Impressions of New York
Although I've become very-much a Long Island girl, I'm originally from Maspeth, Queens! I was extremely fortunate in that my family fully utilized our close proximity to Manhattan and the other boroughs when I was growing up. My school field trips and weekend adventures always were throughout the city. We frequented all of the museums, historic landmarks and educational sites, such as the Tenement Museum. Some of my favorite memories of my childhood are from picnicking in Battery Park, seeing the Radio City Christmas Spectacular/Rockefeller Center, ice skating at Chelsea Piers, going to Rangers games. I also loved my trips to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
As I've gotten older, I've grown a deep love for Greenwich Village and Washington Square. (Although apparently it's a bad idea to take your 15 year old for a nose ring on St. Mark's place.. oops!) I still go to the Christmas Spectacular every year and my dad and I try to go into the city often, as well. This summer we went to walk the Highlands and site-see.
What I personally love about New York is that it truly is a melting pot of people. You could be walking down Fifth Avenue and be surrounded by a celebrity or a street peddler. There really is every sort of person imaginable in the city, and no one is judged harshly. The few things I've come to dislike about the city are the overcrowding, pollution and traffic. Being a little nostalgic, ten years ago, these issues were not as prominent as they are now, which made my city going experiences that much better.
No matter where I wind up in life, I will always have a special place in my heart for New York City.
As I've gotten older, I've grown a deep love for Greenwich Village and Washington Square. (Although apparently it's a bad idea to take your 15 year old for a nose ring on St. Mark's place.. oops!) I still go to the Christmas Spectacular every year and my dad and I try to go into the city often, as well. This summer we went to walk the Highlands and site-see.
What I personally love about New York is that it truly is a melting pot of people. You could be walking down Fifth Avenue and be surrounded by a celebrity or a street peddler. There really is every sort of person imaginable in the city, and no one is judged harshly. The few things I've come to dislike about the city are the overcrowding, pollution and traffic. Being a little nostalgic, ten years ago, these issues were not as prominent as they are now, which made my city going experiences that much better.
No matter where I wind up in life, I will always have a special place in my heart for New York City.
quixotic Queens: September 6, 2013
My day started at the Deer Park train station. I had been looking forward to this class all summer and was really eager to get into the city ad get started! The class met by the LIRR timetables signs. After a few introductions we were off!
We found our first "classroom" at Bryant Park. Mike discussed the journal requirements and Meritta went over what was expected for our papers. Next we were introduced to the topic of gentrification. The dictionary defines gentrification as "the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents." Mike and Meritta told us that this theme is going to be extremely important throughout the class, and was even demonstrated in the way that Bryant Park has been cleaned up throughout the years.
On our way to our next stop, we stopped for a few minutes to talk about at the architecture of the Chrysler Building. The style is best known as art-deco. Introduced in the 1920's and 30's, art deco is one of my favorite architectural designs because it always reminds me of the Great Gatsby and the era of great mansion, introduction of automobiles and just about my favorite time period in American culture. When Walter Chrysler had the building constructed as a symbol of status, I do not believe that he knew how important this building would be as part of the New York City skyline.
Our next stop was the New York City Public Library. (Blue Guide, p. 207) This building has always been one of my favorites in the city, and was built in the neo-classical style, my close second favorite design. Neo-classical channels the inspiration of the great Roman and Greek architecture styles with the columns, beautiful stone work and great symbology, such as the lions that guard the front doors and the women representing liberty and justice on the top of the building.
Once inside the library, we climbed what seemed like 1000 stairs, but the sights at the top were definitely worth it. The inside of the library is one of the most beautiful sights that I believe can be seen in the city. The high ceilings are decorated with ornate paintings and what appeared to be brass intricate frame work. The chandeliers that descend from the ceiling in the main reading room were absolutely gorgeous, and I was extremely in awe of the paintings in the second room and regret not taking pictures of them.
The next place we explored was Grand Central Terminal, one of the largest railroad stations in New York City. (Blue Guide 229). Mike discussed the history of this station, including the ceiling, the famous gold clock, and the restoration project led by Jackie Kennedy.
We stopped into the Waldorf Astoria to admire the beautiful architecture inside the building and I think we all felt out of place! The dark carpeting allowed for all of the beautiful crystal decorations to really pop and the sight was truly breath-taking. However... I was mostly excited about seeing Bob Sagat sitting out in the lobby waiting for his ride! Not that I'm a huge fan of his or anything, but seeing celebrities always makes me incredibly excited!
The Roosevelt Island Tram... Growing up and frequenting the city, this was one of the few things I swore I would NEVER do! The idea of being suspended over the river on a giant ski lift type car never seemed like a good idea to me! I'm scared of heights and even more terrified of the fall! This is something I truly give Mike and Meritta a lot of credit for when they designed the course. They really have captured many elements of the city that we would not otherwise experience, and this sure was an experience! I stood in the middle of the car with Meritta, who was just as scared and I can honestly say that it isn't half as bad as I always believed it would be!
Roosevelt Island was surprisingly contrasted to Manhattan. The streets were quiet and I felt as though we stumbled into the middle of nowhere. We passed the Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital, which I don't think anyone wasn't a little creeped out by. It still resembles the jail that it once was. They have done little work to reconstruct the building.
We also saw the old Small Poxs Hospital, along with the Strecker Memorial Labortory site, which was one of the first places to research bacterial and pathological projects, and became one of the first nursing schools. We continued along the East River to the Four Freedoms Park. This area is a memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt, one of the most influential presidents of the 20th century. I particularly enjoyed this site because I'm a history major and love going to memorials as it is. Although FDR is not one of my favorite presidents, it was an extremely impressive site nonetheless.
We also saw the old Small Poxs Hospital, along with the Strecker Memorial Labortory site, which was one of the first places to research bacterial and pathological projects, and became one of the first nursing schools. We continued along the East River to the Four Freedoms Park. This area is a memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt, one of the most influential presidents of the 20th century. I particularly enjoyed this site because I'm a history major and love going to memorials as it is. Although FDR is not one of my favorite presidents, it was an extremely impressive site nonetheless.
After a quick ride on the subway, we were in Jackson Heights for lunch at the famous Jackson Diner. I always am up for trying new foods and experiences, and although I didn't really care for the food, I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to try something new that I never would have on my own!
Thank you to Mike and Meritta for lunch!!
Our next stop was Astoria where we saw Kaufman Studios and the Museum of the Moving Image. I was at the museum a few years ago and I really enjoyed that they change up their exhibits. They really have so many things on display to see! There are special exhibits dedicated to antique equipment, prosthetics, makeup, puppets and even computer generated sounds and mash-ups. I stood at one of the song mash-up head phones for about 15 minutes to hear all of them because they were really cool!
Next we were off to Long Island City! Our first stop was PS1, but the exhibit that Mike wanted to show us was not up, so we moved on to 5 Pointz- Institute of Higher Burning. This was an amazing sight that I never knew existed! 5 Pointz is an outdoor graffiti art exhibit that artists can paint on for free, with just a permit. However, there is no guarantee as to how long a mural or piece will be up for. We met a graffiti artist who's tag name was Swing and he explained to us the different types of paint used and the history of the sight. Unfortunately, we learned that the sight will be closing soon to make room for new high-rise apartments.
We concluded our day by walking through Long Island city and discussing all of the gentrification projects that are going on. The area that was once a really bad neighborhood is now home to beautiful new waterfront apartments that overlook the NYC skyline and have close Subway access. Sad for all of those people that are going to be forced out, but at least the city is thriving. Our last stop was Gantry Park which was the location of the Long Island Railroad loading stations to provide goods to the newly expanded Long Island suburbs!
Although we probably walked close to ten miles, I was surprisingly not exhausted the next day!
I had an amazing first class in the city with Mike, Meritta and my new classmates and am sincerely looking forward to all of the new experiences in the next few weeks.
I had an amazing first class in the city with Mike, Meritta and my new classmates and am sincerely looking forward to all of the new experiences in the next few weeks.
Bodacious Brooklyn: September 13, 2013
My morning started out with a nice calm hour-long train ride from Deer Park to Penn. I didn't expect the weather to be so chilly out and I was a little afraid that I didn't dress properly, but the weather held up! A quick stop into GNC for some protein bars for the day and I was on my way to meet up with the class!
Our first stop was going to be the F train to Coney Island. We walked to the 6th Avenue spot, a quick walk from Penn. We caught the train at around 11:30 and it was only supposed to take 45 minutes but as mass-transportation goes... no such luck! We learned it was rightly named the F-train by the time we arrived at Coney Island an hour and a half later!
By the time we got to Coney Island, we only had about a half hour to explore the boardwalk and the strip around the Luna Park area which really wasn't enough time, unfortunately. The beach there was really pretty though, and I was really surprised at how many people were around the area, despite the overcast, it being off-season and a weekday. This is definitely I'd like to get back to one day and really enjoy the area. Most people enjoyed a hot dog at the original Nathan's, where they hold the hot dog eating challenge every year. I don't eat fast food, but they smelled really good and it was still really exciting to be there! Mike and Meritta told us that they were thinking about removing this part of the course, but I really hope that they don't because it shows you an area that you can definitely come back to one day and enjoy! I don't think people would chose a place like this to go on their own, so I would absolutely leave this in the course!
The next stop on our tour was the New York Transit Museum. (This time the F-train was functioning pretty close to schedule, luckily..) I found this spot to be extremely interesting! The museum itself is a converted subway station that was never actually used and the entrance is just like a subway. Blink and you'd miss it!
Our tour guide Katherine led us into the exhibits and the first thing I noticed was how incredibly hot it was down there!! She explained to us the history of the museum, that it has been there since 1976 and then went into the history of trains and the different types of tunnels and building processes. The most interesting part of her lecture was the part when she discussed the sand-hogs that used to work for only $2/day when the tunnels were being built, despite the awful and dangerous working conditions. Today, this name is still common for people who do this type of work. (Sandhogs Local 147 Union)
I was so impressed by the Transit Museum! They had more than 20 decommissioned trains, old turnstyles, ticket windows and so much more! My favorite part was the old advertisements in all of the trains. I took so many pictures! You can see my Transit Museum gallery here.
Next we were in for a walking tour of Brooklyn- the best you'll ever get, as Mike said! Our first stop was Brooklyn Borough Hall, which was another example of neo-classic architecture. This was the former site of Brooklyn City Hall when it was its own city, but in 1898 Brooklyn became a borough and it was forced to change its name.
Next, we learned why Brooklyn has the nickname "The Borough of Churches". As part of the affluent neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights, we stopped on the corner of Montague Street, where Mike discussed St. Ann and the Holy Trinity church, which was a beautiful building of the Gothic style.
Next we quickly stopped to view the Brooklyn Historical Society. We took a minute to look at the carvings of Benjamin Franklin and Christopher Columbus in the building, as well as the Native American and viking figures at the door. Continuing on, Mike told us that there are many buildings in Brooklyn that appear to be brownstone, but are actually cement with a brownstone covering. I thought it was beautiful anyway!
Next we were off to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which is one of my favorite parts of the city. Although it sits directly atop of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, it is truly one of the best locations to view the New York City skyline. Also, it offered the first view of the Brooklyn Bridge, which we would be crossing later.. I was already getting nervous! Apparently, this class is not for people that are afraid of heights!!
Our next stop was the Henry Ward Beecher statue at Plymouth Church. Mike explained to the class the historical significance of Beecher, as a preacher who spoke out against slavery and for temperance. Many great men such as Abraham Lincoln traveled to New York to hear him speak.
A few shorts blocks over, we passed the house that Walt Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass and then we were headed to DUMBO- Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. There was an absolutely beautiful view of the city here, and a small fence that people have tried to re-create the famous love lock bridge in France on. This whole neighborhood had a really trendy and urban feel to it, but a completely different vibe than Manhattan which was just across the river. We stopped for a few minutes to walk around this area, and I may or may not have accidentally crashed someone's wedding that was being held right under the bridge... Oops! Afterwards, a few people stopped for ice cream at the "best" ice cream shop in Brooklyn, but I was so nervous about crossing the bridge!!
And then it was time to cross the bridge! I was so nervous but it wasn't half as bad as I had always thought it would be! The views were somewhat obstructed by construction work, but beautiful nonetheless!
I had an amazing day in Brooklyn and can not wait to explore the Villages next week!
It's my absolute favorite part of New York!
It's my absolute favorite part of New York!
A tale of three villages: September 20, 2013
Today's class was especially exciting for me! The villages are my favorite part of the city!! After meeting at Penn Station, we took the 1 train to Houston Street where our walking tour of the village began!
Mike began explaining part of Bedford Street to the class and explained to us the term "So-Ho" which means south of Houston Street. He talked about the Village being one of the few locations in the city that has named streets instead of numbered ones, because the streets were named before the city grid was introduced. Meritta showed us the White Horse Tavern where famous writers such as Dylan Thomas used to go for drinks and to write.
We continued our walking tour of the trendy shops and coffee houses, and eventually wound up on Christopher Street- the center of the gay and lesbian community. The street is iconic and always lined with the rainbow flag.
I explained to Mike, Meritta and the class that when I was younger, I used to perform in shows at the Lucille Lortel Theater that is located on this street. Following this stop, Meritta took us to see One If By Land, which is the most romantic restaurant in all of New York City, in my opinion.
We stopped through Christopher Park next, which has a memorial to commemorate the gay and lesbian community. We proceeded right down the street to the Stonewall Inn which was full of history.
The Stonewall Inn is seen as the birthplace of the gay rights movement. On June 28th, 1969, patrons of the bar fought back against the oppressive police department and laws which restricted gay rights.
Continuing down to Waverly Place and Grove Street, stopping at the Northern Dispensary. Mike explained that this building is an example of 'federal' style architecture. It was originally built for the purpose of offering inexpensive medical assistance to poor New Yorkers. Edgar Allan Poe was treated in this same building.
Our next main stop was the Merchant House Museum. Our tour guide Bill explained that the house was built in 1832 and owned by the Tredwell family until 1933. The one part of this site that I found especially interesting was the layout. The basement room where the family spent most of their time did not look like it belonged to a wealthy family. It was small and dark, but yet when we went upstairs, the house was full of ornate decorations. I also thought it was interesting that the mother and father had separate bed chambers.
Our next stop was Washington Square Park which was once a popular place to get drugs in the 1970's. Mike also explained that Robert Moses once proposed to build a highway through the park, but Jane Jacobs and a grou of activists were able to stop this from happening. We continued walking and stopped to view the Washington Arc, which was modeled after the Arc de Triumph in Paris.
We continued our walking tour and Meritta explained to us the gentrification that is taking place even in the Villages. For the most part, this is occurring because New York University is buying up a majority of the buildings in the area and building them up and out for university purposes. The class also got to see a demonstration of "Parking Day". This is an annual worldwide event where artists and citizens transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks. The one that we saw was right outside of the Washington Mews and full of a few NYU students and a fake tree and plants.
Passing through the park again we saw the man known as Pigeon Man and the dozens of pigeons that flock to him. Weird, but this is New York!
We walked down MacDougal street and passed popular local hang outs including Cafe Reggio, Cafe Dante, and Cafe Wha? Cafe Wha? was featured in my favorite movie, Across the Universe, and I shared this little bit of information with Mike and Meritta. We made our way to St. Mark's Place, one of my absolute favorite places in the city! Sarah and I went into The Thirteenth Step for lunch and found a bar we would definitely go back to on the weekends!
We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space and on a walking tour, which was an extremely interesting experience. Our tour guide, Bill, considered himself an organic historian of the neighborhood and so he was an very valuable resource. He took us through various community gardens and areas that civilian activists took time to preserve and clean up. A lot of these areas were once undesirable and home to druggies and prostitutes. My favorite spot of the tour was Tompkins Square Park where we learned about the Tompkins Square Park Riots in 1988.
At this point in the tour it was time for me to head home a little early, as I was starring in the Molloy College's production of High Fidelity! I'm extremely eager to get started next week!
At this point in the tour it was time for me to head home a little early, as I was starring in the Molloy College's production of High Fidelity! I'm extremely eager to get started next week!