JOURNALS 1-4
1. Impressions of NYC: The city has always been my favorite place to go. Anytime my friends want to get together, I always suggest the city. I absolutely love everything about it. I love the fast pace, the atmosphere, and the fact that there is always something to do. My mom has worked in the city for over 30 years, and I used to love going to work with her when I had the chance. She now works in Brooklyn, and it's still an exciting place to be. I always loved history, and the city is filled with it! My whole family lives in different parts of queens, as well as a few friends. Going to Forest Hills for Austin street, or Bayside for Bell BLVD is definitely one of my favorite things to do because of all the restaurants, bars and shops. I live about 45 minutes away from Manhattan, so taking the train isn't a problem for me. No matter where I go in the city, I just love walking around and experiencing new things. I would love to learn my way around better, and learn different things about the neighborhoods. I cannot wait for this class, and everything it has to offer!
2. Queens: Having parents that grew up in flushing queens, I was very familiar with the area. Although I never took the subways to get there, I was happy to learn them, and experience it. Given the hot, humid weather, it was a great day overall! Starting out in flushing meadow park was a lot of fun. Knowing my mom went to the Worlds fair in 1964 made me even more interested in this trip. Queens has many great areas, and I'm happy i live so close to it!
The day started from Penn Station, and then the subways. The 7 train is what took us from Manhattan to Queens. As we took the train, to the left of us was the 59th street bridge which was also a song by Simon and Garfunkel in the 60s. The "Feelin Groovy" song (ENY, 216). I love music from the 60's and 70s, and passing the bridge reminded me of when i was little, and singing it with my parents as we passed it going into Manhattan. As we arrived to Flushing Meadow Park, we passed through the US open. In the 1930s, Robert Moses cleared the area after it was known as the " Corona Ash Dumps" in the 1920s, and accommodated the 1939-1940 Worlds Fair which was then known as Flushing Meadow Park (ENY, 217). Walking through the park, we were able to explore the Unisphere which represents the Worlds fair. This sphere was designed by Gilmore D. Clarke, and it was intentionally positioned with fountains surrounding it to have the appearance of the sphere floating in space (ENY, 218). We then went to the Queens Museum which was somewhere I had never been to. This museum was one of the most interesting places I have ever been to. The panorama was definitely my favorite part. Seeing all five boroughs laid out with all the bridges, and buildings was unbelievable! With every inch of the building, that was equivalent to 100 feet. Seeing the boroughs all at once, helped me learn directions, and all the bridges. I now know the difference between the Brooklyn, Manhattan,Williamsburg, and Tri-borough bridges.
After the museum, we went for lunch in Jackson Heights where I had my first indian food experience. We went to Roosevelt Ave, and it was a new world for me. The atmosphere, smell, and people was definitely a new experience. I tried something new, and I can now officially say I had indian food. The chicken, rice, and pita bread were pretty good. I'm not a fan of curry, but I did try a little bit just to say that I've had it. The place was very cute, and I would recommend it to anyone that likes Indian food. Would I go back? Probably not, but it was something that I'll never forget. Being sweaty, and having Indian food is not the best combination, but I got through it and kept a smile on! I'm happy to say that I've come out of my traditional Long Island ways, and expanded from the classic America, Italian, and Chinese food.
When we were done with lunch, we made our way to Astoria where we went to the Museum of the Moving Image. I was a little too excited for this part of the day because I always watched the old cartoons with my dad, and it was always my favorite thing to do with him. Television, and Movies are one of my greatest joys. Learning the history of it, and how image was produced fascinates me. I had a smile on my face the entire time we were there. Just looking at photos of how cartoons were drawn, photos of the Warner Brothers first starting out, and all the masks from the movies were just amazing. My favorite part was seeing the different radios, and televisions as time went on. My dad always told me his favorite thing to do was watch Ed Sullivan with his family. They would all sit and watch together on this tiny screen. There was one Television in the house, and that was it. Today, there's a Television in every room, and almost all flat screen, and 32 inch. In my house alone we have 6 televisions. I wish times were still like that today, and people valued spending time with there family. Now everyone is in there own room with the door shut, and there is no communication. This museum showed how Television changed so much throughout the years. Between the silent films of Charlie Chaplin, to musicals in the 30's and 40s, and then the colored Television in the 60s. It's truly amazing to see.
Although we didn't get to go to Long Island City, and it was one of the most humid days of the summer, it was still a great class. We made the best of everything, and I learned so much. Queens is one of my favorite places to go to, and getting to go to different parts of it, and experience new things is something that i'll always appreciate. I had such a great time, and I can't wait to learn the other boroughs of New York.
The day started from Penn Station, and then the subways. The 7 train is what took us from Manhattan to Queens. As we took the train, to the left of us was the 59th street bridge which was also a song by Simon and Garfunkel in the 60s. The "Feelin Groovy" song (ENY, 216). I love music from the 60's and 70s, and passing the bridge reminded me of when i was little, and singing it with my parents as we passed it going into Manhattan. As we arrived to Flushing Meadow Park, we passed through the US open. In the 1930s, Robert Moses cleared the area after it was known as the " Corona Ash Dumps" in the 1920s, and accommodated the 1939-1940 Worlds Fair which was then known as Flushing Meadow Park (ENY, 217). Walking through the park, we were able to explore the Unisphere which represents the Worlds fair. This sphere was designed by Gilmore D. Clarke, and it was intentionally positioned with fountains surrounding it to have the appearance of the sphere floating in space (ENY, 218). We then went to the Queens Museum which was somewhere I had never been to. This museum was one of the most interesting places I have ever been to. The panorama was definitely my favorite part. Seeing all five boroughs laid out with all the bridges, and buildings was unbelievable! With every inch of the building, that was equivalent to 100 feet. Seeing the boroughs all at once, helped me learn directions, and all the bridges. I now know the difference between the Brooklyn, Manhattan,Williamsburg, and Tri-borough bridges.
After the museum, we went for lunch in Jackson Heights where I had my first indian food experience. We went to Roosevelt Ave, and it was a new world for me. The atmosphere, smell, and people was definitely a new experience. I tried something new, and I can now officially say I had indian food. The chicken, rice, and pita bread were pretty good. I'm not a fan of curry, but I did try a little bit just to say that I've had it. The place was very cute, and I would recommend it to anyone that likes Indian food. Would I go back? Probably not, but it was something that I'll never forget. Being sweaty, and having Indian food is not the best combination, but I got through it and kept a smile on! I'm happy to say that I've come out of my traditional Long Island ways, and expanded from the classic America, Italian, and Chinese food.
When we were done with lunch, we made our way to Astoria where we went to the Museum of the Moving Image. I was a little too excited for this part of the day because I always watched the old cartoons with my dad, and it was always my favorite thing to do with him. Television, and Movies are one of my greatest joys. Learning the history of it, and how image was produced fascinates me. I had a smile on my face the entire time we were there. Just looking at photos of how cartoons were drawn, photos of the Warner Brothers first starting out, and all the masks from the movies were just amazing. My favorite part was seeing the different radios, and televisions as time went on. My dad always told me his favorite thing to do was watch Ed Sullivan with his family. They would all sit and watch together on this tiny screen. There was one Television in the house, and that was it. Today, there's a Television in every room, and almost all flat screen, and 32 inch. In my house alone we have 6 televisions. I wish times were still like that today, and people valued spending time with there family. Now everyone is in there own room with the door shut, and there is no communication. This museum showed how Television changed so much throughout the years. Between the silent films of Charlie Chaplin, to musicals in the 30's and 40s, and then the colored Television in the 60s. It's truly amazing to see.
Although we didn't get to go to Long Island City, and it was one of the most humid days of the summer, it was still a great class. We made the best of everything, and I learned so much. Queens is one of my favorite places to go to, and getting to go to different parts of it, and experience new things is something that i'll always appreciate. I had such a great time, and I can't wait to learn the other boroughs of New York.
3. Brooklyn: It was a rainy cold day, and we started out taking the subway to downtown manhattan. When we arrived at the park, we went over the history of Brooklyn before crossing the bridge. I was very excited for this trip because I love learning new things about the boroughs, and Brooklyn was one place I wasn't very familiar with.
On the way to the bridge, we started out going over the different types of architecture. The neo gotham , and neo classical structures. We learned that the greeks was one country that was as close to democracy as the U.S, and most of our earlier architecture of buildings was influenced by them. Brooklyn is the second most populated county in the U.S, and if it were an independent city it would be the third most populated city in the United States ( ENY, 191). Life in Brooklyn was less hectic than in New York, and the ferry service across the East River made commuting from Brooklyn to Manhattan difficult due to the pace, weather, and service issues (ENY, 192). In the 1870s, the Brooklyn bridge was being constructed by a man named John Roebling. This bridge was one of the most difficult to build, and many people died due to awful conditions. The main disease was known as decompression sickness, which was where bubbles form in the body due to working underwater causing joint pain, rashes, and death. The story goes that John Roebling was working on the bridge, and a ferry ran over his foot. He thought the best idea was to put cold water on it, which turned into infection, and then death. His son then took over, but was later on unable to work due to decompression sickness. He constructed the bridge from his apartment, and his wife then took over. Emily Roebling was the first to cross the Brooklyn bridge when it was complete in 1883.
It was my first time walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, and although it was cloudy, and cold, I loved every second of it. The views were absolutely incredible. Knowing I crossed a Bridge that was made in the late 1870's and it's still standing today is just amazing. Every detail about the bridge was beautiful. I would love to go on an early sunday morning with a cup of coffee, and walk over as the sun is rising. That to me would be the perfect morning. When we finally got into Brooklyn, we went to the Brooklyn Bridge Park which was my favorite part of the whole trip. The view was unbelievable! I could stay there all day, and hopefully I get proposed too there as well. I probably took about 30 pictures of the view alone of the bridge, and skyline. It truly is such a beautiful park. We then
stopped at an old civil war building where there was graffiti all over it. I of course was the only one to take a picture in front, and be smiling. We then walked to Brooklyn heights which also had a lot of history. I love learning how things change over time, and what was fashionable once, may or may not be now. The architecture on the homes were gorgeous. I never knew brownstones were cheap material, I always thought it was the most expensive, as well as the factory closing in 2011. I also never knew they had entrances underneath the homes for the servants back in the day, and that all servants lived on the top floor to carry all the coal. The neighborhoods are so quiet, and seem so perfect. It must be so nice to live in that kind of area, as well as being so close to the city. The views were breathtaking, and I wish I had millions of dollars to afford to live there.
After Brooklyn Heights we grabbed lunch for an hour, and Chipotle did a job well done. We then went to the Brooklyn Historical museum which was very interesting. This is one of the few buildings that haven't been fully renovated. Mostly everything is still from the late 1880s when it was built. the library was beautiful, and very classy looking. They have many resources there, and I'm glad it is open to the public. Brooklyn has a lot of history, and this museum taught me a lot about it. We then went to the Brooklyn Borough Hall and compared the building to a more modern building across the street. The building across the street was made in the 50's and was very dull looking. Just simple windows, and concrete. Brooklyn Borough Hall had beautiful columns, and much more detail, and was inspired by the greeks. Over time things were getting done faster, and people didn't want to waste time with details, and differences. Today, most buildings look exactly the same.
The day finally came to an end, and we were all exhausted. It was cold, and rainy, and the tour guide wasn't very enthusiastic. It still was a great class, and I definitely learned a lot. I just love learning the history of New York, and Brooklyn was somewhere that I was very interested in.
On the way to the bridge, we started out going over the different types of architecture. The neo gotham , and neo classical structures. We learned that the greeks was one country that was as close to democracy as the U.S, and most of our earlier architecture of buildings was influenced by them. Brooklyn is the second most populated county in the U.S, and if it were an independent city it would be the third most populated city in the United States ( ENY, 191). Life in Brooklyn was less hectic than in New York, and the ferry service across the East River made commuting from Brooklyn to Manhattan difficult due to the pace, weather, and service issues (ENY, 192). In the 1870s, the Brooklyn bridge was being constructed by a man named John Roebling. This bridge was one of the most difficult to build, and many people died due to awful conditions. The main disease was known as decompression sickness, which was where bubbles form in the body due to working underwater causing joint pain, rashes, and death. The story goes that John Roebling was working on the bridge, and a ferry ran over his foot. He thought the best idea was to put cold water on it, which turned into infection, and then death. His son then took over, but was later on unable to work due to decompression sickness. He constructed the bridge from his apartment, and his wife then took over. Emily Roebling was the first to cross the Brooklyn bridge when it was complete in 1883.
It was my first time walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, and although it was cloudy, and cold, I loved every second of it. The views were absolutely incredible. Knowing I crossed a Bridge that was made in the late 1870's and it's still standing today is just amazing. Every detail about the bridge was beautiful. I would love to go on an early sunday morning with a cup of coffee, and walk over as the sun is rising. That to me would be the perfect morning. When we finally got into Brooklyn, we went to the Brooklyn Bridge Park which was my favorite part of the whole trip. The view was unbelievable! I could stay there all day, and hopefully I get proposed too there as well. I probably took about 30 pictures of the view alone of the bridge, and skyline. It truly is such a beautiful park. We then
stopped at an old civil war building where there was graffiti all over it. I of course was the only one to take a picture in front, and be smiling. We then walked to Brooklyn heights which also had a lot of history. I love learning how things change over time, and what was fashionable once, may or may not be now. The architecture on the homes were gorgeous. I never knew brownstones were cheap material, I always thought it was the most expensive, as well as the factory closing in 2011. I also never knew they had entrances underneath the homes for the servants back in the day, and that all servants lived on the top floor to carry all the coal. The neighborhoods are so quiet, and seem so perfect. It must be so nice to live in that kind of area, as well as being so close to the city. The views were breathtaking, and I wish I had millions of dollars to afford to live there.
After Brooklyn Heights we grabbed lunch for an hour, and Chipotle did a job well done. We then went to the Brooklyn Historical museum which was very interesting. This is one of the few buildings that haven't been fully renovated. Mostly everything is still from the late 1880s when it was built. the library was beautiful, and very classy looking. They have many resources there, and I'm glad it is open to the public. Brooklyn has a lot of history, and this museum taught me a lot about it. We then went to the Brooklyn Borough Hall and compared the building to a more modern building across the street. The building across the street was made in the 50's and was very dull looking. Just simple windows, and concrete. Brooklyn Borough Hall had beautiful columns, and much more detail, and was inspired by the greeks. Over time things were getting done faster, and people didn't want to waste time with details, and differences. Today, most buildings look exactly the same.
The day finally came to an end, and we were all exhausted. It was cold, and rainy, and the tour guide wasn't very enthusiastic. It still was a great class, and I definitely learned a lot. I just love learning the history of New York, and Brooklyn was somewhere that I was very interested in.
4. The Village: Finally it was a beautiful day! We started out in Penn, and went outside to "shitty" madison square garden. Although I never knew what Penn station was like before they re-did it in the 60's, I can only imagine how beautiful it was. Penn station now is a shit hole compared to Grand Central, and what they did to it is awful. We then made our way to the high line, and all different galleries in Chelsea. This was somewhere I had never been before, and it was very interesting. There was a lot of construction going on, and I can't wait to see the final product of all the apartments I'll never be able to afford.
The high line is the best way to see chelsea from above, and it is located at 30th street and 10th ave. In the mid 19th century, there was a street level freight line that ran through chelsea, and the existence of train lines led to many dangerous accidents. 10th Ave was then known as "Death Ave". This was how the high line was created because of the dangers of trains running through the city. It was officially open in 2006 (ENY 84). As we made our way off the high line we went to all different galleries. Another new experience for me. They were all so different and so interesting, I loved every one of them. It's amazing what could be considered "art". I found that the people working there are very uptight, and snobby. They also don't have bathrooms which I found annoying, and odd, but the art was still very cool.
We then went to the village which is now considered a gay community. We made our way through Waverley Place, and Bleeker street. It was the west village where the gay rights movement officially began in the 1960s. New York today has the largest gay community in the United States (ENY, 90). As we went down Christopher Street, we passed the stonewall Inn which is one of the most historical sites in the gay rights movement in New York (ENY 91). " On July 28th, 1969, police raided the stone wall. There were approximately 600 gay men and women fighting the police, throwing garbage cans, bottles, and bricks at them. Six days and nights of rioting, and the gay men and women protested police harassment, and started gay liberation, creating equal rights for gay men and women (ENY, 92).
Washington Square park was next, which was my favorite part of the whole day. It was so beautiful and relaxing. I was told it was very big for the hippies back in the day, and I can understand why. Apparently one of the oldest trees is in there as well. As we were there, we witnessed a wedding taking place, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The fountain was beautiful, and just the whole scenery was amazing. Around the area are many NYU buildings, but the Triumphal arch was the main thing to look at. We also passed Cafe Wha which was a place where legends have played, and some of my favorite musicians such as Janis joplin, Bob dylan, and Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s (ENY 97).
The Merchants house was very interesting. The fact that it has been there since the early 19th century with most things exactly the same is incredible. I'm glad they didn't renovate it, and can show the public how the Tredwell's lived, and the history behind it. The youngest daughter Gertrude lived there for 93 years, and when she died in 1933, it became a museum. She left much of the house exactly how her father had it back in the 1830s, and never really updated it. We then went to 41 Cooper Square which was a beautiful building. It was so different from any other kind of architecture I'd ever seen. It is now the New academic building. We then passed Mcsorleys old ale house which is one of the oldest bars in the east village. It was one of NYC's last "Mens Only" pub and only started to admit women in the 1970s. We then ended the day with the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop. I of course tried the salty pimp, and loved it. The best way to end the day is definitely with an ice cream, and cold blue moon for the train ride home.
The high line is the best way to see chelsea from above, and it is located at 30th street and 10th ave. In the mid 19th century, there was a street level freight line that ran through chelsea, and the existence of train lines led to many dangerous accidents. 10th Ave was then known as "Death Ave". This was how the high line was created because of the dangers of trains running through the city. It was officially open in 2006 (ENY 84). As we made our way off the high line we went to all different galleries. Another new experience for me. They were all so different and so interesting, I loved every one of them. It's amazing what could be considered "art". I found that the people working there are very uptight, and snobby. They also don't have bathrooms which I found annoying, and odd, but the art was still very cool.
We then went to the village which is now considered a gay community. We made our way through Waverley Place, and Bleeker street. It was the west village where the gay rights movement officially began in the 1960s. New York today has the largest gay community in the United States (ENY, 90). As we went down Christopher Street, we passed the stonewall Inn which is one of the most historical sites in the gay rights movement in New York (ENY 91). " On July 28th, 1969, police raided the stone wall. There were approximately 600 gay men and women fighting the police, throwing garbage cans, bottles, and bricks at them. Six days and nights of rioting, and the gay men and women protested police harassment, and started gay liberation, creating equal rights for gay men and women (ENY, 92).
Washington Square park was next, which was my favorite part of the whole day. It was so beautiful and relaxing. I was told it was very big for the hippies back in the day, and I can understand why. Apparently one of the oldest trees is in there as well. As we were there, we witnessed a wedding taking place, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The fountain was beautiful, and just the whole scenery was amazing. Around the area are many NYU buildings, but the Triumphal arch was the main thing to look at. We also passed Cafe Wha which was a place where legends have played, and some of my favorite musicians such as Janis joplin, Bob dylan, and Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s (ENY 97).
The Merchants house was very interesting. The fact that it has been there since the early 19th century with most things exactly the same is incredible. I'm glad they didn't renovate it, and can show the public how the Tredwell's lived, and the history behind it. The youngest daughter Gertrude lived there for 93 years, and when she died in 1933, it became a museum. She left much of the house exactly how her father had it back in the 1830s, and never really updated it. We then went to 41 Cooper Square which was a beautiful building. It was so different from any other kind of architecture I'd ever seen. It is now the New academic building. We then passed Mcsorleys old ale house which is one of the oldest bars in the east village. It was one of NYC's last "Mens Only" pub and only started to admit women in the 1970s. We then ended the day with the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop. I of course tried the salty pimp, and loved it. The best way to end the day is definitely with an ice cream, and cold blue moon for the train ride home.