Journals 1-4
One. Impressions of new york
As of right now, my impression of New York City is that I hate it. Although I live a short train ride away from the city, I rarely visit it. I do not care for large cities in general, and New York City is no exception. Normally when I go there, it is for a specific reason.
I do not care for the city because I feel like it is too crowded, and overwhelming. When I think of New York City, walking down the street with people bumping into me is what comes to mind. I think that the city is very dirty and overcrowded. I have lived in Suffolk County my entire life, and it is a little shameful to admit that I have never visited any of the typical tourist attractions, such as the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty.
Once I am there, I usually end up having a good time, however the anxiety I feel about the trip in is often enough to deter me from actually making plans in the city. I am hoping that after this class is over, I will feel more comfortable finding my way around New York City, because as of right now, phrases like “uptown” and “downtown” mean absolutely nothing to me.
I have heard nothing but good things about this class, so I am hoping that it changes my perspective of New York City. I am always willing to try new things, so I am glad to have the opportunity to see many destinations in the city that I would most likely never visit otherwise.
I do not care for the city because I feel like it is too crowded, and overwhelming. When I think of New York City, walking down the street with people bumping into me is what comes to mind. I think that the city is very dirty and overcrowded. I have lived in Suffolk County my entire life, and it is a little shameful to admit that I have never visited any of the typical tourist attractions, such as the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty.
Once I am there, I usually end up having a good time, however the anxiety I feel about the trip in is often enough to deter me from actually making plans in the city. I am hoping that after this class is over, I will feel more comfortable finding my way around New York City, because as of right now, phrases like “uptown” and “downtown” mean absolutely nothing to me.
I have heard nothing but good things about this class, so I am hoping that it changes my perspective of New York City. I am always willing to try new things, so I am glad to have the opportunity to see many destinations in the city that I would most likely never visit otherwise.
two. queens
Today was the first day of our course, and I was pretty nervous. I drove to East Meadow to pick up my friend Bonnie, and then we headed over to the Merrick train station. We bought our 10 pack of tickets, and our MetroCards. I have never in my life arrived on time for a train, so we decided to take the 9:33 train in just to be safe. We made it to Penn by 10:20, so we had plenty of time to grab some breakfast before we met with the group at 11.
After a brief run-through of the itinerary for the day, the group took the E train from Penn to the 7 train which brought us to Corona, Queens. Mike told us about how the 7 train is also known as the “International Express.” This elevated train line earned its nickname because the “route takes passengers through the most ethnically diverse communities in Northern America.” (ENY 159) The 7 line has earned a place as a “National Millennium Trail because it is considered a metaphor for the migration of all the word’s people to America’s shores.”
Once we stepped off the train, we walked into Flushing Meadows Park. This park is “the fourth largest of New York’s public parks.” (ENY 161) I did not realize until I read the textbook that this park is actually bigger than Central Park. We sat on some bleachers by the tennis courts and Mike gave us the first “informal lecture” of the day. He explained that throughout the course, we will often have class discussions in parks.
This park had previously served as a “dumping ground for ashes from coal-burning furnaces, horse manure, and garbage.” (ENY 161) However that is hard to believe when you see the park today. Compared to other parks that I have been to, Flushing Meadow Park was certainly not the nicest, but it did have some degree of charm. Mike explained that we would eventually see parks in other areas that are much better maintained due to gentrification of the areas.
We walked towards the Unisphere, which was “built to symbolize ‘Man’s achievements on a Shrinking Globe and an Expanding Universe.” My Great Grandmother lived in Flushing until I was 13, so I often remember passing the Unisphere on the drive to her house, however I had never been so close to it before. The fountain underneath the Unisphere was empty when we visited. We learned that when it was designed by Gilmore D. Clarke for the 1964-1965 World’s Fair, it was intentionally positioned over this pool with fountains to provide viewers with the illusion that the Unisphere was “floating in space.” (ENY 165)
Our next stop was at The Queens Museum of Art, which was located near the Grand Central Parkway. (ENY 165) This building was constructed to serve as the New York City Building during the 1939-1941 World’s Fair. (ENY 165) An interesting fact that we learned was that this museum served as the headquarters of the United Nations from 1946 through 1951. (ENY 165) We were told that the southern portion of the building was home to an ice skating rink after the 1939 World’s Fair. This rink was relocated to a new recreation center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park following the museum’s renovation in 2009.
Once inside, we were able to see several of the exhibits. We visited a collection of works by Andy Warhol. For the 1964-65 World’s Fair, Warhol created the large mural, 13 Most Wanted Men for the New York State Pavilion. Due to the controversial subject matter, Warhol’s original mural was painted over with silver paint before the World’s Fair took place. The 9 out of 13 mug shots that remain are currently hanging in the Queens Museum of Art.
Our next stop on the tour of the museum was the relief map of the New York City water supply system. This model measures 540 square ft, and demonstrates how the City of New York receives its water supply from various watersheds, including one in the Catskill Mountains. As a result of this watershed, New York City has the cleanest unfiltered drinking water in the country.
We visited the “Panorama of the City of New York, created for the 1964-65 World’s Fair.” (ENY 166) This map was “built to a scale of 1 inch per 100 ft, and includes every building in New York constructed before 1992.” (ENY 166) I thought this map was very interesting, and it definitely provided me with some clarity regarding the location of the 5 boroughs with respect to one another. It also helped clear up that whole “uptown/downtown” concept that I was not grasping for the past twenty-something years, so that was useful!
Our next stop was the Jackson Diner in Jackson Heights, also known as “Little India.” (ENY 173) The Jackson Diner “was one of the first in the area to begin serving Indian food.” (ENY 173) One of my closest friends is from India, so I’m no stranger to the food. I thought the food here was okay, but I’m generally not a fan of buffets. I thought it was pretty cool that everyone in the class seemed willing to try it though.
After lunch we took another train to Astoria. I’ve been driven in here a few times for dinner & drinks, but I’ve never been here during the day or seen much of the area. (One of my friends moved here a year ago, and my excuses for not visiting her new apartment are definitely wearing thin, so it was nice to take the train here and realize that the trip wouldn’t be so bad if I ever decided to go for it.)
During the 19th century, Astoria became home to the Steinway Piano Factory which was created by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg. This factory remains in Astoria to this day. (ENY 168) We walked past what remains of the factory briefly.
We then visited the Museum of the Moving Image on 35th Avenue, which is located near Kaufman Astoria Studios. We learned that before World War II Astoria played a crucial role in the film industry. (ENY 169) The Museum was interesting, there were a lot of costumes from movies and old film making equipment. Bonnie and I watched a movie about the construction of the Unisphere for the World’s Fair. We then played Space Invaders and Mrs. Pacman for a bit, and then went upstairs where there were many interactive exhibits.
Our next subway ride brought us to Long Island City, which I had always thought was a not-so-nice neighborhood. Mike explained to us that through the process of gentrification, Long Island City is quickly becoming one of the most desirable places for wealthy people to live.
We walked past Public School 1, which functioned as a school from 1893-1963. (ENY 170) It now serves as an affiliate for the Museum of Modern Art. (ENY 170) Across the street we noticed the former “Five Pointz: Institute for Higher Burnin’.” This old warehouse allowed graffiti artists to paint there in the past, however the process of gentrification is driving real estate prices higher in Long Island City. As a result, Five Pointz is now being developed into a luxury apartment building. (ENY 170)
We walked towards “New Long Island City,” which was a really beautiful area. The high rise apartment buildings that overlook the East River were amazing. As a result of the spectacular view, we were able to see the 59th Street/Queensboro Bridge, as well as the Empire State building across the river.
We walked along the East River and eventually reached the 147 ft Pepsi Cola sign. (ENY 171) This sign was at one point considered an eyesore, however it has become a “landmark as well as a symbol of Long Island City’s industrial past.” (ENY 171) Our next stop was Gantry Plaza State Park, which also had an impressive view. “It was named after the 19th century railroad gantries that were used to transfer cargo from ships to trains.” (ENY 172) I thought “New Long Island City” was beautiful, and it is definitely a place I would like to return to one day.
By the time we were done here, it was beginning to rain, and some thunder and lightning brought our trip to a quick end. We caught a subway, and eventually made it back to Penn Station. The subway experience at rush hour definitely confirmed my belief that I could never live in New York City. However, once we were in Penn, Bonnie & I were fortunate enough to find seats on our train back to Merrick.
I definitely learned a lot during this first class, and I saw many places that I never would have seen otherwise. My favorite part by far was walking along the East River in New Long Island City.
After a brief run-through of the itinerary for the day, the group took the E train from Penn to the 7 train which brought us to Corona, Queens. Mike told us about how the 7 train is also known as the “International Express.” This elevated train line earned its nickname because the “route takes passengers through the most ethnically diverse communities in Northern America.” (ENY 159) The 7 line has earned a place as a “National Millennium Trail because it is considered a metaphor for the migration of all the word’s people to America’s shores.”
Once we stepped off the train, we walked into Flushing Meadows Park. This park is “the fourth largest of New York’s public parks.” (ENY 161) I did not realize until I read the textbook that this park is actually bigger than Central Park. We sat on some bleachers by the tennis courts and Mike gave us the first “informal lecture” of the day. He explained that throughout the course, we will often have class discussions in parks.
This park had previously served as a “dumping ground for ashes from coal-burning furnaces, horse manure, and garbage.” (ENY 161) However that is hard to believe when you see the park today. Compared to other parks that I have been to, Flushing Meadow Park was certainly not the nicest, but it did have some degree of charm. Mike explained that we would eventually see parks in other areas that are much better maintained due to gentrification of the areas.
We walked towards the Unisphere, which was “built to symbolize ‘Man’s achievements on a Shrinking Globe and an Expanding Universe.” My Great Grandmother lived in Flushing until I was 13, so I often remember passing the Unisphere on the drive to her house, however I had never been so close to it before. The fountain underneath the Unisphere was empty when we visited. We learned that when it was designed by Gilmore D. Clarke for the 1964-1965 World’s Fair, it was intentionally positioned over this pool with fountains to provide viewers with the illusion that the Unisphere was “floating in space.” (ENY 165)
Our next stop was at The Queens Museum of Art, which was located near the Grand Central Parkway. (ENY 165) This building was constructed to serve as the New York City Building during the 1939-1941 World’s Fair. (ENY 165) An interesting fact that we learned was that this museum served as the headquarters of the United Nations from 1946 through 1951. (ENY 165) We were told that the southern portion of the building was home to an ice skating rink after the 1939 World’s Fair. This rink was relocated to a new recreation center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park following the museum’s renovation in 2009.
Once inside, we were able to see several of the exhibits. We visited a collection of works by Andy Warhol. For the 1964-65 World’s Fair, Warhol created the large mural, 13 Most Wanted Men for the New York State Pavilion. Due to the controversial subject matter, Warhol’s original mural was painted over with silver paint before the World’s Fair took place. The 9 out of 13 mug shots that remain are currently hanging in the Queens Museum of Art.
Our next stop on the tour of the museum was the relief map of the New York City water supply system. This model measures 540 square ft, and demonstrates how the City of New York receives its water supply from various watersheds, including one in the Catskill Mountains. As a result of this watershed, New York City has the cleanest unfiltered drinking water in the country.
We visited the “Panorama of the City of New York, created for the 1964-65 World’s Fair.” (ENY 166) This map was “built to a scale of 1 inch per 100 ft, and includes every building in New York constructed before 1992.” (ENY 166) I thought this map was very interesting, and it definitely provided me with some clarity regarding the location of the 5 boroughs with respect to one another. It also helped clear up that whole “uptown/downtown” concept that I was not grasping for the past twenty-something years, so that was useful!
Our next stop was the Jackson Diner in Jackson Heights, also known as “Little India.” (ENY 173) The Jackson Diner “was one of the first in the area to begin serving Indian food.” (ENY 173) One of my closest friends is from India, so I’m no stranger to the food. I thought the food here was okay, but I’m generally not a fan of buffets. I thought it was pretty cool that everyone in the class seemed willing to try it though.
After lunch we took another train to Astoria. I’ve been driven in here a few times for dinner & drinks, but I’ve never been here during the day or seen much of the area. (One of my friends moved here a year ago, and my excuses for not visiting her new apartment are definitely wearing thin, so it was nice to take the train here and realize that the trip wouldn’t be so bad if I ever decided to go for it.)
During the 19th century, Astoria became home to the Steinway Piano Factory which was created by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg. This factory remains in Astoria to this day. (ENY 168) We walked past what remains of the factory briefly.
We then visited the Museum of the Moving Image on 35th Avenue, which is located near Kaufman Astoria Studios. We learned that before World War II Astoria played a crucial role in the film industry. (ENY 169) The Museum was interesting, there were a lot of costumes from movies and old film making equipment. Bonnie and I watched a movie about the construction of the Unisphere for the World’s Fair. We then played Space Invaders and Mrs. Pacman for a bit, and then went upstairs where there were many interactive exhibits.
Our next subway ride brought us to Long Island City, which I had always thought was a not-so-nice neighborhood. Mike explained to us that through the process of gentrification, Long Island City is quickly becoming one of the most desirable places for wealthy people to live.
We walked past Public School 1, which functioned as a school from 1893-1963. (ENY 170) It now serves as an affiliate for the Museum of Modern Art. (ENY 170) Across the street we noticed the former “Five Pointz: Institute for Higher Burnin’.” This old warehouse allowed graffiti artists to paint there in the past, however the process of gentrification is driving real estate prices higher in Long Island City. As a result, Five Pointz is now being developed into a luxury apartment building. (ENY 170)
We walked towards “New Long Island City,” which was a really beautiful area. The high rise apartment buildings that overlook the East River were amazing. As a result of the spectacular view, we were able to see the 59th Street/Queensboro Bridge, as well as the Empire State building across the river.
We walked along the East River and eventually reached the 147 ft Pepsi Cola sign. (ENY 171) This sign was at one point considered an eyesore, however it has become a “landmark as well as a symbol of Long Island City’s industrial past.” (ENY 171) Our next stop was Gantry Plaza State Park, which also had an impressive view. “It was named after the 19th century railroad gantries that were used to transfer cargo from ships to trains.” (ENY 172) I thought “New Long Island City” was beautiful, and it is definitely a place I would like to return to one day.
By the time we were done here, it was beginning to rain, and some thunder and lightning brought our trip to a quick end. We caught a subway, and eventually made it back to Penn Station. The subway experience at rush hour definitely confirmed my belief that I could never live in New York City. However, once we were in Penn, Bonnie & I were fortunate enough to find seats on our train back to Merrick.
I definitely learned a lot during this first class, and I saw many places that I never would have seen otherwise. My favorite part by far was walking along the East River in New Long Island City.
three. Brooklyn
Today we met up with the rest of the class at 11:00 in Penn Station, and immediately took a 45 minute subway ride to Coney Island. I was actually looking forward to this because I have never been to Coney Island and I have always been curious about it. I absolutely love roller coasters, so I was very excited at the prospect of trying out the famous Cyclone.
We arrived in Coney Island, which is located on the Atlantic Ocean in Southwest Brooklyn. (ENY 137) Coney Island was considered one of the earliest Seaside Resort Communities. (ENY 137) I remember always hearing my Grandparents talk about how much fun they had in Coney Island when they were younger, however as a result of its currently poor reputation, my family never took the trip there when I was a child.
The Lenape Native Americans who inhabited the island before the arrival of the Dutch in the 17th century originally referred to the island as “Narrioch,” which means “The place without shadows.” The island earned this nickname because due to its location on the Atlantic Ocean, its beach remained in sunlight throughout the day. (ENY 137) The Dutch settlers renamed the island “Coyne Eylandt,” which translates to Rabbit Island, due to the large population of rabbits on the island. (ENY 138) The British later renamed it Coney Island for the same reason. (ENY 138) Coney Island was eventually transformed into a a peninsula after the creek that separated it from mainland Brooklyn was filled in. (ENY 138) In the 1830-40s “new carriage roads and steamship service reduced the amount of time it took to reach Coney Island... and the Island became a holiday destination for New Yorkers.” (ENY 138) Advances in transportation continued to occur, and “by the 1920s Coney Island became New York’s most important summer amusement area.” (ENY 138) However, by the 1940s, Coney Island was on the decline as more favorable vacations spots appeared and “in 1964 the last of the major amusement parks closed.” (ENY 138)
Today Coney Island is at a crossroads between being revamped as an area that the wealthy would frequent, or maintaining its “weird, funky vibe that it has been known for.” (ENY 139) Upon our arrival, we were provided with some background information on Coney Island, and given an hour to explore the area before we regrouped. We were asked to just take in the vibe and see how Coney Island made us feel. The first thing that Bonnie and I did was head over to the Cyclone, the 85 ft tall wooden roller coaster in Luna Park that was built in 1927. (ENY 139) During our Queens tour, our museum tour guide told us that he would never ride the Cyclone because it was underwater during Hurricane Sandy, however I thought that made it sound more thrilling. After paying for our $9.00 tickets, we rode the Cyclone, and it was so much fun! We then took a walk on the boardwalk. There were a lot of people who seemed homeless in the area. We walked towards the end of the boardwalk where we saw the more modern “Thunderbolt” rollercoaster. We definitely wanted to go on it, however we did not have enough time to wait on that line and then still grab lunch. Grimaldi’s Pizza had been recommended to us, so we tried that. Overall, I enjoyed being in Coney Island although it was dirty and the people seemed a bit strange. I would have liked to have had a little more time to spend there, however I can’t imagine spending an entire day there.
At 1:15 we left Coney Island and went to the Brooklyn Borough Hall, “the oldest public building in Brooklyn.” (ENY 147) It is considered “one of the finest Greek Revival Structures.” (ENY 147) In front of this building, Mike told us about the different styles of columns in Greek Revival buildings; ionic, corinthian, and doric.
We then made our way to the Brooklyn Transit Museum, on the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street. (ENY 147) The Court Street Shuttle station of the 1930’s was refurbished and converted into this museum. (ENY 147) This museum was very helpful for me because I was writing my paper on the history of the subway. The tour guide frequently emphasized that the mass transit of New York City was the reason that it was able to flourish. It was really interesting to hear her discuss the construction of the subway and the different jobs the builders had. She told us about the “Sandhogs,” who had the most dangerous job of the subway construction. They faced risks such as dangerous tunnel blowouts, and Caisson’s disease (also known as “the bends.”) When the tunnels were built under the rivers, the builders started on opposite banks and built their tunnels so that they eventually met in the middle. It is amazing to imagine how without modern technologies, the construction crews were able to accomplish this feat.
After the guided tour, we were free to walk around the museum for about an hour. It was sort of a young crowd there... mostly children with their parents/nannies. We were able to see subway cars from all different time periods and how they evolved into what they are today. My favorite part of the museum was reading all of the old advertisements in subway cars.
We continued the trek through Brooklyn and Mike stopped often to ask us to distinguish the different types of Greek Revival columns. We briefly stopped in front of the Church of St. Ann and the Holy Trinity, a neo-gothic style church with elaborate stained glass windows. (ENY 148) We walked through the Brooklyn branch of Chase Bank, which was formerly the Brooklyn Trust Company Building. We were not able to stop inside, we just walked in the front door and out the back, however the bank was absolutely beautiful. “It was built in the Italian renaissance style and modeled after the Palazzo della Gran Guardia in Verona.” (ENY 148) The ceilings of the bank were my favorite part. Our next stop was in front of the Brooklyn Historical Society which was founded in 1863 by Henry Pierrepont. We did not end up going inside of the building, however the sculptures of a Viking, Native American, Benjamin Franklin, and Christopher Columbus were pointed out to us. The building was created in the renaissance revival style. (ENY 149)
During our walk in Brooklyn Heights, we were shown Brooklyn Brownstones, which are desirable pieces of real estate worth millions of dollars. (ENY 149) The actual brown sandstone is from Portland Brownstone Quarries in Connecticut. (ENY 149) We learned that many Brownstones are not made of actual Brown Sandstone, but brown cement.
We then arrived in Dumbo, which stands for “Down Under The Manhattan Bridge Overpass.” (ENY 151) In 2007, Dumbo was designated as the 90th Historical district of the city by the Landmarks Preservation Committee. (ENY 151) In the park, we visited Jane’s Carousel which was built in 1922. (ENY 151) It had previously been an attraction in a theme park in Youngstown, Ohio, however it was damaged by a fire. It was purchased and restored by Jane Walentas in 1982, the wife of a Dumbo real estate developer. (ENY 152) Jean Nouvel created a $9 million jewel box to house the carousel. I did not think much of the “jewel box” while the doors were open so I would be curious to see what it looks like when they are closed. Behind the Carousel, we saw two dilapidated Civil War era factories. The class then stopped for some Ice Cream before we began our walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
I have never been to the Brooklyn Bridge before, and I absolutely despise crowds so I was a little nervous about the walk across it. Overall it was fine, I thought the bicyclists on the bridge took themselves a little too seriously and were a bit reckless, but other than that it was a decent experience. The bridge itself is amazing, and it was really interesting to hear Mike talk about the Roebling family and their creation of the first suspension bridge. Construction began in 1870 and was completed in 1883. It cost 15 million dollars, required 600 workers, and ultimately killed 27 of them. (ENY 153)
After crossing the bridge, we made it back to Penn Station just in time to catch a train home.
We arrived in Coney Island, which is located on the Atlantic Ocean in Southwest Brooklyn. (ENY 137) Coney Island was considered one of the earliest Seaside Resort Communities. (ENY 137) I remember always hearing my Grandparents talk about how much fun they had in Coney Island when they were younger, however as a result of its currently poor reputation, my family never took the trip there when I was a child.
The Lenape Native Americans who inhabited the island before the arrival of the Dutch in the 17th century originally referred to the island as “Narrioch,” which means “The place without shadows.” The island earned this nickname because due to its location on the Atlantic Ocean, its beach remained in sunlight throughout the day. (ENY 137) The Dutch settlers renamed the island “Coyne Eylandt,” which translates to Rabbit Island, due to the large population of rabbits on the island. (ENY 138) The British later renamed it Coney Island for the same reason. (ENY 138) Coney Island was eventually transformed into a a peninsula after the creek that separated it from mainland Brooklyn was filled in. (ENY 138) In the 1830-40s “new carriage roads and steamship service reduced the amount of time it took to reach Coney Island... and the Island became a holiday destination for New Yorkers.” (ENY 138) Advances in transportation continued to occur, and “by the 1920s Coney Island became New York’s most important summer amusement area.” (ENY 138) However, by the 1940s, Coney Island was on the decline as more favorable vacations spots appeared and “in 1964 the last of the major amusement parks closed.” (ENY 138)
Today Coney Island is at a crossroads between being revamped as an area that the wealthy would frequent, or maintaining its “weird, funky vibe that it has been known for.” (ENY 139) Upon our arrival, we were provided with some background information on Coney Island, and given an hour to explore the area before we regrouped. We were asked to just take in the vibe and see how Coney Island made us feel. The first thing that Bonnie and I did was head over to the Cyclone, the 85 ft tall wooden roller coaster in Luna Park that was built in 1927. (ENY 139) During our Queens tour, our museum tour guide told us that he would never ride the Cyclone because it was underwater during Hurricane Sandy, however I thought that made it sound more thrilling. After paying for our $9.00 tickets, we rode the Cyclone, and it was so much fun! We then took a walk on the boardwalk. There were a lot of people who seemed homeless in the area. We walked towards the end of the boardwalk where we saw the more modern “Thunderbolt” rollercoaster. We definitely wanted to go on it, however we did not have enough time to wait on that line and then still grab lunch. Grimaldi’s Pizza had been recommended to us, so we tried that. Overall, I enjoyed being in Coney Island although it was dirty and the people seemed a bit strange. I would have liked to have had a little more time to spend there, however I can’t imagine spending an entire day there.
At 1:15 we left Coney Island and went to the Brooklyn Borough Hall, “the oldest public building in Brooklyn.” (ENY 147) It is considered “one of the finest Greek Revival Structures.” (ENY 147) In front of this building, Mike told us about the different styles of columns in Greek Revival buildings; ionic, corinthian, and doric.
We then made our way to the Brooklyn Transit Museum, on the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street. (ENY 147) The Court Street Shuttle station of the 1930’s was refurbished and converted into this museum. (ENY 147) This museum was very helpful for me because I was writing my paper on the history of the subway. The tour guide frequently emphasized that the mass transit of New York City was the reason that it was able to flourish. It was really interesting to hear her discuss the construction of the subway and the different jobs the builders had. She told us about the “Sandhogs,” who had the most dangerous job of the subway construction. They faced risks such as dangerous tunnel blowouts, and Caisson’s disease (also known as “the bends.”) When the tunnels were built under the rivers, the builders started on opposite banks and built their tunnels so that they eventually met in the middle. It is amazing to imagine how without modern technologies, the construction crews were able to accomplish this feat.
After the guided tour, we were free to walk around the museum for about an hour. It was sort of a young crowd there... mostly children with their parents/nannies. We were able to see subway cars from all different time periods and how they evolved into what they are today. My favorite part of the museum was reading all of the old advertisements in subway cars.
We continued the trek through Brooklyn and Mike stopped often to ask us to distinguish the different types of Greek Revival columns. We briefly stopped in front of the Church of St. Ann and the Holy Trinity, a neo-gothic style church with elaborate stained glass windows. (ENY 148) We walked through the Brooklyn branch of Chase Bank, which was formerly the Brooklyn Trust Company Building. We were not able to stop inside, we just walked in the front door and out the back, however the bank was absolutely beautiful. “It was built in the Italian renaissance style and modeled after the Palazzo della Gran Guardia in Verona.” (ENY 148) The ceilings of the bank were my favorite part. Our next stop was in front of the Brooklyn Historical Society which was founded in 1863 by Henry Pierrepont. We did not end up going inside of the building, however the sculptures of a Viking, Native American, Benjamin Franklin, and Christopher Columbus were pointed out to us. The building was created in the renaissance revival style. (ENY 149)
During our walk in Brooklyn Heights, we were shown Brooklyn Brownstones, which are desirable pieces of real estate worth millions of dollars. (ENY 149) The actual brown sandstone is from Portland Brownstone Quarries in Connecticut. (ENY 149) We learned that many Brownstones are not made of actual Brown Sandstone, but brown cement.
We then arrived in Dumbo, which stands for “Down Under The Manhattan Bridge Overpass.” (ENY 151) In 2007, Dumbo was designated as the 90th Historical district of the city by the Landmarks Preservation Committee. (ENY 151) In the park, we visited Jane’s Carousel which was built in 1922. (ENY 151) It had previously been an attraction in a theme park in Youngstown, Ohio, however it was damaged by a fire. It was purchased and restored by Jane Walentas in 1982, the wife of a Dumbo real estate developer. (ENY 152) Jean Nouvel created a $9 million jewel box to house the carousel. I did not think much of the “jewel box” while the doors were open so I would be curious to see what it looks like when they are closed. Behind the Carousel, we saw two dilapidated Civil War era factories. The class then stopped for some Ice Cream before we began our walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
I have never been to the Brooklyn Bridge before, and I absolutely despise crowds so I was a little nervous about the walk across it. Overall it was fine, I thought the bicyclists on the bridge took themselves a little too seriously and were a bit reckless, but other than that it was a decent experience. The bridge itself is amazing, and it was really interesting to hear Mike talk about the Roebling family and their creation of the first suspension bridge. Construction began in 1870 and was completed in 1883. It cost 15 million dollars, required 600 workers, and ultimately killed 27 of them. (ENY 153)
After crossing the bridge, we made it back to Penn Station just in time to catch a train home.
four. the village
Every time that I have gone into the City, I have taken a train to Penn Station, however I have never seen the part of the building that I saw today. We were headed into Chelsea so we exited through a section of Penn Station that looked very different, and much more beautiful than the rest.
Once we were outside, Mike told us about how the original Penn Station had actually been located across the street from its current location. It was built in 1920 by McKim, Mead and White, and it was considered one of the most stylish buildings in Manhattan (ENY, 30). However during a period of time in NYC between the 1960’s the railroad system had fallen out of favor. It became more fashionable to drive into Manhattan. This factor, combined with the high expenses of maintaining the station resulted in the demolition of of Penn Station in 1963. (ENY, 30). Many citizens were outraged, and although they viewed the loss of Penn Station as a devastating mistake, it did bring about a positive outcome. Penn Station’s destruction caused the creation of landmark preservation in New York City. Mike told us that Jackie Kennedy was a leader in the landmark preservation movement.
We walked towards Chelsea, “which was named for the Estate of British army Captain Thomas Clark, who purchased 94 acres of land along the Hudson River in 1750” (ENY, 105). Mike (who has such a way with words) told us that when he was younger, you would never have a reason to venture into what is now known as Chelsea unless you were looking for a transvestite hooker.
During the 19th century, the High Line served a freight line that carried products through the center of Chelsea and throughout the city (ENY 106). This freight line was extremely dangerous because it was level with the busy city streets, and its 10th Avenue portion eventually earned the nickname “Death Avenue” due to the frequent fatalities caused by the train (ENY, 106). In an attempt to resolve this problem, the line was elevated 30 ft above the street in the 1930s by the New York Central Railroad (ENY 106). “The High Line fell out of use in the 1980s” (ENY, 106). In 1999, its demolition was imminent when a non-profit group decided to save the structure and convert it into an elevated park. (ENY, 106) The High Line contains a rotating display of plants indigenous to the state of New York. (ENY, 106)
We climbed the stairs to the High Line, and began our trip down it. We saw the IAC building, which Mike mentioned was designed by Frank Gehry. I thought this was interesting because I actually knew who Mike was talking about for once. Frank Gehry has been working as a jewelry designer for Tiffany & Co since 2006, and although I absolutely refuse to ever buy jewelry from this store (A:because it reminds me of 14 year old girls & B: because I think it is absurdly overpriced) I still admire some of the pieces. I have always preferred Frank Gehry’s designs for the company, and I never knew that he had a background in architecture. However, once Mike said his name I was certain I was thinking of the same person, because the similarities in design between the building and jewelry were clear.
After the High Line, we went straight to view some of the art galleries in Chelsea. These galleries are very prominent in the area. During the 1990s, SoHo had been the center of the arts in the city. However, as Soho became a more trendy area to live in, the galleries could no longer afford to operate in such a desirable location. (ENY, 105) The galleries moved to Chelsea, which ultimately resulted in its transformation into the beautiful location that it is today.
The first gallery we went to was the Mike Weiss Gallery where we viewed Jerry Kearns’ exhibit RRRGGHH!!! We were told not to be dismissive of the art, however in all honesty I thought this exhibit was hilarious and I cannot imagine someone taking it very seriously. The pictures all depicted Jesus in a comic book style dressed as cowboys or other “heroes.”
We then went to the Unix Gallery where we viewed Always Shameless by Eugenio Merino’s. The title of this exhibit is a play on the Coca Cola Slogan “Always.” The exhibit contained giant sculptures of modern day political figures such as Kim Jong Il, and George W. Bush inside Coke vending machines. The description of the exhibit states that this exhibit merges “the political nature of the artist’s sculptures with the branding of a universally recognized product, and brings these dark and poignant works into the more accessible forum of popular culture.” Without reading the description of the exhibit, one can definitely agree that something about exhibit is extremely interesting and creative. This exhibit began in 2011 after Merino created a life sized sculpture of Francisco Franco, the Spanish dictator and placed it inside of a Coca Cola Refrigerator. The artist was sued over this sculpture by an organization seeking to preserve Franco’s legacy. This was the reason that I found this exhibit so interesting. I had never heard of Francisco Franco until a year ago. After spending time in Spain last summer, and taking several Spanish culture classes, I learned that Spain was oppressed by the dictatorship of Franco until 1975. I was under the impression that Spain had been trying to distance itself from the influence of Franco as much as possible, so I was genuinely shocked to find out that the Fundación Nacional Francisco Franco not only exists, but sued Eugenio Merino for his artwork.
My favorite exhibit that we visited was Andy Freeberg’s, “Art Fare.” This photography exhibit contains pictures of people being consumed by technology. As someone who definitely has a love/hate relationship with cellphones, computers, etc. I enjoyed this exhibit. One picture showed a woman on her iPhone with her laptop open in front of her. I think this is an extremely common behavior nowadays that most people are guilty of, so I thought this exhibit was very relatable.
We stopped by “the historical district of Chelsea, located from West 20th to 22nd Streets between 9th and 10th Avenues.” (ENY 108) We saw St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, which was created in the Gothic Revival Style. (ENY 109) We were fortunate enough to be allowed inside the Church which was built in 1836. (ENY 109) I thought the incense scented interior of St. Peter’s was beautiful. I enjoyed looking at the stained glass windows as well.
After spending some time in several art galleries, we returned to the High Line. As we walked, Belinda and I were discussing that when she walked on the High Line a year ago, she had seen couples having sex through the windows of a building. I then started telling her about how I had gone to a Biergarten below the Standard Hotel a few years ago with some friends, and the whole time I kept thinking that the place looked familiar. After a while I thought that the Standard Hotel might be the same one from the movie “Shame,” and after googling it quickly I confirmed that it was the same hotel. (Although I will admit that I never realized that the Hotel was located in Chelsea until today.)
Well, after walking another section of the High Line Mike pointed out the Standard Hotel to us, and then explained that when it opened in 2009, it became a very popular place for exhibitionist couples to go. So after that, Belinda and I had a laugh because as it turns out, that was the same building she had been telling me about earlier, and we realized we had both been talking about the same place all along.
We then made our way to Chelsea Market, which I had never heard of. Once inside, I was pleasantly surprised. Although it was very busy, I thought the atmosphere was really nice, I never expected it to look like that. We stopped and ate tacos for lunch, however since it was too crowded to find a table, we ended up just sitting on the floor (no judgement.) We had about a 45 minute break from class, so we ate lunch, and did some people watching until Mike found us. He told us that he will never bring a class here again because of how crowded it was, and I was a little surprised by this. Although it was crowded, I enjoyed being there, and it is definitely a place I never would have ended up at by myself.
We visited the Jefferson Market Garden, located on Greenwich Avenue and West 10th Street (ENY, 112). We were told that this area had been a Farmer’s Market, and later a Women’s detention center. Belinda and I had a brief misunderstanding because of my deafness and we thought it was a historic Women’s Detention Center/Farmer’s Market, so I’m glad Mike cleared that up. We were told about the “Trial of the Century,” (which I also had never heard of).
We then arrived for our tour at the Merchant’s House, on 29th E. Street, between Lafayette Street and Cooper Square (ENY, 121). This is a Federal style house built in 1832 by Joseph Bridget. Seabury Treadwell, a wealthy businessman purchased the house in 1835 from Bridget. (ENY, 121) The Treadwell family consisted of Seabury and Edith Treadwell, their seven children, and live-in staff of four.
The exterior of the house was built in the Federal style, while the interior was decorated in the Greek revival style. We began our tour on the first floor, where two symmetrical rooms served as the living room and dining room. These rooms were used by the Treadwell family to entertain company. Each room contained 12 ft high ceilings with a beautiful gas powered chandelier in the center. The plaster walls were very intricately detailed. It was interesting to learn that the intricate moldings were hand carved. The detail was incredible, and our tour guide pointed out that every home at the time would have had different molding patterns. The owners could search through a catalog, and choose each individual piece of plaster to customize their homes to their specific tastes. Each of the two parlor rooms contained two large mahogany doors. It was so important to maintain symmetry within the home that the front parlor, contained a dummy door with nothing behind it.
We then made our way to the second floor which contained Seabury and Edith’s separate bedrooms. The bedrooms were connected by a small hallway. Seabury’s study was located next to his bedroom. During this period of time, bedrooms were utilized for entertaining during parties. Parties would generally begin with with the men being brought into Seabury’s bedroom and the women being brought into Edith’s. The women would change their shoes from their outdoor walking shoes into their dancing slippers, and the men would have a drink and rejoin their dates in the hallway. Our tour guide told us that the families during this used chamber pots, so during a party the women generally found this embarrassing. Therefore to avoid dealing with this situation, the women generally would take diuretics several days beforehand, and then the day of a function they would fast. (I found this funny because it sounds very similar to magazine descriptions of celebrity routines prior to “important” functions nowadays.) It is easy to imagine how horrible these women must have felt, especially when you realize that they wore long sleeved dresses and corsets year round. Adding dehydration to these factors, sounds totally unbearable. We were also told that the family would generally not be residing in Merchant House during the Summer season. They owned a home in New Jersey where they would spend their Summers. This is definitely understandable, because for me, spending a hour in that house during a hot day in July was nearly intolerable.
We then made our way upstairs to the floor that contained the children’s bedrooms. This area is currently being used as storage for the museum, however our tour guide told us that they are hoping that perhaps one day they will be able to restore the rooms for the public to view. On the fourth floor, the servant’s bedrooms were located. A single bedroom contained four beds for the maids to sleep in. This floor definitely looked like something out of an episode of “Downton Abbey.” A large main room (which was currently being utilized for storage) would serve as the maid’s living room/ workspace. A large hook was pointed out to us, and we were told that it would have served to run a clothesline across the room to dry the families clothes during periods of inclement whether. I can’t imagine having to carry the entire family’s wet laundry up 97 steps from the basement on a regular basis to dry it.
Our final stop was in the basement of the house. The family room was located in the front portion of this floor. This room was certainly more modestly decorated than the rest of the house (excluding the servant’s rooms, of course.) This room contained a table where the family would eat the majority of their meals together. The fireplace had a plate warmer which our tour guide told us had clearly been used often because the indents in the floor were the result of the weight of the heavy plates. This fact also tells us that the family would eat their meals more often in this room than the formal dining room.
The kitchen was located behind the family room. In the kitchen, our tour guide pointed out many interesting things. The first, was that the family had a cistern buried in the courtyard that provided them with running water for to wash their dishes and do their laundry. It is amazing to discover that a 19th century family had running water in their home. Another interesting fact was that a pipe hanging in the kitchen between the fireplace and sink showed that the family also had a water heater for washing dishes. The cellar received the coal deliveries from a chute in the front of the house. This coal was used to heat the entirety of the house. The servants had to carry the coal up all 97 steps to heat each floor of the home.
The family’s servants were on call 24 hours a day. They were generally paid about 4 dollars a month which was less than factory workers would have received at this time. However, they received free room and board and medical care if necessary. Most of the servants at the time were female Irish immigrants. During this time servant girls were often referred to as “Bridgets” as a slang term (because this is a popular Irish woman’s name.) An interesting fact about the Irish immigrants was that the women would often move to the United States by themselves. Generally, immigrants from other nations would immigrate either as families, or the patriarchs would move to the United States, and then later send for the rest of their families. I think that it is extremely brave for a woman during this time to move to an entirely new place completely on her own. It was also interesting to imagine what it was like for an Irish immigrant to arrive in the United States to a home with running water.
The backyard/courtyard of Merchant House was absolutely beautiful. The walls surrounding it were covered in ivy, and wrought iron furniture covered the stone patio. Our tour guide told us that there are plans to erect a nine story hotel next door to Merchant House. The home is currently owned by the Historic House Trust. (ENY, 122) They are trying to prevent this from happening, and have hired an architect to survey the area. The architect determined that a structure can not be constructed without damaging the historic home. The Historic House Trust is currently asking for donations to prevent the construction of the hotel. I grew up in a house that was constructed in the 1890s, so I definitely have an appreciation for old houses with plaster walls and a lot of character. I really enjoyed the tour of Merchant House despite the fact that the hot July day basically turned the home into a greenhouse.
We then dragged our dehydrated selves to visit 41 Cooper Square. At this point it seemed that group morale was pretty low, and we were definitely in need of a break. (I can only speak for myself, but if I could give any constructive criticism for the course, it would be that during a day like this, even a five minute break to purchase some water would have made all of the difference in the world in our attitudes.) This building is an imposing post-modern structure that stands out among the rest of the buildings on the street. We were told that this building has the highest LEEDS certification possible, which I found very interesting. As a part time worker in a construction office, I am no stranger to the tedious paperwork that goes along with completing such an efficient job. It was very interesting to learn that this highly efficient structure forces people to take the stairs to conserve energy on some floors. I wish we could have ventured further into the building, however it was closing by the time we arrived so we only made it into the lobby. The structure was designed to give the feeling of a beehive, which is an interesting concept for an energy efficient building.
This building is the latest addition to the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art’s campus. This school was founded by industrialist Peter Cooper. (ENY, 122) Its curriculum focuses on art, architecture and engineering. (ENY, 122) The ground floor has a glass exterior, which allows passing pedestrians to catch a glimpse of the public programs that are held within the building. (ENY, 123)
Next, we walked to the intersection of 8th Street, Astor Place, Lafayette Street, and Cooper Square. (ENY, 124). We viewed the Cooper Union Foundation Building which was built in 1849, and served as headquarters for the New York City Cooper Union (ENY, 125). Aesthetically speaking, I thought this was my favorite building that we have seen so far. It was designed by Fred A. Peterson, one of the founders of the American Institute of Architects (ENY, 125). A notable fact is that this was the first building that ever contained an elevator shaft. During this time, elevators had not been invented, however Peterson anticipated their creation. (ENY, 125)
Located on the island in the center of Cooper Square is a sculpture called The Alamo. Tony Rosenthal created this sculpture, and it derived its name from its appearance of having a “fortress like strength.” (ENY, 125) We also learned that Astor Place was a square named after John Jacob Astor III, a financier/ philanthropist who lived in the area (ENY, 124). We were informed about the Astor Place Riot, which occurred on May 10, 1849 (ENY, 124). This riot was the result of tensions between the Irish and the British. These tensions have always existed, however they escalated as a result of British policies during the Irish potato famine. (ENY, 123) This famine began in 1845, lasted six years, and devastated the population of Ireland. Irish immigrants found out that English actor William Charles Macready was performing in a theater version of Macbeth that rivaled American actor Edwin Forrest’s production in another theater near the area. (ENY, 123) A violent protest against Macready ensued that resulted in the death of 18, people and the injury of hundreds more (ENY, 123). This riot resulted in the closing of the Opera House soon afterwards (ENY, 123).
After the tour of Astor Place, Mike decided to let us off early. But first, we headed over to the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop. I’m not really a big fan of ice cream so I rushed down to the corner deli to buy some water before everyone in the class saw a side of me I wouldn’t be proud of. I felt much better afterwards, and a bunch of us went straight back to Penn Station to make our way home.
It was rush hour when we reached Penn Station, so Belinda and I felt extremely lucky to have made it onto a train where we would have seats. Once the announcements were made on the train though, we realized that we were on an express train which would not be stopping in our station. We felt defeated and basically accepted the fact that we were going to have to deal with the massive headache of finding a ride back to Merrick train station. Luckily Belinda realized how ditzy we were being and we just got off the train before the doors closed. We waited about a half hour and finally were on a train home.
Although I enjoyed most of the sights that we saw today, I truly realized how much I am not a city person. I would also like to point out something to Mike. He said that Brooklyn was the toughest day of the trip, however I felt like the walk through The Village was definitely a lot rougher than Brooklyn.
Once we were outside, Mike told us about how the original Penn Station had actually been located across the street from its current location. It was built in 1920 by McKim, Mead and White, and it was considered one of the most stylish buildings in Manhattan (ENY, 30). However during a period of time in NYC between the 1960’s the railroad system had fallen out of favor. It became more fashionable to drive into Manhattan. This factor, combined with the high expenses of maintaining the station resulted in the demolition of of Penn Station in 1963. (ENY, 30). Many citizens were outraged, and although they viewed the loss of Penn Station as a devastating mistake, it did bring about a positive outcome. Penn Station’s destruction caused the creation of landmark preservation in New York City. Mike told us that Jackie Kennedy was a leader in the landmark preservation movement.
We walked towards Chelsea, “which was named for the Estate of British army Captain Thomas Clark, who purchased 94 acres of land along the Hudson River in 1750” (ENY, 105). Mike (who has such a way with words) told us that when he was younger, you would never have a reason to venture into what is now known as Chelsea unless you were looking for a transvestite hooker.
During the 19th century, the High Line served a freight line that carried products through the center of Chelsea and throughout the city (ENY 106). This freight line was extremely dangerous because it was level with the busy city streets, and its 10th Avenue portion eventually earned the nickname “Death Avenue” due to the frequent fatalities caused by the train (ENY, 106). In an attempt to resolve this problem, the line was elevated 30 ft above the street in the 1930s by the New York Central Railroad (ENY 106). “The High Line fell out of use in the 1980s” (ENY, 106). In 1999, its demolition was imminent when a non-profit group decided to save the structure and convert it into an elevated park. (ENY, 106) The High Line contains a rotating display of plants indigenous to the state of New York. (ENY, 106)
We climbed the stairs to the High Line, and began our trip down it. We saw the IAC building, which Mike mentioned was designed by Frank Gehry. I thought this was interesting because I actually knew who Mike was talking about for once. Frank Gehry has been working as a jewelry designer for Tiffany & Co since 2006, and although I absolutely refuse to ever buy jewelry from this store (A:because it reminds me of 14 year old girls & B: because I think it is absurdly overpriced) I still admire some of the pieces. I have always preferred Frank Gehry’s designs for the company, and I never knew that he had a background in architecture. However, once Mike said his name I was certain I was thinking of the same person, because the similarities in design between the building and jewelry were clear.
After the High Line, we went straight to view some of the art galleries in Chelsea. These galleries are very prominent in the area. During the 1990s, SoHo had been the center of the arts in the city. However, as Soho became a more trendy area to live in, the galleries could no longer afford to operate in such a desirable location. (ENY, 105) The galleries moved to Chelsea, which ultimately resulted in its transformation into the beautiful location that it is today.
The first gallery we went to was the Mike Weiss Gallery where we viewed Jerry Kearns’ exhibit RRRGGHH!!! We were told not to be dismissive of the art, however in all honesty I thought this exhibit was hilarious and I cannot imagine someone taking it very seriously. The pictures all depicted Jesus in a comic book style dressed as cowboys or other “heroes.”
We then went to the Unix Gallery where we viewed Always Shameless by Eugenio Merino’s. The title of this exhibit is a play on the Coca Cola Slogan “Always.” The exhibit contained giant sculptures of modern day political figures such as Kim Jong Il, and George W. Bush inside Coke vending machines. The description of the exhibit states that this exhibit merges “the political nature of the artist’s sculptures with the branding of a universally recognized product, and brings these dark and poignant works into the more accessible forum of popular culture.” Without reading the description of the exhibit, one can definitely agree that something about exhibit is extremely interesting and creative. This exhibit began in 2011 after Merino created a life sized sculpture of Francisco Franco, the Spanish dictator and placed it inside of a Coca Cola Refrigerator. The artist was sued over this sculpture by an organization seeking to preserve Franco’s legacy. This was the reason that I found this exhibit so interesting. I had never heard of Francisco Franco until a year ago. After spending time in Spain last summer, and taking several Spanish culture classes, I learned that Spain was oppressed by the dictatorship of Franco until 1975. I was under the impression that Spain had been trying to distance itself from the influence of Franco as much as possible, so I was genuinely shocked to find out that the Fundación Nacional Francisco Franco not only exists, but sued Eugenio Merino for his artwork.
My favorite exhibit that we visited was Andy Freeberg’s, “Art Fare.” This photography exhibit contains pictures of people being consumed by technology. As someone who definitely has a love/hate relationship with cellphones, computers, etc. I enjoyed this exhibit. One picture showed a woman on her iPhone with her laptop open in front of her. I think this is an extremely common behavior nowadays that most people are guilty of, so I thought this exhibit was very relatable.
We stopped by “the historical district of Chelsea, located from West 20th to 22nd Streets between 9th and 10th Avenues.” (ENY 108) We saw St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, which was created in the Gothic Revival Style. (ENY 109) We were fortunate enough to be allowed inside the Church which was built in 1836. (ENY 109) I thought the incense scented interior of St. Peter’s was beautiful. I enjoyed looking at the stained glass windows as well.
After spending some time in several art galleries, we returned to the High Line. As we walked, Belinda and I were discussing that when she walked on the High Line a year ago, she had seen couples having sex through the windows of a building. I then started telling her about how I had gone to a Biergarten below the Standard Hotel a few years ago with some friends, and the whole time I kept thinking that the place looked familiar. After a while I thought that the Standard Hotel might be the same one from the movie “Shame,” and after googling it quickly I confirmed that it was the same hotel. (Although I will admit that I never realized that the Hotel was located in Chelsea until today.)
Well, after walking another section of the High Line Mike pointed out the Standard Hotel to us, and then explained that when it opened in 2009, it became a very popular place for exhibitionist couples to go. So after that, Belinda and I had a laugh because as it turns out, that was the same building she had been telling me about earlier, and we realized we had both been talking about the same place all along.
We then made our way to Chelsea Market, which I had never heard of. Once inside, I was pleasantly surprised. Although it was very busy, I thought the atmosphere was really nice, I never expected it to look like that. We stopped and ate tacos for lunch, however since it was too crowded to find a table, we ended up just sitting on the floor (no judgement.) We had about a 45 minute break from class, so we ate lunch, and did some people watching until Mike found us. He told us that he will never bring a class here again because of how crowded it was, and I was a little surprised by this. Although it was crowded, I enjoyed being there, and it is definitely a place I never would have ended up at by myself.
We visited the Jefferson Market Garden, located on Greenwich Avenue and West 10th Street (ENY, 112). We were told that this area had been a Farmer’s Market, and later a Women’s detention center. Belinda and I had a brief misunderstanding because of my deafness and we thought it was a historic Women’s Detention Center/Farmer’s Market, so I’m glad Mike cleared that up. We were told about the “Trial of the Century,” (which I also had never heard of).
We then arrived for our tour at the Merchant’s House, on 29th E. Street, between Lafayette Street and Cooper Square (ENY, 121). This is a Federal style house built in 1832 by Joseph Bridget. Seabury Treadwell, a wealthy businessman purchased the house in 1835 from Bridget. (ENY, 121) The Treadwell family consisted of Seabury and Edith Treadwell, their seven children, and live-in staff of four.
The exterior of the house was built in the Federal style, while the interior was decorated in the Greek revival style. We began our tour on the first floor, where two symmetrical rooms served as the living room and dining room. These rooms were used by the Treadwell family to entertain company. Each room contained 12 ft high ceilings with a beautiful gas powered chandelier in the center. The plaster walls were very intricately detailed. It was interesting to learn that the intricate moldings were hand carved. The detail was incredible, and our tour guide pointed out that every home at the time would have had different molding patterns. The owners could search through a catalog, and choose each individual piece of plaster to customize their homes to their specific tastes. Each of the two parlor rooms contained two large mahogany doors. It was so important to maintain symmetry within the home that the front parlor, contained a dummy door with nothing behind it.
We then made our way to the second floor which contained Seabury and Edith’s separate bedrooms. The bedrooms were connected by a small hallway. Seabury’s study was located next to his bedroom. During this period of time, bedrooms were utilized for entertaining during parties. Parties would generally begin with with the men being brought into Seabury’s bedroom and the women being brought into Edith’s. The women would change their shoes from their outdoor walking shoes into their dancing slippers, and the men would have a drink and rejoin their dates in the hallway. Our tour guide told us that the families during this used chamber pots, so during a party the women generally found this embarrassing. Therefore to avoid dealing with this situation, the women generally would take diuretics several days beforehand, and then the day of a function they would fast. (I found this funny because it sounds very similar to magazine descriptions of celebrity routines prior to “important” functions nowadays.) It is easy to imagine how horrible these women must have felt, especially when you realize that they wore long sleeved dresses and corsets year round. Adding dehydration to these factors, sounds totally unbearable. We were also told that the family would generally not be residing in Merchant House during the Summer season. They owned a home in New Jersey where they would spend their Summers. This is definitely understandable, because for me, spending a hour in that house during a hot day in July was nearly intolerable.
We then made our way upstairs to the floor that contained the children’s bedrooms. This area is currently being used as storage for the museum, however our tour guide told us that they are hoping that perhaps one day they will be able to restore the rooms for the public to view. On the fourth floor, the servant’s bedrooms were located. A single bedroom contained four beds for the maids to sleep in. This floor definitely looked like something out of an episode of “Downton Abbey.” A large main room (which was currently being utilized for storage) would serve as the maid’s living room/ workspace. A large hook was pointed out to us, and we were told that it would have served to run a clothesline across the room to dry the families clothes during periods of inclement whether. I can’t imagine having to carry the entire family’s wet laundry up 97 steps from the basement on a regular basis to dry it.
Our final stop was in the basement of the house. The family room was located in the front portion of this floor. This room was certainly more modestly decorated than the rest of the house (excluding the servant’s rooms, of course.) This room contained a table where the family would eat the majority of their meals together. The fireplace had a plate warmer which our tour guide told us had clearly been used often because the indents in the floor were the result of the weight of the heavy plates. This fact also tells us that the family would eat their meals more often in this room than the formal dining room.
The kitchen was located behind the family room. In the kitchen, our tour guide pointed out many interesting things. The first, was that the family had a cistern buried in the courtyard that provided them with running water for to wash their dishes and do their laundry. It is amazing to discover that a 19th century family had running water in their home. Another interesting fact was that a pipe hanging in the kitchen between the fireplace and sink showed that the family also had a water heater for washing dishes. The cellar received the coal deliveries from a chute in the front of the house. This coal was used to heat the entirety of the house. The servants had to carry the coal up all 97 steps to heat each floor of the home.
The family’s servants were on call 24 hours a day. They were generally paid about 4 dollars a month which was less than factory workers would have received at this time. However, they received free room and board and medical care if necessary. Most of the servants at the time were female Irish immigrants. During this time servant girls were often referred to as “Bridgets” as a slang term (because this is a popular Irish woman’s name.) An interesting fact about the Irish immigrants was that the women would often move to the United States by themselves. Generally, immigrants from other nations would immigrate either as families, or the patriarchs would move to the United States, and then later send for the rest of their families. I think that it is extremely brave for a woman during this time to move to an entirely new place completely on her own. It was also interesting to imagine what it was like for an Irish immigrant to arrive in the United States to a home with running water.
The backyard/courtyard of Merchant House was absolutely beautiful. The walls surrounding it were covered in ivy, and wrought iron furniture covered the stone patio. Our tour guide told us that there are plans to erect a nine story hotel next door to Merchant House. The home is currently owned by the Historic House Trust. (ENY, 122) They are trying to prevent this from happening, and have hired an architect to survey the area. The architect determined that a structure can not be constructed without damaging the historic home. The Historic House Trust is currently asking for donations to prevent the construction of the hotel. I grew up in a house that was constructed in the 1890s, so I definitely have an appreciation for old houses with plaster walls and a lot of character. I really enjoyed the tour of Merchant House despite the fact that the hot July day basically turned the home into a greenhouse.
We then dragged our dehydrated selves to visit 41 Cooper Square. At this point it seemed that group morale was pretty low, and we were definitely in need of a break. (I can only speak for myself, but if I could give any constructive criticism for the course, it would be that during a day like this, even a five minute break to purchase some water would have made all of the difference in the world in our attitudes.) This building is an imposing post-modern structure that stands out among the rest of the buildings on the street. We were told that this building has the highest LEEDS certification possible, which I found very interesting. As a part time worker in a construction office, I am no stranger to the tedious paperwork that goes along with completing such an efficient job. It was very interesting to learn that this highly efficient structure forces people to take the stairs to conserve energy on some floors. I wish we could have ventured further into the building, however it was closing by the time we arrived so we only made it into the lobby. The structure was designed to give the feeling of a beehive, which is an interesting concept for an energy efficient building.
This building is the latest addition to the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art’s campus. This school was founded by industrialist Peter Cooper. (ENY, 122) Its curriculum focuses on art, architecture and engineering. (ENY, 122) The ground floor has a glass exterior, which allows passing pedestrians to catch a glimpse of the public programs that are held within the building. (ENY, 123)
Next, we walked to the intersection of 8th Street, Astor Place, Lafayette Street, and Cooper Square. (ENY, 124). We viewed the Cooper Union Foundation Building which was built in 1849, and served as headquarters for the New York City Cooper Union (ENY, 125). Aesthetically speaking, I thought this was my favorite building that we have seen so far. It was designed by Fred A. Peterson, one of the founders of the American Institute of Architects (ENY, 125). A notable fact is that this was the first building that ever contained an elevator shaft. During this time, elevators had not been invented, however Peterson anticipated their creation. (ENY, 125)
Located on the island in the center of Cooper Square is a sculpture called The Alamo. Tony Rosenthal created this sculpture, and it derived its name from its appearance of having a “fortress like strength.” (ENY, 125) We also learned that Astor Place was a square named after John Jacob Astor III, a financier/ philanthropist who lived in the area (ENY, 124). We were informed about the Astor Place Riot, which occurred on May 10, 1849 (ENY, 124). This riot was the result of tensions between the Irish and the British. These tensions have always existed, however they escalated as a result of British policies during the Irish potato famine. (ENY, 123) This famine began in 1845, lasted six years, and devastated the population of Ireland. Irish immigrants found out that English actor William Charles Macready was performing in a theater version of Macbeth that rivaled American actor Edwin Forrest’s production in another theater near the area. (ENY, 123) A violent protest against Macready ensued that resulted in the death of 18, people and the injury of hundreds more (ENY, 123). This riot resulted in the closing of the Opera House soon afterwards (ENY, 123).
After the tour of Astor Place, Mike decided to let us off early. But first, we headed over to the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop. I’m not really a big fan of ice cream so I rushed down to the corner deli to buy some water before everyone in the class saw a side of me I wouldn’t be proud of. I felt much better afterwards, and a bunch of us went straight back to Penn Station to make our way home.
It was rush hour when we reached Penn Station, so Belinda and I felt extremely lucky to have made it onto a train where we would have seats. Once the announcements were made on the train though, we realized that we were on an express train which would not be stopping in our station. We felt defeated and basically accepted the fact that we were going to have to deal with the massive headache of finding a ride back to Merrick train station. Luckily Belinda realized how ditzy we were being and we just got off the train before the doors closed. We waited about a half hour and finally were on a train home.
Although I enjoyed most of the sights that we saw today, I truly realized how much I am not a city person. I would also like to point out something to Mike. He said that Brooklyn was the toughest day of the trip, however I felt like the walk through The Village was definitely a lot rougher than Brooklyn.