5) EASTSIDE
Today we started out in East Harlem, which is also known as Spanish Harlem. East Harlem has experienced a lot of gentrification, and even though it has been inhabited by many different cultures it still remains distinctively Latino. Today East Harlem is one of the largest Latino communities in the country and is better known as "El Barrio" (ENY pg 161). Back in the 1930's, East Harlem was predominately Italian-American but then they fled because of white-flight. Then after World War I, an influx of Puerto Ricans arrived in East Harlem making it become "El Barrio". Most of these immigrants were poor and they lived in housing projects. This concentrated crime and during the 1960s and 1970s East Harlem was known as one of the most dangerous sections of New York City. Even though they faced many hardships of poverty and unemployment, they also brought their own distinctive culture and traditions. These cultures and traditions are still seen today and are celebrated by the neighborhood's extensive outdoor murals (ENY pg161-162).
We started our journey by walking through the Carver houses, where my first run of bad luck occurred. My red pen exploded in my bag and got all over everything. Carver houses are a housing project of 13 buildings that was created for low income residents of the neighborhood (ENY pg162). Then we went to the Museum of the City of New York, where we watched an awesome short film called "Timescapes" which explained the history of New York City. The video really enforced and put all the pieces of what I was learning all together. The part that I liked the most was how they showed what New York looked like before all the skyscrapers. Then as the timeline went on, gradually the city was transformed into the amazing city that we know today. I obviously knew that before all the skyscrapers there was nothing but trees and farmland. It was just so hard to imagine what the land looked like before all the buildings but the film brought everything to life. I would definitely recommend people to go to the museum and watch the video.
After the video we walked to El Museo del Barrio to meet our tour guide Luke the peace poet. The museum smelled like really great Hispanic food and possessed an extensive collection of Latin American and Caribbean works of art. As Luke walked us to our next destination he would stop and just ask people to contribute their thoughts and views of what makes East Harlem, Spanish Harlem. He would also just tell us to look around and tell him what we saw. We saw a lot of people just sitting down playing chess and a lot of kids just playing in the park. There was also a lot of music playing from inside apartments and one guy was carrying around a speaker blasting music as he walked. You could tell that Luke was proud to be Latino and loved just enjoying culture. Luke stopped at the mural dedicated to Rev. Pedro Pietri. He was a community activist, and the founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café (ENY 163). That's when Luke asked the guy with the speakers to talk to us. The guy seemed a little crazy and was rambling on but it was a fun experience. Across the street there was a beautiful masterpiece called "Spirit of East Harlem" mural. It was created by Hank Prussing back in 1978 and captured Latin influences on street life in East Harlem in the 1970's (ENY pg 163). What I found very interesting was in the middle of Modesto "Tin" Flores Garden. There was an outdoor fountain called "Seed of Growth” that was designed by Lina Puerta. They are a sculpture of fallopian tubes, which represent and celebrate the strength and diversity of women. There was also a mural called "Soldaderas", which had Puerto Rican poet, Jula de Burgos, and Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, holding hands with both of their Countries flags behind them. Afterwards we walked around and just experienced the culture. We walked to a wall that had mosaic murals and my second run of bad luck happened. A bird pooped in my hair, but apparently that’s good luck. My favorite mosaic artwork was the one of John Lennon. These beautiful and unique murals might be at risk from gentrification because white professionals are moving into the area and raising the prices of houses. Just before we ended, Luke preformed an amazing poem for us. It was great that he shared that personal poem. We concluded our tour at Justo Botanica, which is a religious shop. I am no stranger to these shops because my mom is very religious so we go to shops like these a lot. Some of the items I saw in there my mom actually had. For lunch Chanissara and I decided to try El Aguila, a Mexican taco restaurant. I had two veggie tacos and fresh pineapple juice. Their tacos were delicious and cheap!
After lunch we walked around the upper part of central park. The upper part of Central Park runs from 110th street to 88th street. I’ve never been to this part of Central Park and it made me realize how big central park really is. We started our exploration at the Vanderbilt Gate on Fifth Avenue at 105th street. This gate was actually made in Paris and was eventually donated by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney to the City of New York. Originally this gate stood before the Vanderbilt Mansion but now is considered one of the finest examples of wrought iron work in the City of Work (ENY pg 150). My new favorite part of central park is the park’s 6 acre Conservatory garden. There are three beautiful gardens that are English, Italian and French styles. My favorite garden was the French garden that has Three Dancing Maidens fountain as its centerpiece. I even went back there with my boyfriend to take pictures because I loved the array of flowers there. Then we walked passed the Emily Mumford Gate to get a glimpse of the Central Park Reservoir, which is also known as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. The reservoir is 40 feet deep and holds over 1 billion gallons of water (ENY pg 151). We then had our class lecture on Manhattan schist! This was definitely better than having a class in a boring classroom.
After our lecture we went to Midtown East to see Grand Central Terminal. I’ve never been to Grand Central but I’ve seen it in the movies so it was exactly what I pictured. It was definitely breathe taking and much better to look at then Penn Station. When we first walked in, it didn’t even look like a train station. It looked more like an upscale mall and the food court was really good. There was a plan back in the 1960s to make Grand Central Station look more like Penn, by destroying the above ground structure with a skyscraper (ENY pg 133). Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis put a stop to that and even got a Reservoir named after her for her service to New York City.
Our next thing on the agenda was to look at some elegantly styled skyscrapers. We saw the Chrysler building, which many people believe is the epitome of art deco style. This building was actually at one point the tallest building in the world until the Empire State Building was completed (ENY pg 136). We also saw the Daily News Building and the G.E. building. What I thought was cool about the G.E. building were the decorations on the entrance of the building. There are images of hands grasping lightning bolts, representing the harnessing of the power of electricity. This makes sense because the building is occupied by the General Electric Company (ENY pg 137). Then we saw a masterpiece of Art Deco design called the Waldorf-Astoria. It’s a hotel that takes up an entire block between Park and Lexington Avenues and 49th and 50th streets. We were only able to go into the lobby and bathroom, but it gave us a clue to how elegant and luxurious the hotel was. After a little bathroom break we went to see St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church and the Seagram building. I felt like everyone was getting married today because we passed by so many brides today. There was yet another wedding at St. Bartholomew’s church. The church doors were beautiful and I really enjoyed seeing Grand Central station. I now appreciate the style of the buildings and actually look up when I walk around the city.
Today we started out in East Harlem, which is also known as Spanish Harlem. East Harlem has experienced a lot of gentrification, and even though it has been inhabited by many different cultures it still remains distinctively Latino. Today East Harlem is one of the largest Latino communities in the country and is better known as "El Barrio" (ENY pg 161). Back in the 1930's, East Harlem was predominately Italian-American but then they fled because of white-flight. Then after World War I, an influx of Puerto Ricans arrived in East Harlem making it become "El Barrio". Most of these immigrants were poor and they lived in housing projects. This concentrated crime and during the 1960s and 1970s East Harlem was known as one of the most dangerous sections of New York City. Even though they faced many hardships of poverty and unemployment, they also brought their own distinctive culture and traditions. These cultures and traditions are still seen today and are celebrated by the neighborhood's extensive outdoor murals (ENY pg161-162).
We started our journey by walking through the Carver houses, where my first run of bad luck occurred. My red pen exploded in my bag and got all over everything. Carver houses are a housing project of 13 buildings that was created for low income residents of the neighborhood (ENY pg162). Then we went to the Museum of the City of New York, where we watched an awesome short film called "Timescapes" which explained the history of New York City. The video really enforced and put all the pieces of what I was learning all together. The part that I liked the most was how they showed what New York looked like before all the skyscrapers. Then as the timeline went on, gradually the city was transformed into the amazing city that we know today. I obviously knew that before all the skyscrapers there was nothing but trees and farmland. It was just so hard to imagine what the land looked like before all the buildings but the film brought everything to life. I would definitely recommend people to go to the museum and watch the video.
After the video we walked to El Museo del Barrio to meet our tour guide Luke the peace poet. The museum smelled like really great Hispanic food and possessed an extensive collection of Latin American and Caribbean works of art. As Luke walked us to our next destination he would stop and just ask people to contribute their thoughts and views of what makes East Harlem, Spanish Harlem. He would also just tell us to look around and tell him what we saw. We saw a lot of people just sitting down playing chess and a lot of kids just playing in the park. There was also a lot of music playing from inside apartments and one guy was carrying around a speaker blasting music as he walked. You could tell that Luke was proud to be Latino and loved just enjoying culture. Luke stopped at the mural dedicated to Rev. Pedro Pietri. He was a community activist, and the founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café (ENY 163). That's when Luke asked the guy with the speakers to talk to us. The guy seemed a little crazy and was rambling on but it was a fun experience. Across the street there was a beautiful masterpiece called "Spirit of East Harlem" mural. It was created by Hank Prussing back in 1978 and captured Latin influences on street life in East Harlem in the 1970's (ENY pg 163). What I found very interesting was in the middle of Modesto "Tin" Flores Garden. There was an outdoor fountain called "Seed of Growth” that was designed by Lina Puerta. They are a sculpture of fallopian tubes, which represent and celebrate the strength and diversity of women. There was also a mural called "Soldaderas", which had Puerto Rican poet, Jula de Burgos, and Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, holding hands with both of their Countries flags behind them. Afterwards we walked around and just experienced the culture. We walked to a wall that had mosaic murals and my second run of bad luck happened. A bird pooped in my hair, but apparently that’s good luck. My favorite mosaic artwork was the one of John Lennon. These beautiful and unique murals might be at risk from gentrification because white professionals are moving into the area and raising the prices of houses. Just before we ended, Luke preformed an amazing poem for us. It was great that he shared that personal poem. We concluded our tour at Justo Botanica, which is a religious shop. I am no stranger to these shops because my mom is very religious so we go to shops like these a lot. Some of the items I saw in there my mom actually had. For lunch Chanissara and I decided to try El Aguila, a Mexican taco restaurant. I had two veggie tacos and fresh pineapple juice. Their tacos were delicious and cheap!
After lunch we walked around the upper part of central park. The upper part of Central Park runs from 110th street to 88th street. I’ve never been to this part of Central Park and it made me realize how big central park really is. We started our exploration at the Vanderbilt Gate on Fifth Avenue at 105th street. This gate was actually made in Paris and was eventually donated by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney to the City of New York. Originally this gate stood before the Vanderbilt Mansion but now is considered one of the finest examples of wrought iron work in the City of Work (ENY pg 150). My new favorite part of central park is the park’s 6 acre Conservatory garden. There are three beautiful gardens that are English, Italian and French styles. My favorite garden was the French garden that has Three Dancing Maidens fountain as its centerpiece. I even went back there with my boyfriend to take pictures because I loved the array of flowers there. Then we walked passed the Emily Mumford Gate to get a glimpse of the Central Park Reservoir, which is also known as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. The reservoir is 40 feet deep and holds over 1 billion gallons of water (ENY pg 151). We then had our class lecture on Manhattan schist! This was definitely better than having a class in a boring classroom.
After our lecture we went to Midtown East to see Grand Central Terminal. I’ve never been to Grand Central but I’ve seen it in the movies so it was exactly what I pictured. It was definitely breathe taking and much better to look at then Penn Station. When we first walked in, it didn’t even look like a train station. It looked more like an upscale mall and the food court was really good. There was a plan back in the 1960s to make Grand Central Station look more like Penn, by destroying the above ground structure with a skyscraper (ENY pg 133). Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis put a stop to that and even got a Reservoir named after her for her service to New York City.
Our next thing on the agenda was to look at some elegantly styled skyscrapers. We saw the Chrysler building, which many people believe is the epitome of art deco style. This building was actually at one point the tallest building in the world until the Empire State Building was completed (ENY pg 136). We also saw the Daily News Building and the G.E. building. What I thought was cool about the G.E. building were the decorations on the entrance of the building. There are images of hands grasping lightning bolts, representing the harnessing of the power of electricity. This makes sense because the building is occupied by the General Electric Company (ENY pg 137). Then we saw a masterpiece of Art Deco design called the Waldorf-Astoria. It’s a hotel that takes up an entire block between Park and Lexington Avenues and 49th and 50th streets. We were only able to go into the lobby and bathroom, but it gave us a clue to how elegant and luxurious the hotel was. After a little bathroom break we went to see St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church and the Seagram building. I felt like everyone was getting married today because we passed by so many brides today. There was yet another wedding at St. Bartholomew’s church. The church doors were beautiful and I really enjoyed seeing Grand Central station. I now appreciate the style of the buildings and actually look up when I walk around the city.
6) WEST SIDE
Today was a rainy day so we started at the Museum of Modern Art. It was so crowded; I could not believe how many tourist and locals were there. I’ve heard about the museum but just never went to see it. The museum houses important artworks of art from the 19th and 20th centuries. There were a lot of interesting art pieces that really made me think, while other pieces made me blush. Some people were complaining that a lot of the pieces in the museum weren’t art but I liked the pieces regardless. My favorite was the piece that had every single flavor of the Campbell’s noodle soup by Andy Warhol. I did feel as if we were rushed through everything and I didn’t get to really appreciate the artwork but I definitely want to go back. Then for lunch we finally went to get Thai food! I was so excited because I love Thai food. I got tofu flat noodles that hit that spot!
After our full belies we walked around Morningside Heights. Morningside heights was originally called Vandewater’s Heights. The neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of interesting historic sites in the City of New York (ENY pg 166). It was undeveloped until 1816, where Bloomingdale Insane Asylum was relocated there. The asylum is now occupied by Columbia University. Morningside Heights got its name when the Morningside Park was created in the 1880’s. A wave of development occurred when IRT train service to the area began and the asylum was sold to Columbia University. This attracted a lot of educational institutions such as Teacher’s College, Barnard College and Union Theological Seminary (ENY pg 166). Before we got to Riverside Church we walked along Morningside Park. The park is actually on a cliff that is made of Manhattan schist and is the natural dividing between Morningside Park and Harlem (ENY pg 173). The parks development was stopped back in 1873 due to the financial panic of 1873. In the 1960s and 70s the park was known for being crime ridden and very dangerous. It is no longer considered dangerous because it is maintained by the “Friends of Morningside Park”, a volunteer group that was started by Columbia University students.
We then got a fabulous tour starting at General Grant National memorial. He was a commander of the Union army during the Civil war and President of the United States from 1869-1877 (ENY pg 171). His tomb is built of white granite and the memorial has marble interior. In the crypt are the remains of Grant and his wife. I thought it was a bit eerie knowing that their remains are right there but it was a pretty tomb. We then walked outside to the Riverside Church, which is the tallest church in the United States. This Gothic revival church was built back in 1927. My favorite part of the church is the single bell tower and is one of the church’s distinctive features. Social justice has been emphasized a lot in this church and has had many famous speakers such as Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Fidel Castro (ENY pg 172).
We then walked to Columbia University campus which is 36 acres. It is the first college in New York State and the fifth in the United States. The campus was actually located in lower Manhattan but was eventually moved to the current location. It was designed by McKim, Mead and White and is styled in a Beaux Arts Style (ENY pg 169). We walked by the Low Memorial Library, which is the center of the campus. It is a neoclassical library that was modeled by McKim. In front of the library is the Bronze Alma Mater, which is the symbol of the university. It was designed by Daniel Chester French in 1903 and has the figure of Alma Mater sitting on a throne (ENY pg 170). There is also a hidden owl and if you find the owl and rub it apparently you will fall in love with someone (I forgot who though). After our tour we went to the Children’s Sculpture Garden. It is a 40 foot statue that shows the archangel Michael vanquishing Satan. I actually really liked the sculpture but was thrown off by the DNA. Last but not least, we went to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. It is the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world and the largest church in the United States. I thought the church was beautiful inside but I found it weird that it is still under construction. Some parts of the church you can actually tell the difference of each time period it was built (ENY pg 167).
Today was a rainy day so we started at the Museum of Modern Art. It was so crowded; I could not believe how many tourist and locals were there. I’ve heard about the museum but just never went to see it. The museum houses important artworks of art from the 19th and 20th centuries. There were a lot of interesting art pieces that really made me think, while other pieces made me blush. Some people were complaining that a lot of the pieces in the museum weren’t art but I liked the pieces regardless. My favorite was the piece that had every single flavor of the Campbell’s noodle soup by Andy Warhol. I did feel as if we were rushed through everything and I didn’t get to really appreciate the artwork but I definitely want to go back. Then for lunch we finally went to get Thai food! I was so excited because I love Thai food. I got tofu flat noodles that hit that spot!
After our full belies we walked around Morningside Heights. Morningside heights was originally called Vandewater’s Heights. The neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of interesting historic sites in the City of New York (ENY pg 166). It was undeveloped until 1816, where Bloomingdale Insane Asylum was relocated there. The asylum is now occupied by Columbia University. Morningside Heights got its name when the Morningside Park was created in the 1880’s. A wave of development occurred when IRT train service to the area began and the asylum was sold to Columbia University. This attracted a lot of educational institutions such as Teacher’s College, Barnard College and Union Theological Seminary (ENY pg 166). Before we got to Riverside Church we walked along Morningside Park. The park is actually on a cliff that is made of Manhattan schist and is the natural dividing between Morningside Park and Harlem (ENY pg 173). The parks development was stopped back in 1873 due to the financial panic of 1873. In the 1960s and 70s the park was known for being crime ridden and very dangerous. It is no longer considered dangerous because it is maintained by the “Friends of Morningside Park”, a volunteer group that was started by Columbia University students.
We then got a fabulous tour starting at General Grant National memorial. He was a commander of the Union army during the Civil war and President of the United States from 1869-1877 (ENY pg 171). His tomb is built of white granite and the memorial has marble interior. In the crypt are the remains of Grant and his wife. I thought it was a bit eerie knowing that their remains are right there but it was a pretty tomb. We then walked outside to the Riverside Church, which is the tallest church in the United States. This Gothic revival church was built back in 1927. My favorite part of the church is the single bell tower and is one of the church’s distinctive features. Social justice has been emphasized a lot in this church and has had many famous speakers such as Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Fidel Castro (ENY pg 172).
We then walked to Columbia University campus which is 36 acres. It is the first college in New York State and the fifth in the United States. The campus was actually located in lower Manhattan but was eventually moved to the current location. It was designed by McKim, Mead and White and is styled in a Beaux Arts Style (ENY pg 169). We walked by the Low Memorial Library, which is the center of the campus. It is a neoclassical library that was modeled by McKim. In front of the library is the Bronze Alma Mater, which is the symbol of the university. It was designed by Daniel Chester French in 1903 and has the figure of Alma Mater sitting on a throne (ENY pg 170). There is also a hidden owl and if you find the owl and rub it apparently you will fall in love with someone (I forgot who though). After our tour we went to the Children’s Sculpture Garden. It is a 40 foot statue that shows the archangel Michael vanquishing Satan. I actually really liked the sculpture but was thrown off by the DNA. Last but not least, we went to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. It is the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world and the largest church in the United States. I thought the church was beautiful inside but I found it weird that it is still under construction. Some parts of the church you can actually tell the difference of each time period it was built (ENY pg 167).
7) LOWER EAST SIDE
We began with a quick stop to the Essex Street Market. This market is similar to the markets that were open in 1933. Markets like this were to reduce unsanitary conditions caused by pushcarts and street vendors. I honestly did not like the market (ENY pg 67). If I am going to go to a market, I prefer outdoor markets and I just thought this market was not that clean. I thought the aisles were really weird too. They were like little mazes and if you were a person who was afraid of small spaces, going into those aisles would not be for you. I did buy a banana and a water bottle for a pretty good price though.
After the breakfast break we walked to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. What I really liked about the Tenement Museum was that everything was preserved and not recreated like the Merchants house. It was built in 1863 and has housed over 7,000. The museum itself was founded in 1988 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994 (ENY pg 67). We had a really great tour guide who made us feel like we were immigrants living in the tenements. The tenement we saw was a 54321 structure, meaning there were 5 floors, 4 apartments on each floor, 3 rooms in each apartment, 2 toilets per apartment, and 1 backyard for the whole building. We saw how small their living conditions were and how easily germs can grow and infection can spread. She would tell us about the families that lived there and what they experienced. I did not know that living conditions were so bad that most infants did not survive. Families would have a lot of babies because they did not know who would survive and who wouldn’t. I found this very sad. Also what I found crazy was that some mothers could not get fresh milk and would sometimes have to resort to swill. This tainted milk would also lead to a lot of infant death. We even listened to an Irish man sing about swill. Overall I really enjoyed this museum.
After the Tenement Museum we split up into groups and explored Chinatown. I’ve been to Chinatown when I was little but it was not like what I remembered. Chinatown was always very crowded and back in 1882 there was a Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This stopped Chinese immigration until the law was repealed in 1943. Chinatown today covers 55 blocks and is still growing (ENY pg 72). While we were on our journey we stopped to get bubble tea. Then we walked to the Po Zhao Buddhist Temple and I got a fortune. I was familiar with the shrines because my boyfriend is Chinese and has shrines similar to the shrines in the temple. While we were walking around Chinatown I saw some weird but interesting things. I think my favorite was a plush giraffe tied to a bench with a leash. Most of the fruits and vegetables were not new to me because I go to flushing a lot. I like Flushing a lot better than Chinatown. I thought it was very crowded and dirty. Almost all of the restaurant we passed by were rated a C or a B for cleanliness. For lunch we went to the Congee Village. It was supposed to be authentic Chinese food but nothing compares to my boyfriend’s grandmas cooking. I thought my experience in Chinatown was going to be different and more exciting but it was still a good experience.
For a sweet dessert we went to Economy Candy. This store was awesome! It was opened in 1937 and is still ran by the Cohen family (ENY pg 67). There was every single type of candy I could think of. There was even candy that I had when I was a little kid. What I thought was great, was there was candy that my dad told me he use to eat as a kid.
Our last stop was the Henry Street Settlement on 265 Henry Street. This settlement was founded by Lilian Wald. She was a concerned nursing student who could not stand for the horrible living conditions in the Lower East Side. She brought nursing care, education and the arts to the immigrant population (ENY pg 69). The building was a lot smaller than I had imagined but as a nursing student I found it great to see how a nursing student benefited a whole community.
We began with a quick stop to the Essex Street Market. This market is similar to the markets that were open in 1933. Markets like this were to reduce unsanitary conditions caused by pushcarts and street vendors. I honestly did not like the market (ENY pg 67). If I am going to go to a market, I prefer outdoor markets and I just thought this market was not that clean. I thought the aisles were really weird too. They were like little mazes and if you were a person who was afraid of small spaces, going into those aisles would not be for you. I did buy a banana and a water bottle for a pretty good price though.
After the breakfast break we walked to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. What I really liked about the Tenement Museum was that everything was preserved and not recreated like the Merchants house. It was built in 1863 and has housed over 7,000. The museum itself was founded in 1988 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994 (ENY pg 67). We had a really great tour guide who made us feel like we were immigrants living in the tenements. The tenement we saw was a 54321 structure, meaning there were 5 floors, 4 apartments on each floor, 3 rooms in each apartment, 2 toilets per apartment, and 1 backyard for the whole building. We saw how small their living conditions were and how easily germs can grow and infection can spread. She would tell us about the families that lived there and what they experienced. I did not know that living conditions were so bad that most infants did not survive. Families would have a lot of babies because they did not know who would survive and who wouldn’t. I found this very sad. Also what I found crazy was that some mothers could not get fresh milk and would sometimes have to resort to swill. This tainted milk would also lead to a lot of infant death. We even listened to an Irish man sing about swill. Overall I really enjoyed this museum.
After the Tenement Museum we split up into groups and explored Chinatown. I’ve been to Chinatown when I was little but it was not like what I remembered. Chinatown was always very crowded and back in 1882 there was a Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This stopped Chinese immigration until the law was repealed in 1943. Chinatown today covers 55 blocks and is still growing (ENY pg 72). While we were on our journey we stopped to get bubble tea. Then we walked to the Po Zhao Buddhist Temple and I got a fortune. I was familiar with the shrines because my boyfriend is Chinese and has shrines similar to the shrines in the temple. While we were walking around Chinatown I saw some weird but interesting things. I think my favorite was a plush giraffe tied to a bench with a leash. Most of the fruits and vegetables were not new to me because I go to flushing a lot. I like Flushing a lot better than Chinatown. I thought it was very crowded and dirty. Almost all of the restaurant we passed by were rated a C or a B for cleanliness. For lunch we went to the Congee Village. It was supposed to be authentic Chinese food but nothing compares to my boyfriend’s grandmas cooking. I thought my experience in Chinatown was going to be different and more exciting but it was still a good experience.
For a sweet dessert we went to Economy Candy. This store was awesome! It was opened in 1937 and is still ran by the Cohen family (ENY pg 67). There was every single type of candy I could think of. There was even candy that I had when I was a little kid. What I thought was great, was there was candy that my dad told me he use to eat as a kid.
Our last stop was the Henry Street Settlement on 265 Henry Street. This settlement was founded by Lilian Wald. She was a concerned nursing student who could not stand for the horrible living conditions in the Lower East Side. She brought nursing care, education and the arts to the immigrant population (ENY pg 69). The building was a lot smaller than I had imagined but as a nursing student I found it great to see how a nursing student benefited a whole community.
8) LOWER MANHATTAN
The City of New York all started in lower Manhattan. To be exact it was the southernmost tip. The Dutch first established their colony of Nieuw Amsterdam in 1624. The area has historically been the seat of New York Government, and was even the Capital of the newly formed United States of America (ENY pg 39).
I went to Battery Park when I was younger but it looked different with construction zones everywhere. I could not believe how crowded it was. There were so many tourist and the line for the Statue of liberty was insanely long. This park is 23 acres and was named after the battery of canons that the British kept here from 1683-1687 to protect the harbor (ENY pg 56). We then walked to the heart of Battery Park, which is also known as Castle Clinton. This fort was actually built in New York Harbor and stood in around 35 feet of water. Eventually the area between the shoreline and the castle were filled in, thus creating Battery Park. This castle was later turned into an immigration depot to help immigrants who first came to the Island. When Ellis Island was opened in 1890 the castle became the first aquarium in New York. It is now a national monument that many tourist love to visit (ENY pg 56).
My second favorite part of the day was when we went to the Fraunces Tavern Museum. I did not know that this building even existed. To some, this is considered the oldest building in Manhattan. The building actually went through a lot, such as fires and even cannon balls. Much of the building is not original, which is why many people argue that it is not the oldest building. It was built in 1719 and in 1763 it was passed to innkeeper Samuel Fraunces. Samuel created a tavern that was known as “Queen’s Head”. George Washington even had his farewell dinner for his officers on December 1783 (ENY pg 55). It was cool to imagine Washington toasting his men farewell. He had his own private room that we got to see. It was a recreation but they tried their best so you could have a feeling of what it would have been like to be an officer at the dinner. Today the restaurant is split into a museum on the upper floors and the restaurant on the first floor. After smelling the yummy food we went to get lunch at the Financial District Building. We picked a seat with the view of the water and I got a burrito. The Mexican place was just like Chipotle but of course Chipotle is better.
My favorite part of the day was going to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. I went to the memorial when it first was under construction so it was nice seeing everything completed. The centerpieces of the World Trade Center were the Twin Towers. They were the tallest buildings in New York City for almost forty years. The towers were considered symbols of the city’s economic might and on September 11, 2001 it was attacked. Over 2,977 victims were killed and over 400 police and firemen were also killed, trying to save survivors. The Freedom tower is now the tallest building in the United States, at 1776 feet tall. I loved the 30 foot waterfalls called “Reflecting Absence”. These waterfalls descend into the pools draining into a center void. It was a sad and touching moment reading the name of the victims. This memorial really made me proud to be an American (ENY pg 48).
One of the last places we visited was St. Paul’s Chapel. This chapel was designed by Thomas McBean in Georgian-style out of Manhattan Schist. It was completed in 1766 and is the oldest surviving church in Manhattan. This chapel even survived the great first fire of 1776 that destroyed much of the original City of New York. This church is directly across the street from Ground Zero and somehow even managed to survive through the terrorist attack. It now has a small memorial to those who died in 9/11. When you go inside you see the 9/11 exhibit and get a sense of what happened back then (ENY pg 46).
The City of New York all started in lower Manhattan. To be exact it was the southernmost tip. The Dutch first established their colony of Nieuw Amsterdam in 1624. The area has historically been the seat of New York Government, and was even the Capital of the newly formed United States of America (ENY pg 39).
I went to Battery Park when I was younger but it looked different with construction zones everywhere. I could not believe how crowded it was. There were so many tourist and the line for the Statue of liberty was insanely long. This park is 23 acres and was named after the battery of canons that the British kept here from 1683-1687 to protect the harbor (ENY pg 56). We then walked to the heart of Battery Park, which is also known as Castle Clinton. This fort was actually built in New York Harbor and stood in around 35 feet of water. Eventually the area between the shoreline and the castle were filled in, thus creating Battery Park. This castle was later turned into an immigration depot to help immigrants who first came to the Island. When Ellis Island was opened in 1890 the castle became the first aquarium in New York. It is now a national monument that many tourist love to visit (ENY pg 56).
My second favorite part of the day was when we went to the Fraunces Tavern Museum. I did not know that this building even existed. To some, this is considered the oldest building in Manhattan. The building actually went through a lot, such as fires and even cannon balls. Much of the building is not original, which is why many people argue that it is not the oldest building. It was built in 1719 and in 1763 it was passed to innkeeper Samuel Fraunces. Samuel created a tavern that was known as “Queen’s Head”. George Washington even had his farewell dinner for his officers on December 1783 (ENY pg 55). It was cool to imagine Washington toasting his men farewell. He had his own private room that we got to see. It was a recreation but they tried their best so you could have a feeling of what it would have been like to be an officer at the dinner. Today the restaurant is split into a museum on the upper floors and the restaurant on the first floor. After smelling the yummy food we went to get lunch at the Financial District Building. We picked a seat with the view of the water and I got a burrito. The Mexican place was just like Chipotle but of course Chipotle is better.
My favorite part of the day was going to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. I went to the memorial when it first was under construction so it was nice seeing everything completed. The centerpieces of the World Trade Center were the Twin Towers. They were the tallest buildings in New York City for almost forty years. The towers were considered symbols of the city’s economic might and on September 11, 2001 it was attacked. Over 2,977 victims were killed and over 400 police and firemen were also killed, trying to save survivors. The Freedom tower is now the tallest building in the United States, at 1776 feet tall. I loved the 30 foot waterfalls called “Reflecting Absence”. These waterfalls descend into the pools draining into a center void. It was a sad and touching moment reading the name of the victims. This memorial really made me proud to be an American (ENY pg 48).
One of the last places we visited was St. Paul’s Chapel. This chapel was designed by Thomas McBean in Georgian-style out of Manhattan Schist. It was completed in 1766 and is the oldest surviving church in Manhattan. This chapel even survived the great first fire of 1776 that destroyed much of the original City of New York. This church is directly across the street from Ground Zero and somehow even managed to survive through the terrorist attack. It now has a small memorial to those who died in 9/11. When you go inside you see the 9/11 exhibit and get a sense of what happened back then (ENY pg 46).
9) Final Impression Of NYC
My views has changed so much. I now love the city and the boroughs we visited. I thought it was scary and too hectic to go to but now with this trusty book I have no fears traveling to the city. I even started going to Manhattan more for my friends birthdays. Our new favorite place is St. Marks place and hipster Williamsburg. We went to places that I probably would not have went to on my own. I definitely would have been missing out because there are so many great places to visit in the City. We even went to parts that I were very familiar with and I still encountered new things.
I still think the City is not boring because there are always new and great things going on. There is always some type of festival or activity going on. This class brought to my attention to how much history New York has. We went to so many great museums that really brought everything we learned to life. I never liked going to museums but the museums we went to changed my whole outlook on museums. I am so glad I took this class and I learned that saying the city does not mean just Manhattan. I also look and appreciate the style of the buildings and skyscraper in Manhattan, especially since I know what those styles are called now. I loved this class!
My views has changed so much. I now love the city and the boroughs we visited. I thought it was scary and too hectic to go to but now with this trusty book I have no fears traveling to the city. I even started going to Manhattan more for my friends birthdays. Our new favorite place is St. Marks place and hipster Williamsburg. We went to places that I probably would not have went to on my own. I definitely would have been missing out because there are so many great places to visit in the City. We even went to parts that I were very familiar with and I still encountered new things.
I still think the City is not boring because there are always new and great things going on. There is always some type of festival or activity going on. This class brought to my attention to how much history New York has. We went to so many great museums that really brought everything we learned to life. I never liked going to museums but the museums we went to changed my whole outlook on museums. I am so glad I took this class and I learned that saying the city does not mean just Manhattan. I also look and appreciate the style of the buildings and skyscraper in Manhattan, especially since I know what those styles are called now. I loved this class!