Journal 2
East of the park ~ 7.19.13
Okay, seriously by far the HOTTEST day of class yet. I know I complained about the villages being hot and how miserable I was, but you really have no idea how bad it was today. I will add this, I didn't open my mouth and complain once!
Our journey for the day led us from Penn Station (our usual meeting spot) to East Harlem. I won't lie, I was a little nervous at first considering growing up all you hear are bad things about Harlem. Anyway, we arrive and start walking through East Harlem. A short walk led us to the Museum of New York City. This Museum celebrates the city, educating visitors about its distinctive character, especially its heritage of diversity. The museum opened in 1923 (BG 376). Here while walking around Mike took us up to the 3rd floor where we were able to walk through what the new apartments in NYC are going to look like. |
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They were only 325 sq-ft! Now, I don't know about you, but to me that's really small. I think my bedroom alone is that size. Call me spoiled but I need my space. Yes it was cool to see how things were hidden for easy storage but even with the apartments neat little tricks I couldn't possibly live there. After we looked at these new apartments we sat in and watched a short film on the history of New York. I learned that Mayor Dewitt Clinton was extremely important to the history of this city.
I also forgot to mention that this Museum is located on Museum Mile. So naturally as we left one museum we stumbled upon another. Next we visited the Museo Del Barrio where we had a walking tour of Spanish Harlem with Beverly (who is an artist like me). She took us around the neighborhood of El Barrio which has been mainly inhabited by Puerto Ricans since WWII. Beverly took us to a building in Spanish Harlem that has entire mural painted on its side. Hank Pressing created the mural entitled Spirit of East Harlem using real people from around the neighborhood. This painting was made to show the community how they interact with one another. It was painted in 1973, but Manny Vega restored and it and has added a few things.
Beverly also took us to garden (almost like the ones in the East village). Here a local artist painted a mural on one of the garden walls representing a painter and poet from two different Hispanic communities. I personally think that his mural shows how both Hispanic communities are now coming together as one and protecting one another.
Beverly cut this tour short because like I said earlier, IT WAS SO DAMN HOT! Before heading off to lunch we visited Jorge Vargas a real witch doctor. Okay before I continue, think about that word "witch doctor". What comes to mind? Exactly, all the things you've seen in social media. Men dressed strange with a crown of bones and one pierced through their nose. Well Jorge was the complete opposite. He was a normally dressed older man who simply sold all the things that the old country used as home remedies. His family moved here in 1930 and they started this very same family business. His shop is based on hope, and old fashioned remedies. Towards the end of our talk he told us that he was also a spiritual reader and I got the sense that he was looking into my soul. It freaked me out a little bit. Then he gave us his business card, which I will now never take out of my bag because I don't want anything bad to happen. Call me crazy, but this is how I think.
At this point the sweat was dripping off of me, but it's lunch time! Emily, Julie & I found a subway because some of us were picky eaters. Anyway I wasn't complaining, they had AC! We definitely enjoyed the hour in the AC. We all met back the Museo Del Barrio before heading out on the last part of our class.
After Mike went around and asked us all how lunch was, we walked across the street (literally), and we were in front of the Conservatory Gardens of Central Park. I had no idea that Central Park was even across the street to begin with. The Conservatory Gardens are a beautiful area for picture taking (BG 297). After a brief chat about central park and the gardens we started to walk through the park. Mike found a nice shady area where we sat and reflected on what we had already done in this class. It was interesting to hear what other students had to say about past classes. It was a unanimous decision that the east side was one of the worst things we did. Like I said, It was way too hot and Bill was just too much.
Finally we walked the rest of Central Park, stopping to see the reservoir which occupies the middle of central park (BG 296), and then continued down Museum Mile to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I'm not even kidding when I say by the time I got here I was 5 seconds from overheating and falling over. A few ice packs and bottles of water later, I was feeling better. We walked through the new exhibit on Punk Fashion through the decades, which I thought was interesting. I wasn't allowed to take pictures but I some how managed to sneak in a few (check out my slideshow). We walked around the galleries and stopping to see the New York artists and others. Mike let us go find art on our own and I immediately went to the Impressionists. They are by far my favorite group of artists, especially Degas.
Unfortunately due to the extreme heat, Mike cut out a lot of things we were supposed to see. I was looking forward to seeing Dakota and strawberry fields in central park. I also really wanted to go toy shopping at FAO Schwartz, but hey, Mike had our best interest in hand. So a majority of us made it back to Penn and got on our trains heading home. Thank god because I think I smelled at this point and needed a series of long showers.
I also forgot to mention that this Museum is located on Museum Mile. So naturally as we left one museum we stumbled upon another. Next we visited the Museo Del Barrio where we had a walking tour of Spanish Harlem with Beverly (who is an artist like me). She took us around the neighborhood of El Barrio which has been mainly inhabited by Puerto Ricans since WWII. Beverly took us to a building in Spanish Harlem that has entire mural painted on its side. Hank Pressing created the mural entitled Spirit of East Harlem using real people from around the neighborhood. This painting was made to show the community how they interact with one another. It was painted in 1973, but Manny Vega restored and it and has added a few things.
Beverly also took us to garden (almost like the ones in the East village). Here a local artist painted a mural on one of the garden walls representing a painter and poet from two different Hispanic communities. I personally think that his mural shows how both Hispanic communities are now coming together as one and protecting one another.
Beverly cut this tour short because like I said earlier, IT WAS SO DAMN HOT! Before heading off to lunch we visited Jorge Vargas a real witch doctor. Okay before I continue, think about that word "witch doctor". What comes to mind? Exactly, all the things you've seen in social media. Men dressed strange with a crown of bones and one pierced through their nose. Well Jorge was the complete opposite. He was a normally dressed older man who simply sold all the things that the old country used as home remedies. His family moved here in 1930 and they started this very same family business. His shop is based on hope, and old fashioned remedies. Towards the end of our talk he told us that he was also a spiritual reader and I got the sense that he was looking into my soul. It freaked me out a little bit. Then he gave us his business card, which I will now never take out of my bag because I don't want anything bad to happen. Call me crazy, but this is how I think.
At this point the sweat was dripping off of me, but it's lunch time! Emily, Julie & I found a subway because some of us were picky eaters. Anyway I wasn't complaining, they had AC! We definitely enjoyed the hour in the AC. We all met back the Museo Del Barrio before heading out on the last part of our class.
After Mike went around and asked us all how lunch was, we walked across the street (literally), and we were in front of the Conservatory Gardens of Central Park. I had no idea that Central Park was even across the street to begin with. The Conservatory Gardens are a beautiful area for picture taking (BG 297). After a brief chat about central park and the gardens we started to walk through the park. Mike found a nice shady area where we sat and reflected on what we had already done in this class. It was interesting to hear what other students had to say about past classes. It was a unanimous decision that the east side was one of the worst things we did. Like I said, It was way too hot and Bill was just too much.
Finally we walked the rest of Central Park, stopping to see the reservoir which occupies the middle of central park (BG 296), and then continued down Museum Mile to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I'm not even kidding when I say by the time I got here I was 5 seconds from overheating and falling over. A few ice packs and bottles of water later, I was feeling better. We walked through the new exhibit on Punk Fashion through the decades, which I thought was interesting. I wasn't allowed to take pictures but I some how managed to sneak in a few (check out my slideshow). We walked around the galleries and stopping to see the New York artists and others. Mike let us go find art on our own and I immediately went to the Impressionists. They are by far my favorite group of artists, especially Degas.
Unfortunately due to the extreme heat, Mike cut out a lot of things we were supposed to see. I was looking forward to seeing Dakota and strawberry fields in central park. I also really wanted to go toy shopping at FAO Schwartz, but hey, Mike had our best interest in hand. So a majority of us made it back to Penn and got on our trains heading home. Thank god because I think I smelled at this point and needed a series of long showers.
The wild west side ~ 7.24.13
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I can't even begin to tell you how much better the weather was today than Friday. Friday I could have died by the end of class, today was BEAUTIFUL. I even wore my hair down!
Meeting in Penn as usual, instead of jumping on a train we walked down Broadway and found ourselves standing in the middle of Times Square. Now Times Square is a place that I've visited numerous amounts of times. It's the local "tourist attraction". When you think of New York one of the first things that comes to mind is Times Square, but what you don't know is the history of it. Originally it was named Longacre square, because it was the center of the carriage industry in NY. In London, the center of their carriage trade was also called Longacre square. When the New York Times moved their offices to Longacre square it was renamed Times square. As NYC grew Times square became center of theaters and hotels. By 1927, 80 theaters were open (BG 217). |
During the depression, the theater district was hurt pretty bad. With the invention of the movie and television there was no need for theaters anymore. Many of them were turned in to Burlesque shows (BG 218). By the 1970's, Times Square was known for crime, drugs and prostitutes (BG 218). Since then, Times square has brought in some major company's like Disney to turn the area around. They have also implemented the pedestrian zone. It's 10x safer to walk around now than it ever was.
I just have to point out that while walking past toys'r'us, I FOUND MINIONS! By far my favorite things ever!!!!!!!
We continued on to the old GE Building. It was the first building built at Rockefeller Center. This is where NBC is located (BG 248). So after we walked through the building ( which totally reminded me of a hotel in Vegas), we stopped in Rockefeller Center, pretty much standing exactly where the Christmas Tree goes. We talked for a few minutes about all the surrounding buildings and how they are all built the same way. We continued to walk, passing by St. Patrick's Cathedral (which was actually supposed to be a cemetery instead of a church (BG 254)), and the Atlas.
Next on the list was a visit to the MoMa. This museum started as a small gallery containing the works of Cezanne, Gauguin, Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso, Seurat, and Degas (BG 260). Mike and Damian both seemed extra excited about showing us things in the museum. We saw VanGogh's Starry Night in real like. I also enjoyed looking at some of Warhol's work. I would have enjoyed it more if I was able to see some the Impressionists works, but I understand this is a New York Class not a French class. We also took at look at some Contemporary art, which I was told takes something familiar and puts it in an unfamiliar place. I found it kinda weird, but its art.
Finally we made it to Hell's Kitchen, which in the past was never a safe area due to gangs. The area was inhabited by immigrants living in horrible tenements (BG 226). Today Hell's Kitchen reminds me of a kitchen. It's got 4 million different things to eat. So because Emily had a peanut allergy and couldn't eat Thai food, we found a restaurant across the street. Surprisingly it was Justin Timberlake's restaurant Southern Hospitality. YUMMMMMMMY. A little pulled pork and bacon mac & cheese never hurt anyone!!!!!
Walking back towards Times Square, we jumped on the 2 train to Harlem, where we met Jim. Jim does "Weekday Walks", and can pretty much tell you abouy any area in the city. I found out too, he's not even a Historian. Just a guy who loves New York. We were standing on the corner of 135th and Malcom X blvd, what Jim called the nucleus of Harlem. As we walked around Harlem I learned that it was named after a community in the Netherlands (even though I knew that from a class at Molloy). The community that settled here in 1665 started on 124th St., and stayed small until 1832 when they developed the NY & Harlem Railroad. This railroad brought up the Irish immigrants, followed by the Germans, Italians, & Jews. Harlem became the second largest Jewish community in America. When African Americans started to come, the Jews started to leave. In the 1920's, music. literature and much more come together to start the Harlem Renaissance. We stopped to see the Harlem Hospital which has a large mural covering all its windows. It was funded by FDR during the depression to help people get to work. We also passed by the original Harlem YMCA, which was a very popular place, and was also used as a hotel. Since African Americans couldn't stay in hotels, they stayed here. We passed by the original site for the headquarters of the NAACP and walked down the Harlem Walk of Fame. Finally we walked down 138th St. and visited the Kings houses. These houses are 3 story homes that give the illusion that they are connected when in fact they are not. They were built by Stanford White, the same man who built the arch at Washington Square Park and the base of the Statue of Liberty. When our tour ended with Jim, Mike took us down 125th St., where we passed the Apollo Theater and stopped to take a look at the statue dedicated to Harriet Tubman. This is also when I found out there were rats in the bushes.
Anyway, we continued our walk to Morningside Park, where a challenge was given to all of us. If anyone could beat Mike up the stairs (all 150 of them), someone would get a prize. Well Mike kept saying that no one has ever beat him, but this is the class he thinks may do it. So about 15 ft from the stairs, Mike cheats and gives Damian his bag and yells "GO!!!!!". There was no way I was running up the stairs, so I walked, and when I got to the top Chris and Emily both beat Mike.
After I caught my breath, we walked down past Columbia University to see St. John the Divine Church. It is the fourth largest church in the world. Mike also told us that this was an unfinished church. After we left the church we walked back up the block to visit Columbia. We sat on the steps of the Library while we quizzed Emily and Chris as a tie breaker. Emily won and was given a bracelet that Mike got from the witch doctor!!!!!! He creeped me out.
Woo-Hoo, it was finally time to go home. It was long day, with a lot of walking!!!
I just have to point out that while walking past toys'r'us, I FOUND MINIONS! By far my favorite things ever!!!!!!!
We continued on to the old GE Building. It was the first building built at Rockefeller Center. This is where NBC is located (BG 248). So after we walked through the building ( which totally reminded me of a hotel in Vegas), we stopped in Rockefeller Center, pretty much standing exactly where the Christmas Tree goes. We talked for a few minutes about all the surrounding buildings and how they are all built the same way. We continued to walk, passing by St. Patrick's Cathedral (which was actually supposed to be a cemetery instead of a church (BG 254)), and the Atlas.
Next on the list was a visit to the MoMa. This museum started as a small gallery containing the works of Cezanne, Gauguin, Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso, Seurat, and Degas (BG 260). Mike and Damian both seemed extra excited about showing us things in the museum. We saw VanGogh's Starry Night in real like. I also enjoyed looking at some of Warhol's work. I would have enjoyed it more if I was able to see some the Impressionists works, but I understand this is a New York Class not a French class. We also took at look at some Contemporary art, which I was told takes something familiar and puts it in an unfamiliar place. I found it kinda weird, but its art.
Finally we made it to Hell's Kitchen, which in the past was never a safe area due to gangs. The area was inhabited by immigrants living in horrible tenements (BG 226). Today Hell's Kitchen reminds me of a kitchen. It's got 4 million different things to eat. So because Emily had a peanut allergy and couldn't eat Thai food, we found a restaurant across the street. Surprisingly it was Justin Timberlake's restaurant Southern Hospitality. YUMMMMMMMY. A little pulled pork and bacon mac & cheese never hurt anyone!!!!!
Walking back towards Times Square, we jumped on the 2 train to Harlem, where we met Jim. Jim does "Weekday Walks", and can pretty much tell you abouy any area in the city. I found out too, he's not even a Historian. Just a guy who loves New York. We were standing on the corner of 135th and Malcom X blvd, what Jim called the nucleus of Harlem. As we walked around Harlem I learned that it was named after a community in the Netherlands (even though I knew that from a class at Molloy). The community that settled here in 1665 started on 124th St., and stayed small until 1832 when they developed the NY & Harlem Railroad. This railroad brought up the Irish immigrants, followed by the Germans, Italians, & Jews. Harlem became the second largest Jewish community in America. When African Americans started to come, the Jews started to leave. In the 1920's, music. literature and much more come together to start the Harlem Renaissance. We stopped to see the Harlem Hospital which has a large mural covering all its windows. It was funded by FDR during the depression to help people get to work. We also passed by the original Harlem YMCA, which was a very popular place, and was also used as a hotel. Since African Americans couldn't stay in hotels, they stayed here. We passed by the original site for the headquarters of the NAACP and walked down the Harlem Walk of Fame. Finally we walked down 138th St. and visited the Kings houses. These houses are 3 story homes that give the illusion that they are connected when in fact they are not. They were built by Stanford White, the same man who built the arch at Washington Square Park and the base of the Statue of Liberty. When our tour ended with Jim, Mike took us down 125th St., where we passed the Apollo Theater and stopped to take a look at the statue dedicated to Harriet Tubman. This is also when I found out there were rats in the bushes.
Anyway, we continued our walk to Morningside Park, where a challenge was given to all of us. If anyone could beat Mike up the stairs (all 150 of them), someone would get a prize. Well Mike kept saying that no one has ever beat him, but this is the class he thinks may do it. So about 15 ft from the stairs, Mike cheats and gives Damian his bag and yells "GO!!!!!". There was no way I was running up the stairs, so I walked, and when I got to the top Chris and Emily both beat Mike.
After I caught my breath, we walked down past Columbia University to see St. John the Divine Church. It is the fourth largest church in the world. Mike also told us that this was an unfinished church. After we left the church we walked back up the block to visit Columbia. We sat on the steps of the Library while we quizzed Emily and Chris as a tie breaker. Emily won and was given a bracelet that Mike got from the witch doctor!!!!!! He creeped me out.
Woo-Hoo, it was finally time to go home. It was long day, with a lot of walking!!!
LOWER MANHATTAN AND CAPTIVATING CHELSEA ~ 7.26.13
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This morning I realized that I only have one class left. Kinda weird, considering we only started 2 weeks ago. I guess its true, time does fly when your having fun.
As usual we started off meeting in Penn. We jumped on the subway and headed towards Brooklyn. We walked a couple of blocks passed the Woolworth building. It was completed in 1913, and at one point was the tallest building in Manhattan (BG 79). As we continued walking we arrived at City Hall. It is the oldest building in the United States that is still used for its original functions. Mike set up a tour for us, which he said he's never been able to do either. Our tour guide talked our ears off for a REALLY long time outside, mainly about the history of where we were, and the buildings surrounds. We finally made it inside! Very beautiful interior. I always wonder how things like this are built. There's a huge dome inside that you wouldn't think was there from the outside. We stopped and talked for what seemed like a century, about a statue of George Washington. It was cool to look at though. Washington was a tall dude! We headed up this beautiful staircase and explored the Governors Room. This room was cool because it had paintings that pretty much covered the walls from ceiling to floor. There were fire places, antique tables such as |
George Washington's writing table (see photos) and Fiorello LaGuardia's desk (see photos). This room first served as office space and a reception room (BG 84). Mike had to cut this tour short mainly because we were going to be late to our next appointment, but also because I think he also realized that our guide just really liked to talk a lot.
The next stop on today's adventure was the 9/11 Memorial. I've been waiting for this the entire "semester" (6 classes). But before we could go there, we stopped to see St. Paul's Church, the oldest church in Manhattan. Even after the attacks the church was no destroyed and neither were any of the tombstones surrounding it. Yes, I said tombstones. During the clean up rescue workers would camp out in this church for shelter and food (BG 77). I would also like to point out that after we saw this church, we had to walk a little further to the entrance of the memorial where I walked into a fire hydrant and injured myself pretty badly. But I didn't complain about it all day! Anyway, Finally being able to see the memorial made me happier than a kid in a candy store. The reflecting pool were created in the exact places that both towers stood. The waterfalls that flow through them have no end signifying that the souls of the victims have no either. There is also a tree there that they call the "Survivor Tree". This tree has survived the bombings in 93', the attacks in 2001 where the stump was found and replanted in the botanical gardens, hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy. The tree has finally made its way back home where it belongs. The Freedom Tower is also a sight to see!!!!
Before we headed to lunch, there were a few more stops on the way. Mike took us through Zuccotti Park, where Occupy Wall Street occurred in 2011. We also walked past Trinity Church which sits right at the edge of Wall Street. The church that we see today is the third on this property. It was built in 1846 (BG 65). We couldn't go inside because it was closed, Mike told us that Alexander Hamilton was buried here among others (BG 66). As we continued to walk down Wall Street, we saw The New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall. We weren't able to go in the stock exchange but Mike promised free bathrooms which happened to be inside Federal Hall. This was the site of George Washington's inauguration (BG 69). The bible that he was sworn in on is located inside (see photos). Before heading out for lunch we had one more stop. Mike took us to the original Customs House , which is now the Museum of the American Indian. Back in the day when ships came into the ports, they would have to pay customs on goods. This building is where they would have to pay (BG 42).
Finally it was lunch time. Mike & Damian took us to Chelsea Market. This indoor market is located in an old Nabisco factory (BG 186). After a late lunch we started our journey through the Meat packing district towards the High line. The Meat packing district was just that. It was full of meat factories that occupied the area near the Hudson River (BG 184). You can still see some of these old factories as you walk around. Many have been transformed into night clubs, bars and restaurants. We continued walking, past the Standard Hotel and to the beginning of the High Line.
The High Line is an old elevate freight train line that runs along the Hudson river. It was transformed into a beautiful walk way and garden (BG 188). We walked the High Line for a while, stopping to gaze at traffic art, and to test out some cool looking chairs. We got off around 23rd st., where Mike started our tour of galleries. He had 10 picked out, but I think we visited less than that. Although I don't remember the exhibitions names there are two that stand out in my mind. One we visited was an installation which is simply art that you can walk around in. It was simply just a room painted two colors symbolizing the ceiling and the floor meeting in the middle. The other exhibit that stands out in my mind involved women's private parts and sunsets. Even though some of the other students were offended by this or laughed at it, I find nude art very interesting. It's something everyone can relate too. The sunsets were pretty too :) After our gallery tour, we ended at an art bookstore where Mike asked us to find a book that spoke to us. Well the one that I found made me laugh really loud. It was done by an art student (just like me), and mass produced on computer paper. VERY SIMPLE! All the art work inside had to do with sayings. For example, one page would say my hands are clammy and the picture would be hands with clams as fingers. It was a very unique idea to expand on. Then it was time to go home. Actually, I was home before class technically even ended, but shhhhhhh let's keep that a secret.
The next stop on today's adventure was the 9/11 Memorial. I've been waiting for this the entire "semester" (6 classes). But before we could go there, we stopped to see St. Paul's Church, the oldest church in Manhattan. Even after the attacks the church was no destroyed and neither were any of the tombstones surrounding it. Yes, I said tombstones. During the clean up rescue workers would camp out in this church for shelter and food (BG 77). I would also like to point out that after we saw this church, we had to walk a little further to the entrance of the memorial where I walked into a fire hydrant and injured myself pretty badly. But I didn't complain about it all day! Anyway, Finally being able to see the memorial made me happier than a kid in a candy store. The reflecting pool were created in the exact places that both towers stood. The waterfalls that flow through them have no end signifying that the souls of the victims have no either. There is also a tree there that they call the "Survivor Tree". This tree has survived the bombings in 93', the attacks in 2001 where the stump was found and replanted in the botanical gardens, hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy. The tree has finally made its way back home where it belongs. The Freedom Tower is also a sight to see!!!!
Before we headed to lunch, there were a few more stops on the way. Mike took us through Zuccotti Park, where Occupy Wall Street occurred in 2011. We also walked past Trinity Church which sits right at the edge of Wall Street. The church that we see today is the third on this property. It was built in 1846 (BG 65). We couldn't go inside because it was closed, Mike told us that Alexander Hamilton was buried here among others (BG 66). As we continued to walk down Wall Street, we saw The New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall. We weren't able to go in the stock exchange but Mike promised free bathrooms which happened to be inside Federal Hall. This was the site of George Washington's inauguration (BG 69). The bible that he was sworn in on is located inside (see photos). Before heading out for lunch we had one more stop. Mike took us to the original Customs House , which is now the Museum of the American Indian. Back in the day when ships came into the ports, they would have to pay customs on goods. This building is where they would have to pay (BG 42).
Finally it was lunch time. Mike & Damian took us to Chelsea Market. This indoor market is located in an old Nabisco factory (BG 186). After a late lunch we started our journey through the Meat packing district towards the High line. The Meat packing district was just that. It was full of meat factories that occupied the area near the Hudson River (BG 184). You can still see some of these old factories as you walk around. Many have been transformed into night clubs, bars and restaurants. We continued walking, past the Standard Hotel and to the beginning of the High Line.
The High Line is an old elevate freight train line that runs along the Hudson river. It was transformed into a beautiful walk way and garden (BG 188). We walked the High Line for a while, stopping to gaze at traffic art, and to test out some cool looking chairs. We got off around 23rd st., where Mike started our tour of galleries. He had 10 picked out, but I think we visited less than that. Although I don't remember the exhibitions names there are two that stand out in my mind. One we visited was an installation which is simply art that you can walk around in. It was simply just a room painted two colors symbolizing the ceiling and the floor meeting in the middle. The other exhibit that stands out in my mind involved women's private parts and sunsets. Even though some of the other students were offended by this or laughed at it, I find nude art very interesting. It's something everyone can relate too. The sunsets were pretty too :) After our gallery tour, we ended at an art bookstore where Mike asked us to find a book that spoke to us. Well the one that I found made me laugh really loud. It was done by an art student (just like me), and mass produced on computer paper. VERY SIMPLE! All the art work inside had to do with sayings. For example, one page would say my hands are clammy and the picture would be hands with clams as fingers. It was a very unique idea to expand on. Then it was time to go home. Actually, I was home before class technically even ended, but shhhhhhh let's keep that a secret.
IMMIGRANT NEW YORK ~ 7.31.13
(LOWER EASTSIDE, THE BOWERY, LITTLE ITALY, AND CHINATOWN)
Well, this was it. Our last class. Sad in a way, but also a relief. I mean I get another month off before classes start again. So, we started off in Penn as usual, where Mike broke us up into 3 groups. I was in group B and seemed like I was going to go shopping!!!!! WOOOOOOO HOOOOOO. He said these groups would come into play later. So then we headed to street level and walked a block to the F train and headed towards Delancey Street. This street gets its name from the family that lived here in the 18th century (BG 119). Here we explored the Essex Street Market, which contains dozens of street vendors. This idea came from Mayor Laguardia. This was his attempt to get the push car peddlers off the street and into the market (BG 123). I guess it worked because they are still there now. We also met our old tour guide Jim here.
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Jim talked about what we were going to be exploring and then took us on a walking tour of the lower east side. Before we started walking he explained to us that the market we were standing in front of was actually 4 blocks long. Jim also gave us an overview of the area we were in too. The Lower east side is also known as Immigrant New York. This is the area that all the immigrants came too in the 1900's. It was the most densely populated area in the world (BG 119). It was also the most unsanitary. This area was mostly inhabited by the Dutch, Germans and Jews. Out of almost 2 millions Jews that came to the United States, almost all of them settled in the lower east side (BG 119). Later they were followed by the Irish and Italians. Eastern European Jews were the ones that started to move out of this area when the Williamsburg Bridge was built in 1896. This bridge also alleviated the dense population. It was also known as the Jew Highway because much of the Jewish community had moved over to Williamsburg but would walk back over the bridge to worship.
So we started walking again, pretty fast too. We stopped at the base of the Williamsburg bridge where I found out that this is where Jay-Z got his name from. The J and the Z lines. Jim also told us that they've discovered an area at the base of the Bridge that is underground and quite large. They believe that this is where trolley cars were stored. They plan to make it into something similar to the High Line. We walked a little more and then stopped in front of the Bialystocker synagogue. It is located in the north eastern section of the lower east side. The building was constructed in 1826 as the Willett Street Methodist Episcopal Church and the synagogue purchased the building in 1905 (BG 123). It is the oldest building in New York being used as a Synagogue. We continued walking after a bee attacked some of us and stopped at the Henry Street Settlement. Lillian Wald, the founder, settled on the Lower East Side to care for the poor. She was a nurse, who would visit tenement homes and help care for the sick and poor. She moved to 265 Henry Street during the summer of 1865. The building was a gift from Jacob Schiff who helped her out financially. The Settlement adds more buildings, including a gymnasium and opens the first public playground in The Lower East Side for children forced to play in crowded streets. The Henry St. Settlement has been around for 118 yrs (BG 125).
We also stopped to see the Forward Building. This was the location of the old Jewish newspaper, The Forward, the most read newspaper in the world today (BG 124). We continued down into Chinatown and little Italy. In 1870 there were 200 Chinese people in New York (BG 108). In 1882, President Arthur passed the Chinese exclusion act, which prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers. By 1900, there were over 7,000 Chinese in new york. Only 200 were women. Chinatown is only 1 of 19 Chinese communities in NYC today (BG 108). We also discussed who the Tongs were. I guess to make a simple comparassion, the Tongs of Chinatown were similar to the Mafia in Little Italy. They helped with language, loans and settled arguments (BG 109).
Next we walked through Little Italy. Ive been her numerous amounts of times for food and the San Genaro Feast. When the Italians immigrated here they settled on Mulberry St. By 1910, there were over 10,000 Italian immigrants living here. Today Little Italy consists of Italian restaurants and shops. So after we walked past all the restaurants that smelled amazing, I was really hungry! Unfortunately it's not lunch time yet. We also stopped to see the original Police Department Headquarters where Teddy Roosevelt was a police officer. It was located so close to Little Italy because it was a known area for violence. Today it has been transformed into luxury apartments (BG 116).
We started walking towards Canal St. when Mike stopped us. He split us back up into those groups from the morning and gave each group a list and told us we had an hour to complete the list. Like I said before I was group B, we thought we were going shopping!!! MORE LIKE RUNNING! We figured out we had to take the 6, so we got on at Canal St. and we got off at Grand Central because the first thing on our list was Bryant Park, which is located behind the library. It is built on top of the libraries archives and is a privately managed public park (BG 210). So we ran there and took our picture and continued our journey down Fifth Ave. We stopped to take pictures at The Fred French Building. It was built in 1927 in an art deco style it was New York's first flat top skyscraper (BG 215). We continued to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which we had seen the class before. This time we went in and took some pictures. I've also been here many times before. We continued "walking" down firth ave to Tiffany's. I didn't go in because I'd spend all my money. It was founded by Charles Tiffany and John B. Young in 1837 as a stationery and fancy goods emporium. They sold a wide variety of stationery items. Then the company name was Tiffany, Young and Ellis. The name was shortened to Tiffany & Company in 1853 when Charles Tiffany took control and changed what they sold to fine jewelery.
So we started walking again, pretty fast too. We stopped at the base of the Williamsburg bridge where I found out that this is where Jay-Z got his name from. The J and the Z lines. Jim also told us that they've discovered an area at the base of the Bridge that is underground and quite large. They believe that this is where trolley cars were stored. They plan to make it into something similar to the High Line. We walked a little more and then stopped in front of the Bialystocker synagogue. It is located in the north eastern section of the lower east side. The building was constructed in 1826 as the Willett Street Methodist Episcopal Church and the synagogue purchased the building in 1905 (BG 123). It is the oldest building in New York being used as a Synagogue. We continued walking after a bee attacked some of us and stopped at the Henry Street Settlement. Lillian Wald, the founder, settled on the Lower East Side to care for the poor. She was a nurse, who would visit tenement homes and help care for the sick and poor. She moved to 265 Henry Street during the summer of 1865. The building was a gift from Jacob Schiff who helped her out financially. The Settlement adds more buildings, including a gymnasium and opens the first public playground in The Lower East Side for children forced to play in crowded streets. The Henry St. Settlement has been around for 118 yrs (BG 125).
We also stopped to see the Forward Building. This was the location of the old Jewish newspaper, The Forward, the most read newspaper in the world today (BG 124). We continued down into Chinatown and little Italy. In 1870 there were 200 Chinese people in New York (BG 108). In 1882, President Arthur passed the Chinese exclusion act, which prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers. By 1900, there were over 7,000 Chinese in new york. Only 200 were women. Chinatown is only 1 of 19 Chinese communities in NYC today (BG 108). We also discussed who the Tongs were. I guess to make a simple comparassion, the Tongs of Chinatown were similar to the Mafia in Little Italy. They helped with language, loans and settled arguments (BG 109).
Next we walked through Little Italy. Ive been her numerous amounts of times for food and the San Genaro Feast. When the Italians immigrated here they settled on Mulberry St. By 1910, there were over 10,000 Italian immigrants living here. Today Little Italy consists of Italian restaurants and shops. So after we walked past all the restaurants that smelled amazing, I was really hungry! Unfortunately it's not lunch time yet. We also stopped to see the original Police Department Headquarters where Teddy Roosevelt was a police officer. It was located so close to Little Italy because it was a known area for violence. Today it has been transformed into luxury apartments (BG 116).
We started walking towards Canal St. when Mike stopped us. He split us back up into those groups from the morning and gave each group a list and told us we had an hour to complete the list. Like I said before I was group B, we thought we were going shopping!!! MORE LIKE RUNNING! We figured out we had to take the 6, so we got on at Canal St. and we got off at Grand Central because the first thing on our list was Bryant Park, which is located behind the library. It is built on top of the libraries archives and is a privately managed public park (BG 210). So we ran there and took our picture and continued our journey down Fifth Ave. We stopped to take pictures at The Fred French Building. It was built in 1927 in an art deco style it was New York's first flat top skyscraper (BG 215). We continued to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which we had seen the class before. This time we went in and took some pictures. I've also been here many times before. We continued "walking" down firth ave to Tiffany's. I didn't go in because I'd spend all my money. It was founded by Charles Tiffany and John B. Young in 1837 as a stationery and fancy goods emporium. They sold a wide variety of stationery items. Then the company name was Tiffany, Young and Ellis. The name was shortened to Tiffany & Company in 1853 when Charles Tiffany took control and changed what they sold to fine jewelery.
Next stop was FAO Schwarz. Guess what I found? MINIONS! A life size minion! He was the best thing ever, I just couldn't figure out how I would get him home. This toy store was built in 1862. It is the oldest toy store in the United States. They are best known for their unique high-end toys, life-sized stuffed animals, dolls, and games. I've also heard they have the best candy around. Last thing on the "scavenger hunt" was the Plaza Hotel. This is a 20 story luxury hotel that occupies the west side of Grand Army Plaza. This is where the hotel gets its name. The hotel's main entrance faces the south part of Grand Army Plaza, which commemorates the Union Army in the Civil War (BG 272). The Pulitzer Memoral Fountain is at the front of the hotel (BG 273). This is the second hotel with this name on this site. The Plaza and the Waldorf Astoria are the only two hotels in New York City that have historic landmark status (BG 273). Then we jumped back on the F Train to Delancey St., walked a block to 100 Allen Street and found Mike and his guests!
Finally, LUNCH TIME!!!!!!!! We all met together at Congee Village to enjoy some authentic Chinese Food. I tired Singapore Noodles for the first time and I loved them! I also ate everything else on the table too cause I was starving.
Next and Final stop in our class was the Tenement Museum. Located at 97 Orchard St, this apartment originally held 22 apartments. One of the first apartments, built in 1863, is still here. This was home for thousands before it was shut down in 1965. When the museum bought it, no one had lived here in over 50 years. The Tenement Museum wanted to tell the true stories of real immigrants and I think they did a fabulous job (BG 122)!
Our guide brought us into what they called a class room. She started to explain to us that we were going to meet Victoria Confino. She led a comfortable life in the Ottoman city of Kastoria. She lived in a large house surrounded by fruit trees. Her parents ran a successful grocery store on their estate and several maids attended to the family's needs. In 1916, Victoria was 14 yrs old. She is a Sephardic Jew who speaks and old Spanish. She came to New York 3 years ago in 1913 to escape religious persecution. I really just thought I was going to see what her apartment looked like. Nope I actually met her, well the person who plays her. We were told that our group would play an immigrant Italian family who has just arrived in New York. Our job was to interact with Victoria and find out more about what living in New York at this time was like.
So we meet Victoria, and this actress did a wonderful job interacting with us. Victoria told us that there were no Italians in her area. They were all located on Mulberry St. She also thought that Italians were dirty, lazy and stupid. These are all stereotypes that she has heard while she has been in New York. We asked her how many people she lived with, and she kindly responded with 10. 10 people lived in a space that was 325 sq ft. She told us that two sleep on the bed, the rest on the floor and chairs in the front room. Victoria slept by the stove on the floor in the kitchen/wash room and her parents slept in a small bed in the bedroom. She explained to us that everyone was out working because this is what everyone had to do. She said that she worked in her fathers factory. She also began to explain that the other Jews in her building were mean to her and family because they weren't the same kind of Jew. Victoria said they try all they can to fit in, even by changing some of their customs. She showed us how to wash clothes, and how to keep food fresh because an ice box is expensive. We asked about school and Victoria laughed. She told us that girls don't go to school in New York, they work. Only boys go to school. She told us that when she came here in 1913 they put her in kindergarten, and the children made fun of her and called her stupid because she spoke another language. She skipped first grade and completed second grade, but her father told her that was enough school. After our talk with Victoria we were able to see her report card, and it shows how much she tried. I have a bigger appreciation for immigrants. They really don't know anything when they get here, and it's definitely an overwhelming city.
Our guide led us into a class room above the museum shop where we discussed what we had experienced. When Victoria lived here the building had no heat. The stove was an important thing to have. There was no heat in the hallways. There were two flushing toilets on each floor for every two families. Each toilet had a light and a window. Each apartment had cold running water, but that's it. If you wanted to bath you had to go down to the local bath house. Victoria's family moves the following year to East Harlem. She has an arranged marriage to David Cohen. They raised a daughter and son in Brooklyn. Victoria died at the age of 87 in New York. Her son grew up to become a rocket scientist for NASA. I really enjoyed this experience. I thought it was a wonderful way to end the last class. It was a great transition from the Merchant's house that we saw earlier. When the tour was over, we met with Mike & Damian one last time. He gave us the speech about getting our work done and there are no excuses. After saying our goodbyes to one another we ended class with great memories and all went our own ways.
Finally, LUNCH TIME!!!!!!!! We all met together at Congee Village to enjoy some authentic Chinese Food. I tired Singapore Noodles for the first time and I loved them! I also ate everything else on the table too cause I was starving.
Next and Final stop in our class was the Tenement Museum. Located at 97 Orchard St, this apartment originally held 22 apartments. One of the first apartments, built in 1863, is still here. This was home for thousands before it was shut down in 1965. When the museum bought it, no one had lived here in over 50 years. The Tenement Museum wanted to tell the true stories of real immigrants and I think they did a fabulous job (BG 122)!
Our guide brought us into what they called a class room. She started to explain to us that we were going to meet Victoria Confino. She led a comfortable life in the Ottoman city of Kastoria. She lived in a large house surrounded by fruit trees. Her parents ran a successful grocery store on their estate and several maids attended to the family's needs. In 1916, Victoria was 14 yrs old. She is a Sephardic Jew who speaks and old Spanish. She came to New York 3 years ago in 1913 to escape religious persecution. I really just thought I was going to see what her apartment looked like. Nope I actually met her, well the person who plays her. We were told that our group would play an immigrant Italian family who has just arrived in New York. Our job was to interact with Victoria and find out more about what living in New York at this time was like.
So we meet Victoria, and this actress did a wonderful job interacting with us. Victoria told us that there were no Italians in her area. They were all located on Mulberry St. She also thought that Italians were dirty, lazy and stupid. These are all stereotypes that she has heard while she has been in New York. We asked her how many people she lived with, and she kindly responded with 10. 10 people lived in a space that was 325 sq ft. She told us that two sleep on the bed, the rest on the floor and chairs in the front room. Victoria slept by the stove on the floor in the kitchen/wash room and her parents slept in a small bed in the bedroom. She explained to us that everyone was out working because this is what everyone had to do. She said that she worked in her fathers factory. She also began to explain that the other Jews in her building were mean to her and family because they weren't the same kind of Jew. Victoria said they try all they can to fit in, even by changing some of their customs. She showed us how to wash clothes, and how to keep food fresh because an ice box is expensive. We asked about school and Victoria laughed. She told us that girls don't go to school in New York, they work. Only boys go to school. She told us that when she came here in 1913 they put her in kindergarten, and the children made fun of her and called her stupid because she spoke another language. She skipped first grade and completed second grade, but her father told her that was enough school. After our talk with Victoria we were able to see her report card, and it shows how much she tried. I have a bigger appreciation for immigrants. They really don't know anything when they get here, and it's definitely an overwhelming city.
Our guide led us into a class room above the museum shop where we discussed what we had experienced. When Victoria lived here the building had no heat. The stove was an important thing to have. There was no heat in the hallways. There were two flushing toilets on each floor for every two families. Each toilet had a light and a window. Each apartment had cold running water, but that's it. If you wanted to bath you had to go down to the local bath house. Victoria's family moves the following year to East Harlem. She has an arranged marriage to David Cohen. They raised a daughter and son in Brooklyn. Victoria died at the age of 87 in New York. Her son grew up to become a rocket scientist for NASA. I really enjoyed this experience. I thought it was a wonderful way to end the last class. It was a great transition from the Merchant's house that we saw earlier. When the tour was over, we met with Mike & Damian one last time. He gave us the speech about getting our work done and there are no excuses. After saying our goodbyes to one another we ended class with great memories and all went our own ways.
Final impressions of new york
I can honestly say that some of my impressions of New York haven't change. Like the traffic and the smell, but that's just something that will never change. Being able to roam the city this summer has really opened my eyes to so many new things. Not only did I make some new friends, but I experienced a lot of things I would have never done on my own. There were areas of the city that I didn't even know existed. Even though the weather was hot and gross, and I almost died of heat stroke, this was a great experience. I'm looking forward to taking my friends and family into the city so I can show them the things they don't know are there.