Journals 1-4
1. Impressions of NYC
I can't imagine living anywhere else but New York. When I heard about this class I thought it would be interesting to take. It would give me more knowledge about the five boroughs. To live in New York all my life and not take advantage of this amazing opportunity I just could not pass the opportunity up.
When I think of New York some things that come to mind are people from different backgrounds, busy streets, noise, music, shopping, food, bridges, tunnels, skylines, rooftops and beautiful views of bodies of water. The best thing about New York is there are people from all over the world in New York. This way we learn about different cultures as we make friends with people. The busy streets, noise, music, shopping, food, bridges, tunnels, skylines, rooftops, and views are what make New York the home we have grown to love.
When I was in elementary school my grandfather use to take my cousin and I to the city every weekend. I was always so excited because it was always somewhere new to go and then he would take us to all different types of restaurants. I would have thought when I got older I would have remembered or at least been a bit familiar with making my way around the city. Unfortunately, getting around the city is not easy for me at all. I believe this class will be very exciting, educational, and fun. This class will give me the opportunity to expand my knowledge of the history, culture, and art throughout New York.
I can't imagine living anywhere else but New York. When I heard about this class I thought it would be interesting to take. It would give me more knowledge about the five boroughs. To live in New York all my life and not take advantage of this amazing opportunity I just could not pass the opportunity up.
When I think of New York some things that come to mind are people from different backgrounds, busy streets, noise, music, shopping, food, bridges, tunnels, skylines, rooftops and beautiful views of bodies of water. The best thing about New York is there are people from all over the world in New York. This way we learn about different cultures as we make friends with people. The busy streets, noise, music, shopping, food, bridges, tunnels, skylines, rooftops, and views are what make New York the home we have grown to love.
When I was in elementary school my grandfather use to take my cousin and I to the city every weekend. I was always so excited because it was always somewhere new to go and then he would take us to all different types of restaurants. I would have thought when I got older I would have remembered or at least been a bit familiar with making my way around the city. Unfortunately, getting around the city is not easy for me at all. I believe this class will be very exciting, educational, and fun. This class will give me the opportunity to expand my knowledge of the history, culture, and art throughout New York.
2. Quixotic Queens
Waking up to my first day in the city with my Gotham class….so many thoughts were running through my head such as it was going to be a long day, my feet are going to hurt, but at the same time I know this is going to be a good experience and an opportunity to do things that I could not do in any other class. My first day of Gotham class was set to be the hottest day of the summer. Unfortunately I had to wait until September when I'm walking around for seven hours to get that. But I was glad that there was no rain in the forecast.
I live in queens so I decided to drive with Erica to our first stop of the day which was Flushing Meadow Park. We got there at around 10:50 but at 11:05 we started to worry did we miss the class because we didn't see anyone. We finally got in touch with Mike and they were just running late. As they got off the train Mike headed straight to Flushing Meadow Park with no stopping. So I knew it was a must to stay with the class because anyone would get left behind. When we got past the US Open we sat by benches just to make sure everyone was in class and to just run through a brief history of Flushing Meadow Park.
Queen is a very under appreciated outerborough, located on the western end of Long Island. Queen is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York, the largest of the boroughs in land area, and the second largest in population(ENY, 213). Queens was originally inhabited by the Rockaway Indians, whom the Rockaway peninsula is named. The Dutch settled in during the 17th century in what is now known as Maspeth, Flushing, Elmhurst, and Jamaica(ENY,214). In the 1920's it became the Corona Ash Dumps and was a dumping ground from ashes in The Great Gatsby. Then in the 1930's Commissioner Robert Moses cleared away these ashes to accommodate the first World's Fair (1939-1940) where people from different provillions come together. There was also a second world's fair in 1964-1965 and as you walk around Flushing Meadows Park there are many sites associated with the Second World's Fair. The reason why we no longer have World's Fair is because Disney World was created and now everyone can go there.The unisphere was associated with the Second World's Fair. The unisphere represents global interdependence. The unisphere is 12 stories high, 120 feet in diameter, and weighing 900,000 pounds, the sphere is the largest structure in the world(ENY,217). Gilmore Clark built the Unisphere and when he did he had to position the continents on top so that it will be balanced(ENY,218).
Waking up to my first day in the city with my Gotham class….so many thoughts were running through my head such as it was going to be a long day, my feet are going to hurt, but at the same time I know this is going to be a good experience and an opportunity to do things that I could not do in any other class. My first day of Gotham class was set to be the hottest day of the summer. Unfortunately I had to wait until September when I'm walking around for seven hours to get that. But I was glad that there was no rain in the forecast.
I live in queens so I decided to drive with Erica to our first stop of the day which was Flushing Meadow Park. We got there at around 10:50 but at 11:05 we started to worry did we miss the class because we didn't see anyone. We finally got in touch with Mike and they were just running late. As they got off the train Mike headed straight to Flushing Meadow Park with no stopping. So I knew it was a must to stay with the class because anyone would get left behind. When we got past the US Open we sat by benches just to make sure everyone was in class and to just run through a brief history of Flushing Meadow Park.
Queen is a very under appreciated outerborough, located on the western end of Long Island. Queen is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York, the largest of the boroughs in land area, and the second largest in population(ENY, 213). Queens was originally inhabited by the Rockaway Indians, whom the Rockaway peninsula is named. The Dutch settled in during the 17th century in what is now known as Maspeth, Flushing, Elmhurst, and Jamaica(ENY,214). In the 1920's it became the Corona Ash Dumps and was a dumping ground from ashes in The Great Gatsby. Then in the 1930's Commissioner Robert Moses cleared away these ashes to accommodate the first World's Fair (1939-1940) where people from different provillions come together. There was also a second world's fair in 1964-1965 and as you walk around Flushing Meadows Park there are many sites associated with the Second World's Fair. The reason why we no longer have World's Fair is because Disney World was created and now everyone can go there.The unisphere was associated with the Second World's Fair. The unisphere represents global interdependence. The unisphere is 12 stories high, 120 feet in diameter, and weighing 900,000 pounds, the sphere is the largest structure in the world(ENY,217). Gilmore Clark built the Unisphere and when he did he had to position the continents on top so that it will be balanced(ENY,218).
Unisphere
Our next stop was the Queens Museum. The highlight of the Queens Museum is the Panorama which I found fascinating. For the museum to fit 9,335 square feet(ENY,221) of New York with such detail is amazing. You just have to admire the beauty and detail. The panorama still has the twin towers on it because it has not been renovated since 1992. But for children who were not around 9-11 it is good for them to see. The next site we looked at was the Watershed exhibit. A watershed carries water "shed" from the land after rain falls and snow melts. It then channels into soil, groundwater, creeks, and streams. New York City obtains its water from three watersheds- the Croton, Catskill and Delaware. This is also connected to the World's Fair and was also a way to get around from one place to another.
The Panorama
Queens Museum
The Watershed
As we left the Queens Museum we headed towards the train to get lunch. We went to an Indian restaurant in Jackson Heights. I know some people loved the idea of eating Indian food and some people were iffy about it. I have had Indian food a few times and I do like a lot of foods that they do make. I do not get to eat it often so I was glad that we were going. I enjoyed the food. my only disappoint is that my favorite Indian food are Samosas but they have to be spinach. The restaurant did have vegetable samosas but it couldn't compare to spinach somas. We got to relax a bit and then headed back to the train towards Astoria.
Astoria was originally known as Hallett's Cove, after William Hallett it's first landowner. In the 19th century John Astor invested $2,000 in the neighborhood in return for the area being named after him. Astor is way we got the name Astoria today(ENY,223). I think getting to come to the museum of the Moving Image was the best part of the day which was in the heart of film industries what we know of as Astoria, Queens. This museum is the most popular tourist attraction in Queensand has the largest collection of film artifacts in the world (ENY, 224). I knew I would like this museum right away just because the letters of the museum were outlined in pink! I'm just joking but of course it definitely made the museum very intriguing just because it is my favorite color. There were two floors to the museum. This time we had an hour in a half to go through the museum and it was self-guided. I could have definitely spent more time at this museum and I definitely think I would want to go back with friends. The museum had a lot of hands on activities aside from all the amazing exhibits. My favorite hands on activity was the voice over dialogue. You can pick from a selection of movies and then you'll pull your voice over the original actor or actress. As I passed through the pieces of art such as the black swan, who looked so real. It was as if I was just looking at a dead body while I am at a funeral or the girl from the exorcist. If it wasn't for all the people around and the other exhibits I would have thought I was in the movie. The exhibits were so life like. I even ran into a lot of beautiful and fine details in costumes and masks that were in movies. I found the strobe light that was in Feral Fount to be interesting. At first we got scared by it because it was in a corner and the lights were out and all we saw we're hands. If anyone was in a dark room with that strobe light they would be frightened at first but it would be fun to use that in a movie. Lastly, all everyone loved cartoons when they were children and even now an episode of Bugs Bunny, Looney Tunes, and many others will pull out the kid in any adult. It is and was not easy to do all the animations it took a lot to build a cartoon show. Chuck Jones did it and was very successful at it. After that we took some fun pictures outside of the Museum and headed to our last stop for the day... Long Island City.
Astoria was originally known as Hallett's Cove, after William Hallett it's first landowner. In the 19th century John Astor invested $2,000 in the neighborhood in return for the area being named after him. Astor is way we got the name Astoria today(ENY,223). I think getting to come to the museum of the Moving Image was the best part of the day which was in the heart of film industries what we know of as Astoria, Queens. This museum is the most popular tourist attraction in Queensand has the largest collection of film artifacts in the world (ENY, 224). I knew I would like this museum right away just because the letters of the museum were outlined in pink! I'm just joking but of course it definitely made the museum very intriguing just because it is my favorite color. There were two floors to the museum. This time we had an hour in a half to go through the museum and it was self-guided. I could have definitely spent more time at this museum and I definitely think I would want to go back with friends. The museum had a lot of hands on activities aside from all the amazing exhibits. My favorite hands on activity was the voice over dialogue. You can pick from a selection of movies and then you'll pull your voice over the original actor or actress. As I passed through the pieces of art such as the black swan, who looked so real. It was as if I was just looking at a dead body while I am at a funeral or the girl from the exorcist. If it wasn't for all the people around and the other exhibits I would have thought I was in the movie. The exhibits were so life like. I even ran into a lot of beautiful and fine details in costumes and masks that were in movies. I found the strobe light that was in Feral Fount to be interesting. At first we got scared by it because it was in a corner and the lights were out and all we saw we're hands. If anyone was in a dark room with that strobe light they would be frightened at first but it would be fun to use that in a movie. Lastly, all everyone loved cartoons when they were children and even now an episode of Bugs Bunny, Looney Tunes, and many others will pull out the kid in any adult. It is and was not easy to do all the animations it took a lot to build a cartoon show. Chuck Jones did it and was very successful at it. After that we took some fun pictures outside of the Museum and headed to our last stop for the day... Long Island City.
Museum of Moving Images
Movie: Black Swan
Movie: The Excorcist
Strobe Light
Voice over dialogue
Long Island City was established as its own city in 1870 from the merger of the Village of Astoria and hamlets of Ravenswood, Hunters Point, Blissville, Sunnyside, Dutch Kills, Steinway, Bowery Bay and Middleton. It remained a separate city until 1898. LIC has the highest concentration of art galleries, art institutions and art studio space in NYC( ENY, 225). LIC was mostly known for factories and prostitution. Our first stop was suppose to be the Moma Ps1 but they were not too friendly today. As we looked across the street we saw which once was Five Pointz. Unfortunately due to rich people taking over neighborhoods which is known as genderfication this groundbreaking site is going to be turned into luxury apartments. We headed to our final stop in Long Island City, Gantry State Plaza. It was sure a lovely way to end the day. This beautiful and gorgeous site was oh so tranquil I did not want to leave. I had never been to Gantry State Plaza but I will definitely be returning because the view is just beautiful. As we looked at the view we saw the Empire State Building, United Nations building and Roosevelt Island.
Gantry State Park
Today was a great day. To see and the beautiful pieces of art and the unforgettable views just makes me more excited to see what I will see week after week. All the places we went to today I had never been to any of the locations so it was a new experience for me. I am very happy that I got to witness all of this and I am definitely going to revisit many of the places visited today. I am very ecstatic to see what next week entails!
3. BROOOKLYNNN!
It is now day two of our Gotham class. It is another lovely friday just not as hot as last week. This time I met the class in Penn Station. From Penn Station our first stop was Coney Island. As we arrived at Coney Island we spoke a little history about Brooklyn. Brooklyn also known as Kings County is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs as well as being the second most densely populated county in the United States. The first Europeans to inhabit Brooklyn were the Dutch. Kings County was named after King Charles II. During the American Revolution the Battle of Long Island also known as the Battle of Brooklyn happened in 1776. It was the first major battle of the Revolutionary War and the largest battle of the entire conflict (ENY,191).
Coney Island was once its own island, but it was later turned into the peninsula it is known to be today. Now that there were steamships and carriage roads it didn't take people half a day to reach Coney Island it now took only two hours(ENY,193). Once the railroad service began in the 19th century Coney Island became a major tourist spot. After the war more New Yorkers began owning automobiles and the decline in Brooklyn fortunes began because people were able to drive to Jones Beach. So we were given over an hour to get some lunch and explore Coney Island. Myself and some of the girls headed over to Nathan's and got some food. Then we decided to walk through the park and Erica actually wanted to buy some tickets. We played a few games and we won some prizes. We walked on to the boardwalk and looked at the beach view for a few minutes and then headed over to the other half of the park to play two more games and then head back because it was almost time to meet the class for our next destination.
It is now day two of our Gotham class. It is another lovely friday just not as hot as last week. This time I met the class in Penn Station. From Penn Station our first stop was Coney Island. As we arrived at Coney Island we spoke a little history about Brooklyn. Brooklyn also known as Kings County is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs as well as being the second most densely populated county in the United States. The first Europeans to inhabit Brooklyn were the Dutch. Kings County was named after King Charles II. During the American Revolution the Battle of Long Island also known as the Battle of Brooklyn happened in 1776. It was the first major battle of the Revolutionary War and the largest battle of the entire conflict (ENY,191).
Coney Island was once its own island, but it was later turned into the peninsula it is known to be today. Now that there were steamships and carriage roads it didn't take people half a day to reach Coney Island it now took only two hours(ENY,193). Once the railroad service began in the 19th century Coney Island became a major tourist spot. After the war more New Yorkers began owning automobiles and the decline in Brooklyn fortunes began because people were able to drive to Jones Beach. So we were given over an hour to get some lunch and explore Coney Island. Myself and some of the girls headed over to Nathan's and got some food. Then we decided to walk through the park and Erica actually wanted to buy some tickets. We played a few games and we won some prizes. We walked on to the boardwalk and looked at the beach view for a few minutes and then headed over to the other half of the park to play two more games and then head back because it was almost time to meet the class for our next destination.
Our next stop was the Transit Museum. The museum opened in 1976 for New York's bicentennial celebrations and proved to be an immediate success with New Yorkers (ENY,203). The first part of the museum provides historic information on the deisng and building of NY Subway system(ENY, 203). Just the outside of the Museum I liked already because it was set up just like a subway. As we walk down the stairs there are posters just as if we were in the subway. We are first given a quick tour. The Transit Museum was built in 1986. We learned a little history about subways, many people in the 1970's did not feel comfortable riding the subways because there was a lot of crime. Policeman did not even want to ride the subways. In 1976 they came up with a temporary exhibit to teach people about subway systems and it became so popular so it never closed down and that's how we now have the New York Transit Museum.
There were two basic methods used to build the subway system. The first method was cut and cover(Columbus Circle is an example of cut and cover) which involved digging up a street and laying a tunnel below, which was then covered over by a new roadway. The second method is deep bore tunneling which eliminated much of the problems that cut and cover caused. We also learned about sandhogs which were men who helped build our tunnels under water. these men had a VERY dangerous job. They were at risk for bends which is a painful sometimes fatal disorder. Most of the people who worked in subways were African Americans, italian immigrants, and irish immigrants.
Once the tour was over we were able to walk around the museum for ourselves. My favorite part was seeing how much the subways have transformed over the years. Although I do not take public transportation too often but I am thankful of how much the subway system has transformed for the better.
There were two basic methods used to build the subway system. The first method was cut and cover(Columbus Circle is an example of cut and cover) which involved digging up a street and laying a tunnel below, which was then covered over by a new roadway. The second method is deep bore tunneling which eliminated much of the problems that cut and cover caused. We also learned about sandhogs which were men who helped build our tunnels under water. these men had a VERY dangerous job. They were at risk for bends which is a painful sometimes fatal disorder. Most of the people who worked in subways were African Americans, italian immigrants, and irish immigrants.
Once the tour was over we were able to walk around the museum for ourselves. My favorite part was seeing how much the subways have transformed over the years. Although I do not take public transportation too often but I am thankful of how much the subway system has transformed for the better.
We then walked over to the Brooklyn Borough Hall. It is the oldest public building in Brooklyn. It was built by Gamaliel King, a carpenter and grocer in 1848(ENY,203). It was Brooklyn's city hall until Brooklyn merged with New York in 1898. Brooklyn Borough Hall is considered one of new york's finest Greek Revival structures and was built t celebrate the spirit of the Jeffersonian common man (ENY,204). As we are walking we our picking out various buildings art structure. As we reach the Brooklyn Heights Promenade the view was so lovely. I can not get enough of these lovely views each week! An interesting fact that I learned was that the Brooklyn Bridge was built by a woman, Emily Roebling. After this we were headed to the bridge to cross it but the entrance was closed. From the Promenade we reached Plymouth Church. There is a statue of abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher he use to preach at this church.We then reached Dumbo and Brooklyn Bridge Park where we took a few photos, enjoyed, the view and entertainment . We then stopped at Jacques Torres for ice cream and relaxed for a bit. We found a different entrance to walk across the bridge at this point I am very tired and one of my feet were just killing me. The Brooklyn Bridge is the oldest suspension bridge in the U.S. It was completed in 1883(ENY, 208). The bridge took six hundred workers, fourteen years, and a cost of 15 million at that time. In building this bridge twenty-seven men died of decompression sickness(ENY,208). There were so many people walking and riding there bikes across the bridge. We took pictures and enjoyed the view. As we came across that longggg walk across the bridge it was finally time to go home!
It was another adventurous day for my classmates and I but as tired as we were we definitely enjoyed it. I feel like I worked my calf muscles a bit more on the Brooklyn trip than the Queens trip. Can't wait to see what Chelsea and the Village have in store for us next week!
It was another adventurous day for my classmates and I but as tired as we were we definitely enjoyed it. I feel like I worked my calf muscles a bit more on the Brooklyn trip than the Queens trip. Can't wait to see what Chelsea and the Village have in store for us next week!
Chelsea and the Village
As I woke up today I thought that today would be a much easier week than last week. Yes, it was cooler out and I was thinking we'll be in the city so its not like I would have to go all the way to Penn to travel to another borough. So as the class arrives at Penn and we get together with Mike and Meritta we find out that we will be walking the ENTIRE day no trains necessary. From then on I knew today was going to be a very long day. Our first stop was Chelsea. Chelsea takes its name from the former estate of British army captain Thomas Clark(ENY,83) who purchased 94 acres of land along the Hudson in 1750. Clark eventually passed his property on to his grandson Clement Clark. Clement divided the land into lots along 9th avenue. The area remained exclusive until bout 1847 and then railroad tracks were laid through Chelsea. Chelsea was officially become industrialized(ENY,83). It turned Chelsea into a gritty work area. Chelsea's fortunes changed in the 1990s when art galleries became fashionable in Soho. All garages in Chelsea became art galleries, which turned into one of New York's most prestigious areas. After the Highline was transformed from an elevated freight line to an elevated garden where many tourists come. So we actually took a trip up to the Highline ourselves(ENY,83). We took a lovely stroll down the Highline. It's definitely a lovely place to come with friends, family, a special someone, or just yourself you can't go wrong either way. Towards the end of the stroll we lost our professors and once we got a call it wasn't much longer until we found them.
We could not go through Chelsea without going to some of the art galleries. A gallery is a private space devoted to displaying and selling works of art. My two favorite art galleries were Mike Weiss and Unix gallery. Mike Weiss was founded in 2003 as being an innovative showcase for the ongoing presentation and promotion of strong, visceral, visionary contemporary art worldwide. Mike Weiss gallery presented the Color Study, an exhibition of new works by Brooklyn-based Tom Fruin. Fruin took on recognizably urban objects such as houses, billboards, flags, and water towers by elevating their forms to an emblematic status and architectural scale. You can see his work driving on the BQE or Dumbo. Color Study initiates an ongoing conversating between the city and its occupants by examining the secret language of the overlooked through the lens of the iconic status inherent in the structures Fruin creates. Unix is a contemporary art gallery. The gallery stimulates the careers of artists with compelling, unique visions who utilize exquisite artistic execution. These artists embrace a ranging spectrum of traditional and contemporary artistic practices from painting, sculpture, and photography, to large-scale installations and a synthesis of diverse mediums. The entire gallery had exhibitions by KwangHo Shin that were quite interesting and just like the other gallery the colors grabbed you as you walked in. On the Unix site I also looked at other exhibitions by other artists and there were some pretty good exhibitions as well. I have never been to an art gallery so it was good to say I went and those two galleries I did enjoy walking and looking at the exhibitions. For many New Yorkers they love to gallery hop and there is also a plus because they can enjoy a nice glass of wine as well(ENY,86).
We then went into Chelsea's Historical District and got to see St. Peter's Episcopal Church. It was designed by Moore, this Gothic Revival was completed in 1836(ENY,87), This is now a parish rectory. Our next stop was West Village/Greenwich. Greenwich Village was originally marshland called Sapokanican by the native Americans. The population of the Village grew dramatically, when outbreaks of cholera and yellow fever in 1821 and 1822 caused affluent residents of lower Manhattan to relocate(ENY, 88).When immigrants from Ireland and Italy began to migrate to the Village it resulted in becoming more industrial in character, with factories being constructed on Broadway and along the waterfront in the West Village to take advantage of concentrations of low-wage workers and multifamily dwellings and tenements springing up where there once were only fashionable single-family homes(ENY,89. This caused unintended beneficial consequences. The low cost of housing turned Greenwich into a Bohemian enclave. The important role that Greenwich Village played as the center of bohemian life in New York ended in the 1980s when housing prices began to rise. Today Greenwich is one of the more elite enclaves of Manhattan (ENY, 89). The rich also complained once New York started having bikes where New Yorkers and tourists could ride them throughout the city. It started off quite unsuccessful but now it is quite successful although the rich still dislike the idea of it. We then walked to West Village which is home to the gay and leis ban community. Being gay was frowned up but it was here where the gay right movement began in and since then this is the social life for the gay and leis ban community. where we saw the Jefferson Market Library which was where the Stanford White trial was held, the crime of the century. Which was perfect timing because I had just did my first paper for this class on Stanford White. We then went on to Washington Square Park. The park did seem appealing but not all the people seemed that way. But they were mostly at the entrance of the park so once we got past them it was ok. As get a little further into the park we see "Birdman." Birdman is covered in penguins all over is body and surrounding him. I could never do that is quite disgusting but everyone was intrigued by him. Right behind us was a woman who had fake penguins surrounding her but hers was cute because there were some real penguins there too with the fake ones although it was weird it was cute. As we exited the park we saw the Washington Square Arch. The Washington Arch was designed by Stanford White. The north east side of the arch, is a relief of Washington at war, with the general flanked by Fame and Valor on the left. The north west shows Washington at peace, flanked by Justice and Wisdom.
We then had lunch at 1849. It was pretty expensive but the food was decent. Thank goodness for this break because it was definitely our last until class was over.
Next part of Manhattan entered was the East Village. We entered the Merchant House. The Merchant House was built in 1832 by Joseph Brewster(ENY,99). Ninety percent of the families original belongings are still in the household. The family who bought the home were the Tredwell's in 1835(ENY,99). Tredwell lived with his wife, eight children, four servants, and an assortment of relatives until his death in 1865. His younger daughter Gertrude took over the house once he passed. I think what stood out the most to me was the ghost stories we were told. Many say they will stand in Mr. Tredwell's room you will feel someone come next to you and also hear a foot step in his room. Visitors have come to the Merchant House and have seen a woman figure and she would not let them leave. They gave the workers of the House the self-guided book and just left. I would have definitely done the same thing. I was hoping while I was there I did not see any ghosts.
Our last stop was the Tompkins Square Park. It was originally laid out in 1834(ENY,107), this ten acre park was named after the governor of New York from 1807-1817 Daniel Tompkins. Many riots occurred in this park over new laws passed by Congress. January 13, 1874 the Tompkins Square Riot occurred when police crushed a protest involving thousands of unemployed workers. Most famous riot in the park took place in the summer of 1988(ENY,107, when NYC police attempted to clear the park of the homeless men and women camped out in it. The park was then closed and "renovated" and it seemed to work because you are likely to see young families and students in the park. It is also a dog park which I had never seen before so I found that to be very different.
Our journey for the day was finally complete. Our last stop was to get ice cream but a few of my classmates and I were just way too tired. We skipped the ice cream and just headed home. Now it is time to see what next week has in store for us!
As I woke up today I thought that today would be a much easier week than last week. Yes, it was cooler out and I was thinking we'll be in the city so its not like I would have to go all the way to Penn to travel to another borough. So as the class arrives at Penn and we get together with Mike and Meritta we find out that we will be walking the ENTIRE day no trains necessary. From then on I knew today was going to be a very long day. Our first stop was Chelsea. Chelsea takes its name from the former estate of British army captain Thomas Clark(ENY,83) who purchased 94 acres of land along the Hudson in 1750. Clark eventually passed his property on to his grandson Clement Clark. Clement divided the land into lots along 9th avenue. The area remained exclusive until bout 1847 and then railroad tracks were laid through Chelsea. Chelsea was officially become industrialized(ENY,83). It turned Chelsea into a gritty work area. Chelsea's fortunes changed in the 1990s when art galleries became fashionable in Soho. All garages in Chelsea became art galleries, which turned into one of New York's most prestigious areas. After the Highline was transformed from an elevated freight line to an elevated garden where many tourists come. So we actually took a trip up to the Highline ourselves(ENY,83). We took a lovely stroll down the Highline. It's definitely a lovely place to come with friends, family, a special someone, or just yourself you can't go wrong either way. Towards the end of the stroll we lost our professors and once we got a call it wasn't much longer until we found them.
We could not go through Chelsea without going to some of the art galleries. A gallery is a private space devoted to displaying and selling works of art. My two favorite art galleries were Mike Weiss and Unix gallery. Mike Weiss was founded in 2003 as being an innovative showcase for the ongoing presentation and promotion of strong, visceral, visionary contemporary art worldwide. Mike Weiss gallery presented the Color Study, an exhibition of new works by Brooklyn-based Tom Fruin. Fruin took on recognizably urban objects such as houses, billboards, flags, and water towers by elevating their forms to an emblematic status and architectural scale. You can see his work driving on the BQE or Dumbo. Color Study initiates an ongoing conversating between the city and its occupants by examining the secret language of the overlooked through the lens of the iconic status inherent in the structures Fruin creates. Unix is a contemporary art gallery. The gallery stimulates the careers of artists with compelling, unique visions who utilize exquisite artistic execution. These artists embrace a ranging spectrum of traditional and contemporary artistic practices from painting, sculpture, and photography, to large-scale installations and a synthesis of diverse mediums. The entire gallery had exhibitions by KwangHo Shin that were quite interesting and just like the other gallery the colors grabbed you as you walked in. On the Unix site I also looked at other exhibitions by other artists and there were some pretty good exhibitions as well. I have never been to an art gallery so it was good to say I went and those two galleries I did enjoy walking and looking at the exhibitions. For many New Yorkers they love to gallery hop and there is also a plus because they can enjoy a nice glass of wine as well(ENY,86).
We then went into Chelsea's Historical District and got to see St. Peter's Episcopal Church. It was designed by Moore, this Gothic Revival was completed in 1836(ENY,87), This is now a parish rectory. Our next stop was West Village/Greenwich. Greenwich Village was originally marshland called Sapokanican by the native Americans. The population of the Village grew dramatically, when outbreaks of cholera and yellow fever in 1821 and 1822 caused affluent residents of lower Manhattan to relocate(ENY, 88).When immigrants from Ireland and Italy began to migrate to the Village it resulted in becoming more industrial in character, with factories being constructed on Broadway and along the waterfront in the West Village to take advantage of concentrations of low-wage workers and multifamily dwellings and tenements springing up where there once were only fashionable single-family homes(ENY,89. This caused unintended beneficial consequences. The low cost of housing turned Greenwich into a Bohemian enclave. The important role that Greenwich Village played as the center of bohemian life in New York ended in the 1980s when housing prices began to rise. Today Greenwich is one of the more elite enclaves of Manhattan (ENY, 89). The rich also complained once New York started having bikes where New Yorkers and tourists could ride them throughout the city. It started off quite unsuccessful but now it is quite successful although the rich still dislike the idea of it. We then walked to West Village which is home to the gay and leis ban community. Being gay was frowned up but it was here where the gay right movement began in and since then this is the social life for the gay and leis ban community. where we saw the Jefferson Market Library which was where the Stanford White trial was held, the crime of the century. Which was perfect timing because I had just did my first paper for this class on Stanford White. We then went on to Washington Square Park. The park did seem appealing but not all the people seemed that way. But they were mostly at the entrance of the park so once we got past them it was ok. As get a little further into the park we see "Birdman." Birdman is covered in penguins all over is body and surrounding him. I could never do that is quite disgusting but everyone was intrigued by him. Right behind us was a woman who had fake penguins surrounding her but hers was cute because there were some real penguins there too with the fake ones although it was weird it was cute. As we exited the park we saw the Washington Square Arch. The Washington Arch was designed by Stanford White. The north east side of the arch, is a relief of Washington at war, with the general flanked by Fame and Valor on the left. The north west shows Washington at peace, flanked by Justice and Wisdom.
We then had lunch at 1849. It was pretty expensive but the food was decent. Thank goodness for this break because it was definitely our last until class was over.
Next part of Manhattan entered was the East Village. We entered the Merchant House. The Merchant House was built in 1832 by Joseph Brewster(ENY,99). Ninety percent of the families original belongings are still in the household. The family who bought the home were the Tredwell's in 1835(ENY,99). Tredwell lived with his wife, eight children, four servants, and an assortment of relatives until his death in 1865. His younger daughter Gertrude took over the house once he passed. I think what stood out the most to me was the ghost stories we were told. Many say they will stand in Mr. Tredwell's room you will feel someone come next to you and also hear a foot step in his room. Visitors have come to the Merchant House and have seen a woman figure and she would not let them leave. They gave the workers of the House the self-guided book and just left. I would have definitely done the same thing. I was hoping while I was there I did not see any ghosts.
Our last stop was the Tompkins Square Park. It was originally laid out in 1834(ENY,107), this ten acre park was named after the governor of New York from 1807-1817 Daniel Tompkins. Many riots occurred in this park over new laws passed by Congress. January 13, 1874 the Tompkins Square Riot occurred when police crushed a protest involving thousands of unemployed workers. Most famous riot in the park took place in the summer of 1988(ENY,107, when NYC police attempted to clear the park of the homeless men and women camped out in it. The park was then closed and "renovated" and it seemed to work because you are likely to see young families and students in the park. It is also a dog park which I had never seen before so I found that to be very different.
Our journey for the day was finally complete. Our last stop was to get ice cream but a few of my classmates and I were just way too tired. We skipped the ice cream and just headed home. Now it is time to see what next week has in store for us!