Journal 5: East Harlem
"The area just to the north of Central Park is a multicultural melting pot with three distinct communities- Morningside Heights, Harlem and East Harlem - each with its own history, architecture, and social instiutions." (ENY, pg 69) East Harlem has two other names, "El Barrio" and "Spanish Harlem." We started off today at the Museum of the City of New York. Before we actually started looking at the artwork in the museum we sat in on a short 20 minute film that displayed the journey of the city of New York. It started from the beginning and showed how it changed from year to year. I think my favorite part of that film was when they displayed two different sides of the people of New York. There was the rich upper class that had money and had luxury and on the opposite side there was the poor, lower class that was struggling to survive. The upper class had beautiful homes and had the luxury to spend as much money as they wanted, where as the poor, lower class lived in small homes and struggled to provide food for themselves and their families. The contrast between these two classes during the same period of time, in the same city was so crazy to see. It so strange that the city had such different types of people living at the same time. The pictures that displayed this contrast were so amazing to see. "By the early 20th Century apartments and brownstones in Morningside Heights, Harlem and East Harlem were being built for middle class New Yorkers looking for a better way of life than existed in lower Manhattan at the time." (ENY, pg 69).
After watching the short film we were able to explore some other parts of the museum. The museum had quotes posted as you walked to different levels. Many quotes were funny, interesting or bold but the one that really stood out to me was "New Yorkers talk very loud, very fast and all together. If they ask you a question, before you can utter three words of your answer, they will break out upon you again. And talk away." - John Adams, 1774. I thought this was the perfect description of the type of person that people believe lives in New York. This describes a "typical New Yorker." Even in 1774 the picture of a New Yorker was that they are fast paced, loud, and very talkative. Not much, in my opinion, has changed there. We also took a look at some paintings from the journey that New York has gone through. I really loved looking at the picture of Wall Street. The painting was called Wall Street, Half Past Two O'clock, October 13, 1857. You can see the workers of Wall Street and can compare what it looked like back then to what it is now. I think I really liked this picture because Wall Street is something that I am interested in. I work in a field that deals with the stock market, so to see the way Wall Street was back then is so fascinating to me.
Within this museum was also a display of graffiti art called, City as Canvas. The collection is from Martin Wong. I enjoyed looking at this because it was a different type of art. Some people believe that graffiti should not be considered an art, but I believe, in the right circumstances, that graffiti is actually very beautiful and is an expression of the artist and how they feel. I thought the large display of spray cans was a very good choice to display. The spray cans are considered this artists paint brush and paint, he is showing the world that this is his art and this is what he used to create it. After looking at the graffiti art, we made our way over to Coney Island Photographs. These photographs were taken by Aaron Rose in 1961-1963. He went around the beach of Coney Island and snapped pictures of the people that were sunbathing or enjoying their time on the beach with family and friends. I have chosen two of my favorite pictures to show in my slideshow. I chose these two pictures because they made me laugh. They are two totally different people and such a big contrast of how the human body can be. It was funny to see this display in the museum.
"The area just to the north of Central Park is a multicultural melting pot with three distinct communities- Morningside Heights, Harlem and East Harlem - each with its own history, architecture, and social instiutions." (ENY, pg 69) East Harlem has two other names, "El Barrio" and "Spanish Harlem." We started off today at the Museum of the City of New York. Before we actually started looking at the artwork in the museum we sat in on a short 20 minute film that displayed the journey of the city of New York. It started from the beginning and showed how it changed from year to year. I think my favorite part of that film was when they displayed two different sides of the people of New York. There was the rich upper class that had money and had luxury and on the opposite side there was the poor, lower class that was struggling to survive. The upper class had beautiful homes and had the luxury to spend as much money as they wanted, where as the poor, lower class lived in small homes and struggled to provide food for themselves and their families. The contrast between these two classes during the same period of time, in the same city was so crazy to see. It so strange that the city had such different types of people living at the same time. The pictures that displayed this contrast were so amazing to see. "By the early 20th Century apartments and brownstones in Morningside Heights, Harlem and East Harlem were being built for middle class New Yorkers looking for a better way of life than existed in lower Manhattan at the time." (ENY, pg 69).
After watching the short film we were able to explore some other parts of the museum. The museum had quotes posted as you walked to different levels. Many quotes were funny, interesting or bold but the one that really stood out to me was "New Yorkers talk very loud, very fast and all together. If they ask you a question, before you can utter three words of your answer, they will break out upon you again. And talk away." - John Adams, 1774. I thought this was the perfect description of the type of person that people believe lives in New York. This describes a "typical New Yorker." Even in 1774 the picture of a New Yorker was that they are fast paced, loud, and very talkative. Not much, in my opinion, has changed there. We also took a look at some paintings from the journey that New York has gone through. I really loved looking at the picture of Wall Street. The painting was called Wall Street, Half Past Two O'clock, October 13, 1857. You can see the workers of Wall Street and can compare what it looked like back then to what it is now. I think I really liked this picture because Wall Street is something that I am interested in. I work in a field that deals with the stock market, so to see the way Wall Street was back then is so fascinating to me.
Within this museum was also a display of graffiti art called, City as Canvas. The collection is from Martin Wong. I enjoyed looking at this because it was a different type of art. Some people believe that graffiti should not be considered an art, but I believe, in the right circumstances, that graffiti is actually very beautiful and is an expression of the artist and how they feel. I thought the large display of spray cans was a very good choice to display. The spray cans are considered this artists paint brush and paint, he is showing the world that this is his art and this is what he used to create it. After looking at the graffiti art, we made our way over to Coney Island Photographs. These photographs were taken by Aaron Rose in 1961-1963. He went around the beach of Coney Island and snapped pictures of the people that were sunbathing or enjoying their time on the beach with family and friends. I have chosen two of my favorite pictures to show in my slideshow. I chose these two pictures because they made me laugh. They are two totally different people and such a big contrast of how the human body can be. It was funny to see this display in the museum.
After looking and exploring the Museum of the City of New York we met our tour guide for East Harlem, Luke! He was great, very entertaining, he knew so much about East Harlem, and he was so passionate about the history and culture of where he was from. I think the passion that he had was what made him such a great tour guide and is what made him so informed and interesting to listen to. The first story Luke told us was how the museum got started. The creator of the museum started collecting things in a cardboard box and labeled it "El Museo." He told us that we should follow our dreams and be like the creator of the museum and go for what we are passionate about. Luke brought as around and showed us various different types of art work that were displayed on the streets of East Harlem. He allowed us to really see where the artist was coming from and showed us the inspiration of each artist and gave us insight of the background of each artist. My favorite art work from his tour was the mural that as painted on one of the buildings in East Harlem. It displays family, friends, and a community. I love this because it reminds me of my culture. I love seeing the community come together in this painting and it just reminds me of my family here and in Italy. Luke also brought us to a small park area that was dedicated to women. There was beautiful fountain in the middle of the park to be admired. At first I could not figure out what the fountain was suppose to be but Luke gave us some clues and we discovered it was portraying fallopian tubes. Since this park was dedicated to women, the artist decided to depict a female body part to show appreciation. In the same park there was a beautiful mural of Frida Kahlo. She was Mexican artist that inspired many. This mural displays two cultures joining together and uniting in peace. The two woman are connected by the hearts and that shows peace and love for the other culture. Our final stop on Luke's tour was a small shop that had so much culture and history. The shop was called Justo Botanica. The man who owned the store was so passionate about his culture and his store and what he sold. It was so inspiring to see this.
Our final destination for the day was Central Park. This is somewhere I have always wanted to go to. It was so beautiful! Large-scale recreational areas, like Central Park, provide those who dwell in densely populated cities with oases of tranquil green space that help take some of the harsh edges off urban living. (ENY, pg 57). The need for a park like this was apparent when city was growing in the mid 19th century. Lower Manhattan was noisy, chaotic and filled with large numbers of new European immigrants who did not live in great conditions. (ENY, pg 57). Since the citizens of New York did not have a place to go to to relax before Central Park was built, they would usually go to cemeteries to get away from the chaotic city. (ENY, pg 57). I loved looking at the scenery and I felt so peaceful walking through Central Park. We walked through the Conservatory Garden. This consists of three distinct formal gardens, English, French, and Italian gardens. (ENY, pg 59). Both the Italian and the French gardens were beautiful but I loved looking at the English garden because it had a statue that I loved! It had a statue representing the children of the book The Secret Garden. I used to love that book when I was growing up and I also loved the movie as well. The last thing we saw when leaving Central Park was the Dakota. This was the place where John Lennon lived and also the place where he was shot. Although it is known for being the place where John Lennon was murdered, it is also a lavish and luxury apartment building too. (ENY, pg66).
Our final destination for the day was Central Park. This is somewhere I have always wanted to go to. It was so beautiful! Large-scale recreational areas, like Central Park, provide those who dwell in densely populated cities with oases of tranquil green space that help take some of the harsh edges off urban living. (ENY, pg 57). The need for a park like this was apparent when city was growing in the mid 19th century. Lower Manhattan was noisy, chaotic and filled with large numbers of new European immigrants who did not live in great conditions. (ENY, pg 57). Since the citizens of New York did not have a place to go to to relax before Central Park was built, they would usually go to cemeteries to get away from the chaotic city. (ENY, pg 57). I loved looking at the scenery and I felt so peaceful walking through Central Park. We walked through the Conservatory Garden. This consists of three distinct formal gardens, English, French, and Italian gardens. (ENY, pg 59). Both the Italian and the French gardens were beautiful but I loved looking at the English garden because it had a statue that I loved! It had a statue representing the children of the book The Secret Garden. I used to love that book when I was growing up and I also loved the movie as well. The last thing we saw when leaving Central Park was the Dakota. This was the place where John Lennon lived and also the place where he was shot. Although it is known for being the place where John Lennon was murdered, it is also a lavish and luxury apartment building too. (ENY, pg66).
Journal 6: West Side
First on the agenda today was to go to Broadway and Times Square. Broadway is the oldest and most important street in New York City. (ENY, pg 32) It is the only street that is diagonal while other streets are straight up and down. The diagonal street was good for the city because in the intersections it created squares. The squares allowed for parks and public space. (ENY, pg 32) Under the Bloomberg administration, the entire stretch of Broadway turned into pedestrian zones. Between 33rd and 35th streets all vehicular traffic is closed. (ENY, pg 33). It was thought that this idea would turn into a disaster and would cause more traffic or it would hurt business for the local businesses around Broadway, but it did the opposite. It boosted conditions for the stores around Broadway because there are more people hanging around the pedestrian area and more people going into stores and it the flow of traffic has not stopped and is going well. (ENY, pg 33) Times Square is known as the city's busiest intersection and the world's most popular tourist attraction. Times Square was originally called Long Acre Square after London's carriage center. (ENY, pg 33) But eventually the name changed to Times Square in 1904 and was named after The New York Times because The Times just moved into a new skyscraper on 42nd street. (ENY, pg 33) Times Square started off as a popular and rapidly expanding attraction of the city in the 1920's but by the time the Great Depression hit Times Square's reputation was not a good one. It was becoming a sleazy area known for gambling and prostitution. (ENY, pg 34) By the 1970's Times Square had a really bad reputation and it was known that this area was for sex, drugs, and gambling. When Mayor Giuliani was in office in the mid 1990's he began to clean up the city and rebuilt Times Square. After this Times Square became a totally different place and this is when it became a large tourist attraction and a safer and better place to see and visit. (ENY, pg 34) I have been to Times Square before but I did not know the history of it. I was surprised to know that fairly recently Times Square was fixed and brought back to life by Mayor Giuliani.
The G.E. Building was our next stop. This building is in the heart of Rockefeller Center and is home to NBC. We were able to go into the building and I saw displays of some of my favorite shows such as, SNL or The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. We were also able to see the impressive murals that were painted along the walls of the building. Rockefeller had these murals painted to symbolize man's search for eternal truth through Christ's teachings. (ENY, pg 36) "The first three panels represent the stages of man's conquest of the physical world and the final one his ultimate destiny with Jesus Christ." (ENY, pg 36) From there we went to see the MOMA. I was excited to see this museum because I have heard so many great things about it. "One of the most important and influential museums of modern art in the world, MOMA houses an impressive collection of important works of art from the 19th and 20th centuries." (ENY, pg 39) The wife of John Rockefeller, Abby Rockefeller, created the idea to originate this museum. (ENY, pg 39) Jackson Pollock's paintings really stood out to me. He did not have a specific feeling in mind for his viewers to see. He wanted the people who looked at his art to create their own feelings and to express what they felt about the painting. In most of his paintings he splattered paint and just let the paint drip and let it fall where it may. I love that his work is so effortless and that he enjoys that the person viewing his art makes their own opinion on it. We also saw a little bit of minimalistic art. This type of art is still a mystery to me. One canvas was just painted white. Each person interprets this type of art work differently but this type of art work is something I do not understand. We were also able to see Pablo Picasso's paintings. He was a part of the cubism art era. He has always been fascinating me because his work is just so different from the others. I think it's pretty cool that he could create a figure that looks like a person or a face but at the same time it doesn't. After the MOMA we stopped to have Thai food at Yum Yum. Very delicious!
First on the agenda today was to go to Broadway and Times Square. Broadway is the oldest and most important street in New York City. (ENY, pg 32) It is the only street that is diagonal while other streets are straight up and down. The diagonal street was good for the city because in the intersections it created squares. The squares allowed for parks and public space. (ENY, pg 32) Under the Bloomberg administration, the entire stretch of Broadway turned into pedestrian zones. Between 33rd and 35th streets all vehicular traffic is closed. (ENY, pg 33). It was thought that this idea would turn into a disaster and would cause more traffic or it would hurt business for the local businesses around Broadway, but it did the opposite. It boosted conditions for the stores around Broadway because there are more people hanging around the pedestrian area and more people going into stores and it the flow of traffic has not stopped and is going well. (ENY, pg 33) Times Square is known as the city's busiest intersection and the world's most popular tourist attraction. Times Square was originally called Long Acre Square after London's carriage center. (ENY, pg 33) But eventually the name changed to Times Square in 1904 and was named after The New York Times because The Times just moved into a new skyscraper on 42nd street. (ENY, pg 33) Times Square started off as a popular and rapidly expanding attraction of the city in the 1920's but by the time the Great Depression hit Times Square's reputation was not a good one. It was becoming a sleazy area known for gambling and prostitution. (ENY, pg 34) By the 1970's Times Square had a really bad reputation and it was known that this area was for sex, drugs, and gambling. When Mayor Giuliani was in office in the mid 1990's he began to clean up the city and rebuilt Times Square. After this Times Square became a totally different place and this is when it became a large tourist attraction and a safer and better place to see and visit. (ENY, pg 34) I have been to Times Square before but I did not know the history of it. I was surprised to know that fairly recently Times Square was fixed and brought back to life by Mayor Giuliani.
The G.E. Building was our next stop. This building is in the heart of Rockefeller Center and is home to NBC. We were able to go into the building and I saw displays of some of my favorite shows such as, SNL or The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. We were also able to see the impressive murals that were painted along the walls of the building. Rockefeller had these murals painted to symbolize man's search for eternal truth through Christ's teachings. (ENY, pg 36) "The first three panels represent the stages of man's conquest of the physical world and the final one his ultimate destiny with Jesus Christ." (ENY, pg 36) From there we went to see the MOMA. I was excited to see this museum because I have heard so many great things about it. "One of the most important and influential museums of modern art in the world, MOMA houses an impressive collection of important works of art from the 19th and 20th centuries." (ENY, pg 39) The wife of John Rockefeller, Abby Rockefeller, created the idea to originate this museum. (ENY, pg 39) Jackson Pollock's paintings really stood out to me. He did not have a specific feeling in mind for his viewers to see. He wanted the people who looked at his art to create their own feelings and to express what they felt about the painting. In most of his paintings he splattered paint and just let the paint drip and let it fall where it may. I love that his work is so effortless and that he enjoys that the person viewing his art makes their own opinion on it. We also saw a little bit of minimalistic art. This type of art is still a mystery to me. One canvas was just painted white. Each person interprets this type of art work differently but this type of art work is something I do not understand. We were also able to see Pablo Picasso's paintings. He was a part of the cubism art era. He has always been fascinating me because his work is just so different from the others. I think it's pretty cool that he could create a figure that looks like a person or a face but at the same time it doesn't. After the MOMA we stopped to have Thai food at Yum Yum. Very delicious!
"What can't be disputed is that the neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of interesting historic sites in the City of New York, and some of the city's most impressive architecture as well." (ENY, pg69) This quote describes Morningside Heights. This was our next stop after lunch. We were also fortunate enough to have had our tour guide, Jim, show us around and explain all the beautiful and important historic spots. After meeting Jim and the Hungarian Pastry Shop we made our way over the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. That was the most impressive and the most beautiful sight I had seen all day. This is the largest church in the United States and the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world. (ENY, pg 70) What really is amazing is that this cathedral is not finished yet. As time goes on the cathedral is continue to change with it. I love that each generation gets to continue to build this cathedral. This cathedral also had a beautiful fountain in the courtyard. It was so large and so beautiful. This statue shows the archangel Michael vanquishing Satan. It also depicts the triumph of good over evil. (ENY, pg 71) As we walked inside the cathedral itself you cannot help but feel overwhelmed by the size and the gorgeous interior. It has room for over 3000 people and spans a length of over 600 feet. (ENY, pg 70)
From there we went to explore Columbia University. I am glad I finally was able to see this University. I have always wondered what it looked like. I have heard many of my professors speak of this university because they either taught there or they attended the school. The campus is gorgeous and the architecture is so mesmerizing. The university was originally established in lower Manhattan in 1754 as King's College and after the Revolution changed its name to Columbia. (ENY, pg 72) This campus was designed by the famous and our classes favorite architecture team, McKim, Mead, and White. Low Memorial Library was the first structure built on campus and was modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. (ENY, pg 72) After Columbia we made our way to General Grant National Memorial. The tomb is built of white granite and consists of a conical done sitting atop of a square base. On the top the words read "Let us have peace." (ENY, pg 74) When the memorial complete in 1897, Grant's body was placed here along with his wife Julia after her death in 1902. (ENY, pg 74)We then went to Riverside Church. This is the tallest church in the United States. It was built in 1927 and was based on the tower of Notre Dame de Laon in France. (ENY, pg 75) This church, through out history, has emphasized social justice and has been associated with liberal causes. (ENY, pg 75) We ended the day in Hamilton Heights. Hamilton Heights derives its name from Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, who resided in the area during the last years of his life. The area was used mainly for farming until the early 20thcentury when an extension of the subway opened it up for development.(ENY, PDF file) We quickly went to visit the City College of New York. The College was founded on 23rdStreet in1847 as the Free Academy of the City of New York to provide qualified children of immigrants with access to free higher education. The college moved to its current location in 1906 when aGothic-stylecampus designed by George Browne Post was built for it in Hamilton Heights. The college is now part of the CUNY (City University ofNew York) educational system and is recognized for being the first free public institution of higher education in the United States. (ENY, PDF file) The campus style for the buildings is medieval and the white and brick Gothic style buildings are replete with an amusing variety of gargoyles, depicted in poses related to each building’s function.(ENY, PDF file)
From there we went to explore Columbia University. I am glad I finally was able to see this University. I have always wondered what it looked like. I have heard many of my professors speak of this university because they either taught there or they attended the school. The campus is gorgeous and the architecture is so mesmerizing. The university was originally established in lower Manhattan in 1754 as King's College and after the Revolution changed its name to Columbia. (ENY, pg 72) This campus was designed by the famous and our classes favorite architecture team, McKim, Mead, and White. Low Memorial Library was the first structure built on campus and was modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. (ENY, pg 72) After Columbia we made our way to General Grant National Memorial. The tomb is built of white granite and consists of a conical done sitting atop of a square base. On the top the words read "Let us have peace." (ENY, pg 74) When the memorial complete in 1897, Grant's body was placed here along with his wife Julia after her death in 1902. (ENY, pg 74)We then went to Riverside Church. This is the tallest church in the United States. It was built in 1927 and was based on the tower of Notre Dame de Laon in France. (ENY, pg 75) This church, through out history, has emphasized social justice and has been associated with liberal causes. (ENY, pg 75) We ended the day in Hamilton Heights. Hamilton Heights derives its name from Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, who resided in the area during the last years of his life. The area was used mainly for farming until the early 20thcentury when an extension of the subway opened it up for development.(ENY, PDF file) We quickly went to visit the City College of New York. The College was founded on 23rdStreet in1847 as the Free Academy of the City of New York to provide qualified children of immigrants with access to free higher education. The college moved to its current location in 1906 when aGothic-stylecampus designed by George Browne Post was built for it in Hamilton Heights. The college is now part of the CUNY (City University ofNew York) educational system and is recognized for being the first free public institution of higher education in the United States. (ENY, PDF file) The campus style for the buildings is medieval and the white and brick Gothic style buildings are replete with an amusing variety of gargoyles, depicted in poses related to each building’s function.(ENY, PDF file)
Journal 7: Lower Manhattan
Our second to last class day started off in Lower Manhattan. Lower Manhattan—that section of the island between New York Harbor to the south and City Hall to the north—is where it all began for the City of New York. The southernmost tip of Manhattan is where the Dutch had established their colony of Nieuw Amsterdam in 1624. In the 17th century about 1000 people lived in the Dutch colony, although most were of non-Dutch origins. North America’s first great melting-pot, it’s said that no less than 18 languages were spoken in Nieuw Amsterdam. (ENY, PDF) Lower Manhattan is home to famous spots such as Wall Street and the famous area where the World Trade Center towers once stood. Lower Manhattan has so much history and is a significant spot to many New Yorkers. It is a significant spot in the city to because it contains the history of 9/11. This building frenzy reached its culmination in 1972 with the Twin Towers—the tallest buildings in the world at the time.The area would be scarred—both emotionally as well as physically—by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. There were fears at the time that this tragedy would spell the end of Lower Manhattan’s dominance as a commercial center. In fact, the opposite has been the case. Since 2001, the neighborhood has bounced back, stronger and more vibrant than ever. (ENY, PDF) The World Trade Center was a 16 acre commercial complex built between 1966 and 1987, which contained seven buildings and an underground shopping mall centered around a large plaza. (ENY, PDF) Lower Manhattan is home to Wall Street. In the 19th century Lower Manhattan was home to Wall Street—one of the nation’s first financial districts—as well as to many of the nation’s largest corporations, each of which strove to outdo the other in producing evermore towering office buildings. (ENY, PDF) Wall Street is a part of the New York Stock Exchange. This is a part of the business world that I am currently involved with and I am starting to learn about in my new job. I was so happy to go to the center of it all and see Wall Street for myself.
The 9-11 Memorial, which opened in 2011, was the result of a competition launched by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation in 2003. (ENY, PDF) I had yet to go to the spot where the twin towers once stood. This is a place I had always wanted to go. It was so beautiful to see the memorial that was set up for all of those people who lost their lives that day. It is a great way for family and friends to go and remember their loved ones and to appreciate the precious memories that they have with that person. This memorial made me reflect on that day that the attacks happened. I was only in the 4th grade but I do remember events that had happened that day. I went to a catholic elementary school and after the second tower was hit by the plane the priest of our parish came into our class room told us to stand in a circle, hold hands and say a prayer because people were in trouble and they needed God's help. In the weeks after the attacks, my classmates and I would look out the window across the street from our school and see the church (St. Aidan's in Williston Park ) having a funeral for a different person each day. At the time I did not really understand what was truly going on. I understood that something bad had happened in the world but I could not understand why. As I stood at this memorial I thought back to that day and now I really understand all of the events that were going on in my day on 9/11. I really felt at peace in this spot and I said a prayer for all of those people who passed away that day and for all the people who suffered and lost loved ones.
During this class day we were also fortunate enough to visit City Hall. This can be considered a once in a lifetime experience. Not many people get to experience a tour through City Hall. The area around City Hall in Lower Manhattan has become known as the Civic Center, primarily because the neighborhood houses most of the city’s governmental offices. (EYN, PDF) City Hall is very close to the Brooklyn Bridge. I did not realize that fact when we were walking over the Brooklyn Bridge. When we arrived around the area of where City Hall is located I began to recognize the sights and knew exactly where I was. Upon exiting the Brooklyn Bridge subway station, you’ll find yourself in the heart of the Civic Center section of Lower Manhattan. Directly behind the station in City Hall Park is New York City Hall, which houses the Offices of the Mayor and the City Council. This is actually New York’s third city hall.(ENY, PDF) We were able to get a tour of the inside of City Hall. The tour guide was a little soft spoken, but she knew a lot of information and did a great job. My favorite part of the inside of City Hall was the Governor's Room. I love that this room was preserved the way that it was found. Of course they added air conditioning and electricity and security cameras, but overall the room was preserved to look the same way that it did back in historical times. It was also so fascinating to see the actual desk that George Washington used to use! It was amazing that they kept it for so many years, and I could just picture him writing or signing bills on that table so many years ago. A story that the tour guide told us that really stood out to me was able the staircase inside City Hall. Since it looks like the staircase is not attached to anything many people were actually afraid to walk up the stairs because they thought it would collapse.
One of our last stops for the day was Governor's Island. I have heard of this place before we came here, it is a place where a lot of concerts for dance music take place. My overall reaction for this location is that it was beautiful but it needs to be developed a little more. I think this would have been a great stop to either start the day or to end the day. I loved relaxing on the hammocks, being able to rent bikes with friends and seeing the gorgeous view but I think the food could have been better. Our final spot for the day was to see Fraunces Tavern. This was an actual restaurant and bar that people can go and sit and eat or have a drink and it was also a museum. My favorite part of this museum was that they had a show. They had women performing songs and dancing the way that women, or people, would sing or dance back during that time. It was very entertaining.
Our second to last class day started off in Lower Manhattan. Lower Manhattan—that section of the island between New York Harbor to the south and City Hall to the north—is where it all began for the City of New York. The southernmost tip of Manhattan is where the Dutch had established their colony of Nieuw Amsterdam in 1624. In the 17th century about 1000 people lived in the Dutch colony, although most were of non-Dutch origins. North America’s first great melting-pot, it’s said that no less than 18 languages were spoken in Nieuw Amsterdam. (ENY, PDF) Lower Manhattan is home to famous spots such as Wall Street and the famous area where the World Trade Center towers once stood. Lower Manhattan has so much history and is a significant spot to many New Yorkers. It is a significant spot in the city to because it contains the history of 9/11. This building frenzy reached its culmination in 1972 with the Twin Towers—the tallest buildings in the world at the time.The area would be scarred—both emotionally as well as physically—by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. There were fears at the time that this tragedy would spell the end of Lower Manhattan’s dominance as a commercial center. In fact, the opposite has been the case. Since 2001, the neighborhood has bounced back, stronger and more vibrant than ever. (ENY, PDF) The World Trade Center was a 16 acre commercial complex built between 1966 and 1987, which contained seven buildings and an underground shopping mall centered around a large plaza. (ENY, PDF) Lower Manhattan is home to Wall Street. In the 19th century Lower Manhattan was home to Wall Street—one of the nation’s first financial districts—as well as to many of the nation’s largest corporations, each of which strove to outdo the other in producing evermore towering office buildings. (ENY, PDF) Wall Street is a part of the New York Stock Exchange. This is a part of the business world that I am currently involved with and I am starting to learn about in my new job. I was so happy to go to the center of it all and see Wall Street for myself.
The 9-11 Memorial, which opened in 2011, was the result of a competition launched by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation in 2003. (ENY, PDF) I had yet to go to the spot where the twin towers once stood. This is a place I had always wanted to go. It was so beautiful to see the memorial that was set up for all of those people who lost their lives that day. It is a great way for family and friends to go and remember their loved ones and to appreciate the precious memories that they have with that person. This memorial made me reflect on that day that the attacks happened. I was only in the 4th grade but I do remember events that had happened that day. I went to a catholic elementary school and after the second tower was hit by the plane the priest of our parish came into our class room told us to stand in a circle, hold hands and say a prayer because people were in trouble and they needed God's help. In the weeks after the attacks, my classmates and I would look out the window across the street from our school and see the church (St. Aidan's in Williston Park ) having a funeral for a different person each day. At the time I did not really understand what was truly going on. I understood that something bad had happened in the world but I could not understand why. As I stood at this memorial I thought back to that day and now I really understand all of the events that were going on in my day on 9/11. I really felt at peace in this spot and I said a prayer for all of those people who passed away that day and for all the people who suffered and lost loved ones.
During this class day we were also fortunate enough to visit City Hall. This can be considered a once in a lifetime experience. Not many people get to experience a tour through City Hall. The area around City Hall in Lower Manhattan has become known as the Civic Center, primarily because the neighborhood houses most of the city’s governmental offices. (EYN, PDF) City Hall is very close to the Brooklyn Bridge. I did not realize that fact when we were walking over the Brooklyn Bridge. When we arrived around the area of where City Hall is located I began to recognize the sights and knew exactly where I was. Upon exiting the Brooklyn Bridge subway station, you’ll find yourself in the heart of the Civic Center section of Lower Manhattan. Directly behind the station in City Hall Park is New York City Hall, which houses the Offices of the Mayor and the City Council. This is actually New York’s third city hall.(ENY, PDF) We were able to get a tour of the inside of City Hall. The tour guide was a little soft spoken, but she knew a lot of information and did a great job. My favorite part of the inside of City Hall was the Governor's Room. I love that this room was preserved the way that it was found. Of course they added air conditioning and electricity and security cameras, but overall the room was preserved to look the same way that it did back in historical times. It was also so fascinating to see the actual desk that George Washington used to use! It was amazing that they kept it for so many years, and I could just picture him writing or signing bills on that table so many years ago. A story that the tour guide told us that really stood out to me was able the staircase inside City Hall. Since it looks like the staircase is not attached to anything many people were actually afraid to walk up the stairs because they thought it would collapse.
One of our last stops for the day was Governor's Island. I have heard of this place before we came here, it is a place where a lot of concerts for dance music take place. My overall reaction for this location is that it was beautiful but it needs to be developed a little more. I think this would have been a great stop to either start the day or to end the day. I loved relaxing on the hammocks, being able to rent bikes with friends and seeing the gorgeous view but I think the food could have been better. Our final spot for the day was to see Fraunces Tavern. This was an actual restaurant and bar that people can go and sit and eat or have a drink and it was also a museum. My favorite part of this museum was that they had a show. They had women performing songs and dancing the way that women, or people, would sing or dance back during that time. It was very entertaining.
Journal 8: Immigrant New York
We started our last class day at the Tenement Museum. I did not know what to expect when going to this museum. This is another spot that I have never seen before and a couple of the people in the class that had already gone to see this museum told me it was so hot and uncomfortable. Fortunately, when we were up exploring the tenements it was not too hot or uncomfortable. But I understand why the museum would want to keep it they way it was and not add air conditioner. They want to show people how it actually was and what the people who lived here actually experienced in their day to day lives. Our tour guide was really informative and very enthusiastic. I was really shocked to see just how small these tenements are. I believe it small for only one person to live here but people with a large family of up to 12 actually lived in these tenements. The tenement itself is only three rooms. The kitchen was usually the center room and then there was one bedroom and a parlor area as the third room. Our tour guide noted that no matter the season, summer or winter, the coal on the fire would be on because laundry needed to be done or cooking needed to get done. So the heat that radiated off of this coal burning would radiate not only in the kitchen, not only in the the other three rooms of the tenement but it would also travel to others tenements as well. This made the building very warm and uncomfortable. Usually the husband and the wife would take the bedroom and the children would either sleep on the floors of the kitchen or the parlor on makeshift beds. It was uncomfortable and sometimes unbearable conditions but some of the families did not have a choice.
We were actually able to hear real stories of real life people who lived in these tenements. First we heard a story of a German Family. The husband and the wife were immigrants from Germany and we learned that the husband did work and for a little while the wife took care of the house. They had four children but unfortunately the youngest baby, Isaac, passed away from diarrhea, which was common back then because of the dehydration that results from not having enough water. We also learned that the husband abandoned the family and left the wife to care for herself along with the children. So to provide for her children, she became a dressmaker. A dressmaker is actually a higher quality job over a seamstress. A dressmaker means that she was essentially a business owner and had her own clientele. This made her enough money to pay the rent and to provide for the family. Eventually she did move her family out of the tenements to a better place and neighborhood from the money that was left to her husband from her father in law. She was able to claim this money as her own because she was considered abandoned by her husband.
The second family that we got to take a glimpse at was an Italian family that lived in the tenements just before the building was evicted. We learned that the husband first came over to America from Palermo, Sicily and was planning on moving back there but loved it here so much that he made his new wife move here and this is where they started their family. They had two children and one of the children, Josephine, was recorded and gave her story of how it was to live in tenements. She gave her view point from the point of a child so all of her memories were mostly fond memories of the tenement. She remembered playing games with her father, eating specific foods cooked by her mother, and being raised by both her parents. She also said she remembered her mother crying so much because she really missed her family back in Sicily and would never see them again. She listened to Italian songs on the radio and listened to Italian soap operas on her radio to make her feel more at home and to make her feel happier and less sad about leaving her family and loved ones behind in Sicily.
After the tenement museum we each divided into four groups and ventured off on our own to explore China town. The first place we went to was off of Mott Street. We were able to get bubble tea. Bubble tea is delicious! I am so happy I tried this. Something like this is one thing I would never venture out and do. I really enjoyed that a lot. We also tried pork buns and those were delicious. From there we moved onto Canal Street. This street, of course, is famous for purchasing fake merchandise for a very cheap cost. My group and I were approached by multiple vendors that were trying to sell us bags, shoes, or jewelry. After Canal Street we wondered over to Little Italy. I was so happy to finally see a little of what Little Italy is! It is such a cute spot and the way it is set up does remind me a little of what it is like in Italy. I loved that the people there were speaking Italian and that I understood them. I would have loved to have explored this area a little more but overall it was a great first experience.
After our delicious lunch (thanks Mike and Don!) we met up with our tour guide Jim for one last tour. My favorite part of this final tour was going to the economy candy store! I love candy so this store was heaven for me. If I could I would have bought everything. Jim said that this was one of the oldest candy stores in the city. On our tour we also passed some beautiful synagogs and churches. When we walked into the church it was so nice and peaceful. I really enjoy visiting churches because religion is a big part of who I am and who my family is. I took some time to enjoy the peacefulness of the church and I said a prayer before I left. Our last stop of the day was to see the most beautiful synagog. The detail for this building was so fascinating and it was one of the most beautiful buildings I had seen during this class.
We started our last class day at the Tenement Museum. I did not know what to expect when going to this museum. This is another spot that I have never seen before and a couple of the people in the class that had already gone to see this museum told me it was so hot and uncomfortable. Fortunately, when we were up exploring the tenements it was not too hot or uncomfortable. But I understand why the museum would want to keep it they way it was and not add air conditioner. They want to show people how it actually was and what the people who lived here actually experienced in their day to day lives. Our tour guide was really informative and very enthusiastic. I was really shocked to see just how small these tenements are. I believe it small for only one person to live here but people with a large family of up to 12 actually lived in these tenements. The tenement itself is only three rooms. The kitchen was usually the center room and then there was one bedroom and a parlor area as the third room. Our tour guide noted that no matter the season, summer or winter, the coal on the fire would be on because laundry needed to be done or cooking needed to get done. So the heat that radiated off of this coal burning would radiate not only in the kitchen, not only in the the other three rooms of the tenement but it would also travel to others tenements as well. This made the building very warm and uncomfortable. Usually the husband and the wife would take the bedroom and the children would either sleep on the floors of the kitchen or the parlor on makeshift beds. It was uncomfortable and sometimes unbearable conditions but some of the families did not have a choice.
We were actually able to hear real stories of real life people who lived in these tenements. First we heard a story of a German Family. The husband and the wife were immigrants from Germany and we learned that the husband did work and for a little while the wife took care of the house. They had four children but unfortunately the youngest baby, Isaac, passed away from diarrhea, which was common back then because of the dehydration that results from not having enough water. We also learned that the husband abandoned the family and left the wife to care for herself along with the children. So to provide for her children, she became a dressmaker. A dressmaker is actually a higher quality job over a seamstress. A dressmaker means that she was essentially a business owner and had her own clientele. This made her enough money to pay the rent and to provide for the family. Eventually she did move her family out of the tenements to a better place and neighborhood from the money that was left to her husband from her father in law. She was able to claim this money as her own because she was considered abandoned by her husband.
The second family that we got to take a glimpse at was an Italian family that lived in the tenements just before the building was evicted. We learned that the husband first came over to America from Palermo, Sicily and was planning on moving back there but loved it here so much that he made his new wife move here and this is where they started their family. They had two children and one of the children, Josephine, was recorded and gave her story of how it was to live in tenements. She gave her view point from the point of a child so all of her memories were mostly fond memories of the tenement. She remembered playing games with her father, eating specific foods cooked by her mother, and being raised by both her parents. She also said she remembered her mother crying so much because she really missed her family back in Sicily and would never see them again. She listened to Italian songs on the radio and listened to Italian soap operas on her radio to make her feel more at home and to make her feel happier and less sad about leaving her family and loved ones behind in Sicily.
After the tenement museum we each divided into four groups and ventured off on our own to explore China town. The first place we went to was off of Mott Street. We were able to get bubble tea. Bubble tea is delicious! I am so happy I tried this. Something like this is one thing I would never venture out and do. I really enjoyed that a lot. We also tried pork buns and those were delicious. From there we moved onto Canal Street. This street, of course, is famous for purchasing fake merchandise for a very cheap cost. My group and I were approached by multiple vendors that were trying to sell us bags, shoes, or jewelry. After Canal Street we wondered over to Little Italy. I was so happy to finally see a little of what Little Italy is! It is such a cute spot and the way it is set up does remind me a little of what it is like in Italy. I loved that the people there were speaking Italian and that I understood them. I would have loved to have explored this area a little more but overall it was a great first experience.
After our delicious lunch (thanks Mike and Don!) we met up with our tour guide Jim for one last tour. My favorite part of this final tour was going to the economy candy store! I love candy so this store was heaven for me. If I could I would have bought everything. Jim said that this was one of the oldest candy stores in the city. On our tour we also passed some beautiful synagogs and churches. When we walked into the church it was so nice and peaceful. I really enjoy visiting churches because religion is a big part of who I am and who my family is. I took some time to enjoy the peacefulness of the church and I said a prayer before I left. Our last stop of the day was to see the most beautiful synagog. The detail for this building was so fascinating and it was one of the most beautiful buildings I had seen during this class.
Journal 9: Overall experience
My overall experience for this class was that it was an amazing experience. This class provided me with the opportunities to see some spots in the city that I would never think to go to on my own. In the beginning of this course I was a little nervous to travel into the city alone but now I feel more comfortable and I believe I am able to navigate through the city a lot better than I could before I took this class. I am not perfect at using the subway system but I am absolutely a lot better than I was before. I thought my favorite place that we went to during this course would have been the Brooklyn bridge but it was not. I did love walking over the bridge and seeing it in person but I must say my favorite place had to be Long Island City. I loved that it was a city that was up and coming and it was an evolving city. I absolutely loved the view that we saw and that would most likely be the first place that I would travel back to.
Another one of my favorites was seeing Central Park. That was so gorgeous. I never knew how large the park actually was until we started walking through it. I know Mike said the distance it is spread across but once you actually see the park for yourself it changes the perspective completely. Another favorite of mine was Roosevelt Island. I loved that we had to travel in the air, over traffic, to get to the island. It was really cool to see the traffic below and to get a higher view of the city. The city from above is just as gorgeous. But the island itself is really great. This too is another spot that is under renovation. I loved the view that this island had to offer. I would have to say that Dumbo had to be another favorite of mine. I was able to get a really great picture taken there with the Manhattan bridge in the background. Dumbo shows the beautiful view of the city and the bridges as well. The 9/11 memorial was also a great place that we went to see. I am so happy that I was able to finally experience this and it meant a lot to me to have finally seen this.
Looking back at what we did for the past four weeks was incredible. I honestly do not think I would have ever seen these amazing places if it was not for this class. I always thought that the city was pretty much just Times Square, Broadway, and Manhattan. I never knew there were so many different places to see and explore. I truly enjoyed each day of the this class and I am so grateful that I was able to have this experience to learn more about the city that is so close to home. Thank you for a great class! I appreciate the patience and the knowledge! I will cherish the memories and I will no longer be afraid to venture into the city alone and I will be sure to come back to all of these beautiful and amazing places again soon.
My overall experience for this class was that it was an amazing experience. This class provided me with the opportunities to see some spots in the city that I would never think to go to on my own. In the beginning of this course I was a little nervous to travel into the city alone but now I feel more comfortable and I believe I am able to navigate through the city a lot better than I could before I took this class. I am not perfect at using the subway system but I am absolutely a lot better than I was before. I thought my favorite place that we went to during this course would have been the Brooklyn bridge but it was not. I did love walking over the bridge and seeing it in person but I must say my favorite place had to be Long Island City. I loved that it was a city that was up and coming and it was an evolving city. I absolutely loved the view that we saw and that would most likely be the first place that I would travel back to.
Another one of my favorites was seeing Central Park. That was so gorgeous. I never knew how large the park actually was until we started walking through it. I know Mike said the distance it is spread across but once you actually see the park for yourself it changes the perspective completely. Another favorite of mine was Roosevelt Island. I loved that we had to travel in the air, over traffic, to get to the island. It was really cool to see the traffic below and to get a higher view of the city. The city from above is just as gorgeous. But the island itself is really great. This too is another spot that is under renovation. I loved the view that this island had to offer. I would have to say that Dumbo had to be another favorite of mine. I was able to get a really great picture taken there with the Manhattan bridge in the background. Dumbo shows the beautiful view of the city and the bridges as well. The 9/11 memorial was also a great place that we went to see. I am so happy that I was able to finally experience this and it meant a lot to me to have finally seen this.
Looking back at what we did for the past four weeks was incredible. I honestly do not think I would have ever seen these amazing places if it was not for this class. I always thought that the city was pretty much just Times Square, Broadway, and Manhattan. I never knew there were so many different places to see and explore. I truly enjoyed each day of the this class and I am so grateful that I was able to have this experience to learn more about the city that is so close to home. Thank you for a great class! I appreciate the patience and the knowledge! I will cherish the memories and I will no longer be afraid to venture into the city alone and I will be sure to come back to all of these beautiful and amazing places again soon.