Journals 1
Impressions of NY
I am very fortunate to live in South Huntington, Long Island because NYC is a 45-minute car ride or a 1-hour train ride away. People travel from all over the world to come to the “Big Apple” and I feel like we take it for granted sometimes and that is alarming because it is right in our backyard. I believe New York City is the best city in the world. There is exquisite cuisine, unbelievable architecture and art, diversity and the largest economical centre all in one city.
When I think of New York City, the first things that come to mind are the nightlife, the excitement of the busy streets, Broadway shows, and the city skyline. One of the best things about the city is that there is something for everyone. I know some people hate the city because they think it is dangerous and confusing but if you take small day trips, you can truly see and experience the beauty of the city. Just like any other city it is dirty, fast paced, has homelessness, and may not look appealing at first glance, but if you take a minute or two and step back, you can see what a fascinating place it really is. It is the city that never sleeps and there is always something going on.
When traveling many people from other states or countries think we are just heartless and rude because we are one of the busiest cities in the world. But when it comes down to tough times such as 9/11 and the recent hurricanes, we band together and get through the difficult times. We may always be in a hurry or talking too loud but New Yorkers are really good people. I love living on Long Island and do not plan on leaving because my family and boyfriend live here. Although in the past I have thought about moving into the city, I love the idea of traveling in once or twice a month because I feel like it would not be as exciting if I lived there.
After taking this course I hope that my feelings, attitudes, and beliefs of NYC will stay positive and that I will become more comfortable with navigating the city, especially the Subway system. I am excited to explore and learn more about each of the boroughs that I am not very familiar with. I have been to all five but some of them very briefly. I have participated in the NYC 5 Borough Bike Tour a few times, some half marathons, and a few 5k races. I try and travel to the city at least once a month if not more. I am certainly proud to be a New Yorker!
I am very fortunate to live in South Huntington, Long Island because NYC is a 45-minute car ride or a 1-hour train ride away. People travel from all over the world to come to the “Big Apple” and I feel like we take it for granted sometimes and that is alarming because it is right in our backyard. I believe New York City is the best city in the world. There is exquisite cuisine, unbelievable architecture and art, diversity and the largest economical centre all in one city.
When I think of New York City, the first things that come to mind are the nightlife, the excitement of the busy streets, Broadway shows, and the city skyline. One of the best things about the city is that there is something for everyone. I know some people hate the city because they think it is dangerous and confusing but if you take small day trips, you can truly see and experience the beauty of the city. Just like any other city it is dirty, fast paced, has homelessness, and may not look appealing at first glance, but if you take a minute or two and step back, you can see what a fascinating place it really is. It is the city that never sleeps and there is always something going on.
When traveling many people from other states or countries think we are just heartless and rude because we are one of the busiest cities in the world. But when it comes down to tough times such as 9/11 and the recent hurricanes, we band together and get through the difficult times. We may always be in a hurry or talking too loud but New Yorkers are really good people. I love living on Long Island and do not plan on leaving because my family and boyfriend live here. Although in the past I have thought about moving into the city, I love the idea of traveling in once or twice a month because I feel like it would not be as exciting if I lived there.
After taking this course I hope that my feelings, attitudes, and beliefs of NYC will stay positive and that I will become more comfortable with navigating the city, especially the Subway system. I am excited to explore and learn more about each of the boroughs that I am not very familiar with. I have been to all five but some of them very briefly. I have participated in the NYC 5 Borough Bike Tour a few times, some half marathons, and a few 5k races. I try and travel to the city at least once a month if not more. I am certainly proud to be a New Yorker!
Journal 1: Queens- June 5, 2014
Today was the first day of the NYC Experience class. I woke up this morning feeling excited and anxious to get my day started and head into the city on the LIRR. I took an 8:55 a.m. train from Huntington into Penn Station because I wanted to get there early to find my way to where our class was meeting and also to take in the morning rush of people going to work because I have never experienced it during a weekday morning. The train filled up quickly but I was the first stop so I was happy to have a seat before my long day ahead of walking and exploring new areas of the city. Luckily I did not have to transfer onto another train because it was a rainy morning. The train was filled with mostly businessmen and women and the occasion young adult. Most people were on their smart phones, listening to music, or taking a nap. I just took everything in and people watched during my 1 hour and 10 minute ride.
We finally reached Penn Station where I got off and ended up walking up the stairway to the NJ Transit. Thankfully I have done that before so I knew how to get to Penn Station. As I was walking, I noticed all of the different smells. It was especially muggy and extra smelly today because of the weather. I was early so I grabbed a cup of coffee at Au Bon Pain and read through the introduction of the textbook again.
It was finally time to meet up with the class, so I headed over to our meeting spot in front of the ticket booths. As soon as everyone had arrived we made our way to a quieter area because there was a violinist. Although it was nice to listen to, Mike wanted to make sure we could all hear him and Don begin teaching. We found a quiet spot where Mike and Don took us back in time and told us the history of Penn Station. Serving over 600,000 passangers everyday, Pennsylvania Station is the busiest train station in the United States (ENY p. 29). I find Penn Station to be really ugly, smelly, and anxiety provoking. Everyone is always rushing around and banging into each other. There is also no where to sit when you are waiting for your train and in the summer it is so hot and humid. I wish they would do something about that.
We then took a walk to Grand Central Station. Before we went in, Mike and Don told us that Jackie Kennedy Onassis was the woman who essentially saved the station from closing. An increase in automobile sales was the key reason for the potential shutdown of the station. The station did remain open because Jackie was a powerful and successful woman. I was very excited to get inside because I have seen Grand Central Station in movies and it looks so beautiful. The architecture of the terminal and the ceiling painting are absolutely stunning. Unlike the utilitarian, neutured Penn Station with its bland subterranean, "architecture", Grand Central is a train station in the European tradition, with imposing architecture and a welcoming ambiance (ENY p. 48). Behind the main waiting room is the famous Main Concourse, which are 120 feet wide and 375 feet long. As many as 750,000 travelers pass through Grand Central each day, with many visiting just to photograph the mural of constellations spanning the ceiling or explore the secret “whispering gallery” with its acoustic arches that amplify soft whispers into shouts. The painting was really interesting to me because we found out that it was painted backwards to show that it was from God's perspective and not our own. Mike also pointed out a small patch of black and told us that is the original ceiling and showed how dirty it got from tobacco smoke.
Another building we went to was the Chrysler Building which is located at 405 Lexington Avenue. When I drive into the city, the Chrysler Building is always one of the buildings I look forward to seeing in the skyline. It is elegant and stands out amoungst the other buildings. It was designed in art deco style and was the tallest building for a short 11 months before the Empire Stat Building was completed. Mike noted the the architect, William Van Alen made the top part of the building look like an automobile to stay with the theme of Chrysler. The most impressive feature of the building is undoubtebly its crowm, composed of seven radiating terraced arches clad in stainless steel in a sunburst pattern (ENY p.50). We went inside to the lobby which was also very beautiful. It was probably one of the nicest building lobbies I have ever been in.
We made our way to the Daily News building on 220 East 42nd Street and it was built for the Daily News paper which was very popular at the time. This building is also designed in art deco style. The building's flat roof, which was unusual at the time, would serve as an inspiration to the modern skyscrapers that would follow it (ENY p.52). We then went inside to see the largest indoor revolving globe in the world.
We took the air tram over to Roosevelt Island before breaking for lunch. It was so awesome going over the Queensboro Bridge and seeing the city from a different viewpoint. The Island was really nice and I loved the grassy are with the trees. We took a lot of good pictures here. One structure looked like a sail because Roosevelt liked boating.
After lunch we headed for Astoria and went to the Museum of the Moving Image which emcompasses the art and history of making movies. The museum, by far the most popular tourist attraction in Queens, boasts one of the largest collections of film artifacts in the world (ENY p.147). The third floor was my favorite because they had a bunch of hands-on activities like making your own short clip or making a video flip book. I felt like a kid and enjoyed some laughs. We also got to watch a short film about the World's Fair. It looked like it was a lot of fun and everyone was so dressed up which was nice to see.
The M train took us to Long Island City. From once being a predominately industrial area, a wave of gentrification has transformed parts of Long Island City, and particularly those areas by the waterfront (ENY p.148). While in LIC we visited the MoMA PS1 which use to be a public school. It was interesting to walk through the halls and invisioning myself as a student there when it was still open. It did not seem like a friendly place.
We finished our day under the Pepsi Cola Sign. The sign has been owned and maintained by the Pspsi Corporation since 1936, and originally sat atop a plant that the company formerly operated here (ENY p.149). We sat on the grass and recaped the day. Although I was pretty exhausted, I was very impressed with all of the ground we covered in just one day. It was amazing to see Manhattan from Long Island City and just take it all in. I am very excited for next weeks adventures!
Today was the first day of the NYC Experience class. I woke up this morning feeling excited and anxious to get my day started and head into the city on the LIRR. I took an 8:55 a.m. train from Huntington into Penn Station because I wanted to get there early to find my way to where our class was meeting and also to take in the morning rush of people going to work because I have never experienced it during a weekday morning. The train filled up quickly but I was the first stop so I was happy to have a seat before my long day ahead of walking and exploring new areas of the city. Luckily I did not have to transfer onto another train because it was a rainy morning. The train was filled with mostly businessmen and women and the occasion young adult. Most people were on their smart phones, listening to music, or taking a nap. I just took everything in and people watched during my 1 hour and 10 minute ride.
We finally reached Penn Station where I got off and ended up walking up the stairway to the NJ Transit. Thankfully I have done that before so I knew how to get to Penn Station. As I was walking, I noticed all of the different smells. It was especially muggy and extra smelly today because of the weather. I was early so I grabbed a cup of coffee at Au Bon Pain and read through the introduction of the textbook again.
It was finally time to meet up with the class, so I headed over to our meeting spot in front of the ticket booths. As soon as everyone had arrived we made our way to a quieter area because there was a violinist. Although it was nice to listen to, Mike wanted to make sure we could all hear him and Don begin teaching. We found a quiet spot where Mike and Don took us back in time and told us the history of Penn Station. Serving over 600,000 passangers everyday, Pennsylvania Station is the busiest train station in the United States (ENY p. 29). I find Penn Station to be really ugly, smelly, and anxiety provoking. Everyone is always rushing around and banging into each other. There is also no where to sit when you are waiting for your train and in the summer it is so hot and humid. I wish they would do something about that.
We then took a walk to Grand Central Station. Before we went in, Mike and Don told us that Jackie Kennedy Onassis was the woman who essentially saved the station from closing. An increase in automobile sales was the key reason for the potential shutdown of the station. The station did remain open because Jackie was a powerful and successful woman. I was very excited to get inside because I have seen Grand Central Station in movies and it looks so beautiful. The architecture of the terminal and the ceiling painting are absolutely stunning. Unlike the utilitarian, neutured Penn Station with its bland subterranean, "architecture", Grand Central is a train station in the European tradition, with imposing architecture and a welcoming ambiance (ENY p. 48). Behind the main waiting room is the famous Main Concourse, which are 120 feet wide and 375 feet long. As many as 750,000 travelers pass through Grand Central each day, with many visiting just to photograph the mural of constellations spanning the ceiling or explore the secret “whispering gallery” with its acoustic arches that amplify soft whispers into shouts. The painting was really interesting to me because we found out that it was painted backwards to show that it was from God's perspective and not our own. Mike also pointed out a small patch of black and told us that is the original ceiling and showed how dirty it got from tobacco smoke.
Another building we went to was the Chrysler Building which is located at 405 Lexington Avenue. When I drive into the city, the Chrysler Building is always one of the buildings I look forward to seeing in the skyline. It is elegant and stands out amoungst the other buildings. It was designed in art deco style and was the tallest building for a short 11 months before the Empire Stat Building was completed. Mike noted the the architect, William Van Alen made the top part of the building look like an automobile to stay with the theme of Chrysler. The most impressive feature of the building is undoubtebly its crowm, composed of seven radiating terraced arches clad in stainless steel in a sunburst pattern (ENY p.50). We went inside to the lobby which was also very beautiful. It was probably one of the nicest building lobbies I have ever been in.
We made our way to the Daily News building on 220 East 42nd Street and it was built for the Daily News paper which was very popular at the time. This building is also designed in art deco style. The building's flat roof, which was unusual at the time, would serve as an inspiration to the modern skyscrapers that would follow it (ENY p.52). We then went inside to see the largest indoor revolving globe in the world.
We took the air tram over to Roosevelt Island before breaking for lunch. It was so awesome going over the Queensboro Bridge and seeing the city from a different viewpoint. The Island was really nice and I loved the grassy are with the trees. We took a lot of good pictures here. One structure looked like a sail because Roosevelt liked boating.
After lunch we headed for Astoria and went to the Museum of the Moving Image which emcompasses the art and history of making movies. The museum, by far the most popular tourist attraction in Queens, boasts one of the largest collections of film artifacts in the world (ENY p.147). The third floor was my favorite because they had a bunch of hands-on activities like making your own short clip or making a video flip book. I felt like a kid and enjoyed some laughs. We also got to watch a short film about the World's Fair. It looked like it was a lot of fun and everyone was so dressed up which was nice to see.
The M train took us to Long Island City. From once being a predominately industrial area, a wave of gentrification has transformed parts of Long Island City, and particularly those areas by the waterfront (ENY p.148). While in LIC we visited the MoMA PS1 which use to be a public school. It was interesting to walk through the halls and invisioning myself as a student there when it was still open. It did not seem like a friendly place.
We finished our day under the Pepsi Cola Sign. The sign has been owned and maintained by the Pspsi Corporation since 1936, and originally sat atop a plant that the company formerly operated here (ENY p.149). We sat on the grass and recaped the day. Although I was pretty exhausted, I was very impressed with all of the ground we covered in just one day. It was amazing to see Manhattan from Long Island City and just take it all in. I am very excited for next weeks adventures!
Journal 2: Brooklyn- June 10, 2014
I woke up this morning extra excited because we were going to Brooklyn!! With 2.5 million people, Brooklyn (officially referred to as Kings County) is the most populous of New York City’s five boroughs as well as being the second most densely populated county in the United States (after Manhattan) (ENY p.113). I took the 8:55 train from Huntington to Penn Station, grabbed coffee and waited to meet up with them class. Once it was time everyone seemed pretty excited to get to our destination. Coney Island was our first stop and we took the F train for about 45 minutes. The ride went fast and I also had my one to one with Mike. Our conversation was really nice and I was able to mention that I had him for Ethics class 7 years ago when I was a freshman (I took 1.5 years off from school!). Thankfully we were all able to get seats and it was an elevated train so we got to see a lot of new views of the city.
When we finally reached Coney Island, we congregated and Mike and Don gave of us history of Coney Island. Don told us that it was once called “Rabbit Island” because it was once heavily populated with rabbits. The post war period, however, saw a dramatic decline in the fortunes of Coney Island (ENY p.116). This is how I though Coney Island was going to look like because that it what I have seen in movies such as “Big” and “Warriors”. It is definitely in the process of gentrification. As we walked out of the train station I was pleasantly surprised. The streets were fairly clean and it did not smell. We first saw the Nathan’s Famous, which is the original and famous hotdog stand that opened in 1916. I am not one for hotdogs but it was cool to see the place in person.
Mike and Don set us free for one hour and a group of us headed straight for the Cyclone! As you walk down the Boardwalk, you cant miss one of the greatest icons of Coney Island- the 85 foot tall Cyclone, the wooden rollercoaster at Luna Park that has been thrilling adventure-seekers since 1927 (ENY p.117). It was a $9 ride but it was so worth it. I was laughing the whole time despite getting minor whiplash. The pictures that they took were hilarious and some of the students bought them as souvenirs. Sadly we had to leave and take the 45-minute train to Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO.
Brooklyn Heights is definitely a place for the wealthy. One of New York City’s most Elegant and picturesque neighborhoods, Brooklyn Heights is an architect buff’s delight with block after block of some of the most attractive situated homes in the city (ENY p.122-123). The homes were unlike anything I have every seen and you could see the chandeliers hanging in the windows. We saw a lot of art deco and some gothic style buildings while in Brooklyn Heights. The Brownstone homes had stoops and some even had fire escapes. Living here would be a dream in the far future.
Today we also visited the Transit museum, which is located on the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street. It was pretty cool because you actually enter down the stairs of a past subway station that is now a museum. The first part of the museum provides historic information on the design and building of the New York Subway system, and merits particular attention from subway lovers (ENY p.125). I found the museum to be very enlightening on how subways were built and even further on the two different methods used to build the subway system: cut and cover, and deep bore tunneling. Mike explained that cut and cover was the easier method because all you had to do was dig up the street, lay the tunnel down and cover it back up with a new road. But they soon figured out there was a major disadvantage because roads would be closed for extended periods of time causing extreme amounts of traffic. Even though deep bore tunneling was more complicated, it didn’t disrupt traffic and closing of the roads. My favorite train was the Brooklyn Rapid Transit (BRT), because it reminded me of the train in the movie, “The Polar Express”. The wicker seats were also really cool and actually pretty comfortable.
The Brooklyn Heights Promenade was also one of my favorite parts of the day. We had a great view of the Brooklyn Bridge and we got to walk along the water, which was beautiful. From this vantage point, it will immediately become evident why this area is referred to as “the heights (ENY p.128).” We quickly made our way to DUMBO but there was a lot of construction going on so we didn’t get to see as much as Mike would have liked to show us. We did get to see Jane’s Carousel. It was absolutely beautiful. It was damaged in a fire in 1984. Jane and her husband bought the carousel and they spent nearly 20 years fixing it up. It would have been fun to ride it but I will just have to go back and visit when it is open.
We learned about how the Brooklyn Bridge was built and how it took three different people to have it finally completed. The bridge itself was designed by John Roebling, a German immigrant, who had actually published plans for the bridge before the Civil War (ENY p.130). Mike explained that John’s foot was crushed by a docking ferry, became ill and died. The construction was then passed onto his son Washington who also became ill with decompression sickness and worked from his apartment building. His wife Emily took over and had to study math and construction in order to be in charge.
Our final trek was over the Brooklyn Bridge and back into Manhattan. Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is the oldest suspension bridge in the United States (ENY p.130). I had been waiting to do this for many years so I was so excited that the weather held out and we were able to walk across. It was filled with crowds of people walking, running and bike riding. We snapped a few pictures and made our way to the subway. We took the A train all the way into Penn Station by ourselves. I was very impressed we were able to do it on our own without Mike or Don.
Overall the day was fantastic. I experienced multiple places I have been dreaming about going to and I did it all in one day. I am able to connect the different art styles now to different buildings and somewhat understanding the subway more. I can’t wait to keep exploring the city and sharing my exciting days with my family and boyfriend!!
I woke up this morning extra excited because we were going to Brooklyn!! With 2.5 million people, Brooklyn (officially referred to as Kings County) is the most populous of New York City’s five boroughs as well as being the second most densely populated county in the United States (after Manhattan) (ENY p.113). I took the 8:55 train from Huntington to Penn Station, grabbed coffee and waited to meet up with them class. Once it was time everyone seemed pretty excited to get to our destination. Coney Island was our first stop and we took the F train for about 45 minutes. The ride went fast and I also had my one to one with Mike. Our conversation was really nice and I was able to mention that I had him for Ethics class 7 years ago when I was a freshman (I took 1.5 years off from school!). Thankfully we were all able to get seats and it was an elevated train so we got to see a lot of new views of the city.
When we finally reached Coney Island, we congregated and Mike and Don gave of us history of Coney Island. Don told us that it was once called “Rabbit Island” because it was once heavily populated with rabbits. The post war period, however, saw a dramatic decline in the fortunes of Coney Island (ENY p.116). This is how I though Coney Island was going to look like because that it what I have seen in movies such as “Big” and “Warriors”. It is definitely in the process of gentrification. As we walked out of the train station I was pleasantly surprised. The streets were fairly clean and it did not smell. We first saw the Nathan’s Famous, which is the original and famous hotdog stand that opened in 1916. I am not one for hotdogs but it was cool to see the place in person.
Mike and Don set us free for one hour and a group of us headed straight for the Cyclone! As you walk down the Boardwalk, you cant miss one of the greatest icons of Coney Island- the 85 foot tall Cyclone, the wooden rollercoaster at Luna Park that has been thrilling adventure-seekers since 1927 (ENY p.117). It was a $9 ride but it was so worth it. I was laughing the whole time despite getting minor whiplash. The pictures that they took were hilarious and some of the students bought them as souvenirs. Sadly we had to leave and take the 45-minute train to Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO.
Brooklyn Heights is definitely a place for the wealthy. One of New York City’s most Elegant and picturesque neighborhoods, Brooklyn Heights is an architect buff’s delight with block after block of some of the most attractive situated homes in the city (ENY p.122-123). The homes were unlike anything I have every seen and you could see the chandeliers hanging in the windows. We saw a lot of art deco and some gothic style buildings while in Brooklyn Heights. The Brownstone homes had stoops and some even had fire escapes. Living here would be a dream in the far future.
Today we also visited the Transit museum, which is located on the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street. It was pretty cool because you actually enter down the stairs of a past subway station that is now a museum. The first part of the museum provides historic information on the design and building of the New York Subway system, and merits particular attention from subway lovers (ENY p.125). I found the museum to be very enlightening on how subways were built and even further on the two different methods used to build the subway system: cut and cover, and deep bore tunneling. Mike explained that cut and cover was the easier method because all you had to do was dig up the street, lay the tunnel down and cover it back up with a new road. But they soon figured out there was a major disadvantage because roads would be closed for extended periods of time causing extreme amounts of traffic. Even though deep bore tunneling was more complicated, it didn’t disrupt traffic and closing of the roads. My favorite train was the Brooklyn Rapid Transit (BRT), because it reminded me of the train in the movie, “The Polar Express”. The wicker seats were also really cool and actually pretty comfortable.
The Brooklyn Heights Promenade was also one of my favorite parts of the day. We had a great view of the Brooklyn Bridge and we got to walk along the water, which was beautiful. From this vantage point, it will immediately become evident why this area is referred to as “the heights (ENY p.128).” We quickly made our way to DUMBO but there was a lot of construction going on so we didn’t get to see as much as Mike would have liked to show us. We did get to see Jane’s Carousel. It was absolutely beautiful. It was damaged in a fire in 1984. Jane and her husband bought the carousel and they spent nearly 20 years fixing it up. It would have been fun to ride it but I will just have to go back and visit when it is open.
We learned about how the Brooklyn Bridge was built and how it took three different people to have it finally completed. The bridge itself was designed by John Roebling, a German immigrant, who had actually published plans for the bridge before the Civil War (ENY p.130). Mike explained that John’s foot was crushed by a docking ferry, became ill and died. The construction was then passed onto his son Washington who also became ill with decompression sickness and worked from his apartment building. His wife Emily took over and had to study math and construction in order to be in charge.
Our final trek was over the Brooklyn Bridge and back into Manhattan. Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is the oldest suspension bridge in the United States (ENY p.130). I had been waiting to do this for many years so I was so excited that the weather held out and we were able to walk across. It was filled with crowds of people walking, running and bike riding. We snapped a few pictures and made our way to the subway. We took the A train all the way into Penn Station by ourselves. I was very impressed we were able to do it on our own without Mike or Don.
Overall the day was fantastic. I experienced multiple places I have been dreaming about going to and I did it all in one day. I am able to connect the different art styles now to different buildings and somewhat understanding the subway more. I can’t wait to keep exploring the city and sharing my exciting days with my family and boyfriend!!
Journal 3: Chelsea and The Village- June 12, 2014
I cannot believe that today was the halfway point in our class already. It was our third class exploring the city and we went to Chelsea and the East Village. We began our day in Chelsea at the High Line at 30th Street and 10th Avenue, which was really nice and I enjoyed seeing the plants and flowers some of which are native to New York City. There was also a lot of interesting artwork along the walk of the High Line. In the mid-19th century, a street-level freight line ran through the heart of Chelsea to transport produce through the city (ENY p.94). We learned that this train was on crowed streets and many deaths had occurred. There were so many deaths that 10th Avenue was known as, “Death Avenue.” Mike went on to tell us that the line was then elevated 30 feet to avoid any more deaths. The High Line officially opened in 2006 and was an immediate hit with both New Yorkers and tourists (ENY p.96). We saw gentrification occurring in Chelsea as well and the High Line and the streets of Chelsea were filled with construction and new luxury apartments. It was definitely a lure to the rich because there are tons of art galleries in the area.
The art galleries were our next stop. I was excited to see them because I worked at the Nassau County Museum of Art for about two years and I have always enjoyed different art forms. What Chelsea is know for today is its numerous art galleries, showcasing some of the world’s most prominent contemporary art (ENY p.96). We went down the staircase of the High Line and became our “gallery hopping.” There are hundreds of galleries to choose from but we went to about seven of them because we were on a tight schedule. Before entering, Don told us about gallery etiquette. You can not touch or lean on art, assume that everything you are looking at is art, talk quietly, ask about taking pictures, and do not make nasty comments about the art because the artist could be standing right next to you and that would be insulting and extremely embarrassing.
Some of the galleries we went to were, Galerie Richard, Gallery C24, Andrea Rosen Gallery, and Gagosian Gallery. I enjoyed all of the galleries and seeing the different art styles but I did not enjoy the one with the naked pictures of human genitals. I understand that people see that as art but I am not into pornographic art such as that. I kept quiet, walked through and exited. A lot of people were laughing but I was just not interested. The Gagosian Gallery on 555 W. 24th Street was my favorite because it houses the most expensive art in the city. I really enjoyed this gallery because every piece was completely different and I couldn’t even pick my favorite piece. I will definitely be coming back to Chelsea to visit more of the galleries we did not get to.
Our next destination was Greenwich Village. The area known as Greenwich Village- or simply “the Village” to native New Yorkers- is one of the most delightful residential areas in New York (ENY p.99). I have been to the Village before to go to bars and enjoy the nightlife. We always go to The Village Tavern. We learned that Greenwich was like a resort and only the wealthy would be there. Mike discussed that in the 19th century Italian and Irish immigrants migrated to the Village, which made the wealthy move away to other areas causing it to become more industrial with factories. This is when the Bohemian style came into play and artists and writers moved in the area.
We walked through Washington Square Park quickly. It looked like a beautiful park but it was filled with homeless people and is considered to not be very safe. NYU bought most of the property around the park. In the 19th century the park was also used for public execution with those convicted hung from "Hangman's Elm" (ENY p.107). Mike said the tree is 300 years old and 110 feet tall which is really amazing.
We went to the Merchant's House Museum after we stopped for lunch at Bleecker and McDougal Streets. The Merchant House is a wonderfully preserved Federal-style house, filled with period furnishings and decorations (ENY p.110). It was the home of the Tredwell family until 1933 when the last descendant passed away. It was intriguing to see how families lived back then and how their servants lived. It was interesting to find out that the husband and wife slept in different bedrooms. Someone even asked a great question about where they would go to be intimate because the Tredwell's had children. Women stayed in the house all day tending to their kids and when having company over they had to look perfect. If they had company over and were in the parlor they couldn't even brush a piece of hair off of their face because it was considered rude. They would have to leave and go upstairs to freshen up. I would not have wanted to grow up in that time period because I naturally have a colder body temperature and would have never made it through winter with it being 50 degrees in the house. Also I would not have liked to climb up the super narrow stairs all day.
We ended our day in the East Village. In 1651, New Amsterdam Governor General Peter Stuyvesant purchased the land of what is now much of the East Village from the Dutch West India Company, for the purpose of creating a bowery or farm (ENY). We went to the Cooper Union buildings that were across the street from each other. Mike told us that the original Cooper Union building is where Abraham Lincoln did his speech, so that was really great to experience the building in person. Officially called the New Academic Building, it was designed by Thom Mayne of the Los Angeles architectural firm Morphosis, who wanted to create a ground-breaking building that also reflected the college’s focus on advanced studies in art, architecture, and engineering (ENY). The building didn’t really fit into the area because it is made of stainless steel and has horizontal blocks that help control how much sunlight enters the building. It was very different than any building I have been in before. What stood out to me the most was the dramatic staircase and when you look up you can see how high it goes. It was also completely different than any school I have ever visited.
Overall it was a good day. We didn't take any subways but we did have to figure out way back to Penn Station on our own. I went back with a couple of our classmates and we decided to walk/run our way there. We were exhausted from the day but we wanted to get home. I am glad I have the weekend to relax and I look forward to next week’s classes!
I cannot believe that today was the halfway point in our class already. It was our third class exploring the city and we went to Chelsea and the East Village. We began our day in Chelsea at the High Line at 30th Street and 10th Avenue, which was really nice and I enjoyed seeing the plants and flowers some of which are native to New York City. There was also a lot of interesting artwork along the walk of the High Line. In the mid-19th century, a street-level freight line ran through the heart of Chelsea to transport produce through the city (ENY p.94). We learned that this train was on crowed streets and many deaths had occurred. There were so many deaths that 10th Avenue was known as, “Death Avenue.” Mike went on to tell us that the line was then elevated 30 feet to avoid any more deaths. The High Line officially opened in 2006 and was an immediate hit with both New Yorkers and tourists (ENY p.96). We saw gentrification occurring in Chelsea as well and the High Line and the streets of Chelsea were filled with construction and new luxury apartments. It was definitely a lure to the rich because there are tons of art galleries in the area.
The art galleries were our next stop. I was excited to see them because I worked at the Nassau County Museum of Art for about two years and I have always enjoyed different art forms. What Chelsea is know for today is its numerous art galleries, showcasing some of the world’s most prominent contemporary art (ENY p.96). We went down the staircase of the High Line and became our “gallery hopping.” There are hundreds of galleries to choose from but we went to about seven of them because we were on a tight schedule. Before entering, Don told us about gallery etiquette. You can not touch or lean on art, assume that everything you are looking at is art, talk quietly, ask about taking pictures, and do not make nasty comments about the art because the artist could be standing right next to you and that would be insulting and extremely embarrassing.
Some of the galleries we went to were, Galerie Richard, Gallery C24, Andrea Rosen Gallery, and Gagosian Gallery. I enjoyed all of the galleries and seeing the different art styles but I did not enjoy the one with the naked pictures of human genitals. I understand that people see that as art but I am not into pornographic art such as that. I kept quiet, walked through and exited. A lot of people were laughing but I was just not interested. The Gagosian Gallery on 555 W. 24th Street was my favorite because it houses the most expensive art in the city. I really enjoyed this gallery because every piece was completely different and I couldn’t even pick my favorite piece. I will definitely be coming back to Chelsea to visit more of the galleries we did not get to.
Our next destination was Greenwich Village. The area known as Greenwich Village- or simply “the Village” to native New Yorkers- is one of the most delightful residential areas in New York (ENY p.99). I have been to the Village before to go to bars and enjoy the nightlife. We always go to The Village Tavern. We learned that Greenwich was like a resort and only the wealthy would be there. Mike discussed that in the 19th century Italian and Irish immigrants migrated to the Village, which made the wealthy move away to other areas causing it to become more industrial with factories. This is when the Bohemian style came into play and artists and writers moved in the area.
We walked through Washington Square Park quickly. It looked like a beautiful park but it was filled with homeless people and is considered to not be very safe. NYU bought most of the property around the park. In the 19th century the park was also used for public execution with those convicted hung from "Hangman's Elm" (ENY p.107). Mike said the tree is 300 years old and 110 feet tall which is really amazing.
We went to the Merchant's House Museum after we stopped for lunch at Bleecker and McDougal Streets. The Merchant House is a wonderfully preserved Federal-style house, filled with period furnishings and decorations (ENY p.110). It was the home of the Tredwell family until 1933 when the last descendant passed away. It was intriguing to see how families lived back then and how their servants lived. It was interesting to find out that the husband and wife slept in different bedrooms. Someone even asked a great question about where they would go to be intimate because the Tredwell's had children. Women stayed in the house all day tending to their kids and when having company over they had to look perfect. If they had company over and were in the parlor they couldn't even brush a piece of hair off of their face because it was considered rude. They would have to leave and go upstairs to freshen up. I would not have wanted to grow up in that time period because I naturally have a colder body temperature and would have never made it through winter with it being 50 degrees in the house. Also I would not have liked to climb up the super narrow stairs all day.
We ended our day in the East Village. In 1651, New Amsterdam Governor General Peter Stuyvesant purchased the land of what is now much of the East Village from the Dutch West India Company, for the purpose of creating a bowery or farm (ENY). We went to the Cooper Union buildings that were across the street from each other. Mike told us that the original Cooper Union building is where Abraham Lincoln did his speech, so that was really great to experience the building in person. Officially called the New Academic Building, it was designed by Thom Mayne of the Los Angeles architectural firm Morphosis, who wanted to create a ground-breaking building that also reflected the college’s focus on advanced studies in art, architecture, and engineering (ENY). The building didn’t really fit into the area because it is made of stainless steel and has horizontal blocks that help control how much sunlight enters the building. It was very different than any building I have been in before. What stood out to me the most was the dramatic staircase and when you look up you can see how high it goes. It was also completely different than any school I have ever visited.
Overall it was a good day. We didn't take any subways but we did have to figure out way back to Penn Station on our own. I went back with a couple of our classmates and we decided to walk/run our way there. We were exhausted from the day but we wanted to get home. I am glad I have the weekend to relax and I look forward to next week’s classes!