Journals 1-4
1. Impressions of NYC
I was born and raised in Queens, NY. I've been in New York my whole life. I've been out of New York many times, but there's no place like home. Some of the places I’ve visited were Thailand, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Vermont. No matter where I travel to, after couple of days I end up missing New York.
What comes to my mind when I think about New York City is “the city that never sleeps”. No matter what time it is in New York, you will always see people walking in the streets. I believe that New York is very different from other states. In New York, we have many different ways of transportation. I think it makes it a lot easier for New Yorkers to get from one place to another because of our varieties of transportation. Many things come to my mind when I think of New York City; yellow taxis, traffic, subway, statue of liberty, crowds, and street fairs.
As much as I hate taking the bus and subway to work, I believe that the MTA is the best thing in New York. It is a very convenient way for people to commute to work. If you live in New York City, you do not need to have a car because the bus and subway can take you to almost everywhere. Another great thing about New York City are taxis. You can find a taxi anywhere and everywhere. Taxis can be a little pricey, but they are great when you are running late or when there is a train problem. I’ve been to the Statue of Liberty once when I was around 3 years old and I do not remember a thing about it. I love going to street fairs because there are always interesting things to look at and many food to try. I used to help my aunt sell clothes at a street fair and it was a great experience. Traffic and crowds are big in New York City, especially around Time Square. Some people enjoy being in crowds and some are not so happy with it. I hate being in traffic and crowds, which is why I hate going to the city.
I am hoping that this class will help me get over the hatred I have for crowds in the city and will make me visit the city more often. Even though I go to the city every week for work, but that is all I do there. I would go straight to work and straight home. I would love to learn more about New York City and the things I can do there.
I was born and raised in Queens, NY. I've been in New York my whole life. I've been out of New York many times, but there's no place like home. Some of the places I’ve visited were Thailand, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Vermont. No matter where I travel to, after couple of days I end up missing New York.
What comes to my mind when I think about New York City is “the city that never sleeps”. No matter what time it is in New York, you will always see people walking in the streets. I believe that New York is very different from other states. In New York, we have many different ways of transportation. I think it makes it a lot easier for New Yorkers to get from one place to another because of our varieties of transportation. Many things come to my mind when I think of New York City; yellow taxis, traffic, subway, statue of liberty, crowds, and street fairs.
As much as I hate taking the bus and subway to work, I believe that the MTA is the best thing in New York. It is a very convenient way for people to commute to work. If you live in New York City, you do not need to have a car because the bus and subway can take you to almost everywhere. Another great thing about New York City are taxis. You can find a taxi anywhere and everywhere. Taxis can be a little pricey, but they are great when you are running late or when there is a train problem. I’ve been to the Statue of Liberty once when I was around 3 years old and I do not remember a thing about it. I love going to street fairs because there are always interesting things to look at and many food to try. I used to help my aunt sell clothes at a street fair and it was a great experience. Traffic and crowds are big in New York City, especially around Time Square. Some people enjoy being in crowds and some are not so happy with it. I hate being in traffic and crowds, which is why I hate going to the city.
I am hoping that this class will help me get over the hatred I have for crowds in the city and will make me visit the city more often. Even though I go to the city every week for work, but that is all I do there. I would go straight to work and straight home. I would love to learn more about New York City and the things I can do there.
2. Queens
I never knew how much Queens have to offer until today and after reading about it in the book. I was born and raised in Queens, but I never realized how big Queens really is. Queens is a very diverse place where many languages are spoken, but I never realized 120 languages are regularly spoken; that is a lot more than I thought. Growing up in Queens I passed by many cemeteries, but I did not know that Queens contains the largest number of cemeteries in New York City. I believe one of the many benefits people who live in Queens have is that we have two big airports; which is more convenient to get to than for people living in Manhattan. It is interesting how the arrival of train services and the opening of Queensborough Bridge made many people decide to live in Queens. I never knew before all the stores and restaurants Queens have today, Queens was mainly a residential area. (NYE pgs 213-214)
I have been on the 7-train line many times in my life, but never knew it was also called the “international express”. I never realized how many towns we passed from the 42nd street time squares stop to the main street flushing stop. I believe the 7-train follows Roosevelt ave once it reaches Queens. The 7-train stops at Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Corona, and Flushing. It is amazing how many ethnicities there are following the 7-train line. I also really like the 7-train line because unlike other lines, this train runs above ground and there is phone service, therefore you can use your cellphone. (NYE pgs 215-216).
We started our day in Flushing Meadow Park, where we got to see the Unisphere and The Queens Museum of Art. I’ve been to Flushing Meadow Park many times. However, I never knew that the World’s Fair had taken place there. I actually never even knew what the World’s Fair was until today. It is interesting how the World’s Fair has a different theme every year and people from all over the world comes to the fair to show-off their pride. It is sad that we no longer have the World’s Fair because of its cost and Disney World Epcot; I would love to experience it. Honestly, I thought Flushing Meadow Park was just the area around the Unisphere. I never knew that Citi Field, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens Zoo, and New York Hall of Science was part of Flushing Meadow Park. When I read that Flushing Meadow Park is bigger than Central Park; it really surprised me. (NYE pgs 217-222).
The Queens Museum of Art was a lot more interesting than I thought. I didn’t know anything about the Queens Museum; I knew it existed but I never thought about going there. We got to see to exhibits there; the panorama of New York City and the water shed. The panorama made me realized how big New York is and how all the boroughs of New York connected with each other. I knew we had many bridges in New York and I believe I’ve taken all of them before. It was really nice to see the all bridges on the panorama and its location. It was also nice to see how certain parts of New York are different than others by the building structures. The watershed was also interesting because I never knew where we got our water. Our water travels all the way from Catskill, which is a long way. It is interesting how NYC has the cleanest water when the streets of New York do not seem so clean. (NYE pg 221)
Our next stop was Roosevelt ave “Little India”, where we had lunch. We ate at an Indian buffet called “Jackson Diner”. This was my first time trying Indian food. I was never interested in trying Indian food because I don’t like the smell of it. The food tasted a lot better than I expected. I think tried almost everything except the goat. Everything I tried was really good except for the curry. The curry was not too bad, but it had a really strong taste that I couldn’t eat too much of. I would definitely go back to “Jackson Diner” and eat there again.
After lunch we took the subway to Astoria- Steinway Street. I have also been here many times, mostly to the Kaufman Movie Theater and Studio Square. I’ve also been to couple of other bars around Astoria, but never really been there during the daytime. I never knew Astoria used to be what they now call “Hollywood”. Since the weather is better in California, people decided to start filming there rather than New York. Many movies and television shows were filmed in Astoria. It’s also interesting how Astoria have the largest number of people of Greek heritage and a part of Astoria is known as “Little Egypt”. We did not get to see a lot of Astoria, but we did visit The Museum of Moving Image. I would love to explore more of Astoria on my own time. (NYE pgs 223-224).
Lastly, we visited The Museum of Moving Image. Since I go to Studio Square like once a month, I’ve passed this museum many times. I never thought about visiting this museum because I didn’t know what it’s about and most of the time I am around there it is closed. When I found out that this museum is about the history and art of film production, I thought that was very interesting. I would expect a museum like this would be in Manhattan or California. My favorite thing about that museum was the “music” section. It is interesting how the type of music can give you an idea of what type of scene it is going to be. First Cindy and I watched the scene without any music. Then we got to choose 3 different types of music for the same scene. Different types of music made you imagine the scene differently. Another interesting part of the music was the “Chuck Jones” section. There were many drawings and explaining of Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters. I also saw many types of cameras, video recorders, and microphones they used throughout the years to film movies. Overall, I thought this museum was worth visiting and I learned a lot from it. (NYE p. 224).
After spending a day in Queens, I think it is an amazing place. There are so much to do in Queens and it is sad how some people come to New York and just stays in Manhattan. Queens have a huge variety of restaurants and many historical places to visit. I’ve been in Queens my whole life and still know very little about it. I would love to visit all the places that are listed in the book under Queens one day.
I never knew how much Queens have to offer until today and after reading about it in the book. I was born and raised in Queens, but I never realized how big Queens really is. Queens is a very diverse place where many languages are spoken, but I never realized 120 languages are regularly spoken; that is a lot more than I thought. Growing up in Queens I passed by many cemeteries, but I did not know that Queens contains the largest number of cemeteries in New York City. I believe one of the many benefits people who live in Queens have is that we have two big airports; which is more convenient to get to than for people living in Manhattan. It is interesting how the arrival of train services and the opening of Queensborough Bridge made many people decide to live in Queens. I never knew before all the stores and restaurants Queens have today, Queens was mainly a residential area. (NYE pgs 213-214)
I have been on the 7-train line many times in my life, but never knew it was also called the “international express”. I never realized how many towns we passed from the 42nd street time squares stop to the main street flushing stop. I believe the 7-train follows Roosevelt ave once it reaches Queens. The 7-train stops at Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Corona, and Flushing. It is amazing how many ethnicities there are following the 7-train line. I also really like the 7-train line because unlike other lines, this train runs above ground and there is phone service, therefore you can use your cellphone. (NYE pgs 215-216).
We started our day in Flushing Meadow Park, where we got to see the Unisphere and The Queens Museum of Art. I’ve been to Flushing Meadow Park many times. However, I never knew that the World’s Fair had taken place there. I actually never even knew what the World’s Fair was until today. It is interesting how the World’s Fair has a different theme every year and people from all over the world comes to the fair to show-off their pride. It is sad that we no longer have the World’s Fair because of its cost and Disney World Epcot; I would love to experience it. Honestly, I thought Flushing Meadow Park was just the area around the Unisphere. I never knew that Citi Field, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens Zoo, and New York Hall of Science was part of Flushing Meadow Park. When I read that Flushing Meadow Park is bigger than Central Park; it really surprised me. (NYE pgs 217-222).
The Queens Museum of Art was a lot more interesting than I thought. I didn’t know anything about the Queens Museum; I knew it existed but I never thought about going there. We got to see to exhibits there; the panorama of New York City and the water shed. The panorama made me realized how big New York is and how all the boroughs of New York connected with each other. I knew we had many bridges in New York and I believe I’ve taken all of them before. It was really nice to see the all bridges on the panorama and its location. It was also nice to see how certain parts of New York are different than others by the building structures. The watershed was also interesting because I never knew where we got our water. Our water travels all the way from Catskill, which is a long way. It is interesting how NYC has the cleanest water when the streets of New York do not seem so clean. (NYE pg 221)
Our next stop was Roosevelt ave “Little India”, where we had lunch. We ate at an Indian buffet called “Jackson Diner”. This was my first time trying Indian food. I was never interested in trying Indian food because I don’t like the smell of it. The food tasted a lot better than I expected. I think tried almost everything except the goat. Everything I tried was really good except for the curry. The curry was not too bad, but it had a really strong taste that I couldn’t eat too much of. I would definitely go back to “Jackson Diner” and eat there again.
After lunch we took the subway to Astoria- Steinway Street. I have also been here many times, mostly to the Kaufman Movie Theater and Studio Square. I’ve also been to couple of other bars around Astoria, but never really been there during the daytime. I never knew Astoria used to be what they now call “Hollywood”. Since the weather is better in California, people decided to start filming there rather than New York. Many movies and television shows were filmed in Astoria. It’s also interesting how Astoria have the largest number of people of Greek heritage and a part of Astoria is known as “Little Egypt”. We did not get to see a lot of Astoria, but we did visit The Museum of Moving Image. I would love to explore more of Astoria on my own time. (NYE pgs 223-224).
Lastly, we visited The Museum of Moving Image. Since I go to Studio Square like once a month, I’ve passed this museum many times. I never thought about visiting this museum because I didn’t know what it’s about and most of the time I am around there it is closed. When I found out that this museum is about the history and art of film production, I thought that was very interesting. I would expect a museum like this would be in Manhattan or California. My favorite thing about that museum was the “music” section. It is interesting how the type of music can give you an idea of what type of scene it is going to be. First Cindy and I watched the scene without any music. Then we got to choose 3 different types of music for the same scene. Different types of music made you imagine the scene differently. Another interesting part of the music was the “Chuck Jones” section. There were many drawings and explaining of Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters. I also saw many types of cameras, video recorders, and microphones they used throughout the years to film movies. Overall, I thought this museum was worth visiting and I learned a lot from it. (NYE p. 224).
After spending a day in Queens, I think it is an amazing place. There are so much to do in Queens and it is sad how some people come to New York and just stays in Manhattan. Queens have a huge variety of restaurants and many historical places to visit. I’ve been in Queens my whole life and still know very little about it. I would love to visit all the places that are listed in the book under Queens one day.
3. Brooklyn
Brooklyn had a lot more to offer than I thought. When I think of Brooklyn, I think of a small residential area. Houses in Brooklyn were a lot nicer than I imagined it. I think I’ve been to Brooklyn like 2-3 times. The two times I went there was to go to the Barclay Center for an event. That was the only part of Brooklyn I have ever seen. It was interesting how we got to see many historical sites in Brooklyn.
We started our day in Manhattan and took the A train to Chamber st. We made a quick stop by City Hall where we talked about the Brooklyn Bridge. Emily Roebling completed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883. However, she did not come up with the idea of building the bridge. John Roebling, who was Washington Roebling’s father, designed the Brooklyn Bridge. Washington and Emily were husband and wife. John had to stop working on the bridge because a ferry crushed his foot. He ended up with amputation and dying from this tragic accident. Washington took over his father’s work and tried to complete the bridge, but he also did not get to finish it. He was suffering from a sickness, which did not allow him to be at the construction site. Emily eventually took over and completed it. It took 14 years to complete the bridge and many lives were lost in the process. The bridge is 1.1 miles long and it is the oldest suspension bridge in the United States. I thought it was very brave of Emily to beat the president and be the first one to cross the bridge. The bridge seems so much more interesting when I know the story behind it and how it was built. I was also very excited to walk on the Brooklyn Bridge because I’ve always wanted to walk on a bridge in NYC, but never got the chance to. The view was amazing when I looked back into Manhattan from the bridge. I also did not know there was going to be that much people there, I guess it is one of the tourist spot that I never knew about. I would definitely go back there one day with my family. (ENY pgs. 208-209)
One of the many things I learned today was that the avenues runs from north to south and streets run from east to west. I just thought that was really interesting and something good to know.
After we got off the Brooklyn Bridge, we walked over to Jacques Torre for some ice cream. I did not try to ice cream because at the time I was hungry for real food and not desert. However, most likely I would go back there and try their ice cream.
After everyone got ice cream, we walked to DUMBO, which stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. The view there was AMAZING. We got the see the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Williamsburg Bridge at the same time. This area of Brooklyn became highly gentrified because of its wonderful location. The Brooklyn Bridge Park by DUMBO has a carousel, which is known as Jane’s Carousel. This carousel was originally placed a theme park Youngstown, Ohio. The carousel was damaged by fire in 1984. Jane Walentas and her husband spent 20 years fixing the carousel and eventually found a new home for it, which is now in the Brooklyn Bridge Park. It is placed in a $9 million transparent jewel box. This part of the Brooklyn Bridge Park is a great place to relax and enjoy the weather. (ENY pgs. 207-208)
We headed to Brooklyn Heights after taking a short break by DUMBO. I never noticed the different house structures in New York until it was pointed out today. I thought it was interesting that most houses in New York City have the same concept with the stoop and the bottom door for the slaves. Brooklyn Heights consist of many historical churches and architectural richness. I thought it was really awesome how we got to stand where Washington retreated his troops across the East river. It was also nice to look over the Brooklyn Queens Expressway because I’ve been on it many times. I did not know there were houses that are worth millions of dollars in Brooklyn because I always thought of Brooklyn different. We walked to Plymouth Church, which is the most important site in Brooklyn Heights. There is a statue of the preacher Henry Ward Beecher in the courtyard of the church. Beecher was extremely famous during the mid-19th century. He had many admirers and many people from Manhattan came to see every Sunday. Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln also came to hear him preach. Behind the church was where Walt Whitman lived and wrote his poem, but it no longer exists today. Brooklyn Heights consists of many building structures including neo-gothic and neoclassical styles. There are many things to do and see in Brooklyn Heights that I never knew existed. (ENY pgs. 201-206).
While trying to hide from the rain, we visited the Brooklyn Historical Society. This building was founded by Henry Pierrepont in 1863. There are many purposes for this place. It serves ass a museum, library, and an educational center for the study of Brooklyn. I guess you can also have your wedding there because when we were there, they were setting up for a wedding. George Post designed the place and interestingly the place is filled with sunflowers everywhere. On the second floor of the building, they have a very unique but beautiful library. It does not look like a regular library we see today. It looks more like an old-fashioned library that we see in movies or in books. It was interesting because this library is actually open to the public and anyone can utilize it. On the third floor by the stairs there is a sculpture of Sally Maria Diggs who was also known as “Pinky”. She was a 9 year old slave that Beecher auctioned for $900. There are also sculptures of Columbus, Benjamin Franklin, a Viking, and a Native American in the front of the building. I think all the sculptures in front of the building makes this building stand out and unique. (ENY p. 205).
Last thing we discussed today was about the Brooklyn Borough Hall. The Brooklyn Borough Hall is the oldest public building in Brooklyn. When Brooklyn was an independent city, this building served as the city hall. In 1898, Brooklyn and New York merged as one. Gamaliel King took 3 years to build it and it was once known as the Brooklyn’s City Hall. An example of a Greek Revival structure is the Brooklyn Borough Hall and it is one of the best one there is in New York. (ENY p. 203).
Overall, I learned a lot about Brooklyn today. Many historical events that took place in Brooklyn were also very interesting. I enjoyed walking on the Brooklyn Bridge and looking at all the nice views and different building structures. However, I did not enjoy the pouring rain before and after lunch. I was also looking forward to go to Coney Island too because I haven't been there since I was a kid, but unfortunately we didn't get to go because of the rain. It was a great and tiring day.
Brooklyn had a lot more to offer than I thought. When I think of Brooklyn, I think of a small residential area. Houses in Brooklyn were a lot nicer than I imagined it. I think I’ve been to Brooklyn like 2-3 times. The two times I went there was to go to the Barclay Center for an event. That was the only part of Brooklyn I have ever seen. It was interesting how we got to see many historical sites in Brooklyn.
We started our day in Manhattan and took the A train to Chamber st. We made a quick stop by City Hall where we talked about the Brooklyn Bridge. Emily Roebling completed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883. However, she did not come up with the idea of building the bridge. John Roebling, who was Washington Roebling’s father, designed the Brooklyn Bridge. Washington and Emily were husband and wife. John had to stop working on the bridge because a ferry crushed his foot. He ended up with amputation and dying from this tragic accident. Washington took over his father’s work and tried to complete the bridge, but he also did not get to finish it. He was suffering from a sickness, which did not allow him to be at the construction site. Emily eventually took over and completed it. It took 14 years to complete the bridge and many lives were lost in the process. The bridge is 1.1 miles long and it is the oldest suspension bridge in the United States. I thought it was very brave of Emily to beat the president and be the first one to cross the bridge. The bridge seems so much more interesting when I know the story behind it and how it was built. I was also very excited to walk on the Brooklyn Bridge because I’ve always wanted to walk on a bridge in NYC, but never got the chance to. The view was amazing when I looked back into Manhattan from the bridge. I also did not know there was going to be that much people there, I guess it is one of the tourist spot that I never knew about. I would definitely go back there one day with my family. (ENY pgs. 208-209)
One of the many things I learned today was that the avenues runs from north to south and streets run from east to west. I just thought that was really interesting and something good to know.
After we got off the Brooklyn Bridge, we walked over to Jacques Torre for some ice cream. I did not try to ice cream because at the time I was hungry for real food and not desert. However, most likely I would go back there and try their ice cream.
After everyone got ice cream, we walked to DUMBO, which stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. The view there was AMAZING. We got the see the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Williamsburg Bridge at the same time. This area of Brooklyn became highly gentrified because of its wonderful location. The Brooklyn Bridge Park by DUMBO has a carousel, which is known as Jane’s Carousel. This carousel was originally placed a theme park Youngstown, Ohio. The carousel was damaged by fire in 1984. Jane Walentas and her husband spent 20 years fixing the carousel and eventually found a new home for it, which is now in the Brooklyn Bridge Park. It is placed in a $9 million transparent jewel box. This part of the Brooklyn Bridge Park is a great place to relax and enjoy the weather. (ENY pgs. 207-208)
We headed to Brooklyn Heights after taking a short break by DUMBO. I never noticed the different house structures in New York until it was pointed out today. I thought it was interesting that most houses in New York City have the same concept with the stoop and the bottom door for the slaves. Brooklyn Heights consist of many historical churches and architectural richness. I thought it was really awesome how we got to stand where Washington retreated his troops across the East river. It was also nice to look over the Brooklyn Queens Expressway because I’ve been on it many times. I did not know there were houses that are worth millions of dollars in Brooklyn because I always thought of Brooklyn different. We walked to Plymouth Church, which is the most important site in Brooklyn Heights. There is a statue of the preacher Henry Ward Beecher in the courtyard of the church. Beecher was extremely famous during the mid-19th century. He had many admirers and many people from Manhattan came to see every Sunday. Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln also came to hear him preach. Behind the church was where Walt Whitman lived and wrote his poem, but it no longer exists today. Brooklyn Heights consists of many building structures including neo-gothic and neoclassical styles. There are many things to do and see in Brooklyn Heights that I never knew existed. (ENY pgs. 201-206).
While trying to hide from the rain, we visited the Brooklyn Historical Society. This building was founded by Henry Pierrepont in 1863. There are many purposes for this place. It serves ass a museum, library, and an educational center for the study of Brooklyn. I guess you can also have your wedding there because when we were there, they were setting up for a wedding. George Post designed the place and interestingly the place is filled with sunflowers everywhere. On the second floor of the building, they have a very unique but beautiful library. It does not look like a regular library we see today. It looks more like an old-fashioned library that we see in movies or in books. It was interesting because this library is actually open to the public and anyone can utilize it. On the third floor by the stairs there is a sculpture of Sally Maria Diggs who was also known as “Pinky”. She was a 9 year old slave that Beecher auctioned for $900. There are also sculptures of Columbus, Benjamin Franklin, a Viking, and a Native American in the front of the building. I think all the sculptures in front of the building makes this building stand out and unique. (ENY p. 205).
Last thing we discussed today was about the Brooklyn Borough Hall. The Brooklyn Borough Hall is the oldest public building in Brooklyn. When Brooklyn was an independent city, this building served as the city hall. In 1898, Brooklyn and New York merged as one. Gamaliel King took 3 years to build it and it was once known as the Brooklyn’s City Hall. An example of a Greek Revival structure is the Brooklyn Borough Hall and it is one of the best one there is in New York. (ENY p. 203).
Overall, I learned a lot about Brooklyn today. Many historical events that took place in Brooklyn were also very interesting. I enjoyed walking on the Brooklyn Bridge and looking at all the nice views and different building structures. However, I did not enjoy the pouring rain before and after lunch. I was also looking forward to go to Coney Island too because I haven't been there since I was a kid, but unfortunately we didn't get to go because of the rain. It was a great and tiring day.
4. Chelsea and The Village
Today we did a whole lot of walking! We got to experience Chelsea and The Village. I got to see and learn many things about this part of Manhattan that I never knew existed.
We started our day talking about how Penn Station got destroyed and now looks like a piece of crap. Penn Station originally looked like how Grand Central Station looks like today. It is sad that they remodeled it and now it looks horrible. I believe they are trying to build a new entrance for Penn Station, which will be across the street where the Post Office is. When I saw the original picture of Penn Station, I was shocked because it looks nothing like how it is today.
We headed toward Chelsea where we walked on The High Line. I did not think the view was that nice, but it was interesting and very crowded. High Line was opened in 2006 and it is known as an elevated park. (ENY p.84)
Chelsea consists of many art galleries that I never even knew existed. I did not even know there is a thing called “gallery hopping”. The interesting part about gallery hopping is that there is no fee to get into these galleries. The galleries are open to the public to view some really nice art for free. These galleries are private spaces where artists can display and sell their arts. It is also very interesting that if you go to a gallery opening at the beginning of each month, they may give out free wine. I actually really had a good time gallery hopping. I never imagined myself doing that, but it was really fun and interesting. I really like the gallery we went into where it looked like a hoarder’s Christmas tree. There were just stuff hanging all over the wall and everything looked so similar, but different. I don’t know but I thought the gallery with colorful balls stacked on top of each other was pretty awesome too. It was something that looked so simple, but very nice. Chelsea is probably the only place in New York where you can find a huge variety of artwork right next to each other. (ENY, pgs. 85-86)
After gallery hopping, we stopped by a non-profit artists bookstore called Printed Matter. This store had a lot of interesting and bizarre stuff. I don’t even know why people would even want to buy some of the stuff they sell in this store. I wonder if people come to this store on a regular basis or it is more of a tourist spot.
I knew there was a place in Manhattan called The Village; I didn’t know it was short for Greenwich Village. The Village was originally a tobacco field then became farmland. In the 19th century, the village was mainly filled with houses and not many stores. Many people started moving to The Village in 1821 because of the outbreaks of cholera and yellow fever in lower Manhattan. Residents of lower Manhattan began to look for new homes and most came to The Village. In the late 19th century, many immigrants starting migrated to The Village. Today, only the rich people can afford to live in The Village because rent became extremely expensive. (ENY pgs. 88-89)
The West Village extends from the Hudson River to 6th avenue. I am horrible with directions, so most likely I will get lost here. The West Village has local streets and some streets intersect themselves and others. The tradition in West Village is that it’s been a home to gays and lesbians. The Gay Rights movement began in the 1960s around Christopher street and it has been a center of social life for New York gay and lesbian. Stonewall Inn is the most important historical sites connected with the gay rights movement in New York. This place is considered the birthplace of the gay rights movement and is now a national historical monument. It was not easy being gay in the 1960s because people were discriminating them. Gay people went through many challenges to fight for what they believe. The owner of Stonewall Inn used to have to pay the police to bribe them so they can stay in business. In Christopher Park, there are two statues that represent the gay rights movement. I was very interested in learning about the gay rights movement because I grew up with knowing my aunt is a lesbian and I know a lot of gay people. It was a very interesting part of the day. (ENY pgs. 89-92)
One of the few High Victorian Gothic-style buildings left in Manhattan is the Jefferson Market Library. This building was originally served as a courthouse for local community.
The Northern Dispensary was build by local citizens in 1831 to provide health care for the poor. The interesting part about this is that stories have been told that Edgar Allen Poe was once a patient here.
Washington Square Park seems like a nice place to hang out and relax. However, that man and lady that was kissing the pigeon was not so entertaining. New York University’s students and buildings dominate Washington Square Park. It is really creepy that before this park was built, it was a place where they would burry dead unknown or poor people. There is also a tree in that park called “Hangman’s Elm”, where they used to hang people to death. This tree is still alive today. it is a 300 year old English elm tree standing at 110 feet high. This is also the oldest tree in the city. The main attraction of the park is the Washington Square Arch. This arch was built by Stanford White and it was dedicated to George Washington’s inauguration. On the north-east side of the arch shows a relief of Washington at war. On the north-west side of the arch shows Washington at peace. (ENY pgs.94-96)
I really enjoyed the Merchant’s House Museum. It gave me an idea of how people in New York used to live. I couldn’t believe there were 18 people living in that house at one point. It is also very weird how they would only shower when they feel it is necessary. I think the house was very cute and I would want to live in a house similar to that, but more modernized. I thought it was kind of funny how the women had to go greet other families with a greeting card on a regular basis. It is very interesting how the house is set up and the husband and wife don’t share the same room. It is also very sad to have a feel of what the slaves had to go through while serving the family. I thought visiting the Merchant’s House Museum was a great experience.
Cooper Square is very different from many buildings in New York. It has a weird looking structure, but it is pretty cool in a way. This build mission is focused on art, architecture, and engineering. This building was designed by Thom Mayne. He wanted to create something that reflects the college’s focus. When I walked in the building there was a huge staircase and when looked up between the floors, it was amazing. (ENY pgs. 100-101)
We walked by McSorley’s Old Ale House, which is one of New York’s original old dive bars.
Astor Place was named after John Jacob Astor III. During the Astor Place Riot in 1849, there were huge amounts of anti-British sentiment among Irish immigrants in the area. Cooper Union Foundation Building was built in 1859. This building is known for being the oldest steel-framed structure in the United States. This building was also the first building in the world constructed with an elevator shaft. At one point, Abraham Lincoln made a speech in this building. (ENY pgs. 102-103)
I’ve been to St. Mark’s Place many times for food, drinks, and tattoos. (I got my first tattoo at St. Mark’s Place) My favorite place to eat there is Yakitori Taisho. My favorite spot to have a drink there is probably Continental because they 5 shots for $10. (We ended up going there after class was over.) I feel like no matter what time it is, St. Mark’s Place is always live and busy.
I thought it was interesting that there is a public bathhouse that still exists today. The Russian and Turkish Baths is a bathhouse where poor immigrant would go to get clean back in the days. It is kind of weird how it is still running today, but the majority of people who goes there are not really poor immigrants anymore.
I never knew there were avenue A,B, and C. La Plaza Cultural was an interesting place. This is a community garden. The people that were there did not look so friendly though. The place also did not look very nice, but I am sure many people take advantage of it. I don’t think it is easy to have a garden in Manhattan because of its limited space. I thought it was interesting how they have weird decorations on the top of the gate to prevent people from climbing over.
Lastly, Tompkins Square Park is a 10-acre park and was named after Daniel D. Tompkins. In the past there have been many social protest, riot, and revolt. It got so bad that the park had to be shut down at one point. The most famous riot that happened in that park was when the police attempted to clear the park of the homeless people. The park eventually reopened after it was closed for about year. They recreated the park so that protests are impossible. (ENY pg. 107).
For lunch, Cindy and I decided to try something different so we ate at a Ethiopian Restaurant. At first, we thought it was pretty good and interesting. When we were almost half way done, we both realized we did not like the food. It started to feel like we were eating baby food and the flatbread had a weird sour taste. I would definitely not eat Ethiopian food again. Overall, I think today's class was great. My favorite part was the gallery hopping. I am actually thinking about going back on my own time. I learned so much after today’s class. Thank goodness the weather was wonderful.
Today we did a whole lot of walking! We got to experience Chelsea and The Village. I got to see and learn many things about this part of Manhattan that I never knew existed.
We started our day talking about how Penn Station got destroyed and now looks like a piece of crap. Penn Station originally looked like how Grand Central Station looks like today. It is sad that they remodeled it and now it looks horrible. I believe they are trying to build a new entrance for Penn Station, which will be across the street where the Post Office is. When I saw the original picture of Penn Station, I was shocked because it looks nothing like how it is today.
We headed toward Chelsea where we walked on The High Line. I did not think the view was that nice, but it was interesting and very crowded. High Line was opened in 2006 and it is known as an elevated park. (ENY p.84)
Chelsea consists of many art galleries that I never even knew existed. I did not even know there is a thing called “gallery hopping”. The interesting part about gallery hopping is that there is no fee to get into these galleries. The galleries are open to the public to view some really nice art for free. These galleries are private spaces where artists can display and sell their arts. It is also very interesting that if you go to a gallery opening at the beginning of each month, they may give out free wine. I actually really had a good time gallery hopping. I never imagined myself doing that, but it was really fun and interesting. I really like the gallery we went into where it looked like a hoarder’s Christmas tree. There were just stuff hanging all over the wall and everything looked so similar, but different. I don’t know but I thought the gallery with colorful balls stacked on top of each other was pretty awesome too. It was something that looked so simple, but very nice. Chelsea is probably the only place in New York where you can find a huge variety of artwork right next to each other. (ENY, pgs. 85-86)
After gallery hopping, we stopped by a non-profit artists bookstore called Printed Matter. This store had a lot of interesting and bizarre stuff. I don’t even know why people would even want to buy some of the stuff they sell in this store. I wonder if people come to this store on a regular basis or it is more of a tourist spot.
I knew there was a place in Manhattan called The Village; I didn’t know it was short for Greenwich Village. The Village was originally a tobacco field then became farmland. In the 19th century, the village was mainly filled with houses and not many stores. Many people started moving to The Village in 1821 because of the outbreaks of cholera and yellow fever in lower Manhattan. Residents of lower Manhattan began to look for new homes and most came to The Village. In the late 19th century, many immigrants starting migrated to The Village. Today, only the rich people can afford to live in The Village because rent became extremely expensive. (ENY pgs. 88-89)
The West Village extends from the Hudson River to 6th avenue. I am horrible with directions, so most likely I will get lost here. The West Village has local streets and some streets intersect themselves and others. The tradition in West Village is that it’s been a home to gays and lesbians. The Gay Rights movement began in the 1960s around Christopher street and it has been a center of social life for New York gay and lesbian. Stonewall Inn is the most important historical sites connected with the gay rights movement in New York. This place is considered the birthplace of the gay rights movement and is now a national historical monument. It was not easy being gay in the 1960s because people were discriminating them. Gay people went through many challenges to fight for what they believe. The owner of Stonewall Inn used to have to pay the police to bribe them so they can stay in business. In Christopher Park, there are two statues that represent the gay rights movement. I was very interested in learning about the gay rights movement because I grew up with knowing my aunt is a lesbian and I know a lot of gay people. It was a very interesting part of the day. (ENY pgs. 89-92)
One of the few High Victorian Gothic-style buildings left in Manhattan is the Jefferson Market Library. This building was originally served as a courthouse for local community.
The Northern Dispensary was build by local citizens in 1831 to provide health care for the poor. The interesting part about this is that stories have been told that Edgar Allen Poe was once a patient here.
Washington Square Park seems like a nice place to hang out and relax. However, that man and lady that was kissing the pigeon was not so entertaining. New York University’s students and buildings dominate Washington Square Park. It is really creepy that before this park was built, it was a place where they would burry dead unknown or poor people. There is also a tree in that park called “Hangman’s Elm”, where they used to hang people to death. This tree is still alive today. it is a 300 year old English elm tree standing at 110 feet high. This is also the oldest tree in the city. The main attraction of the park is the Washington Square Arch. This arch was built by Stanford White and it was dedicated to George Washington’s inauguration. On the north-east side of the arch shows a relief of Washington at war. On the north-west side of the arch shows Washington at peace. (ENY pgs.94-96)
I really enjoyed the Merchant’s House Museum. It gave me an idea of how people in New York used to live. I couldn’t believe there were 18 people living in that house at one point. It is also very weird how they would only shower when they feel it is necessary. I think the house was very cute and I would want to live in a house similar to that, but more modernized. I thought it was kind of funny how the women had to go greet other families with a greeting card on a regular basis. It is very interesting how the house is set up and the husband and wife don’t share the same room. It is also very sad to have a feel of what the slaves had to go through while serving the family. I thought visiting the Merchant’s House Museum was a great experience.
Cooper Square is very different from many buildings in New York. It has a weird looking structure, but it is pretty cool in a way. This build mission is focused on art, architecture, and engineering. This building was designed by Thom Mayne. He wanted to create something that reflects the college’s focus. When I walked in the building there was a huge staircase and when looked up between the floors, it was amazing. (ENY pgs. 100-101)
We walked by McSorley’s Old Ale House, which is one of New York’s original old dive bars.
Astor Place was named after John Jacob Astor III. During the Astor Place Riot in 1849, there were huge amounts of anti-British sentiment among Irish immigrants in the area. Cooper Union Foundation Building was built in 1859. This building is known for being the oldest steel-framed structure in the United States. This building was also the first building in the world constructed with an elevator shaft. At one point, Abraham Lincoln made a speech in this building. (ENY pgs. 102-103)
I’ve been to St. Mark’s Place many times for food, drinks, and tattoos. (I got my first tattoo at St. Mark’s Place) My favorite place to eat there is Yakitori Taisho. My favorite spot to have a drink there is probably Continental because they 5 shots for $10. (We ended up going there after class was over.) I feel like no matter what time it is, St. Mark’s Place is always live and busy.
I thought it was interesting that there is a public bathhouse that still exists today. The Russian and Turkish Baths is a bathhouse where poor immigrant would go to get clean back in the days. It is kind of weird how it is still running today, but the majority of people who goes there are not really poor immigrants anymore.
I never knew there were avenue A,B, and C. La Plaza Cultural was an interesting place. This is a community garden. The people that were there did not look so friendly though. The place also did not look very nice, but I am sure many people take advantage of it. I don’t think it is easy to have a garden in Manhattan because of its limited space. I thought it was interesting how they have weird decorations on the top of the gate to prevent people from climbing over.
Lastly, Tompkins Square Park is a 10-acre park and was named after Daniel D. Tompkins. In the past there have been many social protest, riot, and revolt. It got so bad that the park had to be shut down at one point. The most famous riot that happened in that park was when the police attempted to clear the park of the homeless people. The park eventually reopened after it was closed for about year. They recreated the park so that protests are impossible. (ENY pg. 107).
For lunch, Cindy and I decided to try something different so we ate at a Ethiopian Restaurant. At first, we thought it was pretty good and interesting. When we were almost half way done, we both realized we did not like the food. It started to feel like we were eating baby food and the flatbread had a weird sour taste. I would definitely not eat Ethiopian food again. Overall, I think today's class was great. My favorite part was the gallery hopping. I am actually thinking about going back on my own time. I learned so much after today’s class. Thank goodness the weather was wonderful.