks: Steeplechase Park which opened in 1897 and featured a funhouse and a horse-racing ride, Luna Park which opened in 1903 and was decorated with light bulbs, and Dreamland which opened in 1904 and later burned down in 1911 (Blue Guide of New York, 492). Professor Russo informed us that Coney Island lost much of its popularity in the mid-20th century with the invention of the automobile and Robert Moses’s construction of parkways. People would rather have traveled out to the gold coast of Long Island in their new and fancy automobiles rather than enjoy some rides at Coney Island because Brooklyn was a rather slum-ish and dirty area. To briefly bring things up to the present, we were also told that parts of Coney Island are now being destroyed as a result of gentrification (because people apparently love to live by the water).
After our brief history lesson, Professor Russo informed us that we had an hour to roam around and do whatever we pleased. After taking pictures on the beach with some classmates, my friend Diana and I split from the group and headed over to Nathan’s to enjoy a famous hot dog. Is there a better way to enjoy lunch than to have a Nathan’s hot dog and take in all the sights of a major part of American and New York City history? Afterwards, we walked around the boardwalk and I tried my luck at a dart game in which I had to pop the balloons in order to win a prize. It turns out that my aim isn’t so bad after all: I won a stuffed husky! Time got the best of us though and we had to hurry back to the station to meet back up with the class before they left without us.
It was a relief to find out that we had made it back in time, phew! Once everyone was back from exploring, we boarded the F train and got off at the Jay Street stop and then walked up Smith Street to Schermerhorn Street. Many of us believed we had to transfer over to another subway, but we found that our next stop was at the New York Transit Museum! It was a bit deceiving because it looked like an actual subway station from the outside, which added to how cool the place really was. Before we started our tour, a very nice woman taught us a few things about the history of the museum: the New York Transit Museum itself used to be a subway station on Court Street (that explained the “Court Street” signs that adorned the place…) that was built in 1936 and only used until 1946. The Court Street station only went three blocks because subways back then did not have the efficiency that most engines have today. We then began our tour of the main exhibit entitled “Steel, Stone, and Backbone”.
We learned many things from this great teacher, among them being that on October 27, 1904 the first subway in New York City opened. She even showed us a population map of Manhattan and it showed that during the 1880s, most people lived in lower Manhattan because their jobs were there (they wanted to live closer to their jobs so they would not have to strain themselves during the commute). Long before the subway, people either travelled to their jobs by foot or used an omnibus, or a horse-drawn carriage. Our guide then went into a detailed explanation about the history of subways, and stated that the first elevated (above-ground) trains that were introduced were powered by steam locomotives. The worst blizzard in New York City’s history struck in March of 1888 (the same year that the city finally got a Sanitation Department) and left 50 feet of snow in three days. During that same year, the city had decided to move its subways and power/communication lines underground.
We then continued on through the tour and learned how the railroads were built. In lower Manhattan, most subway stations were already present and in upper Manhattan they had to build underground railroads. According to NYCSubway.org, “The Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) Subway…was the first subway company in New York City”. The IRT was responsible for hiring workers who dug tunnels deep underground and formed the numbered subway lines most of us are familiar with today. Workers used a method called deep rock mining as they continued building the lines uptown because the bedrock was uneven. Also called “cut and cover drilling,” workers would switch their mining equipment from pickaxes to dynamite as the rock foundation got deeper and they moved their way uptown.
One group of craft union laborers that risked their lives every time they went to do their job was a group called the sandhogs. Sandhogs worked primarily in underwater tunnel construction and would travel underwater in compressed air chambers while they worked. They were at risk of drowning or coming down with Caisson’s disease, or “the Bends”. According to The Free Dictionary, Caisson’s disease is “…a dangerous and occasionally lethal condition caused by nitrogen bubbles that form in the blood and other tissues of…divers…who surface too quickly” (Medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com). In order to prevent the workers from acquiring this condition, sandhogs were allowed to stay in the air chambers for a certain period of time to have their bodies adjust to the changes in sea level (water pressure)., They would then exit the chambers and continue their work for another certain period of time, and this cycle would keep occurring until the day was done. Most workers that built the transit system were immigrants, mainly of African, Italian, and Irish descent. The average union worker would earn about $2.00 a day, which was actually very good pay back then. Despite the good pay, workers did very strenuous work, had horrible working conditions, and risked their lives every single day.
After the history segment of the tour, it was time for us to go down onto the Court Street subway platform and view the variety of subway cars that were used throughout the years (see pictures below for many different examples). Upon seeing most of the different types of subway cars, I found the BMT Q Car to be very interesting. The BMT Q Car was used to transport people to and from the 1939 World’s Fair, and was distinctively painted orange and royal blue. Because I actually work at Citifield, I noticed that these were the colors of the New York Mets…how ironic because Flushing Meadow Park is the home of the World’s Fair and Citifield also sits there today; maybe this was where the inspiration for the team colors of the Mets came from! Moving on, I have to say that my favorite was the 1907 wooden car. Also called the Brooklyn Union Elevated Car, these cars featured a cozy interior, straps for handrails (which were sturdy and in very good condition), and even had the “BRT” emblem detailed on the glass window inside the car.
After an hour of exploring the museum and the subway cars downstairs, we met up again in the lobby of the museum and continued on our way. Although it was lightly raining outside, we would not let this stop us from touring the beautiful area of Brooklyn Heights! We continued our art history part of the course (we learn nearly everything there is to know about NYC in this Gotham class, we are not limited to a few topics) and walked up Court Street to a court building that, in 1898, became Brooklyn Borough Hall. The name of Brooklyn Borough Hall for the building was decided the same year that it became a part of Manhattan. The building itself presented a neo-Classical architectural style with a heavy Greek influence. Then, we walked across Remsen Street and passed St. Francis College (I gave it a little wave since I have friends that go there). The Gotham group then turned onto Montague Street and saw St. Ann’s Church of the Holy Trinity, which resembled a neo-Gothic architectural style. Across the street was the Brooklyn Trust Building (now a Chase bank) that resembled the art deco style, and next to that was a Citibank building, upon which the elaborate engravings blatantly resembled the neo-Classical style. After walking through this building (which Professor Russo deemed the “coolest bank ever”), we arrived at the other side and walked up to the see the Brooklyn Historical Society.
The Brooklyn Historical Society holds many historical and ancient artifacts, and Professor Russo told us it was built by George B. Post, the same man who built the New York Stock Exchange Building. The Blue Guide of New York notes that: “on the façade [exterior] are terra-cotta heads of a Norseman and a Native American (over the main entrance) and busts of Johann Gutenberg, Benjamin Franklin, Michelangelo, Christopher Columbus, Shakespeare and Beethoven…all are by Olin Levi Warner…” (472). As we continued on our journey, Professor Hey taught us that Brooklyn Heights housed many great American writers because the atmosphere for writing was exquisite and serene—I could totally see that, it was beautiful down there!
The Gotham class walked up towards the water and we studied the elegant brownstone apartments that help make New York unique. As we were walking, Professor Russo told us that there are two things that make the brownstones unique: first is their Dutch stoops that were meant to last hundreds of years, and the second is that they have distinct fire escapes. In our stroll we paused and studied the “Four Chimneys” site where George Washington’s headquarters once stood during the American Revolution. At the Battle of Long Island in 1776, Washington surprised the British and decided to withdraw his troops from Long Island and evacuated them safely to Washington Heights. After a minute of admiring the site, we continued to walk along the Brooklyn Promenade and learned a bit of history about the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge was constructed in 1883 and, according to the Blue Guide of New York, “…was considered one of the world’s greatest wonders…it was the largest suspension bridge [at the time], with a single span arching 1,595 ft. across the East River, and massive granite towers that stretched 276 ft. above the water…” (464). The Brooklyn Bridge was designed by John Roebling who planned to build the bridge, but he died of gangrene poisoning and handed the job down to his son Washington. Washington Roebling took over the plan but he also died later because of Caisson’s disease, also called “the Bends”. Without a choice, the project was finally in the hands of his wife, Emily Roebling, whom Mike Russo claims was supposedly the first person to ever cross the Brooklyn Bridge.
After this history lesson, the professors took us on a new route through the streets of Brooklyn Heights to admire more of the scenery and federalist style houses. Throughout our stroll, we passed a monument that was dedicated to Henry Ward Beecher. I did not hear much of this lecture, except for the fact that he was a Pilgrim preacher and was involved with the purchasing of a slave named Pinky’s freedom. We then walked to DUMBO, an area abbreviated for “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass” and snapped a lot of photos as we took in the wonderful scenery (see Mike Russo’s awesome photography above next to the first paragraph of this journal entry). As promised, the professors made sure we stopped for ice cream at a place called Jacques Torres. The place was originally a chocolatier, but I guess they expanded and now make ice cream…and thank God they do, the ice cream was fantastic! Right after we finished enjoying our delicious cold treat, we noticed that it started to rain a bit heavier. However, even a little bit of rain does not stop this Gotham class! We hiked up to the entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge and our last task of the day was to walk across the entire 1.1-mile long bridge. While walking across the bridge, I noticed that there were many amazing views of both the East River and the New York City skyline. There was also another view that many may miss while being awestruck by the view of the city’s skyline: much closer than the skyline, there were love locks that bore the names of people in either friendships or relationships that were hung on the fence of the Brooklyn Bridge. These locks symbolized the different connections and relationships that people had between one another; after they were hung, the key to the lock was thrown away to symbolize the fact that that special place had significance to their relationship and would forever remain a part of their lives. This is going to sound a bit cheesy but I have to admit I was tempted to also put a lock on this bridge to represent the fact that this Gotham class will always remain a part of many of my life’s experiences, but unfortunately I did not have a handy lock on my person to do it with.
With achy legs from the day's tiring tread and the rain coming down even harder on us, making it to the other end of the bridge left myself and many of my other classmates feeling accomplished. Although it is now time to go home to dry off and rest my sore body, the first week of the Gotham class was definitely a great experience and I cannot wait to see what the next adventure will bring!
External Sources:
1) <http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/The_First_Subway>
2) <http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Caisson's+disease>
Journal 4: A Tale of Three Villages
July 17, 2013.
I have to admit that after working the 2013 MLB All-Star Game at Citifield and getting home very late, it was rather difficult to wake up for class this morning. In fact, I actually took a later train just so that I would get an additional hour of sleep and just barely made it to Penn Station on time for the start of today’s class.
Although I was extremely exhausted during the start of this class, a few classmates and I saw a man playing the bongos on the opposite platform as we awaited the coming of the 1 train. There were others surrounding the man and swaying to the beat, so Dorothy, Diana, and I began to clap to the drummer’s beat and encouraged them to start dancing. The rest of the class seemed to get a kick out of it, and even Mike chuckled a bit…glad to see everyone still has a great sense of humor at 11 o’clock in the morning! To our surprise, one woman actually began to dance what Dorothy taught me was the spiritual Jamaican dance of kumina. Before I could glance over to watch more, we had boarded our train and departed from Penn Station.
Upon missing our original stop (West Houston Street), we arrived at the Canal Street stop and walked down Varick Street. Then, we stopped abruptly and heard another important lesson from Professor Russo on the history of SoHo (South of Houston Street). Because SoHo is among my top three favorite parts of New York City, I am already very familiar with the area and know that is a very artistic and filled with galleries. It has become this way because of gentrification, something I learned from this class. We continued on down Bedford Street and saw the narrowest house in the city: 75 1/2th Bedford Avenue. The Blue Guide of New York states that 75 1/2th Bedford Avenue “…[was] only 9 ½ ft wide…built in 1873…[and was] a residence of Edna St. Vincent Millay…poet, playwright, and actress…” (141). The house right next to it, 77 Bedford Avenue, was built in 1799 and is the oldest house in the West Village.
The class proceeded down Bedford Street and then turned onto Christopher Street and entered Christopher Park. I remember my friend Joe taking me here upon asking me to go with him to the Gay Pride Parade a few weeks before this class started, so I was already a bit familiar with the area. Professor Russo stopped us for another lecture and told us that the statues of two same-sex couples represent those who fought for the Gay Liberation movement. Upon learning this, we crossed the street and saw the place where a major point in the Gay Liberation movement began: the Stonewall Inn. According to the Blue Guide of New York:
In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the bar, an easy target as it
operated without a liquor license and apparently had connections to organized crime. Gay
patrons usually met police intrusions passively, submitting to arrest without protest
because they feared publicity. This night, however, a hostile crowd gathered on
Christopher Street; customers and passers-by threw paving stones and bottles at the
police and attempted to firebomb the bar when the outnumbered police barricaded
themselves inside…the rioting presaged a new militancy among gays…(130).
This event was known as the Stonewall Riot and it is celebrated in Gay Pride parades around the world, especially NYC because the actual event occurred here at the Stonewall Inn.
Since this class is short and, as Mike quotes, “we only get a taste of things,” it was time to continue on. The Gothamites continued on to Gay Street (which Professor Hey pointed out was not named because of its location and a high density of gays residing in the area, but rather because the of the Gay family who owned the land upon which Gay Street lies) and turned down Waverly Place (Professor Hey also pointed out that, sadly, wizards do not reside on this street…I think I was among three who understood the joke). When we were walking down 6th Avenue, also called “Avenue of the Americas,” we noticed that there were many film trailers set up on both sides of the street. When I looked to my right, I realized that one of the trailers belonged to “Lucy”, and immediately my mind thought of the actress Lucy Liu. Therefore, I assumed that they were doing filming for a popular show called “Elementary,” on which Lucy Liu co-stars with Jonny Lee Miller.
Anyway, to be back on topic, the class finally reached an art museum at New York University that we were supposed to tour, but apparently it was closed. We walked inside a building to cool off from the hot weather but, as my fellow classmate Danielle and I pointed out, it was a “tease of a breeze” because we were not even inside the cool air for more than a minute. The class then walked through Washington Square Park which was right across the street. We finally saw that the film crews were actually shooting a scene for the show in the center of Washington Square Park, so we had to be quiet as we passed through. We stopped and received another history lesson right outside the Washington Arch. Professor Russo taught us that Washington Square Park was initially marshlands but it had been built over “…and in 1827 the park was laid out…” (Blue Guide of New York, 131). We also found that, in the 1950s, New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses wanted to build a roadway through the park in order to ease the city’s bustling traffic. Many natives to Greenwich Village, among leader and activist Jane Jacobs, fought for the preservation of the park and won. Later, in the 1970s, Washington Square Park was big on drugs. As we all admiringly gazed at the Washington Arch, Professor Russo lectured on its history. According to NYCGovParks.org, “The marble Washington Arch was built between the years 1890 and 1892 to replace the popular wooden arch erected in 1889 to commemorate the centennial of Washington’s inauguration”. This arch was built by Stanford White and was dedicated to the “two Washington’s”: Washington at War (sculpted by Hermon A. MacNeil in 1916) which featured the general in times of Fame and Valor, and Washington at Peace (sculpted by A. Stirling Calder in 1918) which featured the president in times of Justice and Wisdom (Blue Guide of New York, 133).
We then walked around the park and ended up on MacDougal Street. We saw the famous Café Wha? on the corner of MacDougal Street and Minetta Lane, where many famous artists such as Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin would perform. The class continued on to Bleecker Street, where we learned that it used to be a haven for a lot of prostitutes that were looking for work. While walking down Bleecker Street, the class saw the exterior of the Mills House, a place that Professor Russo said un-working gay men would occupy before they made money and were able to maintain a stable living. The class turned down LaGuardia Place and then walked down East 4th Street and visited the Old Merchant’s House Museum of New York.
The class was divided up into two groups, and my group proceeded down to the basement and worked our way upstairs. Emily was our tour guide, and gave us a very thorough history of the house. Merchantshouse.org notes that: “…Built in 1832 and occupied by a merchant family for nearly 100 years, the House today is New York City’s only family home to have survived virtually intact, inside and out, from the 19th century”. Emily noted that the house was built by a man named Joseph Brewster in speculation, which means that it was not built to be lived in by the Brewster family, but rather build to be sold for money. She then went into the demographics of the Bond Street Area, and said that it was a wealthy area of Manhattan because of the Erie Canal where many merchants thrived. The house was sold in 1835 to Seabury Tredwell and the Tredwell family had occupied it. A relative of the Tredwell family had built the museum and it opened to the public in 1936. Basically, Emily told us that the house is a time capsule and an almost exact replica of what the house was like during that time period.
Emily then gave us some brief descriptions of the furnishings in the family room downstairs. The sofa that leaned against the wall dated from the 1820s, and we were actually standing on a reproduction of a carpet from the 19th century (Emily pointed this out because there was a distinct border around the carpet, common for that time period). There was also a painting of George Washington on the wall above the sofa, and Emily noted that Washington was a very renowned and honored figure in that time period. We then walked into the kitchen, and Emily said that the Tredwell family owned four servants, all of which were female Irish immigrants. The Tredwells were a wealthy family, so they had cook stove technology, sinks and wash tubs. Emily pointed out that there were no city reservoirs at the time so people had to either fetch water from the well or use a cistern. Vermin were often a major problem during this time period because there was also no sanitation or sewer systems, many people died of disease during the 19th century.
We continued up the stairs to the parlor, an elaborate room that hosted many guests (being social was very common for this time period as it is today, it is a way for people to occupy themselves and fend off boredom…especially during these times, I don’t know how people did it!). Socialization happened in recurring cycles during that time period: Emily said that after Church on Sundays, Eliza Tredwell would have guests over and individually sit and chat with them for about ten minutes, then she would make her way to that person’s house; and it was a cycle because if Eliza came to that person’s house, then that person had to come back to her house, and so on. There was a large piano in the room that looped old music, and the feel was a bit eerie. People were very big on music back then just as they are today, and every child of wealthy families was obligated to know how to play the piano (it was also used as a way to entertain guests when they often visited the Tredwell household). Architecturally, Emily taught us that the design was that of a neo-Classical Greek revival, and the front and rear parlors presented symmetrical interior décor. The other group came into the parlor because it was their turn to visit it, and Mike asked us if we had “seen any ghosts yet” but we chuckled and did not take what he said seriously…
We proceeded up the stairs again, and this is where many of us felt as if there was another presence among us. There were two separate bedrooms because, as Emily told us, it was common for husband and wife to sleep in separate rooms back then and not in the same bed. There were no sewage systems back then, so if people had to use the bathroom they would “do their business” in chamber pots and throw the waste out onto the streets. Similarly, if one wished to take a shower, they would sit in a large bowl and bathe in cold water (it was deemed “masculine” to use cold water when bathing back then). I could not imagine what it was like bathing in cold water back then, especially in the winter…but today it was so hot I could have used anything cold!
The group continued into Seabury Tredwell’s bed chamber, and it was here that we discovered many things about death back then. Emily taught us that women did not go to funerals because of the common notion that women were “too fragile” and could not bear seeing the dirt hit the coffin when a burial was occurring. When someone in the household passed away, people often put a black drape over the mirrors in the household for two reasons: one, they believed that one’s face should not be seen while mourning because of how bad it would look; and two, because of the superstition that if you saw your own reflection in the mirror after a recent death, you would be the next person to die. It was in this room that Emily told us that the house was, in fact, the most haunted house in New York City!
We did most of our cardio for the day and made our last trip up two flights of stairs to the servant’s quarters, what a hike! Here, we learned that servants were in high demand during the mid-19th century and were paid very poorly (they only made about $3.00-$4.00 every month, which was a low value even back then). After this, we left the museum and went for lunch down in my second favorite area of the city: St. Mark’s Place. A group of us ventured off and I wanted to take them to an awesome burger joint called The Village Joker, but unfortunately it was closed. Since we only had an hour, we settled for barbeque. Wow, that was a really bad choice—we ate way too heavy on such a hot day, and it hit us as we were running back to the meeting spot a half an hour later.
The class was on the road again and we walked down 2nd avenue to the St. Mark’s Church, the beautiful neo-Gothic church where Peter Stuyvesant’s gravesite lies. As promised, Mike took us to the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck shop to try a Salty Pimp and I actually ran into a girl I went to school with and an old friend of mine—Abby! It was good to see and catch up with Abby, and the Salty Pimp was messy-yet-amazing, but after a few moments of indulgement it was time to continue onward. We then walked through Tompkins Square Park, an area that I visit on a bi-weekly basis because of the free movies they show on weekends. According to Mike Russo, Tompkins Square Park was the hotspot and the “place to be” if you needed drugs back in the 1970s and 1980s.
Upon walking through the park, we continued on down East 11th Street until we arrived at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS). The place was apparently closed on Wednesdays, but the care and diligence of Mike Russo got us on a tour of the place! We entered and glanced around at the different photographs and blurbs about the place, and we could tell right off the bat that these people were activists. While we were waiting for our tour guide to arrive, April, the woman behind the counter, gave us a brief overview of the place and what it stood for. She said that the museum is dedicated to urban activism in the East Village, and is focused on how community activists transformed abandoned living spaces into gardens. She also pointed out that the museum itself was a “squat”, or places where these activists resided with no legal claim.
Finally a man named Bill arrived and he was our long-awaited tour guide. I am not trying to mock the man, but that tour was very mundane, also due in part to the heat. We learned in the beginning of the tour that the museum is called “C-Squat” because it is off Avenue C in the Lower East Side. Bill also taught us that New York City was deemed a “bad neighborhood” in the 1970s, and that the city had ordered abandoned tenement buildings to be torched down and high-rise apartment buildings to be built in its place. In other words, it was implied that the city was a victim of gentrification and bribery because the landowners were paying the city for this destruction, hence the belief that “money rules all”. We crossed the street and saw one of the GreenThumb-protected gardens which was established in 1977 and arose as a result of the collapse of tenement buildings. Bill told us that in the late 1980s, the city went after squats because they were anti-gentrification, and even showed us a picture of a tank that the police brought out in May 1995 to threaten the activists. But that did not stop them.
We then walked up to a second garden, which was built in 1978. After being let in to the garden, we learned that the broken down gravel from the remains of the tenement buildings was mixed with compost to create soil, upon which flowers and trees grew to create the garden. We also noticed that there were works of art that adorned the tops of the fences that protected the garden. This process was called re-purposing, or the taking of an object that has one purpose and making it have another. Bill explained that these objects were actually made using recycled tin cans, and instead of the commonly-used barbed wire, that they were put there for their purpose, appeal, and use to keep out vandals (check out my pictures below to see what I am talking about). As we walked deeper into the garden, we saw two different murals that decorated the walls of buildings. I could not really hear Bill’s description of them, but I did admire their beauty.
As we continued on up the street, I was unable to really pay attention to what Bill was saying because of the traffic and because I could not really hear what he was saying. I was able to hear one last thing from him: the Department of Sanitation was inspired by these activists to begin a recycling program (which they have already done), and they are also considering doing a compost program because of what Bill showed us earlier. It is an eco-friendly and effective way of preserving soil, so I’m definitely all for it. After thanking Bill and departing, Professors Mike and Damian announced that class was over. Many people decided to go home, but Diana, Amanda and I decided to stop at a restaurant called The Red Lion to unwind from a long day. We enjoyed a couple of drinks and wings, which was on the professors (thank you both so, so much again), and then explored around the city a bit. With my knowledge of the city, I am proud to admit that I was able to navigate us back to Penn Station safely and just in time because our scheduled trains had just arrived on the track.
Today was a very hot and long day, but nonetheless it was another exciting adventure. It is now time to rest up from a long day’s walk and prepare for another fun-filled day on Friday!
External Sources:
1) <http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/washingtonsquarepark/history>
2) <http://www.merchantshouse.org/about/>
3) <http://www.morusnyc.org/>
I have to admit that after working the 2013 MLB All-Star Game at Citifield and getting home very late, it was rather difficult to wake up for class this morning. In fact, I actually took a later train just so that I would get an additional hour of sleep and just barely made it to Penn Station on time for the start of today’s class.
Although I was extremely exhausted during the start of this class, a few classmates and I saw a man playing the bongos on the opposite platform as we awaited the coming of the 1 train. There were others surrounding the man and swaying to the beat, so Dorothy, Diana, and I began to clap to the drummer’s beat and encouraged them to start dancing. The rest of the class seemed to get a kick out of it, and even Mike chuckled a bit…glad to see everyone still has a great sense of humor at 11 o’clock in the morning! To our surprise, one woman actually began to dance what Dorothy taught me was the spiritual Jamaican dance of kumina. Before I could glance over to watch more, we had boarded our train and departed from Penn Station.
Upon missing our original stop (West Houston Street), we arrived at the Canal Street stop and walked down Varick Street. Then, we stopped abruptly and heard another important lesson from Professor Russo on the history of SoHo (South of Houston Street). Because SoHo is among my top three favorite parts of New York City, I am already very familiar with the area and know that is a very artistic and filled with galleries. It has become this way because of gentrification, something I learned from this class. We continued on down Bedford Street and saw the narrowest house in the city: 75 1/2th Bedford Avenue. The Blue Guide of New York states that 75 1/2th Bedford Avenue “…[was] only 9 ½ ft wide…built in 1873…[and was] a residence of Edna St. Vincent Millay…poet, playwright, and actress…” (141). The house right next to it, 77 Bedford Avenue, was built in 1799 and is the oldest house in the West Village.
The class proceeded down Bedford Street and then turned onto Christopher Street and entered Christopher Park. I remember my friend Joe taking me here upon asking me to go with him to the Gay Pride Parade a few weeks before this class started, so I was already a bit familiar with the area. Professor Russo stopped us for another lecture and told us that the statues of two same-sex couples represent those who fought for the Gay Liberation movement. Upon learning this, we crossed the street and saw the place where a major point in the Gay Liberation movement began: the Stonewall Inn. According to the Blue Guide of New York:
In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the bar, an easy target as it
operated without a liquor license and apparently had connections to organized crime. Gay
patrons usually met police intrusions passively, submitting to arrest without protest
because they feared publicity. This night, however, a hostile crowd gathered on
Christopher Street; customers and passers-by threw paving stones and bottles at the
police and attempted to firebomb the bar when the outnumbered police barricaded
themselves inside…the rioting presaged a new militancy among gays…(130).
This event was known as the Stonewall Riot and it is celebrated in Gay Pride parades around the world, especially NYC because the actual event occurred here at the Stonewall Inn.
Since this class is short and, as Mike quotes, “we only get a taste of things,” it was time to continue on. The Gothamites continued on to Gay Street (which Professor Hey pointed out was not named because of its location and a high density of gays residing in the area, but rather because the of the Gay family who owned the land upon which Gay Street lies) and turned down Waverly Place (Professor Hey also pointed out that, sadly, wizards do not reside on this street…I think I was among three who understood the joke). When we were walking down 6th Avenue, also called “Avenue of the Americas,” we noticed that there were many film trailers set up on both sides of the street. When I looked to my right, I realized that one of the trailers belonged to “Lucy”, and immediately my mind thought of the actress Lucy Liu. Therefore, I assumed that they were doing filming for a popular show called “Elementary,” on which Lucy Liu co-stars with Jonny Lee Miller.
Anyway, to be back on topic, the class finally reached an art museum at New York University that we were supposed to tour, but apparently it was closed. We walked inside a building to cool off from the hot weather but, as my fellow classmate Danielle and I pointed out, it was a “tease of a breeze” because we were not even inside the cool air for more than a minute. The class then walked through Washington Square Park which was right across the street. We finally saw that the film crews were actually shooting a scene for the show in the center of Washington Square Park, so we had to be quiet as we passed through. We stopped and received another history lesson right outside the Washington Arch. Professor Russo taught us that Washington Square Park was initially marshlands but it had been built over “…and in 1827 the park was laid out…” (Blue Guide of New York, 131). We also found that, in the 1950s, New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses wanted to build a roadway through the park in order to ease the city’s bustling traffic. Many natives to Greenwich Village, among leader and activist Jane Jacobs, fought for the preservation of the park and won. Later, in the 1970s, Washington Square Park was big on drugs. As we all admiringly gazed at the Washington Arch, Professor Russo lectured on its history. According to NYCGovParks.org, “The marble Washington Arch was built between the years 1890 and 1892 to replace the popular wooden arch erected in 1889 to commemorate the centennial of Washington’s inauguration”. This arch was built by Stanford White and was dedicated to the “two Washington’s”: Washington at War (sculpted by Hermon A. MacNeil in 1916) which featured the general in times of Fame and Valor, and Washington at Peace (sculpted by A. Stirling Calder in 1918) which featured the president in times of Justice and Wisdom (Blue Guide of New York, 133).
We then walked around the park and ended up on MacDougal Street. We saw the famous Café Wha? on the corner of MacDougal Street and Minetta Lane, where many famous artists such as Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin would perform. The class continued on to Bleecker Street, where we learned that it used to be a haven for a lot of prostitutes that were looking for work. While walking down Bleecker Street, the class saw the exterior of the Mills House, a place that Professor Russo said un-working gay men would occupy before they made money and were able to maintain a stable living. The class turned down LaGuardia Place and then walked down East 4th Street and visited the Old Merchant’s House Museum of New York.
The class was divided up into two groups, and my group proceeded down to the basement and worked our way upstairs. Emily was our tour guide, and gave us a very thorough history of the house. Merchantshouse.org notes that: “…Built in 1832 and occupied by a merchant family for nearly 100 years, the House today is New York City’s only family home to have survived virtually intact, inside and out, from the 19th century”. Emily noted that the house was built by a man named Joseph Brewster in speculation, which means that it was not built to be lived in by the Brewster family, but rather build to be sold for money. She then went into the demographics of the Bond Street Area, and said that it was a wealthy area of Manhattan because of the Erie Canal where many merchants thrived. The house was sold in 1835 to Seabury Tredwell and the Tredwell family had occupied it. A relative of the Tredwell family had built the museum and it opened to the public in 1936. Basically, Emily told us that the house is a time capsule and an almost exact replica of what the house was like during that time period.
Emily then gave us some brief descriptions of the furnishings in the family room downstairs. The sofa that leaned against the wall dated from the 1820s, and we were actually standing on a reproduction of a carpet from the 19th century (Emily pointed this out because there was a distinct border around the carpet, common for that time period). There was also a painting of George Washington on the wall above the sofa, and Emily noted that Washington was a very renowned and honored figure in that time period. We then walked into the kitchen, and Emily said that the Tredwell family owned four servants, all of which were female Irish immigrants. The Tredwells were a wealthy family, so they had cook stove technology, sinks and wash tubs. Emily pointed out that there were no city reservoirs at the time so people had to either fetch water from the well or use a cistern. Vermin were often a major problem during this time period because there was also no sanitation or sewer systems, many people died of disease during the 19th century.
We continued up the stairs to the parlor, an elaborate room that hosted many guests (being social was very common for this time period as it is today, it is a way for people to occupy themselves and fend off boredom…especially during these times, I don’t know how people did it!). Socialization happened in recurring cycles during that time period: Emily said that after Church on Sundays, Eliza Tredwell would have guests over and individually sit and chat with them for about ten minutes, then she would make her way to that person’s house; and it was a cycle because if Eliza came to that person’s house, then that person had to come back to her house, and so on. There was a large piano in the room that looped old music, and the feel was a bit eerie. People were very big on music back then just as they are today, and every child of wealthy families was obligated to know how to play the piano (it was also used as a way to entertain guests when they often visited the Tredwell household). Architecturally, Emily taught us that the design was that of a neo-Classical Greek revival, and the front and rear parlors presented symmetrical interior décor. The other group came into the parlor because it was their turn to visit it, and Mike asked us if we had “seen any ghosts yet” but we chuckled and did not take what he said seriously…
We proceeded up the stairs again, and this is where many of us felt as if there was another presence among us. There were two separate bedrooms because, as Emily told us, it was common for husband and wife to sleep in separate rooms back then and not in the same bed. There were no sewage systems back then, so if people had to use the bathroom they would “do their business” in chamber pots and throw the waste out onto the streets. Similarly, if one wished to take a shower, they would sit in a large bowl and bathe in cold water (it was deemed “masculine” to use cold water when bathing back then). I could not imagine what it was like bathing in cold water back then, especially in the winter…but today it was so hot I could have used anything cold!
The group continued into Seabury Tredwell’s bed chamber, and it was here that we discovered many things about death back then. Emily taught us that women did not go to funerals because of the common notion that women were “too fragile” and could not bear seeing the dirt hit the coffin when a burial was occurring. When someone in the household passed away, people often put a black drape over the mirrors in the household for two reasons: one, they believed that one’s face should not be seen while mourning because of how bad it would look; and two, because of the superstition that if you saw your own reflection in the mirror after a recent death, you would be the next person to die. It was in this room that Emily told us that the house was, in fact, the most haunted house in New York City!
We did most of our cardio for the day and made our last trip up two flights of stairs to the servant’s quarters, what a hike! Here, we learned that servants were in high demand during the mid-19th century and were paid very poorly (they only made about $3.00-$4.00 every month, which was a low value even back then). After this, we left the museum and went for lunch down in my second favorite area of the city: St. Mark’s Place. A group of us ventured off and I wanted to take them to an awesome burger joint called The Village Joker, but unfortunately it was closed. Since we only had an hour, we settled for barbeque. Wow, that was a really bad choice—we ate way too heavy on such a hot day, and it hit us as we were running back to the meeting spot a half an hour later.
The class was on the road again and we walked down 2nd avenue to the St. Mark’s Church, the beautiful neo-Gothic church where Peter Stuyvesant’s gravesite lies. As promised, Mike took us to the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck shop to try a Salty Pimp and I actually ran into a girl I went to school with and an old friend of mine—Abby! It was good to see and catch up with Abby, and the Salty Pimp was messy-yet-amazing, but after a few moments of indulgement it was time to continue onward. We then walked through Tompkins Square Park, an area that I visit on a bi-weekly basis because of the free movies they show on weekends. According to Mike Russo, Tompkins Square Park was the hotspot and the “place to be” if you needed drugs back in the 1970s and 1980s.
Upon walking through the park, we continued on down East 11th Street until we arrived at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS). The place was apparently closed on Wednesdays, but the care and diligence of Mike Russo got us on a tour of the place! We entered and glanced around at the different photographs and blurbs about the place, and we could tell right off the bat that these people were activists. While we were waiting for our tour guide to arrive, April, the woman behind the counter, gave us a brief overview of the place and what it stood for. She said that the museum is dedicated to urban activism in the East Village, and is focused on how community activists transformed abandoned living spaces into gardens. She also pointed out that the museum itself was a “squat”, or places where these activists resided with no legal claim.
Finally a man named Bill arrived and he was our long-awaited tour guide. I am not trying to mock the man, but that tour was very mundane, also due in part to the heat. We learned in the beginning of the tour that the museum is called “C-Squat” because it is off Avenue C in the Lower East Side. Bill also taught us that New York City was deemed a “bad neighborhood” in the 1970s, and that the city had ordered abandoned tenement buildings to be torched down and high-rise apartment buildings to be built in its place. In other words, it was implied that the city was a victim of gentrification and bribery because the landowners were paying the city for this destruction, hence the belief that “money rules all”. We crossed the street and saw one of the GreenThumb-protected gardens which was established in 1977 and arose as a result of the collapse of tenement buildings. Bill told us that in the late 1980s, the city went after squats because they were anti-gentrification, and even showed us a picture of a tank that the police brought out in May 1995 to threaten the activists. But that did not stop them.
We then walked up to a second garden, which was built in 1978. After being let in to the garden, we learned that the broken down gravel from the remains of the tenement buildings was mixed with compost to create soil, upon which flowers and trees grew to create the garden. We also noticed that there were works of art that adorned the tops of the fences that protected the garden. This process was called re-purposing, or the taking of an object that has one purpose and making it have another. Bill explained that these objects were actually made using recycled tin cans, and instead of the commonly-used barbed wire, that they were put there for their purpose, appeal, and use to keep out vandals (check out my pictures below to see what I am talking about). As we walked deeper into the garden, we saw two different murals that decorated the walls of buildings. I could not really hear Bill’s description of them, but I did admire their beauty.
As we continued on up the street, I was unable to really pay attention to what Bill was saying because of the traffic and because I could not really hear what he was saying. I was able to hear one last thing from him: the Department of Sanitation was inspired by these activists to begin a recycling program (which they have already done), and they are also considering doing a compost program because of what Bill showed us earlier. It is an eco-friendly and effective way of preserving soil, so I’m definitely all for it. After thanking Bill and departing, Professors Mike and Damian announced that class was over. Many people decided to go home, but Diana, Amanda and I decided to stop at a restaurant called The Red Lion to unwind from a long day. We enjoyed a couple of drinks and wings, which was on the professors (thank you both so, so much again), and then explored around the city a bit. With my knowledge of the city, I am proud to admit that I was able to navigate us back to Penn Station safely and just in time because our scheduled trains had just arrived on the track.
Today was a very hot and long day, but nonetheless it was another exciting adventure. It is now time to rest up from a long day’s walk and prepare for another fun-filled day on Friday!
External Sources:
1) <http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/washingtonsquarepark/history>
2) <http://www.merchantshouse.org/about/>
3) <http://www.morusnyc.org/>