Journals 5-9
5. SPANISH HARLEM/ CENTRAL PARK: It was a beautiful day, and when I saw we were going to Harlem, I always thought of Harlem as a bad area. I never new there was an " East Harlem" which is also known as " El Barrio- which is an uptown neighborhood of Manhattan. This neighborhood as been experiencing much gentrification in recent years and is one of the largest Latino communities today. After World War I, the area changed dramatically from German, Irish, and Eastern European immigrants living here to Puerto Ricans transforming it to what is now known as "El barrio" (ENY, 161). Most of the area consisted of housing projects which were for those of poverty, and was considered one of the most dangerous areas in New York in the 1960's and 70's. In the 1980's and 90's a flood of immigrants from Mexico, China, and the Caribbean were added to the mix of Harlem (ENY, 161). Throughout recent years, East Harlem has undergone much gentrification, and has come a very long way from what is used to be 50 years ago. As we passed the old projects, it just reminded me of how grateful I am that I live a comfortable life, and don't have to struggle because of how hard my parents have worked.
The Museum of the city of New York was my favorite part of the day. I absolutely love learning about the history of the city, and the video was my favorite part. I was so interested, and it was explained everything in the perfect amount of detail. The 17, and early 1800's weren't as interesting to me, but once we got to the civil war, and the industrial revolution, the video was great! I loved the visuals they used of the boroughs and how much has changed through the decades. As well as life styles, and living situations. I also loved learning about the graph of the city, and how the streets are divided into east and west, and the avenues are north and south. I've always wanted to learn my way around the city, and this video definitely cleared things up. It's unbelievable how much the city has changed over time. To what used to be the slums, is now going under gentrification and becoming and up and coming neighborhood. There was a time when everyone hated the city and wanted to move out to the suburbs, now it's the opposite! There was so much more crime 30 years ago, and now the city has changed dramatically for the better. Especially after September 11th, the city's crime has decreased, and is a lot more safe due to the better protection by police, and other services. People are leaving the suburbs to come back to Brooklyn, and Manhattan. I'm definitely a city girl, and would absolutely love to move to Brooklyn, or Manhattan. The pictures are the staircase with all the quotes were also very interesting. I never heard of any of the museums we have been to, and I have enjoyed every one of them so far. Minus some of the tour guides, but for the most part they have all taught me something.
After the museum we made our way to the El Museo del barrio which was on 5th Ave. We met our tour guide Luke who was awesome! He took us inside the museum, and made us say our names and how we were feeling. It definitely lightened up the mood, and we then headed out for our tour. We then made our way out onto 103rd street, and saw all of the different pieces of art along the fences. On Long Island you NEVER see things like this. It just showed how great the community is with allowing people to freely do what they want with there playgrounds, and schools. I loved how there were kids outside playing, people just hanging out in front of stores, and shops. Everyone seemed so friendly, and that they've known each other for years. We eventually passed the "Tin" Flores Garden which was once a vacant lot, but became a community garden. " Resident, Ernesto "Tin" Flores converted this lot into a garden for the neighborhoods inhabitants" (ENY,163). This was made for people to escape hectic urban life, and this particular garden was filled with inspiring works of art (ENY, 163). In the center of the garden is a fountain sculpture that I found very random and interesting. Once Luke explained everything, then it made sense! I was definitely able to guess what part of the body this sculpture was. In the back of this garden was a mural of two women. "A Mexican artist named Frida Kahlo, and Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos with their hands and hearts intertwined with the flags of their respective countries behind them" (ENY, 164).
As we walked through Harlem, we passed the Graffiti Wall of Fame which I absolutely loved! The picture of John Lennon was one of my favorite pictures of him, and of course I had to take a picture next to him. The people there really are so a friendly. There was a nice guy standing with us as luke lectured, and he told about all the changes of harlem in the past few decades. He was very polite, and helpful. We then went back to the museum with Luke, and he recited, well sang one of his poems. I know i smile a lot, but I was ear to ear the ENTIRE TIME! He was unbelievable! His words were so beautiful, and how he did it was so interesting and amazing. I would see him recite his poems with his group any day of the week. I felt like he affected my life that day. He was such a positive, good person to be around, I really enjoyed his tour. We then stopped in a religious type of shop, I'm not exactly sure what it was called, but the owner met JLO & Marc Anthony so that was pretty cool. Those things tend to freak me out so I wasn't really that interested, I was hungry though. After the shop we went to get lunch at a Mexican sit down near by. I LOVE Mexican food. It's probably my favorite food on this earth, so anything involving guacamole, and quesadillas tastes perfect to me no matter where it's from.
After lunch, we left harlem and headed towards central park. It was such a beautiful day, and I really couldn't wait to walk around the park. I knew central park was huge, but i never realized all the different parts and entrances to it. When I think of Central Park, I just think of the big space where most of the movies take place, the more touristy part. Where we were, I had no idea that existed. I loved walking around there, and just soaking everything in. When we finally got to our destination up on the rocks, it was nice just to take a break and talk about what we learned so far about NY. It's so crazy how much there is to one little borough. I would love to go there on my own with a group of friends and just hangout. I was so jealous of all the families there playing, and having parties, I wish I could've stayed with them. Every time I go to Manhattan it's mostly for going out purposes which are the same areas every time. After taking this class, I've experienced, and learned so much more about the city, and what it has to offer. I cannot believe how much land there is, and how quiet it can actually be.
Once we left exploring the park, we made our way to midtown,and walked around viewing all the great buildings/ landmarks. We saw the Chrysler building, The City Corp building, The Waldorf Astoria and walked through Grand Central. Grand Central was and will always be the most stunning train station ever. It's a shame what they did to Penn station, but at least they left grand central alone. It was nice seeing the city corp building. I remember going there when I was little with my mom when she worked there. It was so beautiful, and I never wanted to leave. Going into some of these buildings, it was just amazing seeing the lobby, and how much detail they architects put in it. They were gorgeous, and I'm glad we were able to walk inside and see some of them. We ended the day off with the Waldorf Astoria. They did have the most beautiful bathrooms I've ever seen. I definitely felt out of place there being in a tank top and jeans while everyone was in dresses, and all fancy, but it was nice to be able to say that I was inside. One day I'll be able to afford to spend a weekend there. We did so much today & I think this was one of my favorite trips! I definitely learned a lot, and did a tremendous amount of walking. I really can't believe how much we walk every weekend, but I really am glad that I'm going to all of these different spots. It's 100% worth it!
The Museum of the city of New York was my favorite part of the day. I absolutely love learning about the history of the city, and the video was my favorite part. I was so interested, and it was explained everything in the perfect amount of detail. The 17, and early 1800's weren't as interesting to me, but once we got to the civil war, and the industrial revolution, the video was great! I loved the visuals they used of the boroughs and how much has changed through the decades. As well as life styles, and living situations. I also loved learning about the graph of the city, and how the streets are divided into east and west, and the avenues are north and south. I've always wanted to learn my way around the city, and this video definitely cleared things up. It's unbelievable how much the city has changed over time. To what used to be the slums, is now going under gentrification and becoming and up and coming neighborhood. There was a time when everyone hated the city and wanted to move out to the suburbs, now it's the opposite! There was so much more crime 30 years ago, and now the city has changed dramatically for the better. Especially after September 11th, the city's crime has decreased, and is a lot more safe due to the better protection by police, and other services. People are leaving the suburbs to come back to Brooklyn, and Manhattan. I'm definitely a city girl, and would absolutely love to move to Brooklyn, or Manhattan. The pictures are the staircase with all the quotes were also very interesting. I never heard of any of the museums we have been to, and I have enjoyed every one of them so far. Minus some of the tour guides, but for the most part they have all taught me something.
After the museum we made our way to the El Museo del barrio which was on 5th Ave. We met our tour guide Luke who was awesome! He took us inside the museum, and made us say our names and how we were feeling. It definitely lightened up the mood, and we then headed out for our tour. We then made our way out onto 103rd street, and saw all of the different pieces of art along the fences. On Long Island you NEVER see things like this. It just showed how great the community is with allowing people to freely do what they want with there playgrounds, and schools. I loved how there were kids outside playing, people just hanging out in front of stores, and shops. Everyone seemed so friendly, and that they've known each other for years. We eventually passed the "Tin" Flores Garden which was once a vacant lot, but became a community garden. " Resident, Ernesto "Tin" Flores converted this lot into a garden for the neighborhoods inhabitants" (ENY,163). This was made for people to escape hectic urban life, and this particular garden was filled with inspiring works of art (ENY, 163). In the center of the garden is a fountain sculpture that I found very random and interesting. Once Luke explained everything, then it made sense! I was definitely able to guess what part of the body this sculpture was. In the back of this garden was a mural of two women. "A Mexican artist named Frida Kahlo, and Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos with their hands and hearts intertwined with the flags of their respective countries behind them" (ENY, 164).
As we walked through Harlem, we passed the Graffiti Wall of Fame which I absolutely loved! The picture of John Lennon was one of my favorite pictures of him, and of course I had to take a picture next to him. The people there really are so a friendly. There was a nice guy standing with us as luke lectured, and he told about all the changes of harlem in the past few decades. He was very polite, and helpful. We then went back to the museum with Luke, and he recited, well sang one of his poems. I know i smile a lot, but I was ear to ear the ENTIRE TIME! He was unbelievable! His words were so beautiful, and how he did it was so interesting and amazing. I would see him recite his poems with his group any day of the week. I felt like he affected my life that day. He was such a positive, good person to be around, I really enjoyed his tour. We then stopped in a religious type of shop, I'm not exactly sure what it was called, but the owner met JLO & Marc Anthony so that was pretty cool. Those things tend to freak me out so I wasn't really that interested, I was hungry though. After the shop we went to get lunch at a Mexican sit down near by. I LOVE Mexican food. It's probably my favorite food on this earth, so anything involving guacamole, and quesadillas tastes perfect to me no matter where it's from.
After lunch, we left harlem and headed towards central park. It was such a beautiful day, and I really couldn't wait to walk around the park. I knew central park was huge, but i never realized all the different parts and entrances to it. When I think of Central Park, I just think of the big space where most of the movies take place, the more touristy part. Where we were, I had no idea that existed. I loved walking around there, and just soaking everything in. When we finally got to our destination up on the rocks, it was nice just to take a break and talk about what we learned so far about NY. It's so crazy how much there is to one little borough. I would love to go there on my own with a group of friends and just hangout. I was so jealous of all the families there playing, and having parties, I wish I could've stayed with them. Every time I go to Manhattan it's mostly for going out purposes which are the same areas every time. After taking this class, I've experienced, and learned so much more about the city, and what it has to offer. I cannot believe how much land there is, and how quiet it can actually be.
Once we left exploring the park, we made our way to midtown,and walked around viewing all the great buildings/ landmarks. We saw the Chrysler building, The City Corp building, The Waldorf Astoria and walked through Grand Central. Grand Central was and will always be the most stunning train station ever. It's a shame what they did to Penn station, but at least they left grand central alone. It was nice seeing the city corp building. I remember going there when I was little with my mom when she worked there. It was so beautiful, and I never wanted to leave. Going into some of these buildings, it was just amazing seeing the lobby, and how much detail they architects put in it. They were gorgeous, and I'm glad we were able to walk inside and see some of them. We ended the day off with the Waldorf Astoria. They did have the most beautiful bathrooms I've ever seen. I definitely felt out of place there being in a tank top and jeans while everyone was in dresses, and all fancy, but it was nice to be able to say that I was inside. One day I'll be able to afford to spend a weekend there. We did so much today & I think this was one of my favorite trips! I definitely learned a lot, and did a tremendous amount of walking. I really can't believe how much we walk every weekend, but I really am glad that I'm going to all of these different spots. It's 100% worth it!
6. MOMA AND MORNING SIDE HEIGHTS: It was a crappy rainy day, and we had to make other arrangements since it was so bad outside. We started out going to the museum of modern art on west 53rd street. This was not the best experience because there was literally 5,000 people there. It took about 45 minutes just to check our bags in, and it kind of ruined the start of the day. When we finally got in, we walked upstairs and started going through the rooms. Some of these images, and things that were considered "art" were very strange to me. I'm not an artsy person so I didn't find these things interesting, but some of them were very sexual, and i was confused why there were children in here. I think because of the over-crowding I just wasn't really having it. Even the workers there were assholes. You can't even drink water, and I wasn't even in one of the rooms! I just wanted to get out of there. Those kinds of museums aren't for me.
It was finally time to leave after people getting there bags for half an hour, and we made our way over to Hells Kitchen. We were going to a Thai resturaunt, and although I've had Thai before I was excited to try a new place. This neighborhood in midtown weest was located between 34th-59th streets and extended from 8th ave to the Hudson river (ENY, 122). "The name Hells Kitchen stuck because the neighborhood was historically one of the poorest most squalid, and most crime-ridden in 19th century New York" (ENY, 122). By the 1990's gentrification began to completely change the area of the community with large upscale apartments, which attracted young professionals to the area. One benefit was the significant increase in the number of international restaurants along 9th ave. (ENY, 123). The Thai restaurant we went to was excellent, and I loved the bakery, and cookie place we went to as well. I always need something sweet after lunch.
After lunch we made our way back to East Harlem where we went to Riverside Park. I have never in my life been to this area and it was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was finally starting to come out, and it was just beautiful. We walked through Riverside Park and met up with Jim. We went to General Grant National Memorial where we saw Ulysses S. Grant the commander of the union Army's tomb. Ulysses and his wife Julia live in NYC after his term as President ended. The memorial was placed here in 1897, and his wife joined him after her own death in 1902 (ENY, 171). The memorial was beautiful, and had marble interior everywhere. After the memorial, we went to Riverside Church. We must have passed about 3 weddings in this area. The church was stunning. "The single bell tower that is the church's distinctive feature was based upon one of the towers of Notre dame De Laon, in France" (ENY 172).
We then made our way to Columbia University. Every parent's dream for their child to go to, without paying an insane amount of money. The campus was unbelievable. It was so clean, and the architecture was just amazing. Columbia was the first established College in New York, and 5th in the United States (ENY,169). The architecture was made from Mckim, Mead, and White. We walked all around the campus, and then to a park in morning side heights where the views were incredible. I felt like I could see all of Harlem.
We then passed St. Luke's Hospital was was known for treating people with tuberculosis. Today, the hospital is no longer open, but we passed St.John the
Devine Cathedral, and walked all around. After we walked, we stopped to go see the piece fountain which was pretty weird. This fountain was to display different nursery rhymes which seemed creepy. We then spoke about the cathedral which started construction in 1892, and is only 2/3 finished which is crazy.
It is amazing that the cathedrals beginning of construction was in 1892 and is only two- thirds of a way finished to its original plans. As we walked into the church, it was like a little museum in the beginning, but once you walked in the views were amazing. It was gorgeous, and even though I'm Jewish I can always appreciated good architecture. The details of every piece were beautiful, and I was able to talk to Jim, and Nancy about more of the history while walking inside.
The day had finally come to an end, and it was definitely a long one. Meg and I walked over to the subway, and made our way towards Penn. Today was a great day, and I'm glad the sun decided to come out at a time when we had a lot of walking to do.
It was finally time to leave after people getting there bags for half an hour, and we made our way over to Hells Kitchen. We were going to a Thai resturaunt, and although I've had Thai before I was excited to try a new place. This neighborhood in midtown weest was located between 34th-59th streets and extended from 8th ave to the Hudson river (ENY, 122). "The name Hells Kitchen stuck because the neighborhood was historically one of the poorest most squalid, and most crime-ridden in 19th century New York" (ENY, 122). By the 1990's gentrification began to completely change the area of the community with large upscale apartments, which attracted young professionals to the area. One benefit was the significant increase in the number of international restaurants along 9th ave. (ENY, 123). The Thai restaurant we went to was excellent, and I loved the bakery, and cookie place we went to as well. I always need something sweet after lunch.
After lunch we made our way back to East Harlem where we went to Riverside Park. I have never in my life been to this area and it was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was finally starting to come out, and it was just beautiful. We walked through Riverside Park and met up with Jim. We went to General Grant National Memorial where we saw Ulysses S. Grant the commander of the union Army's tomb. Ulysses and his wife Julia live in NYC after his term as President ended. The memorial was placed here in 1897, and his wife joined him after her own death in 1902 (ENY, 171). The memorial was beautiful, and had marble interior everywhere. After the memorial, we went to Riverside Church. We must have passed about 3 weddings in this area. The church was stunning. "The single bell tower that is the church's distinctive feature was based upon one of the towers of Notre dame De Laon, in France" (ENY 172).
We then made our way to Columbia University. Every parent's dream for their child to go to, without paying an insane amount of money. The campus was unbelievable. It was so clean, and the architecture was just amazing. Columbia was the first established College in New York, and 5th in the United States (ENY,169). The architecture was made from Mckim, Mead, and White. We walked all around the campus, and then to a park in morning side heights where the views were incredible. I felt like I could see all of Harlem.
We then passed St. Luke's Hospital was was known for treating people with tuberculosis. Today, the hospital is no longer open, but we passed St.John the
Devine Cathedral, and walked all around. After we walked, we stopped to go see the piece fountain which was pretty weird. This fountain was to display different nursery rhymes which seemed creepy. We then spoke about the cathedral which started construction in 1892, and is only 2/3 finished which is crazy.
It is amazing that the cathedrals beginning of construction was in 1892 and is only two- thirds of a way finished to its original plans. As we walked into the church, it was like a little museum in the beginning, but once you walked in the views were amazing. It was gorgeous, and even though I'm Jewish I can always appreciated good architecture. The details of every piece were beautiful, and I was able to talk to Jim, and Nancy about more of the history while walking inside.
The day had finally come to an end, and it was definitely a long one. Meg and I walked over to the subway, and made our way towards Penn. Today was a great day, and I'm glad the sun decided to come out at a time when we had a lot of walking to do.
7. The Lower East Side: Today we started extra early at 9:00 a.m. For once it was nice out! After meeting in Penn station, we took the F train down town. I was very excited for this trip because I hangout a lot on the lower east side, on Rivington Street, and Ludlow. My grandpa also grew up on the lower east side, so I knew it would be cool seeing the different sites, as there was a lot of history of Jewish people living here. We started off at the market place where they had all different stations. They had fruits and veggies, coffee, bread, and fish. The fish smelt like shit so i was not a fan of that, and my apple sucked, but overall it was a cool experience to see everything in one.
After going to the market we went to the tenement museum on 97 orchard street This building (now museum) was home to about 7,000 people from over 20 countries- most from Ireland, Germany, Italy, and Eastern Europe. (ENY 67) This was my favorite part of the day because I was very familiar of the history of this, and I was very interested in learning about the families that lived there. It was also one of the best tour guides we ever had! She was NOT mono toned, and she spoke to us like we were her friends. She made it seem like she was just telling us facts about the building, and that it was more of a friendly conversation. She was not boring at all which made it that much better. I think it's better doing the tours in the morning where everyone is more alert, and able to function rather than in the middle of the day when everyone complains. So when we first arrived we went to the bottom floor where the women would do all the chores. We looked at photos of cartoons about the differences of German and Irish women living together. During this time in the 1860's the Irish werent considered human. In the drawings we saw, they were in the back doing laundry with monkey faces. They looked very weak, and dirty. Where as the German women were in the front, and looked like they knew what they were doing. They looked very big, strong, and powerful. This drawing showed how people viewed the Irish, and German women. Before the early 1900's the hallways had no light, so the women had to carry all the coal, and buckets of water through these hallways in the dark, and up the flights of stairs depending on where they lived. These women were dirty, tired, and did the same thing every single day. They took care of their kids, husbands, and daily chores for there 3 room tiny apartment. Life in these tenements were awful. As we made our way up the building, we went to the apartments where it was a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 buidling. There was 1 bedroom, 1 parlor, and 1 kitchen per apartment in a total of 325 sq feet.Most families consisted of 4 people but as families, and immigration grew there could be up to 12-14 per apartment. "In 1935, the landlord evicted tenants and sealed up the building rather than continue to update the building in compliance with new housing laws" (ENY 67). As we walked through the halls, it was facinating to see how everything looked. Knowing that they kept it from the 1860's is amazing. The floors were all creaky, and the walls had holes, and some writing from previous families living there. The living conditions for these families were awful. The men made about $25.00 a month while rent was $10.00 leaving not that much for other expenses. Tuberculosis was a major disease at the time, and the meat, and milk packaging was also very dangerous. Many people died from this as well as new borns. Many of the Irish turned to music as there outlet. People wrote songs about their difficulty getting jobs, lullabys to there dying babies, and their irish pride. There was also no proper sanitation and some of the garbage piled up to about 4 feet until the early 1900's when sanitation was required. The museum really was the best part of the day (learning wise), and although I learned about most of this in high school, it was great being able to visually see it, and put everything together of what people went through during these awful times.
After the tenement museum, we made our way to China Town.The chinese are the only people to be denied immigration to the U.S by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This law was repealed in 1943, and a small amount of chinese were allowed back in the U.S, but it wasn't until the immigration Act of 1965 that the chinese increased tremendously (ENY 72). I actually hate China Town. People are ridiculously more rude then usual. It smells like absolute shit, and I just can't stand it. I'm very open to experiencing new things, and trying new foods, but China Town just isn't one of them. Although I have been there before when i was little, my time there was limited, and it was just a going out to dinner experience. It's just something I'm not very into/ interested in. I don't care for the cheap coach bags, the fruits on the streets, or the ducks in the window. I just want chinese food and that's about it. As we got into our groups, we went to the chinese ice cream factory which was pretty good considering I'm not a sweets person. We went to the Buddhist Temple which was very different from anything I've ever been too,and I got a very nice fortune. So that was a game changer. Walking around was very interesting because you really do feel like you're in another world. It's crazy that just by walking 1 block over from somewhere you are so familiar with, you feel like you're not even in the United States anymore. The restaurant was very good (good job Mike!). The chicken, the lomaine, and all the vegetables were amazing, and I was very satisfied, and full. I'm sure the food is very different from the Chinese take outs by our home since the food in china town has multiple resources of fresh ingredients right there. I would go back only if I really had to, but it's not a priority for me.
As we made our way out of the restaurant we went to the best place in the world! ECONOMY CANDY! Although I have been here once before with my high school, it was much better this time around. Both my parents and grandparents showed me a lot of the candies, and sweets they ate when they were little. This store is the only place I know that has most of it available. I love that it's so small, and it really does remind you of how important candy was when you were a kid. I STOCKED UP! I got a lot of my favorite treats, and some stuff for my parents. It definitely helped for the long walk we were about to do, and it made it that much more enjoyable.
After the candy store, we walked onto Delancey street. They had so many bars, cafe's and restaurants. This street was once known as "jews Highway because of the amount of jewish immigrants who traveled back and forth between Brooklyn and the Lower East Side (ENY 67-68). As we crossed over Delancey, we walked right along the ramp of the Williamsburg bridge. We arrived at 7 Willet street where the Bialystoker Synagogue was. This synagogue was founded in 1865 by Jews who came from the town of Bialystock in Poland (ENY, 68). Although I am an Ashkenazi Jew, I'm not religious at all. I never went to hebrew school, celebrated the religious holidays, or really had an interest in participating in the religion. It was interesting to see the synagogue, and where Jews prayed in rough times, but I don't have much of an interest in religion. I never really understood the religion, everything seems very complicated with what you can and can't do so i just tend to keep myself away from it.
When we made our way to Henry Street, we came across the Henry Street Settlement that was founded by Lillian Wald. She created an organization of education, nursing care, and arts to the immigrant population of the lower east side. In later years her organization was expanded, and other wealthy philanthropists purchased a few more buildings (ENY, 69). It was a short day for us, and we continued walking down the streets of the Lower East Side. We passed another synagogue, and continued learning about the buildings, and what they once were when immigration was taking over this area. I love the Lower East Side, and I love all the history that is there. You can definitely tell that it is going through gentrification, and many changes are being made. One thing Jim told us was that some of the schools are now being turned into apartments. That's crazy to me, but you can see the construction of the modern buildings being build. I love that this area is so close to Brooklyn, and all you have to do is cross a bridge to get there. This was a fun day for me, and I'll definitely be back for more, not just for going out at night purposes, but to walk around and experience what the area has to offer during the day.
After going to the market we went to the tenement museum on 97 orchard street This building (now museum) was home to about 7,000 people from over 20 countries- most from Ireland, Germany, Italy, and Eastern Europe. (ENY 67) This was my favorite part of the day because I was very familiar of the history of this, and I was very interested in learning about the families that lived there. It was also one of the best tour guides we ever had! She was NOT mono toned, and she spoke to us like we were her friends. She made it seem like she was just telling us facts about the building, and that it was more of a friendly conversation. She was not boring at all which made it that much better. I think it's better doing the tours in the morning where everyone is more alert, and able to function rather than in the middle of the day when everyone complains. So when we first arrived we went to the bottom floor where the women would do all the chores. We looked at photos of cartoons about the differences of German and Irish women living together. During this time in the 1860's the Irish werent considered human. In the drawings we saw, they were in the back doing laundry with monkey faces. They looked very weak, and dirty. Where as the German women were in the front, and looked like they knew what they were doing. They looked very big, strong, and powerful. This drawing showed how people viewed the Irish, and German women. Before the early 1900's the hallways had no light, so the women had to carry all the coal, and buckets of water through these hallways in the dark, and up the flights of stairs depending on where they lived. These women were dirty, tired, and did the same thing every single day. They took care of their kids, husbands, and daily chores for there 3 room tiny apartment. Life in these tenements were awful. As we made our way up the building, we went to the apartments where it was a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 buidling. There was 1 bedroom, 1 parlor, and 1 kitchen per apartment in a total of 325 sq feet.Most families consisted of 4 people but as families, and immigration grew there could be up to 12-14 per apartment. "In 1935, the landlord evicted tenants and sealed up the building rather than continue to update the building in compliance with new housing laws" (ENY 67). As we walked through the halls, it was facinating to see how everything looked. Knowing that they kept it from the 1860's is amazing. The floors were all creaky, and the walls had holes, and some writing from previous families living there. The living conditions for these families were awful. The men made about $25.00 a month while rent was $10.00 leaving not that much for other expenses. Tuberculosis was a major disease at the time, and the meat, and milk packaging was also very dangerous. Many people died from this as well as new borns. Many of the Irish turned to music as there outlet. People wrote songs about their difficulty getting jobs, lullabys to there dying babies, and their irish pride. There was also no proper sanitation and some of the garbage piled up to about 4 feet until the early 1900's when sanitation was required. The museum really was the best part of the day (learning wise), and although I learned about most of this in high school, it was great being able to visually see it, and put everything together of what people went through during these awful times.
After the tenement museum, we made our way to China Town.The chinese are the only people to be denied immigration to the U.S by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This law was repealed in 1943, and a small amount of chinese were allowed back in the U.S, but it wasn't until the immigration Act of 1965 that the chinese increased tremendously (ENY 72). I actually hate China Town. People are ridiculously more rude then usual. It smells like absolute shit, and I just can't stand it. I'm very open to experiencing new things, and trying new foods, but China Town just isn't one of them. Although I have been there before when i was little, my time there was limited, and it was just a going out to dinner experience. It's just something I'm not very into/ interested in. I don't care for the cheap coach bags, the fruits on the streets, or the ducks in the window. I just want chinese food and that's about it. As we got into our groups, we went to the chinese ice cream factory which was pretty good considering I'm not a sweets person. We went to the Buddhist Temple which was very different from anything I've ever been too,and I got a very nice fortune. So that was a game changer. Walking around was very interesting because you really do feel like you're in another world. It's crazy that just by walking 1 block over from somewhere you are so familiar with, you feel like you're not even in the United States anymore. The restaurant was very good (good job Mike!). The chicken, the lomaine, and all the vegetables were amazing, and I was very satisfied, and full. I'm sure the food is very different from the Chinese take outs by our home since the food in china town has multiple resources of fresh ingredients right there. I would go back only if I really had to, but it's not a priority for me.
As we made our way out of the restaurant we went to the best place in the world! ECONOMY CANDY! Although I have been here once before with my high school, it was much better this time around. Both my parents and grandparents showed me a lot of the candies, and sweets they ate when they were little. This store is the only place I know that has most of it available. I love that it's so small, and it really does remind you of how important candy was when you were a kid. I STOCKED UP! I got a lot of my favorite treats, and some stuff for my parents. It definitely helped for the long walk we were about to do, and it made it that much more enjoyable.
After the candy store, we walked onto Delancey street. They had so many bars, cafe's and restaurants. This street was once known as "jews Highway because of the amount of jewish immigrants who traveled back and forth between Brooklyn and the Lower East Side (ENY 67-68). As we crossed over Delancey, we walked right along the ramp of the Williamsburg bridge. We arrived at 7 Willet street where the Bialystoker Synagogue was. This synagogue was founded in 1865 by Jews who came from the town of Bialystock in Poland (ENY, 68). Although I am an Ashkenazi Jew, I'm not religious at all. I never went to hebrew school, celebrated the religious holidays, or really had an interest in participating in the religion. It was interesting to see the synagogue, and where Jews prayed in rough times, but I don't have much of an interest in religion. I never really understood the religion, everything seems very complicated with what you can and can't do so i just tend to keep myself away from it.
When we made our way to Henry Street, we came across the Henry Street Settlement that was founded by Lillian Wald. She created an organization of education, nursing care, and arts to the immigrant population of the lower east side. In later years her organization was expanded, and other wealthy philanthropists purchased a few more buildings (ENY, 69). It was a short day for us, and we continued walking down the streets of the Lower East Side. We passed another synagogue, and continued learning about the buildings, and what they once were when immigration was taking over this area. I love the Lower East Side, and I love all the history that is there. You can definitely tell that it is going through gentrification, and many changes are being made. One thing Jim told us was that some of the schools are now being turned into apartments. That's crazy to me, but you can see the construction of the modern buildings being build. I love that this area is so close to Brooklyn, and all you have to do is cross a bridge to get there. This was a fun day for me, and I'll definitely be back for more, not just for going out at night purposes, but to walk around and experience what the area has to offer during the day.
8. LOWER MANHATTAN:
Today was
our last class, and I can't believe how fast it went. I felt like day 1 was
yesterday, and we were on our way to queens for the worlds fair and some indian
food. It was unbelievably hot that day, but we pulled
through. We started out going to lower manhattan again, and the views were
incredible. This is where it all started. As we made our way to battery park,
we went across this little bridge where the freedom tower was right in front of
you amongst the other beautiful buildings in the area. It was such a beautiful
day, and the view was amazing. As we walked across broadway, we made our way to
battery park.This park was named after the battery of canons that the british
kept here from 1683-1687 to protect the harbor (ENY, 56). This was the nations
first immigrant receiving station, which was eventually replaced by Ellis
Island. The area was packed with people, and the lines were insane. We then
stopped in front of castle Clinton which is the heart of battery park named
after Mayor Dewitt Clinton (ENY 56). In the 1840's and 50's so many immigrants
were coming to New York that Castle Clinton was considered an immigration depot
station to assist people upon their arrival. After we passed castle Clinton we
walked by Luis Sanguino's statue known as the "The Immigrants". This
was dedicated to the 8 million immigrants that passed through castle Clinton
when it served as the city's immigration depot station. "The statue
included a freed American slave, a priest, a worker, and an Eastern European
Jew to point to the struggles that most immigrants faced as they began their
new life in America" (ENY 56). As we walked towards Bowling Green, we
passed the "Sphere" which was originally at the plaza of the World
Trade Center. It was really interesting to know that it made it through
September 11th, and was only semi destroyed at the top. It was a symbol of the
resiliency of the people of NYC ( ENY 57). While we were walking we went up the
stairs just to see The statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. It was stunning!
Things like that make me very happy.
Fraunces Tavern Museum was next on our journey. It was really cool to know that even though the building was destroyed numerous times from cannons, they were able to get the original brick from England to replace it. This building was originally built in 1719 by Stephen Delancey, and was his home until 1730 until he moved uptown to what is now Delancey Street on the Lower east Side (ENY 55). When we first walked in, it looked like an old pub, and I can only imagine how it looks at night. The furniture is very dark, and the tables are legit wood. It was pretty cool, and I heard the food was amazing, so I will definitely have to go back and try that out. We went up the stairs to the museum. The tour started with talking about "what we think" went on in the Long Room during the dinner Washington held after the British left. We then went onto other rooms with paintings, flags, and finally the Long Room where the dinner was held. We spoke about the pipes they used, and the kind of alcohol they drank which was pretty interesting. The museum was pretty cool, but I was excited to walk through Battery Park. I am all about walking or running outside especially on a beautiful day like what we had. It literally makes my day. The view was unbelievable, and just the whole atmosphere was amazing. I just love days like that, and walking around. We then went to Hudson Eats for lunch. Meg and I went to the food court, and most of the places in there were places I never heard of! They were like chains of what we have on Long Island. They had a Mexican place that was very similar to Chipotle, a pizza place that was more of a flat bread type of pizza, and a sandwich-salad place which was very unique. The building was beautiful, and Meg and I went to the sandwich and salad place. We split both a sandwich and salad so we could have the best of both. The sandwich was amazing! It was a chicken teriyaki thing with sweet potatoes, and I'm so glad we tried it. I never had something like that before, and I usually ALWAYS get the same things. Trying new foods isn't so bad after all. We also split some chicken avocado salad which was really good. I was very satisfied with our choice, and I wanted to save room for our Beer at the brewery.
After lunch we headed towards the 911 memorial. I haven't been down there in about 6 or 7 years, and it was really nice seeing everything finally finished. The freedom tower was beautiful. I really took my time here, and just thought about September 11th, and how I felt. I'll never forget that day, and how scared I was. I was in 3rd grade and both of my parents worked in the city. I didn't know where they worked, and I just remember having that fear of not knowing if they were going to be coming home that day. Thankfully they both made it, and didn't work down town, but they did cross the queens borough bridge and went to my grandma's in Forest Hills. That day truly did bring New York together.
After the memorial we made our way to St.Paul's Chapel which was the oldest surviving Church in Manhattan as well as the oldest building in continuous use in NYC (ENY, 46). As we walked through the Chapel, the tombstones had no writing on them at all. They literally looked like big white rocks. From the tombstones I was able to see, the dates on there were from early 1800's, and I noticed it said died at age 17. I forgot people didn't live that long back then, it was such a shock to see. As we made our way inside, the memorial for those at ground zero was on the left. It's crazy to know the chapel survived September 11th, and is still standing. This survival was due to a sycamore tree that stood in the cemetery and deflected debris from the church (ENY, 47).
As the day was starting to come to an end, we ended at The tweed Courthouse. This courthouse was created by Boss Tweed who was one of New York's most corrupt politicians. The building was beautiful, but Courthouses, and Politicians don't really spark my interest, even though Lee did do a great job explaining what it was all about. Williamsburg was the only thing on my mind! I was so happy to know that a lot of the class was going. It was quite the adventure. We started out walking over the Williamsburg bridge which was breathtaking. The view, and the sunset looked like a painting. I was overly happy about this. I was not aware that it was 1.2 miles long, but it was okay, beer was on the way! We finally made it over the bridge, and I was thinking you make a few lefts and rights and the brewery is right there. That did not happen. At the time it seemed like the never ending walk, but it really was such a fun time! I'm so glad we walked because we had so many laughs, and the views were once again incredible. I have NEVER been to this part of Brooklyn, and to know that we walked from where the freedom tower was all the way to another burough on the other side was just amazing. I couldn't believe it. After we walked around by the water, and took all of our pictures, I thought the brewery for sure was going to be right there. That did not happen ONCE AGAIN! (thanks mike haha). The adventure continued, and it was still a great time. We saw all the beautiful apartments that only Madonna could afford, and passed amazing restaurants and bars. I'm so glad we did this walk because now I know where to go out on the weekends! We fiinally made it to the brewwery with about an hour of it still being open, and of course the line was ridiculous. We all waited for a little, and then decided to go to the Turkey Nest Tavern which was the nearest shit-hole bar around. It was worth every penny. $3.00 beers have my heart. At the end of the night it was just a little group of us, and I wouldnt have wanted to end the last day of class with anyone else. It truly was such an amazing day and night. I will never forget this experience, and this class.
Fraunces Tavern Museum was next on our journey. It was really cool to know that even though the building was destroyed numerous times from cannons, they were able to get the original brick from England to replace it. This building was originally built in 1719 by Stephen Delancey, and was his home until 1730 until he moved uptown to what is now Delancey Street on the Lower east Side (ENY 55). When we first walked in, it looked like an old pub, and I can only imagine how it looks at night. The furniture is very dark, and the tables are legit wood. It was pretty cool, and I heard the food was amazing, so I will definitely have to go back and try that out. We went up the stairs to the museum. The tour started with talking about "what we think" went on in the Long Room during the dinner Washington held after the British left. We then went onto other rooms with paintings, flags, and finally the Long Room where the dinner was held. We spoke about the pipes they used, and the kind of alcohol they drank which was pretty interesting. The museum was pretty cool, but I was excited to walk through Battery Park. I am all about walking or running outside especially on a beautiful day like what we had. It literally makes my day. The view was unbelievable, and just the whole atmosphere was amazing. I just love days like that, and walking around. We then went to Hudson Eats for lunch. Meg and I went to the food court, and most of the places in there were places I never heard of! They were like chains of what we have on Long Island. They had a Mexican place that was very similar to Chipotle, a pizza place that was more of a flat bread type of pizza, and a sandwich-salad place which was very unique. The building was beautiful, and Meg and I went to the sandwich and salad place. We split both a sandwich and salad so we could have the best of both. The sandwich was amazing! It was a chicken teriyaki thing with sweet potatoes, and I'm so glad we tried it. I never had something like that before, and I usually ALWAYS get the same things. Trying new foods isn't so bad after all. We also split some chicken avocado salad which was really good. I was very satisfied with our choice, and I wanted to save room for our Beer at the brewery.
After lunch we headed towards the 911 memorial. I haven't been down there in about 6 or 7 years, and it was really nice seeing everything finally finished. The freedom tower was beautiful. I really took my time here, and just thought about September 11th, and how I felt. I'll never forget that day, and how scared I was. I was in 3rd grade and both of my parents worked in the city. I didn't know where they worked, and I just remember having that fear of not knowing if they were going to be coming home that day. Thankfully they both made it, and didn't work down town, but they did cross the queens borough bridge and went to my grandma's in Forest Hills. That day truly did bring New York together.
After the memorial we made our way to St.Paul's Chapel which was the oldest surviving Church in Manhattan as well as the oldest building in continuous use in NYC (ENY, 46). As we walked through the Chapel, the tombstones had no writing on them at all. They literally looked like big white rocks. From the tombstones I was able to see, the dates on there were from early 1800's, and I noticed it said died at age 17. I forgot people didn't live that long back then, it was such a shock to see. As we made our way inside, the memorial for those at ground zero was on the left. It's crazy to know the chapel survived September 11th, and is still standing. This survival was due to a sycamore tree that stood in the cemetery and deflected debris from the church (ENY, 47).
As the day was starting to come to an end, we ended at The tweed Courthouse. This courthouse was created by Boss Tweed who was one of New York's most corrupt politicians. The building was beautiful, but Courthouses, and Politicians don't really spark my interest, even though Lee did do a great job explaining what it was all about. Williamsburg was the only thing on my mind! I was so happy to know that a lot of the class was going. It was quite the adventure. We started out walking over the Williamsburg bridge which was breathtaking. The view, and the sunset looked like a painting. I was overly happy about this. I was not aware that it was 1.2 miles long, but it was okay, beer was on the way! We finally made it over the bridge, and I was thinking you make a few lefts and rights and the brewery is right there. That did not happen. At the time it seemed like the never ending walk, but it really was such a fun time! I'm so glad we walked because we had so many laughs, and the views were once again incredible. I have NEVER been to this part of Brooklyn, and to know that we walked from where the freedom tower was all the way to another burough on the other side was just amazing. I couldn't believe it. After we walked around by the water, and took all of our pictures, I thought the brewery for sure was going to be right there. That did not happen ONCE AGAIN! (thanks mike haha). The adventure continued, and it was still a great time. We saw all the beautiful apartments that only Madonna could afford, and passed amazing restaurants and bars. I'm so glad we did this walk because now I know where to go out on the weekends! We fiinally made it to the brewwery with about an hour of it still being open, and of course the line was ridiculous. We all waited for a little, and then decided to go to the Turkey Nest Tavern which was the nearest shit-hole bar around. It was worth every penny. $3.00 beers have my heart. At the end of the night it was just a little group of us, and I wouldnt have wanted to end the last day of class with anyone else. It truly was such an amazing day and night. I will never forget this experience, and this class.
9. IMPRESSIONS AFTER: I have always loved going to the city ever since I was little. Whether it was going to work with my parents or going over the holidays to see the tree and windows, I just always found it the most beautiful place in the world. Since I do have friends and family in various part of queens I'm usually there a lot, and go out in Manhattan later on at night. This class has shown me so many historical sites, and beautiful places that I didn't even know existed. My view of the city has 100% changed, and I would love nothing more than to work, and live here. Just walking around during the day made me so happy. I felt like I was home. I have never been to a museum before except for the wax museum, but that's a very touristy thing to do. This class has brought me to all different parts of the city, and I learned a tremendous amount! Learning the grid, and the subway system was something I definitely wanted to get a better understanding of, and this class helped in every way possible. Going over the bridges, and learning the different boroughs, it really was amazing how you can get from one place to another just by walking. I felt so accomplished when we went from lower Manhattan to Williamsburg. I would go to the city every weekend if I could just to experience all these different areas again. Being from Long Island, and going to the city you still feel like a tourist even though you are from New York. The city really is a whole other world, and this class has helped me get a better understanding of it. Instead of going just for the night life, I would love nothing more than to go on a Sunday morning, walk over the Williamsburg bridge and just have the day of wondering. Then go out at night of course. Bedford avenue has quickly become one of my favorite places to go to just from my one experience of being there. I can't express enough how much I loved this class, and how EVERYONE needs to take it. My friends, family, and co-workers are actually dying to do this, and now that I have the book, I can be the new tour guide. I'm so happy I did this, it really was an unbelievable experience. Going to these different places, you really just let everything soak in, and it makes you realize how beautiful things are, and how much times have changed. As I said before, I do love history, and going to some of these places that have been preserved from the mid 1800s or even late 1700's will always amaze me. It's so different learning how people lived from a textbook and pictures in a classroom, than actually going to these places and experiencing them for yourself. To me, the city was just about going to the best bars, clubs, and restaurants, and meeting new people. Now I want to walk through the different boroughs and neighborhoods,and see the changes they go through. Going out at night will always be one of my favorite things to do, but after this class I'm a lot more interested in going during the day and experiencing the daily life of people in these neighborhoods. Happy hour will still always be there.