The Wild Westside: Entry #5 June 19th, 2013
I woke up early to find that the day started off to be sunny! A perfect day to walk around the city. This class session explored the West parts of Manhattan and Harlem. First on our agenda was to pass through the beautiful, illuminant wonder of Times Square. Tourists from all over the world try to see this at least once in their lives. After all, it is dazzling! Times Square appears in so many films and even songs. Prior to 1904, Times Square was known as "Longacre Square" and was a center of blacksmith shops, horse exchanges, as well as other horse-travel related businesses (Blue Guide, pg. 217). Much different than today. Times Square used to have high crime rates, but there has thankfully been a decrease in crime here since the 1980's/1990's. Technically, Times Square is not geometrically a square. It is two triangles formed by Broadway and Seventh Avenue. Without a doubt, you will find interesting people and events here given any day. Especially the night of New Year's Eve where the ball drops to start the new year. It has been a tradition since 1907 (http://www.balldrop.com/article/history-of-times-square-ball-drop). On December 31st, celebrities and news casters always make an appearance here. In Times Square, you never know who or what you might see! I saw a couple of recognizable characters walking in Times Square.
We walked a few more blocks until we approached Rockefeller Center. We cut through the GE building, previously known as the RCA Building (Blue Guide, pg. 248). It was the first building constructed at Rockefeller Center in 1933. Since Rockefeller establishment, it has remained a popular tourist attraction. Present day, it features the GE building, as well as NBC studios, the Nintendo Store, Lego Store, and of course, the skating rink. Every holiday season the Skating Rink showcases the gigantic Christmas tree. Rockefeller is an ideal social spot, as there are so many activities to do. There is a lot of popular culture and it is also surrounded by some amazing restaurants. My friends and I were overwhelmed with the awesome merchandise in the NBC store! I saw T-shirts, mugs, and miscellaneous merchandise from hit TV shows such as The Voice and Big Bang Theory.
Then we went to the Museum of Modern Art, also known as the MoMA. This is my second time coming here; the first time was when I came to see the temporary Tim Burton exhibit. I was so enthralled to have seen a lot of the art I mentioned in my Pop Art research paper! Some of the works I saw in person included Target with Four Faces, Bed, Girl with Ball, and Campbell's Soup Cans by respectively, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol. These freelance artists worked independently in studios in New York City. Pop Art, as the name implies, takes snippets and bits from "popular culture" to create art. Andy Warhol is an excellent representative of the Pop Art movement because he took many common household items, brand names, and celebrities to make art that spoke to a vast audience. His work, and other pop artists, really reformed New York's art industry. I'm really glad my research was correspondingly able to help me better understand the history of New York art!
For the very first time, I tried Thai food. We went to a restaurant called Yum Yum 2. I decided to take the professor's recommendation-- if I remember correctly, I ordered Phat Tai. It was a mix of noodles with chopped peanuts, assorted vegetables, and shrimp. After lunch, we ventured to the west side of Harlem. The rain started to pick up so we took cover under a building. We had a tour guide introduce us to this area of Harlem. This area is the second most African American populated community across the United States; south Chicago being the first. There, we passed interesting street names-- Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, after the politician who advocated for Harlem (Blue Guide, pg. 439). Also, another nearby street was called Malcom X Boulevard named after the assassinated human rights activist. One well known activist, Martin Luther King Jr., was stabbed outside the Blumstein's Department building in 1958. Martin Luther King Jr recovered from the incident. We had learned about the impact these figures had on Harlem; then unfortunately the rain was too heavy and our class ended early.
Lower Manhattan and Captivating Chelsea: Entry #6 June 24th, 2013
The weather turnout was excellent this class! What a beautiful day to walk around lower Manhattan. We walked from Penn Station to City Hall; the very office that Mayor Bloomberg works in. We patiently waited for security to allow us through the gate. The tour guide employed at City Hall walked us inside the building. Remarkably, this City Hall is the oldest operating city hall in history. The government of New York has gone through many changes over the centuries. The history of New York's government started with the Dutch claiming the land as 'New Amsterdam', then the British taking over and collecting taxes and making laws, until the United States claimed their own independence in 1776. The building was established for federal purposes. It was first made out of marble, but later replaced by limestone. The architectural style is neoclassical. There are proud, ionic columns that give the building a democratic look.
Our class got a closer look inside City Hall. The hall has a beautiful oculus, similar to that of the Pantheon in Rome. Now that I have seen both, I can completely see the similarity! From the center of the hall, two "floating stair cases" ascend from the left and the right. The design of the stairs is called "floating" because they are not visibly supported by columns. The building used to have a lot of purposes-- not only was it used for legislation and events, but it was even a jail. We examined the Governor's room which is painted French Green, a color that I really admired. Through out history, many famous guests have attended meetings here including Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King Jr. Then our class even got to sit down and listen to an important city hall meeting!
Then we continued to the 9/11 Memorial. On September 11th, 2001, a tragic attack killed the lives of nearly 3,000 people, while leaving others severely injured and others devastated (http://www.911memorial.org/faq-about-911). On that day, many people came together and acting courageously to save lives. It was an unforgettable day in United States history. The 9/11 memorial is a beautiful location to honor the lives that were lost that day. Personally, seeing the names of those who lost their lives inscribed in the bronze really struck me. It is inspirational to me to know that these lives will never be forgotten. It was also so peaceful hearing the water fall. I am so glad to have gotten the opportunity to visit the memorial.
We also saw Trinity Church , a parish located in Lower Manhattan. George Washington himself attended mass at Trinity Church. After passing through, we also went to visit Federal Hall where George Washington was officially declared our first president. The architecture of the building was very democratic. Also, inside, we saw a documentation of the Bill of Rights! The Bill of Rights constitutes our first ten amendments to the constitution.
We had a thorough tour of Lower Manhattan. We then made our way to the second half of the day, which was all about exploring the art-friendly, Chelsea. To be honest, I never even heard of this part of the city! But I am certainly glad I got exposure to it. Chelsea got its name from the royal hospital in London (Blue Guide, pg. 185). We went to the Chelsea Market which was a very urban looking collaboration of stores; many of which served organic food. It was difficult selecting a spot to eat. Eventually, I decided to go with a safe choice: pizza. One of the highlights of my day was sitting and viewing the High Line. It was surrounded by flowers and plants. I felt like I was on top of the world!
To end the day, our class went gallery hopping through out Chelsea. We viewed a total of ten galleries. One artist that particularly stuck out to me was Jeff Koons! Koons is recognized for his balloon-like interpretation of things. We saw some giant "balloon" animals! I especially loved seeing this blow-up Hulk pushing a cart full of flowers! How cute! It's too bad we weren't allowed to take pictures. In between galleries, we also shortly browsed through Printed Matter, Inc. It is an art/book store. A lot of the books here were a bit vulgar and ambiguous. One book I picked up was very cool-- it was a collection of all types of swords in different movies, including Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean. Then we further continued our gallery searching. Another artist who's work I enjoyed seeing was Mark Quinn. His art work is a bit more abstract; but I noticed a lot of sea-themed pieces. The giant bronze conch shell really wowed me!
Immigrant New York: Entry #7, June 26th 2013
Another day! This class I was really looking forward to, despite the insanely brutal temperature! The reason why I was so excited? Immigrant New York! A little taste of every culture. I just find it so fascinated how different cultures established their own areas with extracts from their home countries. With that being said, we first went browsing through the Essex Market.
For a period of time... this was THE most populated area in the whole world! Immigrants from all over started their new lives here. Consequently, overpopulation brought about threatening diseases. Today, this street is a fully running market with all types of food! After browsing the market, we met with the same tour guide who introduced us to Harlem. We walked near by Essex Street and our tour guide allowed us to stop at Economy Candy, a store completely filled with sugary treats. Of course, I indulged in my favorite candy, sweedish fish. He also showed us Schapiro's Wine.
We walked around and viewed the homes where many families began their American lives. Many immigrants in New York lived in tenements, which are residential locations that multiple families share. It is a shame we did not get a chance to go to the Tenement Museum, but I plan to go during my leisure time, because it is an important historical location. One of the places we learned about was America's very first settlement house, located in the lower east side of New York City. Originally, it was called the Neighborhood Guild (http://www.unhny.org/about/history). The purpose of this building was to educate and improve the lives of immigrants first settling in America. The Settlement House provided recreational activities as well as classes on the English language. This facilitated immigrants' assimilation to the new country.
Particularly in Immigrant New York, we really explored Chinatown. This was one of the many neighborhoods established by a group of immigrants with similar culture. Chinatown expands eastward beyond its original boundaries into the Lowest East Side and also into Little Italy (Blue Guide, pg. 107) . Today, many people travel into Chinatown for food and bargains. We had lunch at a very nice looking Chinese restaurant. I enjoyed the layout of this restaurant; it was a buffet with a rotating platter. I had sesame chicken as well as broccoli rabe and noodles.
After a little relaxation, we were then ready to conquer another bridge. Our class walked the Williamsburg Bridge which was established in 1903 (Blue Guide, pg. 110). The bridge stretches 1.2 miles long, only slightly shorter than the Brooklyn Bridge. While walking, I kept noticing all the graffiti on the concrete. It really added to the culture of the bridge. Then, once we crossed the bridge, we went to visit the Brooklyn Art Library. This was not your traditional library; it collects sketchbooks and collections of art. We passed around some great examples of sketchbooks. I really admired the shading. Drawing is a big hobby of mine, so I would definitely be interested in participating in a sketchbook! My forté is cartoons! :)
Between the heat and the amount of walking we completed, I was exhausted! Tom, Jackie, and I missed the first Subway back to Penn Station. However, it all worked out for the best-- we saw a trio of street performers on the next Subway ride. It was so cool! They blasted hip-hop music while doing acrobatic stunts on the walls and poles in the Metro cart. I actually feel like it really added to the New York experience.
Quixotic Queens: Entry #8, June 29th 2013
What a wonderful way to end the class. Undoubtedly, this was one of my favorite days of the course. We really saw a wide variety of different things through out the day, not staying too long at any one site. One of the first places we stopped at on the way to Queens was the scholarly New York Public Library. I love this library-- despite it's size, it's very peaceful and quiet! The library was established in 1911 and has been referred to as "people's palace of triumph glory". People show utmost respect when entering the library. Our class quietly walked in and were given allotted time to sit down and write a haiku about New York. The haiku I wrote is as follows:
New York's streets and shops
are luminous and famous
paved with history
are luminous and famous
paved with history
We also visited some other monumental buildings throughout the day. We went to The Daily News Building, which I had never heard of prior to this class. It is an art-deco modeled building that possesses the world's largest indoor globe. It is huge! I couldn't keep my eyes off it! We also went to the Chrysler Building. I have heard about the Chrysler building many times, but I have never seen it and I did not know much about it. The Chrysler Building is a luxurious and professional skyscraper. Similar to the News Building, it is also Art Deco style. The Chrysler Building was instigated by William H. Reynolds, who also contributed to the building of Dreamland in Coney Island (Blue Guide, pg. 231). He had originally hired William Van Alen to design the world's tallest tower, but then Walter P. Chrysler bought the lease and Van Alen's design. Therefore, the building was named after Walter P. Chrysler. Remarkably, this building is 77 stories high and reaches 1,046 feet! (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/chrysler.html)
I have been to Penn Station many times, but I have never seen Grand Central Station. This class gave me the opportunity to see it. It has a golden hue to it. When I looked up, I noticed zodiac signs occupying the ceiling. Grand Central Terminal took ten long and expensive years to build, starting in 1903 (http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/#history). In 1913, the station officially opened to the public. This year marks their 100th anniversary! We also viewed the outside of the United Nations building, an important structure for international conferences. Along side the exterior were flags representing world nations. I have learned about the United Stations in history courses, but seeing it in-person was a whole new experience!
We have traveled through ground-surface railroads and underground railroads-- but today, we traveled on a sky-level railroad! Beyond cool! Just as you would proceed at the subway, you swipe your Metro card for admission to ride aboard the Tramway! I had a video of our Tramway view, but I am unable to upload it to Weebly. We used this aerial means of transportation to reach Roosevelt Island, another part of the city I had not been familiar with. This island was formerly known as Welfare Island and Rikers Island, until it was named after Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1971 (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/nyregion/before-it-was-called-roosevelt-island.html?_r=0). I loved the white and abstract stairs, monuments, and walls in the FDR Four Freedoms Park.
Astoria, Queens was our next destination. Astoria is occupied by a large number of Greek residents (Blue Guide, pg. 499). At one point in time, this was a larger center for the movie industry than Hollywood. The Museum of Moving Images is quite possibly my favorite museum in New York now. It may be due to the fact that I am largely into film and video game culture. With that aside, this museum was informative and interactive. My friends and I produced our very own stop-motion videos and got to record using a white screen. We saw props from the Star Wars series. We also saw old arcade machines featuring Donkey Kong, Ms. Pacman, and Frogger.
We saw more of what Queens has to offer. The cites of Long Island City included the MoMA PS1, the first public school reinvented to an art gallery. The MoMA merged with PS1 in 1999 (Blue Guide, pg. 261). Some of the art work displayed there was very ambiguous and slightly disturbing. The art is meant to evoke reaction in viewers and it certainly did. We also saw 5 Points across the street which was a collection of talent artists' graffiti. Graffiti is not always 'vandalism'. With permission and good intention, Graffiti is actually a very expressive and eye-catching form of art. We made our way back to the coast of Roosevelt Island. The range of different sites really made today's class wonderful. :)
Final Reflection: Entry #9, June 30th 2013
There is a lot of valuable knowledge I have received over the course. First, I learned to appreciate the history that has made New York the masterpiece it is today. People may take the city for granted. It really took a lot of hard work and big thinkers to pave the streets of New York. The settlement of New York traces back to the Native Americans, Dutch, and British. Now, it is a landmark in American culture. I also admire the geographical beauty of New York including the rivers and nearby oceans. It was because of its natural advantages, that commerce flourished in New York. New York continuously grew and gave people opportunities for work. Today, that is still the case!
The second value I have gotten from this class may sound silly, but I now am familiar how to take public transportation. I was beyond nervous my first day to take the LIRR all alone. I was afraid I could have gotten on the wrong train. However now, I am much more confident. I know what signs to look for and what tracks to follow. The same goes for the subway. Prior to this class, I had no idea how to tell where the Subway was going. Now I feel I have mastered navigating the streets of New York!
The second value I have gotten from this class may sound silly, but I now am familiar how to take public transportation. I was beyond nervous my first day to take the LIRR all alone. I was afraid I could have gotten on the wrong train. However now, I am much more confident. I know what signs to look for and what tracks to follow. The same goes for the subway. Prior to this class, I had no idea how to tell where the Subway was going. Now I feel I have mastered navigating the streets of New York!
Lastly, I have learned about differentiating the different communities that occupy New York City. As a Long Islander, I only knew that there were five boroughs. However, during the course of this class, I expanded my mind to communities within the boroughs such as Chelsea, Lower East Side, Greenwich Village and Roosevelt Island-- places that I genuinely had no idea about. It was such a marvelous experience to visit all of these locations and see it first hand. My impressions of New York City have changed for the better! I really had a great educational and fun time being in this class. :) I was so happy to be a part of it!