Journals 5-9
5. El Barrio & Central PARK
July 16, 2014
I caught the earlier train from Valley Stream to Penn
Station today because last week I lost my Metrocard coming home on the Long
Island Railroad, so I needed to buy a new one.
We began our adventure in Harlem and ended in Central Park today. We first began class discussing the options
that were given to us on the website if the Long Island Railroad strike goes on. After figuring out a plan, the class hopped
on the Number 1 Train to Time Square, then we took the Shuttle to Grand Central
Terminal and then the Number 6 Train to 103rd Street, which is known
as East Harlem, Spanish Harlem or more colloquially, “El Barrio” (ENY, pg.
75). After getting off at 103rd
Street, Mike and Damian talked about the history of East Harlem. When the grid system was established in 1811,
this area of East Harlem was farm land.
Later on in 1880, this area became developed by the steam trains. Also, gentrification is now slowly taking
place in this neighborhood. Shortly
after World War I, an influx of Puerto Ricans arrived in East Harlem
transforming it into the current name “El Barrio.” These new inhabitants of America transformed
this area drastically. “The poverty of
these new immigrants and the building of large housing projects that concentrated
crime led to East Harlem becoming one of the most dangerous sections of New
York City during the 1960s and 70s” (ENY, pg. 76). It was great to see the transformation of the
neighborhood today. Mike explained that
this area had the largest rates of poverty, crime, and unemployment. Our first stop of the day was the Carver
Houses, a housing project for low income residents of the neighborhood that
consisted of 13 buildings that were completed in 1958. These housing projects were named after an
African-American scientist George Washington Carver (ENY, pg. 76). When we stopped there you could see people
walking around, talking with their neighbors and there was a different kind of
vibe compared to the suburbs of Long Island.
I got a feeling and a sense that the people that lived here respected
one another and that this was a really close knit community.
After looking at the Carver Houses, we made a stop at the Museum of the City of New York that is located on 1220 Fifth Avenue between 103rd and 104th Streets (ENY, pg. 77). This museum, founded in 1923, used to be housed in the Gracie Mansion. The city of New York offered them land between 103rd and 104th Streets and paid for the Georgian Revival building designed by Joseph H. Freedlander (ENY, pg. 77). The outside of the building had ionic design scrolls and a pediment. It didn’t have a museum feeling when you walked up the steps; it actually looked like an old municipal building or a school. As we entered the building I was taken aback by the dramatic light fixture and the grand staircase. As we walked around the art gallery of graffiti art, my favorite piece was all the spray paint cans that were placed on the wall. It was something unique and different that caught my attention instantly. After looking around the gallery the class went up to watch a 22 minute documentary “Timescapes” of the history of New York. When watching this movie, I felt like I knew everything already or had previously seen it because Mike and Damian had shared with us their knowledge and facts about New York City. The most interesting part of this video to me was that the Dutch bought New Amsterdam for only $24. I believe that was a bargain for that price. After watching this video, we made our way up to the final floor and we saw all these interesting black and white quotes along the staircases. My favorite quote was “NEW YORKERS TALK VERY LOUD, VERY FAST AND ALL TOGETHER, IF THEY ASK YOU A QUESTION, BEFORE YOU CAN UTTER THREE WORDS OF YOUR ANSWER, THEY WILL BREAK OUT UPON YOU AGAIN, AND TALK AWAY” (John Adams, 1774).
The class made our way to the El Museo de Barrio where we met our tour guide, Luke. Just from the first few seconds that he began to speak, I knew that we were going to have a remarkable day in Harlem. El Museo de Barrio was “founded in 1969 in a public school classroom in PS 125 by Puerto Rican activists from East Harlem, seeking to preserve their cultural heritage” (ENY, pg. 77). This museum holds collections of Latin America and Caribbean works of art, making it an important part of the Latino culture in New York (ENY, pg. 77). Luke began our tour by introducing himself to our class. He shared with that he was a poet, rapper, and was proud to call his home El Barrio. Our class stood in a circle and Luke asked every student to introduce themselves to him. He then asked every student to give a word that described what they are presently feeling. I chose the word stressed out about everyday life. After the class finished their introductions, he rapped a poem about a girl singing on the D train (video attached). My phone died half-way through his performance. I was so disappointed that I was not able to record his entertaining true story with the catchy lyrics he used. After this incredible rap of a true story we made our way around the streets of East Harlem. Just in the few blocks that we walked there was so much culture, sense of community, and diversity. People hanging outside stores on crates talking or playing cards; it is not something you see every day in the suburbs.
As we were walking, Luke stopped and pointed out different forms of art that we would not normally be exposed to. However, each of these pieces of art had a story behind it, really making you think about each piece. We made a stop at the La Casa Azul Bookstore (http://www.lacasaazulbookstore.com/ ). Founder of La Casa Azul Bookstore, Aurora-Anaya-Cerda started an online campaign raising $40,000, since the bank refused to give her a loan to start up her business. Aurora opened up her dream store in the fall of 2011 for this community that promotes literacy and it became a second home for this neighborhood. What an inspiring story that was and I’m glad there are still people in this world that can make a difference for those people in need. Hearing her story I began to brainstorm and think of ideas of how Molloy College’s Education Department can team up and work with her to obtain book donations for students, possibly have volunteer students read to children and also create workshops for them. A few students from the class including myself signed up for their newsletter and events that are held there.
Once the class gathered, Luke directed us to our next stop which was the mural that was dedicated to Rev. Pedro Pietri. Pietri was born in Puerto Rico and was a lifelong resident of El Barrio, a community activist, and the founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café (ENY, pg. 77). Luke read a few verses of the poem Pietri wrote, and pointed out to us why this area of Harlem was so unsafe. In addition, during this time period, the Department of Sanitation refused to come pick up the trash and therefore the streets of Spanish Harlem were filled with trash and diseases. The people of East Harlem were furious and outraged by this, so they took it into their own hands. They gathered all the garbage in the middle of the night and dumped it in the middle of 5th Avenue and lit it on fire. This was known as the Garbage Offensive. Right across the street was the “Spirit of East Harlem” mural that took up the whole side of a building. Designed in 1978, by Hank Prussing, “the mural captures the Latin influences on the street life in East Harlem in the 1970s” (ENY, pg. 77). In Prussing’s mural he used the people of Spanish Harlem to portray how they influenced street life in El Barrio into this mural. Luke told us a story about how the women in the apron didn’t like the way she turned out so someone painted over her. Through the years, the painting has been restored and maintained by Prussing’s right hand man, Manny Vega. I began to appreciate the vibe of El Barrio and the different forms of art East Harlem has to offer. It was quite evident how proud Luke was of his community and what it has become today.
We walked down the block entering the Modesto “Tin” Flores Garden which is ran in collaboration with Hope Community and GrowNYC (ENY, pg. 77). As the class walked through the garden, directly in the center was displayed a mosaic tile fountain. I thought the piece was weeping flowers at first until Luke told us what it actually was. The sculpture in the center of the garden is called “Seed of Growth,” designed by Lina Puerta, whose works explore the female body and female experience (ENY, pg. 78). On the back wall was a mural of two famous artist, and benches for people to sit. The mural on the back wall “Soldaderas” painted by Yasmin Hernandez in 2011 depicts the struggles of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos that the inhabitants face every day in Spanish Harlem. Both poets have their “hands and hearts intertwined with the flags of their respective countries behind them” (ENY, pg. 78).
Before going to lunch we made a quick stop at Justo Botanica which opened up in the 1930s by Jorge Vargas (http://www.nycgo.com/venues/justo-botanica-east-harlem). This shop has herbal medicines, spiritual remedies and religious statues. I need to win that bracelet that brings you some good luck. Who doesn’t need that in their life?? As our tour ended with Luke it was sad to say goodbye to him because he changed my view on Spanish Harlem. He has inspired me to go back to the places we visited today. A large majority of the class decided to eat at El Paso for lunch but we only had 45 minutes to eat so it needed to be quick. I had chicken tacos for only nine dollars and some chips and I tried guacamole for the first time thanks to Casey who pushed Justine and me to try it.
After lunch we headed to Central Park to end our day. We started at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street where the Vanderbilt Gate stood and worked our way all the way to the end of the park near the Plaza Hotel. We had a perfect day for strolling through Central Park, enjoying the numerous sights that we saw, and the various paths that we took. The “New York Legislature bought 700 acres from 59th to 106th Streets for the purpose of creating a new park for inhabitants of the city” (ENY,pg. 63). Designers of Central Park Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux submitted their “Greenwards Plans” that called for completing 36 bridges all designed by Vaux and each bridge with their own unique style. In the year 1873, Central Park was completed and became the first major public park created in the United States (ENY, pg. 64). In the 1900s, the park lost interest so in 1934, Major La Guardia placed Robert Moses in charge of all NYC’s parks, including renovating Central Park.
We briefly talked about the history of the Vanderbilt Gate before we entered the Conservatory Gardens. This gate was made in Paris in 1894 and previously stood at the Vanderbilt Mansion on Fifth Avenue and 58th Street (ENY, pg. 65). The Conservatory Garden is spilt up into three formal gardens: English, French, and Italian style. We began by looking at the Italian Garden. As you walk through the Vanderbilt Gate, you see this beautiful fountain that is standing 12 feet high, hedges surrounding the large lawn space in the center, and a wisteria pergola over-looking the fountain. This was my favorite garden out of the three that we saw. After walking through the three lush gardens, the class sat down on the Central Park schist and reflected back on our experience we had so far in the class. You could see groups of people doing different activities throughout Central Park. I wanted to rent a Citi bike and ride it through the park. We made our way through the Central Park Reservoir also known as the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir and stopped for some water or ice-cream before we finished out the day. This reservoir was “built in the 1860s as a temporary water supply for New York City but was demolished after 131 years of service in 1993” (ENY, pg. 66). As we learned at the Queens Museum, New York City gets its water from the Catskills Mountains.
We stopped at the 3,500 year old Obelisk that stands at 69 feet tall and weighs 224 tons, which was given to the city of New York by the Khedive of Egypt (ENY, pg. 68). This is the oldest monument in New York City. However, being left outside, the hieroglyphics are beginning to erode due to pollution and the severe weather that NYC experiences. The city is now renovating this historical landmark of NYC. We made it up to Belvedere Castle which means “beautiful view,” designed by Olmstead and Vaux and built in 1869 with Central Park schist (ENY, pg.68). Walking up the stairs to the top of this remarkable structure which is currently a weather station and overlooks all of Central Park was such an incredible sight to see.
The class decided to walk through Ramble’s winding paths to Strawberry Fields which is dedicated to the former Beatle, John Lennon. After the Beatles spilt up, John and his wife Yoko purchased an apartment in the Dakota Hotel. On December 8, 1980, Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman coming home after a recording session (ENY, pg. 70). In honor of John Lennon and in recognition for his work in promoting peace the designer of Strawberry Fields, Bruce Kelly, created a meditative environment creating this mosaic piece that is inspired by one of John Lennon’s songs, “Imagine.” We ended our day at the Bethesda Terrace which was a beautiful fountain with an angel and four cherubs underneath her. The top of the fountain is known as Angel of the Waters, and is based upon the biblical story from the Revelations of an angel blessing the Pool of Bethesda, giving it healing powers (ENY, pg. 70). The lily in the angel’s hand represents purity, to how significant a pure water supply was for a city that suffered from repeated outbreaks of diseases. After we finished the Bethesda Fountain, we walked through Central Park once again and enjoyed the views one more time before we existed through the Central Park Zoo. Arielle, Belinda, Casey, Chelsea, Gina, Justine, Nick, Nicole and I decided to walk from 59th Street to 34th Street to Penn Station. What a long walk that was!! Next time I will take the subway to Penn Station after all the walking we did today.
After looking at the Carver Houses, we made a stop at the Museum of the City of New York that is located on 1220 Fifth Avenue between 103rd and 104th Streets (ENY, pg. 77). This museum, founded in 1923, used to be housed in the Gracie Mansion. The city of New York offered them land between 103rd and 104th Streets and paid for the Georgian Revival building designed by Joseph H. Freedlander (ENY, pg. 77). The outside of the building had ionic design scrolls and a pediment. It didn’t have a museum feeling when you walked up the steps; it actually looked like an old municipal building or a school. As we entered the building I was taken aback by the dramatic light fixture and the grand staircase. As we walked around the art gallery of graffiti art, my favorite piece was all the spray paint cans that were placed on the wall. It was something unique and different that caught my attention instantly. After looking around the gallery the class went up to watch a 22 minute documentary “Timescapes” of the history of New York. When watching this movie, I felt like I knew everything already or had previously seen it because Mike and Damian had shared with us their knowledge and facts about New York City. The most interesting part of this video to me was that the Dutch bought New Amsterdam for only $24. I believe that was a bargain for that price. After watching this video, we made our way up to the final floor and we saw all these interesting black and white quotes along the staircases. My favorite quote was “NEW YORKERS TALK VERY LOUD, VERY FAST AND ALL TOGETHER, IF THEY ASK YOU A QUESTION, BEFORE YOU CAN UTTER THREE WORDS OF YOUR ANSWER, THEY WILL BREAK OUT UPON YOU AGAIN, AND TALK AWAY” (John Adams, 1774).
The class made our way to the El Museo de Barrio where we met our tour guide, Luke. Just from the first few seconds that he began to speak, I knew that we were going to have a remarkable day in Harlem. El Museo de Barrio was “founded in 1969 in a public school classroom in PS 125 by Puerto Rican activists from East Harlem, seeking to preserve their cultural heritage” (ENY, pg. 77). This museum holds collections of Latin America and Caribbean works of art, making it an important part of the Latino culture in New York (ENY, pg. 77). Luke began our tour by introducing himself to our class. He shared with that he was a poet, rapper, and was proud to call his home El Barrio. Our class stood in a circle and Luke asked every student to introduce themselves to him. He then asked every student to give a word that described what they are presently feeling. I chose the word stressed out about everyday life. After the class finished their introductions, he rapped a poem about a girl singing on the D train (video attached). My phone died half-way through his performance. I was so disappointed that I was not able to record his entertaining true story with the catchy lyrics he used. After this incredible rap of a true story we made our way around the streets of East Harlem. Just in the few blocks that we walked there was so much culture, sense of community, and diversity. People hanging outside stores on crates talking or playing cards; it is not something you see every day in the suburbs.
As we were walking, Luke stopped and pointed out different forms of art that we would not normally be exposed to. However, each of these pieces of art had a story behind it, really making you think about each piece. We made a stop at the La Casa Azul Bookstore (http://www.lacasaazulbookstore.com/ ). Founder of La Casa Azul Bookstore, Aurora-Anaya-Cerda started an online campaign raising $40,000, since the bank refused to give her a loan to start up her business. Aurora opened up her dream store in the fall of 2011 for this community that promotes literacy and it became a second home for this neighborhood. What an inspiring story that was and I’m glad there are still people in this world that can make a difference for those people in need. Hearing her story I began to brainstorm and think of ideas of how Molloy College’s Education Department can team up and work with her to obtain book donations for students, possibly have volunteer students read to children and also create workshops for them. A few students from the class including myself signed up for their newsletter and events that are held there.
Once the class gathered, Luke directed us to our next stop which was the mural that was dedicated to Rev. Pedro Pietri. Pietri was born in Puerto Rico and was a lifelong resident of El Barrio, a community activist, and the founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café (ENY, pg. 77). Luke read a few verses of the poem Pietri wrote, and pointed out to us why this area of Harlem was so unsafe. In addition, during this time period, the Department of Sanitation refused to come pick up the trash and therefore the streets of Spanish Harlem were filled with trash and diseases. The people of East Harlem were furious and outraged by this, so they took it into their own hands. They gathered all the garbage in the middle of the night and dumped it in the middle of 5th Avenue and lit it on fire. This was known as the Garbage Offensive. Right across the street was the “Spirit of East Harlem” mural that took up the whole side of a building. Designed in 1978, by Hank Prussing, “the mural captures the Latin influences on the street life in East Harlem in the 1970s” (ENY, pg. 77). In Prussing’s mural he used the people of Spanish Harlem to portray how they influenced street life in El Barrio into this mural. Luke told us a story about how the women in the apron didn’t like the way she turned out so someone painted over her. Through the years, the painting has been restored and maintained by Prussing’s right hand man, Manny Vega. I began to appreciate the vibe of El Barrio and the different forms of art East Harlem has to offer. It was quite evident how proud Luke was of his community and what it has become today.
We walked down the block entering the Modesto “Tin” Flores Garden which is ran in collaboration with Hope Community and GrowNYC (ENY, pg. 77). As the class walked through the garden, directly in the center was displayed a mosaic tile fountain. I thought the piece was weeping flowers at first until Luke told us what it actually was. The sculpture in the center of the garden is called “Seed of Growth,” designed by Lina Puerta, whose works explore the female body and female experience (ENY, pg. 78). On the back wall was a mural of two famous artist, and benches for people to sit. The mural on the back wall “Soldaderas” painted by Yasmin Hernandez in 2011 depicts the struggles of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos that the inhabitants face every day in Spanish Harlem. Both poets have their “hands and hearts intertwined with the flags of their respective countries behind them” (ENY, pg. 78).
Before going to lunch we made a quick stop at Justo Botanica which opened up in the 1930s by Jorge Vargas (http://www.nycgo.com/venues/justo-botanica-east-harlem). This shop has herbal medicines, spiritual remedies and religious statues. I need to win that bracelet that brings you some good luck. Who doesn’t need that in their life?? As our tour ended with Luke it was sad to say goodbye to him because he changed my view on Spanish Harlem. He has inspired me to go back to the places we visited today. A large majority of the class decided to eat at El Paso for lunch but we only had 45 minutes to eat so it needed to be quick. I had chicken tacos for only nine dollars and some chips and I tried guacamole for the first time thanks to Casey who pushed Justine and me to try it.
After lunch we headed to Central Park to end our day. We started at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street where the Vanderbilt Gate stood and worked our way all the way to the end of the park near the Plaza Hotel. We had a perfect day for strolling through Central Park, enjoying the numerous sights that we saw, and the various paths that we took. The “New York Legislature bought 700 acres from 59th to 106th Streets for the purpose of creating a new park for inhabitants of the city” (ENY,pg. 63). Designers of Central Park Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux submitted their “Greenwards Plans” that called for completing 36 bridges all designed by Vaux and each bridge with their own unique style. In the year 1873, Central Park was completed and became the first major public park created in the United States (ENY, pg. 64). In the 1900s, the park lost interest so in 1934, Major La Guardia placed Robert Moses in charge of all NYC’s parks, including renovating Central Park.
We briefly talked about the history of the Vanderbilt Gate before we entered the Conservatory Gardens. This gate was made in Paris in 1894 and previously stood at the Vanderbilt Mansion on Fifth Avenue and 58th Street (ENY, pg. 65). The Conservatory Garden is spilt up into three formal gardens: English, French, and Italian style. We began by looking at the Italian Garden. As you walk through the Vanderbilt Gate, you see this beautiful fountain that is standing 12 feet high, hedges surrounding the large lawn space in the center, and a wisteria pergola over-looking the fountain. This was my favorite garden out of the three that we saw. After walking through the three lush gardens, the class sat down on the Central Park schist and reflected back on our experience we had so far in the class. You could see groups of people doing different activities throughout Central Park. I wanted to rent a Citi bike and ride it through the park. We made our way through the Central Park Reservoir also known as the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir and stopped for some water or ice-cream before we finished out the day. This reservoir was “built in the 1860s as a temporary water supply for New York City but was demolished after 131 years of service in 1993” (ENY, pg. 66). As we learned at the Queens Museum, New York City gets its water from the Catskills Mountains.
We stopped at the 3,500 year old Obelisk that stands at 69 feet tall and weighs 224 tons, which was given to the city of New York by the Khedive of Egypt (ENY, pg. 68). This is the oldest monument in New York City. However, being left outside, the hieroglyphics are beginning to erode due to pollution and the severe weather that NYC experiences. The city is now renovating this historical landmark of NYC. We made it up to Belvedere Castle which means “beautiful view,” designed by Olmstead and Vaux and built in 1869 with Central Park schist (ENY, pg.68). Walking up the stairs to the top of this remarkable structure which is currently a weather station and overlooks all of Central Park was such an incredible sight to see.
The class decided to walk through Ramble’s winding paths to Strawberry Fields which is dedicated to the former Beatle, John Lennon. After the Beatles spilt up, John and his wife Yoko purchased an apartment in the Dakota Hotel. On December 8, 1980, Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman coming home after a recording session (ENY, pg. 70). In honor of John Lennon and in recognition for his work in promoting peace the designer of Strawberry Fields, Bruce Kelly, created a meditative environment creating this mosaic piece that is inspired by one of John Lennon’s songs, “Imagine.” We ended our day at the Bethesda Terrace which was a beautiful fountain with an angel and four cherubs underneath her. The top of the fountain is known as Angel of the Waters, and is based upon the biblical story from the Revelations of an angel blessing the Pool of Bethesda, giving it healing powers (ENY, pg. 70). The lily in the angel’s hand represents purity, to how significant a pure water supply was for a city that suffered from repeated outbreaks of diseases. After we finished the Bethesda Fountain, we walked through Central Park once again and enjoyed the views one more time before we existed through the Central Park Zoo. Arielle, Belinda, Casey, Chelsea, Gina, Justine, Nick, Nicole and I decided to walk from 59th Street to 34th Street to Penn Station. What a long walk that was!! Next time I will take the subway to Penn Station after all the walking we did today.
6. West Side July 18, 2014
The Long Island Railroad workers came to an agreement that resolved the issue of a strike. If the strike would have taken place it would have caused a lot of chaos for the people who have to commute to the city every day. As I walked through Penn Station early in the morning there was a woman playing the violin. She caught my eye and I admired the talent she possessed and observed her performance with such enthusiasm. After many years of playing the trombone and alto saxophone, I truly appreciate such talent. It was a great way to start my day!! Today we are going to Midtown Manhattan and are also finishing up the sights in Harlem. Once the class gathered at our usual meeting point we walked out of Penn Station making our way to the famous Macy’s Department Store located on 34th Street. Macy’s occupies the entire block between Broadway and 7th Avenue and is the largest department store in the United States (ENY, pg. 31). Macy’s is a popular tourist attraction especially when they have the Thanksgiving Day parade, the illuminating widow displays during Christmas time, and their firework show for the Fourth of July. They attract people from all over the world to see these significant events that are held to wow audiences. What a business they are!! The current building of Macy’s that is located on 34th Street was designed by De Lemos and Cordes with a Palladian façade that has been renovated throughout the years. This iconic symbol for Macy’s, a red star, came from a red tattoo that Rowland Hussey (R.H.) Macy had on his hand when he worked on a Nantucket whaling ship (ENY, pg. 32). I’m glad Mike stopped us and pointed out the beautiful architecture the Macy’s building has.
After stopping at Macy’s, we made our way to Herald’s Square, which received its name from the New York Herald (actually a triangle) that is formed by the intersection of Broadway, Sixth Avenue, and 34th Street (ENY, pg. 32). I found it interesting that Broadway began as the Wickquasgeck trail and is the oldest and perhaps the most important street of the city of New York. Union Square, Greely Square, Herald Square, Time Square, and Columbus Circle are where Broadway intersects the avenues and creates squares that are allocated for the public pedestrian zones (ENY, pg. 32). After reading the textbook, I didn’t know that Broadway runs through the Bronx and Manhattan for a total of 13 miles and ends in Sleepy Hollow, adding an additional 18 miles (ENY, pg. 32). As we walked through the pedestrian zone that former Mayor Michael Bloomberg established during his administration in 2009, there was a farmers market going on and it was great to see people sitting outside and enjoying this peaceful space compared to the madness a few streets away.
Looking up at the skyscrapers of New York City Mike told us the difference between an Art Deco style building and a Modernist or Internationalist architecture building. Art Deco was prominent during the 1930s. In the 1930’s the age of futuristic, building zones were established that caused these buildings to have setbacks. This was also the age of mechanics, chrome, black marble, and brass. This type of architecture is evident in the G.E. (ENY, pg. 34). The other type of architecture is Modernist or Internationalist. This type has no setbacks because the buildings are pushed away from the street and they have a plaza when you walk into the building.
Before we entered the world’s busiest intersection as well as the world’s most popular tourist attraction, Mike talked about the prior history Time Square once had (ENY, pg. 33). Before Times Square was developed into what it is today, it was a farm under John Morin Scott, a general who served under George Washington during the American Revolution. It was then that it received its name, the Long Acre Square (ENY, pg. 33). In the 1920s, Long Acre Square was renamed Times Square because The New York Times relocated its office on 42nd Street. When the Great Depression hit the city of New York, Times Square’s reputation began to diminish. It became known as a sleazy area for gambling and prostitution. In the 1970s, New York City did not have a good reputation. Times Square was filled with topless bars, sex shops, pornographic theaters, drug dealers, prostitutes, and criminals (ENY, pg. 34). When Mayor Rudolph Giuliani came into office during the 1990s, his main goal and undertaking was to clean up Times Square. Giuliani strived to revitalize Times Square as the centerpiece of NYC. As we all now know, he must have succeeded because a place where people wouldn't even look at is now a tourist attraction that millions of people from all over the world come to see. Times Square, located on 42nd Street today, is known for the New Year’s Eve ball drop, popular shopping stores, Broadway Shows, expensive restaurants, and hotels. Personally, I agree with Mike; I do not like Times Square. Times Square is filled with wall to wall with people and everyone is on top of each other. The tourists are bumping into you because they cannot stop looking up in awe of what a great place New York City is. It’s not the place for me.
After Times Squares we made our way to the G.E. Building which is a part of the Rockefeller Center Complex also known as 30 Rock (ENY, pg. 34). Formally known as the RCA Building it was finished in 1933 and is the headquarters of the NBC television network that accommodates many famous late night shows such as The Tonight Show hosted by Jimmy Fallon. As we walked through the plaza of this building you could see the Art Deco style with all the characteristics Mike told us prior to entering the building. As the class walked through the building we stopped at these four murals right by the NBC studio’s store but we were focused mainly on the painting by Frank Brangwyn that was completed in 1934. The theme of these murals is “man’s search for eternal truth through Christ’s teachings” (ENY, pg. 36). We then made our way to a highly controversial mural that Mexican artist, Diego Rivera painted. This mural that we were looking at was not the original one created on this site. John D. Rockefeller was outraged that Diego Rivera painted the Soviet Union leader V.I. Lenin so Rockefeller destroyed this mural and commissioned Jose Maria Set to create the “The Triumph of Man’s Accomplishments Through Physical and Mental Labor,” which was renamed to “American Progress” (ENY, pg. 36). At this time we were given a 10 minute break to go into the NBC store or just relax before going to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). I decided to go outside and enjoy everything else that Rockefeller Center has to offer. Every December, my family picks a day to spend in New York City. We go and see the Radio Christmas Spectacular featuring the famous Rockettes. Each year we must have our family Kodak moment under the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and then stop at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral right across the street to complete our day in New York City.
We made our way to 11 West 53rd Street, the Museum of Modern Art (http://www.moma.org/ ). Before entering, Damian gave us a quick talk about the different pieces of art we were going to see and the background history of this museum. A group of Manhattan-ites Abby Aldrich, Lillie Bliss and Mary Quinn Sullivan started to collect abstract art in the 1940s and John D. Rockefeller funded and purchased the Heckscher Building for their art collection for people to come and see. Running out of space, Rockefeller donated land to the museum at 53rd Street where it stands today. MOMA is expanding their facilities; they just purchased the Folk Art Museum and PS1 in Long Island City in the 1900s. As we walked in the museum, it was packed with people, but what can you say, it’s “one of the most important and influential museums of the modern art in the world” (ENY, pg. 38). I was surprised that this museum charges college students a pretty expensive fee because when I went to the MET it was a suggested donation of whatever you can give. I had to check in my bag because it exceeded the size allowed, because they think people can actually sneak a piece of art into their backpacks without someone seeing them in this busy museum. Off we went to the fourth and fifth floors of the museum that holds painting and sculptures of many famous artists from the 1880s to the 1980s. The most interesting art piece that we saw was the Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso in 1907. I have learned a lot about many of pieces that we saw in today’s class from my Art History teacher at Molloy. Picasso made a radical breakthrough with this piece because it is not the traditional form of art that someone will normally see. In this painting you see five naked women created with geometric shapes and African masks to cover their faces. By now, the whole class was ready for lunch so we left MOMA and made our way down to Hell’s Kitchen where we stopped for some Thai food at Yum Yum Bangkok for a three course meal for only ten dollars. Thank you Mike and Damian for paying for our lunch!!
Morningside Heights was our next destination; we took the Number 1 train to Cathedral Parkway- 110th Street to Amsterdam Avenue. Morningside Heights is presently experiencing the gentrification process with upscale and newly renovated buildings. We met our tour guide Jim who lives in this neighborhood and he gave us a brief history about St. John the Divine Cathedral and his neighborhood. Morningside Heights, which was originally called Vandewater’s Heights, was the site of the Bloomingdale Insane Asylum in 1816 but Columbia University occupies this land now. This area was known for the Battle of Harlem Heights during the American Revolution and being the first victory for George Washington during the war (ENY, pg. 80). Before going to the cathedral we talked about the Peace Fountain that was sculpted by Gregg Wyatt to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Episcopalian Diocese of New York (ENY, pg. 82). This fountain stands at 40 feet high and depicts Archangel Michael defeating Satan, and at the bottom of the fountain stands a double helix of DNA. When this fountain first opened up it caused some controversy due to all the different meanings it contains. St. John the Divine, located on Amsterdam Avenue and 122th Street, is the largest church in the United States and the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world. It is of Episcopalian denomination. The construction of the cathedral began in 1892, but it is still not completed today. When I walked into the cathedral, my eyes were instantly drawn to the two phoenixes’ in the middle of the cathedral, the remarkable stained glass windows, the magnificent arch way ceilings, marble altar and the mahogany organ. While walking through this cathedral, I noticed it followed the international model and it had smaller chapels in the back and around the entire church for the different ethnic groups that are associated with a specific Saint. St. John the Divine is only considered two-thirds finished, and it is projected that it would take another 100 years and more than $100 million to complete Cram’s original plan (ENY, pg. 82). This cathedral was absolutely breathtaking; there are not enough words to describe the beauty this cathedral holds. This is something everyone must see besides the other famous cathedral in NYC, St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Our next stop was Columbia University. Columbia University, formally known as King’s College, was previously located in lower Manhattan in 1754. After the American Revolution they changed its name to Columbia University and it became one of the many prestigious universities in all of America (ENY, pg. 83). It was the first college established in New York and the architectures McKim, Mead, and White were picked to design this university when the President of Columbia, Seth Low, moved the University to its current location. The reason for the move was to expand, and so the president bought land from the Bloomberg Insane Asylum (ENY, pg.83). Just stepping onto this campus, I felt the sense that each student had dedication and determination to achieve academically. It didn’t feel like a city campus to me with all the green space it has for the students to sit out on the lawn during the warm months of the year to relax, study, or hang out with friends. Maybe one day I will attend the Teachers College there. On the campus, we first stopped at the Low Memorial Library that was built in 1897 by McKim that is the center of Columbia’s campus. This neoclassical library was remodeled after the Pantheon in Rome with the dome that surrounds the library. Across the lawn was Butler Library, named after Nicholas Murray Butler, the President of Columbia from 1902 to 1945 (ENY, pg. 84). Right above the Ionic columns are names of famous philosophers and writers whose works are taught as part of Columbia’s central curriculum. We tried to see St. Paul’s Chapel that had a Renaissance-style that was modeled after the Church of Caroline Stokes, but it was closed. The gorgeous dome structure and stained glass windows were a sight to see. I can only imagine how stunning this chapel is from the inside.
We exited the campus and made our way to the General Grant National Memorial. On the top of the six Doric columns read the words “Let us have peace”. These words were to be believed to be said by Grant accepting the Republican Party’s nomination for President. Ulysses S. Grant was commander of the Union army and President of the United States from 1869-1877. When the memorial was complete in 1897, Grant’s body was placed here along with his wife Julia who passed away in 1902. With the tricky and famous line, “who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?” I can finally say I know the answer thanks to today’s visit. We just got to the memorial before they closed their doors for the day so it was a quick stop before we continued on with our day. After viewing this memorial, it was time for the raffle of the bracelet from Justo Botanica in Spanish Harlem. The first few questions were asked and I didn’t know them, but all of a sudden Mike started to ask questions and I just kept answering them one after another. Kathleen and I were tied with six correct answers each so we had to do a tie breaker, the best out of three. I answered two of the three questions correct but there was some controversy with one question so we had to do a winner takes all question that was asked by our tour guide Jim. None of us knew the answer so Mike came up with a question and I did not get it correct. I can always go back to Justo Botanica myself and purchase one of these good luck bracelets.
Next stop was Morningside Park. The plan of the park was designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux in 1867. The park runs from 110th Street to 123rd Street and is the natural dividing line between Morningside Park and Harlem (ENY, pg. 86). In the 1970s this park had the reputation like everywhere else in NYC for being dangerous and having high crime. Thank god we were able to walk down the stairs that are made of Central Park schist and not up because at this point the whole class was exhausted. We ended our day in Harlem stopping at the statue of Harriet Tubman on St. Nicholas Avenue. Harriet, “is shown with the faces of freed slaves on her flowing dress, her sense of determination indicated by the roots that she pulls up as she strides” (ENY, pg. 90). Harriet Tubman risked her life and so did many others trying to free themselves from slavery through the Underground Railroad. For one person to make such a difference and help others escape the hardships that the United States was going through was all worth it in the end. Our final stop was the Apollo Theatre located on 253 West 125th Street. It opened its door in 1914 as Hurtig and Seamon’s New Burlesque Theatre. However, in the 1930s, the theatre fell into disrepair and the doors were shut, but in 1934 it reopened and served as the center for entertainment in the black community of Harlem. I’m glad we made the stop in Harlem and were able to see how many famous people were once on the grounds that we stood. The whole class took the Number 2 Express train to 34th Street and all departed our separate ways until next class.
After stopping at Macy’s, we made our way to Herald’s Square, which received its name from the New York Herald (actually a triangle) that is formed by the intersection of Broadway, Sixth Avenue, and 34th Street (ENY, pg. 32). I found it interesting that Broadway began as the Wickquasgeck trail and is the oldest and perhaps the most important street of the city of New York. Union Square, Greely Square, Herald Square, Time Square, and Columbus Circle are where Broadway intersects the avenues and creates squares that are allocated for the public pedestrian zones (ENY, pg. 32). After reading the textbook, I didn’t know that Broadway runs through the Bronx and Manhattan for a total of 13 miles and ends in Sleepy Hollow, adding an additional 18 miles (ENY, pg. 32). As we walked through the pedestrian zone that former Mayor Michael Bloomberg established during his administration in 2009, there was a farmers market going on and it was great to see people sitting outside and enjoying this peaceful space compared to the madness a few streets away.
Looking up at the skyscrapers of New York City Mike told us the difference between an Art Deco style building and a Modernist or Internationalist architecture building. Art Deco was prominent during the 1930s. In the 1930’s the age of futuristic, building zones were established that caused these buildings to have setbacks. This was also the age of mechanics, chrome, black marble, and brass. This type of architecture is evident in the G.E. (ENY, pg. 34). The other type of architecture is Modernist or Internationalist. This type has no setbacks because the buildings are pushed away from the street and they have a plaza when you walk into the building.
Before we entered the world’s busiest intersection as well as the world’s most popular tourist attraction, Mike talked about the prior history Time Square once had (ENY, pg. 33). Before Times Square was developed into what it is today, it was a farm under John Morin Scott, a general who served under George Washington during the American Revolution. It was then that it received its name, the Long Acre Square (ENY, pg. 33). In the 1920s, Long Acre Square was renamed Times Square because The New York Times relocated its office on 42nd Street. When the Great Depression hit the city of New York, Times Square’s reputation began to diminish. It became known as a sleazy area for gambling and prostitution. In the 1970s, New York City did not have a good reputation. Times Square was filled with topless bars, sex shops, pornographic theaters, drug dealers, prostitutes, and criminals (ENY, pg. 34). When Mayor Rudolph Giuliani came into office during the 1990s, his main goal and undertaking was to clean up Times Square. Giuliani strived to revitalize Times Square as the centerpiece of NYC. As we all now know, he must have succeeded because a place where people wouldn't even look at is now a tourist attraction that millions of people from all over the world come to see. Times Square, located on 42nd Street today, is known for the New Year’s Eve ball drop, popular shopping stores, Broadway Shows, expensive restaurants, and hotels. Personally, I agree with Mike; I do not like Times Square. Times Square is filled with wall to wall with people and everyone is on top of each other. The tourists are bumping into you because they cannot stop looking up in awe of what a great place New York City is. It’s not the place for me.
After Times Squares we made our way to the G.E. Building which is a part of the Rockefeller Center Complex also known as 30 Rock (ENY, pg. 34). Formally known as the RCA Building it was finished in 1933 and is the headquarters of the NBC television network that accommodates many famous late night shows such as The Tonight Show hosted by Jimmy Fallon. As we walked through the plaza of this building you could see the Art Deco style with all the characteristics Mike told us prior to entering the building. As the class walked through the building we stopped at these four murals right by the NBC studio’s store but we were focused mainly on the painting by Frank Brangwyn that was completed in 1934. The theme of these murals is “man’s search for eternal truth through Christ’s teachings” (ENY, pg. 36). We then made our way to a highly controversial mural that Mexican artist, Diego Rivera painted. This mural that we were looking at was not the original one created on this site. John D. Rockefeller was outraged that Diego Rivera painted the Soviet Union leader V.I. Lenin so Rockefeller destroyed this mural and commissioned Jose Maria Set to create the “The Triumph of Man’s Accomplishments Through Physical and Mental Labor,” which was renamed to “American Progress” (ENY, pg. 36). At this time we were given a 10 minute break to go into the NBC store or just relax before going to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). I decided to go outside and enjoy everything else that Rockefeller Center has to offer. Every December, my family picks a day to spend in New York City. We go and see the Radio Christmas Spectacular featuring the famous Rockettes. Each year we must have our family Kodak moment under the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and then stop at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral right across the street to complete our day in New York City.
We made our way to 11 West 53rd Street, the Museum of Modern Art (http://www.moma.org/ ). Before entering, Damian gave us a quick talk about the different pieces of art we were going to see and the background history of this museum. A group of Manhattan-ites Abby Aldrich, Lillie Bliss and Mary Quinn Sullivan started to collect abstract art in the 1940s and John D. Rockefeller funded and purchased the Heckscher Building for their art collection for people to come and see. Running out of space, Rockefeller donated land to the museum at 53rd Street where it stands today. MOMA is expanding their facilities; they just purchased the Folk Art Museum and PS1 in Long Island City in the 1900s. As we walked in the museum, it was packed with people, but what can you say, it’s “one of the most important and influential museums of the modern art in the world” (ENY, pg. 38). I was surprised that this museum charges college students a pretty expensive fee because when I went to the MET it was a suggested donation of whatever you can give. I had to check in my bag because it exceeded the size allowed, because they think people can actually sneak a piece of art into their backpacks without someone seeing them in this busy museum. Off we went to the fourth and fifth floors of the museum that holds painting and sculptures of many famous artists from the 1880s to the 1980s. The most interesting art piece that we saw was the Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso in 1907. I have learned a lot about many of pieces that we saw in today’s class from my Art History teacher at Molloy. Picasso made a radical breakthrough with this piece because it is not the traditional form of art that someone will normally see. In this painting you see five naked women created with geometric shapes and African masks to cover their faces. By now, the whole class was ready for lunch so we left MOMA and made our way down to Hell’s Kitchen where we stopped for some Thai food at Yum Yum Bangkok for a three course meal for only ten dollars. Thank you Mike and Damian for paying for our lunch!!
Morningside Heights was our next destination; we took the Number 1 train to Cathedral Parkway- 110th Street to Amsterdam Avenue. Morningside Heights is presently experiencing the gentrification process with upscale and newly renovated buildings. We met our tour guide Jim who lives in this neighborhood and he gave us a brief history about St. John the Divine Cathedral and his neighborhood. Morningside Heights, which was originally called Vandewater’s Heights, was the site of the Bloomingdale Insane Asylum in 1816 but Columbia University occupies this land now. This area was known for the Battle of Harlem Heights during the American Revolution and being the first victory for George Washington during the war (ENY, pg. 80). Before going to the cathedral we talked about the Peace Fountain that was sculpted by Gregg Wyatt to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Episcopalian Diocese of New York (ENY, pg. 82). This fountain stands at 40 feet high and depicts Archangel Michael defeating Satan, and at the bottom of the fountain stands a double helix of DNA. When this fountain first opened up it caused some controversy due to all the different meanings it contains. St. John the Divine, located on Amsterdam Avenue and 122th Street, is the largest church in the United States and the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world. It is of Episcopalian denomination. The construction of the cathedral began in 1892, but it is still not completed today. When I walked into the cathedral, my eyes were instantly drawn to the two phoenixes’ in the middle of the cathedral, the remarkable stained glass windows, the magnificent arch way ceilings, marble altar and the mahogany organ. While walking through this cathedral, I noticed it followed the international model and it had smaller chapels in the back and around the entire church for the different ethnic groups that are associated with a specific Saint. St. John the Divine is only considered two-thirds finished, and it is projected that it would take another 100 years and more than $100 million to complete Cram’s original plan (ENY, pg. 82). This cathedral was absolutely breathtaking; there are not enough words to describe the beauty this cathedral holds. This is something everyone must see besides the other famous cathedral in NYC, St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Our next stop was Columbia University. Columbia University, formally known as King’s College, was previously located in lower Manhattan in 1754. After the American Revolution they changed its name to Columbia University and it became one of the many prestigious universities in all of America (ENY, pg. 83). It was the first college established in New York and the architectures McKim, Mead, and White were picked to design this university when the President of Columbia, Seth Low, moved the University to its current location. The reason for the move was to expand, and so the president bought land from the Bloomberg Insane Asylum (ENY, pg.83). Just stepping onto this campus, I felt the sense that each student had dedication and determination to achieve academically. It didn’t feel like a city campus to me with all the green space it has for the students to sit out on the lawn during the warm months of the year to relax, study, or hang out with friends. Maybe one day I will attend the Teachers College there. On the campus, we first stopped at the Low Memorial Library that was built in 1897 by McKim that is the center of Columbia’s campus. This neoclassical library was remodeled after the Pantheon in Rome with the dome that surrounds the library. Across the lawn was Butler Library, named after Nicholas Murray Butler, the President of Columbia from 1902 to 1945 (ENY, pg. 84). Right above the Ionic columns are names of famous philosophers and writers whose works are taught as part of Columbia’s central curriculum. We tried to see St. Paul’s Chapel that had a Renaissance-style that was modeled after the Church of Caroline Stokes, but it was closed. The gorgeous dome structure and stained glass windows were a sight to see. I can only imagine how stunning this chapel is from the inside.
We exited the campus and made our way to the General Grant National Memorial. On the top of the six Doric columns read the words “Let us have peace”. These words were to be believed to be said by Grant accepting the Republican Party’s nomination for President. Ulysses S. Grant was commander of the Union army and President of the United States from 1869-1877. When the memorial was complete in 1897, Grant’s body was placed here along with his wife Julia who passed away in 1902. With the tricky and famous line, “who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?” I can finally say I know the answer thanks to today’s visit. We just got to the memorial before they closed their doors for the day so it was a quick stop before we continued on with our day. After viewing this memorial, it was time for the raffle of the bracelet from Justo Botanica in Spanish Harlem. The first few questions were asked and I didn’t know them, but all of a sudden Mike started to ask questions and I just kept answering them one after another. Kathleen and I were tied with six correct answers each so we had to do a tie breaker, the best out of three. I answered two of the three questions correct but there was some controversy with one question so we had to do a winner takes all question that was asked by our tour guide Jim. None of us knew the answer so Mike came up with a question and I did not get it correct. I can always go back to Justo Botanica myself and purchase one of these good luck bracelets.
Next stop was Morningside Park. The plan of the park was designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux in 1867. The park runs from 110th Street to 123rd Street and is the natural dividing line between Morningside Park and Harlem (ENY, pg. 86). In the 1970s this park had the reputation like everywhere else in NYC for being dangerous and having high crime. Thank god we were able to walk down the stairs that are made of Central Park schist and not up because at this point the whole class was exhausted. We ended our day in Harlem stopping at the statue of Harriet Tubman on St. Nicholas Avenue. Harriet, “is shown with the faces of freed slaves on her flowing dress, her sense of determination indicated by the roots that she pulls up as she strides” (ENY, pg. 90). Harriet Tubman risked her life and so did many others trying to free themselves from slavery through the Underground Railroad. For one person to make such a difference and help others escape the hardships that the United States was going through was all worth it in the end. Our final stop was the Apollo Theatre located on 253 West 125th Street. It opened its door in 1914 as Hurtig and Seamon’s New Burlesque Theatre. However, in the 1930s, the theatre fell into disrepair and the doors were shut, but in 1934 it reopened and served as the center for entertainment in the black community of Harlem. I’m glad we made the stop in Harlem and were able to see how many famous people were once on the grounds that we stood. The whole class took the Number 2 Express train to 34th Street and all departed our separate ways until next class.
7. Lower Manhattan July 23, 2014
As I arrived at the Valley Stream train station I realized that today was the last full week of classes…how upsetting this is to me. Our mission today is to explore Lower Manhattan and end our class at Governors Island. The class hopped on the E Train from 34th Street to the World Trade Center stop. Lower Manhattan is the “southernmost tip of Manhattan is where the Dutch had established their colony of Nieuw Amsterdam in 1624” (ENY, PDF, pg. 39). During the 1600s, about 1,000 inhabited the Dutch colony however; most of them were non-Dutch origin. As a result, this created North America’s first great melting-pot with 18 or more languages that were spoken in Nieuw Amsterdam. With the influx of immigrants who immigrated to America and entering Ellis Island, created the opportunity for builders to hire immigrants for cheap wages which created the opportunity to begin building skyline that we have today. The 1800s, The Financial District of New York City was home to Wall Street and houses some of the largest corporations in the world. This area reached its culmination when the Twin Towers were built in 1972-the two tallest buildings in the world. This area “would be scarred- both emotionally as well physically- by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 (ENY, PDF, pg. 39). Many people believed that New York would not be able to recover from this tragedy and bounce back to its past. However, New York bounced back even stronger and more vibrant than before.
We got off at the last stop which was the World Trade Center and exited the subway station and made our way to Saint Paul’s Chapel located on 209 Broadway (http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/ ). The church was completed in 1766 and designed by Thomas McBean with a Georgian-style architect and was made out of Manhattan schist. McBean was inspired by the Church of St.-Martin-in-the-fields in London, replicated that church and designed St. Paul’s. St. Paul’s Church has some significant background history to it. This church is one of New York’s only intact pre-Revolutionary War Churches. It was able to survive the great fire of 1776, and it is to be believed that George Washington worshiped here when the capital of the United States was in NYC. St. Paul’s Church is the oldest surviving church in Manhattan as well as the oldest building in continuous use in New York City (ENY, PDF, pg. 46). Before we entered the chapel, Mike told us three things to look out for when we entered the handcrafted woodwork, the gilded ornamental decoration, and George Washington’s pew. As the class entered the chapel the intricate details blew me away from the handcrafted woodwork by Andrew Gautier, the ornamental decoration that was above the altar, and the most interesting piece was George Washington’s pew. This chapel also serves as a memorial for those who lost their lives in the tragedies of September 11, 2001.
During the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, this chapel miraculously survived without any damages affecting this church. As you walked through the church there was a bed that showed you an example of the living quarters during this terrible time New York was facing. After the attacks, St. Paul’s “served as a place of rest and relief for rescue workers at Ground Zero” (ENY, PDF, pg. 47). The tree has been preserved in bronze and can be seen at nearby Trinity Church. As the class entered the chapel, I felt a sense of security. This chapel was covered by the sycamore tree that stood in the cemetery which protected and deflected debris from damaging the church while the towers were collapsing. I have never been down to this area before so it was depressing to start the day out with this.
We made our way to the Woolworth Building sometimes known as the “Cathedral of Commerce.” Frank Winfield Woolworth was a successful businessman owning a chain of stores and had a vision that his headquarters would be the tallest building in the world. It fell short of being the tallest building behind the Eiffel Tower and was the tallest building in New York City for 17 years until the Chrysler Building was finished in 1930 (ENY, PDF, pg. 46). Cass Gilbert designed this neo-Gothic building after the medieval cathedral that he had seen in France. As I was walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, I was able to see the top of the building and I now know all the history behind it thanks to the fact book Mike Russo.
The area surrounding City Hall is known as the Civic Center because of all the governmental offices that are in this neighborhood. I found it interesting that this is not the first location of City Hall but the third. Designers of City Hall Joseph Francoise Mangin, and John McComb Jr. had to rescale their designs because of the cost expense and reduce the size of the building. The French Renaissance design had a heavy influence on Magin because of his prior experience building the old Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. The front of the building has beautiful granite and limestone that covers the building from the bottom of the steps to the top and in the back was cheap brownstone. City Hall stood on the northern most edge of New York City, and the area behind City Hall was undeveloped and nobody anticipated that it would expand beyond this point. It was completed in 1811, and is the oldest city hall in the United States (ENY, PDF, pg. 41). Today it houses the offices of the Mayor and City Council. I wasn’t able to visually get the full impression of City Hall because of all the active construction presently taking place. One day I will return to this site to see this remarkable hall that holds so much history of the city of New York.
After stopping a City Hall for a couple of minutes we made our way to New York City’s Municipal Building and Tweed’s Courthouse (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/html/about/man_tweed.shtml ). William “Boss” Tweed, a 300 pound man was the innovator of the courthouse. He was known for his political corruptness, he controlled the entire city’s spending and took large amounts of public funds and put it into his own pocket. This neo-classical courthouse was very simple but elegant. It had a grand staircase with four Corinthian columns and a flat stone pediment. When the famous political cartoonist Thomas Nast, publicized these activities that Boss Tweed was committing he was sentenced to jail. It halted the completion of the courthouse and was finally finished in 1881 where the New York State Supreme Court and the City Court was placed until 1961. Today it serves as the headquarters of the New York City Department of Education (ENY, PDF, pg. 46). Right down from the old Boss Tweeds courthouse the class went to the Municipal Building on Centre Street. The famous three architectures McKim, Mead, and White were selected to design this building. The construction began in 1907 and wasn’t completed until 1914. It had many different types of styles: Roman, Italian Renaissance, and Classical Styles. Today it is regarded as one of the city’s most monumental buildings (ENY, PDF, pg. 42). This building is the largest governmental buildings in the world; it currently holds 13 municipal agencies and is home to the Manhattan Marriage Bureau (ENY, PDF, pg. 42). When the five boroughs joined together in 1898, they needed more space to house the government agencies. When the class first stopped there you could see the beautiful entrance arch-way that says Manhattan and the intricate detail inside of it. I also saw Guastavino tile-work which and this method was used to support the arches. This can be recognized as one of New York City’s most important Beaux Art buildings from the 20th century. To be honest, I wasn’t impressed with the selection of the Guastavino tile because it looked simple and I expected a more elaborate type of Guastavino tile since they spent millions of dollars building this structure. At the top of the buildings stands a barefoot female figure balancing on a copper ball in her left hand she holds a five-pointed crown that symbolizes the five boroughs coming together (ENY, PDF, pg. 43). This female figure is the third largest statue in New York City behind the Statue of Liberty and “Bellerophon Taming Pegasus.”
Foley Square, formally named after Thomas F. Foley (“Big Tom”), is home to many significant historical events in New York City. Prior to developing this land, it was once a 48 acre pond where the people of this area got their fresh drinking water from. In 1811, “the pond had become so polluted that it was filled in to prevented outbreaks of cholera and typhus” (ENY, PDF, pg. 43). In the center of Foley Square stands a fountain that was created by Lorenzo Pace, “Triumph of the Human Spirit” (ENY, PDDF, pg. 43). It stands at 50 feet high, made of black granite signifying a boat in sail. However, I did not see this boat in sail but some of the classmates did. The class attempted to replicate the Molloy letters on the steps of the Thurgood Marshall United State Courthouse but it didn’t work out so well. Mike and Damian provided us with some background information about the history of the courthouses. My favorite television show, Law & Order has been frequently been filmed here. In 2001, the building was renamed after Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall who was a judge in this building in 1961-1965. Today this court houses the Second Circuit Court of Appeal and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. This architecture of the base of the courthouse is a Neo-classical structure that has long granite steps leading to the building’s entrance. This building impressed me with its grand staircases, Corinthian columns, the pediment and the four figures that stood on top of the building. To say you stood on the steps of such an important courthouse in New York where important court case decisions were made was a pretty remarkable thing to do.
Next on the list was the African Burial Ground National Monument and Museum. For over a hundred years, an estimate of 20,000 free African and slaves were buried on this 6.6 acre site. As the city was beginning to develop, the burial ground was forgotten over time and was discovered in 1991 during the construction of the Ted Weiss Building. The African Americans were outraged by this new construction site that was being developed on their original burial site. In 2007, a memorial opened to highlight the important role that African slaves played in the development of New York City (ENY, PDF, pg. 44). As we entered the museum, each student had to go through a security scanner I felt like I was going through security at JFK airport at least I didn’t have to take off my shoes. We entered the theater for a 20 minute video showing a story of a young girl who lost her father and the procession of the burial. This museum was very informative about the everyday hardships the African free or enslaved people encountered on a daily basis. There was a barrel that you were able to push and get an idea of the hard work these slaves were forced to do every day. Sometimes that barrel could reach up to 400 pounds.
Our last stop before lunch was the 9-11 Memorial and Museum that is located in the World Trade Center complex. This complex was built between 1966 and 1987, which contained seven buildings and an underground shopping mall that was centered on a large plaza. The heart of this plaza were the Twin Towers that were completed in 1972 and stood as the two tallest buildings in the world until standing at 110 stories high (ENY, PDF, pg. 48). The Sears Tower of Chicago was built in 1973 and took the title away from the Twin Towers. These two buildings were the center of global capitalism and the city’s economic might. On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorist that were affiliated with al Qaeda hijacked four commercial airlines, crashing into the Pentagon in Virginia and two into the World Trade Center the financial capital of the east coast. The attacks killed 2,977 victims making this the worst terrorist attack on American soil in the nation’s history (ENY, PDF, pg. 48). In its place stands the Freedom Tower with its all glass look. The Freedom Tower is the tallest building in New York City, and is a sign of strength, hope, reflection, and a memorial site for those who lost loved ones that will always be remembered forever in their hearts.
The class walked to the 9-11 Memorial that opened in 2011, where the Twin Towers once stood in its place was the “Reflecting Absence” fountain (http://www.911memorial.org/ ). “The memorial consists of two once acre pools set in the footprints of the original Twin Towers. 30 foot waterfalls- the largest manmade waterfalls in the United States-descend into pools draining into a center void” (ENY, PDF, pg. 49). The names of the victims who lost their lives are inscribed in bronze around the edge of the waterfalls. The only survivor was the Callery pear tree was able to withstand the attacks both attacks in 1970, and 9-11. The Parks Department nursed the tree back to its health and was planted at the memorial site for everyone to see. I will never forget where I was when I heard the news that the United States had been attacked. I was in third grade sitting at the carpet for reading time and the school psychologist came into our classroom and told us what just happened. At that age I really didn’t understand what happened. There were a few students in my class whose parents were a part of the NYPD, NYFD and first responders. My mom pulled me out of school for the day and told me what happened but we didn’t hear from my dad at this point. My dad was working a block away from the Twin Towers when they were hit and he and his co-workers had to run across the Brooklyn Bridge. We heard from him later on that night and he had to stay at his friend’s house because there was no way of getting home. There were three kids in my elementary school that lost their father’s and one of them was in my class.
The class ate lunch at Hudson Eats located in Battery City Park. Arielle, Gina, Mike and I ordered a pie from Skinny Pizza. We were worried that we were going to run out of time because they had to make a fresh pie. The pizza finally came out with sometime for us to eat without being in a rush. I found this place to be more relaxed and enjoyable compared to the chaotic and crazy Chelsea Market that we also visited. After eating our delicious pizza I enjoyed a lovely cupcake from Sprinkles with Gina. I ordered vanilla milk chocolate cupcake and Gina had a red velvet cupcake to go.
We ventured to Trinity Church that is located on the western end of Wall Street. This is another destination that had two other locations prior to its final place. This church was designed by Richard M. Upjohn with a Gothic Revival style and was completed in 1846. The 284 foot tall spire of this church was the tallest building in NY until the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge were completed (ENY, PDF, pg. 50). As we exited the building we saw the bronze root of the sycamore tree that protected the St. Paul’s Chapel during 9-11. We also saw the graveyard where two famous Manhattan-ites were buried Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat, and Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury (ENY, PDF, pg. 50).
Our final stop of the day was Governors Island. We paid the two dollar fee that gets you to and back from Governors Island. The class just made the 4:00pm ferry. During this ride I was able to see the Brooklyn Bridge the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Lower Manhattan what a breathtaking ferry ride this was. For over 200 years, Governors Island was home to the United States Army and was the site of Fort Jay and Castle William. Both of these sites were open today so we were lucky enough to see them because not many people have the opportunity to do so. Once we arrived on this remote, quite island the class gathered and discussed the history of this island. After the class talked for some time we made our way through Fort Jay to Castle William. Here we were given a tour and history of this building. Once the tour was completed everyone went their own ways. A majority of the class went to Hammock Grove to relax on hammocks on this gorgeous day that we had. We had till 5:45 before we had to catch the ferry back to Manhattan or you were stuck here for the night. We took the 1 Train to 34th Street before everyone headed home. Today was a long and hot day, but I’m glad it’s over so I can recover for our last day of class.
We got off at the last stop which was the World Trade Center and exited the subway station and made our way to Saint Paul’s Chapel located on 209 Broadway (http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/ ). The church was completed in 1766 and designed by Thomas McBean with a Georgian-style architect and was made out of Manhattan schist. McBean was inspired by the Church of St.-Martin-in-the-fields in London, replicated that church and designed St. Paul’s. St. Paul’s Church has some significant background history to it. This church is one of New York’s only intact pre-Revolutionary War Churches. It was able to survive the great fire of 1776, and it is to be believed that George Washington worshiped here when the capital of the United States was in NYC. St. Paul’s Church is the oldest surviving church in Manhattan as well as the oldest building in continuous use in New York City (ENY, PDF, pg. 46). Before we entered the chapel, Mike told us three things to look out for when we entered the handcrafted woodwork, the gilded ornamental decoration, and George Washington’s pew. As the class entered the chapel the intricate details blew me away from the handcrafted woodwork by Andrew Gautier, the ornamental decoration that was above the altar, and the most interesting piece was George Washington’s pew. This chapel also serves as a memorial for those who lost their lives in the tragedies of September 11, 2001.
During the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, this chapel miraculously survived without any damages affecting this church. As you walked through the church there was a bed that showed you an example of the living quarters during this terrible time New York was facing. After the attacks, St. Paul’s “served as a place of rest and relief for rescue workers at Ground Zero” (ENY, PDF, pg. 47). The tree has been preserved in bronze and can be seen at nearby Trinity Church. As the class entered the chapel, I felt a sense of security. This chapel was covered by the sycamore tree that stood in the cemetery which protected and deflected debris from damaging the church while the towers were collapsing. I have never been down to this area before so it was depressing to start the day out with this.
We made our way to the Woolworth Building sometimes known as the “Cathedral of Commerce.” Frank Winfield Woolworth was a successful businessman owning a chain of stores and had a vision that his headquarters would be the tallest building in the world. It fell short of being the tallest building behind the Eiffel Tower and was the tallest building in New York City for 17 years until the Chrysler Building was finished in 1930 (ENY, PDF, pg. 46). Cass Gilbert designed this neo-Gothic building after the medieval cathedral that he had seen in France. As I was walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, I was able to see the top of the building and I now know all the history behind it thanks to the fact book Mike Russo.
The area surrounding City Hall is known as the Civic Center because of all the governmental offices that are in this neighborhood. I found it interesting that this is not the first location of City Hall but the third. Designers of City Hall Joseph Francoise Mangin, and John McComb Jr. had to rescale their designs because of the cost expense and reduce the size of the building. The French Renaissance design had a heavy influence on Magin because of his prior experience building the old Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. The front of the building has beautiful granite and limestone that covers the building from the bottom of the steps to the top and in the back was cheap brownstone. City Hall stood on the northern most edge of New York City, and the area behind City Hall was undeveloped and nobody anticipated that it would expand beyond this point. It was completed in 1811, and is the oldest city hall in the United States (ENY, PDF, pg. 41). Today it houses the offices of the Mayor and City Council. I wasn’t able to visually get the full impression of City Hall because of all the active construction presently taking place. One day I will return to this site to see this remarkable hall that holds so much history of the city of New York.
After stopping a City Hall for a couple of minutes we made our way to New York City’s Municipal Building and Tweed’s Courthouse (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/html/about/man_tweed.shtml ). William “Boss” Tweed, a 300 pound man was the innovator of the courthouse. He was known for his political corruptness, he controlled the entire city’s spending and took large amounts of public funds and put it into his own pocket. This neo-classical courthouse was very simple but elegant. It had a grand staircase with four Corinthian columns and a flat stone pediment. When the famous political cartoonist Thomas Nast, publicized these activities that Boss Tweed was committing he was sentenced to jail. It halted the completion of the courthouse and was finally finished in 1881 where the New York State Supreme Court and the City Court was placed until 1961. Today it serves as the headquarters of the New York City Department of Education (ENY, PDF, pg. 46). Right down from the old Boss Tweeds courthouse the class went to the Municipal Building on Centre Street. The famous three architectures McKim, Mead, and White were selected to design this building. The construction began in 1907 and wasn’t completed until 1914. It had many different types of styles: Roman, Italian Renaissance, and Classical Styles. Today it is regarded as one of the city’s most monumental buildings (ENY, PDF, pg. 42). This building is the largest governmental buildings in the world; it currently holds 13 municipal agencies and is home to the Manhattan Marriage Bureau (ENY, PDF, pg. 42). When the five boroughs joined together in 1898, they needed more space to house the government agencies. When the class first stopped there you could see the beautiful entrance arch-way that says Manhattan and the intricate detail inside of it. I also saw Guastavino tile-work which and this method was used to support the arches. This can be recognized as one of New York City’s most important Beaux Art buildings from the 20th century. To be honest, I wasn’t impressed with the selection of the Guastavino tile because it looked simple and I expected a more elaborate type of Guastavino tile since they spent millions of dollars building this structure. At the top of the buildings stands a barefoot female figure balancing on a copper ball in her left hand she holds a five-pointed crown that symbolizes the five boroughs coming together (ENY, PDF, pg. 43). This female figure is the third largest statue in New York City behind the Statue of Liberty and “Bellerophon Taming Pegasus.”
Foley Square, formally named after Thomas F. Foley (“Big Tom”), is home to many significant historical events in New York City. Prior to developing this land, it was once a 48 acre pond where the people of this area got their fresh drinking water from. In 1811, “the pond had become so polluted that it was filled in to prevented outbreaks of cholera and typhus” (ENY, PDF, pg. 43). In the center of Foley Square stands a fountain that was created by Lorenzo Pace, “Triumph of the Human Spirit” (ENY, PDDF, pg. 43). It stands at 50 feet high, made of black granite signifying a boat in sail. However, I did not see this boat in sail but some of the classmates did. The class attempted to replicate the Molloy letters on the steps of the Thurgood Marshall United State Courthouse but it didn’t work out so well. Mike and Damian provided us with some background information about the history of the courthouses. My favorite television show, Law & Order has been frequently been filmed here. In 2001, the building was renamed after Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall who was a judge in this building in 1961-1965. Today this court houses the Second Circuit Court of Appeal and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. This architecture of the base of the courthouse is a Neo-classical structure that has long granite steps leading to the building’s entrance. This building impressed me with its grand staircases, Corinthian columns, the pediment and the four figures that stood on top of the building. To say you stood on the steps of such an important courthouse in New York where important court case decisions were made was a pretty remarkable thing to do.
Next on the list was the African Burial Ground National Monument and Museum. For over a hundred years, an estimate of 20,000 free African and slaves were buried on this 6.6 acre site. As the city was beginning to develop, the burial ground was forgotten over time and was discovered in 1991 during the construction of the Ted Weiss Building. The African Americans were outraged by this new construction site that was being developed on their original burial site. In 2007, a memorial opened to highlight the important role that African slaves played in the development of New York City (ENY, PDF, pg. 44). As we entered the museum, each student had to go through a security scanner I felt like I was going through security at JFK airport at least I didn’t have to take off my shoes. We entered the theater for a 20 minute video showing a story of a young girl who lost her father and the procession of the burial. This museum was very informative about the everyday hardships the African free or enslaved people encountered on a daily basis. There was a barrel that you were able to push and get an idea of the hard work these slaves were forced to do every day. Sometimes that barrel could reach up to 400 pounds.
Our last stop before lunch was the 9-11 Memorial and Museum that is located in the World Trade Center complex. This complex was built between 1966 and 1987, which contained seven buildings and an underground shopping mall that was centered on a large plaza. The heart of this plaza were the Twin Towers that were completed in 1972 and stood as the two tallest buildings in the world until standing at 110 stories high (ENY, PDF, pg. 48). The Sears Tower of Chicago was built in 1973 and took the title away from the Twin Towers. These two buildings were the center of global capitalism and the city’s economic might. On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorist that were affiliated with al Qaeda hijacked four commercial airlines, crashing into the Pentagon in Virginia and two into the World Trade Center the financial capital of the east coast. The attacks killed 2,977 victims making this the worst terrorist attack on American soil in the nation’s history (ENY, PDF, pg. 48). In its place stands the Freedom Tower with its all glass look. The Freedom Tower is the tallest building in New York City, and is a sign of strength, hope, reflection, and a memorial site for those who lost loved ones that will always be remembered forever in their hearts.
The class walked to the 9-11 Memorial that opened in 2011, where the Twin Towers once stood in its place was the “Reflecting Absence” fountain (http://www.911memorial.org/ ). “The memorial consists of two once acre pools set in the footprints of the original Twin Towers. 30 foot waterfalls- the largest manmade waterfalls in the United States-descend into pools draining into a center void” (ENY, PDF, pg. 49). The names of the victims who lost their lives are inscribed in bronze around the edge of the waterfalls. The only survivor was the Callery pear tree was able to withstand the attacks both attacks in 1970, and 9-11. The Parks Department nursed the tree back to its health and was planted at the memorial site for everyone to see. I will never forget where I was when I heard the news that the United States had been attacked. I was in third grade sitting at the carpet for reading time and the school psychologist came into our classroom and told us what just happened. At that age I really didn’t understand what happened. There were a few students in my class whose parents were a part of the NYPD, NYFD and first responders. My mom pulled me out of school for the day and told me what happened but we didn’t hear from my dad at this point. My dad was working a block away from the Twin Towers when they were hit and he and his co-workers had to run across the Brooklyn Bridge. We heard from him later on that night and he had to stay at his friend’s house because there was no way of getting home. There were three kids in my elementary school that lost their father’s and one of them was in my class.
The class ate lunch at Hudson Eats located in Battery City Park. Arielle, Gina, Mike and I ordered a pie from Skinny Pizza. We were worried that we were going to run out of time because they had to make a fresh pie. The pizza finally came out with sometime for us to eat without being in a rush. I found this place to be more relaxed and enjoyable compared to the chaotic and crazy Chelsea Market that we also visited. After eating our delicious pizza I enjoyed a lovely cupcake from Sprinkles with Gina. I ordered vanilla milk chocolate cupcake and Gina had a red velvet cupcake to go.
We ventured to Trinity Church that is located on the western end of Wall Street. This is another destination that had two other locations prior to its final place. This church was designed by Richard M. Upjohn with a Gothic Revival style and was completed in 1846. The 284 foot tall spire of this church was the tallest building in NY until the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge were completed (ENY, PDF, pg. 50). As we exited the building we saw the bronze root of the sycamore tree that protected the St. Paul’s Chapel during 9-11. We also saw the graveyard where two famous Manhattan-ites were buried Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat, and Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury (ENY, PDF, pg. 50).
Our final stop of the day was Governors Island. We paid the two dollar fee that gets you to and back from Governors Island. The class just made the 4:00pm ferry. During this ride I was able to see the Brooklyn Bridge the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Lower Manhattan what a breathtaking ferry ride this was. For over 200 years, Governors Island was home to the United States Army and was the site of Fort Jay and Castle William. Both of these sites were open today so we were lucky enough to see them because not many people have the opportunity to do so. Once we arrived on this remote, quite island the class gathered and discussed the history of this island. After the class talked for some time we made our way through Fort Jay to Castle William. Here we were given a tour and history of this building. Once the tour was completed everyone went their own ways. A majority of the class went to Hammock Grove to relax on hammocks on this gorgeous day that we had. We had till 5:45 before we had to catch the ferry back to Manhattan or you were stuck here for the night. We took the 1 Train to 34th Street before everyone headed home. Today was a long and hot day, but I’m glad it’s over so I can recover for our last day of class.
8. Immigrant New York
July 25, 2014
Our final day of class and my final journal post!! Hopefully this will be a short one compared to my others. We all gathered at Penn Station for one last time before heading to the Jewish Lower East Side. We walked out of Penn and caught the F train and got off at Delancey Street/ Essex Street. Mike and Damian stopped and took a few minutes to discuss the background history of this area. During the mid-19th century, millions of immigrants poured into New York escaping the famines, persecutions, and wars that were very common in Europe. When they first arrived to this country they had little to no money to their name so they settled in the crowded Lower East Side. In the 1880s, Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe migrated to this neighborhood that really gave its character (ENY, PDF, pg. 65). Between 1880 and 1924, 2.5 million Ashkenazi Jews came to the United States who also settled on the Lower East Side. The Jewish immigrants who lived on the Lower East Side “tended to form enclaves with those from their same country of origin, creating clusters of different Jewish communities throughout the Lower East Side where languages, customs, and traditions could be quite different from one block to the next” (ENY, PDF, pg. 65). Despite their cultural differences, all the Jewish faiths came together to create the Yiddish language. This area was once the poorest area in the country and the most crowded place to live in the world during the 1900s. They lived in unsanitary living quarters which are known as tenements. These buildings sprung up throughout the Lower East Side to house the Jewish immigrants in a three room apartment with no running water, electricity or indoor bathroom. The famous reporter Jacob Riis published his book in 1890 How the Other Half Lives, exposed the world of the harsh and unhealthy conditions that were found in the tenements. The Progressives fought for better building codes and more sanitary conditions to improve the quality of life for those people who lived in the tenements.
Mike talked about the gentrification that was beginning to take place in this upcoming, hip neighborhood. We passed by the Essex Street Market located on 120 Essex Street. Mike went on to explain how during the 1900s this market area was filled with pushcarts with street vendors that sold fruits, vegetables and meats, to clothing and household items (ENY, PDF, pg. 67). When Fiorello LaGuardia became Mayor in 1933, his goal was to eliminate the pushcarts because of the unsanitary conditions left by the pushcarts and the animals left manure on the streets which spread diseases. Today the market houses a variety of food stores that will appeal to everyone.
Our first stop of the day was Kossar’s Bialys and Seward Park. Kossar’s is a traditional Jewish hand rolled bialys. The class ordered a variety of bialys I had a onion one I was not a big fan of how they tasted. This park was named after William Seward who was Governor of New York from 1839-1842. In the 1900s, recreational space was scarce in lower Manhattan. The Progressives called for public space for children to play instead of getting involved in crime and gangs. It wasn’t until the Small Parks Act of 1887 when New York City gained the power to take over private lands and turn them into public space (ENY, PDF, pg. 70). This park was opened in 1903 becoming the first municipal playground in the United States.
We made our way to the Bialystoker Synagogue located on 7 Willet Street. This synagogue has a Federal style appearance was built in 1826 and made out of Manhattan schist. The synagogue was founded in 1865 by Jews who came from the town of Bialystock in Poland (ENY, PDF, pg. 68). Next on the list was the Henry Street Settlement which was founded in 1893 by a 25-year-old nursing student Lillian Wald. She founded the Nurses’ Settlement which brought nursing care as well as education, and the arts to immigrant areas of the community. Jacob Schiff purchased this Federal Style house and donated it in 1903. Schiff supported Wald’s ambitions to achieve her goals and dreams and was able to start the Visiting Nurse Service to care for the sick. The most interesting part of the day was the Eldridge Street Synagogue. At first I thought it was a Roman Catholic Church from the large rose stained glass window but our tour guide Jim went on to further explain that it was not. Construction began in 1887; this was the first synagogue in New York to be built by Eastern European Jews. It was designed by Peter and Francis Herter and displays Gothic and Moorish influences. Another weird thing was that it was located in Chinatown where the Jewish population isn’t as populated as it once was. The rose window the highlight of this church represents the “12 stars lining the circumference of the window representing the 12 tribes of Israel” (ENY, PDF, pg. 71). With the Jewish religion not being as prominent the synagogue was left to disrepair and it wasn’t until 1986 when a non-profit group restored this synagogue back to its past. After a 20 year restoration, it finally opened up in 2007 as a museum displaying its rich history.
The final stop of Gotham NY Experience July 2014, was Congee Village Chinese food my favorite!! Once we arrived in this restaurant you knew that it was authentic because there are only chopsticks on the tables as your main silver wear and the workers didn’t speak English. We walked in and Mike ordered sesame chicken, fried rice, Chinese broccoli, dumplings and a few other things. My favorite was the sesame chicken and the dumplings that revolved around the spinning lazy Susan. Once the whole class finished their lunch everyone said their goodbye to each other. Everyone in this class really got along very well and I am going to miss everyone so much. That’s the end of my journals hopefully you enjoyed reading them and have new ideas of some different sites you can visit.
Mike talked about the gentrification that was beginning to take place in this upcoming, hip neighborhood. We passed by the Essex Street Market located on 120 Essex Street. Mike went on to explain how during the 1900s this market area was filled with pushcarts with street vendors that sold fruits, vegetables and meats, to clothing and household items (ENY, PDF, pg. 67). When Fiorello LaGuardia became Mayor in 1933, his goal was to eliminate the pushcarts because of the unsanitary conditions left by the pushcarts and the animals left manure on the streets which spread diseases. Today the market houses a variety of food stores that will appeal to everyone.
Our first stop of the day was Kossar’s Bialys and Seward Park. Kossar’s is a traditional Jewish hand rolled bialys. The class ordered a variety of bialys I had a onion one I was not a big fan of how they tasted. This park was named after William Seward who was Governor of New York from 1839-1842. In the 1900s, recreational space was scarce in lower Manhattan. The Progressives called for public space for children to play instead of getting involved in crime and gangs. It wasn’t until the Small Parks Act of 1887 when New York City gained the power to take over private lands and turn them into public space (ENY, PDF, pg. 70). This park was opened in 1903 becoming the first municipal playground in the United States.
We made our way to the Bialystoker Synagogue located on 7 Willet Street. This synagogue has a Federal style appearance was built in 1826 and made out of Manhattan schist. The synagogue was founded in 1865 by Jews who came from the town of Bialystock in Poland (ENY, PDF, pg. 68). Next on the list was the Henry Street Settlement which was founded in 1893 by a 25-year-old nursing student Lillian Wald. She founded the Nurses’ Settlement which brought nursing care as well as education, and the arts to immigrant areas of the community. Jacob Schiff purchased this Federal Style house and donated it in 1903. Schiff supported Wald’s ambitions to achieve her goals and dreams and was able to start the Visiting Nurse Service to care for the sick. The most interesting part of the day was the Eldridge Street Synagogue. At first I thought it was a Roman Catholic Church from the large rose stained glass window but our tour guide Jim went on to further explain that it was not. Construction began in 1887; this was the first synagogue in New York to be built by Eastern European Jews. It was designed by Peter and Francis Herter and displays Gothic and Moorish influences. Another weird thing was that it was located in Chinatown where the Jewish population isn’t as populated as it once was. The rose window the highlight of this church represents the “12 stars lining the circumference of the window representing the 12 tribes of Israel” (ENY, PDF, pg. 71). With the Jewish religion not being as prominent the synagogue was left to disrepair and it wasn’t until 1986 when a non-profit group restored this synagogue back to its past. After a 20 year restoration, it finally opened up in 2007 as a museum displaying its rich history.
The final stop of Gotham NY Experience July 2014, was Congee Village Chinese food my favorite!! Once we arrived in this restaurant you knew that it was authentic because there are only chopsticks on the tables as your main silver wear and the workers didn’t speak English. We walked in and Mike ordered sesame chicken, fried rice, Chinese broccoli, dumplings and a few other things. My favorite was the sesame chicken and the dumplings that revolved around the spinning lazy Susan. Once the whole class finished their lunch everyone said their goodbye to each other. Everyone in this class really got along very well and I am going to miss everyone so much. That’s the end of my journals hopefully you enjoyed reading them and have new ideas of some different sites you can visit.
9. Overall Experience
THE BEST CLASS AT MOLLOY!!! If you need to take a CORE class this is the one and only class you should take. I don’t know where to begin my final impressions of New York City after this wonderful experience; I want to give thanks to Molloy College for offering this class. I now know why this class is the most popular class at Molloy and fills up so quickly. I was a bit worried taking this four credit class because I knew it would entail a lot of writing. You have to stay on top of writing your journals and papers because if you don’t you will become very overwhelmed and it will catch up to you very quickly.
First and foremost, I want to thank the greatest professors out there Mike and Damian for a great month well really 7 classes we had together exploring and discovering all of the sites NYC has to offer. I was excited to wake up every Wednesday and Friday for four weeks and begin my journey on the Long Island Railroad to NYC to meet my class. This NY Experience class made me love and appreciate NYC even more then I already did and someday I hope to live in the greatest city in the world. This class gave me the opportunity to travel and discover places in NYC I would never venture on my own and expand my horizon of different foods we ate and places we visited. This class made me realize how lucky I am to live so close to such a great city that holds so much rich history and how much you can see in one day. People always talk about how much the NYC has to offer but I really didn’t realize the magnitude of culture and history NYC had until taking this course. My most memorable experience was walking over the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time. My favorite sites that we visited were Coney Island, the Transit Museum, Spanish Harlem, and La Casa Azul Bookstore. I have become commuter savvy, and I am able to take any subway in the city and navigate my way around without calling or asking someone for help thanks to this class. From all the different buildings: skyscrapers, to municipal buildings, houses on the streets, cathedrals and churches I can identify the different architecture designs because each style was instilled in our brains.
From the 17 years of schooling that I have received, this is the best class. To not sit in a classroom and have the opportunity to explore the city who wouldn’t do that?? You are having fun with all your classmates laughing and creating lifelong memories for eight hours twice a week, who wouldn’t take that option. We were lucky that the weather was enjoyable during this month of July and it wasn’t 100 degrees. When you have your orientation, start your work ahead of time, wear comfortable shoes and clothes because when Mike says you can walk 10+ miles in a day he isn’t joking and you have to keep up with his pace!!
First and foremost, I want to thank the greatest professors out there Mike and Damian for a great month well really 7 classes we had together exploring and discovering all of the sites NYC has to offer. I was excited to wake up every Wednesday and Friday for four weeks and begin my journey on the Long Island Railroad to NYC to meet my class. This NY Experience class made me love and appreciate NYC even more then I already did and someday I hope to live in the greatest city in the world. This class gave me the opportunity to travel and discover places in NYC I would never venture on my own and expand my horizon of different foods we ate and places we visited. This class made me realize how lucky I am to live so close to such a great city that holds so much rich history and how much you can see in one day. People always talk about how much the NYC has to offer but I really didn’t realize the magnitude of culture and history NYC had until taking this course. My most memorable experience was walking over the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time. My favorite sites that we visited were Coney Island, the Transit Museum, Spanish Harlem, and La Casa Azul Bookstore. I have become commuter savvy, and I am able to take any subway in the city and navigate my way around without calling or asking someone for help thanks to this class. From all the different buildings: skyscrapers, to municipal buildings, houses on the streets, cathedrals and churches I can identify the different architecture designs because each style was instilled in our brains.
From the 17 years of schooling that I have received, this is the best class. To not sit in a classroom and have the opportunity to explore the city who wouldn’t do that?? You are having fun with all your classmates laughing and creating lifelong memories for eight hours twice a week, who wouldn’t take that option. We were lucky that the weather was enjoyable during this month of July and it wasn’t 100 degrees. When you have your orientation, start your work ahead of time, wear comfortable shoes and clothes because when Mike says you can walk 10+ miles in a day he isn’t joking and you have to keep up with his pace!!