Journal 1
Impressions of New York
When I hear the words New York City, the first thing that comes to mind is dreams. New York City is the place where people go to accomplish their aspirations. I've loved being in NYC since I could remember, while it be going to Broadway shows with my family, to going out to dinner with my friends. My attitudes about NYC changed as I grew up. When I was younger, I was sometimes scared of being in such a big place with so many people I didn't know. I was worried I was going to get lost in such a big city. I looked around but wasn't really taking in my surroundings, I knew where I was but I never captured the beauty of the city. I live in Massapequa, and when I was younger I thought that hour train ride was the longest ride of my life. As I grew up, I realized how close I live to this amazing place. I learned to appreciate being with so many people I didn't know, and being in such a big place with so many different opportunities in front of my face. Being 21 years old, I was finally able to experience the night life of the City, which is so much fun and leaving me with lasting memories that I will never forget.
As the month’s and holidays come and go, and as the seasons change, so does New York City; and as the seasons change so does my feelings about NYC. We start the year off right by watching the ball drop in Times Square, which is always so exciting. Getting dressed up and being with the people you love the most and one of the best cities in the world is amazing. As February approaches, NYC is a great place to go to spend with your loved ones, friends and family for Valentine’s Day. March, in my opinion, is the best month to be in NYC for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade! I’ve gone there for the past six years. Throughout the summer months, being in NYC is always a great time. There are so many different activities to enjoy while being in NYC. From going out to dinner, catching a show, learning from museums or just shopping around, it is always a great day. I’m always happiest being out and enjoying my surroundings and NYC is a great place to be. October is a time to be scared, and there is no better place then a huge haunted house in the city! When I think of Thanksgiving, I automatically assume it with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! And lastly, my favorite moment of being in New York City is seeing the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center being lit. Its such amazing memories for me going every year to see the tree. In my opinion, New York is such a big city but it feels like home to me. There is no other place I’d rather grow up and mature as an adult.
Furthermore, my biggest dream in life has always been to become a nurse, and as of recently I’ve decided I wanted to work with cancer patients. Memorial Sloan Kettering is the dream hospital I would wish to work at which is located in New York City. I’m very excited for this class to show me around New York City because though I love the area, I am not very sufficient in finding my way around and taking subways. I sometimes take for granted how close this beautiful city is so close to Long Island because I don't get to go as much as i'd like. Im hoping this class can help me gain even more understanding and appreciation for New York City.
As the month’s and holidays come and go, and as the seasons change, so does New York City; and as the seasons change so does my feelings about NYC. We start the year off right by watching the ball drop in Times Square, which is always so exciting. Getting dressed up and being with the people you love the most and one of the best cities in the world is amazing. As February approaches, NYC is a great place to go to spend with your loved ones, friends and family for Valentine’s Day. March, in my opinion, is the best month to be in NYC for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade! I’ve gone there for the past six years. Throughout the summer months, being in NYC is always a great time. There are so many different activities to enjoy while being in NYC. From going out to dinner, catching a show, learning from museums or just shopping around, it is always a great day. I’m always happiest being out and enjoying my surroundings and NYC is a great place to be. October is a time to be scared, and there is no better place then a huge haunted house in the city! When I think of Thanksgiving, I automatically assume it with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! And lastly, my favorite moment of being in New York City is seeing the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center being lit. Its such amazing memories for me going every year to see the tree. In my opinion, New York is such a big city but it feels like home to me. There is no other place I’d rather grow up and mature as an adult.
Furthermore, my biggest dream in life has always been to become a nurse, and as of recently I’ve decided I wanted to work with cancer patients. Memorial Sloan Kettering is the dream hospital I would wish to work at which is located in New York City. I’m very excited for this class to show me around New York City because though I love the area, I am not very sufficient in finding my way around and taking subways. I sometimes take for granted how close this beautiful city is so close to Long Island because I don't get to go as much as i'd like. Im hoping this class can help me gain even more understanding and appreciation for New York City.
Quixotic Queens
I believe in New Yorkers. Whether they’ve ever questioned the dream in which they live, I wouldn’t know, because I won’t ever dare ask that question.
-Dylan Thomas
For today's adventure we explored queens which is the largest borough in the city. As I was reading the blue guide, I learned that it covers 112.2 square miles and is the second most populated borough. When hearing about the destinations of today, I did not think I would see places I've never even heard about. Just by the first day, this class has shown me things that I would have never noticed myself. Our first stop was the famous Penn station. Gina, Nicole and I met at the Massapequa park train station where we excitedly bought our train tickets and metro cards and boarded the 9:49 train to Manhattan. The LIRR website is very helpful because it tells you all the train times for the day. I did not know what exactly to expect from this first class but it was defiantly experience I’ll never forget. Though Penn station can be a little hectic I love it there because it is a spot to meet friends, board the train, enter Manhattan or even grab a cup of coffee. Our next stop was Bryant Park. I personally have been traveling to Bryant Park since I was younger. My friends and I have always loved to go there to sit and talk for hours. It was really nice to come back today with my classmates. I learned that back in the day, people would go there to do heroin and that why it is nicknamed "needle park". I would have never thought that such a beautiful park was once where people went to do drugs. We then passed a building that I've passed many times before without knowing what it was. It was the Chrysler building which was the biggest art deco style building in 1931 built by Walter Chrysler. Throughout the day I kept spotting that very same building from near and afar. Our next stop, which was one of my favorites, was the public library. I've sat on those very same steps many times before but I have never gone inside the building. We were able to go into one of the rooms which was the size of a football field. The feeling of calmness came over me as I entered the room. We sat quietly for a little while before we entered another room filled with paintings. It was cool to know that famous writers have sat in those very same seats and created masterpieces. After leaving the library, we traveled to Grand Central Terminal. (I've always called it grand central station which I learned today is actually a post office not a train station). Though I've been in this building before, I've never been in there while knowing the history behind it. I learned today that the grand central terminal was actually trying to be torn down and changed into something else. I learned that Jackie Kennedy was the one who led the movement to keep grand central exactly the way it was. It is now run by metro north. I also wish I could have found the whisper board but that is a great reason to go back to the grand central terminal and find it.
On our next adventure we took an air tram to Roosevelt Island. I've never been on one nor have I ever really heard of an air tram. I was a little nervous at first but it was actually a very smooth ride with breath taking views. The trams were created in 1971. Another one of my favorite spots of the day was Franklin Roosevelt's Four Freedom Park which was created in 2012. The reason I liked this spot so much is because it was such an open area with beautiful views. It was nice to sit there for a minute and take in the fresh air. Sometimes when life is moving really fast between juggling school work and stressing out, it is nice to slow down and look around and see the beauty in the world. Another very cool spot was seeing the hospital for polio that was used in 1939. It used to be a penitentiary but that was later moved to Rikers Island. We also saw the first nursing college which was the hospital for small pox. Being a nursing student, it is so cool to be to see old buildings where healthcare was being practiced. I really enjoyed seeing those two spots today. After Roosevelt Island we went to Astoria. I've been to Astoria many times but never the way I did today. I learned that Astoria has a large population of Greek heritage and that Astoria was the center of the film-making industry. By reading the blue guide I learned that after 1971 when the government left, the Astoria Motion Picture and Television foundation was created to restore the studios after the US army took over the property. Now Astoria is very successful in the film-making property on the East Coast.My favorite part of Astoria was the Museum of the Moving Image. It is located on 35th Ave at 36th st. I love museums and experiencing new things. My absolute favorite part of the museum was the Breaking Bad exhibit. Breaking bad is one of my favorite shows in the entire world and it was beyond cool to see all the props they've used, the outfits my favorite characters house and items from the White's house. I was a little annoyed that we could not take pictures and that the security guard yelled at us. Besides that I was like a little kid in a candy store when I saw that exhibit. I also really enjoyed seeing the different masks/ face molds they have used in movies. Creating a movie is such an art that you never grasp when you are just watching the movie.
Long Island city was defiantly my favorite area of the day. I actually said a couple of times that I would love to live there. My first impression of LIC is that it was a very dog friendly environment. Almost everyone was walking their dogs or there was many dog signs on the storefronts. Besides that, even though the first side we were at seemed to be like a poorer neighborhood then the other side, I still loved it. First we saw PS1 which was the first public school which was later changed to a place where artist may come to draw. The graffiti was one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my life. I have a passion for nursing and I am blessed that I have an outlet to fulfill my dreams and it is so nice to see that artist have an area to fulfill theirs. The world is so talented and you rarely get to see that on Long Island. My favorite part of the graffiti was actually meeting those two men who were doing it right in front of us. I also really liked taking pictures with all the art, it was awesome. The Long Island city pier was also amazing. I even told my friends that we had to go back because it was so beautiful. After the class was over, we took the subway to Woodside where we later caught our 6:57 train back to Massapequa. After arriving home, I was very happy to put my feet up!!
On our next adventure we took an air tram to Roosevelt Island. I've never been on one nor have I ever really heard of an air tram. I was a little nervous at first but it was actually a very smooth ride with breath taking views. The trams were created in 1971. Another one of my favorite spots of the day was Franklin Roosevelt's Four Freedom Park which was created in 2012. The reason I liked this spot so much is because it was such an open area with beautiful views. It was nice to sit there for a minute and take in the fresh air. Sometimes when life is moving really fast between juggling school work and stressing out, it is nice to slow down and look around and see the beauty in the world. Another very cool spot was seeing the hospital for polio that was used in 1939. It used to be a penitentiary but that was later moved to Rikers Island. We also saw the first nursing college which was the hospital for small pox. Being a nursing student, it is so cool to be to see old buildings where healthcare was being practiced. I really enjoyed seeing those two spots today. After Roosevelt Island we went to Astoria. I've been to Astoria many times but never the way I did today. I learned that Astoria has a large population of Greek heritage and that Astoria was the center of the film-making industry. By reading the blue guide I learned that after 1971 when the government left, the Astoria Motion Picture and Television foundation was created to restore the studios after the US army took over the property. Now Astoria is very successful in the film-making property on the East Coast.My favorite part of Astoria was the Museum of the Moving Image. It is located on 35th Ave at 36th st. I love museums and experiencing new things. My absolute favorite part of the museum was the Breaking Bad exhibit. Breaking bad is one of my favorite shows in the entire world and it was beyond cool to see all the props they've used, the outfits my favorite characters house and items from the White's house. I was a little annoyed that we could not take pictures and that the security guard yelled at us. Besides that I was like a little kid in a candy store when I saw that exhibit. I also really enjoyed seeing the different masks/ face molds they have used in movies. Creating a movie is such an art that you never grasp when you are just watching the movie.
Long Island city was defiantly my favorite area of the day. I actually said a couple of times that I would love to live there. My first impression of LIC is that it was a very dog friendly environment. Almost everyone was walking their dogs or there was many dog signs on the storefronts. Besides that, even though the first side we were at seemed to be like a poorer neighborhood then the other side, I still loved it. First we saw PS1 which was the first public school which was later changed to a place where artist may come to draw. The graffiti was one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my life. I have a passion for nursing and I am blessed that I have an outlet to fulfill my dreams and it is so nice to see that artist have an area to fulfill theirs. The world is so talented and you rarely get to see that on Long Island. My favorite part of the graffiti was actually meeting those two men who were doing it right in front of us. I also really liked taking pictures with all the art, it was awesome. The Long Island city pier was also amazing. I even told my friends that we had to go back because it was so beautiful. After the class was over, we took the subway to Woodside where we later caught our 6:57 train back to Massapequa. After arriving home, I was very happy to put my feet up!!
Bodacious Brooklyn
Today we started off meeting in Manhattan. For today's journey we were exploring Brooklyn. Brooklyn was settled by the dutch in the 17th century. Brooklyn is the second largest county, Manhattan being the first in the United States. In the year 1883 the Brooklyn bride connected Brooklyn and Manhattan and in 1888 Brooklyn became a part of greater island. Our first adventure was going to the subway to get to Coney Island. We took the F train which should of been a 45 minute ride but ending up being over an hour. Coney Island, which really isn't an island, is in fact a
peninsula. It was the greatest amusement area of the 20’s where people came to
get away from crime, pollution and to get fresh air. In the 1940s, Coney Island
experienced a downfall when Robert Moses decided to make parkways and people
started going to beaches. In the 90s, Coney Island started to stabilize and
freak shows were created, tattoo parlors were created and other fun
attractions. Nowadays, gentrification is taking place and they are trying to
build hotels and apartments in Coney Island. When we got to Coney Island it was really cool because I've never been there before. Gina, Nikki, Laura and I shared beers, sangria, and Nathans famous hot dogs. We really enjoyed our time and took some cool pictures also. I will defiantly go back with my friends and family when the summer comes around and enjoy the rides and other attractions. I would also like to visit the aquarium and travel down the whole boardwalk and see everything they have.
Our next stop was the New York transit museum. This museum gives guests a chance to learn about how greater New York was developed and looks into the history of public transportation. It is a two story museum located in an unused subway station. It is being ran by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. This was the first station in 1936 and the first stop was supposed to be to Brooklyn but it was never completed. The subway to Brooklyn is being built in present time and should be done by 2016. For 10 years (1936-1946) this station operated but only went 3 blocks away and that was it. The subway had very low ridership because people would just walk the three blocks instead of spending money and taking the ride. 1888 was a big year for NYC because that was when a huge blizzard came and 50 inches of snow fell. This was the time where we decided to put a train underground. To make the tunnels, it was referenced as “steal, stone and backbone.” Something I found very interesting was the sandhog. They had the job of building tunnels underwater. It was so much pressure they were at risk of getting the Benz. Sandhogs happen to have the highest paying construction jobs in the country today because of how risky their job is. In addition, Gina, Laura, Nikki and I had such a great time at this museum. At first it was really hot so we were not feeling it but once we went downstairs and saw the awesome old train cars, we loved it. We went on almost every single one of them, sitting on the seats, holding the poles/rails, reading the advertisements and feeling the material. We took some really fun pictures and really enjoyed ourselves. We also saw Brooklyn Borough Hall (1849) which is the oldest public building which is now called Brooklyn City Hall. In 1898 was the formation of the City of NY. Another very interesting part of the day was looking at all the Brownstone around Brooklyn. It was so beautiful to see it on apartments/houses and I learned that people would pay millions of dollars to live in a house like that on the water. Brownstone is not being made anymore, even though its popular, but that material would chip and break so now brick and cement painted brown is being used.
My ABSOLUTE favorite part of the day was the Brooklyn Promenade in Brooklyn Heights. In present times, Brooklyn Heights is one of the most expensive and desirable neighborhoods to live. This was the area that in 1776 the Battle of Brooklyn happened. George Washington surrendered and got his soldiers out of danger. Though this area is absolutely beautiful, Robert Moses decided to build an expressway underneath it, which sparked the preservation movement because people were enraged for ruining the beauty of the spot. The Brooklyn Promenade is one third of a mile long and one of the most romantic places to go where many wedding proposals have taken places, a destination for first dates and anniversary celebrations. This area gives you the view of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Another amazing memory I now have was crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn and looms over the East River. This iconic bridge carries around 150,000 vehicles per day and the vision of this bridge was created by John Augustus Roebling. The bridge opened May 25, 1883. Crossing the bridge was a lot of fun and offered beautiful scenery which resulted in gorgeous pictures. I will defiantly cross this bridge again sometime in the near future. After class, Laura and I went to the Southstreet Seaport in Brooklyn. We went to the strip of tents and got beers and Margarita pizza. It was so delicious and we had so much fun trying a new place! We then to the 2 to Times Square and then transferred to the N train and got off at Broadway St. in Astoria. We then went to a bar called Gilby's and shared some drinks and laughs. We later got picked up and I went home and fell fast asleep! It was a really great day.
Our next stop was the New York transit museum. This museum gives guests a chance to learn about how greater New York was developed and looks into the history of public transportation. It is a two story museum located in an unused subway station. It is being ran by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. This was the first station in 1936 and the first stop was supposed to be to Brooklyn but it was never completed. The subway to Brooklyn is being built in present time and should be done by 2016. For 10 years (1936-1946) this station operated but only went 3 blocks away and that was it. The subway had very low ridership because people would just walk the three blocks instead of spending money and taking the ride. 1888 was a big year for NYC because that was when a huge blizzard came and 50 inches of snow fell. This was the time where we decided to put a train underground. To make the tunnels, it was referenced as “steal, stone and backbone.” Something I found very interesting was the sandhog. They had the job of building tunnels underwater. It was so much pressure they were at risk of getting the Benz. Sandhogs happen to have the highest paying construction jobs in the country today because of how risky their job is. In addition, Gina, Laura, Nikki and I had such a great time at this museum. At first it was really hot so we were not feeling it but once we went downstairs and saw the awesome old train cars, we loved it. We went on almost every single one of them, sitting on the seats, holding the poles/rails, reading the advertisements and feeling the material. We took some really fun pictures and really enjoyed ourselves. We also saw Brooklyn Borough Hall (1849) which is the oldest public building which is now called Brooklyn City Hall. In 1898 was the formation of the City of NY. Another very interesting part of the day was looking at all the Brownstone around Brooklyn. It was so beautiful to see it on apartments/houses and I learned that people would pay millions of dollars to live in a house like that on the water. Brownstone is not being made anymore, even though its popular, but that material would chip and break so now brick and cement painted brown is being used.
My ABSOLUTE favorite part of the day was the Brooklyn Promenade in Brooklyn Heights. In present times, Brooklyn Heights is one of the most expensive and desirable neighborhoods to live. This was the area that in 1776 the Battle of Brooklyn happened. George Washington surrendered and got his soldiers out of danger. Though this area is absolutely beautiful, Robert Moses decided to build an expressway underneath it, which sparked the preservation movement because people were enraged for ruining the beauty of the spot. The Brooklyn Promenade is one third of a mile long and one of the most romantic places to go where many wedding proposals have taken places, a destination for first dates and anniversary celebrations. This area gives you the view of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Another amazing memory I now have was crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn and looms over the East River. This iconic bridge carries around 150,000 vehicles per day and the vision of this bridge was created by John Augustus Roebling. The bridge opened May 25, 1883. Crossing the bridge was a lot of fun and offered beautiful scenery which resulted in gorgeous pictures. I will defiantly cross this bridge again sometime in the near future. After class, Laura and I went to the Southstreet Seaport in Brooklyn. We went to the strip of tents and got beers and Margarita pizza. It was so delicious and we had so much fun trying a new place! We then to the 2 to Times Square and then transferred to the N train and got off at Broadway St. in Astoria. We then went to a bar called Gilby's and shared some drinks and laughs. We later got picked up and I went home and fell fast asleep! It was a really great day.
A Tale of Three Villages
A tale of three villages! For today’s class we explored Greenwich Village. We took the 1 train from Penn Station a little after 11:05 to West Houston Street. Houston Street is actually pronounced a different way then what I thought which was kind of cool to learn! Our first stop was at Bedford Street, which is considered the narrowest home of the city. I would never in my life be able to live there! After that, we continued walking to the White Horse Tavern on Hudson and 11th street. This bar opened up in 1880 and it was a place where workers and writers would come to get pints of beer and shots. One writer in particular was one of the best poets named Dylan Thomas. It became the leading center for Village bohemian life. Close by to the Tavern is the Chelsea hotel which is now being gentrified. Now we are on Christopher Street which I learned is the heart of New York’s gay and lesbian community. We visited the Christopher Park at 7th Ave, which is home to a few statues dedicated to those involved in the gay liberation movement. Laura and I actually got a cool picture there. The gay liberation movement began at the Stonewall Inn. Back then, there were not many places for gays to go to get a drink and people who were caught together got in a lot of trouble. In 1969 policeman would raid the Stonewall Inn and try to get the customers in trouble. This led to the movement and now the gay pride parade ends at the great Stonewall Inn. Walking a little further, we saw the Northern dispensary of 1827 which was once a hospital for poor New Yorkers. It is a triangular federal style building that gave care for over 150 years.
Our next stop was a tour of the Merchants house built in the mid 18th century in the year 1832. A quote that perfectly depicts this experience was said by the New York Times, "The distinction of the Merchant’s House — and it is a powerful one — is that it is the real thing. One simply walks through the beautiful doorway into another time and place in New York.” This house is landmarked on the inside and outside, which means the property/furniture, must be substantially unchanged. 80% of the furniture is original to the Treadwell family and the outside never changed its appearance. What was cool about the house was that basically it had two rooms per floor. The lowest level held the family room, which is where the children mostly hung out, and the kitchen. My favorite part of the house was the kitchen because I loved the ovens! It had essentially a “brick oven” right in the wall. What was also cool was it was surrounded by bells that the servants would hear. The family members had levers that they would pull that would ring the bell and alert the servants that something was needed. Lastly, the upstairs was much nicer and more sophisticated than the bottom levels.
Our next stop was Washington Square park which was very beautiful. Robert Moses wanted to build a parkway straight through the park in the 1970s. This park was where people went to get drugs. They could literally get anything they wanted. It was cleaned up thankfully and the Washington Arch was built. It was modeled after an arch in France. For lunch, we went to St. Marks street. Laura, Gina, Nikki and I went to a mexican restaurant called San Loco. We all got quesadillas, margaritas, and sangria! It was such yummy drinks and food!!! Another really cool place was the Museum of the reclaimed urban space, which preserves the history of NYCs East village. The thing I found most interesting was the “squatters.” Squats are buildings that are in the neighborhood of the East Village where people live without the consent of the buildings owners. This started in the late 1970s and 80s in the lower east side where people would find abandoned buildings and move into them and fix them up. I found this interesting because I LOVE the movie rent, and that is where they lived in the movie/play. In addition, I really liked the community gardens. They are very cute! We went to La Plaza Cultural garden, which is where we saw the compost and water system. The compost system is something that is very logical that everyone should do! I learned that people can go there to bring their banana peels, avocados and egg shell, etc. and compost them! It smelled a little stinky but it’s a very good way to turn waste into soil and help the earth!! We then stopped at the Big Gay ice cream shop but some of the girls and I got cupcakes instead. We stopped at the Buttered Loaf where I got a vanilla cupcake with peanut butter frosting, it was so delicious! We ended the class on East Houston Street, which basically means we completed the circle, and by then I was exhausted! We caught the 6:46 train back to Massapequa and it was off to bed I went!
Our next stop was a tour of the Merchants house built in the mid 18th century in the year 1832. A quote that perfectly depicts this experience was said by the New York Times, "The distinction of the Merchant’s House — and it is a powerful one — is that it is the real thing. One simply walks through the beautiful doorway into another time and place in New York.” This house is landmarked on the inside and outside, which means the property/furniture, must be substantially unchanged. 80% of the furniture is original to the Treadwell family and the outside never changed its appearance. What was cool about the house was that basically it had two rooms per floor. The lowest level held the family room, which is where the children mostly hung out, and the kitchen. My favorite part of the house was the kitchen because I loved the ovens! It had essentially a “brick oven” right in the wall. What was also cool was it was surrounded by bells that the servants would hear. The family members had levers that they would pull that would ring the bell and alert the servants that something was needed. Lastly, the upstairs was much nicer and more sophisticated than the bottom levels.
Our next stop was Washington Square park which was very beautiful. Robert Moses wanted to build a parkway straight through the park in the 1970s. This park was where people went to get drugs. They could literally get anything they wanted. It was cleaned up thankfully and the Washington Arch was built. It was modeled after an arch in France. For lunch, we went to St. Marks street. Laura, Gina, Nikki and I went to a mexican restaurant called San Loco. We all got quesadillas, margaritas, and sangria! It was such yummy drinks and food!!! Another really cool place was the Museum of the reclaimed urban space, which preserves the history of NYCs East village. The thing I found most interesting was the “squatters.” Squats are buildings that are in the neighborhood of the East Village where people live without the consent of the buildings owners. This started in the late 1970s and 80s in the lower east side where people would find abandoned buildings and move into them and fix them up. I found this interesting because I LOVE the movie rent, and that is where they lived in the movie/play. In addition, I really liked the community gardens. They are very cute! We went to La Plaza Cultural garden, which is where we saw the compost and water system. The compost system is something that is very logical that everyone should do! I learned that people can go there to bring their banana peels, avocados and egg shell, etc. and compost them! It smelled a little stinky but it’s a very good way to turn waste into soil and help the earth!! We then stopped at the Big Gay ice cream shop but some of the girls and I got cupcakes instead. We stopped at the Buttered Loaf where I got a vanilla cupcake with peanut butter frosting, it was so delicious! We ended the class on East Houston Street, which basically means we completed the circle, and by then I was exhausted! We caught the 6:46 train back to Massapequa and it was off to bed I went!
East of the Park
For today’s class, to say we walked A LOT is an understatement! We went from East Harlem through central park and ended up at Penn Station. After arriving in the city at around 10:45, Gina, Nikki and I stopped at a little café and got croissants and muffins where we then met the class where we usually do. We had to get to the Eastside so we took the Times Square Shuttle to Grand Central Station and then took the #6 train to East Harlem. Our first stop was at the Museum of the City of New York. Henry Collins Brown founded the museum in 1923. This museum helps viewers celebrate and interpret the city. It shows transformations of diversity and also opportunity. As said on the website, “The Museum connects the past, present, and future of New York City.” When we got there, we were able to walk around and look at the art pieces and then we watched a short film. The film was good but it defiantly needed to be updated! The film showed Manhattan in the past and as the years grew, the times changed. After the film, we were able to look at the different exhibits. The one I found really interesting was the one about nurses. The exhibit was called “The Henry Street Settlement and the Visiting Nurse Service.” It was about how in 1893, two nurses named Lillian D. Ward, and Mary Brewster moved into an apartment on the Lower East Side where they offered medical care to poor immigrants nearby. This led to the Henry Street Settlement, which later became known as the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. I really admire these two nurses because they took so much time to take care of others, which led to healthy positive changes. Wald became one of the nation’s biggest social activists through her nursing care and created the field for public health nursing.
After finishing up at the museum, we walked over to take a tour of “Spanish” Harlem. We were at the Museum Del Barrio, which means the museum of the neighborhood. It was founded in 1969 when a lot of changes/innovations were taking place. The mission of the museum is to preserve the art of Puerto Ricans and all Latin Americans in the United States. This museum educates the public in Caribbean and Latin American arts and history. El Museo del Barrio collects, preserves, and exhibits these amazing arts and artifacts from the Caribbean and Latin American cultures. The artist Raphael Montanez Ortiz and also a group of parents, educators, artists and activists founded this museum 40 years ago. The arts they have collected spans over 800 years of Latin American culture with over a collection of 6,500 pieces. My favorite art piece was called “Espiritu” by Manny Vega. It was a mosaic piece that had so many vibrant colors that attracted my eye. A quote by Manny about his art is, “The purpose of my art is to create a place for all people to recognize themselves as members of a global community. Through shared information about our histories, customs, and belief systems, we can reflect, compare and continue to learn from one another.”
After lunch, our exploration of the 843 acres of Central Park was started. The park was designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead and opened in 1873. Our first stop was the Conservatory Gardens, which was very beautiful. We saw a lot of green space, ponds, boats, and a lot of people just hanging out. We also got to explore strawberry fields and the Dakota apartments, which are associated with John Lennon. From reading the blue guide, I learned that the fields are 2.5 acres and is named in honor of Mr. Lennon. It was opened in 1985 and is a place where fans still come to pay their respects and leave flowers for John Lennon. My favorite part of exploring Central Park was seeing all the couples getting married, it was such a beautiful place for them to come and take pictures. My favorite part of the day was when we ended up on 5th Avenue, which is one of the best shopping streets in the world. We saw a lot of different shops but didn’t get to go into a lot of them. We went into the toy store F.A.O Schwarz, where I was so tempted to buy candy! Tiffany’s was also really nice to see. We ended the day by basically running those long city blocks to catch our train back home. I came home and passed out at 9:30- what a day!
After finishing up at the museum, we walked over to take a tour of “Spanish” Harlem. We were at the Museum Del Barrio, which means the museum of the neighborhood. It was founded in 1969 when a lot of changes/innovations were taking place. The mission of the museum is to preserve the art of Puerto Ricans and all Latin Americans in the United States. This museum educates the public in Caribbean and Latin American arts and history. El Museo del Barrio collects, preserves, and exhibits these amazing arts and artifacts from the Caribbean and Latin American cultures. The artist Raphael Montanez Ortiz and also a group of parents, educators, artists and activists founded this museum 40 years ago. The arts they have collected spans over 800 years of Latin American culture with over a collection of 6,500 pieces. My favorite art piece was called “Espiritu” by Manny Vega. It was a mosaic piece that had so many vibrant colors that attracted my eye. A quote by Manny about his art is, “The purpose of my art is to create a place for all people to recognize themselves as members of a global community. Through shared information about our histories, customs, and belief systems, we can reflect, compare and continue to learn from one another.”
After lunch, our exploration of the 843 acres of Central Park was started. The park was designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead and opened in 1873. Our first stop was the Conservatory Gardens, which was very beautiful. We saw a lot of green space, ponds, boats, and a lot of people just hanging out. We also got to explore strawberry fields and the Dakota apartments, which are associated with John Lennon. From reading the blue guide, I learned that the fields are 2.5 acres and is named in honor of Mr. Lennon. It was opened in 1985 and is a place where fans still come to pay their respects and leave flowers for John Lennon. My favorite part of exploring Central Park was seeing all the couples getting married, it was such a beautiful place for them to come and take pictures. My favorite part of the day was when we ended up on 5th Avenue, which is one of the best shopping streets in the world. We saw a lot of different shops but didn’t get to go into a lot of them. We went into the toy store F.A.O Schwarz, where I was so tempted to buy candy! Tiffany’s was also really nice to see. We ended the day by basically running those long city blocks to catch our train back home. I came home and passed out at 9:30- what a day!