Journals 1-4
1. Impressions of NYC
If you ask me there is no better city than NYC. This is where you want to be. Any other city is just attempting to make its mark in the world like NYC has already done. I've always enjoyed going to visit Manhattan. I have been going into the city since I was just a little girl. I would go into work with my mother and spend the day with her. I always thought that there was so much life and so much to do in Manhattan. It really is the city that never sleeps. The only thing is that I didn't understand was how to get around this enormous city!
I always loved NYC because I always felt that the city was filled with a diverse group of people that speak different languages, but are all after the same goal the american dream. It's always been fascinating to me because I never understood how some one could just leave all that they know in their country to come here and start from scratch alone. My parents decided to leave Paraguay at a young age and come to NYC to make a better life for their family. I always admired my parents for being able to do that. I love coming into the city and seeing all of the different cultures come together to try and make their dreams come true. This is the city where dreams are made that is why people come here from all over the world to try and make a difference in the lives of their loved ones. Its difficult and at times many people want to give up and pack up and go home, but its the dream that keeps people here.
I continued to come into Manhattan with my mom through the years. I still go with her when I get a day off from school or during summer vacation. She spends most of her time in central park and so do I when I go into the city. Its a beautiful park and there is so much to do. Every now and then you see a bride along with her bridal party taking wedding photos. Theres live music, boat rides, lunch at the park, weddings and even a memorial for John Lennon. The memorial is beautiful and the amount of people that gather there on a daily basis to remember him and his legacy is quite remarkable. This is one of my favorite parts of the park because its so peaceful. The fans and tourists all circle around some leave flowers, some start to play their instruments in memorial and some just sit in silence and take in the moment.
One of the things that I want to be able to take out of my Gotham Experience is to be able to know places in NYC without the help of my mother or anyone else. I want to be able to go into the city and say this is where I am taking you today. I want to be the tour guide I want to be able to take a subway without being afraid of getting lost. I've lived here all my life and I still am afraid to get lost in the big city. My goal this semester is to not let the size and magnitude of the city get to me and to be able to run around the city get lost in the beauty for a few hours and find my way back (all by myself)!
Central Park is beautiful. The scenery of the Manhattan skyline is just breathtaking. It makes me proud to be from NYC. It makes me proud that my parents decided to be brave enough to come to a new city and a new country for a better life. They picked the best city in the world to build a better life for their family (if you ask me). They say If you can make it in NYC you can make it anywhere, I agree with that statement, but in order to make it in the city of dreams you have to be willing to work to make those dreams a reality.
If you ask me there is no better city than NYC. This is where you want to be. Any other city is just attempting to make its mark in the world like NYC has already done. I've always enjoyed going to visit Manhattan. I have been going into the city since I was just a little girl. I would go into work with my mother and spend the day with her. I always thought that there was so much life and so much to do in Manhattan. It really is the city that never sleeps. The only thing is that I didn't understand was how to get around this enormous city!
I always loved NYC because I always felt that the city was filled with a diverse group of people that speak different languages, but are all after the same goal the american dream. It's always been fascinating to me because I never understood how some one could just leave all that they know in their country to come here and start from scratch alone. My parents decided to leave Paraguay at a young age and come to NYC to make a better life for their family. I always admired my parents for being able to do that. I love coming into the city and seeing all of the different cultures come together to try and make their dreams come true. This is the city where dreams are made that is why people come here from all over the world to try and make a difference in the lives of their loved ones. Its difficult and at times many people want to give up and pack up and go home, but its the dream that keeps people here.
I continued to come into Manhattan with my mom through the years. I still go with her when I get a day off from school or during summer vacation. She spends most of her time in central park and so do I when I go into the city. Its a beautiful park and there is so much to do. Every now and then you see a bride along with her bridal party taking wedding photos. Theres live music, boat rides, lunch at the park, weddings and even a memorial for John Lennon. The memorial is beautiful and the amount of people that gather there on a daily basis to remember him and his legacy is quite remarkable. This is one of my favorite parts of the park because its so peaceful. The fans and tourists all circle around some leave flowers, some start to play their instruments in memorial and some just sit in silence and take in the moment.
One of the things that I want to be able to take out of my Gotham Experience is to be able to know places in NYC without the help of my mother or anyone else. I want to be able to go into the city and say this is where I am taking you today. I want to be the tour guide I want to be able to take a subway without being afraid of getting lost. I've lived here all my life and I still am afraid to get lost in the big city. My goal this semester is to not let the size and magnitude of the city get to me and to be able to run around the city get lost in the beauty for a few hours and find my way back (all by myself)!
Central Park is beautiful. The scenery of the Manhattan skyline is just breathtaking. It makes me proud to be from NYC. It makes me proud that my parents decided to be brave enough to come to a new city and a new country for a better life. They picked the best city in the world to build a better life for their family (if you ask me). They say If you can make it in NYC you can make it anywhere, I agree with that statement, but in order to make it in the city of dreams you have to be willing to work to make those dreams a reality.
Queen Bee
This week we ventured off into queens! Although my neighborhood is literally considered queens I really don't know too much about it. I was very surprised by all that there was to see. I didn't realize that queens had so much to offer. " Compared to most of the other boroughs in New York City, Queens very often is treated like a somewhat less desirable stepchild (ENY, p.213). Although, some parts of Queens are just downright ugly and are filled with factories and are very industrial looking; I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by some of the hidden treasures that Queens has. Manhattan isn't the only borough with million dollar views!
I was very excited to be getting on the train by myself and heading into the city. I was very proud of myself because I did not get lost. I was initially going to take a train from valley stream, but the times ended up being more convenient with the Rosedale train schedule so I took the train from there. I had to transfer at Jamaica whenever I have to transfer at Jamaica I always have a slight fear that I may get on the wrong train and end up in Ronkonkama with some of my friends :) Fortunately I had a smooth transition from one train to the next and I was able to find my friends as the train was pulling up. The timing was perfect.
We hit the ground running as soon as we met up with the group. Mike and Meritta wasted no time in getting us into Queens. The subway ride was painless and I was surprised how quickly we got right into queens. I got excited for a minute when we first arrived at the world's fair because the US Open was going on by Citifield. I thought Mike and Meritta decided to surprise the group and take us, but they had other plans in store for us. We took a minute to sit and learn about the World's Fair and what it represented. I remember seeing the Unisphere before, but seeing it again now I was able to appreciate how beautiful it really was and what it represented. It was "built to symbolize man's achievements on a Shrinking Globe and an Expanding Universe (ENY, p. 218)."
It was very interesting to me to come to know what the World's Fair was actually about because quite frankly I never really knew. I think that it was a really was a wonderful idea and it is a shame that they no longer do it. I was happy to know that Disney Land has its own twist on the World's Fair at Epcot. After learning about this I will definitely be taking my first trip to Disney experience the a "pseudo", but the permanent world's fair in the US! Soon after we finished discussing the World's Fair we started our walk towards the Queens museum! "Recently, the museum underwent a dramatic restoration and expansion, doubling its size (ENY, p.221)." Of course everyone hears museum and immediately they think "BORING!" I have to say I wasn't expecting the Queens Museum to be what it was. I was expecting it to be old and dingy and on the contrary the place was gorgeous and renovated.
As soon as we got into the museum the first thing you saw was this quote "as far as the eye can see" I thought it was very unique that they chose to put that up there. It immediately gets your attention and goes with the scheme of the entire museum. The architecture and the panorama were absolutely amazing. I was also not expecting that. The amount of time that these artists put into their work shows by how beautiful the artwork is. One of the first pieces of art that the woman at the queens museum introduced to us was so unique and the message behind it was very positive. It was the city of Beijing and it was constructed using school books from Beijing. The message that the artist was trying to get across to the public is that knowledge is power. This is the foundation of the city and in order to keep the city going we must further education because that is the future. In order for the city to continue to thrive and grow the education system needs to continue to also grow with it. The youth is the future and it must be invested in to have a better tomorrow.
The next piece of artwork which we saw while at the queens museum was the Panorama. I was blown away. I was definitely not expecting for it to be that immense. "Covering more than 9.335 square feet and containing more than 895,000 buildings, the Panorama was built to a scale of 1 inch to 100 feet and includes every building in New York Constructed before 1992 (ENY, p. 221)." I thought that it may be the size of my dining room table at home, not the size of an entire room! Its amazing how they created this piece of artwork and how they literally did not miss a detail when creating it. It literally has every detail of all the boroughs from 1992. What I liked most about it is that it put everything in perspective for me as far the size and location of the boroughs. I did not realize how small Manhattan really is and how big queens really is. When we were being shown Manhattan it was interesting to find out that the skyscrapers are only on one side because the of the type of rock which is needed to build on it is called Manhattan Schist aka Bedrock. They can only build skyscrapers on top of this because its the only thing that is strong enough to withstand it. We also saw the water system in New York, which was also very interesting. It just amazes me how everything was created and how it was all carefully planned out in order to create the places where we live today.
After we left the Queens Museum we went to go have our all you can eat Indian Lunch! I'm not going to lie I was very skeptical about trying Indian food for the second time. My first time was a horrific experience. My fiance and I went to a restaurant on Long Island to give it a try and right after left we went and got a slice of pizza because the food was horrible! Even though I had a bad experience I decided to give it a second try. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. The food was delicious and it wasn't like my first experience. It was a success the restaurant was very nice and the staff was super friendly. Thanks again Mike and Meritta!
Our next stop was Astoria! I've only been to Astoria possibly 5 times in my adult life, but every time that I have been there its been a great time. Its a cute town that has a lot to offer. By the time we were getting there I was beginning to slow down! Walking around all day really takes its toll on your body, but fortunately I got a second wind! We went to the Museum of the Moving Image, "which celebrates the history and art of movie-making (ENY, p. 224)." That was my favorite place that we went to all day. Honestly one word to describe it AWESOME! I was so surprised, once again, but seriously I was not expecting that! Mike informed us that it is one of the most popular Museums currently in NYC and I believe it. I did not want to leave.
This museum had so much to offer. All of the different optical illusions, the cameras, microphones, editing of the movies, voice overs (my personal favorite), costumes, arcade games, the list goes on. One of my other favorites was that they had the makeup used on the set the movie of sex and city, this is one of my favorite shows and being able to see that was awesome. I spent most of my time on third floor there was just so much to see I did not want to leave. It didn't leave me too much time on the second floor, but I still got to see and take a bunch of photos. Overall It was a fantastic experience and I will most definitely be returning there to show my family!
Our last stop for the day was Long Island City. "Located on the western tip of Long Island, Long Island City has been undergoing rapid transformations in recent years (ENY, p. 225)." Mike told us that there would be some ugly parts to it. He was absolutely right about that, but he also told us there would be some amazing views, million dollar views. Once we made it over the to million dollar views at Gantry State Park I pretty much wanted to unpack and move in. "This park is truly one of New York's under-appreciated wonders (ENY, p. 226)." The only problem- I don't have a million dollars to spend on a place. It was truly stunning. I again, was not expecting for it to be that beautiful, but it was. In the future it may be a place that I would consider moving! This is another location that I would come back to on a Saturday or Sunday to spend the day with friends or family! To finish the day off we even saw a blushing bride. It was the perfect day for a wedding especially at that location.
I enjoyed being able to differentiate the different types of architecture that the city has to offer. The view in Long Island City was phenomenal and we were able to identify many different styles of architecture: art deco, modernist/post modernist,brownstones, gothic revival, greek revival, and the list goes on . My personal favorite being the Art Deco. "Although it is fairly eclectic in style, you can usually spot an Art Deco building in New York City as soon as you see it (ENY, p. 35). I really love the art deco skyscrapers because its modern yet classic at the same time and its really stands out the most to me.
I enjoyed being able to differentiate the different types of architecture that the city has to offer. The view in Long Island City was phenomenal and we were able to identify many different styles of architecture: art deco, modernist/post modernist,brownstones, gothic revival, greek revival, and the list goes on . My personal favorite being the Art Deco. "Although it is fairly eclectic in style, you can usually spot an Art Deco building in New York City as soon as you see it (ENY, p. 35). I really love the art deco skyscrapers because its modern yet classic at the same time and its really stands out the most to me.
Our first day in the city was really amazing. Mike and Meritta only showed us a small piece of what Queens truly has to offer. I am looking forward to going back with friends and family to continue exploring. I can't believe all that we saw in one day I also can't believe that queens is so underrated. I am looking forward to what next week has in store for us in Brooklyn. I am sure that I will be pleasantly surprised and ready to capture every moment!
3. Spread love its the Brooklyn way
"Brooklyn 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 (after Manhattan) (ENY, p. 191)". Whenever I think of Brooklyn I immediately think of Coney Island because this is where my dad has had his Auto Repair Shop on Neptune Avenue for the last 20 years. He's pretty much been there my entire life. When I heard that we were going there I got excited because it was a place that I am very familiar with! Thats pretty much all that I am familiar with in Brooklyn. Once I discovered the other areas of Brooklyn that we would be visiting I also was excited because I would be doing things that I have never done before for example walking across the Brooklyn Bridge!
The say started with the entire class meeting at Penn Station as we usually do! It was going to be a fun filled day of us venturing through Brooklyn! We immediately left the train station and headed to the subway to catch the F train and head into Coney Island. Mike told us to get comfortable because the subway ride was going to be about 45 minutes until we arrived at Coney Island. While on the F train we saw amazing kittens! This woman was kind enough to rescue these kittens and was taking them to her vet and I'm sure that from there they set them up for adoption. They were so adorable I just wanted to take one home!
The say started with the entire class meeting at Penn Station as we usually do! It was going to be a fun filled day of us venturing through Brooklyn! We immediately left the train station and headed to the subway to catch the F train and head into Coney Island. Mike told us to get comfortable because the subway ride was going to be about 45 minutes until we arrived at Coney Island. While on the F train we saw amazing kittens! This woman was kind enough to rescue these kittens and was taking them to her vet and I'm sure that from there they set them up for adoption. They were so adorable I just wanted to take one home!
The 45 minute subway ride was over before we knew it! "Coney Island has the distinction of being one of the United States' earlier and most prominent seaside resort communities (ENY, p. 193)." I wanted to see all of the beauty that I already knew Coney Island had to offer us, but we had one problem- we were starving! The views as soon as we got off at the train station were spectacular. They had a ton of places to eat including the world famous Nathan's! I did want to try a Nathan's hotdog because I haven't had one in a while, but the pizza was just too tempting I couldn't resist and neither could a few of my classmates. We went down the block from Nathan's and got a few slices of pizza and of course some garlic knots. We took our pizza over to the Nathan's eating area outside and sat and enjoyed the beautiful weather and our delicious lunch!
After the damage was done with our lunch and our stomachs stopped growling we were ready to hit the boardwalk. "In the summer months the entire stretch of the Coney Island boardwalk is thronged with a vibrant mix of people of every race and ethnicity playfully enjoying a few hours of leisure with their fellow New Yorkers (ENY, p.195)." The day was perfect to be by the beach. The water looked beautiful and so did the sun shining down on it. The amusement park area was also open to our surprise. Although I decided against going on the roller coaster it was still fun to watch! "As you walk along the boardwalk, you can't miss one of the great icons of Coney Island- the 85 foot tall Cyclone, the wooden roller coaster at Luna Park that has been thrilling adventure-seekers since 1927 (ENY, p. 195)." The ferris wheel also caught my eye although I didn't get a chance to ride it! Soon before we said goodbye to Coney Island I had to make one final stop at "It's Sugar" to get some sweedish fish (my favorite candy, EVER). It was difficult to control myself with all of the other delicious candy that they had!
Our adventure was over in Coney Island, but we were going to head over to Brooklyn Heights to look at the different types of architecture and also to visit a museum! The train ride over to Brooklyn heights wouldn't take as long because we were already in Brooklyn. Once we arrived in brooklyn heights we hit the ground running as per usual. We admired all of the different types of architecture that there is. There are so many that its difficult to keep up! "One of New York City's most elegant picturesque neighborhoods, Brooklyn Heights is an architectured buff's delight with block after block of some of the most attractively situated homes in the city (ENY, p. 200)." It really is a beautiful neighborhood to me it looked like it was right out of a movie because the area is just so perfect. My favorite style of architecture that we encountered was hands down the brownstones. They are just so perfect and with the stair case which is inspired by the dutch its truly so unique and beautiful.
I was so surprised when Mike said we were going to the Museum and instead of going into a building as we normally would- we went down stairs like we were about to take the subway! I was confused for a minute and then caught on to what was occurring. I must say the idea to make a museum like that is just genius! I really enjoyed going to see this museum because it was so different. "The first part of the museum provides historic information on the design and building of the New York Subway system, and merits particular attention from subway lovers (ENY, p. 203)." The woman who worked at the museum who was giving us the tour truly informed us of all that goes into constructing the subway and the different lines. It was serious manual labor that required hours of hard work. It was very difficult, but the men who worked to build these subways had strength and knowledge to handle such a difficult job. I was blown away when she told us that they only made $1/day, but again times were different and so was the cost of living. So, making that much a day was actually a decent living in the grand scheme of things.
My favorite part of the Museum was the downstairs area. It was a "collection of antique subway cares that you can explore and which give a wonderful illustration of how New York subway cars have evolved over time (ENY, p. 203)." I really loved this part of the museum because not only could you look at the old subways cars, you could actually go inside and sit on them! It was wonderful. They also had old advertisements all over the subway and its amazing to see how times have changed, but also how many things are still around! Part of me wishes that the subways still looked like they used to because they were much nicer back then. It was very interesting to see this. You could see all of the hard work that went into building the subway and how essential public transportation truly is for New Yorkers. If the subway did not exist the city would be incapable of functioning!
I was so surprised when Mike said we were going to the Museum and instead of going into a building as we normally would- we went down stairs like we were about to take the subway! I was confused for a minute and then caught on to what was occurring. I must say the idea to make a museum like that is just genius! I really enjoyed going to see this museum because it was so different. "The first part of the museum provides historic information on the design and building of the New York Subway system, and merits particular attention from subway lovers (ENY, p. 203)." The woman who worked at the museum who was giving us the tour truly informed us of all that goes into constructing the subway and the different lines. It was serious manual labor that required hours of hard work. It was very difficult, but the men who worked to build these subways had strength and knowledge to handle such a difficult job. I was blown away when she told us that they only made $1/day, but again times were different and so was the cost of living. So, making that much a day was actually a decent living in the grand scheme of things.
My favorite part of the Museum was the downstairs area. It was a "collection of antique subway cares that you can explore and which give a wonderful illustration of how New York subway cars have evolved over time (ENY, p. 203)." I really loved this part of the museum because not only could you look at the old subways cars, you could actually go inside and sit on them! It was wonderful. They also had old advertisements all over the subway and its amazing to see how times have changed, but also how many things are still around! Part of me wishes that the subways still looked like they used to because they were much nicer back then. It was very interesting to see this. You could see all of the hard work that went into building the subway and how essential public transportation truly is for New Yorkers. If the subway did not exist the city would be incapable of functioning!
After the museum we began to head towards my favorite part of the day- the Brooklyn Bridge! We first went by the Brooklyn Promenade the view was phenomenal and you could even see the statue of Liberty from a distance and we could also see the BQE, which was constructed by the one and only Robert Moses! Before we actually got to walk the across the Brooklyn Bridge we did some more sightseeing of the neighborhood. The Brooklyn Bridge park was probably my second favorite part of the entire day. The sun was shining, the view was picturesque and there was a jazz band performing in the middle of the park. Simply amazing!
I did not want to leave the Brooklyn Bridge park, but I was very excited about what we were going to be doing next- finally walking across the Brooklyn Bridge! I was actually very excited to be doing this because it would be my first time. I was never afraid of heights nor did I ever dream of crossing the Brooklyn bridge, but today was going to be the day that I finally did it and find out what I've been missing out on. This was the best way to end the day and certainly worth the wait. I am so glad that I was able to experience this with such a wonderful group of people. It was so much fun and I can't wait to go back with my fiance and walk across the Brooklyn bridge for the second time! Farewell for now Brooklyn xx
4. Chelsea and The Village!
This week we got to know The Village. "When most people of New York City, the word 'charm' typically doesn't come to mind. And yet, if charm exists at all in New York City, you'll find it in parts of Greenwich Village and Chelsea" (ENY, p.83). Little did I know how much walking was ahead of us that day! We definitely made our way around the Village with Mike and Meritta and the rest of the group. There was plenty to be seen and there was not much time to be wasted. We immediately hit the ground running as soon as 11 o'clock hit. I'm glad that I was able to start my day off right with a nice big cup of caffeine which was just what I needed to get me going for the long day that we had ahead of us.
I felt our day truly got started once we walked in Chelsea. Its another part of the city thats really going through gentrification. The parts that are developed are very modern, but there is still plenty of construction going on. I would definitely not mind living there down the line. As of right now I have about 10 future homes that I have picked out in the city, I just need to get a well paying job and were good to go. "The best way to see Chelsea is from above" (ENY, p.84). Thats exactly where we started at the High Line. I have always heard such amazing things about the High Line so once I discovered that we were headed that way I became very excited. There are many sights to see, areas to sit and just relax, people playing music, and the developing buildings all around the area. "The High line officially opened in 2006 and was an immediate hit with both New Yorkers and tourists" (ENY, p.84). Reading this in ENY did not surprise me because the concept for the High line is so unique and unlike anything else that I have seen in New York. As we were walking through you could see that this is just the beginning of the development of the High Line its only going to get more and more popular.
Soon our adventure at the High Line was over. I certainly did not want to leave because I was enjoying the scenery and the beautiful NYC day, but we were on to the next location! "What Chelsea is primarily known for today is its numerous art galleries, showcasing some of the world's most prominent contemporary art" (ENY, p.85). Mike informed us that usually in the beginning of the month we can hop from art gallery to art gallery and admire the artwork and also get some free wine along the way. This is definitely something that I will be coming back to do with my fiance. Especially after seeing the beautiful artwork that they have in all of the galleries. Unfortunately, I can not afford anything that they have for sale unless I hit the lotto! It was still very nice to be able to walk around and admire all of the abstract art that the artists had up for display. Its fascinating to me how valuable artwork is and that there are people that are willing to pay that price for a piece of art. I was expecting the people working at the art galleries to be snobby. That was not the case at all the doors were open and they were ready to show us the artwork regardless of whether or not we would be buying anything. I also thought it was awesome that each of the artists had a print out that explained what their artwork was about and how they ended up where they are today.
Some of the pieces that we saw were beautiful while others were questionable. This all goes back to the concept of beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I'm sure that the artists find their clientele that is willing to pay the price for the artwork (regardless of my opinion). Two of the art galleries which caught my eye were The UNIX Gallery which presented the exhibition of KwangHo Shin, Creation Under Collapse and Mike Weiss Gallery featuring Tom Fruin. The KwangHo Shin exhibition was very different from anything that I have ever seen. The paintings were very abstract and the colors were vibrant which usually are with the use of oil colors. KwangHo's exhibition was focused on the relationship of the expression of emotion and the experience of the mind. The artwork was beautiful and unlike anything that I have ever seen. If I had the money I probably would have made a purchase because it was just so unique to anything that I have ever seen. The Mike Weiss Gallery featuring Tom Fruin was also one of my favorites because it had artwork that also had pops of color, but they were glass and metal pieces of art work. Personally I felt like one of those pieces NEEDED to come home with me because they were that beautiful. Again the play on color was unique and unlike anything that I have ever seen. The talent that both of these artists possess in remarkable. Nonetheless I have a new appreciation of the work and the time that these artists put into their vision of artwork and all of the time that goes into these exhibitions. "Nowhere are you going to see a more eclectic variety of cool, cutting-edge works of art than you will in Chelsea" (ENY, p.86).
Some of the pieces that we saw were beautiful while others were questionable. This all goes back to the concept of beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I'm sure that the artists find their clientele that is willing to pay the price for the artwork (regardless of my opinion). Two of the art galleries which caught my eye were The UNIX Gallery which presented the exhibition of KwangHo Shin, Creation Under Collapse and Mike Weiss Gallery featuring Tom Fruin. The KwangHo Shin exhibition was very different from anything that I have ever seen. The paintings were very abstract and the colors were vibrant which usually are with the use of oil colors. KwangHo's exhibition was focused on the relationship of the expression of emotion and the experience of the mind. The artwork was beautiful and unlike anything that I have ever seen. If I had the money I probably would have made a purchase because it was just so unique to anything that I have ever seen. The Mike Weiss Gallery featuring Tom Fruin was also one of my favorites because it had artwork that also had pops of color, but they were glass and metal pieces of art work. Personally I felt like one of those pieces NEEDED to come home with me because they were that beautiful. Again the play on color was unique and unlike anything that I have ever seen. The talent that both of these artists possess in remarkable. Nonetheless I have a new appreciation of the work and the time that these artists put into their vision of artwork and all of the time that goes into these exhibitions. "Nowhere are you going to see a more eclectic variety of cool, cutting-edge works of art than you will in Chelsea" (ENY, p.86).
Our journey had come to its conclusion in Chelsea, but it just began as we headed towards Greenwich Village. "The area known as Greenwich Village- or simply 'The Village' to native New Yorkers is one of the most delightful residential areas of New York" (ENY, p.88). The Village to me is one of the most charming places in NYC. It still has some old world charm to it which is unique to this area. It has everything from cute little coffee shops to a vibrant night life. Some of the streets were so small that it reminded me of parts of Europe in a way.
The Village has many parts to it. One being the The West Village. "The West Village has also traditionally been home to a sizable gay and lesbian population, even during those periods int he city's history when homosexual behavior was frowned upon" (ENY, p. 89). Meritta informed us about the gay rights movement and how monumental it was. Christopher Street is a very popular area in the West Village back in the 60's and still is today. "Today, New York has the largest gay community in the United States and one of the largest of any city in the world" (ENY, p. 90). Its remarkable that even back when the gay movement began the West Village in the 1960s it was known for its gay community and it still is today.
After we finished learning about the history of the gay rights movement we headed towards Washington Square Park. "The land where the park is located was purchased by the city of New York in 1797 to serve as a potter's field- a place of burial for unknown indigent people" (ENY, p. 95). Knowing this going into the park I got a bit of an eerie feeling initially, but once I saw the beauty of the park I was at ease. It was unlike any of the other areas that we have been to. Honestly, for a Friday afternoon I was surprised how many people were in the park! It was lively and there was even live music which I did not want to walk away from because it was so good. There was an old english elm tree in the park that was literally 300 years old. I could not believe that this tree has been around for this long and nothing has happened to it over the past 300 years!
The Village has many parts to it. One being the The West Village. "The West Village has also traditionally been home to a sizable gay and lesbian population, even during those periods int he city's history when homosexual behavior was frowned upon" (ENY, p. 89). Meritta informed us about the gay rights movement and how monumental it was. Christopher Street is a very popular area in the West Village back in the 60's and still is today. "Today, New York has the largest gay community in the United States and one of the largest of any city in the world" (ENY, p. 90). Its remarkable that even back when the gay movement began the West Village in the 1960s it was known for its gay community and it still is today.
After we finished learning about the history of the gay rights movement we headed towards Washington Square Park. "The land where the park is located was purchased by the city of New York in 1797 to serve as a potter's field- a place of burial for unknown indigent people" (ENY, p. 95). Knowing this going into the park I got a bit of an eerie feeling initially, but once I saw the beauty of the park I was at ease. It was unlike any of the other areas that we have been to. Honestly, for a Friday afternoon I was surprised how many people were in the park! It was lively and there was even live music which I did not want to walk away from because it was so good. There was an old english elm tree in the park that was literally 300 years old. I could not believe that this tree has been around for this long and nothing has happened to it over the past 300 years!
Washington Square Park was lively and tons of fun, but it was time to head out and grab some grub! Hannah and I got some falafel for $3.50, not bad at all. I was actually surprised by the prices that they had. Honestly, coming into the city I was expecting to spend way more money on food than I have. I have been pleasantly surprised by this.
Our next stop was the East Village. Here we were going to visit the Merchants House Museum. I was very excited to go in because I have always wanted to go into a house like this in the city and have never had the opportunity present itself until today! "The Merchants House is a wonderfully preserved Federal-style house, filled with period furnishings and decorations. The house was built by Joseph Brewster in 1832 and sold to Seabury Tredwell, in 1835 for $18,000" (ENY, p. 99). I could not get over how beautiful preserved this home was. I also could not believe how immense it was. It was narrow and the number of floors that the house had was never ending. One of my favorite parts of the house was the courtyard. It reminded me of France for some reason, probably because of its natural elegance. There wasn't much to it but its simplicity is what made it so beautiful. " The ground floor was designed to impress visitors with its twin Greek Revival front and back Parlors. These rooms were filled with the tredniest furniture and decorations from the period, all designed to impress those who were deemed socially significant enough to invite over for a candlelight dinner" (ENY, p.100). Our tour guide was an older man who took us around the house and showed us everything from the family room to where they bathed. Apparently they did not bathe too much during that time. I'm glad that I was not around to smell that! Unfortunately, it was very difficult to understand our tour guide. I could barely hear anything that he said, but what I did catch was that the house was known to be haunted. Honestly, after he said that I got a little scared and was ready to leave!
Our next stop was the East Village. Here we were going to visit the Merchants House Museum. I was very excited to go in because I have always wanted to go into a house like this in the city and have never had the opportunity present itself until today! "The Merchants House is a wonderfully preserved Federal-style house, filled with period furnishings and decorations. The house was built by Joseph Brewster in 1832 and sold to Seabury Tredwell, in 1835 for $18,000" (ENY, p. 99). I could not get over how beautiful preserved this home was. I also could not believe how immense it was. It was narrow and the number of floors that the house had was never ending. One of my favorite parts of the house was the courtyard. It reminded me of France for some reason, probably because of its natural elegance. There wasn't much to it but its simplicity is what made it so beautiful. " The ground floor was designed to impress visitors with its twin Greek Revival front and back Parlors. These rooms were filled with the tredniest furniture and decorations from the period, all designed to impress those who were deemed socially significant enough to invite over for a candlelight dinner" (ENY, p.100). Our tour guide was an older man who took us around the house and showed us everything from the family room to where they bathed. Apparently they did not bathe too much during that time. I'm glad that I was not around to smell that! Unfortunately, it was very difficult to understand our tour guide. I could barely hear anything that he said, but what I did catch was that the house was known to be haunted. Honestly, after he said that I got a little scared and was ready to leave!
Our next stop was Cooper square. The building which we all admired was called Cooper Union. "Cooper union for the Advancement of Science and Art was founded by wealthy industrialist Peter Cooper to provide an education for working-class people" (ENY, p. 100). This was significant because it was not just something that only the wealthy could do, but it opened the doors to people who did not have millions of dollars and gave them the opportunity to increase their professional skills. "The building at 41 Cooper Square is the latest addition to the Cooper Union campus" (ENY, p. 101). The building is very abstract and unique. The main lobby and the staircase is what immediately catches your eye as soon as you walk in . I was glad that we were able to see so many of these types of buildings today. I really have grown to appreciate the architecture in NYC over the past couple of weeks (thanks Mike and Meritta)!
Today we truly ran through the streets of Manhattan running from point A to point Z (literally). We finished off in the East Village and by the end of the day I could barely walk. I will make sure to wear my comfortable running sneakers for next Friday! There was also a bit of a breeze by the end of the day, which was unfortunate because I really did want to try ice cream from "The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop." That will just give me another reason to go back into the city in the spring or summer to give it a try!