Journals 5-9
5. The Enchanted Eastside
Today was definitely something new for me because I’ve never been to East Harlem before. I had no idea where it is located or what was there to do there. East Harlem is also known as Spanish Harlem and it is the uptown neighborhood of Manhattan. Throughout the years, East Harlem’s residents have different ethnicities. The majority of people who live in East Harlem are Spanish people. Today, East Harlem has one of the largest Latina communities in the country. (ENY p. 161)
The first thing we looked at after walking about two blocks from the subway station was “The Project”. The project is a public space consists of buildings where people with low income live. Many people did not think it was a good idea because they believe it will increase the homicide incidence. They also thought that the idea of putting all low-income people under one roof could cause problems to the community. Today, there are no more projects being created. I’ve heard of the project before and I knew it was for people with low-income, but it was nice to be able to walk through it and see it up close.
Next, we went to the Museum of the City of New York. This museum focused on the history of New York City. The museum was founded in 1923, originally located in Gracie Mansion; and was moved to its current location in 1932. We watched the 22 minutes long documentary called “Timescapes”. The documentary was very interesting and I wish we saw this before we started our Gotham class. It talks about the history of New York City and how it started. It made a lot of sense seeing the Manhattan map on the screen and how it transformed over the years. I also didn’t realize how big central park is until I saw it on the map in the film. (I don’t know why, but it really surprised me.) It was also interesting how they showed the different highways and subway lines on the map and how everything connects with each other. The New York City’s grid was also mentioned in the video. This documentary was very good because it puts it all together and it made it easier to learn about New York City visually. We also got to see pictures of some familiar places and how it looked years ago. Overall, I thought the museum was worth a visit and I learned a lot from it. (ENY pgs. 162-163).
After the museum, we met Luke in front of the El Museo del Barrio. I really enjoyed Luke’s tour of East Harlem. He seems very proud of this community and what it has to offer. The streets of East Harlem are filled with murals and paintings that represent who they are as a community. East Harlem is a non-commercial area and everything is very closed to original. The Modesto “Tin” Flores Garden was interesting to me because the centerpiece of the garden is a fountain that represents the women’s fallopian tubes. I thought that was very unique. The store (I don’t remember the name) we went to where they sell bracelets, necklace, candles, and a whole lot more that I have no idea what they are was also very interesting. I’ve never been to a store like this before and I didn’t even know it existed. (ENY pgs. 163-164)
After the tour with Luke, I ate one beef taco and 1 pork taco for lunch. I got tacos from “El Aguila”. It was very good and inexpensive. I will definitely go back there one day.
After lunch, we explored the upper part of Central Park. I have never been to this side of Central Park before and it was beautiful. The upper park runs from 110th street to 88th street. We walked under the Vanderbilt Gate on Fifth Avenue. This gate was made in Paris in 1894 and was originally the gate for the Vanderbilt Mansion. This part of the park consists of different styles of garden. The three styles of garden are English, French, and Italian. The Italian garden contains a large lawn area surrounded by yew hedges and a 12 foot high jet fountain. The French garden has a centerpiece of the Three Dancing Maidens fountain. The English garden has centerpiece of the Francis Hodges Burnett Memorial fountain. (ENY pgs. 150-151)
After exploring the upper part of Central park, we spent a little time at the Grand Central Terminal. Another name for the Grand Central Terminal is Grand Central Station. I’ve never been here before and my first impression was that it looks nothing like a train station. It reminded me of a fancy mall. Grand Central Station is a train station in the European tradition. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis fought to Grand Central and its beautiful style. She did not want them to destroy it like how they destroyed the beauty of Penn Station. (ENY pgs. 133-134)
Lastly, we spent some time looking at different building structures in Midtown Manhattan. The Chrysler Building is one of the most elegant skyscrapers in the world. Many believe this building of art deco style. The building was completed on May 20, 1930. The Chrysler Building was once the tallest building in the world until the completion of the Empire State Building. The G.E. Building was completed in 1931 and occupied by the General Electric Company. I thought the G.E. building was very unique because of how it is designed at the top of the building. It almost looks like it was not finish building. Many people believe the Waldorf-Astoria is the most luxurious hotel in New York City. It takes up the entire block between Park and Lexington Avenues and 49th and 50th streets. I wonder how the rooms look like because the hotel lobby and bathroom were very fancy. The St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church was in built in 1916 and was designed in Byzantine style by Bertram Goodhue. The church looks beautiful from the outside. The Seagram Building was in built in 1958 by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. This building is a great example of international style of architecture. I thought it was interesting how there are laws on how buildings should be built and much of a difference each building are from each other. Before this class, I’ve never paid attention on the details on buildings and I just thought all buildings are similar, but it is very different! (ENY pgs. 134-139)
Today was definitely something new for me because I’ve never been to East Harlem before. I had no idea where it is located or what was there to do there. East Harlem is also known as Spanish Harlem and it is the uptown neighborhood of Manhattan. Throughout the years, East Harlem’s residents have different ethnicities. The majority of people who live in East Harlem are Spanish people. Today, East Harlem has one of the largest Latina communities in the country. (ENY p. 161)
The first thing we looked at after walking about two blocks from the subway station was “The Project”. The project is a public space consists of buildings where people with low income live. Many people did not think it was a good idea because they believe it will increase the homicide incidence. They also thought that the idea of putting all low-income people under one roof could cause problems to the community. Today, there are no more projects being created. I’ve heard of the project before and I knew it was for people with low-income, but it was nice to be able to walk through it and see it up close.
Next, we went to the Museum of the City of New York. This museum focused on the history of New York City. The museum was founded in 1923, originally located in Gracie Mansion; and was moved to its current location in 1932. We watched the 22 minutes long documentary called “Timescapes”. The documentary was very interesting and I wish we saw this before we started our Gotham class. It talks about the history of New York City and how it started. It made a lot of sense seeing the Manhattan map on the screen and how it transformed over the years. I also didn’t realize how big central park is until I saw it on the map in the film. (I don’t know why, but it really surprised me.) It was also interesting how they showed the different highways and subway lines on the map and how everything connects with each other. The New York City’s grid was also mentioned in the video. This documentary was very good because it puts it all together and it made it easier to learn about New York City visually. We also got to see pictures of some familiar places and how it looked years ago. Overall, I thought the museum was worth a visit and I learned a lot from it. (ENY pgs. 162-163).
After the museum, we met Luke in front of the El Museo del Barrio. I really enjoyed Luke’s tour of East Harlem. He seems very proud of this community and what it has to offer. The streets of East Harlem are filled with murals and paintings that represent who they are as a community. East Harlem is a non-commercial area and everything is very closed to original. The Modesto “Tin” Flores Garden was interesting to me because the centerpiece of the garden is a fountain that represents the women’s fallopian tubes. I thought that was very unique. The store (I don’t remember the name) we went to where they sell bracelets, necklace, candles, and a whole lot more that I have no idea what they are was also very interesting. I’ve never been to a store like this before and I didn’t even know it existed. (ENY pgs. 163-164)
After the tour with Luke, I ate one beef taco and 1 pork taco for lunch. I got tacos from “El Aguila”. It was very good and inexpensive. I will definitely go back there one day.
After lunch, we explored the upper part of Central Park. I have never been to this side of Central Park before and it was beautiful. The upper park runs from 110th street to 88th street. We walked under the Vanderbilt Gate on Fifth Avenue. This gate was made in Paris in 1894 and was originally the gate for the Vanderbilt Mansion. This part of the park consists of different styles of garden. The three styles of garden are English, French, and Italian. The Italian garden contains a large lawn area surrounded by yew hedges and a 12 foot high jet fountain. The French garden has a centerpiece of the Three Dancing Maidens fountain. The English garden has centerpiece of the Francis Hodges Burnett Memorial fountain. (ENY pgs. 150-151)
After exploring the upper part of Central park, we spent a little time at the Grand Central Terminal. Another name for the Grand Central Terminal is Grand Central Station. I’ve never been here before and my first impression was that it looks nothing like a train station. It reminded me of a fancy mall. Grand Central Station is a train station in the European tradition. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis fought to Grand Central and its beautiful style. She did not want them to destroy it like how they destroyed the beauty of Penn Station. (ENY pgs. 133-134)
Lastly, we spent some time looking at different building structures in Midtown Manhattan. The Chrysler Building is one of the most elegant skyscrapers in the world. Many believe this building of art deco style. The building was completed on May 20, 1930. The Chrysler Building was once the tallest building in the world until the completion of the Empire State Building. The G.E. Building was completed in 1931 and occupied by the General Electric Company. I thought the G.E. building was very unique because of how it is designed at the top of the building. It almost looks like it was not finish building. Many people believe the Waldorf-Astoria is the most luxurious hotel in New York City. It takes up the entire block between Park and Lexington Avenues and 49th and 50th streets. I wonder how the rooms look like because the hotel lobby and bathroom were very fancy. The St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church was in built in 1916 and was designed in Byzantine style by Bertram Goodhue. The church looks beautiful from the outside. The Seagram Building was in built in 1958 by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. This building is a great example of international style of architecture. I thought it was interesting how there are laws on how buildings should be built and much of a difference each building are from each other. Before this class, I’ve never paid attention on the details on buildings and I just thought all buildings are similar, but it is very different! (ENY pgs. 134-139)
6. MOMA and Morningside Heights
Today we started the day by visiting the Museum of Modern Art. The museum is located on 53rd street between fifth and sixth avenues. I’ve heard many good things about this museum and I’ve always wanted to visit it so I was glad we got to go there. I couldn’t believe how busy the museum was. I would’ve enjoyed it more if we didn’t have to rush through everything. Some of the artworks there made me reconsider what is really art. I really enjoyed the museum and would like to revisit it one day. I know some people did not like the museum, but I thought it was pretty interesting.
After MOMA, we ate Thai food for lunch at Yum Yum 2. I had beef pad se ew. I thought the food was average because I’ve had better Thai food. Since I am Thai, I think my parents make the best Thai food, just saying.
After lunch, we went to Morningside Heights. Morningside Heights was originally called Vandewater’s Heights. The majority of the area was undeveloped until 1816. When the Morningside Park was created in 1880s, the community began to become known as Morningside Heights. There are also many education buildings in Morningside heights. Some of the schools in this area included Columbia University, Teacher’s College, Barnard College, and Union Theological Seminary. Columbia University own most of the properties in Morningside Heights. (ENY pg. 166)
Morningside Park runs from 110th street to 123rd street. This park is a natural dividing line between Morningside Park and Harlem. The park is on a cliff made up of Manhattan shist. During the 1960s and 70s, this park was a very dangerous place to hang out because of crime. Today, the park is being controlled by the “Friends of Morningside Park”. This is a volunteer organization that Columbia University students started. I enjoyed looking at the view of Harlem from the park. I can see myself reading a book around there if I lived by the park. (ENY, pg. 173)
The Riverside Church is the tallest church in the United States. The church was built in 1927 and it is a Gothic Revival Church. Some famous people once spoke in this church included Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmound Tutu, and Fidel Castro. This church was very different because it is very tall and I don’t really see a lot of tall churches. In my opinion, it don’t even really look like a church. (ENY, p. 172)
The General Grant National Memorial holds Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia Grant tombs. Grant was commander of the Union army during the Civil war and President of the United States from 1869-1877. (ENY, pg. 171).
The Riverside Park is a narrow park and is four miles long. The park runs from 72nd street to 158th street along the Hudson River. I thought this park was interesting because you can hear the Hudson River. It can be a very relaxing place for the community. (ENY, pg. 171)
Columbia University is the first college in New York State and the fifth college in the United States. The college was originally located in lower Manhattan, but they decided to move it to its present location because they wanted to expand the campus. McKim, Mead, and White designed the new campus in a Beaux Arts style. I thought their campus’ library looks amazing from the outside. St. Paul’s Chapel was the first building on campus not designed by McKim, Mead, and White. If I had the money and grades, I would love to go to Columbia University. The campus’ environment was very calm and they have so much space. (ENY, pgs. 169-170)
The “Peace Fountain” is located in the Children’s Sculpture Garden. The fountain was sculpted by Gregg Wyatt. There are many interpretations about this fountain. Honestly, I am not even sure how I would interpret it. I feel like there are so much going on with the fountain and it can mean many things. The fountain can also be kind of overwhelmed to look at because it has a lot going on. (ENY, pg. 168)
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is the largest church in the United States and the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world. The church was beautiful outside and inside. We ended our day after exploring the church. (ENY, pg. 167)
Today we started the day by visiting the Museum of Modern Art. The museum is located on 53rd street between fifth and sixth avenues. I’ve heard many good things about this museum and I’ve always wanted to visit it so I was glad we got to go there. I couldn’t believe how busy the museum was. I would’ve enjoyed it more if we didn’t have to rush through everything. Some of the artworks there made me reconsider what is really art. I really enjoyed the museum and would like to revisit it one day. I know some people did not like the museum, but I thought it was pretty interesting.
After MOMA, we ate Thai food for lunch at Yum Yum 2. I had beef pad se ew. I thought the food was average because I’ve had better Thai food. Since I am Thai, I think my parents make the best Thai food, just saying.
After lunch, we went to Morningside Heights. Morningside Heights was originally called Vandewater’s Heights. The majority of the area was undeveloped until 1816. When the Morningside Park was created in 1880s, the community began to become known as Morningside Heights. There are also many education buildings in Morningside heights. Some of the schools in this area included Columbia University, Teacher’s College, Barnard College, and Union Theological Seminary. Columbia University own most of the properties in Morningside Heights. (ENY pg. 166)
Morningside Park runs from 110th street to 123rd street. This park is a natural dividing line between Morningside Park and Harlem. The park is on a cliff made up of Manhattan shist. During the 1960s and 70s, this park was a very dangerous place to hang out because of crime. Today, the park is being controlled by the “Friends of Morningside Park”. This is a volunteer organization that Columbia University students started. I enjoyed looking at the view of Harlem from the park. I can see myself reading a book around there if I lived by the park. (ENY, pg. 173)
The Riverside Church is the tallest church in the United States. The church was built in 1927 and it is a Gothic Revival Church. Some famous people once spoke in this church included Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmound Tutu, and Fidel Castro. This church was very different because it is very tall and I don’t really see a lot of tall churches. In my opinion, it don’t even really look like a church. (ENY, p. 172)
The General Grant National Memorial holds Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia Grant tombs. Grant was commander of the Union army during the Civil war and President of the United States from 1869-1877. (ENY, pg. 171).
The Riverside Park is a narrow park and is four miles long. The park runs from 72nd street to 158th street along the Hudson River. I thought this park was interesting because you can hear the Hudson River. It can be a very relaxing place for the community. (ENY, pg. 171)
Columbia University is the first college in New York State and the fifth college in the United States. The college was originally located in lower Manhattan, but they decided to move it to its present location because they wanted to expand the campus. McKim, Mead, and White designed the new campus in a Beaux Arts style. I thought their campus’ library looks amazing from the outside. St. Paul’s Chapel was the first building on campus not designed by McKim, Mead, and White. If I had the money and grades, I would love to go to Columbia University. The campus’ environment was very calm and they have so much space. (ENY, pgs. 169-170)
The “Peace Fountain” is located in the Children’s Sculpture Garden. The fountain was sculpted by Gregg Wyatt. There are many interpretations about this fountain. Honestly, I am not even sure how I would interpret it. I feel like there are so much going on with the fountain and it can mean many things. The fountain can also be kind of overwhelmed to look at because it has a lot going on. (ENY, pg. 168)
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is the largest church in the United States and the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world. The church was beautiful outside and inside. We ended our day after exploring the church. (ENY, pg. 167)
7. Lower East Side
Today was another new adventure for me because I’ve never walked in the Lower East Side. I’ve passed it many times by car but never got out of the car.The Lower East Side of Manhattan is where many immigrants decide to start their life in America. Almost all immigrants settled in the Lower East Side when they first arrived. The streets of the Lower East Side were once filled with tenements. Many immigrants lived in tenements because it was cheap and affordable. (ENY, pgs. 65-66)
The first place we visited was the Essex Street Market. During the early 20th century, the Lower East Side was filled with pushcarts, with people selling fruits, vegetables, meat, clothing, and household items. Eventually a law comes out stating it is unsanitary to sell certain things on the streets and it was taking up public spaces. A market similar to the Essex Street Market was established and people continued to sell stuff in the market. Honestly, I did not like the environment of the market. I felt like everything seems dirty. It was like a supermarket, but not really. It has most of the stuff a Stop and Shop would have, but the market is set up differently and I felt like it was very unorganized. (ENY, pg. 67)
After the market, we went to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum where we were guided in a tour. The tour really gave me a sense of how life was like as in immigrant living in a tenement. The original tenement we saw was built in 1863 it was estimated 7,000 people from 20 countries once lived here. The museum itself was founded in 1988. I thought the tour was put together nicely and I learned a lot about the life an immigrant family. These immigrants did not live an easy life and they had to work really hard to survive. The tenement we saw was a 54321 structure, meaning there were 5 floors, 4 apartments on each floor, 3 rooms in each apartment, 2 toilets per apartment, and 1 backyard for the whole building. Tenements are a lot smaller than I thought it would be. All the apartments are literally wall-to-wall from each other and the rooms in the apartment all connected. I would hate to live in a tenement because it is very small and I can only imagine how crowded it was. Some families had more than one kid, which made it even more crowded. Overall, I thought the tenement museum was a good experience and I’m glad we got to visit the museum. (ENY, pg. 67)
After the tenement museum, we were separated into groups to go explore Chinatown. I’ve known about Chinatown for many years now, but never got the chance to go visit. Chinatown takes up about 55 blocks of the Lower East Side. I was surprised how crowded Chinatown was. The stores in Chinatown also looked very dirty and it seems as if they are all selling the same stuff. As I was walking down Mott Street, I barely heard any English. One thing I thought was very weird was when I looked to my right side; I saw a big sign that said “Little Italy”. I felt like “little Italy” was just in the middle of Chinatown. Another weird thing was that random people kept coming up to me asking if I wanted to buy brand name bags. Now I am wondering where they would bring if I said yes. We stopped by a small temple where people came in to pray, but I felt like it was more like a store because they also sell stuff there. I did not enjoy Chinatown as much as I thought I would. I didn’t like the crowd and the smell of the environment. (ENY, pgs.72-73)
We ate Chinese food for lunch at the Congee Village. I also did not really like the food since I’ve had better Chinese food. However, I thought the restaurant was set really nice though.
After lunch, we went to Economy Candy on Rivington Street. The store was opened in 1937 and it will probably have candies from your childhood. The store is not that big, but there are literally candies EVERYWHERE! I am sure my daughter would love it if I bring her there. I will definitely go back there one day. (ENY, pg. 67)
I was excited to go see the Henry Street Settlement because I did my first paper on Lillian Wald. The Henry Street Settlement was founded by Lillian Wald. She brought nursing care and education to the immigrant population of the community. The Henry Street Settlement building was not what I expected. I imagined it to be a big building with a lot of people. It was very quiet when we got there and the building was not that big. The community seems very calm and quiet, which was the opposite of what I thought it would be. I am glad I got to see it in person though because now I know how it really is. (ENY, pg. 69)
Today was another new adventure for me because I’ve never walked in the Lower East Side. I’ve passed it many times by car but never got out of the car.The Lower East Side of Manhattan is where many immigrants decide to start their life in America. Almost all immigrants settled in the Lower East Side when they first arrived. The streets of the Lower East Side were once filled with tenements. Many immigrants lived in tenements because it was cheap and affordable. (ENY, pgs. 65-66)
The first place we visited was the Essex Street Market. During the early 20th century, the Lower East Side was filled with pushcarts, with people selling fruits, vegetables, meat, clothing, and household items. Eventually a law comes out stating it is unsanitary to sell certain things on the streets and it was taking up public spaces. A market similar to the Essex Street Market was established and people continued to sell stuff in the market. Honestly, I did not like the environment of the market. I felt like everything seems dirty. It was like a supermarket, but not really. It has most of the stuff a Stop and Shop would have, but the market is set up differently and I felt like it was very unorganized. (ENY, pg. 67)
After the market, we went to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum where we were guided in a tour. The tour really gave me a sense of how life was like as in immigrant living in a tenement. The original tenement we saw was built in 1863 it was estimated 7,000 people from 20 countries once lived here. The museum itself was founded in 1988. I thought the tour was put together nicely and I learned a lot about the life an immigrant family. These immigrants did not live an easy life and they had to work really hard to survive. The tenement we saw was a 54321 structure, meaning there were 5 floors, 4 apartments on each floor, 3 rooms in each apartment, 2 toilets per apartment, and 1 backyard for the whole building. Tenements are a lot smaller than I thought it would be. All the apartments are literally wall-to-wall from each other and the rooms in the apartment all connected. I would hate to live in a tenement because it is very small and I can only imagine how crowded it was. Some families had more than one kid, which made it even more crowded. Overall, I thought the tenement museum was a good experience and I’m glad we got to visit the museum. (ENY, pg. 67)
After the tenement museum, we were separated into groups to go explore Chinatown. I’ve known about Chinatown for many years now, but never got the chance to go visit. Chinatown takes up about 55 blocks of the Lower East Side. I was surprised how crowded Chinatown was. The stores in Chinatown also looked very dirty and it seems as if they are all selling the same stuff. As I was walking down Mott Street, I barely heard any English. One thing I thought was very weird was when I looked to my right side; I saw a big sign that said “Little Italy”. I felt like “little Italy” was just in the middle of Chinatown. Another weird thing was that random people kept coming up to me asking if I wanted to buy brand name bags. Now I am wondering where they would bring if I said yes. We stopped by a small temple where people came in to pray, but I felt like it was more like a store because they also sell stuff there. I did not enjoy Chinatown as much as I thought I would. I didn’t like the crowd and the smell of the environment. (ENY, pgs.72-73)
We ate Chinese food for lunch at the Congee Village. I also did not really like the food since I’ve had better Chinese food. However, I thought the restaurant was set really nice though.
After lunch, we went to Economy Candy on Rivington Street. The store was opened in 1937 and it will probably have candies from your childhood. The store is not that big, but there are literally candies EVERYWHERE! I am sure my daughter would love it if I bring her there. I will definitely go back there one day. (ENY, pg. 67)
I was excited to go see the Henry Street Settlement because I did my first paper on Lillian Wald. The Henry Street Settlement was founded by Lillian Wald. She brought nursing care and education to the immigrant population of the community. The Henry Street Settlement building was not what I expected. I imagined it to be a big building with a lot of people. It was very quiet when we got there and the building was not that big. The community seems very calm and quiet, which was the opposite of what I thought it would be. I am glad I got to see it in person though because now I know how it really is. (ENY, pg. 69)
8. Lower Manhattan
New York City all began in lower Manhattan. The Dutch established their colony of Nieuw Amsterdam in 1624 at the southernmost tip of Manhattan. In the 19th century, Lower Manhattan was home to many financial districts. The Twin Towers were also located in Lower Manhattan, but it no longer exist. (ENY, pg. 39)
We started around Battery Park, where I noticed a huge line of people waiting to go see the Statue of Liberty. This park did not exist in 1955. The park was named after the battery of cannons the British kept to protect the harbor. Castle Clinton is the heart of the park. During the 1840s and 1850s, Castle Clinton was used to help immigrants with their arrival to America. In 1890, it became New York’s first aquarium. Today, many people visit Castle Clinton to see the history of the area. (ENY, pg. 56)
After Battery Park, we went to Fraunces Tavern Museum. Some people consider this to be the oldest building on Manhattan. Some does not agree because it was remodeled many times. The building was originally built in 1719. George Washington held a farewell dinner for the officers of his army on December 4, 1783. Its been said that Washington chose this place because the food was very good and they had the biggest private room at the time. Many years ago Taverns were used a hang out spot. Many people go there to talk and have a drink. A typical tavern consists of the first floor being the bar area, the second floor is the private dinning room, and the third floor is the owner’s home. This specific tavern had been through many fires and canon balls. Today, this building is used as a restaurant on the ground floor and it is a museum upstairs. Honestly, I did not enjoy this museum as much because it was very small and it did not have much to look at. (ENY, pg. 55)
We ate lunch at the Financial District building where they had a variety of choices to choose from. I had a burrito from the Mexican place. The dining are was very nice depending on where you are sitting because you were able to look out at the water.
I was very happy we got to go to the 9/11 memorial because I’ve been wanting to go there. This memorial was contributed to the people who passed away on September 11, 2001 during the terrorist attack. The Twin Towers were the tallest building in New York City for almost 40 years. The Freedom Tower is now the tallest building in the United States and it was completed in 2013. I think the Freedom Tower is beautiful and it reminds me of Elsa from the movie Frozen. The 9/11 memorial opened in 2011 and it consists of two one-acre pools. It is the largest manmade waterfall in the United States. The edges of the waterfalls have the names of the people that did not survive the attack. I think the 9/11 memorial is a beautiful thing and I would like to visit the 9/11 museum one day. (ENY, pgs 48-49)
St. Paul’s Chapel was completed in 1766. This church is New York’s only intact pre-Revolutionary War Church. It is also the oldest surviving church in Manhattan. This chapel survived the great fire of 1776 that destroyed much of the original City of New York. The chapel is located across the street from the Twin Towers and it also survived the 9/11 attack. Today, St. Paul is served as a place of rest and relief for rescue workers at Ground Zero during the 9/11 attack. (ENY, pgs. 46-47)
I thought it was interesting how many people thought that the 9/11 attack would be the end of Lower Manhattan, but New Yorkers never gave up and we are now stronger than ever.
New York City all began in lower Manhattan. The Dutch established their colony of Nieuw Amsterdam in 1624 at the southernmost tip of Manhattan. In the 19th century, Lower Manhattan was home to many financial districts. The Twin Towers were also located in Lower Manhattan, but it no longer exist. (ENY, pg. 39)
We started around Battery Park, where I noticed a huge line of people waiting to go see the Statue of Liberty. This park did not exist in 1955. The park was named after the battery of cannons the British kept to protect the harbor. Castle Clinton is the heart of the park. During the 1840s and 1850s, Castle Clinton was used to help immigrants with their arrival to America. In 1890, it became New York’s first aquarium. Today, many people visit Castle Clinton to see the history of the area. (ENY, pg. 56)
After Battery Park, we went to Fraunces Tavern Museum. Some people consider this to be the oldest building on Manhattan. Some does not agree because it was remodeled many times. The building was originally built in 1719. George Washington held a farewell dinner for the officers of his army on December 4, 1783. Its been said that Washington chose this place because the food was very good and they had the biggest private room at the time. Many years ago Taverns were used a hang out spot. Many people go there to talk and have a drink. A typical tavern consists of the first floor being the bar area, the second floor is the private dinning room, and the third floor is the owner’s home. This specific tavern had been through many fires and canon balls. Today, this building is used as a restaurant on the ground floor and it is a museum upstairs. Honestly, I did not enjoy this museum as much because it was very small and it did not have much to look at. (ENY, pg. 55)
We ate lunch at the Financial District building where they had a variety of choices to choose from. I had a burrito from the Mexican place. The dining are was very nice depending on where you are sitting because you were able to look out at the water.
I was very happy we got to go to the 9/11 memorial because I’ve been wanting to go there. This memorial was contributed to the people who passed away on September 11, 2001 during the terrorist attack. The Twin Towers were the tallest building in New York City for almost 40 years. The Freedom Tower is now the tallest building in the United States and it was completed in 2013. I think the Freedom Tower is beautiful and it reminds me of Elsa from the movie Frozen. The 9/11 memorial opened in 2011 and it consists of two one-acre pools. It is the largest manmade waterfall in the United States. The edges of the waterfalls have the names of the people that did not survive the attack. I think the 9/11 memorial is a beautiful thing and I would like to visit the 9/11 museum one day. (ENY, pgs 48-49)
St. Paul’s Chapel was completed in 1766. This church is New York’s only intact pre-Revolutionary War Church. It is also the oldest surviving church in Manhattan. This chapel survived the great fire of 1776 that destroyed much of the original City of New York. The chapel is located across the street from the Twin Towers and it also survived the 9/11 attack. Today, St. Paul is served as a place of rest and relief for rescue workers at Ground Zero during the 9/11 attack. (ENY, pgs. 46-47)
I thought it was interesting how many people thought that the 9/11 attack would be the end of Lower Manhattan, but New Yorkers never gave up and we are now stronger than ever.
9. Final Impressions of NYC
I am so glad I chose this class for Core. I learned so much about New York and a lot of it was very interesting. Before I took this class, I remember saying how much I hate the city, but after this class was over I’ve learned to appreciate it. I also realized that I don’t hate the city, but I hate taking the subway. There is a big difference between hating the subway and hating the city; and I've learned it in this class. If I can take my car into the city and find parking easily, I would be in the city all the time. This class made realized all the different types of building there are in New York City. I used to think buildings are just buildings and they are all the same, but they are really not and there is a story behind each building. This class was also great because I got to visit many places I’ve heard of but never got the chance to go. I love the diversity of people you see in the streets of Manhattan. This class definitely changed my mind about Manhattan because now I don’t think of it as a loud and crowded place anymore. I believe it depends on where you go in Manhattan because Time Square will always be crowded and loud, but many other parts of Manhattan is very calm and quiet. I do not see myself living in Manhattan, but I will definitely visit the city more often now. Overall, I think New York City is a wonderful place and I love it.
I am so glad I chose this class for Core. I learned so much about New York and a lot of it was very interesting. Before I took this class, I remember saying how much I hate the city, but after this class was over I’ve learned to appreciate it. I also realized that I don’t hate the city, but I hate taking the subway. There is a big difference between hating the subway and hating the city; and I've learned it in this class. If I can take my car into the city and find parking easily, I would be in the city all the time. This class made realized all the different types of building there are in New York City. I used to think buildings are just buildings and they are all the same, but they are really not and there is a story behind each building. This class was also great because I got to visit many places I’ve heard of but never got the chance to go. I love the diversity of people you see in the streets of Manhattan. This class definitely changed my mind about Manhattan because now I don’t think of it as a loud and crowded place anymore. I believe it depends on where you go in Manhattan because Time Square will always be crowded and loud, but many other parts of Manhattan is very calm and quiet. I do not see myself living in Manhattan, but I will definitely visit the city more often now. Overall, I think New York City is a wonderful place and I love it.