Lower Manhattan and Captivating
6/20/2013
Well Thursday morning started out a little stressful. As always, I waited for the 9:39 train to Penn Station but unfortunately it was canceled due to equipment problems! So I waited patiently for the 10:11 train which was running behind and was very crowded. The train got into Penn Station at 11:00, so I quickly walked to the meeting spot to meet my classmates and then left for our first destination.
So we took the 6-train downtown to Park Place. After getting off the subway, we headed to City Hall to meet with our tour guide Sheila. City Hall is one of our nation's oldest city halls and houses offices of the Mayor and City Council, the executive and legislative branches of government. It is the third City Hall building and is a Federal style landmark. City Hall was designed by John McComb, Jr., a native New Yorker, and John Mangin, an immigrant from France. This building has had a significant role in the history of our City and contains an important collection of American portraits and historic furnishings which include the desk used by George Washington. While in City Hall, we went into the the Governor's Room and the City Council Chamber. The Governor's Room was completed in 1816 and has served as a museum and reception room. This room houses one of the most important collections of the 19th Century American portraiture as well as historic furnishings. Many distinguished guests have visited the Governor's Room. Some of these people include Marquis de Lafayette and Albert Einstein. In 1861, the room hosted President-elect Abraham Lincoln and was later used as the backdrop for his coffin in 1865. The room is also divided into three chambers: west, central, and wast. The west chamber includes portraits of Zachary Taylor, Washington Hunt and William C. Bouck. The east chamber includes portraits of Oliver Hazard Perry and Stephen Decatur and the banquet table attributed to Charles Christian. The central chamber houses a majority of the City's collection of portraits by the artist John Trumbull. The City Council Chamber was restored in 2011. This room is used for public meetings, ceremonial events and receiving dignitaries. It was originally two courtrooms and a corridor but was reconfigured in 1897 by architect John H. Duncan. Duncan oversaw the installation of the ceiling's decorative plaster, frames and bas reliefs by John Massey Rhind. The ceiling was completed in 1903 and is a beautiful work of art!
After leaving City Hall we headed, we headed to the 9/11 Memorial for a tour. But before we went to the memorial we stopped at St. Paul's Chapel. This is the chapel where George Washington attended services after taking his oath of office to become the first President of the United States. When the chapel first opened, it was considered a "chapel-of-ease." Today, St. Paul's is known as "the little chapel that stood" because it survived the the collapse of the World Trade Center which was right across the street. Due to it's proximity to Ground Zero, St. Paul's became the site of an extraordinary, round-the-clock relief ministry to more than fourteen thousand volunteers. The Chapel became a place of refuge, where food, medical attention, space to rest, and support were provided to hundreds of rescue workers.
After our visit to St. Paul's Chapel, we headed to the 9/11 Memorial. I was filled with all different types of emotions while we waited online at the 9/11 Memorial. Even though I was ten years old when the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 took place, I was still remember that day like it was yesterday and a day that I will never forget. The 9/11 Memorial opened on the 10th anniversary of the attacks. It consists of two pools which are set in the footprints of the original Twin Towers. These pools are where the two towers used to stand. The thirty foot waterfalls, the largest in North America, cascade into the pools which then descend into a center void. Surrounding the pools are the names of the the victims which are inscribed in bronze parapets. The mission of the 9/11 Memorial is to remember and honor the thousands of innocent men, women, and children who were killed in the terrorists attacks of February 26, 1993, and September 11, 2001. As visitors, we are to respect this place made sacred by tragic loss and recognize the endurance of those who survived, the courage of those who risked their lives to save others and the compassion of all who supported us in our darkest hours.
After our visit at the 9/11 Memorial, we headed to Wall Street. While on Wall Street we were able to see the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall. Federal Hall was built in 1700 as New York's first City Hall. It later served as the first capitol building of the United States. It was also the site of George Washington's inauguration as the first President of the United States. The building was very old and I believe that it is not a beautiful as City Hall.
After Federal Hall, we took the 1-train to 14th Street. After getting off the subway, we headed for the Chelsea Market where we had a late lunch. The Chelsea Market had many different places to eat which made it really hard to choose. I ended up eating at the Bowery Kitchen. The food was absolutely delicious. I had a whole wheat wrap with turkey, brie cheese, lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard. We had about forty-five minutes to eat before we headed to our last leg of the day which was the High Line.
The High Line was an abandoned freight line that has been transformed into a beautiful perennial garden and elevated walkway in the city. We will take the High Line to 20th Street where we will begin our journey of the galleries located in Chelsea. Chelsea has become the home to hundreds of art galleries making it the center place to see contemporary art. One gallery that we entered was Bryce_Wolkowitz: JR/Jose Parla, The Wrinkles of the City, Havana Cuba. This collection was started by Jr in Cartagena, Spain. JR and Parla's offers a collection of enormous yet intimate portraits that offer a stunningly humane contrast to the endless repetition on political icons. This gallery consisted of twelve large portraits from the Havana iteration of The Wrinkles of the City. The Wrinkles of the City, was commissioned for the 11th Havana Biennial and has been made into a published book and as well as a film. The next gallery that visited was Gagosian Gallery which was located on West 24th Street. The gallery held Jeff Koons: New paintings and Sculpture. Koon's Sculptures are very neat and vibrant. It is amazing how he produces such unique sculptures. Koon's sculptures have a rich sampling of several major bodies of recent work which demonstrate how the themes and formal approaches continues to overlap and interpenetrate across time!
After visiting numerous galleries it was time to go home! I walked nine blocks back to Penn Station and headed for Long Island. I was able to get on the 6:46 to Rockville Centre. I really enjoyed class on Thursday. We had a busy day but we experienced and visited numerous places which were very informative. I am excited for Tuesday's class because we get to explore "immigrant" New York and learn about immigrants lives in America!
Well Thursday morning started out a little stressful. As always, I waited for the 9:39 train to Penn Station but unfortunately it was canceled due to equipment problems! So I waited patiently for the 10:11 train which was running behind and was very crowded. The train got into Penn Station at 11:00, so I quickly walked to the meeting spot to meet my classmates and then left for our first destination.
So we took the 6-train downtown to Park Place. After getting off the subway, we headed to City Hall to meet with our tour guide Sheila. City Hall is one of our nation's oldest city halls and houses offices of the Mayor and City Council, the executive and legislative branches of government. It is the third City Hall building and is a Federal style landmark. City Hall was designed by John McComb, Jr., a native New Yorker, and John Mangin, an immigrant from France. This building has had a significant role in the history of our City and contains an important collection of American portraits and historic furnishings which include the desk used by George Washington. While in City Hall, we went into the the Governor's Room and the City Council Chamber. The Governor's Room was completed in 1816 and has served as a museum and reception room. This room houses one of the most important collections of the 19th Century American portraiture as well as historic furnishings. Many distinguished guests have visited the Governor's Room. Some of these people include Marquis de Lafayette and Albert Einstein. In 1861, the room hosted President-elect Abraham Lincoln and was later used as the backdrop for his coffin in 1865. The room is also divided into three chambers: west, central, and wast. The west chamber includes portraits of Zachary Taylor, Washington Hunt and William C. Bouck. The east chamber includes portraits of Oliver Hazard Perry and Stephen Decatur and the banquet table attributed to Charles Christian. The central chamber houses a majority of the City's collection of portraits by the artist John Trumbull. The City Council Chamber was restored in 2011. This room is used for public meetings, ceremonial events and receiving dignitaries. It was originally two courtrooms and a corridor but was reconfigured in 1897 by architect John H. Duncan. Duncan oversaw the installation of the ceiling's decorative plaster, frames and bas reliefs by John Massey Rhind. The ceiling was completed in 1903 and is a beautiful work of art!
After leaving City Hall we headed, we headed to the 9/11 Memorial for a tour. But before we went to the memorial we stopped at St. Paul's Chapel. This is the chapel where George Washington attended services after taking his oath of office to become the first President of the United States. When the chapel first opened, it was considered a "chapel-of-ease." Today, St. Paul's is known as "the little chapel that stood" because it survived the the collapse of the World Trade Center which was right across the street. Due to it's proximity to Ground Zero, St. Paul's became the site of an extraordinary, round-the-clock relief ministry to more than fourteen thousand volunteers. The Chapel became a place of refuge, where food, medical attention, space to rest, and support were provided to hundreds of rescue workers.
After our visit to St. Paul's Chapel, we headed to the 9/11 Memorial. I was filled with all different types of emotions while we waited online at the 9/11 Memorial. Even though I was ten years old when the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 took place, I was still remember that day like it was yesterday and a day that I will never forget. The 9/11 Memorial opened on the 10th anniversary of the attacks. It consists of two pools which are set in the footprints of the original Twin Towers. These pools are where the two towers used to stand. The thirty foot waterfalls, the largest in North America, cascade into the pools which then descend into a center void. Surrounding the pools are the names of the the victims which are inscribed in bronze parapets. The mission of the 9/11 Memorial is to remember and honor the thousands of innocent men, women, and children who were killed in the terrorists attacks of February 26, 1993, and September 11, 2001. As visitors, we are to respect this place made sacred by tragic loss and recognize the endurance of those who survived, the courage of those who risked their lives to save others and the compassion of all who supported us in our darkest hours.
After our visit at the 9/11 Memorial, we headed to Wall Street. While on Wall Street we were able to see the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall. Federal Hall was built in 1700 as New York's first City Hall. It later served as the first capitol building of the United States. It was also the site of George Washington's inauguration as the first President of the United States. The building was very old and I believe that it is not a beautiful as City Hall.
After Federal Hall, we took the 1-train to 14th Street. After getting off the subway, we headed for the Chelsea Market where we had a late lunch. The Chelsea Market had many different places to eat which made it really hard to choose. I ended up eating at the Bowery Kitchen. The food was absolutely delicious. I had a whole wheat wrap with turkey, brie cheese, lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard. We had about forty-five minutes to eat before we headed to our last leg of the day which was the High Line.
The High Line was an abandoned freight line that has been transformed into a beautiful perennial garden and elevated walkway in the city. We will take the High Line to 20th Street where we will begin our journey of the galleries located in Chelsea. Chelsea has become the home to hundreds of art galleries making it the center place to see contemporary art. One gallery that we entered was Bryce_Wolkowitz: JR/Jose Parla, The Wrinkles of the City, Havana Cuba. This collection was started by Jr in Cartagena, Spain. JR and Parla's offers a collection of enormous yet intimate portraits that offer a stunningly humane contrast to the endless repetition on political icons. This gallery consisted of twelve large portraits from the Havana iteration of The Wrinkles of the City. The Wrinkles of the City, was commissioned for the 11th Havana Biennial and has been made into a published book and as well as a film. The next gallery that visited was Gagosian Gallery which was located on West 24th Street. The gallery held Jeff Koons: New paintings and Sculpture. Koon's Sculptures are very neat and vibrant. It is amazing how he produces such unique sculptures. Koon's sculptures have a rich sampling of several major bodies of recent work which demonstrate how the themes and formal approaches continues to overlap and interpenetrate across time!
After visiting numerous galleries it was time to go home! I walked nine blocks back to Penn Station and headed for Long Island. I was able to get on the 6:46 to Rockville Centre. I really enjoyed class on Thursday. We had a busy day but we experienced and visited numerous places which were very informative. I am excited for Tuesday's class because we get to explore "immigrant" New York and learn about immigrants lives in America!
Immigrant New York
6/25/2013
Tuesday's day started out as usual. I took the 9:39 train into Penn Station and arrived at about 10:20. After getting off the train I headed to McDonald's to get some breakfast. I knew that it was important to eat and hydrate myself before we headed out for our first destination because it was extremely hot and humid in the city. After eating breakfast, I walked over to our meeting spot and waited for my classmates to arrive and for attendance to be taken. After attendance was taken, we headed for the subway for our adventure of the Lower Eastside!
We took the B-train downtown and quickly transferred to the F-train. The F-train took us to Delancey Street. After getting out of the subway, we headed to Essex Street Market for a few minutes. Essex Street Market is a great place to shop for fresh fruits, meats, and vegetables. They have a wide variety of culinary products including gourmet cheeses, premium cuts of meet, fresh fish and generic grocery items. They are a public market made up of smaller merchants who pride themselves on getting to know their customers.
After visiting the Essex Street Market, we met with our tour guide Jim. Jim gave us a tour of downtown and talked about the different buildings that are historic. Unfortunately we did not go to the Tenement Museum, so Jim talked about the tenements that many immigrants used to live in when they came to America. Tenements were once buildings that had once been single-family dwellings but were divided into multiple living spaces to accommodate a growing population. Tenements were narrow, low-rise apartment buildings. Many of the tenements were cramped, poorly lit and lacked indoor plumbing and proper ventilation. These tenements were the site for disease and infections due to it being unclean. We also stopped at Economy Candy where we entered into a candy-filled land. This store had every candy under the sun and I was able to purchase my favorite Sour Green Apple Rolls. After our tour in the brutal heat, we headed to lunch!
We walked our way through Chinatown. Chinatown is filled with tons of different Chinese restaurants and many people. There was a terrible smell as we walked through the streets that almost made me not wanting to have lunch. But I sucked it up and headed with my classmates to Congee Village. The food at the restaurant was absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed the meal I had except for the chicken head that was cooked and on the chicken platter. After a nice long break of unlimited water,and air conditioning we headed out for our last and final destination!
The last destination was beautiful Williamsburg. In order to get into Williamsburg, we had to walk one mile over the Williamsburg Bridge. The bridge opened in 1903 and is the longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge links New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn and the bridge carries four two lanes for cars, walkway for pedestrians and bikers, and a subway line. The Williamsburg Bridge also overlooks the East River. I made it across the bridge no problem but just a little sweaty. After walking the bridge we explored Williamsburg for a little while before heading to the subway to get home!
I got on the L-train and got off on 6th Street. After getting off the L-train, I quickly walked to get onto the 1-train to get back to Penn Station. I was able to get on the 5:47 train back to Rockville Centre. I was completely exhausted after Tuesday's class due to the heat. I couldn't wait to get home and take a nice cold shower and to sit in the air condition for the rest of the night. I am excited for Thursday's class and hoping that it will be a great last class!
Tuesday's day started out as usual. I took the 9:39 train into Penn Station and arrived at about 10:20. After getting off the train I headed to McDonald's to get some breakfast. I knew that it was important to eat and hydrate myself before we headed out for our first destination because it was extremely hot and humid in the city. After eating breakfast, I walked over to our meeting spot and waited for my classmates to arrive and for attendance to be taken. After attendance was taken, we headed for the subway for our adventure of the Lower Eastside!
We took the B-train downtown and quickly transferred to the F-train. The F-train took us to Delancey Street. After getting out of the subway, we headed to Essex Street Market for a few minutes. Essex Street Market is a great place to shop for fresh fruits, meats, and vegetables. They have a wide variety of culinary products including gourmet cheeses, premium cuts of meet, fresh fish and generic grocery items. They are a public market made up of smaller merchants who pride themselves on getting to know their customers.
After visiting the Essex Street Market, we met with our tour guide Jim. Jim gave us a tour of downtown and talked about the different buildings that are historic. Unfortunately we did not go to the Tenement Museum, so Jim talked about the tenements that many immigrants used to live in when they came to America. Tenements were once buildings that had once been single-family dwellings but were divided into multiple living spaces to accommodate a growing population. Tenements were narrow, low-rise apartment buildings. Many of the tenements were cramped, poorly lit and lacked indoor plumbing and proper ventilation. These tenements were the site for disease and infections due to it being unclean. We also stopped at Economy Candy where we entered into a candy-filled land. This store had every candy under the sun and I was able to purchase my favorite Sour Green Apple Rolls. After our tour in the brutal heat, we headed to lunch!
We walked our way through Chinatown. Chinatown is filled with tons of different Chinese restaurants and many people. There was a terrible smell as we walked through the streets that almost made me not wanting to have lunch. But I sucked it up and headed with my classmates to Congee Village. The food at the restaurant was absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed the meal I had except for the chicken head that was cooked and on the chicken platter. After a nice long break of unlimited water,and air conditioning we headed out for our last and final destination!
The last destination was beautiful Williamsburg. In order to get into Williamsburg, we had to walk one mile over the Williamsburg Bridge. The bridge opened in 1903 and is the longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge links New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn and the bridge carries four two lanes for cars, walkway for pedestrians and bikers, and a subway line. The Williamsburg Bridge also overlooks the East River. I made it across the bridge no problem but just a little sweaty. After walking the bridge we explored Williamsburg for a little while before heading to the subway to get home!
I got on the L-train and got off on 6th Street. After getting off the L-train, I quickly walked to get onto the 1-train to get back to Penn Station. I was able to get on the 5:47 train back to Rockville Centre. I was completely exhausted after Tuesday's class due to the heat. I couldn't wait to get home and take a nice cold shower and to sit in the air condition for the rest of the night. I am excited for Thursday's class and hoping that it will be a great last class!
Quixotic Queens
The last day of class started out like any other day. I took the 9:39 train into Penn Station. After getting off the train, I went to McDonald's and got some oatmeal for breakfast. After eating breakfast, I walked over to the meeting place and waited for my classmates and teachers to arrive. After attendance was taking, my final paper was collected and we headed out for our last day of our Gotham City Tour.
After leaving Penn Station, we headed out for our walk to the 59th Street Bridge. Along our walk, we stopped at Bryant Park. At Bryant Park, we sat and had a class discussion and talked about the peaks of the class. After our short stay at the park, we went to the New York Public Library. The library was founded in 1895 and is the nation's largest public library system. It serves more than eighteen million patrons and hold more than fifty-one million items. The library is absolutely beautiful and has a great deal of character. Inside the library, we went into a study room and were told to write a Haiku.
After visiting the New York Public Library, we headed to the beautiful Grand Central Terminal. The terminal is absolutely beautiful, its like something out of a movie. The terminal serves for people using the Metro-North. Our next destination was the Chrysler Building. This is an art-deco style skyscraper which is located at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. It stands at 1,046 feet and was the world's tallest building until the the Empire State Building was built eleven months later. We also passed by the United Nations. We saw the front of the very large building and the flags representing the different countries.
Finally after visiting many different places we headed to the 59th Street Bridge. We took the tram over to Roosevelt Island. I was kind of scared going over the East River on a tram that was filled with a ton of people. We were completely suspended over water and I couldn't wait until we were on solid ground. After getting off the tram, we walked along the water. We were on Roosevelt Island for about an hour. We quickly headed to the subway where we to the F-train to Jackson Heights to have an Indian lunch. I unfortunately passed on the Indian food and went to McDonald's instead. We only had a half-hour for lunch, so I quickly ate and headed to our meeting spot.
After lunch, we got back on the subway. This time we had lost part of our group so we continues to our next destination. We took the R-train to Steinway Street. After getting off the subway, we walked several blocks to the Museum of the Moving Image. I really enjoyed the museum. It was very cool to see the different clothing and props that were used for movies and television shows. One piece that really caught my eye was the face that Robin Williams wore when he played Mrs. Doubtfire. The three phase reconstruction was designed and creator by Greg Cannom and Cannom Creations Crew. After spending over an hour in the beautifully air conditioned museum, we headed back onto the subway.
Our last destination was Long Island City. We took the M-train to 23rd Street. We got off the subway and walked around for a little bit. We passed by the MoMA PS 1 and we were able to go in. I loved the the MoMa PS 1. It was very neat to see the different sculpture and pictures. We also went into the ice room which was nice and refreshing. After visiting the museum, we went to the 5 Pointz. It was so cool to see the art that many artists created. These pictures are filled with color and great detail. After the 5 Point, we headed to see the East River again. It was a long walk but we made it through.
After walking along the East River we headed to the subway. I took the 7-train to the Woodside train station. I got on the 7:33 train and took it to Jamaica. I then transferred trains and got on the 8:02 and headed to Rockville Centre. I was completely exhausted when I got home due to the heat and the amount of walking. I really enjoyed this class and it sure did give me a workout!
After leaving Penn Station, we headed out for our walk to the 59th Street Bridge. Along our walk, we stopped at Bryant Park. At Bryant Park, we sat and had a class discussion and talked about the peaks of the class. After our short stay at the park, we went to the New York Public Library. The library was founded in 1895 and is the nation's largest public library system. It serves more than eighteen million patrons and hold more than fifty-one million items. The library is absolutely beautiful and has a great deal of character. Inside the library, we went into a study room and were told to write a Haiku.
After visiting the New York Public Library, we headed to the beautiful Grand Central Terminal. The terminal is absolutely beautiful, its like something out of a movie. The terminal serves for people using the Metro-North. Our next destination was the Chrysler Building. This is an art-deco style skyscraper which is located at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. It stands at 1,046 feet and was the world's tallest building until the the Empire State Building was built eleven months later. We also passed by the United Nations. We saw the front of the very large building and the flags representing the different countries.
Finally after visiting many different places we headed to the 59th Street Bridge. We took the tram over to Roosevelt Island. I was kind of scared going over the East River on a tram that was filled with a ton of people. We were completely suspended over water and I couldn't wait until we were on solid ground. After getting off the tram, we walked along the water. We were on Roosevelt Island for about an hour. We quickly headed to the subway where we to the F-train to Jackson Heights to have an Indian lunch. I unfortunately passed on the Indian food and went to McDonald's instead. We only had a half-hour for lunch, so I quickly ate and headed to our meeting spot.
After lunch, we got back on the subway. This time we had lost part of our group so we continues to our next destination. We took the R-train to Steinway Street. After getting off the subway, we walked several blocks to the Museum of the Moving Image. I really enjoyed the museum. It was very cool to see the different clothing and props that were used for movies and television shows. One piece that really caught my eye was the face that Robin Williams wore when he played Mrs. Doubtfire. The three phase reconstruction was designed and creator by Greg Cannom and Cannom Creations Crew. After spending over an hour in the beautifully air conditioned museum, we headed back onto the subway.
Our last destination was Long Island City. We took the M-train to 23rd Street. We got off the subway and walked around for a little bit. We passed by the MoMA PS 1 and we were able to go in. I loved the the MoMa PS 1. It was very neat to see the different sculpture and pictures. We also went into the ice room which was nice and refreshing. After visiting the museum, we went to the 5 Pointz. It was so cool to see the art that many artists created. These pictures are filled with color and great detail. After the 5 Point, we headed to see the East River again. It was a long walk but we made it through.
After walking along the East River we headed to the subway. I took the 7-train to the Woodside train station. I got on the 7:33 train and took it to Jamaica. I then transferred trains and got on the 8:02 and headed to Rockville Centre. I was completely exhausted when I got home due to the heat and the amount of walking. I really enjoyed this class and it sure did give me a workout!
Overall Impressions of New York City
New York is a very bid, diverse city. It has so much to offer. I didn't realize how big this city was until I took this class. I realized that the city is not just Times Square but much more than that. It has so much to offer. People can really find themselves in this city. The city is still filled with a distinct smell and lots of traffic.
I truly did enjoy this class. I learned so much about the city that I did not even know. I know that I have mastered the subway system and I learned that the 1,2, or 3 train gets you back to Penn Station. I learned that the city is filled with beautiful parks and lots of people. I still believe that New York City is the city the never sleeps. I no longer have any fears of the unknown because I feel like I have a better understanding of the life of the city!
I truly did enjoy this class. I learned so much about the city that I did not even know. I know that I have mastered the subway system and I learned that the 1,2, or 3 train gets you back to Penn Station. I learned that the city is filled with beautiful parks and lots of people. I still believe that New York City is the city the never sleeps. I no longer have any fears of the unknown because I feel like I have a better understanding of the life of the city!