JOURNALS 5-9
El barrio & Central Park
Today arrived in Harlem by way of number 1 train to Times Square, followed by a shuttle to Grand Central Terminal, and finally the number 6 train to 103rd Street. After surfacing on the street we found ourselves in “El Barrio.” This area is an “uptown neighborhood of Manhattan,” which borders the “Harlem River in the north, East 96th Street to the south, the East river to the East, and Fifth Avenue to the west.” (ENY, 75)
Upon our arrival at street level, Bonnie & I debated buying some canepas, (a fruit from Puerto Rico that both of us like), however we did not want to interrupt the group, so we decided against it. We were shocked to see them being sold on the side of the rode, because they are not a fruit that is easily obtained. The only time that I have been able to get them was when my co-workers would return from visiting their families in Puerto Rico.
“Today East Harlem has one of the largest Latino communities in the country.” (ENY, 76) In spite of the gentrification of the area, El Barrio “still retains its distinct Latino flavor.” (ENY, 76) Mike continued to paint the picture of 19th century upper-Manhattan for us by describing how it had previously been farm land. However in 1880, the steam railroad system allowed the area to become more developed, and “German, Irish, Scandinavian, and Eastern European immigrants” began to settle the area. (ENY, 76) Eventually, “the area along Pleasant Avenue by the East River” was settled by Italian immigrants, and was referred to as Italian Harlem. By the 1930’s the Genovese crime family dominated the area. (ENY, 76)
After World War I, a large amount of Puerto Rican immigrants settled in East Harlem, which transformed the area into “El Barrio.” (ENY 76) By the year 1960, East Harlem had “become one of the most dangerous sections of New York City.” (ENY 76) This resulted from the impoverishment of the Puerto Rican immigrants, as well as the construction of housing projects. (ENY 76)
Mike walked us to the Carver Houses, “a housing project of 13 buildings that was created for low income residents of the neighborhood and completed in 1958.” (ENY 76) He explained how these projects were named after George Washington Carver, and although the idea of low income housing projects was good in theory, in practice these projects failed miserably. They became an area where crime was prevalent due to “conditions of poverty,” such as unemployment, and drug use.
We walked under a rock overpass and made our way to the Museum of the City of New York. This museum is known for its “changing exhibitions focused on the History of New York City, especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation.” (ENY 77) The first floor of the museum contained an exhibit called “City as a Canvas: Graffiti Art from the Martin Wong collection.” I thought this exhibit was interesting. The collection was “acquired at a time when graffiti was not highly regarded in the art world.” Wong was diagnosed with AIDS in 1994, and he made the decision to donate his entire collection to the museum before his death in 1999. My favorite part of the exhibit is pictured above.
After looking at all of the pieces this exhibit had to offer, we made our way upstairs to watch the 22 minute documentary “Timescapes.”This film documented the evolution of the island of Manhattan from its origins as home to the Lenape indians, to the metropolis it is today. I think that Gina made a really good point, by saying that it was really interesting to see that the film mentioned 9/11 as a point in history. Most of us were directly affected by the attacks, and for many of us they still feel recent. Hearing that day referred to as a turning point in the history of Manhattan was very interesting.
After watching this film, we went upstairs and were introduced to Guastavino tiles. When I wrote my first paper for this class on the New York City Subway system, I remembered thinking that the (now closed) City Hall subway station was very beautiful. During our tour of the Guastavino exhibit, I realized that this subway station was made out of Guastavino tiles. We learned that the Guastavino tile is an arch system created by Spanish architect and builder Rafael Guastavino. He created a technique for vaulting self supported ceilings using interlocking tiles along with mortar to create a curved roof. The tiles he used are less than one inch thick, and are approximately 6x12”. The museum contained an archway in the middle of the room, that allowed us to see how the vaults were constructed. It was fascinating to realize that the entire archway was supported solely by his method of construction.
Our next stop in the museum (and my favorite) was called “Guided New York.” One of my favorite things to do is look at jewelry that I’ll never be able to afford, and this exhibit was full of just that. It “explores the city’s visual culture at the end of the 19th century, when its elite class flaunted their money as never before.” It was so interesting to see the elaborate gowns, and accessories that people wore during this time period.
We left the museum and walked to El Museo Del Barrio and were given a brief break while we waited for our tour guide to arrive. When he did, I realized right away that he is a very intense person. He went around the circle and had us introduce ourselves and tell him how we were feeling. It seemed as though he actively tried to learn our names, as opposed to most people (myself included) who immediately forget someone’s name upon hearing it. Luke works at the museum, and is also a poet who lives in El Barrio. He introduced himself to us and proceeded to tell us a poem about a girl singing on a train. (Based on my personality, I have a really hard time listening to people do things like that, and I generally get visibly uncomfortable and my “nervous laugh” kicks in) But I tried my best not to give off the wrong impression, and his poem was actually really good. He walked us around El Barrio, and showed us all of the art on the streets. There was a wall on which someone had written, “Share your story,” and people hung various items on the wall.
Our first stop was at La Casa Azul Bookstore, which I absolutely loved. The owner was a young woman named Aurora, and she explained how she was able to raise $40,000.00 on an online fundraising website in order to realize her dream of opening a book store dedicated to latino authors. Her store was decorated with pictures of Frida Khalo, and it had a rear patio where a group of young children were participating in a book reading. The ambiance of the store was amazing, and it was so refreshing to see a young woman who was able to realize her dream of being a business owner.
After leaving the bookstore, we walked towards an enormous mural dedicated to Reverend Pedro Pietri. “Pedro Pietri was born in Puerto Rico, and was a lifelong resident of East Harlem, a community activist, and the founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafè.” (ENY, 77) Luke told us about how Pietri was a nonviolent protestor, and he realized that he was not happy with the inequality that the residents of East Harlem were facing. They were working hard all day, 7 days a week laboring in the wealthy neighborhoods. He began a protest because the conditions in El Barrio were poor, the area was covered by trash in the streets. He collected all of the trash in order to clean up the neighborhood, and then in order to make a statement he dropped it all off in the middle of Fifth Avenue.
Across the street, we saw the mural, “Spirit of East Harlem.” This giant mural was “created by Hank Prussing in 1978.” (ENY 77) “It captures the latin influences on street life in East Harlem in the 1970s.” (ENY 77) Luke told us that the woman wearing the apron was initially upset with the way she looked in the painting, so she paid a neighborhood kid to paint over her face. The artists redid her portrait so that she would be happy with it.
Our next stop was the Modesto “Tin” Flores Garden, which is a collaborative project between “Hope Community & GrowNYC.” (ENY 78) This park had previously served as a dumping ground until it was “converted by East Harlem resident Ernesto ‘Tin’ Flores into a garden for the neighborhood’s inhabitants. (ENY 77) This park is home to an “outdoor fountain sculpture, called ‘Seed of Growth,’ designed by Lina Puerta.” (ENY 78) Lina Puerta’s artwork generally “explores the female body and female experience.” (ENY 78) At first glance, the fountain might look like wilted flowers, however upon closer examination, you realize that it actually represents a woman’s fallopian tubes.
I enjoyed seeing the mural “Soldadares,” by Yasmin Hernandes. It shows Frida Khalo, a renowned Mexican artist and Julia de Burgos, a famous Puerto Rican poet painted in the style of Khalo’s famous
piece; “Las Dos Fridas.” “Soldadares” depicts each woman holding hands, “with the flags of their respective countries behind them.” (ENY 78) “The mural is a tribute to the struggles of the Puerto Rican and Mexican inhabitants of East Harlem and the ties that bind these two communities together.” (ENY 78)
Our next stop was Justo Botanica, which is a shop that specializes in “Santería goods & other spiritual products.” This store also sells herbal remedies for many illnesses. The owner (who told us that we can call him Justo) described many of his products and remedies to us. I thought it was interesting to hear about the overlap between his practice of Santeria, and the doctrine of Christianity. Mike told us about a bracelet that supposedly brings good luck to whoever wins it. Justo described the bracelet to us, and the reasons why it brings one “strength of knowledge.” Mike let us know that there will be a contest to win the bracelet during the following class. However, based on the year that Bonnie & I have been having, we decided we need to make our own luck, and we purchased them for ourselves. Justo looked at Bonnie when we were asking for them and he said “She definitely needs this.” (Which sufficiently freaked us both out) So while we were paying I asked him what made him say that, and we were both expecting to hear something horrible, and instead he replied “because she is in love.” Overall I thought that store was pretty cool, and I thought it was a really interesting stop for Mike to have chosen for us to visit.
After leaving the store with our purchases, Bonnie, Gina & I headed over El Paso for lunch. Mike gave us a 45 minute break to eat lunch, so we tried to make the most of our time. We had guacamole, burritos, and margaritas. So I’m not sure if today was my favorite day because I absolutely loved El Barrio, or because I was able to drink tequila (maybe a combination of the two) but overall this was my favorite experience so far during the Gotham course.
After lunch, we were a few minute late meeting up with the rest of the class, so we were unable to make it to the Met. Mike made the decision to spend the day walking through Central Park instead, (admittedly, at first I thought that he was trying to punish us for being late) and it ended up being really fun. It was nice to not have to worry about being separated from the group by traffic lights, and I guess the fact that I enjoyed walking through a park so much just goes to show how much I am not a “city person.”
We began our walk at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street, outside of the Vanderbilt Gate. I thought it was pretty cool that I had actually already been to a place we were visiting for once. I visited Conservatory Gardens a few years ago while my dad was in Mount Sinai Hospital (meaning, my best friend and I got really lost trying to find our way back to the hospital and ended up in the park). I thought the park was so beautiful, and one part of it reminded me a lot of Pemberly from Pride & Prejudice. This made a lot of sense after Mike told us that the garden was split into an English, French, and Italian style section. Conservatory Garden “is the only formal garden in Central Park, and was named for an 1898 greenhouse or conservatory that once stood on the site but was torn down in 1934.” (ENY, 65)
After we left the Gardens, the class sat down on some schist, and had a group discussion. We continued our walk around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis Reservoir/Central Park Reservoir. “This reservoir contains approximately 1 billion gallons of water.” (ENY, 65) It was considered obsolete in the year 1993 due to the fact that New York City receives its water from the Catskills. (ENY, 66) In 1994 the reservoir was named after Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis because she regularly jogs around it. (ENY, 66)
We visited the oldest monument in the City of New York, the Egyptian Obelisk. (ENY, 68) It is currently covered so you cannot see it. The obelisk is approximately 3,500 years old. (ENY, 68) It was gifted to the United States by the Khedive of Egypt in order to “facilitate good will and improved trade between Egypt and the United States in 1881.” (ENY 68)
Our next stop was Belvedere Castle, which was built in “1869 out of schist quarried from the park itself, and it sits on the second highest elevation in the park.” (ENY, 69) It is still open to visitors, and it now serves as home to a meteorology station. This “Victorian Folly” was designed by Olmstead and Vaux. (ENY, 68) The view was very beautiful, I never expected to see something like that in the middle of Manhattan. We then arrived at Conservatory Water, the famous Boat Pond in Central Park. (ENY, 69) We visited several of the statues that were “created for children.” (ENY 69) The Alice and Wonderland Statue was “constructed by Josè de Creeft in 1959.” (ENY 69) We also stopped by the Hans Christian Andersen statue. It was cool to see the people sitting by the pond and drawing/painting pictures of the area.
We walked to Strawberry Fields, “dedicated to the memory of former Beatle and peace activist, John Lennon.” (ENY 70) This area was dedicated to John Lennon by Mayor Ed Koch in 1985. (ENY, 70) It is located across from his former home, the Dakota. (ENY, 70)
We visited Bethesda Terrace, which I thought was very beautiful. It houses the Bethesda Fountain, “which was created by Emma Stebbins in 1868, and is based on the biblical story in the book of Revelations of an angel blessing the Pool of Bethesda and giving it healing powers.” (ENY 70)
We passed the Central Park Zoo, which opened in 1935. (ENY, 73) We saw two statues, the Honey Bear and the Dancing Goat. “They were designed by Frederick George Richard Roth, and installed in 1935.” (ENY, 73) Mike told us how much he dislikes them, and I definitely agree... they’re a little bit creepy.
Our day finally ended after we exited Central Park. We decided to walk back to Penn Station, which ended up being quite a production. Overall I think that this was the best day so far, I really enjoyed East Harlem, and I am glad to have had the experience of seeing all of Central Park.
Upon our arrival at street level, Bonnie & I debated buying some canepas, (a fruit from Puerto Rico that both of us like), however we did not want to interrupt the group, so we decided against it. We were shocked to see them being sold on the side of the rode, because they are not a fruit that is easily obtained. The only time that I have been able to get them was when my co-workers would return from visiting their families in Puerto Rico.
“Today East Harlem has one of the largest Latino communities in the country.” (ENY, 76) In spite of the gentrification of the area, El Barrio “still retains its distinct Latino flavor.” (ENY, 76) Mike continued to paint the picture of 19th century upper-Manhattan for us by describing how it had previously been farm land. However in 1880, the steam railroad system allowed the area to become more developed, and “German, Irish, Scandinavian, and Eastern European immigrants” began to settle the area. (ENY, 76) Eventually, “the area along Pleasant Avenue by the East River” was settled by Italian immigrants, and was referred to as Italian Harlem. By the 1930’s the Genovese crime family dominated the area. (ENY, 76)
After World War I, a large amount of Puerto Rican immigrants settled in East Harlem, which transformed the area into “El Barrio.” (ENY 76) By the year 1960, East Harlem had “become one of the most dangerous sections of New York City.” (ENY 76) This resulted from the impoverishment of the Puerto Rican immigrants, as well as the construction of housing projects. (ENY 76)
Mike walked us to the Carver Houses, “a housing project of 13 buildings that was created for low income residents of the neighborhood and completed in 1958.” (ENY 76) He explained how these projects were named after George Washington Carver, and although the idea of low income housing projects was good in theory, in practice these projects failed miserably. They became an area where crime was prevalent due to “conditions of poverty,” such as unemployment, and drug use.
We walked under a rock overpass and made our way to the Museum of the City of New York. This museum is known for its “changing exhibitions focused on the History of New York City, especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation.” (ENY 77) The first floor of the museum contained an exhibit called “City as a Canvas: Graffiti Art from the Martin Wong collection.” I thought this exhibit was interesting. The collection was “acquired at a time when graffiti was not highly regarded in the art world.” Wong was diagnosed with AIDS in 1994, and he made the decision to donate his entire collection to the museum before his death in 1999. My favorite part of the exhibit is pictured above.
After looking at all of the pieces this exhibit had to offer, we made our way upstairs to watch the 22 minute documentary “Timescapes.”This film documented the evolution of the island of Manhattan from its origins as home to the Lenape indians, to the metropolis it is today. I think that Gina made a really good point, by saying that it was really interesting to see that the film mentioned 9/11 as a point in history. Most of us were directly affected by the attacks, and for many of us they still feel recent. Hearing that day referred to as a turning point in the history of Manhattan was very interesting.
After watching this film, we went upstairs and were introduced to Guastavino tiles. When I wrote my first paper for this class on the New York City Subway system, I remembered thinking that the (now closed) City Hall subway station was very beautiful. During our tour of the Guastavino exhibit, I realized that this subway station was made out of Guastavino tiles. We learned that the Guastavino tile is an arch system created by Spanish architect and builder Rafael Guastavino. He created a technique for vaulting self supported ceilings using interlocking tiles along with mortar to create a curved roof. The tiles he used are less than one inch thick, and are approximately 6x12”. The museum contained an archway in the middle of the room, that allowed us to see how the vaults were constructed. It was fascinating to realize that the entire archway was supported solely by his method of construction.
Our next stop in the museum (and my favorite) was called “Guided New York.” One of my favorite things to do is look at jewelry that I’ll never be able to afford, and this exhibit was full of just that. It “explores the city’s visual culture at the end of the 19th century, when its elite class flaunted their money as never before.” It was so interesting to see the elaborate gowns, and accessories that people wore during this time period.
We left the museum and walked to El Museo Del Barrio and were given a brief break while we waited for our tour guide to arrive. When he did, I realized right away that he is a very intense person. He went around the circle and had us introduce ourselves and tell him how we were feeling. It seemed as though he actively tried to learn our names, as opposed to most people (myself included) who immediately forget someone’s name upon hearing it. Luke works at the museum, and is also a poet who lives in El Barrio. He introduced himself to us and proceeded to tell us a poem about a girl singing on a train. (Based on my personality, I have a really hard time listening to people do things like that, and I generally get visibly uncomfortable and my “nervous laugh” kicks in) But I tried my best not to give off the wrong impression, and his poem was actually really good. He walked us around El Barrio, and showed us all of the art on the streets. There was a wall on which someone had written, “Share your story,” and people hung various items on the wall.
Our first stop was at La Casa Azul Bookstore, which I absolutely loved. The owner was a young woman named Aurora, and she explained how she was able to raise $40,000.00 on an online fundraising website in order to realize her dream of opening a book store dedicated to latino authors. Her store was decorated with pictures of Frida Khalo, and it had a rear patio where a group of young children were participating in a book reading. The ambiance of the store was amazing, and it was so refreshing to see a young woman who was able to realize her dream of being a business owner.
After leaving the bookstore, we walked towards an enormous mural dedicated to Reverend Pedro Pietri. “Pedro Pietri was born in Puerto Rico, and was a lifelong resident of East Harlem, a community activist, and the founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafè.” (ENY, 77) Luke told us about how Pietri was a nonviolent protestor, and he realized that he was not happy with the inequality that the residents of East Harlem were facing. They were working hard all day, 7 days a week laboring in the wealthy neighborhoods. He began a protest because the conditions in El Barrio were poor, the area was covered by trash in the streets. He collected all of the trash in order to clean up the neighborhood, and then in order to make a statement he dropped it all off in the middle of Fifth Avenue.
Across the street, we saw the mural, “Spirit of East Harlem.” This giant mural was “created by Hank Prussing in 1978.” (ENY 77) “It captures the latin influences on street life in East Harlem in the 1970s.” (ENY 77) Luke told us that the woman wearing the apron was initially upset with the way she looked in the painting, so she paid a neighborhood kid to paint over her face. The artists redid her portrait so that she would be happy with it.
Our next stop was the Modesto “Tin” Flores Garden, which is a collaborative project between “Hope Community & GrowNYC.” (ENY 78) This park had previously served as a dumping ground until it was “converted by East Harlem resident Ernesto ‘Tin’ Flores into a garden for the neighborhood’s inhabitants. (ENY 77) This park is home to an “outdoor fountain sculpture, called ‘Seed of Growth,’ designed by Lina Puerta.” (ENY 78) Lina Puerta’s artwork generally “explores the female body and female experience.” (ENY 78) At first glance, the fountain might look like wilted flowers, however upon closer examination, you realize that it actually represents a woman’s fallopian tubes.
I enjoyed seeing the mural “Soldadares,” by Yasmin Hernandes. It shows Frida Khalo, a renowned Mexican artist and Julia de Burgos, a famous Puerto Rican poet painted in the style of Khalo’s famous
piece; “Las Dos Fridas.” “Soldadares” depicts each woman holding hands, “with the flags of their respective countries behind them.” (ENY 78) “The mural is a tribute to the struggles of the Puerto Rican and Mexican inhabitants of East Harlem and the ties that bind these two communities together.” (ENY 78)
Our next stop was Justo Botanica, which is a shop that specializes in “Santería goods & other spiritual products.” This store also sells herbal remedies for many illnesses. The owner (who told us that we can call him Justo) described many of his products and remedies to us. I thought it was interesting to hear about the overlap between his practice of Santeria, and the doctrine of Christianity. Mike told us about a bracelet that supposedly brings good luck to whoever wins it. Justo described the bracelet to us, and the reasons why it brings one “strength of knowledge.” Mike let us know that there will be a contest to win the bracelet during the following class. However, based on the year that Bonnie & I have been having, we decided we need to make our own luck, and we purchased them for ourselves. Justo looked at Bonnie when we were asking for them and he said “She definitely needs this.” (Which sufficiently freaked us both out) So while we were paying I asked him what made him say that, and we were both expecting to hear something horrible, and instead he replied “because she is in love.” Overall I thought that store was pretty cool, and I thought it was a really interesting stop for Mike to have chosen for us to visit.
After leaving the store with our purchases, Bonnie, Gina & I headed over El Paso for lunch. Mike gave us a 45 minute break to eat lunch, so we tried to make the most of our time. We had guacamole, burritos, and margaritas. So I’m not sure if today was my favorite day because I absolutely loved El Barrio, or because I was able to drink tequila (maybe a combination of the two) but overall this was my favorite experience so far during the Gotham course.
After lunch, we were a few minute late meeting up with the rest of the class, so we were unable to make it to the Met. Mike made the decision to spend the day walking through Central Park instead, (admittedly, at first I thought that he was trying to punish us for being late) and it ended up being really fun. It was nice to not have to worry about being separated from the group by traffic lights, and I guess the fact that I enjoyed walking through a park so much just goes to show how much I am not a “city person.”
We began our walk at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street, outside of the Vanderbilt Gate. I thought it was pretty cool that I had actually already been to a place we were visiting for once. I visited Conservatory Gardens a few years ago while my dad was in Mount Sinai Hospital (meaning, my best friend and I got really lost trying to find our way back to the hospital and ended up in the park). I thought the park was so beautiful, and one part of it reminded me a lot of Pemberly from Pride & Prejudice. This made a lot of sense after Mike told us that the garden was split into an English, French, and Italian style section. Conservatory Garden “is the only formal garden in Central Park, and was named for an 1898 greenhouse or conservatory that once stood on the site but was torn down in 1934.” (ENY, 65)
After we left the Gardens, the class sat down on some schist, and had a group discussion. We continued our walk around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis Reservoir/Central Park Reservoir. “This reservoir contains approximately 1 billion gallons of water.” (ENY, 65) It was considered obsolete in the year 1993 due to the fact that New York City receives its water from the Catskills. (ENY, 66) In 1994 the reservoir was named after Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis because she regularly jogs around it. (ENY, 66)
We visited the oldest monument in the City of New York, the Egyptian Obelisk. (ENY, 68) It is currently covered so you cannot see it. The obelisk is approximately 3,500 years old. (ENY, 68) It was gifted to the United States by the Khedive of Egypt in order to “facilitate good will and improved trade between Egypt and the United States in 1881.” (ENY 68)
Our next stop was Belvedere Castle, which was built in “1869 out of schist quarried from the park itself, and it sits on the second highest elevation in the park.” (ENY, 69) It is still open to visitors, and it now serves as home to a meteorology station. This “Victorian Folly” was designed by Olmstead and Vaux. (ENY, 68) The view was very beautiful, I never expected to see something like that in the middle of Manhattan. We then arrived at Conservatory Water, the famous Boat Pond in Central Park. (ENY, 69) We visited several of the statues that were “created for children.” (ENY 69) The Alice and Wonderland Statue was “constructed by Josè de Creeft in 1959.” (ENY 69) We also stopped by the Hans Christian Andersen statue. It was cool to see the people sitting by the pond and drawing/painting pictures of the area.
We walked to Strawberry Fields, “dedicated to the memory of former Beatle and peace activist, John Lennon.” (ENY 70) This area was dedicated to John Lennon by Mayor Ed Koch in 1985. (ENY, 70) It is located across from his former home, the Dakota. (ENY, 70)
We visited Bethesda Terrace, which I thought was very beautiful. It houses the Bethesda Fountain, “which was created by Emma Stebbins in 1868, and is based on the biblical story in the book of Revelations of an angel blessing the Pool of Bethesda and giving it healing powers.” (ENY 70)
We passed the Central Park Zoo, which opened in 1935. (ENY, 73) We saw two statues, the Honey Bear and the Dancing Goat. “They were designed by Frederick George Richard Roth, and installed in 1935.” (ENY, 73) Mike told us how much he dislikes them, and I definitely agree... they’re a little bit creepy.
Our day finally ended after we exited Central Park. We decided to walk back to Penn Station, which ended up being quite a production. Overall I think that this was the best day so far, I really enjoyed East Harlem, and I am glad to have had the experience of seeing all of Central Park.
tHE WEST SIDE
Today we arrived in Penn Station after the issue with an MTA strike worked itself out.
We left Penn Station and walked to 34th Street to visit the largest department store in the United States, Macy’s. (ENY, 31) Founded by R.H. Macy in 1858, this store has been a huge success as a result of its “illuminated window displays, store Santa Clauses, and money-back guarantees to customers. (ENY, 31) This store moved to its current location in 1902, and was designed by De Lemos and Cordes. (ENY, 32)
We walked to Herald Square (which, as it turns out, happens to be a triangle). This juncture of Broadway, Sixth Avenue, and 34th Street earned its name because it served as the headquarters of the New York Herald from 1894-1921. (ENY, 32) Mike explained how when city planners decided to make Herald Square a pedestrian only zone, the retailers protested because they thought it would devastate their businesses. However, once the conversion was made, the owners were pleased to find that their businesses improved greatly, and received more visits from patrons.
We walked through Times Square which (as always) I think is horrible. It is located at the “heart of Midtown, and it is the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenues between West 42nd and West 47th Streets.” (ENY, 30) I absolutely hate crowds, so Times Square is not the place for me. This considered “the world’s busiest intersection, as well as the world’s most popular tourist attraction.” (ENY, 30) Before we walked through it, Mike stopped to tell us a brief history of Times Square. It was originally “the farm of John Morin Scott, a New York general who served under George Washington during the American Revolution.” (ENY, 33) The area later earned its name when “the New York Times moved into a new skyscraper on 42nd Street.” (ENY, 33) During the 1970s it was a “notorious neighborhood, filled with topless bars, sex shops, pornographic theaters, and frequented by drug dealers, prostitutes & criminals.” (ENY, 34) Mike told us an interesting anecdote where apparently he almost was mugged by a bunch of children (or something like that, I might be oversimplifying a bit) in Times Square when he was younger. I guess I thought it was pretty cool that he was willing to admit that to us. In the 1990’s “Mayor Giuliani made the ‘cleaning up’ of Times Square one of the centerpieces of his administration’s attempts to revitalize New York City.” (ENY, 34) He accomplished this feat by” increasing the presence of the police in the area and closing down the porno theaters and sex shops.”(ENY, 34) Evidently, Giuliani was successful because Times Square is now seems like one of the most family friendly places in New York City.
We visited the G.E. building “which forms the heart of the Rockefeller Center Complex in Midtown, which is also referred to popularly as 30 Rock.” (ENY, 34) Mike told us how to identify an Art Deco style building. He said that Art Deco is an older building that looks futuristic. These buildings were typically constructed circa 1930.The G.E. building is an Art Deco style structure. Once we were inside, we looked at the murals that cover walls. “These murals were commissioned by John D. Rockefellar.” (ENY, 36) All of the murals share a common theme of, “New Frontiers.” They “celebrate advances in science, labor, education, travel, communications, humanitarianism, finance, and spirituality.” (ENY, 36) We looked at the murals by Frank Brangwyn for a little while. These sought to represent “man’s search for eternal truth through Christ’s teachings.” (ENY, 36)
After a brief break, we walked over to 11 West 53rd street to visit the Museum of Modern Art. The MOMA is one of the “most influential museums of modern art in the world.” (ENY, 38) “The original idea for the museum was the brainchild of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, the wife of John D. Rockefeller Jr.” (ENY, 39) We made sure to see several pieces by Picasso, Pollack, & Rauschenberg while we were inside. Damian gave us a brief speech about several pieces of art that he considered important, and he highlighted the differences between the different styles of modern art such as abstract vs. representation, indexical vs. iconic & symbolic, and impressionistic vs. expressionistic. I enjoyed my first visit to this museum for the first time, and I would have liked to have spent a little bit more time there.
We then walked to Hell’s Kitchen, “the neighborhood in Midtown West located between 34th and 59th Streets, and extending from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River.” (ENY, 39) This neighborhood “earned its name because it was historically one of the poorest, most squalid, and most crime ridden in 19th century New York.” (ENY, 39) We stopped as a class to have some Thai food at Yum Yum Bangkok. I tried the coconut chicken soup which I thought was good.
We then took the 1 train to Morningside Heights, which “has one of the highest concentrations of interesting historic sites in the City of New York, and some of the most impressive architecture as well.” (ENY, 80) This neighborhood was formerly known as “Vandewater’s Heights.” (ENY, 80) During the Battle of Harlem Heights, George Washington was able to push back a British army that was double the size of his own. (ENY, 80) We visited the Cathedral of St. John the Divine which is the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world. (ENY, 81) I really enjoyed visiting this landmark that I had never even heard of before. The church was absolutely beautiful. Once I was inside, I felt more like I was somewhere in Europe than New York. “This Cathedral was built in response to the completion of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1879.” (ENY, 81) The architectural firm Heins and LaFarge won a competition to design the structure. They chose to combine the design of a Romanesque structure with Byzantine elements. (ENY, 81) By 1892, the church officials had the plans for design redeveloped. In 1907, Ralph Adams Cram began his plans to “Gothicize parts of the church that had already been built.” (ENY, 81) Nowadays this magnificent structure is still considered only two thirds of the way finished. “It is estimated that it would take at least 100 years and more than $100 million to complete it according to Cram’s original plans.”(ENY, 81)
In 1816, Bloomingdale Insane Asylum was relocated to the area currently occupied by Columbia University. (ENY, 80) In 1904, the insane asylum was sold to Columbia University. (ENY, 81) We visited Columbia University’s campus which wasn’t that much better than what we are all used to at Molloy (just kidding.) This campus was beautiful. Colombia University was the “first college established in New York State and the fifth in the United States.” (ENY, 83) The architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White designed the Beaux Arts style campus. (ENY, 83)
After our stop at Columbia University, we walked to the General Grant National Museum. “Ulysses S. Grant was commander of the Union army during the Civil War, and President of the United States from 1869-1877.” (ENY, 85) John Duncan won the competition to create the design for the tomb. It is “constructed of white granite and consists of a conical dome sitting atop a square base.” The crypt itself is surrounded by sculptures of Grant’s most notable generals; William Sherman, Thomas Sheridan, Lorenzo Thomas, Edward Ord, & James McPherson.
Once we were outside, Mike began his trivia contest in which a student could win the lucky bracelet. I was pretty glad that I just bought one because I definitely would not have been competitive enough to be a contender.
We proceeded to Harlem where we visited some Harlem row houses, and a statue of Harriet Tubman. This statue is located “in the traffic triangle in the middle of St. Nicholas Avenue, Frederick Douglass Boulevard, and West 122nd Street.” (ENY, 90) It is called “Swing Low,” and it serves as a “memorial to the woman who, though a former slave herself, risked her life numerous times to help free other slaves along the Underground Railroad that ran from the south to Canada.” (ENY, 90)
We saw the famous Apollo Theater located on W 125th Street. It has served “as a prominent center of black entertainment in New York since 1934.” (ENY, 90) “Amateur night at the Apollo has launched the careers of notable black entertainers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sara Vaughn, Marvin Gaye, & the Jackson Five. (ENY, 90) After our tour of Harlem we all took the number 2 train back to Penn Station.
We left Penn Station and walked to 34th Street to visit the largest department store in the United States, Macy’s. (ENY, 31) Founded by R.H. Macy in 1858, this store has been a huge success as a result of its “illuminated window displays, store Santa Clauses, and money-back guarantees to customers. (ENY, 31) This store moved to its current location in 1902, and was designed by De Lemos and Cordes. (ENY, 32)
We walked to Herald Square (which, as it turns out, happens to be a triangle). This juncture of Broadway, Sixth Avenue, and 34th Street earned its name because it served as the headquarters of the New York Herald from 1894-1921. (ENY, 32) Mike explained how when city planners decided to make Herald Square a pedestrian only zone, the retailers protested because they thought it would devastate their businesses. However, once the conversion was made, the owners were pleased to find that their businesses improved greatly, and received more visits from patrons.
We walked through Times Square which (as always) I think is horrible. It is located at the “heart of Midtown, and it is the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenues between West 42nd and West 47th Streets.” (ENY, 30) I absolutely hate crowds, so Times Square is not the place for me. This considered “the world’s busiest intersection, as well as the world’s most popular tourist attraction.” (ENY, 30) Before we walked through it, Mike stopped to tell us a brief history of Times Square. It was originally “the farm of John Morin Scott, a New York general who served under George Washington during the American Revolution.” (ENY, 33) The area later earned its name when “the New York Times moved into a new skyscraper on 42nd Street.” (ENY, 33) During the 1970s it was a “notorious neighborhood, filled with topless bars, sex shops, pornographic theaters, and frequented by drug dealers, prostitutes & criminals.” (ENY, 34) Mike told us an interesting anecdote where apparently he almost was mugged by a bunch of children (or something like that, I might be oversimplifying a bit) in Times Square when he was younger. I guess I thought it was pretty cool that he was willing to admit that to us. In the 1990’s “Mayor Giuliani made the ‘cleaning up’ of Times Square one of the centerpieces of his administration’s attempts to revitalize New York City.” (ENY, 34) He accomplished this feat by” increasing the presence of the police in the area and closing down the porno theaters and sex shops.”(ENY, 34) Evidently, Giuliani was successful because Times Square is now seems like one of the most family friendly places in New York City.
We visited the G.E. building “which forms the heart of the Rockefeller Center Complex in Midtown, which is also referred to popularly as 30 Rock.” (ENY, 34) Mike told us how to identify an Art Deco style building. He said that Art Deco is an older building that looks futuristic. These buildings were typically constructed circa 1930.The G.E. building is an Art Deco style structure. Once we were inside, we looked at the murals that cover walls. “These murals were commissioned by John D. Rockefellar.” (ENY, 36) All of the murals share a common theme of, “New Frontiers.” They “celebrate advances in science, labor, education, travel, communications, humanitarianism, finance, and spirituality.” (ENY, 36) We looked at the murals by Frank Brangwyn for a little while. These sought to represent “man’s search for eternal truth through Christ’s teachings.” (ENY, 36)
After a brief break, we walked over to 11 West 53rd street to visit the Museum of Modern Art. The MOMA is one of the “most influential museums of modern art in the world.” (ENY, 38) “The original idea for the museum was the brainchild of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, the wife of John D. Rockefeller Jr.” (ENY, 39) We made sure to see several pieces by Picasso, Pollack, & Rauschenberg while we were inside. Damian gave us a brief speech about several pieces of art that he considered important, and he highlighted the differences between the different styles of modern art such as abstract vs. representation, indexical vs. iconic & symbolic, and impressionistic vs. expressionistic. I enjoyed my first visit to this museum for the first time, and I would have liked to have spent a little bit more time there.
We then walked to Hell’s Kitchen, “the neighborhood in Midtown West located between 34th and 59th Streets, and extending from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River.” (ENY, 39) This neighborhood “earned its name because it was historically one of the poorest, most squalid, and most crime ridden in 19th century New York.” (ENY, 39) We stopped as a class to have some Thai food at Yum Yum Bangkok. I tried the coconut chicken soup which I thought was good.
We then took the 1 train to Morningside Heights, which “has one of the highest concentrations of interesting historic sites in the City of New York, and some of the most impressive architecture as well.” (ENY, 80) This neighborhood was formerly known as “Vandewater’s Heights.” (ENY, 80) During the Battle of Harlem Heights, George Washington was able to push back a British army that was double the size of his own. (ENY, 80) We visited the Cathedral of St. John the Divine which is the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world. (ENY, 81) I really enjoyed visiting this landmark that I had never even heard of before. The church was absolutely beautiful. Once I was inside, I felt more like I was somewhere in Europe than New York. “This Cathedral was built in response to the completion of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1879.” (ENY, 81) The architectural firm Heins and LaFarge won a competition to design the structure. They chose to combine the design of a Romanesque structure with Byzantine elements. (ENY, 81) By 1892, the church officials had the plans for design redeveloped. In 1907, Ralph Adams Cram began his plans to “Gothicize parts of the church that had already been built.” (ENY, 81) Nowadays this magnificent structure is still considered only two thirds of the way finished. “It is estimated that it would take at least 100 years and more than $100 million to complete it according to Cram’s original plans.”(ENY, 81)
In 1816, Bloomingdale Insane Asylum was relocated to the area currently occupied by Columbia University. (ENY, 80) In 1904, the insane asylum was sold to Columbia University. (ENY, 81) We visited Columbia University’s campus which wasn’t that much better than what we are all used to at Molloy (just kidding.) This campus was beautiful. Colombia University was the “first college established in New York State and the fifth in the United States.” (ENY, 83) The architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White designed the Beaux Arts style campus. (ENY, 83)
After our stop at Columbia University, we walked to the General Grant National Museum. “Ulysses S. Grant was commander of the Union army during the Civil War, and President of the United States from 1869-1877.” (ENY, 85) John Duncan won the competition to create the design for the tomb. It is “constructed of white granite and consists of a conical dome sitting atop a square base.” The crypt itself is surrounded by sculptures of Grant’s most notable generals; William Sherman, Thomas Sheridan, Lorenzo Thomas, Edward Ord, & James McPherson.
Once we were outside, Mike began his trivia contest in which a student could win the lucky bracelet. I was pretty glad that I just bought one because I definitely would not have been competitive enough to be a contender.
We proceeded to Harlem where we visited some Harlem row houses, and a statue of Harriet Tubman. This statue is located “in the traffic triangle in the middle of St. Nicholas Avenue, Frederick Douglass Boulevard, and West 122nd Street.” (ENY, 90) It is called “Swing Low,” and it serves as a “memorial to the woman who, though a former slave herself, risked her life numerous times to help free other slaves along the Underground Railroad that ran from the south to Canada.” (ENY, 90)
We saw the famous Apollo Theater located on W 125th Street. It has served “as a prominent center of black entertainment in New York since 1934.” (ENY, 90) “Amateur night at the Apollo has launched the careers of notable black entertainers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sara Vaughn, Marvin Gaye, & the Jackson Five. (ENY, 90) After our tour of Harlem we all took the number 2 train back to Penn Station.
lOWER MANHATTAN
Today was definitely a rough morning for me. I had an 8:45 am session at the clinic before Gotham class. I finished at 9:45, was out the door of the clinic by 10:00, got changed in the car and ran to catch the train out of Rockville Centre. Going to bed at 2:30, and waking up at 5:30 definitely wasn’t the best idea, especially since I did not have time to have coffee until I arrived in Penn Station. At that point, I began the disaster that was my day by forgetting to close my mouth after taking a sip, and dribbling coffee all down the front of my white shirt. (Also, at about 1:30, I eventually realized that my pants were on backwards. We can’t all be ‘morning people’ I guess.)
Anyway...in Penn Station Mike let us know that we were going to spend the day visiting Lower Manhattan & Governor’s Island. I immediately perked up at the mention of Governor’s Island, because Mike let us know that there would be a “Hammock Grove” for us to relax in if we wanted. So for most of the day, I was definitely looking forward to a hammock nap.
We took the E train to Lower Manhattan, which is “the section of the island between New York Harbor to the south, and City Hall to the north.” (ENY, upload, 39)
This area was settled by the Dutch in 1624, and was known as Nieuw Amsterdam. (ENY, upload, 39) Lower Manhattan “has historically been the seat of New York government, and for a brief period served as the capital of the newly formed United States of America.” (ENY upload, 39) The Twin Towers were constructed in 1972, and held the record for the world’s tallest buildings at the time. (ENY upload, 39)
We exited the train at the final stop, which was the World Trade Center. We visited Saint Paul’s chapel, which is one of New York’s only intact pre-revolutionary churches. It was completed in 1766 and it is the oldest surviving church in Manhattan, as well as the oldest building in continuous use in New York City. (ENY upload, 46) Mike told us that when we went inside, he wanted us to notice George Washington’s pew, the handcrafted woodwork, and the ornamental decoration. This church managed to survive the attacks on 9/11, and now it serves as a memorial for those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Following the attacks, “St. Paul’s served as a rescue and relief center for rescue workers.” (ENY upload, 47) It is said that the church was shielded from debris during the attacks by a giant sycamore tree in its cemetery. (ENY upload, 47) A miniature model of the trinity root sculpture was located in the front of the church.
Our next stop was the Woolworth Building, a neo-gothic style skyscraper designed by Cass Gilbert. (ENY upload, 46) Gilbert drew inspiration from “medieval cathedrals he had seen in France.” I thought this building was really beautiful.
We made our way toward New York City Hall, which is home to the Mayor and City Council. We learned that this City Hall is actually New York’s third. The first was constructed by the Dutch in the 17th century, and the second in 1700 on Wall Street. (ENY upload, 40) In 1802, Francoise Mangin, and John McComb Jr won a contest to design and build the new City Hall. They were forced to adjust their vision and adhere to a budget, so they had to scale back their design quite a bit. The rear facade of the building is constructed from inexpensive brownstone, while the remainder of the building consists of limestone and granite. (ENY upload, 41) The building was designed in the style of the French Renaissance. (ENY upload, 41) Mike explained to us that when the city hall was constructed “no one at the time anticipated that the city would expand beyond that point.” This explains why the northern and southern facades differ so much, the designers never believed that many people would have cause to see the northern facade. (ENY, upload 42) I thought that the city hall building was very pretty on the outside, and after hearing Mike talk about how beautiful the inside is, I wished that we were able to see the interior.
We then made our way to Tweed’s Courthouse. This building was designed by famous architects, Leopold Eidlitz and John Kellum constructed between 1861 and 1881. The building was created in the Italian style, and it has been considered one of the ‘grandest and important civic monuments of the city” by the Landmark Preservation Commission. (ENY upload, 46) Mike informed us that Boss Tweed allegedly “appropriated $14 million to build the courthouse, of which he personally pocketed $10 million.” (ENY upload, 46) Damian discussed Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal with us in order to illustrate how the Irish were treated during this time period. During the Irish potato famine, Swift wrote this satire in order to demonstrate how the British were “devouring the Irish.” Damian had brought up this story to let us know how the numbers of the Irish provided them with a great strength. Boss Tweed recognized this, and since the Irish were able to vote, he worked to earn their vote in order to hold his position of power. This building has served as a courthouse for both the New York State Supreme Court, and the City Court until 1961. (ENY upload, 46) Nowadays, Tweed’s Courthouse “serves as the headquarters for the New York City Department of Education.” (ENY upload, 46)
We visited the New York City Municipal Building which “is currently home to thirteen municipal agencies of the City of New York and until 2009, housed the Manhattan Marriage Bureau, where 18,000 people were married each year in the 18th floor chapel.” (ENY upload, 42) “After the five boroughs joined together to form the city of New York,” it was determined that additional city office buildings needed to be constructed. (ENY upload, 42) McKim, Mead, and White designed this building in 1898 because of the lack of space in City Hall. (ENY upload, 42) There would be no way of constructing an addition to City Hall “without destroying its symmetry,” so it was determined that a massive skyscraper needed to be constructed.
We walked over to the “buildings arcaded south wing, which has some of the city’s finest Guastavino tile work on its ceiling.” (ENY upload, 42) It was nice to be in the shade for a bit, and I thought that the ceiling of this Beaux Arts structure was very pretty looking.
Foley Square was our next stop, which was “named after prominent Tammany Hall district leader and saloon owner Thomas F. (Big Tom) Foley. We visited the Foley Square Courthouse, which was renamed in 2001 after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. (ENY upload, 44) This building is “actually two buildings in one. The base of the building is an elegant Neoclassical structure with long granite steps leading to the building’s portico and main entrance on Foley Square.” (ENY upload, 44) The portico contains four Corinthian columns depicting “four great lawgivers of the ancient world; Plato, Aristotle, Demosthenes, and Moses.” (ENY upload, 44) We sat on the steps of this building while Mike described to us how the area had previously been home to a 48 acre pond that served as a source of fresh drinking water in the city. (ENY upload, 44) Due to the heavy population, the pond “became so polluted, that is was filled to prevent outbreaks of cholera and typhus.” (ENY upload, 44) Mike told us that the area we were in had been known as the Five Points, and that it had been the most notorious slum in the world. Supposedly when Charles Dickens visited, he was so disgusted and claimed that he had never seen a worse place in his life. The area had previously housed Irish immigrants as well as freed African Americans. Mike said that tensions between the two groups were always clear, however when they would cooperate and play music together, foundations for Jazz music were created.
We visited the African Burial Ground National Monument and Museum. “which is located on the first floor of the Ted Weiss Federal Building.” (ENY upload, 44) Between 1690 and 1794, “approximately 20,000 free Africans as well as slaves were buried in a 6.6 acre burial ground on this site.” (ENY upload, 44) At the time, the area was “outside the limits of the City of New York. (ENY upload, 44) In 1991, during construction of the Ted Weiss Federal Building, the remains of people who were buried in the cemetery were discovered. When we were inside the museum, we watched a film that described both the lives of African people during the time period of the African burial ground, as well as the outrage many people felt upon discovery of the remains. Apparently during construction of the Ted Weiss building, many people acted extremely callously, and did not respect the fact that they were disturbing a cemetery. After many groups fought the construction of the building, they were able to create the African Burial Ground National Monument and Museum. The remains of the people buried in the cemetery were sent to Howard University for research. When the remains were returned to the National Monument in New York, a funeral procession that spanned several states was held by people of African heritage. I thought this was an very interesting museum, and I was shocked when I found out that the builders of the Ted Weiss Federal Building FINISH
We then visited the 9/11 memorial site which was opened in 2011. (ENY upload, 48) Architects Peter Walker and Michael Arad won the competition held by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation in 2003 with their design “Reflecting Absence.” (ENY upload, 49) This memorial is made up of two one acre pools that are set in the original footprints of the Twin Towers. (ENY upload, 48) “30 ft waterfalls descend into the pools, and drain into a center void.”(ENY upload, 48) The names of each victim of the attacks are inscribed in bronze around the edge of the waterfall. (ENY upload, 48) I have never visited the memorial site, and I am not sure that I ever would have to be honest. I have three uncles who worked for the FDNY during the attack, and another uncle who was working in the World Trade Center at the time and thankfully was able to escape in time. Being in this memorial site definitely brought up some strong emotions. I think the memorial site was beautifully constructed so I am glad that I was able to see it.
We saw Battery Park Island & Mike told us that the island was formed using the rubble from the World Trade Center. I thought this was a little strange but I guess I never stopped to consider what they did with all of the materials after the World Trade Center was destroyed. We went to the Hudson Eats for lunch and we ate at Skinny Pizza, which was pretty good. Joe, Gina, Mike & I split a pie, and we were glad to have been given a good amount of time for lunch because it took forever for ours to be ready. Afterwards I paid $5.00 for a small regular iced coffee, so I thought that was a little ridiculous. The food court was really nice looking, which I guess is why it was so costly.
We visited the Trinity church, where we learned that it is actually “the third church to stand on the site.”(ENY upload, 50) This Gothic Revival style church was designed by Richard M. Upjohn, and was completed in 1859. (ENY upload, 50) His decision to cover the church in brownstone was “a controversial decision at the time, because the material was considered too common for such an important building.” (ENY upload, 50)
We took a ferry over to Governor’s Island, which was a very short trip. It was $2.00 for a roundtrip ticket which seemed pretty reasonable. The view from the ferry was good, we were able to see the Statue of Liberty. Once we arrived on Governor’s Island we sat down on a wall and talked for a bit. Then we went for a tour of Fort Jay & Castle William. The tour lasted longer than I thought it would, but I thought the prison was interesting & I liked learning about all of the different purposes that the island had served throughout history. Our tour guide told us that during the Civil War the POW’s were treated very differently based on their ranks. The enlisted men were not treated very well had to stay in the prison, exposed to the elements. However, the officers were allowed to roam about the island as they pleased, as long as they gave their word that they would not try to escape. The tour guide told us that this was because the officers from both the Confederate and Union armies had most likely attended West Point together.
After our tour of the Castle WIlliam, we were given some free time and so we decided to head over to the Hammock Grove. It took us a little while to find it, however once we were there it was really nice. I enjoyed relaxing for a half an hour. A worker drove by periodically to keep reminding us that we needed to catch the next ferry because it was the last one off of the island. I was glad that he kept doing this, because if I was not constantly interrupted I definitely would have fallen asleep.
We returned back to the ferry and took the 1 train back to Penn Station. I was relieved to finally be headed home. I enjoyed today, but I was exhausted from lack of sleep.
Anyway...in Penn Station Mike let us know that we were going to spend the day visiting Lower Manhattan & Governor’s Island. I immediately perked up at the mention of Governor’s Island, because Mike let us know that there would be a “Hammock Grove” for us to relax in if we wanted. So for most of the day, I was definitely looking forward to a hammock nap.
We took the E train to Lower Manhattan, which is “the section of the island between New York Harbor to the south, and City Hall to the north.” (ENY, upload, 39)
This area was settled by the Dutch in 1624, and was known as Nieuw Amsterdam. (ENY, upload, 39) Lower Manhattan “has historically been the seat of New York government, and for a brief period served as the capital of the newly formed United States of America.” (ENY upload, 39) The Twin Towers were constructed in 1972, and held the record for the world’s tallest buildings at the time. (ENY upload, 39)
We exited the train at the final stop, which was the World Trade Center. We visited Saint Paul’s chapel, which is one of New York’s only intact pre-revolutionary churches. It was completed in 1766 and it is the oldest surviving church in Manhattan, as well as the oldest building in continuous use in New York City. (ENY upload, 46) Mike told us that when we went inside, he wanted us to notice George Washington’s pew, the handcrafted woodwork, and the ornamental decoration. This church managed to survive the attacks on 9/11, and now it serves as a memorial for those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Following the attacks, “St. Paul’s served as a rescue and relief center for rescue workers.” (ENY upload, 47) It is said that the church was shielded from debris during the attacks by a giant sycamore tree in its cemetery. (ENY upload, 47) A miniature model of the trinity root sculpture was located in the front of the church.
Our next stop was the Woolworth Building, a neo-gothic style skyscraper designed by Cass Gilbert. (ENY upload, 46) Gilbert drew inspiration from “medieval cathedrals he had seen in France.” I thought this building was really beautiful.
We made our way toward New York City Hall, which is home to the Mayor and City Council. We learned that this City Hall is actually New York’s third. The first was constructed by the Dutch in the 17th century, and the second in 1700 on Wall Street. (ENY upload, 40) In 1802, Francoise Mangin, and John McComb Jr won a contest to design and build the new City Hall. They were forced to adjust their vision and adhere to a budget, so they had to scale back their design quite a bit. The rear facade of the building is constructed from inexpensive brownstone, while the remainder of the building consists of limestone and granite. (ENY upload, 41) The building was designed in the style of the French Renaissance. (ENY upload, 41) Mike explained to us that when the city hall was constructed “no one at the time anticipated that the city would expand beyond that point.” This explains why the northern and southern facades differ so much, the designers never believed that many people would have cause to see the northern facade. (ENY, upload 42) I thought that the city hall building was very pretty on the outside, and after hearing Mike talk about how beautiful the inside is, I wished that we were able to see the interior.
We then made our way to Tweed’s Courthouse. This building was designed by famous architects, Leopold Eidlitz and John Kellum constructed between 1861 and 1881. The building was created in the Italian style, and it has been considered one of the ‘grandest and important civic monuments of the city” by the Landmark Preservation Commission. (ENY upload, 46) Mike informed us that Boss Tweed allegedly “appropriated $14 million to build the courthouse, of which he personally pocketed $10 million.” (ENY upload, 46) Damian discussed Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal with us in order to illustrate how the Irish were treated during this time period. During the Irish potato famine, Swift wrote this satire in order to demonstrate how the British were “devouring the Irish.” Damian had brought up this story to let us know how the numbers of the Irish provided them with a great strength. Boss Tweed recognized this, and since the Irish were able to vote, he worked to earn their vote in order to hold his position of power. This building has served as a courthouse for both the New York State Supreme Court, and the City Court until 1961. (ENY upload, 46) Nowadays, Tweed’s Courthouse “serves as the headquarters for the New York City Department of Education.” (ENY upload, 46)
We visited the New York City Municipal Building which “is currently home to thirteen municipal agencies of the City of New York and until 2009, housed the Manhattan Marriage Bureau, where 18,000 people were married each year in the 18th floor chapel.” (ENY upload, 42) “After the five boroughs joined together to form the city of New York,” it was determined that additional city office buildings needed to be constructed. (ENY upload, 42) McKim, Mead, and White designed this building in 1898 because of the lack of space in City Hall. (ENY upload, 42) There would be no way of constructing an addition to City Hall “without destroying its symmetry,” so it was determined that a massive skyscraper needed to be constructed.
We walked over to the “buildings arcaded south wing, which has some of the city’s finest Guastavino tile work on its ceiling.” (ENY upload, 42) It was nice to be in the shade for a bit, and I thought that the ceiling of this Beaux Arts structure was very pretty looking.
Foley Square was our next stop, which was “named after prominent Tammany Hall district leader and saloon owner Thomas F. (Big Tom) Foley. We visited the Foley Square Courthouse, which was renamed in 2001 after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. (ENY upload, 44) This building is “actually two buildings in one. The base of the building is an elegant Neoclassical structure with long granite steps leading to the building’s portico and main entrance on Foley Square.” (ENY upload, 44) The portico contains four Corinthian columns depicting “four great lawgivers of the ancient world; Plato, Aristotle, Demosthenes, and Moses.” (ENY upload, 44) We sat on the steps of this building while Mike described to us how the area had previously been home to a 48 acre pond that served as a source of fresh drinking water in the city. (ENY upload, 44) Due to the heavy population, the pond “became so polluted, that is was filled to prevent outbreaks of cholera and typhus.” (ENY upload, 44) Mike told us that the area we were in had been known as the Five Points, and that it had been the most notorious slum in the world. Supposedly when Charles Dickens visited, he was so disgusted and claimed that he had never seen a worse place in his life. The area had previously housed Irish immigrants as well as freed African Americans. Mike said that tensions between the two groups were always clear, however when they would cooperate and play music together, foundations for Jazz music were created.
We visited the African Burial Ground National Monument and Museum. “which is located on the first floor of the Ted Weiss Federal Building.” (ENY upload, 44) Between 1690 and 1794, “approximately 20,000 free Africans as well as slaves were buried in a 6.6 acre burial ground on this site.” (ENY upload, 44) At the time, the area was “outside the limits of the City of New York. (ENY upload, 44) In 1991, during construction of the Ted Weiss Federal Building, the remains of people who were buried in the cemetery were discovered. When we were inside the museum, we watched a film that described both the lives of African people during the time period of the African burial ground, as well as the outrage many people felt upon discovery of the remains. Apparently during construction of the Ted Weiss building, many people acted extremely callously, and did not respect the fact that they were disturbing a cemetery. After many groups fought the construction of the building, they were able to create the African Burial Ground National Monument and Museum. The remains of the people buried in the cemetery were sent to Howard University for research. When the remains were returned to the National Monument in New York, a funeral procession that spanned several states was held by people of African heritage. I thought this was an very interesting museum, and I was shocked when I found out that the builders of the Ted Weiss Federal Building FINISH
We then visited the 9/11 memorial site which was opened in 2011. (ENY upload, 48) Architects Peter Walker and Michael Arad won the competition held by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation in 2003 with their design “Reflecting Absence.” (ENY upload, 49) This memorial is made up of two one acre pools that are set in the original footprints of the Twin Towers. (ENY upload, 48) “30 ft waterfalls descend into the pools, and drain into a center void.”(ENY upload, 48) The names of each victim of the attacks are inscribed in bronze around the edge of the waterfall. (ENY upload, 48) I have never visited the memorial site, and I am not sure that I ever would have to be honest. I have three uncles who worked for the FDNY during the attack, and another uncle who was working in the World Trade Center at the time and thankfully was able to escape in time. Being in this memorial site definitely brought up some strong emotions. I think the memorial site was beautifully constructed so I am glad that I was able to see it.
We saw Battery Park Island & Mike told us that the island was formed using the rubble from the World Trade Center. I thought this was a little strange but I guess I never stopped to consider what they did with all of the materials after the World Trade Center was destroyed. We went to the Hudson Eats for lunch and we ate at Skinny Pizza, which was pretty good. Joe, Gina, Mike & I split a pie, and we were glad to have been given a good amount of time for lunch because it took forever for ours to be ready. Afterwards I paid $5.00 for a small regular iced coffee, so I thought that was a little ridiculous. The food court was really nice looking, which I guess is why it was so costly.
We visited the Trinity church, where we learned that it is actually “the third church to stand on the site.”(ENY upload, 50) This Gothic Revival style church was designed by Richard M. Upjohn, and was completed in 1859. (ENY upload, 50) His decision to cover the church in brownstone was “a controversial decision at the time, because the material was considered too common for such an important building.” (ENY upload, 50)
We took a ferry over to Governor’s Island, which was a very short trip. It was $2.00 for a roundtrip ticket which seemed pretty reasonable. The view from the ferry was good, we were able to see the Statue of Liberty. Once we arrived on Governor’s Island we sat down on a wall and talked for a bit. Then we went for a tour of Fort Jay & Castle William. The tour lasted longer than I thought it would, but I thought the prison was interesting & I liked learning about all of the different purposes that the island had served throughout history. Our tour guide told us that during the Civil War the POW’s were treated very differently based on their ranks. The enlisted men were not treated very well had to stay in the prison, exposed to the elements. However, the officers were allowed to roam about the island as they pleased, as long as they gave their word that they would not try to escape. The tour guide told us that this was because the officers from both the Confederate and Union armies had most likely attended West Point together.
After our tour of the Castle WIlliam, we were given some free time and so we decided to head over to the Hammock Grove. It took us a little while to find it, however once we were there it was really nice. I enjoyed relaxing for a half an hour. A worker drove by periodically to keep reminding us that we needed to catch the next ferry because it was the last one off of the island. I was glad that he kept doing this, because if I was not constantly interrupted I definitely would have fallen asleep.
We returned back to the ferry and took the 1 train back to Penn Station. I was relieved to finally be headed home. I enjoyed today, but I was exhausted from lack of sleep.
lOWER eAST SIDE
Today Bonnie and I barely caught our train to
Penn Station, I think the fact that it was the last day of class made us a
little bit too relaxed about our schedules in the morning. We had to run a red
light, and then sprint to the platform, but luckily we were just on time for
our 10:12 train. We met up with the class in Penn Station and took the F train
to Delancey & Essex Street. This community was settled by a predominantly
Jewish population around the year 1880. These immigrants came from Eastern
Europe. (ENY upload, 65) Mike explained the difference between these immigrants
(who were generally Ashkenazi Jews) & Sephardic Jews who “typically
immigrated from Spain and North Africa.” (ENY upload, 65) The years between
1880 and 1924 saw a large immigration of approximately 2.5 million Ashkenazi
Jews, the majority of which settled on the Lower West Side of Manhattan. (ENY
upload, 65) Mike explained that these Jewish immigrants had likely fled their
countries as a result of pogroms, which were “violent political persecutions.”
During the 1900’s, this area was one of the poorest and most crowded areas one
could live. These Jewish immigrants typically resided in the tenement
structures that the Lower West Side was known for.
Mike told us about how nowadays, the rent in one of these reformed tenement buildings is actually quite high because of the ideal location of the neighborhood. “National Trust for Historic Preservation declared the Lower East Side of Manhattan one of eleven most endangered places in the country because the pace of development threatens to eradicate the neighborhood’s immigrant past.” (ENY upload, 65)
We passed the Essex Street Market, which was eventually brought into creation by the laws that Mayor Fiorello Laguardia passed in 1933. These laws were designed to eliminate the pushcart street vendors due to the unsanitary conditions that they caused. These pushcarts were towed by animals, and caused the streets to become filthy with manure. This spread disease, therefore Laguardia determined that a system of markets would be a much more sanitary method of commerce. (ENY upload, 67)
We walked to Kossar’s Bialys to grab breakfast. This establishment is known for its traditional Jewish bialys. While we waited, Chelsea and I went across the street to a café to buy iced coffee. (Perhaps due to gentrification) the shop was very cute, a bit overpriced, and the woman who worked there was an absolute delight. When we returned, Mike had purchased the bialys & bagels for everyone and we headed over to Seward Park. “This park was named after William Seward, Governer of New York from 1839-1842 and later Secretary of State during the Lincoln administration.” (ENY upload, 69) In the early 20th century the Progressive Era Politicians and activists recognized the need for parks that the children living in the tenements could play in. They felt that if parks were created, the children would be less likely to turn to crime or join gangs. (ENY upload, 69) The Small Parks Act of 1887 granted the City of New York the power to overtake private lands and convert them into public parks. (ENY upload, 69-70) Three thousand people were displaced after 3 blocks of tenements were demolished; however this resulted in the creation of enough space to open Seward Park in 1903. (ENY upload, 70)
We visited the Bialystoker Synagogue which was founded by Jewish immigrants from a town called Bialystoker, Poland. After merging with another congregation, they were able to purchase and convert Willet Street Methodist Episcopal Church into the synagogue that it is today. (ENY upload, 68) This building is a federal style structure, constructed from Manhattan schist in 1826. (ENY upload, 68)
Our next stop was the Henry Street Settlement, which was founded by a 25 year old nursing student named Lillian Wald in 1893. Lillian Wald “was appalled when volunteering to teach classes on home health care to immigrant women. In 1893 she founded the Nurses’ Settlement to bring nursing care, education and the arts to the immigrant population.” (ENY upload, 69)
We then visited the Eldridge Street Synagogue which is known as one of the “architectural masterpieces of the Lower East Side.” (ENY upload, 71) This structure definitely seems a bit out of place in its current location of Chinatown, however “when it was built the area was heavily Jewish with street signs written in Yiddish.” (ENY upload, 71) This synagogue combines both Moorish and gothic styles. (ENY upload, 71) I thought this building was really beautiful, and I really liked the giant stained glass window in the front. This synagogue fell out of use in 1950’s, and ended up in a state of disrepair. In 1986, a non-profit group called The Eldridge Street Project raised money and “launched a campaign to restore the structure.” (ENY upload, 72) In 2007, the synagogue was finally reopened as a museum.
Our final stop as a class was at Congee Village Chinese Food for lunch. I really hate Chinese food, but I tried the broccoli and I thought that was really good. I ended up sitting at a table with people I hadn’t really gotten to know at all during our class time together, so I had fun talking with them. After everyone finished lunch, we all said goodbye and headed back to Penn. I thought for the most part that this was a good group o
Mike told us about how nowadays, the rent in one of these reformed tenement buildings is actually quite high because of the ideal location of the neighborhood. “National Trust for Historic Preservation declared the Lower East Side of Manhattan one of eleven most endangered places in the country because the pace of development threatens to eradicate the neighborhood’s immigrant past.” (ENY upload, 65)
We passed the Essex Street Market, which was eventually brought into creation by the laws that Mayor Fiorello Laguardia passed in 1933. These laws were designed to eliminate the pushcart street vendors due to the unsanitary conditions that they caused. These pushcarts were towed by animals, and caused the streets to become filthy with manure. This spread disease, therefore Laguardia determined that a system of markets would be a much more sanitary method of commerce. (ENY upload, 67)
We walked to Kossar’s Bialys to grab breakfast. This establishment is known for its traditional Jewish bialys. While we waited, Chelsea and I went across the street to a café to buy iced coffee. (Perhaps due to gentrification) the shop was very cute, a bit overpriced, and the woman who worked there was an absolute delight. When we returned, Mike had purchased the bialys & bagels for everyone and we headed over to Seward Park. “This park was named after William Seward, Governer of New York from 1839-1842 and later Secretary of State during the Lincoln administration.” (ENY upload, 69) In the early 20th century the Progressive Era Politicians and activists recognized the need for parks that the children living in the tenements could play in. They felt that if parks were created, the children would be less likely to turn to crime or join gangs. (ENY upload, 69) The Small Parks Act of 1887 granted the City of New York the power to overtake private lands and convert them into public parks. (ENY upload, 69-70) Three thousand people were displaced after 3 blocks of tenements were demolished; however this resulted in the creation of enough space to open Seward Park in 1903. (ENY upload, 70)
We visited the Bialystoker Synagogue which was founded by Jewish immigrants from a town called Bialystoker, Poland. After merging with another congregation, they were able to purchase and convert Willet Street Methodist Episcopal Church into the synagogue that it is today. (ENY upload, 68) This building is a federal style structure, constructed from Manhattan schist in 1826. (ENY upload, 68)
Our next stop was the Henry Street Settlement, which was founded by a 25 year old nursing student named Lillian Wald in 1893. Lillian Wald “was appalled when volunteering to teach classes on home health care to immigrant women. In 1893 she founded the Nurses’ Settlement to bring nursing care, education and the arts to the immigrant population.” (ENY upload, 69)
We then visited the Eldridge Street Synagogue which is known as one of the “architectural masterpieces of the Lower East Side.” (ENY upload, 71) This structure definitely seems a bit out of place in its current location of Chinatown, however “when it was built the area was heavily Jewish with street signs written in Yiddish.” (ENY upload, 71) This synagogue combines both Moorish and gothic styles. (ENY upload, 71) I thought this building was really beautiful, and I really liked the giant stained glass window in the front. This synagogue fell out of use in 1950’s, and ended up in a state of disrepair. In 1986, a non-profit group called The Eldridge Street Project raised money and “launched a campaign to restore the structure.” (ENY upload, 72) In 2007, the synagogue was finally reopened as a museum.
Our final stop as a class was at Congee Village Chinese Food for lunch. I really hate Chinese food, but I tried the broccoli and I thought that was really good. I ended up sitting at a table with people I hadn’t really gotten to know at all during our class time together, so I had fun talking with them. After everyone finished lunch, we all said goodbye and headed back to Penn. I thought for the most part that this was a good group o
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
My final impression of
this class is that I have improved feelings towards New York City. I think I would have appreciated it more if I
wasn’t taking clinical during the same time (but I am sure everyone is tired of
hearing me complain about that). I definitely saw places in the city that I
never would have visited otherwise, so it was nice to be able to have those
experiences. My favorite part of the class was East Harlem. That is definitely
somewhere I would like to return to at some point. I wasn’t a fan of Chelsea at
all; if I ever decided to return there it would definitely not be on a hot day
in July. I am leaving this class with a better opinion of New York City,
however most days when I was riding the train home from the class I found
myself thinking “HOW DO PEOPLE DO THIS EVERYDAY?!” I feel more comfortable
riding the subway, and if I had to do it alone I don’t think I would be as
intimidated anymore. I enjoyed our visit to Governor’s Island, and I really
liked walking through Central Park, (that was my second favorite part of the
class.) I thought it was cool to see the African Burial Ground, I had never
heard of it before. Even though Coney Island was pretty trashy, I enjoyed
myself a lot there, and I would definitely return to ride the Cyclone if I had
the opportunity. I am leaving this class feeling like: “Have I changed my
outlook completely and decided that I would now go out of my way to visit to
the city? Probably not.” But I don’t
absolutely hate it anymore, so I
hope that sits well with Mike.