Journal 1
Impressions of New York
New York. Alive and fierce, with an indomitable spirit!
My eyes are satiated in the decorated fashions, the land is alive in resplendent
lighting...my ears hear the teeming activity...this is a hub of spiritual
living and adventure! I live on the outskirts of the city, but am always a
welcomed visitor. My impressions are certainly different from one outside my
“inner” circle or should I say urban center. I think of a foreigner and what his
eyes may perceive? Alas, are we all not from foreign descent? I think back to a
glorious time of old “worlds” gone
by: immigration-Ellis Island, the creation of buildings from raw materials
bourn on the backs of many, and the hub of thriving immigrant communities of
Irish, Germans, Jews, Italians, Chinese and more. I envision a city of old,
built by many that has evolved over the decades as it continues its maturation
today. My eyes perceive and appreciate a rich tapestry metropolis of
tantalizing wonder, unbridled imagination and swaggering excitement. My
memories bring alive the smell of pretzels and steaming hot nuts, the talent of
Broadway and Off Broadway. The wonder of being a child and staring up at the
Intrepid, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of
Liberty. My wonder of Central Park, South Street Seaport, The Bronx Zoo, Ellis
Island, Times Square, Lincoln Center, The Museum of Natural History… and of
course Rockefeller Center and the Christmas tree. It’s incredible how the vibe,
feeling and smell of New York City changes with the seasons. I am so excited to
explore and discover more wonders of New York City.
Queens
Quixotic Queens
If my feet
could talk what a tale they would tell about today! I had so much fun! We meet
at Penn Station in front of the ticket counter, I was a little apprehensive
that I would not know who to meet up with as I was not at orientation, but it
was easy to spot the group of Molloy students. I finally got to meet Mike and
Meritta, our instructors. Their excitement and eagerness to share their love of
New York City was infectious. After introductions and instructions we headed
out of Penn on foot and began our journey. We headed out across Manhattan,
stopping at Bryant
Park to discuss the requirements of class. Bryant Park is named after William Cullen Bryant, proponent of such projects as Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Blue Guide, P.209). Being a country girl at heart,
I was immediately taken with the tree filled park surrounded by Manhattan
traffic and subway entrances. It was like two worlds in one. It was beautiful, I couldn’t wait to take
pictures… then camera operator error occurred! Unbeknownst to me my camera was
on night mode. Mike tried to fix it (thank you!) but no luck,
so no pictures for me. I did want to include a picture for my memories, so the
one of Bryant Park below is from google. Fortunately
my fellow classmate Sarah was able to figure it out later on, thanks Sarah! As
we moved on we all had to take a turn introducing ourselves to Mike and Meritta
and telling our story. It was fun hearing Mike say “your up! what’s your
story?”. As we walked along they pointed out and discussed various architectural
styles of buildings. We saw the Chrysler
building which is considered art deco. Our next stop the New
York Public Library was my favorite. The building is considered
neo-classical. Not only was the
building itself magnificent inside and out, the collection of books is
indescribable. I love books; the smell, feel and look of them and I love to read
them! So naturally I loved the library. We were able to relax in the main reading room,
which was incredible. I also liked the two lion statues on either side of the steps,
re-named
Patience and Fortitude by former Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, during the Depression (Blue Guide, P.208). They appeared to be guarding the Library. As we walked
we also saw buildings that are considered to be international style, I did not
like this architectural style. It was dull and cold, no heart to it. We
continued on to Grand
Central Terminal, which is soon to celebrate its 100th
anniversary. It was majestic and powerful looking. The astrological ceilings
were a site to see, 125ft high, decorated with constellations, which were discovered to be reversed in 1913 by a commuter. This is said to be that way because it is God's view, showing the stars from a point beyond the heavens (Blue Guide, P.230). The brass clock (which I here is a common meeting spot)
is not to be outdone. I was saddened to learn that once, Penn Station was more
beautiful, but was demolished in 1963. In the 1962, Pennsylvania Railroad, which was in financial troubles, sold the air rights above the station for a new Madison Square Garden (Blue Guide, P.195). Apparently Grand Central Terminal
almost meet the same fate, but Jackie
Onassis led the movement to save this historic site. Continuing east, we
walked down Park Avenue; saw a lot of suits and women’s heels that probably cost
more than my wedding dress. We went into The Waldorf
Astoria Hotel and made use of their luxurious bathrooms, very nice soap!
I then proceeded to lose my group! I will definitely include below a picture of the
Waldorf Astoria
clock, which is at the root of my aloneness. I got caught up reading
the history of this clock and taking pictures; I looked over, saw everyone
together and ran to the bathroom quick, not quick enough! When I got out, they
were gone. After my initial Holy … moment, I realized I had the schedule and
could meet up with them at the next stop. Luckily I also had Mike’s cell number
and he answered, so they came back to the corner of 51st street to
retrieve me. Now reunited we walked to the Roosevelt
Island Tram. Riding on the tram was so much fun, the view was great. We
went right next to the Queens Borough Bridge and over the East River to get to Roosevelt Island. Roosevelt Island,
I had hardly heard of, and had never been to. It was like a little hidden
retreat. Long ago, it was used as a place of exile for the insane, criminals, and incurables such as small pox victims (Blue Guide, P.382). We learned about and saw the small pox hospital and also the first
bacterial laboratory. I love that type of history, imagining what it was like then. What
the nurses had to work with, under what conditions. We visited Franklin
D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. It is a monument to President
Roosevelt. In his State of the Union address in 1941, he looked forward to “a
world founded upon four essential human freedoms, freedom of speech, freedom of
worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear”. The park was beautifully tree lined with
an amazing view of the New York skyline, the river and the United Nations. At
the furthest end is a life like bronze figurehead of President
Roosevelt. I can only imagine the beauty of this park in the future when
the trees have matured. When we left, we took the subway (yeah, foot break!) to
Jackson Heights
and had lunch at an Indian buffet place named Jackson
Diner. Even though my mouth was on fire and my nose was running (now I
know why they put water pitchers on the table, as ours were all empty by the
end!) lunch was delicious! Even better it was on Mike and Meritta. Thanks again. Jackson Heights was a good example of one of the many cultures that can be found in Queens. Approximately 48% of the population is foreign born in Queens, making it the most diverse county in the nation. More than 130 languages are spoken in Queens (Blue Guide, P.493).
After lunch we traveled to Astoria.
Astoria is one area of Queens that is experiencing gentrification (the restoration of run-down urban areas by the middle class, resulting in the
displacement of low-income residents). We
saw the Kaufman Studios building from the outside. This studio is responsible
for contributing to the revitalization of the TV/movie industry in Queens. We
went into the Museum of
the Moving Image. One of the biggest tourist attractions in Queens, it's core exhibit, Behind the Screen, looks at the technical aspects of producing movies and TV (Blue Guide, P.498). Really cool, neat stuff. From antique TV’s and filming
equipment, props, costumes, movie clips, prosthetic bodies, heads and limbs to
modern day computer generated sounds, voice overs and animation it was
ingenious. My favorite was the prosthetic legs from the movie The
Black Swan. They were frighteningly real looking; I especially
appreciated the sutures in the big toe! I cannot lie; I’m starting to feel a
little tired now, but still having fun. We took the subway to Long Island City.
If I had to pick one word to describe it, I would say interesting. Once a largely industrial neighborhood, Long Island City has become a center for contemporary art (Blue Guide, P.495). Long Island City is undergoing Hyper-intense gentrification, evidenced by high cost sky rise residences and many coffee/lounge shops. We tried to see an exhibit at MOMA P.S.1., but
the courtyard was closed. We moved on to see 5pointz:
The Institute of Higher Burnin’. An old building that is devoted to
graffiti on the outside. Amazing talent, I was so impressed. My favorite art was
a beautiful cameo of a young girl that I thought resembles the painting, Girl with the Pearl Earring, by Johannes Vermeer 1665.
We were able to talk with one of the graffiti artists, who was
quite pleasant and willing to share his knowledge of the art with us. We
probably will be the last class to see this outdoor exhibit as the owner of the
property is looking to develop it. Our last stop for the day was Gantry
State Park, one of the parks developed under Mayor Bloomberg. I could see the four freedoms park from here. I really
enjoyed the Gantries, where trains
used to pull in to receive goods unloaded from ships. It was like looking back
in time. I especially thought it neat to see Long
Island painted on the water side of the Gantries. Such a reminder that
not only is Queens in Long Island and this is the tip of it, but that we really
do live in a connected city. Our day is not over yet, we still had to take the
subway back to Penn station. Once there, I finally got my Starbucks, yummy, and
had an apple and pumpkin bread. I bought my $17.50 ticket (I’m not kidding) back
to King’s Park Station. I’m finally on the train. I’m exhausted, but I know I’ve
learned more today about NYC than I ever thought I would, but had fun and burned
calories at the same time. I’m looking forward to the rest of the classes. This
is an experience of a lifetime, what a way to take a class.
Brooklyn
Bodacious Brooklyn
I am so excited to start today. I am with my good friend
Maureen, otherwise known as Mo, who had the luck of getting into this class
this past Monday. This is a great adventure and even better to share with a
friend. I meet Mo in Penn Station. We made a pit stop to Starbucks and then
meet up with the rest of the group. We headed out of Penn and walked to the F
train to start our day in Brooklyn. Brooklyn was settled in the 17th century by
the Dutch, who bought the land from Canarsie Indians (Blue Guide, P.462). It is
the 2nd largest county in the nation. We took the F train to Coney Island.
Unfortunately there were subway delays and our train took a long time to get
there. Wow, I wish I didn't have that extra coffee now! So we arrived at Coney
Island behind schedule and had to limit our time there. Coney Island was
settled by the Dutch, who named it Konijn Eiland, after the rabbits they found
there (Blue Guide, P.492). Coney Island is not actually an island anymore but a
peninsula. The island was joined by a landfill to the mainland (Blue guide,
P.492). Coney Island was once a great amusement area in the early 1900s. Its
popularity started to decline when Robert Moses built parkways and people
started to travel further to other destinations such as Jones Beach. This area
does have a kitchy feeling to it. I saw all types of people and styles of
fashion, some a little odd. Gentrification will soon start here because
waterfront real estate is in such high demand and bringing in tons of money. The
rides are closed today so, no Cyclone for me. It seems strange without the rides
operating. It feels a little desolate and eerie here, but I'm sure over the
summer and on weekends it's a lot busier. The beach (which I didn't even know
Brooklyn had a beach) was very nice and surprisingly clean. I wish we had more
time to explore the shops and museum along the boardwalk. We ate quickly at Nathan's, I had
a Philly cheesesteak (not so good though).
When leaving Coney Island we went back to the subway and took
the F train to Jay Street. This brought us into downtown Brooklyn. There were
surprisingly nice buildings and tendered landscaping. We visited the New York
Transit Museum. What a neat place. It's an old subway station from 1936 that was
supposed to connect to the 2nd avenue train, but only traveled back and forth 3
blocks. It was only open for 10 years, and closed due to the low amount of
passengers. In 1976, an exhibit opened to display old trains that transit
workers had saved. This exhibit was supposed to be temporary, but was so popular
that it became permanent. We learned a lot about the history of the NYC
transportation system, from the original horse drawn carriage to the subway
system and its importance in connecting NYC. In the late 1800’s the majority of
the population was in the Lower East side of Manhattan. This was due to the fact
that transportation was limited and slow; people had to live close to where they
worked. The ship docks were also in lower Manhattan so, that’s where the jobs
were. The NYC Subway System opened in1904 with nine miles of tracks and twenty eight
stations. The catalyst for building the subway system was the blizzard of 1888.
Fifty inches of snow fell in a short time, stranding people on the elevated
trains for up to 24hours. The
Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original
underground New York City Subway line as well as the earlier elevated trains.
Contributing to the formation of the subway was the piling up of horse manure.
It is said that eventually it could have buried Manhattan! We also learned about
how the subways are built during the main exhibit; Steel, Stone and Backbone.
Building a station through tunneling and digging is called cut and cover.
Sand-Hogs are the name of the workers that dug and still do dig underwater
tunnels. The original subway was built by African Americans, immigrant Italians and Irish. It was a very
dangerous job and there was no job security if a worker was hurt or killed.
Manhattan is not flat; it was labor intensive to tunnel in that area. One of
the deepest lines is the 191st street 1 train, it is 200 feet deep. Currently
the NYC subway is just less than 850 miles with 468 active stations, open 24/7,
the largest in the world. I really enjoyed all the old pictures of the subway
being built; it was like a glimpse into the past. Downstairs was another
exhibit which had old trains and turnstiles. I had fun going on the oldest
train on exhibit which was from a 1904 elevated station. Even better were the
old advertisements on the interior walls of the train. Lots of advertisements
for soap! The pictures of the horses were a little sad, I wondered what sort of
living quarters they had and that also they were probably worked to death. To
finish out or stop here we visited the stinky and I mean stinky bathrooms!
New York City is a puzzle. It’s incredible to think that some of
the richest and some of the poorest people live in the same city. We walked to
Brooklyn Borough Hall. It used to be Brooklyn City Hall until 1898 when Brooklyn
became part of NYC and a borough. The building was nice to look at, but what I
liked was the steps and seating areas in front.
We
had a professor led walking tour of Brooklyn Heights. It is a very quaint
neighborhood, I really liked it. Sometimes called New York’s first suburb, it
also became its first designated historic site in 1965 (Blue Guide, P. 466). We
saw many gothic style churches, with unimaginable beauty and tranquility. This
area is also known as the borough of churches. In the 18th century it
was a desirable place to live because people commuted to Manhattan via ferries.
We passed by the Brooklyn Historical Society, originally known as the Long
Island Historical Society. Brooklyn Heights was an enclave for writers in the
1850s because they were priced out of Manhattan. Walt Whitman wrote Leaves
of Grass while living at 66 Cranberry Street. This is also where Betty Smith
wrote A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. We
passed many of the Brooklyn Brownstone houses and learned that the quarry in
Connecticut where the stone comes from recently closed. Walking towards the East River through the neighborhood was a beautiful view, the trees are old and
gorgeous and when you finally see the water, it’s wonderful. The weather being
perfect also added to the enjoyment! We reached the Brooklyn Promenade and the
site where during the Revolutionary War George Washington retreated to escape
the British and took 9,500 of his continental army away on commandeered boats
oared by fishermen from Massachusetts, who rowed back and forth all night. This
was the end of the Battle of Brooklyn and a major defeat for Washington. 1,200
Americans had been killed, 1,500 wounded, the British only lost 60 men and 300
wounded (Blue Guide, P. 467). The land that the promenade is on used to slope
down to the river. Now the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, built by Robert Moses
runs under the promenade. The building of the BQE and the disruption of the
natural land geography here also sparked preservation acts at that time. Mayor
Bloomberg initiated the building of the Brooklyn Bridge Park, which runs along
the water’s edge. I could see all the construction and the numerous trees that
are waiting to be planted there. Mayor Bloomberg’s legacy will be the parks he
has created throughout NYC
From
the promenade I could see the Brooklyn Bridge. I think it’s the most beautiful
bridge I’ve ever seen, elegant and time worthy. The Brooklyn Bridge is the
oldest suspension bridge in world, built by John A. Roebling in 1883. The
important aspects of Roebling’s design had never been tested on such a grand
scale. It was dangerous work and dozens of men would die during its construction
including Roebling himself. He actually crushed his foot and died of tetanus
while building the bridge (Blue Guide, P.465). His son Washington took over
until he developed the bends or caisson disease (decompression sickness) and his wife Emily took on the responsibility of helping to complete the bridge. I could
see so much of NYC from the promenade, including one world trade center and the Statue of Liberty. As we continued to walk we saw a tribute statue to Henry Ward Beecher at the
Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims. He was the church’s first minister and the
most famous abolitionist in the mid-19th century. He was so popular that they
had “Beecher boats” to ferry people across the river to hear him. Some of the
famous people that came to hear him speak were Abe Lincoln and Mark Twain. His sister Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The church became a
stop on the Underground Railroad. When Henry Beecher died, Brooklyn declared a day of mourning (Blue Guide, P.467-468).
We
entered an area of Brooklyn called Dumbo, which is an acronym for District Under the Manhattan
Bridge Overpass. It is a historical artistic site. I was so surprised to see
this area. When you’re driving over the bridges, it doesn’t look so nice in the
surrounding area below. I think the beauty gets lost from so far away. The
Dumbo area boasted a park, open space for kids to play and ride bikes, a pretty
carousel ($2 a ride but it was closed today) and nice shopping stores. We sat
along the water for a bit. It felt good to take a break and relax, taking in
the sites and having a moment to recap the day in my notes. Looking forward to
our ice cream stop! From Dumbo I had a magnificent view of all three bridges;
the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges. Seeing all three bridges at
once seemed like a movie take from Thor, it was like looking at our universe
from a different perspective. After a delicious double scoop chocolate cone at
Jacques Torres Chocolate, we continued on to the Brooklyn Bridge. I have never
walked over the Brooklyn Bridge; in fact I don't think I've ever even driven
over it. It was beautiful, what a site to see. I was so surprised how crowded it
was with walkers, not to mention bicycles. The warning Mike and Meritta gave us
about the bike lane was much appreciated. They will run you over definitely!
“Kill you dead” as Meritta said is not an exaggeration. There were a lot of out
of country tourists here as well. This was a perfect way to finish the day! I
would give Brooklyn thumbs up today! So, some of us took the subway back to
Penn together, we didn’t get lost although I had to ask which train was the
uptown train. I caught an earlier train home and was utterly exhausted, my
brain’s memory on overload but, in a good way.
entered an area of Brooklyn called Dumbo, which is an acronym for District Under the Manhattan
Bridge Overpass. It is a historical artistic site. I was so surprised to see
this area. When you’re driving over the bridges, it doesn’t look so nice in the
surrounding area below. I think the beauty gets lost from so far away. The
Dumbo area boasted a park, open space for kids to play and ride bikes, a pretty
carousel ($2 a ride but it was closed today) and nice shopping stores. We sat
along the water for a bit. It felt good to take a break and relax, taking in
the sites and having a moment to recap the day in my notes. Looking forward to
our ice cream stop! From Dumbo I had a magnificent view of all three bridges;
the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges. Seeing all three bridges at
once seemed like a movie take from Thor, it was like looking at our universe
from a different perspective. After a delicious double scoop chocolate cone at
Jacques Torres Chocolate, we continued on to the Brooklyn Bridge. I have never
walked over the Brooklyn Bridge; in fact I don't think I've ever even driven
over it. It was beautiful, what a site to see. I was so surprised how crowded it
was with walkers, not to mention bicycles. The warning Mike and Meritta gave us
about the bike lane was much appreciated. They will run you over definitely!
“Kill you dead” as Meritta said is not an exaggeration. There were a lot of out
of country tourists here as well. This was a perfect way to finish the day! I
would give Brooklyn thumbs up today! So, some of us took the subway back to
Penn together, we didn’t get lost although I had to ask which train was the
uptown train. I caught an earlier train home and was utterly exhausted, my
brain’s memory on overload but, in a good way.
A Tale of Three Villages
9/20/13
My day started again on the 9:04 train out of Kings Park. It looks like it is going to be another beautiful day, no rain, yeah! Upon arriving at Penn station, I meet
up with my friend Mo and the rest of the group. We
headed to the West Village on the 1 train to W. Houston St. This area is
originally known for its artists and poets. We walked to Bedford
Street. Bedford Street is a desirable street to live near. The area has small streets, lots of shops, coffee houses and bookstores. Very charming. Meritta pointed out that the streets are named, not numbered. I imagine that would make navigating the area more difficult. This area is alive with history and culture. Lots of families and baby strollers walking around, I even saw a dog with shoes (what?!). Very trendy area.
We stopped at 75 1/2 Bedford St. in Greenwich Village. I originally thought this number was a typo on the schedule, now I see why; it's the width of less than half a house. It is only 9 ½ feet wide, built in 1873 wedged into a former carriage alley (Blue Guide). This house is considered the narrowest home in the city. At different times it was
the residence of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Cary
Grant and Margaret Meade. This house just sold for $3.2 million. We walked past the White Horse Tavern,
Hudson and 11th Street. It opened in 1880 and was the gathering spot for village bohemian life. Because of its proximity to the water it was a long
shore-man’s bar. It was also frequented by Dylan
Thomas and the Beat Poets in the 1950's. They would often go there to write.
My day started again on the 9:04 train out of Kings Park. It looks like it is going to be another beautiful day, no rain, yeah! Upon arriving at Penn station, I meet
up with my friend Mo and the rest of the group. We
headed to the West Village on the 1 train to W. Houston St. This area is
originally known for its artists and poets. We walked to Bedford
Street. Bedford Street is a desirable street to live near. The area has small streets, lots of shops, coffee houses and bookstores. Very charming. Meritta pointed out that the streets are named, not numbered. I imagine that would make navigating the area more difficult. This area is alive with history and culture. Lots of families and baby strollers walking around, I even saw a dog with shoes (what?!). Very trendy area.
We stopped at 75 1/2 Bedford St. in Greenwich Village. I originally thought this number was a typo on the schedule, now I see why; it's the width of less than half a house. It is only 9 ½ feet wide, built in 1873 wedged into a former carriage alley (Blue Guide). This house is considered the narrowest home in the city. At different times it was
the residence of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Cary
Grant and Margaret Meade. This house just sold for $3.2 million. We walked past the White Horse Tavern,
Hudson and 11th Street. It opened in 1880 and was the gathering spot for village bohemian life. Because of its proximity to the water it was a long
shore-man’s bar. It was also frequented by Dylan
Thomas and the Beat Poets in the 1950's. They would often go there to write.
Christopher Street
was the heart of New York's gay and lesbian community in the 60's and 70's. It
still is, although the
community is spreading
outwards. New York has the largest gay community in the country. It is a politically active community. An interesting historical fact that we learned is; in Dutch times there were sodomy laws, if you we're caught you would be drowned in the river; that's insanity! I noticed a lot of leashed dogs being
walked; I wonder if it has something to do with the type of community and less children. We passed by a restaurant called One
if by Land, Two if by Sea,
on Barrow St., Meritta says it's the most romantic restaurant in New York City also very expensive. Maybe one day I'll make it there!
We walked through Christopher Park. There are statues in the park of two same sex couples titled, Gay Liberation, built by George Segal that represent those who launched the gay liberation movement (Blue Guide). This land used to be a tobacco farm. We
passed by the Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street. This is where the gay liberation movement began. It is considered to be a monument for gay liberation. Once owned by the mob who paid police off to look the other way. Even so, Drag Queens were still pulled over by police near there. The gay community which had been very passive up until then banded together and riots started. Named the Stonewall riots, this was the beginning of the gay liberation movement (Blue Guide). It amazes me to think of how unaccepting society was regarding homosexuality then. Although, I suppose if you step out of NYC to other areas today you would still find the same mindset unfortunately.
was the heart of New York's gay and lesbian community in the 60's and 70's. It
still is, although the
community is spreading
outwards. New York has the largest gay community in the country. It is a politically active community. An interesting historical fact that we learned is; in Dutch times there were sodomy laws, if you we're caught you would be drowned in the river; that's insanity! I noticed a lot of leashed dogs being
walked; I wonder if it has something to do with the type of community and less children. We passed by a restaurant called One
if by Land, Two if by Sea,
on Barrow St., Meritta says it's the most romantic restaurant in New York City also very expensive. Maybe one day I'll make it there!
We walked through Christopher Park. There are statues in the park of two same sex couples titled, Gay Liberation, built by George Segal that represent those who launched the gay liberation movement (Blue Guide). This land used to be a tobacco farm. We
passed by the Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street. This is where the gay liberation movement began. It is considered to be a monument for gay liberation. Once owned by the mob who paid police off to look the other way. Even so, Drag Queens were still pulled over by police near there. The gay community which had been very passive up until then banded together and riots started. Named the Stonewall riots, this was the beginning of the gay liberation movement (Blue Guide). It amazes me to think of how unaccepting society was regarding homosexuality then. Although, I suppose if you step out of NYC to other areas today you would still find the same mindset unfortunately.
We saw The Northern Dispensary,
which was built in 1827 to offer free medical care to the
poor. Edgar Allen Poe
was treated here for a cold (Blue Guide). This site provided services for 150
years. A very neat building as it is triangular in shape with federal style
architecture. I don’t think I’ve
ever seen a triangular building. We saw more federal style architecture further
down the street. They were very unique brownstones with long white framed
windows.
which was built in 1827 to offer free medical care to the
poor. Edgar Allen Poe
was treated here for a cold (Blue Guide). This site provided services for 150
years. A very neat building as it is triangular in shape with federal style
architecture. I don’t think I’ve
ever seen a triangular building. We saw more federal style architecture further
down the street. They were very unique brownstones with long white framed
windows.
Merchant's House Museum
Our
next stop was the Merchants House Museum
on East Fourth Street.
This museum is unique as it is landmarked on the exterior as well as the
interior. An upper middle class family by the name of Tredwell lived here in the mid-19th century. The Tredwell family consisted of the mother, father and eight children. They were a merchant family, which is what the upper middle class was formed of then. Our guide was Bill, he was very knowledgeable, but spoke so
softly that it was difficult to catch everything he said. This house was built
in 1832 with six floors. The family had 4 servants. The servants had all
amenities in quarters upstairs. They were young female Irish
emigrants.
Call bells were in the kitchen to call servants from another room. They cooked over an open hearth, had a rainwater cistern for washing and a city well for drinking. There was no indoor plumbing, so it was chamber pots (which the servants emptied) or a privy in the backyard. The entire house was heated by fireplaces, for which the servants would have to carry coal buckets up six
flights of stairs. It was the norm that sometimes rats were present in the
house. The furnishings were all the best quality, even the ornate moldings.
There was plenty of open space, lots of windows to allow fresh air and light in. In later years indoor plumbing and Gasoliers (chandeliers powered by gas) were added. All in all I think the family led a very comfortable life for that time. The lack of full body bathing was not a surprise to me, but I can't imagine what that was like. At least they had clean water for sponge baths. The women’s role as “social directors”,
doesn't sound half bad (except for the being snubbed part)!
next stop was the Merchants House Museum
on East Fourth Street.
This museum is unique as it is landmarked on the exterior as well as the
interior. An upper middle class family by the name of Tredwell lived here in the mid-19th century. The Tredwell family consisted of the mother, father and eight children. They were a merchant family, which is what the upper middle class was formed of then. Our guide was Bill, he was very knowledgeable, but spoke so
softly that it was difficult to catch everything he said. This house was built
in 1832 with six floors. The family had 4 servants. The servants had all
amenities in quarters upstairs. They were young female Irish
emigrants.
Call bells were in the kitchen to call servants from another room. They cooked over an open hearth, had a rainwater cistern for washing and a city well for drinking. There was no indoor plumbing, so it was chamber pots (which the servants emptied) or a privy in the backyard. The entire house was heated by fireplaces, for which the servants would have to carry coal buckets up six
flights of stairs. It was the norm that sometimes rats were present in the
house. The furnishings were all the best quality, even the ornate moldings.
There was plenty of open space, lots of windows to allow fresh air and light in. In later years indoor plumbing and Gasoliers (chandeliers powered by gas) were added. All in all I think the family led a very comfortable life for that time. The lack of full body bathing was not a surprise to me, but I can't imagine what that was like. At least they had clean water for sponge baths. The women’s role as “social directors”,
doesn't sound half bad (except for the being snubbed part)!
We continued on to the heart of the village, Washington Square Park, built in 1827.
Robert Moses wanted to build a highway right through the park. It was saved
from demolition in the 1950's by protestors led by Jane Jacobs. This park was originally marshland with the Minetta Brook running through it into the Hudson River (Blue Guide). The park offers beautiful
huge old trees, lawns, a dog park, a central fountain, and the famous white
arch; modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which commemorates the
100th anniversary of the inauguration of George
Washington (Blue Guide).
There were lots of people relaxing, having lunch, playing music. I did see a
couple homeless people sleeping and we were approached by an obviously disturbed person cursing at us and calling us all slaves. Mike was very calm saying “come on now, if anyone is a slave it’s me, I’m
the biggest slave here (I’m still chuckling). Luckily she walked away. The park was a suburban haven amongst urban life. I really enjoyed it.
We walked through Washington Mews, which was originally a Lenape
Indian trail; it then became carriage houses and stables, now it is a
cut through between buildings that are part of NYU.
I know it sounds nuts, but I thought I smelt horse manure walking through there, I guess my mind was playing tricks or something bad was lying
around. We walked down Macdougal street, passing by Cafe
Wha?, where Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix
had performed. Heading down Bleecker Street
I am starting to get tired and hungry, looking forward to sitting down and
relaxing for a few and going over some things I saw and heard. Mike is still
going at a trot and we are starting to lag behind! I'm starting to think about renting one of the Citi bikes that are all around!
Robert Moses wanted to build a highway right through the park. It was saved
from demolition in the 1950's by protestors led by Jane Jacobs. This park was originally marshland with the Minetta Brook running through it into the Hudson River (Blue Guide). The park offers beautiful
huge old trees, lawns, a dog park, a central fountain, and the famous white
arch; modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which commemorates the
100th anniversary of the inauguration of George
Washington (Blue Guide).
There were lots of people relaxing, having lunch, playing music. I did see a
couple homeless people sleeping and we were approached by an obviously disturbed person cursing at us and calling us all slaves. Mike was very calm saying “come on now, if anyone is a slave it’s me, I’m
the biggest slave here (I’m still chuckling). Luckily she walked away. The park was a suburban haven amongst urban life. I really enjoyed it.
We walked through Washington Mews, which was originally a Lenape
Indian trail; it then became carriage houses and stables, now it is a
cut through between buildings that are part of NYU.
I know it sounds nuts, but I thought I smelt horse manure walking through there, I guess my mind was playing tricks or something bad was lying
around. We walked down Macdougal street, passing by Cafe
Wha?, where Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix
had performed. Heading down Bleecker Street
I am starting to get tired and hungry, looking forward to sitting down and
relaxing for a few and going over some things I saw and heard. Mike is still
going at a trot and we are starting to lag behind! I'm starting to think about renting one of the Citi bikes that are all around!
We stopped for lunch; some of us went to La
Palapa, a Mexican restaurant on St. Marks place. Good food, quick service, good price. Great Lime Margarita’s! I feel revitalized now. St
Mark’s place has many shops, food places and a relaxing feel. The corner
light posts were covered in mosaic tile. We saw an old corner church.
St. Marks in the Bowery Church is the second oldest church in NYC,
dating back to 1799.
It is still today a socially active church (Blue Guide). The
East Village, previously the Lower East Side, has been transformed from a dangerous place filled with burned out buildings and squatters, to a very safe place with many yuppies living here. Another example of gentrification.
Palapa, a Mexican restaurant on St. Marks place. Good food, quick service, good price. Great Lime Margarita’s! I feel revitalized now. St
Mark’s place has many shops, food places and a relaxing feel. The corner
light posts were covered in mosaic tile. We saw an old corner church.
St. Marks in the Bowery Church is the second oldest church in NYC,
dating back to 1799.
It is still today a socially active church (Blue Guide). The
East Village, previously the Lower East Side, has been transformed from a dangerous place filled with burned out buildings and squatters, to a very safe place with many yuppies living here. Another example of gentrification.
On Ave C is MORUS, the Museum
of Reclaimed Urban Space.
This museum offers the radical history of the East Village. The interior of the
museum offers pictures of the rubble filled lots that use to encompass the area,
protests, police action and riots. We had a guided tour of sites surrounding the museum and a "history lesson" on the lower east side, now considered the East Village. Our tour guide was Bill, a very interesting passionate
fellow. We saw the 9th Street Community Garden Park,
which used to be a ruble lot from abandoned tenements, until 1977 when residents banded together to rehabilitate the abandoned land. We were not able to enter this garden as it was locked today. The City of New York saw that the residents’ efforts were working and under pressure from the community supported this attempt throughout this area. The Green Thumb Project, a community garden project, was created. The parks are maintained by the care of volunteers, but the land is protected by the city. We also learned what squatters were; people who took over
abandoned buildings and hooked up to the plumbing and electric illegally and lived in these buildings. We also heard about the squatter evictions by
police. The second community garden we saw was built in 1978, La
Plaza Cultural. Very pretty with huge willow trees and many handmade decorative garden art pieces made out of garbage (repurposing).
They had a cistern system for collecting rain water for watering the plants as well as a composting system, things that can be done on Long Island as well to conserve water and landfills. We also saw the last two remaining murals that depict struggles from around the world in and around 1985. We stopped to look at the Christodora House building. During the height of immigration, charities setup settlement houses to help immigrants learn the language and get settled. Christodora House, on Ave B and E 9th St. was one of these. It is now luxury condominiums. As our guide, Bill said, it's ironic how the pool and gymnasium that were built for and used by poor immigrants are now being used by the rich.
of Reclaimed Urban Space.
This museum offers the radical history of the East Village. The interior of the
museum offers pictures of the rubble filled lots that use to encompass the area,
protests, police action and riots. We had a guided tour of sites surrounding the museum and a "history lesson" on the lower east side, now considered the East Village. Our tour guide was Bill, a very interesting passionate
fellow. We saw the 9th Street Community Garden Park,
which used to be a ruble lot from abandoned tenements, until 1977 when residents banded together to rehabilitate the abandoned land. We were not able to enter this garden as it was locked today. The City of New York saw that the residents’ efforts were working and under pressure from the community supported this attempt throughout this area. The Green Thumb Project, a community garden project, was created. The parks are maintained by the care of volunteers, but the land is protected by the city. We also learned what squatters were; people who took over
abandoned buildings and hooked up to the plumbing and electric illegally and lived in these buildings. We also heard about the squatter evictions by
police. The second community garden we saw was built in 1978, La
Plaza Cultural. Very pretty with huge willow trees and many handmade decorative garden art pieces made out of garbage (repurposing).
They had a cistern system for collecting rain water for watering the plants as well as a composting system, things that can be done on Long Island as well to conserve water and landfills. We also saw the last two remaining murals that depict struggles from around the world in and around 1985. We stopped to look at the Christodora House building. During the height of immigration, charities setup settlement houses to help immigrants learn the language and get settled. Christodora House, on Ave B and E 9th St. was one of these. It is now luxury condominiums. As our guide, Bill said, it's ironic how the pool and gymnasium that were built for and used by poor immigrants are now being used by the rich.
We finished up our guided tour at
Tompkins Square Park.
I could tell it is a big neighborhood hangout, many adults relaxing and children playing basketball and bike riding. There is also a spacious dog park, which was so much fun to watch the dogs all running and playing together. I’ve never seen so many dogs at once. This park was the site of many riots dating all the way back to the 1850's (Blue Guide). It's hard to imagine that this park was once filled with homeless people and graffiti, as well as drug dealers. On our way back to Penn station we stopped at the Big
Gay Ice Cream Shop. I got a Salty Pimp cone. It’s
vanilla soft serve ice cream, injected with caramel and sea salt sprinkled on
top, then dipped in chocolate shell. Delicious!!! I don’t
know if I enjoyed the ice cream or the entertainment of the workers inside.
Very charismatic, bubbly workers!
Some of us took the F train to get back to Penn Station. When you get off the subway you’re supposed to walk west to get to Penn. Well, how the heck do I know which way west is? Thank god for the sun! I made the 6:53 train to Deer Park to get home.
Tompkins Square Park.
I could tell it is a big neighborhood hangout, many adults relaxing and children playing basketball and bike riding. There is also a spacious dog park, which was so much fun to watch the dogs all running and playing together. I’ve never seen so many dogs at once. This park was the site of many riots dating all the way back to the 1850's (Blue Guide). It's hard to imagine that this park was once filled with homeless people and graffiti, as well as drug dealers. On our way back to Penn station we stopped at the Big
Gay Ice Cream Shop. I got a Salty Pimp cone. It’s
vanilla soft serve ice cream, injected with caramel and sea salt sprinkled on
top, then dipped in chocolate shell. Delicious!!! I don’t
know if I enjoyed the ice cream or the entertainment of the workers inside.
Very charismatic, bubbly workers!
Some of us took the F train to get back to Penn Station. When you get off the subway you’re supposed to walk west to get to Penn. Well, how the heck do I know which way west is? Thank god for the sun! I made the 6:53 train to Deer Park to get home.
East of the Park
I arrived at Penn at 10:30 today. I was able to transfer my
money on an expired metro card to a new one. I was happy not to lose that
money. Leaving from Penn to get to the Eastside, we took the 1 train to the
Times Square Shuttle [the S train] over to Grand Central Station and then the 4
train uptown to 86st to the 6train to 103st to begin our tour of East Harlem.
Wow! That was a lot of transfers. I try to compare it to being on the parkways
on Long Island and cutting across different parkways to get somewhere. We
started our day in East Harlem. East
Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem
and El Barrio (the neighborhood),
is the eastern section of Harlem.
As soon as we got off the subway, I could see signs of gentrification, a health spa
and new luxury condominiums being built. There is a lot of pressure to develop
this area because of its proximity to Central Park and the northward spread of
gentrification in Manhattan (Blue Guide, P. 438). In the 1880's
trains were routed into East Harlem and there was an influx of German
immigrants. After WWI, there was an influx of Hispanics. In the late 60's and
70's East Harlem saw the highest crime rate and unemployment of the city. On the
heels of this a new wave of immigrants came in from the Caribbean. We walked to 5th Ave, Museum Mile, called such because of the large amount of museums located along this section of the avenue. We visited
the Museum of the City of New York. Founded in 1923, this museum has exhibits
that explore the city’s
history, from a Dutch colony to now, with more than 3 million artifacts (Blue
Guide, P.376). I really enjoyed this museum and wished we had more time to
explore. One exhibit was called; Picturing Central Park: paintings by Janet
Ruttenberg. Lots of paintings of Central Park, some small, some enormous. Many
of the paintings were on canvas, paper and even cardboard sketches. One painting
was superimposed by a projector placing moving, dancing figures on the canvas.
We saw a short film on the history of NYC. It was packed with information, from
the time of the Lenape Indians selling land to the Dutch to about ten years ago.
I thought the film was great, I really enjoyed learning about the history of NYC
and the film was presented in a short to the point manner. We saw an exhibition
called; Activist New York. It was a great exhibition about important issues in
the past and in the present that activists supported. I picked one that caught
my eye the most, it was titled; Stop The Wrecking Ball! Preserving City
Landmarks, 1950 to 1965. I think what caught my eye was this horrendous picture
of a giant chain wrapped around this beautiful angel statue that was torn down
during the demolition of Penn Station. This exhibition gave a brief history of
activists such as Jane Jacobs, and their preservation fight. The demolition of
Penn Station led to the passage of New York’s 1965
preservation law.
The
next museum we visited was; El Museo Del Barrio. Spurred by the 1969 Civil
Rights Movement, Puerto Ricans felt ostracized and misjudged. The community,
including activists, teachers, and artists built this museum, originally in a
classroom in a public school (Blue Guide, P.376). Built by the people, for the
people to represent their culture and show their pride, by giving information on
the history of
El Barrio; how the community began, landmarks, buildings, artifacts, community
activities, music, food and more. It now represents not only Puerto Rican
culture, but Caribbean and Latin American culture as well (Blue Guide, P. 376).
We didn’t walk
around the museum. We went on a one hour walking tour of "Spanish”
Harlem. I don’t feel
like I learned a lot on this tour. Our guide was very nice, but unfortunately
she spent more time asking us questions and talking about our answers then
actually giving us information. We walked under the Metro
North via duct, which is the divider between the west side (affluent) and the
east side (less affluent) of Harlem. Metro
North brought in more immigrants and commuters from upstate when it was built.
We saw a mural painted on the side of a building titled;
The Spirit of East Harlem Mural. Painted in
1973-1978, by Hank
Prussing and Manny Vega, it represents community pride. It is a valued part of the
community and has been restored over time. We saw a second mural done by Manny
Vega titled Espiritu. It is a mosaic mural, representing different cultures
together; Latino, Caribbean, Bangladesh, spiritual gods and John Lennon. This
mural is said to represent the current populations in East Harlem. Our guide
also spoke about the Young Lords gang and how they brought attention to East
Harlem's trash problem among other issues. I don’t
doubt their positive impact in these areas, but she made them seem like do-gooders only. I
noticed a lot of trashy horn blowing
constantly in this area. It reminded me of what Midtown Manhattan used to sound
like. I was able to purchase a white sage smudge stick from Justo Botanica. Next we ate lunch, a few of us went to a tiny Mexican place. Very tasty!
Central Park
My favorite part of the day…
Central Park! I was so excited to walk through Central Park! I have only been to
Central Park once when I was a kid. All I remember was; it was a dangerous
place; don’t go there at night and of course the horrible Central Park jogger gang rape. These
were my impressions of Central Park. Well I was proven wrong today. It has
changed so much. I loved it. It was beautiful!! The landscape natural and
designed, beautiful statues, architectural buildings and bridges (36 of them).
Many of the steps were actually built into the gray rock. The park is full of
families, kids, sports, runners, picnickers and bikers. Central Park was
designed and created in 1858 by Frederick Law Olmsted and opened in 1873.
Central Park provided New Yorkers with green open public space. Olmsted modeled
the park after Liverpool, England’s Sir
Joseph Paxton’s Birkenhead Park (Blue Guide, P.17). Central Park runs the length of
110th street to 59th street. We started in
The Conservatory Gardens, my favorite area. Then we walked
along the Jackie Kennedy Reservoir which is 40 feet deep and was in
use from 1862-1993. We walked east to west and north to south throughout the
park. I will point out we are the first class ever to do this in one day! I
loved it; learning and burning calories at the same time,
it’s like
killing two birds with one stone. We did finally find a bathroom, as several
students were considering the bushes! We also saw the Dakota building where John
Lennon and Yoko Ono lived, including the spot where Lennon was killed. The
building was built in 1880. We could see the shuttered windows of their
apartment. It was kind of eerie. Yoko Ono still lives there. We walked through
Strawberry Fields, which was dedicated to Lennon by Mayor Koch. We also visited
the boat pond and the lake. There were many couples getting married throughout
the park, very romantic! I was happy to see a lot of human peddled bike
carriages for sightseeing and less horse drawn carriages than I
remember.
here to edit.
Central Park! I was so excited to walk through Central Park! I have only been to
Central Park once when I was a kid. All I remember was; it was a dangerous
place; don’t go there at night and of course the horrible Central Park jogger gang rape. These
were my impressions of Central Park. Well I was proven wrong today. It has
changed so much. I loved it. It was beautiful!! The landscape natural and
designed, beautiful statues, architectural buildings and bridges (36 of them).
Many of the steps were actually built into the gray rock. The park is full of
families, kids, sports, runners, picnickers and bikers. Central Park was
designed and created in 1858 by Frederick Law Olmsted and opened in 1873.
Central Park provided New Yorkers with green open public space. Olmsted modeled
the park after Liverpool, England’s Sir
Joseph Paxton’s Birkenhead Park (Blue Guide, P.17). Central Park runs the length of
110th street to 59th street. We started in
The Conservatory Gardens, my favorite area. Then we walked
along the Jackie Kennedy Reservoir which is 40 feet deep and was in
use from 1862-1993. We walked east to west and north to south throughout the
park. I will point out we are the first class ever to do this in one day! I
loved it; learning and burning calories at the same time,
it’s like
killing two birds with one stone. We did finally find a bathroom, as several
students were considering the bushes! We also saw the Dakota building where John
Lennon and Yoko Ono lived, including the spot where Lennon was killed. The
building was built in 1880. We could see the shuttered windows of their
apartment. It was kind of eerie. Yoko Ono still lives there. We walked through
Strawberry Fields, which was dedicated to Lennon by Mayor Koch. We also visited
the boat pond and the lake. There were many couples getting married throughout
the park, very romantic! I was happy to see a lot of human peddled bike
carriages for sightseeing and less horse drawn carriages than I
remember.
here to edit.
We
briefly visited Fifth Avenue, one of the most opulent shopping streets in the
world. The hustle and bustle of Fifth Avenue is what I always related to the
city, now I know other tranquil spots exist. We walked through the Plaza Hotel
with its beautiful high ceiling with chandeliers where I saw some women taking
tea. Then we got to “play” in
F.A.O. Schwarz, that was fun. Built in 1862, it is the oldest toy store in the United States.
We walked through
Tiffany’s and
I admired all the sparkly jewelry that I’ll
probably never be able to afford. It was nice to look at. Our last stop was
St. Patrick's Cathedral. The cathedral is undergoing renovation right now so, we couldn't see the exterior unfortunately. The Gothic architecture is
so powerful. Originally the land was bought by the Catholic Church in 1828 with
the intention to use it as burial ground. It turned out the land was far too
rocky and eventually St Patrick’s
Cathedral was built here, opening in 1910 (Blue Guide, P.254). Maureen and I
went inside to light a candle. Afterwards, it was the mad dash back to Penn.
Maureen and I speed walked to Penn in less than fifteen minutes, making our
train.
briefly visited Fifth Avenue, one of the most opulent shopping streets in the
world. The hustle and bustle of Fifth Avenue is what I always related to the
city, now I know other tranquil spots exist. We walked through the Plaza Hotel
with its beautiful high ceiling with chandeliers where I saw some women taking
tea. Then we got to “play” in
F.A.O. Schwarz, that was fun. Built in 1862, it is the oldest toy store in the United States.
We walked through
Tiffany’s and
I admired all the sparkly jewelry that I’ll
probably never be able to afford. It was nice to look at. Our last stop was
St. Patrick's Cathedral. The cathedral is undergoing renovation right now so, we couldn't see the exterior unfortunately. The Gothic architecture is
so powerful. Originally the land was bought by the Catholic Church in 1828 with
the intention to use it as burial ground. It turned out the land was far too
rocky and eventually St Patrick’s
Cathedral was built here, opening in 1910 (Blue Guide, P.254). Maureen and I
went inside to light a candle. Afterwards, it was the mad dash back to Penn.
Maureen and I speed walked to Penn in less than fifteen minutes, making our
train.