Journals 1-4
1. Impressions of NYC
Having lived on Long Island my entire life one would think I travel to New York City, which is only an hour long train ride, a $21.50 roundtrip ticket from Babylon, quite frequently. WRONG! I try to go into the city as often as I can but, in reality I only make it out there a couple of times a year. Usually, once in the summer and once in the winter.
In the winter, particularly around Christmas time, it is a family tradition to travel into Penn Station from Babylon to visit Rockefeller Center’s beautifully illuminated and decorated Christmas tree. My family and I take a million pictures of the tree and then it is off to 2 bros pizza for $1 a slice (my favorite part of our evening stroll)! In the summer, I try to visit the city but if it doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world. Aside from that, I have been to Madison Square Garden for concerts and to watch the Knicks, and also to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for more concerts. But, as much as I enjoy site seeing and just simply walking NYC's streets, I am far from a city girl. I enjoy the tranquility of Suffolk County as opposed to the non-stop hustle bustle of the city. I like traveling into Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens but I love coming back home at the end of the day.
When I think about New York City, the first thing that pops into my head is the traffic. However, I went to California over this past summer and I was in utter shock of how much traffic there was; the Los Angeles, Hollywood, Anaheim area to be exact. I just kept thinking, “this Californian traffic gives NY competition!” Another thing that comes to mind is the term, “melting pot” because essentially that is what New York City is; tons of people from all different parts of the world in one city, diversity at its finest. Going back to the summer of 2009 I visited Chicago and of course, as a New Yorker I had to compare the two cities. Chicago is a cleaner, less crowded, eco-friendly, miniature version of New York City. Therefore, another impression of mine in regards to NYC is its uncleanliness. The graffiti and litter everywhere is just not appealing to me. And if I might add, the people in Chicago were friendly something you don't usually come across in New York and ok, blame it on NYC being too crowded and people being in a rush, but even the belligerent drunks on the Las Vegas strip are nicer.
Overall, I can't help but almost feel guilty for not taking advantage of how close I truly am to NYC. I know there is so much to be explored, which is why I decided to take this course. I am looking forward to getting out of my comfort zone and broadening my knowledge of the city that is essentially, in my backyard. I hope to learn a number of things and visit many places that I can one day return to and re-visit with my family.
Having lived on Long Island my entire life one would think I travel to New York City, which is only an hour long train ride, a $21.50 roundtrip ticket from Babylon, quite frequently. WRONG! I try to go into the city as often as I can but, in reality I only make it out there a couple of times a year. Usually, once in the summer and once in the winter.
In the winter, particularly around Christmas time, it is a family tradition to travel into Penn Station from Babylon to visit Rockefeller Center’s beautifully illuminated and decorated Christmas tree. My family and I take a million pictures of the tree and then it is off to 2 bros pizza for $1 a slice (my favorite part of our evening stroll)! In the summer, I try to visit the city but if it doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world. Aside from that, I have been to Madison Square Garden for concerts and to watch the Knicks, and also to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for more concerts. But, as much as I enjoy site seeing and just simply walking NYC's streets, I am far from a city girl. I enjoy the tranquility of Suffolk County as opposed to the non-stop hustle bustle of the city. I like traveling into Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens but I love coming back home at the end of the day.
When I think about New York City, the first thing that pops into my head is the traffic. However, I went to California over this past summer and I was in utter shock of how much traffic there was; the Los Angeles, Hollywood, Anaheim area to be exact. I just kept thinking, “this Californian traffic gives NY competition!” Another thing that comes to mind is the term, “melting pot” because essentially that is what New York City is; tons of people from all different parts of the world in one city, diversity at its finest. Going back to the summer of 2009 I visited Chicago and of course, as a New Yorker I had to compare the two cities. Chicago is a cleaner, less crowded, eco-friendly, miniature version of New York City. Therefore, another impression of mine in regards to NYC is its uncleanliness. The graffiti and litter everywhere is just not appealing to me. And if I might add, the people in Chicago were friendly something you don't usually come across in New York and ok, blame it on NYC being too crowded and people being in a rush, but even the belligerent drunks on the Las Vegas strip are nicer.
Overall, I can't help but almost feel guilty for not taking advantage of how close I truly am to NYC. I know there is so much to be explored, which is why I decided to take this course. I am looking forward to getting out of my comfort zone and broadening my knowledge of the city that is essentially, in my backyard. I hope to learn a number of things and visit many places that I can one day return to and re-visit with my family.
2. Quirky Queens
Allow me to start off by saying this was my VERY FIRST time traveling into the city all by myself as well as the first time taking the train without the company of my parents or brother. So for starters, I was an emotional wreck. I am not ashamed to say I cried. Waiting for 8:58am to arrive knowing at that time the train's doors would close, was undoubtedly one of my most horrifying experiences. Watching the train quickly pull away from the Babylon train station and rapidly losing sight of my mom crying was tough but, by the time I reached Amityville, I knew I had to pull myself together before someone on the train started questioning me, and I did. There was no going back and I had no idea what lay ahead. I was scared.
Arriving into Penn Station at 10:12am meant I had plenty of time to 1) look for the assigned meet up area, 2) use the bathroom and 3) buy a metro card. Luckily, I met Gabrielle who knew her way around and helped me achieve the three things I needed to get done. (THANK YOU GABBY!) Once the group was all there it was off to Queens, a borough I had previously visited but did not really know anything about.
Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in the United States with over half of its residents born outside the US (ENY, 213). This was clearly demonstrated as I walked the streets of Flushing and Astoria. Our first destination was the Flushing Meadows Corona Park. We took the infamous 7 train, otherwise known as the "International Express" due to its voyage through numerous ethnically diverse communities in North America (p. 215). Upon arriving at the Willets Point Subway Station, I was distracted by the many different sites. To the right, Citi Field, home of the Mets, and to the left many tourists and natives headed to the US Open. Security was tight! Which was reassuring that we were safe. Prior to this I had been to Flushing Meadows Corona Park on numerous occasions to watch my brother play soccer and of course I saw the Unisphere, took some pictures of it (How could I not?) but I had not a clue the significance behind it, where it came from, or why it was even there. Luckily, all my questions have been answered because of this one visit and the course. Designed by Gilmore D. Clarke, this structure debuted at the 1964-1965 World's Fair with the continents positioned at the top of it because they were heavy (p. 218). After discussing the Unisphere, it was off to the Queens Museum.
For one of my brother's soccer games I had to park in the parking lot behind this building that I had no idea what it was, turns out it was the Queens Museum! Now, I am not a Museum hopper by any means and to be brutally honest, I was expecting it to be boring. However, I was in awe. I was pleasantly surprised as to how much I enjoyed walking through the museum and viewing the 9,335 square foot Panorama. Built to a scale of 1 inch to 100 feet, I was deeply impressed (ENY, 221). The fact that it was built originally for the 1964-1965 World's Fair is truly amazing, from being color coded to having a tiny airplane land at LaGuardia it was very well crafted considering it took three years to create. According to our knowledgeable tour guide, the Panorama was last updated in 1992 and it was very hard to tell considering it looked fairly new and complex. On our tour of the Queens Museum we also learned that the geographical reason there is a high concentration of buildings in Manhattan is because of the Manhattan Schist, for this journal I will describe it as some sort of durable metamorphic rock. One aspect I quickly noticed about the Panorama was the high density of red buildings which the tour guide clarified as "public housing" that Robert Moses wanted to showcase at the World's Fair noting how many red buildings there was. After marveling at the Panorama for a few minutes, we moved into the following room that displayed the New York City Watershed which was almost as impressive. A fun fact that we learned was that 1 billion gallons of water is consumed in Manhattan everyday! What I have failed to realize my entire lifetime is that the water in NYC is in fact one of the most purest because of the Ashokan Reservoir. All this time, I thought MY tap water was cleaner. Whoops! By the time we finished the tour at the Queens Museum it was lunch time. Indian cuisine was on the menu.
I am a chicken nuggets and french fries kind of gal, never really open to experimenting with new foods. However, I thought "what the heck?" I did not want to be the odd one out who decided to walk to McDonalds and so I put on a brave face and ate at the Jackson Diner. Yep, the Jackson Diner for an Indian Buffet in Jackson Heights. It didn't make much sense to me either but anyway. Immediately I went for what looked like chicken nuggets, I should've known better. I took a considerably large bite and was very disappointed when I realized it was not a chicken nugget. Apparently, it was some potato type of thing. Then I thought, let me try this chicken. At least, I think it was chicken? I took a few bites and then I was done. To my surprise, the following day my stomach was not happy and it definitely let me know not to eat Indian again. But, at least I can say I had Indian food!
Now, Astoria. We came to Astoria, and got off at the Steinway Street subway station. This street was given its name because of Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg, an immigrant who founded a piano company and built his factory here in Astoria and to this day still produces fine, handmade pianos (ENY, 223). I had never been to Astoria, I have heard of it but never physically visited. An interesting fact to me was that in 1919, Astoria was a center for film-making very similar to today's Hollywood (which I fortunately have been to) and it was home to Paramount Studios, the company with the mountain (p. 223). Therefore it was only right that we went to the Museum of the Moving Image.
This museum consisted of three floors. My most favorite being the 2nd floor. The 3rd floor consisted primarily of cartoons, Looney Toons, a Chuck Jones tribute so to speak. Although we were not allowed to take pictures I snuck a picture actual drawings of the Grinch and his dog Max. I believe, no matter how old I may get I will never get tired of watching Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, it's just impossible. Although as a child I never really watched Looney Toons, I of course knew Bugs Bunny and the Roadrunner but it was not such a big deal to me. The 2nd floor had some really cool stuff! On display was the original Emily Rose who looked absolutely real in the display box. I'm surprised the museum has not figured out a way to have her head move upon sensing someone is watching, that'd be cool. I love scary movies, can't sleep after watching them but I love them. Seeing Freddy Kreuger's razor blade glove was one of the highlights for me. Another interesting display was the molded faces of actors like Robin Williams, then his transformed molded into Mrs. Doubtfire. It was impressive. How make up artists are able to achieve such a distinct look from an actor's natural face is incredible and I give them so much credit. So that was really cool. And the last thing I will talk about is how teeny tiny the television screens were back in the day compared to its actual frame. Thank God for the advancement of technology and for the creation of the flat screen t.v.
Originally we were supposed to head to Long Island City following Astoria, but because of the wacky Saturday subway schedule instead we went home early. (I did not complain!) Although I hope to visit Long Island City one day. The ride home from Jamaica to Babylon felt like hours. But, just like every visit into the city my favorite part is going home. The moment I saw my parents and brother waiting for me on the platform is a moment I will cherish forever. I was home. I raved on and on about my day but I missed them so much. However, I am very excited to see what the rest of the course has in store. Today was truly an eye-opener as to how much I have missed out on despite living so close to the city.
Allow me to start off by saying this was my VERY FIRST time traveling into the city all by myself as well as the first time taking the train without the company of my parents or brother. So for starters, I was an emotional wreck. I am not ashamed to say I cried. Waiting for 8:58am to arrive knowing at that time the train's doors would close, was undoubtedly one of my most horrifying experiences. Watching the train quickly pull away from the Babylon train station and rapidly losing sight of my mom crying was tough but, by the time I reached Amityville, I knew I had to pull myself together before someone on the train started questioning me, and I did. There was no going back and I had no idea what lay ahead. I was scared.
Arriving into Penn Station at 10:12am meant I had plenty of time to 1) look for the assigned meet up area, 2) use the bathroom and 3) buy a metro card. Luckily, I met Gabrielle who knew her way around and helped me achieve the three things I needed to get done. (THANK YOU GABBY!) Once the group was all there it was off to Queens, a borough I had previously visited but did not really know anything about.
Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in the United States with over half of its residents born outside the US (ENY, 213). This was clearly demonstrated as I walked the streets of Flushing and Astoria. Our first destination was the Flushing Meadows Corona Park. We took the infamous 7 train, otherwise known as the "International Express" due to its voyage through numerous ethnically diverse communities in North America (p. 215). Upon arriving at the Willets Point Subway Station, I was distracted by the many different sites. To the right, Citi Field, home of the Mets, and to the left many tourists and natives headed to the US Open. Security was tight! Which was reassuring that we were safe. Prior to this I had been to Flushing Meadows Corona Park on numerous occasions to watch my brother play soccer and of course I saw the Unisphere, took some pictures of it (How could I not?) but I had not a clue the significance behind it, where it came from, or why it was even there. Luckily, all my questions have been answered because of this one visit and the course. Designed by Gilmore D. Clarke, this structure debuted at the 1964-1965 World's Fair with the continents positioned at the top of it because they were heavy (p. 218). After discussing the Unisphere, it was off to the Queens Museum.
For one of my brother's soccer games I had to park in the parking lot behind this building that I had no idea what it was, turns out it was the Queens Museum! Now, I am not a Museum hopper by any means and to be brutally honest, I was expecting it to be boring. However, I was in awe. I was pleasantly surprised as to how much I enjoyed walking through the museum and viewing the 9,335 square foot Panorama. Built to a scale of 1 inch to 100 feet, I was deeply impressed (ENY, 221). The fact that it was built originally for the 1964-1965 World's Fair is truly amazing, from being color coded to having a tiny airplane land at LaGuardia it was very well crafted considering it took three years to create. According to our knowledgeable tour guide, the Panorama was last updated in 1992 and it was very hard to tell considering it looked fairly new and complex. On our tour of the Queens Museum we also learned that the geographical reason there is a high concentration of buildings in Manhattan is because of the Manhattan Schist, for this journal I will describe it as some sort of durable metamorphic rock. One aspect I quickly noticed about the Panorama was the high density of red buildings which the tour guide clarified as "public housing" that Robert Moses wanted to showcase at the World's Fair noting how many red buildings there was. After marveling at the Panorama for a few minutes, we moved into the following room that displayed the New York City Watershed which was almost as impressive. A fun fact that we learned was that 1 billion gallons of water is consumed in Manhattan everyday! What I have failed to realize my entire lifetime is that the water in NYC is in fact one of the most purest because of the Ashokan Reservoir. All this time, I thought MY tap water was cleaner. Whoops! By the time we finished the tour at the Queens Museum it was lunch time. Indian cuisine was on the menu.
I am a chicken nuggets and french fries kind of gal, never really open to experimenting with new foods. However, I thought "what the heck?" I did not want to be the odd one out who decided to walk to McDonalds and so I put on a brave face and ate at the Jackson Diner. Yep, the Jackson Diner for an Indian Buffet in Jackson Heights. It didn't make much sense to me either but anyway. Immediately I went for what looked like chicken nuggets, I should've known better. I took a considerably large bite and was very disappointed when I realized it was not a chicken nugget. Apparently, it was some potato type of thing. Then I thought, let me try this chicken. At least, I think it was chicken? I took a few bites and then I was done. To my surprise, the following day my stomach was not happy and it definitely let me know not to eat Indian again. But, at least I can say I had Indian food!
Now, Astoria. We came to Astoria, and got off at the Steinway Street subway station. This street was given its name because of Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg, an immigrant who founded a piano company and built his factory here in Astoria and to this day still produces fine, handmade pianos (ENY, 223). I had never been to Astoria, I have heard of it but never physically visited. An interesting fact to me was that in 1919, Astoria was a center for film-making very similar to today's Hollywood (which I fortunately have been to) and it was home to Paramount Studios, the company with the mountain (p. 223). Therefore it was only right that we went to the Museum of the Moving Image.
This museum consisted of three floors. My most favorite being the 2nd floor. The 3rd floor consisted primarily of cartoons, Looney Toons, a Chuck Jones tribute so to speak. Although we were not allowed to take pictures I snuck a picture actual drawings of the Grinch and his dog Max. I believe, no matter how old I may get I will never get tired of watching Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, it's just impossible. Although as a child I never really watched Looney Toons, I of course knew Bugs Bunny and the Roadrunner but it was not such a big deal to me. The 2nd floor had some really cool stuff! On display was the original Emily Rose who looked absolutely real in the display box. I'm surprised the museum has not figured out a way to have her head move upon sensing someone is watching, that'd be cool. I love scary movies, can't sleep after watching them but I love them. Seeing Freddy Kreuger's razor blade glove was one of the highlights for me. Another interesting display was the molded faces of actors like Robin Williams, then his transformed molded into Mrs. Doubtfire. It was impressive. How make up artists are able to achieve such a distinct look from an actor's natural face is incredible and I give them so much credit. So that was really cool. And the last thing I will talk about is how teeny tiny the television screens were back in the day compared to its actual frame. Thank God for the advancement of technology and for the creation of the flat screen t.v.
Originally we were supposed to head to Long Island City following Astoria, but because of the wacky Saturday subway schedule instead we went home early. (I did not complain!) Although I hope to visit Long Island City one day. The ride home from Jamaica to Babylon felt like hours. But, just like every visit into the city my favorite part is going home. The moment I saw my parents and brother waiting for me on the platform is a moment I will cherish forever. I was home. I raved on and on about my day but I missed them so much. However, I am very excited to see what the rest of the course has in store. Today was truly an eye-opener as to how much I have missed out on despite living so close to the city.
3. Boisterous Brooklyn
It was a gloomy Saturday to venture the borough of Broooklynnnn and unfortunately because of the high possibility of rain our plans of visiting Coney Island were cancelled. But, that did not stop our journey. At 11:15am sharp we made our way down to the subway to reach Chambers Street and there it was, The Civic Center.
Walking past a rather eloquent fountain, I didn't really think much of it until I was told it was the Civic Center. Maybe it didn't seem like much because it was the weekend and many of the buildings surrounding this area are closed, open only during the week from 9am to 5pm (ENY, 40). The Civic Center is centrally located between New York City Hall, St. Paul's Chapel and our next stop, the Brooklyn Bridge (ENY, 41). However, before we began our trek on the Brooklyn Bridge it was time for a little history lesson of the great wonder we would cross over momentarily.
Brooklyn, officially known as Kings County after the Dutch, King Charles II is the most populated borough of New York City so much so that if it were an independent city, it would rank the third most populous city in all of North America (ENY, 191). Logically, there wasn't always a bridge to connect Manhattan and Brooklyn so it was interesting to hear how it all was formulated. In 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was completed but it wasn't without a few bumps in the road. This structure was very desirable during this commercial boom because the ferry service was not cutting it especially since it would not operate if there was inclement weather. Who was responsible for designing this bridge? It was a German immigrant by the name of John Roebling. However, his fame was short lived when his foot was crushed by a ferry and he decided to pour cold water on it causing him to die of gangrene. Not very smart of Mr. Roebling. Before he died he appointed his son, Washington to carry out his plan. He too was unlucky when he became crippled after suffering from decompression sickness, the "bends". It was now up to his wife, Emily to supervise the project, forced to learn the art of contruction and math acting as a liaison between her husband and the workers. It took a total of fourteen years, and 320 million dollars to complete. It was not without tragedy, 27 men died of the "bends" which leads me to ask, was the $2 a day they made really worth it? It was then time for the opening ceremony. On May 24th, 1883 it was Emily Roebling in a carriage with a rooster on her lap who crossed the Brooklyn Bridge first, not President Chester A. Arthur who was originally supposed to (ENY, 208-209). And may I just add, it truly is the "eighth wonder of the world," the views were breathtaking, in my opinion it gives the Grand Canyon competition!
After crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, we stopped for ice cream in DUMBO which I learned stands for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass", an acronym that was initially used in 1978 as a means to promote development of this area (ENY, 207). Beginning with artists, then homosexuals to young families and stroller moms, DUMBO has been in fact gentrified. It became evident as we walked through the Brooklyn Bridge Park. With incredible views of the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. Interesting enough, the concept of the Brooklyn Bridge Park developed in 2006 by Mayor Bloomberg. Here in the park one could find its major attraction, Jane's Carousel for $2 a ride. This carousel was bought by Jane (Duh!) Walentas, a real estate developer and her husband in 1984 from a theme park in Ohio after it was damaged by a fire. Although, looking at it today the 20 years it took to restore the carousel was definitely worth it. One would never be able to tell it underwent fire damage, especially in its $7 million "jewel box" (ENY, 207-208).
After walking up a steep hill (a point in time that I realized how out of shape I am), we walked over the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, just below us Robert Moses' BQE (ENY, 206). The views from this point were just as incredible. From here one could catch a glimpse of the State of Liberty and the beautiful Freedom Tower. In my mind, I flash backed to 9/11 and wondered how many people were standing on the promenade as the Twin Towers were attacked. What a view it must've been.
On our journey we came across the Montague Terrace, where there is a sign commemorating George Washington and the house that was once located there that housed Washington and his generals (ENY, 206), and walked passed Columbia Heights, a very nice neighborhood; a neighborhood I wouldn't mind living in (if only I had the money). Known for its brownstone homes, we had to talk about the significance of brownstone. Made of brown sandstone, inspired by the Dutch from the Portland Brownstone Quarries in Connecticut which closed in 2011, it isn't all that great. In fact, it is a soft, prone to crumbling, "shitty" material and yet, these homes sell for millions (ENY, 205). Another fun fact: true brown homes have two entrances, a main entrance through which only guests and the residents used, and a bottom entrance, where the servants and delivery men entered. Interesting. By this time it was 2pm, raining, cold and time for lunch. I decided to eat a slice of pizza, unfortunately for $2.50. But, my water was a dollar! Then for the fun part, the Brooklyn Historical Society.
The Brooklyn Historical Society, founded in 1863 by Henry Pierrepont and affluent Brooklynites was an organization with multiple uses such as a museum, library and educational center (ENY, 205). In 1881, the building was completed. The Historical Society held a competition among designers, George Brown Post won and decided to use the renaissance revival style. Composed of brick and terra-cotta material, it was built on the Queen Anne style premise of "If you got it, flaunt it". In the 19th century, not just anyone could visit the Historical Society, you had to be a member. At the time, the affluent Brooklynites set a very high membership fee of $30 a year so that poorer people could not enter. Throughout the building, one can spot a repeated sunflower design which became its symbol. The Great Hall was actually being set up for a wedding (not a venue I would've chosen for my wedding but, to each is own). We also had the opportunity to explore the Othmer Library which was impressive. The tour guide pointed out that the book shelves did not reach the ceiling which was a way in which the architects boasted that they did not need to support the ceiling. Another thing she mentioned was that the windows are shaded so that the natural light doesn't damage the books which most are original to the library. Then she discussed the first librarian of the Othmer Library who was to my surprise a male by the name of George Hanna from 1863-1889. She also talked about Brooklyn's history. Some facts I picked up on were: African slaves were brought in, in the very beginning of the settlement of Brooklyn and it became the slave capital of New York City, the economy was very much reliant on the use of slaves that many individuals were against their emancipation therefore it did not happen until 1987. In one of the galleries, there was of Brooklyn in 1770, it is hard to believe that Brooklyn was all farmland at one point. Who would've thought that such an evolution would occur? A very interesting piece at the Historical Society was a fairly new one; a sculpture, similar to the ones outside of the building, of a slave named Sally Maria Digs, aka Pinky. She was used by Henry Ward Beecher, at a mock slave auction to raise money for the abolitionist movement. Around her neck she has a ring that symbolizes freedom, and surrounding the sculpture is poison ivy to show inequality. All in all, it was a different experience for me not as exciting as Coney Island per say, but a nice indoor alternative.
We finished off our day looking at the Brooklyn Borough Hall, the oldest public building in Brooklyn considered to be one of New York's finest Greek Revival structures (ENY, 203). And what I took away from today's experience in Brooklyn is how disappointing it is that one cannot really find buildings as architecturally impressive on Long Island. But, that is why it is nice to visit places like Brooklyn to get out of such bland surroundings. It would have been nice to visit the more modern parts of Brooklyn and get a feel for how unique the historical parts are, but overall it was a knowledgeable, rainy day. Looking forward to next week!
It was a gloomy Saturday to venture the borough of Broooklynnnn and unfortunately because of the high possibility of rain our plans of visiting Coney Island were cancelled. But, that did not stop our journey. At 11:15am sharp we made our way down to the subway to reach Chambers Street and there it was, The Civic Center.
Walking past a rather eloquent fountain, I didn't really think much of it until I was told it was the Civic Center. Maybe it didn't seem like much because it was the weekend and many of the buildings surrounding this area are closed, open only during the week from 9am to 5pm (ENY, 40). The Civic Center is centrally located between New York City Hall, St. Paul's Chapel and our next stop, the Brooklyn Bridge (ENY, 41). However, before we began our trek on the Brooklyn Bridge it was time for a little history lesson of the great wonder we would cross over momentarily.
Brooklyn, officially known as Kings County after the Dutch, King Charles II is the most populated borough of New York City so much so that if it were an independent city, it would rank the third most populous city in all of North America (ENY, 191). Logically, there wasn't always a bridge to connect Manhattan and Brooklyn so it was interesting to hear how it all was formulated. In 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was completed but it wasn't without a few bumps in the road. This structure was very desirable during this commercial boom because the ferry service was not cutting it especially since it would not operate if there was inclement weather. Who was responsible for designing this bridge? It was a German immigrant by the name of John Roebling. However, his fame was short lived when his foot was crushed by a ferry and he decided to pour cold water on it causing him to die of gangrene. Not very smart of Mr. Roebling. Before he died he appointed his son, Washington to carry out his plan. He too was unlucky when he became crippled after suffering from decompression sickness, the "bends". It was now up to his wife, Emily to supervise the project, forced to learn the art of contruction and math acting as a liaison between her husband and the workers. It took a total of fourteen years, and 320 million dollars to complete. It was not without tragedy, 27 men died of the "bends" which leads me to ask, was the $2 a day they made really worth it? It was then time for the opening ceremony. On May 24th, 1883 it was Emily Roebling in a carriage with a rooster on her lap who crossed the Brooklyn Bridge first, not President Chester A. Arthur who was originally supposed to (ENY, 208-209). And may I just add, it truly is the "eighth wonder of the world," the views were breathtaking, in my opinion it gives the Grand Canyon competition!
After crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, we stopped for ice cream in DUMBO which I learned stands for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass", an acronym that was initially used in 1978 as a means to promote development of this area (ENY, 207). Beginning with artists, then homosexuals to young families and stroller moms, DUMBO has been in fact gentrified. It became evident as we walked through the Brooklyn Bridge Park. With incredible views of the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. Interesting enough, the concept of the Brooklyn Bridge Park developed in 2006 by Mayor Bloomberg. Here in the park one could find its major attraction, Jane's Carousel for $2 a ride. This carousel was bought by Jane (Duh!) Walentas, a real estate developer and her husband in 1984 from a theme park in Ohio after it was damaged by a fire. Although, looking at it today the 20 years it took to restore the carousel was definitely worth it. One would never be able to tell it underwent fire damage, especially in its $7 million "jewel box" (ENY, 207-208).
After walking up a steep hill (a point in time that I realized how out of shape I am), we walked over the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, just below us Robert Moses' BQE (ENY, 206). The views from this point were just as incredible. From here one could catch a glimpse of the State of Liberty and the beautiful Freedom Tower. In my mind, I flash backed to 9/11 and wondered how many people were standing on the promenade as the Twin Towers were attacked. What a view it must've been.
On our journey we came across the Montague Terrace, where there is a sign commemorating George Washington and the house that was once located there that housed Washington and his generals (ENY, 206), and walked passed Columbia Heights, a very nice neighborhood; a neighborhood I wouldn't mind living in (if only I had the money). Known for its brownstone homes, we had to talk about the significance of brownstone. Made of brown sandstone, inspired by the Dutch from the Portland Brownstone Quarries in Connecticut which closed in 2011, it isn't all that great. In fact, it is a soft, prone to crumbling, "shitty" material and yet, these homes sell for millions (ENY, 205). Another fun fact: true brown homes have two entrances, a main entrance through which only guests and the residents used, and a bottom entrance, where the servants and delivery men entered. Interesting. By this time it was 2pm, raining, cold and time for lunch. I decided to eat a slice of pizza, unfortunately for $2.50. But, my water was a dollar! Then for the fun part, the Brooklyn Historical Society.
The Brooklyn Historical Society, founded in 1863 by Henry Pierrepont and affluent Brooklynites was an organization with multiple uses such as a museum, library and educational center (ENY, 205). In 1881, the building was completed. The Historical Society held a competition among designers, George Brown Post won and decided to use the renaissance revival style. Composed of brick and terra-cotta material, it was built on the Queen Anne style premise of "If you got it, flaunt it". In the 19th century, not just anyone could visit the Historical Society, you had to be a member. At the time, the affluent Brooklynites set a very high membership fee of $30 a year so that poorer people could not enter. Throughout the building, one can spot a repeated sunflower design which became its symbol. The Great Hall was actually being set up for a wedding (not a venue I would've chosen for my wedding but, to each is own). We also had the opportunity to explore the Othmer Library which was impressive. The tour guide pointed out that the book shelves did not reach the ceiling which was a way in which the architects boasted that they did not need to support the ceiling. Another thing she mentioned was that the windows are shaded so that the natural light doesn't damage the books which most are original to the library. Then she discussed the first librarian of the Othmer Library who was to my surprise a male by the name of George Hanna from 1863-1889. She also talked about Brooklyn's history. Some facts I picked up on were: African slaves were brought in, in the very beginning of the settlement of Brooklyn and it became the slave capital of New York City, the economy was very much reliant on the use of slaves that many individuals were against their emancipation therefore it did not happen until 1987. In one of the galleries, there was of Brooklyn in 1770, it is hard to believe that Brooklyn was all farmland at one point. Who would've thought that such an evolution would occur? A very interesting piece at the Historical Society was a fairly new one; a sculpture, similar to the ones outside of the building, of a slave named Sally Maria Digs, aka Pinky. She was used by Henry Ward Beecher, at a mock slave auction to raise money for the abolitionist movement. Around her neck she has a ring that symbolizes freedom, and surrounding the sculpture is poison ivy to show inequality. All in all, it was a different experience for me not as exciting as Coney Island per say, but a nice indoor alternative.
We finished off our day looking at the Brooklyn Borough Hall, the oldest public building in Brooklyn considered to be one of New York's finest Greek Revival structures (ENY, 203). And what I took away from today's experience in Brooklyn is how disappointing it is that one cannot really find buildings as architecturally impressive on Long Island. But, that is why it is nice to visit places like Brooklyn to get out of such bland surroundings. It would have been nice to visit the more modern parts of Brooklyn and get a feel for how unique the historical parts are, but overall it was a knowledgeable, rainy day. Looking forward to next week!
4. Chelsea and the Village
Waking up at 5:30 or 6am is a ritual to me, whether it be for nursing clinical or class, my body is just used to it; although it makes it a lot easier when I have something to look forward to like Saturday's CORE class. It was 6:45am Saturday morning and I was ready to go, even though my train did not leave until 8:58am, my adrenaline was already pumping. Typically, Gabby and I take the 8:58am train to get to Penn by 10:14am but Gabby overslept which was fine by me. I still took the 8:58am train but then stopped over at Merrick to wait for Gabby to take the next train into Penn which would be coming half an hour later. It was a gorgeous morning to just walk around and sit on the platform that I did not mind waiting at all. It was now 9:54am, Gabby had finally made it to the Merrick station and it was time to venture on into Penn Station.
Arriving at Penn at 10:45am meant we had 15 minutes to quickly run to the bathroom, and so that is exactly what we did. To no surprise we were welcomed with a long line of women waiting to use the restroom. The line went by quick and we made it just in time to start our adventure, others weren't as fortunate and would have to catch up with us! Upon leaving Penn Station, Mike gave us a brief history lesson on Pennsylvania Station, the busiest train center in the United States serving over 600,000 passengers daily (ENY, 114). In 1910, when the original Penn Station was built by McKim, Mead and White it was considered a masterpiece of Beaux-Arts style with pink granite marble, and Greek columns which is pretty hard to fathom considering the looks of it today. At one point, there were plans of tearing it down because of how expensive it was to maintain it but as always, many New Yorkers fought to save the station arguing it should be restored not torn down. Despite their efforts, in 1963 the above ground parts of Penn were demolished to make way for an underground station, Madison Square Garden and two office towers. This creation left many enraged, furious, calling this new Penn Station, in the words of Mike Russo: Penn "piece of shit" Station and Madison "piece of shit" Garden. This constant criticism drove New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan's proposal in the early 1990s to rebuild Penn Station in the James Farley Post Office Building which is truly impressive with its neoclassical Corinthian columns, and lavish aesthetic appeal. In fact, the Post Office was built by the same three gentlemen who built Penn Station, McKim, Mead and White (White was the pervert). In 2003, NY Governor Pataki and Senator Schumer renamed the post office, "Moynihan Station" in honor of the late senator (ENY, 114-115). After this short discussion it was on to the beginning of our lengthy trek in Manhattan. But, my God was it a beautiful day to walk the city's streets.
Our first pit stop was in front of a parking garage, within a short proximity of the High Line. But before we got into the details of the High Line, we first talked about the history and evolution of Chelsea. Chelsea was named after the London neighborhood of British army captain Thomas Clark. Clark, who purchased the land consisting of 94 acres in 1750 would eventually pass the property onto his grandson poet, Clement Clark Moore most famously known for his holiday piece, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (my personal Christmas favorite). Moore divided the land into lots along 9th Avenue which was at one time nothing but farmland, and now stylish town houses (clearly not the case today). In 1847, Chelsea's exclusive nature took a turn when the Hudson River railroad tracks were put in place. This caused an influx of Irish immigrants deemed dirty and were definitely not welcome (ENY, 83). If that wasn't bad enough, an epidemic of Cholera hit Chelsea and it was a disaster. By the 1840s it was like Gangs of New York, the Irish were invading the White Protestants forcing the "beautiful people" to move North to get away from the pollution, industrialization, and of course, the Irish. Chelsea would become predominantly blue-collared, crime ridden and smutty (a term I learned from Mike!). Furthermore, transvestite prostitutes would take over the meatpacking district. Fortunately, in the 1990s SoHo (South of Houston) became so trendy and expensive that artists were forced to look elsewhere and what better place than abandoned buildings in nearby Chelsea? Hundreds of galleries sprung up transforming Chelsea into a prestigious art center still in existence today. What's more is the converted abandoned elevated freight line into the High Line which was our next destination.
The High Line is an attraction I had heard of but never ultimately visited so I was excited to see what it was all about. We all made our way up a set of stairs at 30th street (I believe) and it was overwhelmingly crowded to say the least. With other High Line Visitors pushing and shoving their way through, it was difficult to appreciate the beauty of the High Line. Time for a little history. Logically, this High Line creation wasn't always there. In the mid-19th century, in its place there was a street level freight line that would transport produce throughout the city. However, this train line was fatal because of how crowded the streets were which led to the creation of 10th Avenue's nickname, "Death Avenue". In an attempt to solve this problem, in the 1930s the New York Central Railroad elevated the line 30 feet above the street. Not a bad idea I think. But, in the 1980s up until the 1990s it became abandoned and once again there were plans for demolition and of course, New Yorkers were not having it and they put up a fight. A non-profit community group formed in 1999 set out to transform it into an elevated park. Now, I walked the High Line and it is not your typical "park". It is just a narrow walkway with flowers and plants native to New York, in full bloom. In 2006, the High Line officially opened and it was a huge hit. So much so that many saw the opportunity to build luxury apartments and high rises which are equally as exclusive and expensive (ENY, 84). As unique as the High Line is, it did not quite wow me. Maybe it was because of how crowded it was but, nonetheless it was different and something to cross off on my New York City bucket list. We got off earlier than anticipated because of the crowds and from there went art gallery hopping.
As I mentioned earlier, Chelsea is known for its artsy vibes. Filled with numerous art galleries that can be accessed from staircases located at 26th, 23rd, 20th, or 18th streets descending from the High Line, there are hundreds of them showcasing some of the world's most prominent contemporary art. A gallery, in contrast to a museum is privately owned and devoted to selling and displaying art. These art galleries reminded me of when I was on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and the tour guide said, "there are no price tags. If you have to ask how much something is, you can't afford it" and it was the same concept at these galleries. The only free aspect of the high end shops on Rodeo Drive and the art galleries in Chelsea is the admission to view the articles of clothing, or in this case art. There are just a few rules, no touching or leaning on the art, if something does not look like art view it as art and refrain from touching, and lastly do not trash talk about the pieces on display as simplistic and unattractive they are beware, the person right next to you might just be the artist themselves (ENY, 85-86). The first gallery we went to was one by David Hockney and it consisted of pictures he created on an iPad. On one of the walls at his gallery there was a quote that read, "...I drew the arrival of Spring in Woldgate in 2011" which made sense as I walked around, all of the pieces of art were Spring-like. We then gallery hopped into a few different galleries, one that stood out to me was by Annie Morris. I am no professional art critic, but Morris' work looked to me as the creations of a mischievous child who took a red pen and just started drawing. But, hey I am sure that there are plenty of people willing to [foolishly] spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on what is portrayed to be art. We then stopped at a bookstore, a crude, strange, bookstore called Printed Matter. It was not without warning that we walked in and feasted our eyes on books, magazines, and shirts that were very provocative. A book that caught my attention was titled "Pin Ups" and it was filled with nudes of a man posing like a woman. From earrings to the infamous "duck face," it was strange yet interesting. I think it was to make a point, that men always pin up nudes, and erotic images from magazines of women but this was for I believe a gay man's pleasure. Weird, yet entertaining.
We then made our way through the Chelsea Historical District which is all that remains of the early 19th century Chelsea. To be completely honest, at this point Mike was talking to us but I could not hear anything at all. Although, I did take a picture of what I believe is Cushman Row, a collection of seven red brick houses that were built in 1839 and 1840. These few houses are considered some of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture (ENY, 86-87). We then talked about the Meatpacking District which contain's some of the city's most popular bars, restaurants, and clubs to boogie on down. The meat however, was a different type of meat, that of which belonged to transvestite prostitutes if you know I'm saying. In the 1990s, the area was cleaned up by Mayor Giuliani and today, high end boutiques by designers such as Alexander McQueen have been set up (ENY, 87-88). It was now time for a tour through Greenwich Village.
Greenwich Village, otherwise known as "the village" was originally nothing but marshland, followed by the Dutch who used it as farmland calling it Noortwyck, and then when the British settled in the area it was named Grin'wich. In the mid 19th century, the Cholera epidemic occurred, and Irish and Italian immigrants were coming in (as I mentioned) causing many rich residents to move north and industrialization started to happen. The low cost of housing in Greenwich Village caused it to become hippie central, the center of Bohemian life. Today, low costs do not exist in this area and only those fortunate enough who can afford its pricey rent live there (ENY, 88-89). Next on our itinerary, West Village.
Navigating your way through the West Village is a bit tricky and confusing because of its intersecting streets. Furthermore, it has been home to a large population of gays and lesbians dating back to the 1960s. It was here that the Gay Rights Movement officially began because as everyone knows, homosexual behavior was frowned upon. Today, it is much more socially and culturally acceptable. Since the 60s, the area surrounding Christopher Street has been a center for the New York gay life (ENY, 89-90). We had a quick photo-op of the statues at Christopher Park, across from the Stonewall Inn (where the July 28th, 1969 riot erupted) which were created by George Segal in 1992 in celebration of whose who launched the gay rights movement, it is the "hallmark of gay people". The statues were made of bronze and painted white to make them pop out from its surroundings. Although not as prevalent as it was decades ago, today Christopher Street, the gay Main Street still caters to a large amount of gay and lesbian clientele (ENY, 92-93).
We stopped briefly at the Jefferson Market Garden which houses the Jefferson Market Library. This garden was in the 19th century a food market, and the library was a woman's prison. The prison was torn down in 1974. The library however created in 1877 is one of the few High Victorian Gothic-style buildings that still stands in Manhattan. It was at one point a courthouse which hosted "The Crime of the Century" in 1906, when Harry K. Thaw was tried for the murder of Standford White (the pervert) who designed the Washington Square Park arch. It was a jealous rage over White's affair with Thaw's fiancé model, 16 year old, Evelyn Nesbit. This whole ordeal was a media circus (ENY, 90-91).
But wait, I am still not done writing about my Saturday. We, on this beautiful day walked through the Washington Square Park, an area that once served as a place for decaying bodies of indigent and unknown people. We passed the 300 year old English Elm tree that was used for public executions, referred to as "Hangman's Elm," a very interesting fact that I would have not known had I not taken this course so, thank you Mike! In the 1950s, Robert Moses wanted to build a highway right through the park (typical of Moses) but as always, someone put up a fight. In this case, Jane Jacobs. Jacobs led the protest to save the park and her efforts were not in vain. We also viewed the Washington Square Arch which surprisingly was the venue for a couple's wedding ceremony. I thought that was very cool and romantic. The arch, as mentioned earlier was designed by Stanford White and completed in 1891 standing tall at 70 feet in commemoration of George Washington's inauguration (ENY, 95). Another fun fact I learned about the park was that the fountain which is perfectly centered today was not always, in fact they demolished it to then reconstruct to move it just a few inches. All about aesthetics!
As we made our way down McDougal and Bleecker Streets it was time for lunch and what better place to take a break than right in front of the infamous Cafe Wha? where music legends including Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix performed in the 1960s. I decided to eat at a pizzeria on Bleecker Street, for $3 I had two slices of pizza and a water. Last week in Brooklyn for $3.50 I had one slice and a water so I was pretty excited that I got a good deal! Bleecker Street was named after Anthony Bleecker, who owned land here in the early 19th century (ENY, 97). At 2:56pm lunch time was over and it was onwards to the Merchant's House Museum.
I was a bit skeptical about this museum because last week's museum experience was a bust. But, with no other choice I went in. The Merchant's house is a preserved Federal-style house, filled with furnishings and decorations dating back to the mid-19th century. It was home to the Tredwell Family, built by Joseph Brewster in 1832 and purchased by Seabury Tredwell, a wealthy merchant in 1835 for a whopping $18,000 (ENY, 99). Our lovely tour guide, Kevin gave us some great insight on the home. This house portrays how a prosperous family lived before the Civil War. It is considered a New York City and national landmark. In 1835 the Tredwells moved in from the World Trade Center area with seven children. In 1840, Gertrude, their 8th child was born. Gertrude lived in this house her entire life until she died in 1933, never married and never changing a single thing about the house. If you do the math, that's 93 years that she lived in this house. It is said that the houses of wealthy merchants in this area were identical to each other, so much so that it would take a few minutes before one would realize that it wasn't your house. As one can imagine, in the 19th century there was no running water, and no electricity. Instead, coal stoves and plate warmers were used to warm up the house and cook. On the cast iron stove that can be found in the basement, there are 8 burners and a beehive oven. Water would come from a well that would fill up with run-off from the roof when it would rain. There weren't any cellphones so they used call bells to communicate throughout the home. In the basement the walls were low, and the furniture was ordinary; a huge difference as soon as you go to the first main floor. I was in awe, the high ceilings, ornate moldings; it was like a completely different house! Something Kevin mentioned which I thought was funny was that everything in the front and back parlor was symmetrical; the windows, fireplaces, even the doors! The front parlor would be for hosting guests on special occasions (rarely used) and the back parlor used as a multi-purpose space. In the front parlor there was a portrait of Seabury himself, Kevin pointed out his "Q" ponytail, in his obituary it says that he was the last man to wear this kind of ponytail after the Civil War. My question is, how would anyone even know that? Anyway, we then moved onto the next floor up. Here were the rooms of Seabury and Eliza who had separate rooms to live like English aristocracy. The beds with beautifully decorated drapes, and the curtains with candle fixtures (what a fire hazard!). There was a chest in Seabury's room that was used to store clothes but there were no hangers, therefore the clothes had to be folded and stacked. Kevin pointed out that inside the chest are candle burnings that one can assume are from candles they would use to look in the closet because there wasn't any electricity. Because of the lack of running water, sponge baths and bathing once a week was the norm. The bathtub was quite interesting I just can't get passed the showering only once a week! Then we took two more flights of stairs to the top floor (one more set of stairs would've taken us to the attic which could not be accessed). On the top floor was the servants' room, a room that once was for 4 servants who catered to 15 family members (which explains the extra bed in Eliza's room where Kevin said was probably for a sick child). The top floor also had 17 trunks of clothing that were left behind when Gertrude died (we couldn't see the clothes because of how fragile the articles of clothing are). It wasn't until the 1930s that Gertrude's cousin bought the house and converted it into a museum which was a beneficial idea for those interested in the history of these homes (ENY, 99-100). Today the home is a time capsule and I had a great time taking a tour of it, it was like a miniature Old Bethpage!
After viewing one of the oldest buildings in the city that holds such a rich history it was mind-boggling to then head over to 41 Cooper Square, a very modern, post-modern building. The building belongs to an array of buildings owned by the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art founded by industrialist, Peter Cooper. Today, it is one of the most prestigious schools of art, architecture and engineering. In 1982, the school came up with the idea of developing the area with more high-rise buildings, and yet again local residents opposed because it would destroy the low-rise character of the neighborhood. Nobody cares and so the high-rise buildings keep coming in. 41 Cooper Square is the newest addition, composed of metal bands, and a gash-like opening, it is one of a kind. The interior, which we were fortunate enough to view is bold and meant to imitate a communal hive, staircases zig-zagging like bridges (ENY, 102). I was impressed and wondered why despite paying thousands of dollars in tuition to Molloy, that we do not have anything nearly as impressive as this building on campus! Molloy should step up their architectural game.
Don't fret, I'm almost done! We quickly passed by McSorley's Old Ale House, founded by Irish immigrant John McSorley (with a last name like that, I could've told you it was Irish!), in 1854. It is known today for being one of NYC's last "Men's Only" pubs, finally allowing women in in 1970. Only 44 years ago! Then we headed over to St. Mark's Place, which in the 1960s and 80s was hippie central (ENY, 104). Followed by St. Mark's Church in the Bowery, which is the oldest church in continuous use in the city. Built in 1660 by Peter Stuyvesant, when he died in 1672, his remains were placed in a vault beneath the chapel. In 1799, a Georgian-style church was built by John McComb Jr. which is the church that we viewed today (ENY, 104-105). The Russian and Turkish Baths was a place we walked by known to be a bath house for poor immigrants who did not have the luxury of indoor plumbing, and where women on their menstrual would go for ritual cleansing (still in business today since 1892) (ENY, 105). We then visited another community garden, La Plaza Cultural although very different than the Jefferson Market Garden. Mike showed us how they made compost from lint, and other materials to create this garden that originated in 1976. A mural at the garden had the words, "La Lucha Continua" the struggle continues which remains true especially in this area (ENY, 106-107). From here we cut through Tompkins Square Park which was riot central. Every 10 years a riot would erupt. One of the most infamous riots dating back to 1863 between the Irish and African Americans who were both considered sub-human and at one point segregated. On June 3rd, 1991 until July 25th, 1992, the park was closed in order to evict the homeless, and in essence for the purposes of crowd control which led to the barricades seen today and lack of open space which can only be reached by jumping over a fence (ENY, 107).
Our class ended in front of the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, home of the salty pimp which I will definitely go back one day to try! However, for Gabby, Jimmy and I, our adventure was not over. We decided to continue exploring! Last year for my birthday I went to Casa Adela, a popular Puerto Rican restaurant, and absolutely loved it. So, I suggested to Jimmy and Gabby that we go there for some dinner. Located on Avenue C and East 5th Street, it was only about a 5 minute walk from where we left off. After finding an ATM, (because the restaurant only accepts cash) we made our way to Casa Adela. I had some alcapurrias (ground beef filled fritters, one of my absolute favorite Puerto Rican dishes), I recommended them to Gabby who had a couple, and Jimmy had the crackling chicken with rice and beans, which was to die for! After stuffing our faces with this scrumptious food it was about 9pm. We contemplated walking back to Penn but we decided to cheat and take the F train to Herald Square. Funny thing a girl on the train mentioned was, "you're not a true New Yorker until you've held onto one of the poles on a subway" looks like it's official, I have attained New Yorker status! We made our way to Penn "piece of shit" station and went on our merry way back home. An hour and a half later, I was finally home in my bed. What a day! I cannot wait for next Saturday!
*I can't believe this journal entry took me over 3 hours!!
Waking up at 5:30 or 6am is a ritual to me, whether it be for nursing clinical or class, my body is just used to it; although it makes it a lot easier when I have something to look forward to like Saturday's CORE class. It was 6:45am Saturday morning and I was ready to go, even though my train did not leave until 8:58am, my adrenaline was already pumping. Typically, Gabby and I take the 8:58am train to get to Penn by 10:14am but Gabby overslept which was fine by me. I still took the 8:58am train but then stopped over at Merrick to wait for Gabby to take the next train into Penn which would be coming half an hour later. It was a gorgeous morning to just walk around and sit on the platform that I did not mind waiting at all. It was now 9:54am, Gabby had finally made it to the Merrick station and it was time to venture on into Penn Station.
Arriving at Penn at 10:45am meant we had 15 minutes to quickly run to the bathroom, and so that is exactly what we did. To no surprise we were welcomed with a long line of women waiting to use the restroom. The line went by quick and we made it just in time to start our adventure, others weren't as fortunate and would have to catch up with us! Upon leaving Penn Station, Mike gave us a brief history lesson on Pennsylvania Station, the busiest train center in the United States serving over 600,000 passengers daily (ENY, 114). In 1910, when the original Penn Station was built by McKim, Mead and White it was considered a masterpiece of Beaux-Arts style with pink granite marble, and Greek columns which is pretty hard to fathom considering the looks of it today. At one point, there were plans of tearing it down because of how expensive it was to maintain it but as always, many New Yorkers fought to save the station arguing it should be restored not torn down. Despite their efforts, in 1963 the above ground parts of Penn were demolished to make way for an underground station, Madison Square Garden and two office towers. This creation left many enraged, furious, calling this new Penn Station, in the words of Mike Russo: Penn "piece of shit" Station and Madison "piece of shit" Garden. This constant criticism drove New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan's proposal in the early 1990s to rebuild Penn Station in the James Farley Post Office Building which is truly impressive with its neoclassical Corinthian columns, and lavish aesthetic appeal. In fact, the Post Office was built by the same three gentlemen who built Penn Station, McKim, Mead and White (White was the pervert). In 2003, NY Governor Pataki and Senator Schumer renamed the post office, "Moynihan Station" in honor of the late senator (ENY, 114-115). After this short discussion it was on to the beginning of our lengthy trek in Manhattan. But, my God was it a beautiful day to walk the city's streets.
Our first pit stop was in front of a parking garage, within a short proximity of the High Line. But before we got into the details of the High Line, we first talked about the history and evolution of Chelsea. Chelsea was named after the London neighborhood of British army captain Thomas Clark. Clark, who purchased the land consisting of 94 acres in 1750 would eventually pass the property onto his grandson poet, Clement Clark Moore most famously known for his holiday piece, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (my personal Christmas favorite). Moore divided the land into lots along 9th Avenue which was at one time nothing but farmland, and now stylish town houses (clearly not the case today). In 1847, Chelsea's exclusive nature took a turn when the Hudson River railroad tracks were put in place. This caused an influx of Irish immigrants deemed dirty and were definitely not welcome (ENY, 83). If that wasn't bad enough, an epidemic of Cholera hit Chelsea and it was a disaster. By the 1840s it was like Gangs of New York, the Irish were invading the White Protestants forcing the "beautiful people" to move North to get away from the pollution, industrialization, and of course, the Irish. Chelsea would become predominantly blue-collared, crime ridden and smutty (a term I learned from Mike!). Furthermore, transvestite prostitutes would take over the meatpacking district. Fortunately, in the 1990s SoHo (South of Houston) became so trendy and expensive that artists were forced to look elsewhere and what better place than abandoned buildings in nearby Chelsea? Hundreds of galleries sprung up transforming Chelsea into a prestigious art center still in existence today. What's more is the converted abandoned elevated freight line into the High Line which was our next destination.
The High Line is an attraction I had heard of but never ultimately visited so I was excited to see what it was all about. We all made our way up a set of stairs at 30th street (I believe) and it was overwhelmingly crowded to say the least. With other High Line Visitors pushing and shoving their way through, it was difficult to appreciate the beauty of the High Line. Time for a little history. Logically, this High Line creation wasn't always there. In the mid-19th century, in its place there was a street level freight line that would transport produce throughout the city. However, this train line was fatal because of how crowded the streets were which led to the creation of 10th Avenue's nickname, "Death Avenue". In an attempt to solve this problem, in the 1930s the New York Central Railroad elevated the line 30 feet above the street. Not a bad idea I think. But, in the 1980s up until the 1990s it became abandoned and once again there were plans for demolition and of course, New Yorkers were not having it and they put up a fight. A non-profit community group formed in 1999 set out to transform it into an elevated park. Now, I walked the High Line and it is not your typical "park". It is just a narrow walkway with flowers and plants native to New York, in full bloom. In 2006, the High Line officially opened and it was a huge hit. So much so that many saw the opportunity to build luxury apartments and high rises which are equally as exclusive and expensive (ENY, 84). As unique as the High Line is, it did not quite wow me. Maybe it was because of how crowded it was but, nonetheless it was different and something to cross off on my New York City bucket list. We got off earlier than anticipated because of the crowds and from there went art gallery hopping.
As I mentioned earlier, Chelsea is known for its artsy vibes. Filled with numerous art galleries that can be accessed from staircases located at 26th, 23rd, 20th, or 18th streets descending from the High Line, there are hundreds of them showcasing some of the world's most prominent contemporary art. A gallery, in contrast to a museum is privately owned and devoted to selling and displaying art. These art galleries reminded me of when I was on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and the tour guide said, "there are no price tags. If you have to ask how much something is, you can't afford it" and it was the same concept at these galleries. The only free aspect of the high end shops on Rodeo Drive and the art galleries in Chelsea is the admission to view the articles of clothing, or in this case art. There are just a few rules, no touching or leaning on the art, if something does not look like art view it as art and refrain from touching, and lastly do not trash talk about the pieces on display as simplistic and unattractive they are beware, the person right next to you might just be the artist themselves (ENY, 85-86). The first gallery we went to was one by David Hockney and it consisted of pictures he created on an iPad. On one of the walls at his gallery there was a quote that read, "...I drew the arrival of Spring in Woldgate in 2011" which made sense as I walked around, all of the pieces of art were Spring-like. We then gallery hopped into a few different galleries, one that stood out to me was by Annie Morris. I am no professional art critic, but Morris' work looked to me as the creations of a mischievous child who took a red pen and just started drawing. But, hey I am sure that there are plenty of people willing to [foolishly] spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on what is portrayed to be art. We then stopped at a bookstore, a crude, strange, bookstore called Printed Matter. It was not without warning that we walked in and feasted our eyes on books, magazines, and shirts that were very provocative. A book that caught my attention was titled "Pin Ups" and it was filled with nudes of a man posing like a woman. From earrings to the infamous "duck face," it was strange yet interesting. I think it was to make a point, that men always pin up nudes, and erotic images from magazines of women but this was for I believe a gay man's pleasure. Weird, yet entertaining.
We then made our way through the Chelsea Historical District which is all that remains of the early 19th century Chelsea. To be completely honest, at this point Mike was talking to us but I could not hear anything at all. Although, I did take a picture of what I believe is Cushman Row, a collection of seven red brick houses that were built in 1839 and 1840. These few houses are considered some of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture (ENY, 86-87). We then talked about the Meatpacking District which contain's some of the city's most popular bars, restaurants, and clubs to boogie on down. The meat however, was a different type of meat, that of which belonged to transvestite prostitutes if you know I'm saying. In the 1990s, the area was cleaned up by Mayor Giuliani and today, high end boutiques by designers such as Alexander McQueen have been set up (ENY, 87-88). It was now time for a tour through Greenwich Village.
Greenwich Village, otherwise known as "the village" was originally nothing but marshland, followed by the Dutch who used it as farmland calling it Noortwyck, and then when the British settled in the area it was named Grin'wich. In the mid 19th century, the Cholera epidemic occurred, and Irish and Italian immigrants were coming in (as I mentioned) causing many rich residents to move north and industrialization started to happen. The low cost of housing in Greenwich Village caused it to become hippie central, the center of Bohemian life. Today, low costs do not exist in this area and only those fortunate enough who can afford its pricey rent live there (ENY, 88-89). Next on our itinerary, West Village.
Navigating your way through the West Village is a bit tricky and confusing because of its intersecting streets. Furthermore, it has been home to a large population of gays and lesbians dating back to the 1960s. It was here that the Gay Rights Movement officially began because as everyone knows, homosexual behavior was frowned upon. Today, it is much more socially and culturally acceptable. Since the 60s, the area surrounding Christopher Street has been a center for the New York gay life (ENY, 89-90). We had a quick photo-op of the statues at Christopher Park, across from the Stonewall Inn (where the July 28th, 1969 riot erupted) which were created by George Segal in 1992 in celebration of whose who launched the gay rights movement, it is the "hallmark of gay people". The statues were made of bronze and painted white to make them pop out from its surroundings. Although not as prevalent as it was decades ago, today Christopher Street, the gay Main Street still caters to a large amount of gay and lesbian clientele (ENY, 92-93).
We stopped briefly at the Jefferson Market Garden which houses the Jefferson Market Library. This garden was in the 19th century a food market, and the library was a woman's prison. The prison was torn down in 1974. The library however created in 1877 is one of the few High Victorian Gothic-style buildings that still stands in Manhattan. It was at one point a courthouse which hosted "The Crime of the Century" in 1906, when Harry K. Thaw was tried for the murder of Standford White (the pervert) who designed the Washington Square Park arch. It was a jealous rage over White's affair with Thaw's fiancé model, 16 year old, Evelyn Nesbit. This whole ordeal was a media circus (ENY, 90-91).
But wait, I am still not done writing about my Saturday. We, on this beautiful day walked through the Washington Square Park, an area that once served as a place for decaying bodies of indigent and unknown people. We passed the 300 year old English Elm tree that was used for public executions, referred to as "Hangman's Elm," a very interesting fact that I would have not known had I not taken this course so, thank you Mike! In the 1950s, Robert Moses wanted to build a highway right through the park (typical of Moses) but as always, someone put up a fight. In this case, Jane Jacobs. Jacobs led the protest to save the park and her efforts were not in vain. We also viewed the Washington Square Arch which surprisingly was the venue for a couple's wedding ceremony. I thought that was very cool and romantic. The arch, as mentioned earlier was designed by Stanford White and completed in 1891 standing tall at 70 feet in commemoration of George Washington's inauguration (ENY, 95). Another fun fact I learned about the park was that the fountain which is perfectly centered today was not always, in fact they demolished it to then reconstruct to move it just a few inches. All about aesthetics!
As we made our way down McDougal and Bleecker Streets it was time for lunch and what better place to take a break than right in front of the infamous Cafe Wha? where music legends including Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix performed in the 1960s. I decided to eat at a pizzeria on Bleecker Street, for $3 I had two slices of pizza and a water. Last week in Brooklyn for $3.50 I had one slice and a water so I was pretty excited that I got a good deal! Bleecker Street was named after Anthony Bleecker, who owned land here in the early 19th century (ENY, 97). At 2:56pm lunch time was over and it was onwards to the Merchant's House Museum.
I was a bit skeptical about this museum because last week's museum experience was a bust. But, with no other choice I went in. The Merchant's house is a preserved Federal-style house, filled with furnishings and decorations dating back to the mid-19th century. It was home to the Tredwell Family, built by Joseph Brewster in 1832 and purchased by Seabury Tredwell, a wealthy merchant in 1835 for a whopping $18,000 (ENY, 99). Our lovely tour guide, Kevin gave us some great insight on the home. This house portrays how a prosperous family lived before the Civil War. It is considered a New York City and national landmark. In 1835 the Tredwells moved in from the World Trade Center area with seven children. In 1840, Gertrude, their 8th child was born. Gertrude lived in this house her entire life until she died in 1933, never married and never changing a single thing about the house. If you do the math, that's 93 years that she lived in this house. It is said that the houses of wealthy merchants in this area were identical to each other, so much so that it would take a few minutes before one would realize that it wasn't your house. As one can imagine, in the 19th century there was no running water, and no electricity. Instead, coal stoves and plate warmers were used to warm up the house and cook. On the cast iron stove that can be found in the basement, there are 8 burners and a beehive oven. Water would come from a well that would fill up with run-off from the roof when it would rain. There weren't any cellphones so they used call bells to communicate throughout the home. In the basement the walls were low, and the furniture was ordinary; a huge difference as soon as you go to the first main floor. I was in awe, the high ceilings, ornate moldings; it was like a completely different house! Something Kevin mentioned which I thought was funny was that everything in the front and back parlor was symmetrical; the windows, fireplaces, even the doors! The front parlor would be for hosting guests on special occasions (rarely used) and the back parlor used as a multi-purpose space. In the front parlor there was a portrait of Seabury himself, Kevin pointed out his "Q" ponytail, in his obituary it says that he was the last man to wear this kind of ponytail after the Civil War. My question is, how would anyone even know that? Anyway, we then moved onto the next floor up. Here were the rooms of Seabury and Eliza who had separate rooms to live like English aristocracy. The beds with beautifully decorated drapes, and the curtains with candle fixtures (what a fire hazard!). There was a chest in Seabury's room that was used to store clothes but there were no hangers, therefore the clothes had to be folded and stacked. Kevin pointed out that inside the chest are candle burnings that one can assume are from candles they would use to look in the closet because there wasn't any electricity. Because of the lack of running water, sponge baths and bathing once a week was the norm. The bathtub was quite interesting I just can't get passed the showering only once a week! Then we took two more flights of stairs to the top floor (one more set of stairs would've taken us to the attic which could not be accessed). On the top floor was the servants' room, a room that once was for 4 servants who catered to 15 family members (which explains the extra bed in Eliza's room where Kevin said was probably for a sick child). The top floor also had 17 trunks of clothing that were left behind when Gertrude died (we couldn't see the clothes because of how fragile the articles of clothing are). It wasn't until the 1930s that Gertrude's cousin bought the house and converted it into a museum which was a beneficial idea for those interested in the history of these homes (ENY, 99-100). Today the home is a time capsule and I had a great time taking a tour of it, it was like a miniature Old Bethpage!
After viewing one of the oldest buildings in the city that holds such a rich history it was mind-boggling to then head over to 41 Cooper Square, a very modern, post-modern building. The building belongs to an array of buildings owned by the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art founded by industrialist, Peter Cooper. Today, it is one of the most prestigious schools of art, architecture and engineering. In 1982, the school came up with the idea of developing the area with more high-rise buildings, and yet again local residents opposed because it would destroy the low-rise character of the neighborhood. Nobody cares and so the high-rise buildings keep coming in. 41 Cooper Square is the newest addition, composed of metal bands, and a gash-like opening, it is one of a kind. The interior, which we were fortunate enough to view is bold and meant to imitate a communal hive, staircases zig-zagging like bridges (ENY, 102). I was impressed and wondered why despite paying thousands of dollars in tuition to Molloy, that we do not have anything nearly as impressive as this building on campus! Molloy should step up their architectural game.
Don't fret, I'm almost done! We quickly passed by McSorley's Old Ale House, founded by Irish immigrant John McSorley (with a last name like that, I could've told you it was Irish!), in 1854. It is known today for being one of NYC's last "Men's Only" pubs, finally allowing women in in 1970. Only 44 years ago! Then we headed over to St. Mark's Place, which in the 1960s and 80s was hippie central (ENY, 104). Followed by St. Mark's Church in the Bowery, which is the oldest church in continuous use in the city. Built in 1660 by Peter Stuyvesant, when he died in 1672, his remains were placed in a vault beneath the chapel. In 1799, a Georgian-style church was built by John McComb Jr. which is the church that we viewed today (ENY, 104-105). The Russian and Turkish Baths was a place we walked by known to be a bath house for poor immigrants who did not have the luxury of indoor plumbing, and where women on their menstrual would go for ritual cleansing (still in business today since 1892) (ENY, 105). We then visited another community garden, La Plaza Cultural although very different than the Jefferson Market Garden. Mike showed us how they made compost from lint, and other materials to create this garden that originated in 1976. A mural at the garden had the words, "La Lucha Continua" the struggle continues which remains true especially in this area (ENY, 106-107). From here we cut through Tompkins Square Park which was riot central. Every 10 years a riot would erupt. One of the most infamous riots dating back to 1863 between the Irish and African Americans who were both considered sub-human and at one point segregated. On June 3rd, 1991 until July 25th, 1992, the park was closed in order to evict the homeless, and in essence for the purposes of crowd control which led to the barricades seen today and lack of open space which can only be reached by jumping over a fence (ENY, 107).
Our class ended in front of the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, home of the salty pimp which I will definitely go back one day to try! However, for Gabby, Jimmy and I, our adventure was not over. We decided to continue exploring! Last year for my birthday I went to Casa Adela, a popular Puerto Rican restaurant, and absolutely loved it. So, I suggested to Jimmy and Gabby that we go there for some dinner. Located on Avenue C and East 5th Street, it was only about a 5 minute walk from where we left off. After finding an ATM, (because the restaurant only accepts cash) we made our way to Casa Adela. I had some alcapurrias (ground beef filled fritters, one of my absolute favorite Puerto Rican dishes), I recommended them to Gabby who had a couple, and Jimmy had the crackling chicken with rice and beans, which was to die for! After stuffing our faces with this scrumptious food it was about 9pm. We contemplated walking back to Penn but we decided to cheat and take the F train to Herald Square. Funny thing a girl on the train mentioned was, "you're not a true New Yorker until you've held onto one of the poles on a subway" looks like it's official, I have attained New Yorker status! We made our way to Penn "piece of shit" station and went on our merry way back home. An hour and a half later, I was finally home in my bed. What a day! I cannot wait for next Saturday!
*I can't believe this journal entry took me over 3 hours!!