Impressions of NY
Core Blog 1
My thoughts of NYC
I often think of Manhattan as the “City”. Every other borough is
a separate entity apart from the city. I look at the city as Night and day. My opinion of NYC is that it is a Mecca
of high class sophistication, multicultural activities and festivals;
educational expos, museums, tourism, fine dining, art galleries and the theatre
add to the diversity of the city. Central Park, the zoos, the high line,
Battery Park offer plenty of outdoor space to participate in any number of
physical activities or just an open space to sit down and soak it all in.
My thoughts on The Bronx are summed up to don’t get lost going
to Fordham University or the zoo; you may end up in an unplanned adventure.
Brooklyn depends where and when and whom I am with. I think of
Brooklyn as either Prospect Park where a lot of my family lived or East New York
where my husband was a police officer; I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near East
NY ever. The last time I was there it was medal day in the 75th precinct. The families were escorted into the area by
police officers. Sharp shooters were observed on the roof watching the crowd.
That was the last time medal day was held at the precinct. On the other hand
there is Prospect Park. The brownstones that line the neighborhood are stunning.
There is an old school feel and charm to the neighborhood.
Queens is rather mellow compared to the other boroughs of the
city. My favorite place in Queens
is Citifield. That is pretty much all I know about Queens.
Staten Island…never got past the potholes or traffic.
My thoughts of NYC
I often think of Manhattan as the “City”. Every other borough is
a separate entity apart from the city. I look at the city as Night and day. My opinion of NYC is that it is a Mecca
of high class sophistication, multicultural activities and festivals;
educational expos, museums, tourism, fine dining, art galleries and the theatre
add to the diversity of the city. Central Park, the zoos, the high line,
Battery Park offer plenty of outdoor space to participate in any number of
physical activities or just an open space to sit down and soak it all in.
My thoughts on The Bronx are summed up to don’t get lost going
to Fordham University or the zoo; you may end up in an unplanned adventure.
Brooklyn depends where and when and whom I am with. I think of
Brooklyn as either Prospect Park where a lot of my family lived or East New York
where my husband was a police officer; I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near East
NY ever. The last time I was there it was medal day in the 75th precinct. The families were escorted into the area by
police officers. Sharp shooters were observed on the roof watching the crowd.
That was the last time medal day was held at the precinct. On the other hand
there is Prospect Park. The brownstones that line the neighborhood are stunning.
There is an old school feel and charm to the neighborhood.
Queens is rather mellow compared to the other boroughs of the
city. My favorite place in Queens
is Citifield. That is pretty much all I know about Queens.
Staten Island…never got past the potholes or traffic.
Journal 1 Queens
Day 1Core architecture & Queens
Today’s adventure began with a discussion of Pennsylvania
station. It was once an opulent, stately building built in the Beaux-arts style
that was torn down due to the cost for maintenance of the station. The buildings
replacement resulted in Madison Square Garden and 1 and 2 Penn Plaza office
buildings. This resulted in the current Pennsylvania station to be a train
wreck. There is no formal entry nor is there a formal waiting room. This
initiated a formal preservation society in New York City. Pennsylvania station is the most active
train station in the country; more than 600,000 people frequent the station. It
is home to three different train companies that include Amtrak, NJ transit and
the Long Island Railroad (ENY 28).
The City has many scents that can be either enjoyed or sickened by
smelling. This includes the aromas of pizza parlors and bakeries and the fresh
flowers along the sidewalks. Then turn the corner and you can observe a strong
urine odor. This was observed along Madison Avenue.
The original Grand Central Terminal was a turn of the century building
with a neo classical façade built in the European tradition. This building was
commissioned by Cornelius Vanderbilt. The realization that steam engines were
too much of a hazard resulted in the need for electric trains and a station that
could accommodate them. This resulted in construction of a new Grand Central
Terminal that was electrified and built in Beaux Arts style (ENY 50). There is a
brass clock in the center of the station that serves as the stations
centerpiece. After years of neglect
there was a movement of restoration led by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The mural
on the ceiling, the one that is inverted to God’s view, was cleaned and restored
to the original masterpiece. The station has the largest Tiffany glass clock on
display (ENY 50. This is a landmark that needs further exploration. The
whispering wall and the secret bar need to be explored amongst other areas.
Further along our adventure we admired several different types of
architecture. This included the Chrysler building and its art deco design. The
sunburst pattern found on the top of the building resembles the hood of a
Chrysler car during the time frame of construction during 1930. This building
includes setbacks that allow for light and air at the street level.
The General Electric building follows the same style only it is
highlighted by its radio-electric theme. An interesting fact about this location
is a scene from the movie Ghostbusters was filmed there.
These buildings were interesting to observe.
The Seagram’s building, built in 1958, was a cold and boring building.
This offered nothing to admire. The only interesting fact about this is that
there were no setbacks in the construction. The building itself was set back
with a court yard in front that allows air and light along the street (ENY
53).
The Waldorf- Astoria hotel following the art deco movement has two 47
story towers. These are covered with Bronze cupolas (ENY 53). This was my
favorite stop along the itinerary today.
I enjoyed the china, silver and crystal place setting that was on display
along with the old room keys from the 1930’s. The clock that is the centerpiece
of the lobby has images of American presidents on it (ENY 53).
Roosevelt Island and the
small pox hospital were a very interesting stop along the itinerary.
The grounds were very
peaceful and tranquil which was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle
of the city. Surprisingly this is not a popular tourist stop (ENY 55/handout).
It was interesting to see the gentrification of the island in progress.
The stop at the Jackson Diner for lunch resulted in the first time I
consumed Indian food. I found it to be okay. I must confess though I probably
will never have it again. It was not my cup of tea.
Rounding up the day’s events was a stop at PS1 MOMA. I loved the old
building and I am curious to see the facility when all of the remodeling and
construction is complete. I am sure it will be a magnate for the gentrification
of this neighborhood.
Journal 2 Brooklyn
Brooklyn
We started the day’s adventure on the F train to Brooklyn. First
stop: Coney Island originally known as Rabbit Island. Exploring
the Boardwalk we discovered“kitschy” concession stands selling carnival type
food and treats; there were also carnival type games. The weather was overcast
so there was not much of a crowd yet with the exception of Luna Park was abuzz
with small children on a school trip. The Cyclone was the centerpiece of the
area. Not being one for heights and having the thought “so old that it could
collapse at any time while you are riding on it” (ENY 118) in my head resulted
in passing over the opportunity to ride on the Cyclone; it will have to wait for
another day and another brave person to enjoy it. Passing
over Grimaldi’s pizza lunch was enjoyed at the world famous Nathan’s hot dog
stand.
Gentrification was clearly in progress. There was a stark
difference in the sleek look of the new buildings versus the run down condition
of the original buildings and attractions including The Cyclone, built in 1927
(ENY 117). The good thing about this visit I can say I was there but I am not
sure of how fast I would return for a visit.
Returning towards the city on the F train we found ourselves in
Brooklyn Heights area admiring the original Brooklyn City Hall completed in
1848. 1899 found the name changed to Brooklyn Borough hall when Brooklyn
consolidated with Manhattan and the other boroughs to form the City of New York.
The building is a beautiful Greek revival, neo classic building with ionic
columns; this building is the oldest public building in Brooklyn. It was built
to celebrate the common man (ENY 125.
Brooklyn is known as the borough of churches. Numerous churches
can be admired for the beauty. Spencer Church is among them although it no
longer functions as a house of worship. Something that is quintessential New
York Spencer Church was converted to Cooperative Apartments (ENY
125).
Brooklyn is home to some of the most beautiful architecture
built by man. This includes the Brooklyn Historical Society building designed in
1863 by George Post; this features sculptures, by Olin Levy Warner, of Benjamin
Franklin, Christopher Columbus, a Viking and a native American Indian (ENY
127). Brooklyn is also home to the
Brownstone; made of cheap brown stone there came a time that this was not
fashionable home to be had. Present day they are being bought up for prosperity.
Authors such as Norman Mailer and Thomas Wolfe lived in Brownstones in Brooklyn.
The Chase bank, formerly known as The Brooklyn Trust Building, must be entered
to enjoy the absolute beauty of the building.
The subway system is another man made marvel whose history is
displayed at the Transit Museum; an interesting fact is that this is a subway
station that used to be in service that has been closed down. Hollywood has used
this subway station/museum as the sets of movies such as the original The Taking
of Pelham 123 and the remake of it. The two different methods for constructing
the subway are on display along with the many types of passenger cars from
different time periods. Don’t miss the advertisements on the cars; they are
snapshots of the time period.
Another beautiful feature of Brooklyn is the Brooklyn Heights
Promenade. Originally it sloped down to the East river; the original beauty was
destroyed by Robert Moses’ building the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. This is what
inspired the origins of the preservation movement of Brooklyn Heights. The most
interesting piece of history of this area is how George Washington and his army
escaped the British soldiers by quietly retreating across the river from this
vantage point. This decision was made at a house on Montague Street (ENY
127-128).
The views of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Promenade are
stunning; views also include the Statue of Liberty and the East side of lower
Manhattan. A vantage point that includes the Manhattan Bridge along with the
Brooklyn Bridge is the area known as DUMBO. Here buildings from the civil war
era can be found along with Jane’s carousel. The carousel is housed in a jewel
box type building designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel.
The highlight of this day was the Brooklyn Bridge. The oldest
suspension bridge was originally designed by John Roebling, ultimately completed
by his daughter in law Emily, before the civil war. This was considered the
eighth wonder of the world. (ENY
130-131).
I
enjoyed exploring areas of the city that I have not experienced before; I am
looking forward to further adventures
We started the day’s adventure on the F train to Brooklyn. First
stop: Coney Island originally known as Rabbit Island. Exploring
the Boardwalk we discovered“kitschy” concession stands selling carnival type
food and treats; there were also carnival type games. The weather was overcast
so there was not much of a crowd yet with the exception of Luna Park was abuzz
with small children on a school trip. The Cyclone was the centerpiece of the
area. Not being one for heights and having the thought “so old that it could
collapse at any time while you are riding on it” (ENY 118) in my head resulted
in passing over the opportunity to ride on the Cyclone; it will have to wait for
another day and another brave person to enjoy it. Passing
over Grimaldi’s pizza lunch was enjoyed at the world famous Nathan’s hot dog
stand.
Gentrification was clearly in progress. There was a stark
difference in the sleek look of the new buildings versus the run down condition
of the original buildings and attractions including The Cyclone, built in 1927
(ENY 117). The good thing about this visit I can say I was there but I am not
sure of how fast I would return for a visit.
Returning towards the city on the F train we found ourselves in
Brooklyn Heights area admiring the original Brooklyn City Hall completed in
1848. 1899 found the name changed to Brooklyn Borough hall when Brooklyn
consolidated with Manhattan and the other boroughs to form the City of New York.
The building is a beautiful Greek revival, neo classic building with ionic
columns; this building is the oldest public building in Brooklyn. It was built
to celebrate the common man (ENY 125.
Brooklyn is known as the borough of churches. Numerous churches
can be admired for the beauty. Spencer Church is among them although it no
longer functions as a house of worship. Something that is quintessential New
York Spencer Church was converted to Cooperative Apartments (ENY
125).
Brooklyn is home to some of the most beautiful architecture
built by man. This includes the Brooklyn Historical Society building designed in
1863 by George Post; this features sculptures, by Olin Levy Warner, of Benjamin
Franklin, Christopher Columbus, a Viking and a native American Indian (ENY
127). Brooklyn is also home to the
Brownstone; made of cheap brown stone there came a time that this was not
fashionable home to be had. Present day they are being bought up for prosperity.
Authors such as Norman Mailer and Thomas Wolfe lived in Brownstones in Brooklyn.
The Chase bank, formerly known as The Brooklyn Trust Building, must be entered
to enjoy the absolute beauty of the building.
The subway system is another man made marvel whose history is
displayed at the Transit Museum; an interesting fact is that this is a subway
station that used to be in service that has been closed down. Hollywood has used
this subway station/museum as the sets of movies such as the original The Taking
of Pelham 123 and the remake of it. The two different methods for constructing
the subway are on display along with the many types of passenger cars from
different time periods. Don’t miss the advertisements on the cars; they are
snapshots of the time period.
Another beautiful feature of Brooklyn is the Brooklyn Heights
Promenade. Originally it sloped down to the East river; the original beauty was
destroyed by Robert Moses’ building the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. This is what
inspired the origins of the preservation movement of Brooklyn Heights. The most
interesting piece of history of this area is how George Washington and his army
escaped the British soldiers by quietly retreating across the river from this
vantage point. This decision was made at a house on Montague Street (ENY
127-128).
The views of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Promenade are
stunning; views also include the Statue of Liberty and the East side of lower
Manhattan. A vantage point that includes the Manhattan Bridge along with the
Brooklyn Bridge is the area known as DUMBO. Here buildings from the civil war
era can be found along with Jane’s carousel. The carousel is housed in a jewel
box type building designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel.
The highlight of this day was the Brooklyn Bridge. The oldest
suspension bridge was originally designed by John Roebling, ultimately completed
by his daughter in law Emily, before the civil war. This was considered the
eighth wonder of the world. (ENY
130-131).
I
enjoyed exploring areas of the city that I have not experienced before; I am
looking forward to further adventures
Journal 3 The Village
Chelsea & The Village
This day began with the class admiring the old United States Post
Office/James Farley Post office, named for the former Post Master General, that
is planned to become the new Pennsylvania Train Station. It is a beautiful neo
classical Beaux Arts building with Corinthians columns that was designed by the
same architects, McKim, Mean and White, as the original Penn Station (ENY
31).
Exploring the tranquil High Line, with its native to New York plants and
trees, was a cathartic experience. It is a strict contrast of the hustle and
bustle of the city below. The High line was made from an abandoned elevated
train line. This encouraged the gentrification process along the line.
Innovative buildings have been and still are being constructed along the line.
The Standard hotel, built on five piers, pays homage to the sixties with its
design created by Polshek Partnership (ENY 98). I enjoyed the The IAC Building’s
façade depicting ships with tall sails designed by Frank Gehry (ENY 96). Along
the High Line we stopped to experience some galleries.
The Chelsea area is now known for its numerous galleries displaying
Contemporary Art (ENY 96). C24 Gallery was displaying balls with various
projections on them. This gallery left me with a“take it or leave it” feeling.
It did not impress me nor did I not like it. The Andrea Rosen gallery displaying
the “frying pan on the hot plate” evoked memories of when I needed to call the
fire department when I was cooking. The pony tails in the wall was funny.
Experiencing these various galleries made we explore art in a different way with
different emotions.
The end of the High Line left us deposited in the Meat Packing
district. Originally an area of
slaughter houses and meat packing houses then became an area for transvestite
prostitutes and S&M clubs. The 1990’s saw another gentrification of this
area after Mayor Giuliani’s crack down on crime (ENY 99). The seedy was replaced
with the beautiful and fashionable people such as Alexander McQueen and Stella
McCartney (ENY99).
Walking along to the village we quickly admired the Jefferson Market
Garden. This is what I want my back yard to look like someday. This park has an
interesting history. Along with
being a market it was once the site of a woman’s house of detention. One famous
“guest” was May West serving time for an obscenity charge (ENY 102).
Next to the park is the redbrick Jefferson Market Library. A gothic style
Victorian building it was once a courthouse and now it is now a library. One
notable case that was held here was the trial of Harry K Thaw. He was charged
with the murder of the architect Stanford White; Thaw shot White as a result of
an affair White had with his fiancé Evelyn Nesbit (ENY 102-103). This case was
followed attentively by the public.
Upon further exploration of the West Village we observed Mineta Street
where the Indians settled, the area of the Beat movement of the fifty’s and The Gentrification of the 80’s. We
enjoyed a nice visit at the federal style Merchant House museum (ENY 109). I
thoroughly enjoyed this; I love old houses and buildings. I am not sure I
believe the ghost stories but that can be discussed another day.
Washington Square Park is absolutely beautiful. The homeless people added
a little gritty city character to the park. I was fascinated by the history of
the park. I will further develop this topic in my 2nd research paper. Originally a Potter’s field then a area
for public execution (ENY 107). It
is now a beautiful respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The Cooper Union schools original building is beautiful. In stark
contrast is the new Cooper union building is quite modern. This was designed to
reflect the focus of the school itself (ENY supplement). Aesthetically it is god
awful ugly; if you look at it from a‘green’ view the building is stunning. I am
sure the debate of this building will go on for decades.
Another interesting detail of this building is the fact the students went
tuition free to this school until recently. Now the students’ tuition is
prorated for need.
Ending this adventurous day in St. Mark’s led to the observation of some
interesting stores and restaurants. This area will need further exploration to
see what is out there. Today was an interesting and informative adventure.
This day began with the class admiring the old United States Post
Office/James Farley Post office, named for the former Post Master General, that
is planned to become the new Pennsylvania Train Station. It is a beautiful neo
classical Beaux Arts building with Corinthians columns that was designed by the
same architects, McKim, Mean and White, as the original Penn Station (ENY
31).
Exploring the tranquil High Line, with its native to New York plants and
trees, was a cathartic experience. It is a strict contrast of the hustle and
bustle of the city below. The High line was made from an abandoned elevated
train line. This encouraged the gentrification process along the line.
Innovative buildings have been and still are being constructed along the line.
The Standard hotel, built on five piers, pays homage to the sixties with its
design created by Polshek Partnership (ENY 98). I enjoyed the The IAC Building’s
façade depicting ships with tall sails designed by Frank Gehry (ENY 96). Along
the High Line we stopped to experience some galleries.
The Chelsea area is now known for its numerous galleries displaying
Contemporary Art (ENY 96). C24 Gallery was displaying balls with various
projections on them. This gallery left me with a“take it or leave it” feeling.
It did not impress me nor did I not like it. The Andrea Rosen gallery displaying
the “frying pan on the hot plate” evoked memories of when I needed to call the
fire department when I was cooking. The pony tails in the wall was funny.
Experiencing these various galleries made we explore art in a different way with
different emotions.
The end of the High Line left us deposited in the Meat Packing
district. Originally an area of
slaughter houses and meat packing houses then became an area for transvestite
prostitutes and S&M clubs. The 1990’s saw another gentrification of this
area after Mayor Giuliani’s crack down on crime (ENY 99). The seedy was replaced
with the beautiful and fashionable people such as Alexander McQueen and Stella
McCartney (ENY99).
Walking along to the village we quickly admired the Jefferson Market
Garden. This is what I want my back yard to look like someday. This park has an
interesting history. Along with
being a market it was once the site of a woman’s house of detention. One famous
“guest” was May West serving time for an obscenity charge (ENY 102).
Next to the park is the redbrick Jefferson Market Library. A gothic style
Victorian building it was once a courthouse and now it is now a library. One
notable case that was held here was the trial of Harry K Thaw. He was charged
with the murder of the architect Stanford White; Thaw shot White as a result of
an affair White had with his fiancé Evelyn Nesbit (ENY 102-103). This case was
followed attentively by the public.
Upon further exploration of the West Village we observed Mineta Street
where the Indians settled, the area of the Beat movement of the fifty’s and The Gentrification of the 80’s. We
enjoyed a nice visit at the federal style Merchant House museum (ENY 109). I
thoroughly enjoyed this; I love old houses and buildings. I am not sure I
believe the ghost stories but that can be discussed another day.
Washington Square Park is absolutely beautiful. The homeless people added
a little gritty city character to the park. I was fascinated by the history of
the park. I will further develop this topic in my 2nd research paper. Originally a Potter’s field then a area
for public execution (ENY 107). It
is now a beautiful respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The Cooper Union schools original building is beautiful. In stark
contrast is the new Cooper union building is quite modern. This was designed to
reflect the focus of the school itself (ENY supplement). Aesthetically it is god
awful ugly; if you look at it from a‘green’ view the building is stunning. I am
sure the debate of this building will go on for decades.
Another interesting detail of this building is the fact the students went
tuition free to this school until recently. Now the students’ tuition is
prorated for need.
Ending this adventurous day in St. Mark’s led to the observation of some
interesting stores and restaurants. This area will need further exploration to
see what is out there. Today was an interesting and informative adventure.