The Wild Westside
For today’s class, we were exploring the Westside of Manhattan. At around 930 Gina, Nikki and I got breakfast and waited till our 9:49 train to Penn Station. We then met up with the class, and then our day began. We walked towards time square, passing Broadway Street, which half of it was a farmers market. It had a very popular pedestrian zone. At 42nd street we arrived at Times Square, which in 1904 was originally known as Longacre Square. At this time it was dominated by carriage factories, stables, blacksmiths shops, and horse exchanges. As subways began to arrive, so did the "New York Times." The publisher of the Times persuaded the city to rename the area for his newspaper. During the first three decades of the 20th century, New York City's theater district began developing. Some of these theaters included the Charles Frohman's Empire Theatre (1893), and the former Metropolitan Opera House (1883). One man very important to Times Square is Oscar Hammerstein. He was a composer, a cigar-makers, and an opera impresario (Blue Guide, 217). His first theater in 1895 closed down after only two years, but he went on to build three more in Times Square and later became known as "the man who created Times Square." As the area was getting more easily accessed by advancing transportation, Times Square began to flourish. Theaters, restaurants, hotels, and clubs were being built, while the area began attracting agents and producers (Blue Guide, 217). The depression devastated Broadway, and in the 1970s it was popular for pornography, crime, prostitution and drug-dealing. Later on in the 90s, the "sleaze" of Times Square was cleaned up by a combination of governmental and non-profit organizations. Nowadays, Times Square is safe, clean, and more profitable place for people to visit. 20 million tourists visits annually and it is a beautiful area for people to enjoy (Blue Guide, 218). A quote that perfectly describes Times Square from the Times Square Website is, "Shuffling down Broadway through the crush of tourists gaping into TV studios and craning their necks to the latest giant billboard, it's hard to remember that this gaudy enclave was once littered with sex shops and suffered the highest crime rate in New York City. While Times Square has changed drastically in the past decade, a reputation for razzle dazzle and spectacle attached itself to the area from its very inception."
Rockefeller Center is a place full of buildings, theaters, plazas, and shops. It is the largest privately owned entertainment/business center. In 1987 it became a National Historic Landmark. Today, it is the home of 19 buildings, 21 acres, and offers shops, restaurants and other diversions (Blue Guide, 243). Walking on, we then passed through the G.E Building. Originally the RCA building (1933), now known as the GE building, is the first constructed building at Rockefeller Center and is still the most famous. The building is a rectangular shape and has an 11-story-wrap around structure (Blue Guide, 248). The G.E Building is a home of NBC studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. NBC studio offers a tour that has been around since 1933. It is a historic experience that takes you into the studio and the halls. Some famous studios include Saturday Night Life, the Today Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Dr. Oz. I would defintaly come back to take this tour, since I love most of these shows!! My friend and I have been to the Today Show a couple of times for their Summer Series of concerts! In addition, I really enjoyed seeing where the tree is going to go up because I go every year to see it! It was nice to see them getting the ice skating rink ready as well. The skating rink usually opens in October, and is most likely the most popular rink in the world. In the summertime it opens up as an outdoor cafe (Blue Guide, 247).
We then walked to 53rd street where we got to see the best collection of art from the 19th and 20th century at the Museum of Modern Art. (MOMA). Since being founded in 1929, the MoMa acts as an educational institution that is dedicated to being the best museum of modern art in the world. The whole team at MoMa is committed to preserving, establishing, and documenting collections of modern and contemporary art by presenting different exhibitions. Straight from the museums website they explain themselves by saying, "The Museum of Modern Art is a place that fuels creativity, ignites minds, and provides inspiration. With extraordinary exhibitions and the world's finest collection of modern and contemporary art, MoMA is dedicated to the conversation between the past and the present, the established and the experimental. Our mission is helping you understand and enjoy the art of our time." In 1929, modern art was not really considered art at all. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Lillie P. Bliss, and Mary Quin Sullivan decided to rent a space and create a small museum on Fifth Avenue at 57th street(Blue Guide, 260). Though the stock market has crashed a few days prior to the museum opening, the beginning show drew in 47,000 visitors (Blue Guide, 260). In addition, the director Alfred H. Barr Jr had the idea to make the museum not only visual arts, but include industrial design, prints, drawings, photography and books. Moving on a few years, in 1932 the MoMA moved to its present location at 11 West 53rd St. The MoMA has collections of the 19th-20th century painting and sculpture (Blue Guide, 260). There were a few art pieces that I absolutely loved. One of them was Vangoes Starry Night. When I was in 9th grade I actually had to recreate that piece, so it was very cool to see the real one up close. I also really appreciated Claude Monet’s “Water Lillies”. The art piece was so beautiful and gave me a feeling of serenity. But my absolute favorite piece was Andy Warhol’s “ Gold Marilyn Monroe.” He decided to paint this the year Marilyn committed suicide. The canvas is painted a complete gold color and put her face right in the center. I really enjoyed this museum and I would defiantly come back to check out the other art work.
After MOMA, we ate at Yum Yum 2 in Hell’s Kitchen, which is a Thai food restaurant. I got chicken and noodles and it was actually very delicious!! I didn’t think I would like it but I really liked the chicken and I want to try it again. What I love most about this class is that i'm experiencing new areas, and not only that but i'm also trying new foods. In Long Island, I can honestly say I would most likely never go out for Thai Food but after this experience I would totally be open to going back. We also stopped at Amy’s bakery where we tried the “Blondie.” The blondie was a mixture of a brownie, a cookie, with some nuts on top. It was so good but I was so full I couldn’t even finish it! My friend and I actually always make "cookie-brownies" so it was really cool to get one professionally made.
We then hopped on the train to Harlem. We began our walking tour with our guide Jim. We passed a beautiful church, St. Luke’s hospital, and Columbia University. Columbia is such a beautiful school and I was actually thinking about doing my masters there. We sat on the steps of the library of the beautiful university, where I won the Santeria bracelet!!!! I was so excited/ happy that I won! It was a fun little game that we all played together. Columbia University was founded as a gentlemen’s college. It was founded to “instruct the youth in the learned language and in the liberal arts and sciences.” This college is known for its professional schools of- medicine, law, business, education, journalism, and architecture (Blue Guide, 427). One of the earliest students were Alexander Hamilton who was enrolled in 1775, and John Jay (Blue Guide, 427). Morningside park was my favorite stop of the tour because it was so beautiful! Instead of walking up the 126 stairs, we walked down them, which wasn’t so bad. We kept walking and ended up at the Harriot Tubman memorial. It then started raining and class ended at 6:00 p.m. exactly! We took the 1 train back to Penn Station where we waited for the 6:33 train back to Massapequa. And just like that, another class was over.
Rockefeller Center is a place full of buildings, theaters, plazas, and shops. It is the largest privately owned entertainment/business center. In 1987 it became a National Historic Landmark. Today, it is the home of 19 buildings, 21 acres, and offers shops, restaurants and other diversions (Blue Guide, 243). Walking on, we then passed through the G.E Building. Originally the RCA building (1933), now known as the GE building, is the first constructed building at Rockefeller Center and is still the most famous. The building is a rectangular shape and has an 11-story-wrap around structure (Blue Guide, 248). The G.E Building is a home of NBC studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. NBC studio offers a tour that has been around since 1933. It is a historic experience that takes you into the studio and the halls. Some famous studios include Saturday Night Life, the Today Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Dr. Oz. I would defintaly come back to take this tour, since I love most of these shows!! My friend and I have been to the Today Show a couple of times for their Summer Series of concerts! In addition, I really enjoyed seeing where the tree is going to go up because I go every year to see it! It was nice to see them getting the ice skating rink ready as well. The skating rink usually opens in October, and is most likely the most popular rink in the world. In the summertime it opens up as an outdoor cafe (Blue Guide, 247).
We then walked to 53rd street where we got to see the best collection of art from the 19th and 20th century at the Museum of Modern Art. (MOMA). Since being founded in 1929, the MoMa acts as an educational institution that is dedicated to being the best museum of modern art in the world. The whole team at MoMa is committed to preserving, establishing, and documenting collections of modern and contemporary art by presenting different exhibitions. Straight from the museums website they explain themselves by saying, "The Museum of Modern Art is a place that fuels creativity, ignites minds, and provides inspiration. With extraordinary exhibitions and the world's finest collection of modern and contemporary art, MoMA is dedicated to the conversation between the past and the present, the established and the experimental. Our mission is helping you understand and enjoy the art of our time." In 1929, modern art was not really considered art at all. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Lillie P. Bliss, and Mary Quin Sullivan decided to rent a space and create a small museum on Fifth Avenue at 57th street(Blue Guide, 260). Though the stock market has crashed a few days prior to the museum opening, the beginning show drew in 47,000 visitors (Blue Guide, 260). In addition, the director Alfred H. Barr Jr had the idea to make the museum not only visual arts, but include industrial design, prints, drawings, photography and books. Moving on a few years, in 1932 the MoMA moved to its present location at 11 West 53rd St. The MoMA has collections of the 19th-20th century painting and sculpture (Blue Guide, 260). There were a few art pieces that I absolutely loved. One of them was Vangoes Starry Night. When I was in 9th grade I actually had to recreate that piece, so it was very cool to see the real one up close. I also really appreciated Claude Monet’s “Water Lillies”. The art piece was so beautiful and gave me a feeling of serenity. But my absolute favorite piece was Andy Warhol’s “ Gold Marilyn Monroe.” He decided to paint this the year Marilyn committed suicide. The canvas is painted a complete gold color and put her face right in the center. I really enjoyed this museum and I would defiantly come back to check out the other art work.
After MOMA, we ate at Yum Yum 2 in Hell’s Kitchen, which is a Thai food restaurant. I got chicken and noodles and it was actually very delicious!! I didn’t think I would like it but I really liked the chicken and I want to try it again. What I love most about this class is that i'm experiencing new areas, and not only that but i'm also trying new foods. In Long Island, I can honestly say I would most likely never go out for Thai Food but after this experience I would totally be open to going back. We also stopped at Amy’s bakery where we tried the “Blondie.” The blondie was a mixture of a brownie, a cookie, with some nuts on top. It was so good but I was so full I couldn’t even finish it! My friend and I actually always make "cookie-brownies" so it was really cool to get one professionally made.
We then hopped on the train to Harlem. We began our walking tour with our guide Jim. We passed a beautiful church, St. Luke’s hospital, and Columbia University. Columbia is such a beautiful school and I was actually thinking about doing my masters there. We sat on the steps of the library of the beautiful university, where I won the Santeria bracelet!!!! I was so excited/ happy that I won! It was a fun little game that we all played together. Columbia University was founded as a gentlemen’s college. It was founded to “instruct the youth in the learned language and in the liberal arts and sciences.” This college is known for its professional schools of- medicine, law, business, education, journalism, and architecture (Blue Guide, 427). One of the earliest students were Alexander Hamilton who was enrolled in 1775, and John Jay (Blue Guide, 427). Morningside park was my favorite stop of the tour because it was so beautiful! Instead of walking up the 126 stairs, we walked down them, which wasn’t so bad. We kept walking and ended up at the Harriot Tubman memorial. It then started raining and class ended at 6:00 p.m. exactly! We took the 1 train back to Penn Station where we waited for the 6:33 train back to Massapequa. And just like that, another class was over.
Lower Manhattan and Captivating Chelsea
Rain, rain, rain! Thursday night I was getting very worried while watching the weather report because I thought we were going to be walking in a crazy storm! When I woke up Friday morning, the weather report changed and said the storm passed so there would only be little bursts of sprinkles. I got ready and picked up Gina as usual, and then we met Nikki on the train. Once be arrived in NYC we met up with the class and then we were off on the 2 train to City Hall. When we got to city hall we had to walk in 6 at a time to go past security. Once we passed security, we met Ginger, who was going to be our tour guide. City hall is a building that was built off of federal style architecture. City Hall (1811) is one of NYs architectural treasures (Blue Guide, pg 83). Since the Government is shut down, we couldn’t see everything that we would have liked to. City hall was built by Joseph Francois Mangin and John McComb Jr. in the early 19th century. McComb was a native New Yorker while Mangin was an immigrant from France. As we starting to walk inside the building, I of course tripped while going inside! The first thing we saw was the amazing statue of George Washington, but what caught my eyes was the gorgeous double staircase! As I walked closer to the staircase I looked up and saw the beautiful dome. The dome is completely closed because of New York’s weather. Supporting the dome are grand columns. The handrails you see on “floating staircase” are a floral pattern. The steps actually come out of the wall so that the staircase doesn’t need extra support to hold them up. This was actually a French touch on the stairs. One thing I found really cool that Ginger taught us was that in 1865 after the end of the civil war when Abe Lincoln was assonated, his body was brought to City Hall. City Hall became a public area where anybody could come in, walk up the grand staircase, and view the body, which was positioned, right outside the Governors room. Speaking of the Governors room, we also got a tour of this room. This room was completed in 1815-1816 and has served as a museum and a reception room celebrating the history of New York. This room has a collection of 13 American portraiture that was painted by John Trumbull that depicted the scenes associated with the Revolutionary War (Blue Guide, 83).It also includes historic furnishings and George Washington’s desk. The room was really large and long and the old furniture was really cool to see. In 2002, the room was restored by adding a new temperature and humidity control system and changed the color palate to “French Green.” Lastly, we got a tour of the courtroom, which was so cool! I felt important being in there. My favorite part was the beautiful painting on the ceiling. I learned that this is where the city council sits. The room was renovated from the past by adding more microphones, cameras, and spotlights. Nowadays, city hall is being renovated in other ways as well. A couple of things being worked on are the fire alarms, sprinkler systems, new electrical service, elevator replacement and also some design features. City Hall is important to the city’s history because it contains a collection of American portraits and historic furnishings.
Our next few stops were really sentimental. We first visited St. Paul’s Chapel where people came during 9/11 to pray, eat, and sleep. From reading the Blue Guide I learned that St. Pauls faces Broadway between Fulton and Vesey streets. When it was built in 1766 it was built as a subsidiary chapel of Trinity Church (Blue Guide, pg 77). Today, it is Manhattan's only remaining colonial church. Inside it was filled with 9/11 memorials that filled my heart with sadness. Seeing all the innocent people, and looking at the different fireman/ policemen badges made me very sad but honored to live in New York because we are such a STRONG place together. I remember when the twin towers were hit and I was in my 4th grade music class. Everyone was yelling and none of us knew why. Our parents later pulled us out of school and I just remember my mom looking at me and crying. I knew something bad happened, but I was so young that I didn’t really grasp the whole thing… After the chapel, we visited the 9/11 memorial. Where the towers were, now stands two beautiful fountains that are engraved with the names of the ones lost during this tragedy. The fountains were beautiful and I was reading the different signs around the park, I learned that loved ones place white roses on the names of the people on their birthday. It was a beautiful memorial, and I will defiantly go back when the museum opens.
On our next stop, we went to Battery Park, which was huge! I loved it because we saw the Statue of Liberty in the background!! I learned that it was named Battery Park because it was filled with cannons to protect the area from invaders (Blue Guide, pg 46). Battery Park is a 23-acre site that houses a place for bikeways, and walkways throughout the beautifully planted gardens. The park was upgraded with a new woodland area, new paths, more seating surrounding the park, new furnishings and also new trees/ gardens. My favorite part was the little boards that made whistle noises. Laura and I were loving it/ cracking up while playing on them. After this park we took the subway down to Chelsea Market where we enjoyed huge burgers for lunch. I was literally filled for the entire day that when I went to my friend’s birthday party at night, I couldn’t even eat! From reading the Blue Guide, Chelsea Market is filled with shops that offer food, wine, flowers, kitchen wares and flowers. Chelsea Market is also decorated with artwork and sculptures. Back in the 1920s, it was the biggest baking district in the world, where Oreos and Mallomars were invented! How cool!
Next was the High Line Headquarters that was absolutely beautiful! It’s a great place to take a stroll with family, loved ones or just friends! The High Line is a public park that is built on a freight rail line above the streets of Manhattan’s West Side. Though it is owned by the City of New York, is it operated and maintained by Friends of the High Line. Since being founded in 1999 by residents, Friends of the High Line fought for the preservation for the High Line because it was at risk for being demolished. The High Line runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street between 10th and 11th avenues. At the moment since it is Fall season, the park is opened daily from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. I really liked this area and I would definitely go back.
Our last stop was gallery hopping in Chelsea. Some of the galleries I really enjoyed, while others I really did not understand! One piece that really appealed to me (below) is a black, purple, and white artwork. I really liked it because purple is my favorite color and the piece is something that I would totally hang up in my room. For some reason when I look at it, I think of music and happiness. In addition, another piece of artwork that stood out to me was the gallery that was filled with prostitute pictures. The one I noticed was a man in a restaurant or something, just looking at the phone. When I saw it, it made me think of “what is he waiting for, who is supposed to be calling?” This is not something I would ever buy, but it is something that got me thinking. In addition to gallery hopping, we also stopped at a bookstore. Printed Matter, Inc founded it in 1976. This is the world’s leading non-profit organization that promotes artists publications. The bookstore contained 15,000 books by over 7,000 different artists. Outside the store was a sticker of Heisenberg from Breaking Bad, and I of course loved it!! Lastly, once class ended, we jetted off to Penn Station so that we could catch the 5:59 train. Once we got home, I got ready really quickly and then I was off to my friend’s party! It was a great time and overall a really fun Friday! I cannot believe next week is the last class!
Our next few stops were really sentimental. We first visited St. Paul’s Chapel where people came during 9/11 to pray, eat, and sleep. From reading the Blue Guide I learned that St. Pauls faces Broadway between Fulton and Vesey streets. When it was built in 1766 it was built as a subsidiary chapel of Trinity Church (Blue Guide, pg 77). Today, it is Manhattan's only remaining colonial church. Inside it was filled with 9/11 memorials that filled my heart with sadness. Seeing all the innocent people, and looking at the different fireman/ policemen badges made me very sad but honored to live in New York because we are such a STRONG place together. I remember when the twin towers were hit and I was in my 4th grade music class. Everyone was yelling and none of us knew why. Our parents later pulled us out of school and I just remember my mom looking at me and crying. I knew something bad happened, but I was so young that I didn’t really grasp the whole thing… After the chapel, we visited the 9/11 memorial. Where the towers were, now stands two beautiful fountains that are engraved with the names of the ones lost during this tragedy. The fountains were beautiful and I was reading the different signs around the park, I learned that loved ones place white roses on the names of the people on their birthday. It was a beautiful memorial, and I will defiantly go back when the museum opens.
On our next stop, we went to Battery Park, which was huge! I loved it because we saw the Statue of Liberty in the background!! I learned that it was named Battery Park because it was filled with cannons to protect the area from invaders (Blue Guide, pg 46). Battery Park is a 23-acre site that houses a place for bikeways, and walkways throughout the beautifully planted gardens. The park was upgraded with a new woodland area, new paths, more seating surrounding the park, new furnishings and also new trees/ gardens. My favorite part was the little boards that made whistle noises. Laura and I were loving it/ cracking up while playing on them. After this park we took the subway down to Chelsea Market where we enjoyed huge burgers for lunch. I was literally filled for the entire day that when I went to my friend’s birthday party at night, I couldn’t even eat! From reading the Blue Guide, Chelsea Market is filled with shops that offer food, wine, flowers, kitchen wares and flowers. Chelsea Market is also decorated with artwork and sculptures. Back in the 1920s, it was the biggest baking district in the world, where Oreos and Mallomars were invented! How cool!
Next was the High Line Headquarters that was absolutely beautiful! It’s a great place to take a stroll with family, loved ones or just friends! The High Line is a public park that is built on a freight rail line above the streets of Manhattan’s West Side. Though it is owned by the City of New York, is it operated and maintained by Friends of the High Line. Since being founded in 1999 by residents, Friends of the High Line fought for the preservation for the High Line because it was at risk for being demolished. The High Line runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street between 10th and 11th avenues. At the moment since it is Fall season, the park is opened daily from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. I really liked this area and I would definitely go back.
Our last stop was gallery hopping in Chelsea. Some of the galleries I really enjoyed, while others I really did not understand! One piece that really appealed to me (below) is a black, purple, and white artwork. I really liked it because purple is my favorite color and the piece is something that I would totally hang up in my room. For some reason when I look at it, I think of music and happiness. In addition, another piece of artwork that stood out to me was the gallery that was filled with prostitute pictures. The one I noticed was a man in a restaurant or something, just looking at the phone. When I saw it, it made me think of “what is he waiting for, who is supposed to be calling?” This is not something I would ever buy, but it is something that got me thinking. In addition to gallery hopping, we also stopped at a bookstore. Printed Matter, Inc founded it in 1976. This is the world’s leading non-profit organization that promotes artists publications. The bookstore contained 15,000 books by over 7,000 different artists. Outside the store was a sticker of Heisenberg from Breaking Bad, and I of course loved it!! Lastly, once class ended, we jetted off to Penn Station so that we could catch the 5:59 train. Once we got home, I got ready really quickly and then I was off to my friend’s party! It was a great time and overall a really fun Friday! I cannot believe next week is the last class!
Lower Eastside
Today was the last day of class, and the last day of exploring New York City! Today was honestly one of my favorite days. We were adventuring to the heart of immigrant New York. We visited the Lower Eastside, the Bowery, Little Italy, and Chinatown. Starting off the day I as always picked up Gina and then we met up with Nikki. We arrived at Penn Station where we later to the subway to the Lower Eastside. We arrived at the Essex Street Market, where we were able to go inside and take a look around. Essex Market is located from Delancy to Rivington streets (Blue Guide, 123). The Essex Street Market was established essentially to move pushcarts off the streets that were very crowded. Back then, people used to shop outside and the food was then dirty and old produce was just thrown away, which led to diseases/outbreaks. As the years pass by the market continues to grow and change. An effort by Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia in 1940 was made to find a place where street merchants can do business. Since the pushcarts were crowding the streets, it made it very difficult for emergency vehicles to pass, such as cops and firemen. Therefore, the Essex Street Market was created. A brief history about the Essex Market is important to the culture of NYC. When the market was first created Italian and Jewish immigrants who served both as workers and customers mainly shaped the Essex Market. In 1950 when the Puerto Rican population moved into the neighborhood the Market grew even more. Now the Market was offering different varieties of products. Though times were great for a while, tough times also fell. Later on in the 70s, people began shifting from shopping at the Market to other supermarkets and other street-front-stores that were more convenient to the shopper. Fast forward to 1992 and the New York City Economic Development Corporation began to control the market directly. A few years after, the Market was saved from closure and decline by a $1.5 million dollar renovation. In addition, nowadays more and more people are moving into the Lower Eastside, which caused the Market to once again improve their products by increasing its variety of culinary products such as meats, cheeses, and fish. Lastly, a couple different vendors are the Heritage Meat Shop, Luis Meat Market, New Start Fish Market, and Rainbo’s Fish. (Essex history website).
We then began a walking tour with the historian Jim who took us around. We first stopped at the candy store, which had so much candy I didn’t know what to choose! I ended up getting some sour candy and it was very yummy. We passed different areas such as the Williamsburg bridge, St. Teresa’s church, and The Bialystoker synagogue. The Bialystoker was built in 1826 and is located on Bialystoker Place. It was originally the Willet Street Methodist Episcopal Church (Blue Guide, 123). My favorite part of the tour was seeing the Henry Street Settlement. Lillian Wald (1867-1940) is known as a compassionate and strong woman who literally devoted herself to the poor (Blue Guide, pg 125).She moved to the fifth floor of 27 Jefferson St where she began fighting ignorance, disease, malnutrition, and rats. Jacob Schiff who was a philosopher, assisted Lillian in raising money and giving two of the Henry St buildings to the settlement (Blue Guide, 125). Our tour ended with us on Canal Street. Since we had a little free time, we stopped at Ferrara’s café in Little Italy where I had the best ice cream I ever had in my entire life. I had hazelnut in a cup and I was in love!! Little Italy stretches from Mulberry St to about Kenmare Street. Little Italy has been on the map since the 1880s and now is a tourist attraction where people come to visit cafes, restaurants, and ethnic food stores (Blue Guide, 114).
After a little break, we were off to Lunch. We went to Congee Village, which is located on 100 Allen Street, right around Chinatown. The food was SO delicious, we all loved it! We had chicken, noodles, rice, and even vegetables. I would of never known about Congee Village, but I’m glad that I know about it now- I will defiantly go back! Something I found interesting from the Blue Guide was about the Chinatown tongs. This was an association of businesses and the neighborhood that turned into immigrant aid societies. It offered real language assistance, credit loans, and social outlets. It later became involved with crime, prostitution, gambling, and drugs. As time is passing, they eventually lost their power as the demographics changed (Blue Guide, 109).
Our last stop was the Tenement Museum. The museums mission is to interpret and preserve the history of immigration through personal experiences of the immigrants who settled on the Lower Eastside. The Tenement Museum came from the idea of Ruth Abram, who is a historian and social activist. Ruth wanted to create a museum that was dedicated to honoring America’s immigrants and the NY tenements were the perfect place for her idea. She and co-founder Anita Jacobson were ready to give up looking for a tenement until they stumbled upon 97 Orchard Street, and that is how the museum came about. Tenements were built to use ALL of its available space. Tenements back then led to very hard times of immigrants. In 1867, an act was passed the told landlords that they were required to provide fire escapes, and connect toilets with sewers. Later on in 1879, the Tenement House Act was passed that provided improvements such as, running water in either the house or the yard, and the buildings had to contain one toilet for each two apartments (Blue Guide, 122). On our tour, Daryl, took us to meet “Victoria Confino” in the year 1916. She was supposedly a 14 year old girl who came from Casteria three years before us. We learned that she lived in a tenement that had 5 floors, 4 apartments per floor, three rooms per apartment, and two toilets in the hallway on each floor. We also learned that they had to bathe at certain areas where they had to pay for soap and a little towel. We learned that many people lived in the apartments and they slept wherever, like the floor, beds, or even in the kitchen. I really enjoyed this experience because we were able to interact and it was fun!
After the tour, Laura and I took two subways and a bus to get back to her house. We ate dinner, got ready, and then we were off to the Beer Gardens in Astoria. I had SO much fun and I cannot wait to go back. They had pitchers of beer and sangria for really cheap. There was a lot of people there, cool music, and overall a great atmosphere. It was definitely a great end to a great day.
We then began a walking tour with the historian Jim who took us around. We first stopped at the candy store, which had so much candy I didn’t know what to choose! I ended up getting some sour candy and it was very yummy. We passed different areas such as the Williamsburg bridge, St. Teresa’s church, and The Bialystoker synagogue. The Bialystoker was built in 1826 and is located on Bialystoker Place. It was originally the Willet Street Methodist Episcopal Church (Blue Guide, 123). My favorite part of the tour was seeing the Henry Street Settlement. Lillian Wald (1867-1940) is known as a compassionate and strong woman who literally devoted herself to the poor (Blue Guide, pg 125).She moved to the fifth floor of 27 Jefferson St where she began fighting ignorance, disease, malnutrition, and rats. Jacob Schiff who was a philosopher, assisted Lillian in raising money and giving two of the Henry St buildings to the settlement (Blue Guide, 125). Our tour ended with us on Canal Street. Since we had a little free time, we stopped at Ferrara’s café in Little Italy where I had the best ice cream I ever had in my entire life. I had hazelnut in a cup and I was in love!! Little Italy stretches from Mulberry St to about Kenmare Street. Little Italy has been on the map since the 1880s and now is a tourist attraction where people come to visit cafes, restaurants, and ethnic food stores (Blue Guide, 114).
After a little break, we were off to Lunch. We went to Congee Village, which is located on 100 Allen Street, right around Chinatown. The food was SO delicious, we all loved it! We had chicken, noodles, rice, and even vegetables. I would of never known about Congee Village, but I’m glad that I know about it now- I will defiantly go back! Something I found interesting from the Blue Guide was about the Chinatown tongs. This was an association of businesses and the neighborhood that turned into immigrant aid societies. It offered real language assistance, credit loans, and social outlets. It later became involved with crime, prostitution, gambling, and drugs. As time is passing, they eventually lost their power as the demographics changed (Blue Guide, 109).
Our last stop was the Tenement Museum. The museums mission is to interpret and preserve the history of immigration through personal experiences of the immigrants who settled on the Lower Eastside. The Tenement Museum came from the idea of Ruth Abram, who is a historian and social activist. Ruth wanted to create a museum that was dedicated to honoring America’s immigrants and the NY tenements were the perfect place for her idea. She and co-founder Anita Jacobson were ready to give up looking for a tenement until they stumbled upon 97 Orchard Street, and that is how the museum came about. Tenements were built to use ALL of its available space. Tenements back then led to very hard times of immigrants. In 1867, an act was passed the told landlords that they were required to provide fire escapes, and connect toilets with sewers. Later on in 1879, the Tenement House Act was passed that provided improvements such as, running water in either the house or the yard, and the buildings had to contain one toilet for each two apartments (Blue Guide, 122). On our tour, Daryl, took us to meet “Victoria Confino” in the year 1916. She was supposedly a 14 year old girl who came from Casteria three years before us. We learned that she lived in a tenement that had 5 floors, 4 apartments per floor, three rooms per apartment, and two toilets in the hallway on each floor. We also learned that they had to bathe at certain areas where they had to pay for soap and a little towel. We learned that many people lived in the apartments and they slept wherever, like the floor, beds, or even in the kitchen. I really enjoyed this experience because we were able to interact and it was fun!
After the tour, Laura and I took two subways and a bus to get back to her house. We ate dinner, got ready, and then we were off to the Beer Gardens in Astoria. I had SO much fun and I cannot wait to go back. They had pitchers of beer and sangria for really cheap. There was a lot of people there, cool music, and overall a great atmosphere. It was definitely a great end to a great day.
Final Impression
My attitudes, beliefs, and feelings regarding New York City have defiantly changed resulting from exploring the city. Reading back on my first post, it was all about New York City itself. I didn’t speak about Queens, Astoria, Brooklyn, Coney Island, Harlem, Chelsea, etc. I never mentioned different museums, art galleries, parks or gardens. In addition, now that i am 21 I loved seeing all the areas that have amazing nightlife! I need to break free of "Long Island" and enjoy all of what the city has to offer. Looking back I wrote:
“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.”
Now, my thoughts have changed so much! I am so glad that I took this class because it opened up my experiences so much. I want to take a chance to reflect back on the past 7 classes and my favorite experiences from them. First stop was Queens, and my favorite part of that day was Long Island City. The way my perception changed of queens is that I never thought of the different areas of Queens. I’ve always only thought of Howard Beach, since that is where I grew up. I got to experience Astoria, Long Island City and Roosevelt Island. Looking back I wrote:
“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 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.. The Long Island city pier was also amazing. I even told my friends that we had to go back because it was so beautiful.”
On to the next class, which might have been my favorite day was all about Brooklyn. I had so much fun in Brooklyn, and before this class I would of never thought that I would love Brooklyn so much. I remember when I was younger hearing about crimes that have happened in Brooklyn, and my thoughts have changed so much regarding the beautiful borough. I would actually LOVE to move there one day. My favorite part was defiantly exploring Coney Island, because I have never been there. Something I wrote was:
“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 class was “A Tale of Three Villages.” I honestly never heard of Greenwich Village or Washington Square Park. The way this class changed my perception is I LITERALLY got to see new places that I never heard of before/ would of never been to. The part I thought was the coolest was learning about the “Squatters.” This was my favorite part because this was the movie Rent was about! I said:
“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.”
Class four was a day FULL of walking, aka East of the Park. Now I can honestly say I walked all of Central Park!!! My perception changed because I never actually explored Central Park and I finally got to see the beautiful area and I will defiantly go back! What I can say is that my favorite part was “shopping” on 5th Ave. Hopefully when I become an RN I can go back and actually buy stuff!!!
“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.”
Class 5 was all about the Westside. We went to Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the MoMa and back to Harlem. The biggest change in my perception was about Harlem. Ive always thought it was sort of a bad neighborhood but its actually not, and its very safe and beautiful. My favorite part of the day was Rockefeller center though. I really want to go back to the NBC studio and take the tour!!
"The G.E Building is a home of NBC studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. NBC studio offers a tour that has been around since 1933. It is a historic experience that takes you into the studio and the halls. Some famous studios include Saturday Night Life, the Today Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Dr. Oz. I would defintaly come back to take this tour, since I love most of these shows!! My friend and I have been to the Today Show a couple of times for their Summer Series of concerts! In addition, I really enjoyed seeing where the tree is going to go up because I go every year to see it! It was nice to see them getting the ice skating rink ready as well. The skating rink usually opens in October, and is most likely the most popular rink in the world. In the summertime it opens up as an outdoor cafe (Blue Guide, 247)."
Class 6 was all about Lower Manhattan and Chelsea. I've never been to Chelsea so it was really cool to experience. I also got to visit the High Lines-which I've never experienced before and i totally loved it!
"Next was the High Line Headquarters that was absolutely beautiful! It’s a great place to take a stroll with family, loved ones or just friends! The High Line is a public park that is built on a freight rail line above the streets of Manhattan’s West Side. Though it is owned by the City of New York, is it operated and maintained by Friends of the High Line. Since being founded in 1999 by residents, Friends of the High Line fought for the preservation for the High Line because it was at risk for being demolished. The High Line runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street between 10th and 11th avenues. At the moment since it is Fall season, the park is opened daily from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. I really liked this area and I would definitely go back."
Class 7 was all about the Lower East-side. We got to explore Chinatown and Little Italy, the Congee Restaurant, and also had a walking tour. My favorite part of the day though was getting ice cream at Ferrara's. It was so good!!!
"Since we had a little free time, we stopped at Ferrara’s café in Little Italy where I had the best ice cream I ever had in my entire life. I had hazelnut in a cup and I was in love!! Little Italy stretches from Mulberry St to about Kenmare Street. Little Italy has been on the map since the 1880s and now is a tourist attraction where people come to visit cafes, restaurants, and ethnic food stores (Blue Guide, pg 114). "
Overall, I had an AMAZING experience and the number one thing that changed about my perception and feelings about NY is i defiantly need to explore more of what this amazing city has to offer me.
“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.”
Now, my thoughts have changed so much! I am so glad that I took this class because it opened up my experiences so much. I want to take a chance to reflect back on the past 7 classes and my favorite experiences from them. First stop was Queens, and my favorite part of that day was Long Island City. The way my perception changed of queens is that I never thought of the different areas of Queens. I’ve always only thought of Howard Beach, since that is where I grew up. I got to experience Astoria, Long Island City and Roosevelt Island. Looking back I wrote:
“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 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.. The Long Island city pier was also amazing. I even told my friends that we had to go back because it was so beautiful.”
On to the next class, which might have been my favorite day was all about Brooklyn. I had so much fun in Brooklyn, and before this class I would of never thought that I would love Brooklyn so much. I remember when I was younger hearing about crimes that have happened in Brooklyn, and my thoughts have changed so much regarding the beautiful borough. I would actually LOVE to move there one day. My favorite part was defiantly exploring Coney Island, because I have never been there. Something I wrote was:
“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 class was “A Tale of Three Villages.” I honestly never heard of Greenwich Village or Washington Square Park. The way this class changed my perception is I LITERALLY got to see new places that I never heard of before/ would of never been to. The part I thought was the coolest was learning about the “Squatters.” This was my favorite part because this was the movie Rent was about! I said:
“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.”
Class four was a day FULL of walking, aka East of the Park. Now I can honestly say I walked all of Central Park!!! My perception changed because I never actually explored Central Park and I finally got to see the beautiful area and I will defiantly go back! What I can say is that my favorite part was “shopping” on 5th Ave. Hopefully when I become an RN I can go back and actually buy stuff!!!
“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.”
Class 5 was all about the Westside. We went to Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the MoMa and back to Harlem. The biggest change in my perception was about Harlem. Ive always thought it was sort of a bad neighborhood but its actually not, and its very safe and beautiful. My favorite part of the day was Rockefeller center though. I really want to go back to the NBC studio and take the tour!!
"The G.E Building is a home of NBC studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. NBC studio offers a tour that has been around since 1933. It is a historic experience that takes you into the studio and the halls. Some famous studios include Saturday Night Life, the Today Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Dr. Oz. I would defintaly come back to take this tour, since I love most of these shows!! My friend and I have been to the Today Show a couple of times for their Summer Series of concerts! In addition, I really enjoyed seeing where the tree is going to go up because I go every year to see it! It was nice to see them getting the ice skating rink ready as well. The skating rink usually opens in October, and is most likely the most popular rink in the world. In the summertime it opens up as an outdoor cafe (Blue Guide, 247)."
Class 6 was all about Lower Manhattan and Chelsea. I've never been to Chelsea so it was really cool to experience. I also got to visit the High Lines-which I've never experienced before and i totally loved it!
"Next was the High Line Headquarters that was absolutely beautiful! It’s a great place to take a stroll with family, loved ones or just friends! The High Line is a public park that is built on a freight rail line above the streets of Manhattan’s West Side. Though it is owned by the City of New York, is it operated and maintained by Friends of the High Line. Since being founded in 1999 by residents, Friends of the High Line fought for the preservation for the High Line because it was at risk for being demolished. The High Line runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street between 10th and 11th avenues. At the moment since it is Fall season, the park is opened daily from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. I really liked this area and I would definitely go back."
Class 7 was all about the Lower East-side. We got to explore Chinatown and Little Italy, the Congee Restaurant, and also had a walking tour. My favorite part of the day though was getting ice cream at Ferrara's. It was so good!!!
"Since we had a little free time, we stopped at Ferrara’s café in Little Italy where I had the best ice cream I ever had in my entire life. I had hazelnut in a cup and I was in love!! Little Italy stretches from Mulberry St to about Kenmare Street. Little Italy has been on the map since the 1880s and now is a tourist attraction where people come to visit cafes, restaurants, and ethnic food stores (Blue Guide, pg 114). "
Overall, I had an AMAZING experience and the number one thing that changed about my perception and feelings about NY is i defiantly need to explore more of what this amazing city has to offer me.