Journals 1-4
1. Impressions of New York
6/30/14
When thinking about New York City many different words and images come to mind. I automatically think loud, congested, expensive, popular, diverse, and convenient. Before I came to NYC I always wondered why people would call it "The Big Apple", I imagined the city having a huge sculpture of an apple as a sight seeing area. But when I eventually came to the city I learned the phrase was used by jazz musicians that would play in the city. My first encounter of the city I felt overwhelmed because I wasn't really prepared for the shouting or excessive honking that occurred. But overtime, I got used to the environment and learned to love and embrace the city and its rich culture and amazing history. My mentality towards the city quickly shifted to where I believed that everybody who lives in NYC is tough and is always ready for a celebration. At times it can be frustrating when a bunch of people are trying to cross a street on a green light and all your thinking as the driver is if it is exciting to live on the edge. I loved the city more when I realized that even with hardships and moments of sadness we became stronger and helped each other in a time of need. I admit now that living in this city for over 10 years I became a little obsessed with food in trucks and will not pass 5th ave without getting a bite to eat.
When thinking about New York City many different words and images come to mind. I automatically think loud, congested, expensive, popular, diverse, and convenient. Before I came to NYC I always wondered why people would call it "The Big Apple", I imagined the city having a huge sculpture of an apple as a sight seeing area. But when I eventually came to the city I learned the phrase was used by jazz musicians that would play in the city. My first encounter of the city I felt overwhelmed because I wasn't really prepared for the shouting or excessive honking that occurred. But overtime, I got used to the environment and learned to love and embrace the city and its rich culture and amazing history. My mentality towards the city quickly shifted to where I believed that everybody who lives in NYC is tough and is always ready for a celebration. At times it can be frustrating when a bunch of people are trying to cross a street on a green light and all your thinking as the driver is if it is exciting to live on the edge. I loved the city more when I realized that even with hardships and moments of sadness we became stronger and helped each other in a time of need. I admit now that living in this city for over 10 years I became a little obsessed with food in trucks and will not pass 5th ave without getting a bite to eat.
2. Queens
7/1/14
My first adventure was exploring the borough of Queens. We all met in Penn Station and took the E train to Jackson Heights Roosevelt Ave. In Jackson Heights we took the 7 train all the way to Willets Point where we walked to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. My first thought was what a beautiful park that had people of all ages playing all kind of sports, having picnics, and riding bikes. Living in Queens for so long I quickly noticed that this particular borough is very diverse and is filled with numerous ethnic backgrounds that makes it so unique. Most of the population who goes to Flushing meadows park are the middle and working class Americans. While visiting the park I realized many differences between the Flushing park and other parks in the city because its not in a area where people would call "upscale" or have a lot of money to invest in.
While we are in the park we come across the Unisphere which in my opinion is the most amazing structure I have seen. What I learned about this particular monument is that it was built for the World fair of 1964-65 and was a very hard and heavy structure to build because trying to figure out how to position the globe without having it fall was a difficult task (ENY pg 163). The Unisphere represented a man's achievements on a shrinking globe in an expanding universe, that overtime has become one of the most iconic landmarks in Queens. The reason why the Unisphere has 3 rings around is because at the time there was only 3 satellites in the sky. Robert Moses the "master builder" was brought in to help organize and the set the park for the world fair. The reason why World fairs do not exist today have to do with being too expensive to run and organize.
Our next stop was the Queens Museum, the original home of The United Nations but now has had a multi-million dollar expansion filled with beautiful pieces of art. One of the artists that I was intrigued by was Andy Warhol who did pop art. His art contained a balance between expression and celebrity culture that expanded in the 1960's. He masters a silk screening technique and works on a particular image over and over again. Andy Warhol's pop art challenges us to see the world around us and really makes us think more about life. One picture in particular that makes me think of his work is the group picture of Marilyn Monroe in different shades of color. Looking around in the museum I was surprised to find out the NYC has the most cleanest water supply and that our water comes from the Catskill mountains. There used to be the Ridge wood water shed in Queens but is not used anymore. One part of the museum focused on The Panorama of the City of New York. The Panorama was the world's largest model which was created by Robert Moses and Raymond Lester. The model was presented in the NYC pavilion at the 1964/1965 World fair, and it was intended to serve as the planning tool after the World fair (Museum guide). Most individuals would visualize the Panorama from a simulated helicopter ride that traveled around the area (Museum guide). I was amazed by the minor details that went in to it and realized that I did not know very much about New York City or its 5 boroughs. I found out about the creation of the grid of 1811, which was this original design plan for the streets of Manhattan. There are 5 east bridges that is abbreviated as "BMW-QT" (credits to Professor Russo) which stands for Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, Queens borough, and Triborough bridges. In 1883 the opening of the Brooklyn bridge which connects Manhattan to Brooklyn was another fun fact that I was not aware of (ENY pg 26).
Around lunch time we return to Jackson Heights and head to Jackson Diner which is a restaurant that serves traditional Indian food. At first, I was very scared to try the food because I am not used to eating foods out of my comfort zone. What I mean by comfort zone is the basics such as french fries, chicken nuggets or fried rice with broccoli. When I tried the food I was very surprised of how much I liked it. I enjoyed the spicy aspect of it and how everything blended well together. I admit I did not try the goat because I was not feeling so spontaneous at the time but maybe one day I will have the courage to try it. I am glad that I could experience something different and it really made me want to open up to try other ethnic foods in the future. After lunch we head to Steinway which is in Astoria. In early years Astoria was a very blue collar area where the majority of the population was Greek. Astoria was also a place where all great movies were made some by the Marx Brothers, it was also a place that has the biggest beer gardens (ENY pg 168). Overtime, the area had become a place where the middle or working class settled and has become a very cultured part of NYC today. The term "Gentrification" was used a lot during the trip which means there is a shift in urban communities where wealthier individuals increase property value in poor or under established areas. This particular shift really impacts the poorer population because they won't be able to live in those areas anymore. While in Astoria we visit the Museum of the Moving Image where there are 3 floors of magnificent objects of past to present day equipment that was used for film (ENY pg 169). I was amazed by the amount of change that we as a society went through. From the development of the television to editing "live" television is something that is very cool to me. I also got to see how movie make up is done and the particular costumes used for horror, comedies, and history movies where each area payed attention to detail.
The last place on our adventure was Long Island City which I liked the most because it was a place of incredible scenery but at the same time had so much history behind it. Long Island City is known for its rapid development and ongoing gentrification which is occurring now. It has a beautiful waterfront that shows all the famous buildings of Manhattan. The Long Island City area is also a place that has a multitude of art galleries, art institutions, and many empty spaces of any neighborhood in NYC. Overall, I enjoyed the many parts of Queens and I was surprised by some areas that I thought I knew about but didn't. One neighborhood in particular was Jackson Heights, which I thought I had an idea about before we went there but became more interested in that specific area when I learned more.
My first adventure was exploring the borough of Queens. We all met in Penn Station and took the E train to Jackson Heights Roosevelt Ave. In Jackson Heights we took the 7 train all the way to Willets Point where we walked to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. My first thought was what a beautiful park that had people of all ages playing all kind of sports, having picnics, and riding bikes. Living in Queens for so long I quickly noticed that this particular borough is very diverse and is filled with numerous ethnic backgrounds that makes it so unique. Most of the population who goes to Flushing meadows park are the middle and working class Americans. While visiting the park I realized many differences between the Flushing park and other parks in the city because its not in a area where people would call "upscale" or have a lot of money to invest in.
While we are in the park we come across the Unisphere which in my opinion is the most amazing structure I have seen. What I learned about this particular monument is that it was built for the World fair of 1964-65 and was a very hard and heavy structure to build because trying to figure out how to position the globe without having it fall was a difficult task (ENY pg 163). The Unisphere represented a man's achievements on a shrinking globe in an expanding universe, that overtime has become one of the most iconic landmarks in Queens. The reason why the Unisphere has 3 rings around is because at the time there was only 3 satellites in the sky. Robert Moses the "master builder" was brought in to help organize and the set the park for the world fair. The reason why World fairs do not exist today have to do with being too expensive to run and organize.
Our next stop was the Queens Museum, the original home of The United Nations but now has had a multi-million dollar expansion filled with beautiful pieces of art. One of the artists that I was intrigued by was Andy Warhol who did pop art. His art contained a balance between expression and celebrity culture that expanded in the 1960's. He masters a silk screening technique and works on a particular image over and over again. Andy Warhol's pop art challenges us to see the world around us and really makes us think more about life. One picture in particular that makes me think of his work is the group picture of Marilyn Monroe in different shades of color. Looking around in the museum I was surprised to find out the NYC has the most cleanest water supply and that our water comes from the Catskill mountains. There used to be the Ridge wood water shed in Queens but is not used anymore. One part of the museum focused on The Panorama of the City of New York. The Panorama was the world's largest model which was created by Robert Moses and Raymond Lester. The model was presented in the NYC pavilion at the 1964/1965 World fair, and it was intended to serve as the planning tool after the World fair (Museum guide). Most individuals would visualize the Panorama from a simulated helicopter ride that traveled around the area (Museum guide). I was amazed by the minor details that went in to it and realized that I did not know very much about New York City or its 5 boroughs. I found out about the creation of the grid of 1811, which was this original design plan for the streets of Manhattan. There are 5 east bridges that is abbreviated as "BMW-QT" (credits to Professor Russo) which stands for Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, Queens borough, and Triborough bridges. In 1883 the opening of the Brooklyn bridge which connects Manhattan to Brooklyn was another fun fact that I was not aware of (ENY pg 26).
Around lunch time we return to Jackson Heights and head to Jackson Diner which is a restaurant that serves traditional Indian food. At first, I was very scared to try the food because I am not used to eating foods out of my comfort zone. What I mean by comfort zone is the basics such as french fries, chicken nuggets or fried rice with broccoli. When I tried the food I was very surprised of how much I liked it. I enjoyed the spicy aspect of it and how everything blended well together. I admit I did not try the goat because I was not feeling so spontaneous at the time but maybe one day I will have the courage to try it. I am glad that I could experience something different and it really made me want to open up to try other ethnic foods in the future. After lunch we head to Steinway which is in Astoria. In early years Astoria was a very blue collar area where the majority of the population was Greek. Astoria was also a place where all great movies were made some by the Marx Brothers, it was also a place that has the biggest beer gardens (ENY pg 168). Overtime, the area had become a place where the middle or working class settled and has become a very cultured part of NYC today. The term "Gentrification" was used a lot during the trip which means there is a shift in urban communities where wealthier individuals increase property value in poor or under established areas. This particular shift really impacts the poorer population because they won't be able to live in those areas anymore. While in Astoria we visit the Museum of the Moving Image where there are 3 floors of magnificent objects of past to present day equipment that was used for film (ENY pg 169). I was amazed by the amount of change that we as a society went through. From the development of the television to editing "live" television is something that is very cool to me. I also got to see how movie make up is done and the particular costumes used for horror, comedies, and history movies where each area payed attention to detail.
The last place on our adventure was Long Island City which I liked the most because it was a place of incredible scenery but at the same time had so much history behind it. Long Island City is known for its rapid development and ongoing gentrification which is occurring now. It has a beautiful waterfront that shows all the famous buildings of Manhattan. The Long Island City area is also a place that has a multitude of art galleries, art institutions, and many empty spaces of any neighborhood in NYC. Overall, I enjoyed the many parts of Queens and I was surprised by some areas that I thought I knew about but didn't. One neighborhood in particular was Jackson Heights, which I thought I had an idea about before we went there but became more interested in that specific area when I learned more.
3. Brooklyn
7/10/14
My second trip was to Coney Island in Brooklyn where I always like to visit but do not like the long commute. We all met up in Penn Station and from there walked to 6th street where we took the D train. The borough of Brooklyn was originally referred to as King's county and the first individuals to settle in the borough were the Dutch (ENY pg 135). My impression of Coney Island was that it was a place filled with numerous activities that make you want to try all of the fun attractions at least once. Coney Island is also the home to Nathan's famous hot dogs and every July 4th the hot dog eating contest is held there. The Cyclone, which in my opinion is the most frightening roller coaster ride is because I never feel safe on it; it is one of those roller coaster rides that make you want to hold on to dear life. But in spite of what I feel about this certain ride I went on it any because it's that one ride that I keep coming back to whenever I go to Coney Island, because that ride is so significant to that area. Coney Island is also known for its amusement parks and ocean side view where the board walk is the cherry on top. A fun fact about Coney Island is that it used to be an island but not anymore and around the 1970's it wasn't a nice place to live due to a lot of violence and crime (ENY pg 138). Walking around Coney Island I noticed that the area is very diverse but the food is expensive, which I did not understand why a miniature taco was $7.
After Coney Island we went on the F train and headed to Jay street- metro tech. While in Jay street we came across a building, which is now formally called Brooklyn borough hall. We discussed how the building was constructed from Greek style formation. The term "Greek Revival" was a type of style that was used in the early years in New York where most buildings were built like areas in Greece. We made our way to the Transit Museum, which I was surprised to learn existed. The museum is located in downtown Brooklyn and in the museum it was explained how throughout time the subway system was built. Around the 1800's lower Manhattan was the borough that was over populated because at that time there weren't any sufficient means for transportation (Museum guide). Most people who lived in that area were immigrants who worked in the factories. The main source of transportation at the time where horses that would leave large amounts of garbage throughout the city. It took the city of New York to start thinking about other means of transportation after a massive blizzard in the year of 1888. The blizzard of 1888 was the worst in New York City history where there was 50 inches of snow and 15,000 people who got stranded on a elevated train (Museum guide). The construction of the railroad began with numerous workers working long hours for low pay. The majority of these workers are immigrants from Italian and Irish descent. The working conditions for these workers were most times dangerous because dynamite blasts would occur as well as heavy loads of steel and concrete had been difficult to move back and forth. The most dangerous job of them all were the crew members that were named "sandhogs" who worked in underwater tunneling (Museum guide). These individuals worked in severe conditions that were life threatening. To get their bodies ready for the extreme pressure these workers would stay in compressed air chambers and only work for 1 or 2 hours and take long breaks in between (Museum guide). The specific atmospheric pressure that these sandhogs were under was very painful so that's why it was important for them to have these long breaks. The construction workers would use the term "cut and cover" which meant they would cut parts of the street and then build a tunnel or wall (Museum guide). The subway originally opened in the 1904, which was a stepping stone for most of the population to leave lower Manhattan. I really enjoyed the different types of subway systems throughout the years and how as a society we have come a long way.
From the Transit museum we walked to Brooklyn Heights, which was developed because lower Manhattan was very industrial and congested. Most people came to Brooklyn because it was this ideal and wholesome place to raise a family (ENY pg 145). While walking the streets of the heights, I noticed that the houses were built very differently than other houses in Queens or Manhattan. The area had a lot of mansions as well but overall, I felt the place was very peaceful. We also came across the Plymouth Church, which had a very famous preacher by the name of Henry Ward Beecher who had many admirers (ENY pg. 150). As we walk further, we get to the Dumbo which is an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass (ENY pg. 151). The Dumbo is located between two bridges, the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridge. One particular area that I found beautiful in the Dumbo was Jane's Carousel, which really captures the essence of the area. Our next and final stop was the Brooklyn bridge and the most exciting part would be to walk across it. I admit, I was already very tired for the last task of the day but was determined to reach the goal. Leading up to the bridge I became excited because this was a landmark that was extremely important in New York City history. Walking along the bridge I noticed that bike riders are very aggressive and that most people stop and stare at the view and just embrace it. As time progressed, I couldn't wait for the walk to be over because it was just such a long walk that you just want it to be over after you reach the half way mark of the bridge. I was surprised to see the amount of people that walk the bridge, it was people of all ages that were just having so much fun.
Overall, I enjoyed my Brooklyn adventure because this is a borough that I don't travel to often. It was nice to see the rich culture of Brooklyn because I did think of the borough in a certain way but because of this experience I came to enjoy what Brooklyn really had to offer. I definitely want to come back and visit these places again and make new memories with my family members.
My second trip was to Coney Island in Brooklyn where I always like to visit but do not like the long commute. We all met up in Penn Station and from there walked to 6th street where we took the D train. The borough of Brooklyn was originally referred to as King's county and the first individuals to settle in the borough were the Dutch (ENY pg 135). My impression of Coney Island was that it was a place filled with numerous activities that make you want to try all of the fun attractions at least once. Coney Island is also the home to Nathan's famous hot dogs and every July 4th the hot dog eating contest is held there. The Cyclone, which in my opinion is the most frightening roller coaster ride is because I never feel safe on it; it is one of those roller coaster rides that make you want to hold on to dear life. But in spite of what I feel about this certain ride I went on it any because it's that one ride that I keep coming back to whenever I go to Coney Island, because that ride is so significant to that area. Coney Island is also known for its amusement parks and ocean side view where the board walk is the cherry on top. A fun fact about Coney Island is that it used to be an island but not anymore and around the 1970's it wasn't a nice place to live due to a lot of violence and crime (ENY pg 138). Walking around Coney Island I noticed that the area is very diverse but the food is expensive, which I did not understand why a miniature taco was $7.
After Coney Island we went on the F train and headed to Jay street- metro tech. While in Jay street we came across a building, which is now formally called Brooklyn borough hall. We discussed how the building was constructed from Greek style formation. The term "Greek Revival" was a type of style that was used in the early years in New York where most buildings were built like areas in Greece. We made our way to the Transit Museum, which I was surprised to learn existed. The museum is located in downtown Brooklyn and in the museum it was explained how throughout time the subway system was built. Around the 1800's lower Manhattan was the borough that was over populated because at that time there weren't any sufficient means for transportation (Museum guide). Most people who lived in that area were immigrants who worked in the factories. The main source of transportation at the time where horses that would leave large amounts of garbage throughout the city. It took the city of New York to start thinking about other means of transportation after a massive blizzard in the year of 1888. The blizzard of 1888 was the worst in New York City history where there was 50 inches of snow and 15,000 people who got stranded on a elevated train (Museum guide). The construction of the railroad began with numerous workers working long hours for low pay. The majority of these workers are immigrants from Italian and Irish descent. The working conditions for these workers were most times dangerous because dynamite blasts would occur as well as heavy loads of steel and concrete had been difficult to move back and forth. The most dangerous job of them all were the crew members that were named "sandhogs" who worked in underwater tunneling (Museum guide). These individuals worked in severe conditions that were life threatening. To get their bodies ready for the extreme pressure these workers would stay in compressed air chambers and only work for 1 or 2 hours and take long breaks in between (Museum guide). The specific atmospheric pressure that these sandhogs were under was very painful so that's why it was important for them to have these long breaks. The construction workers would use the term "cut and cover" which meant they would cut parts of the street and then build a tunnel or wall (Museum guide). The subway originally opened in the 1904, which was a stepping stone for most of the population to leave lower Manhattan. I really enjoyed the different types of subway systems throughout the years and how as a society we have come a long way.
From the Transit museum we walked to Brooklyn Heights, which was developed because lower Manhattan was very industrial and congested. Most people came to Brooklyn because it was this ideal and wholesome place to raise a family (ENY pg 145). While walking the streets of the heights, I noticed that the houses were built very differently than other houses in Queens or Manhattan. The area had a lot of mansions as well but overall, I felt the place was very peaceful. We also came across the Plymouth Church, which had a very famous preacher by the name of Henry Ward Beecher who had many admirers (ENY pg. 150). As we walk further, we get to the Dumbo which is an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass (ENY pg. 151). The Dumbo is located between two bridges, the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridge. One particular area that I found beautiful in the Dumbo was Jane's Carousel, which really captures the essence of the area. Our next and final stop was the Brooklyn bridge and the most exciting part would be to walk across it. I admit, I was already very tired for the last task of the day but was determined to reach the goal. Leading up to the bridge I became excited because this was a landmark that was extremely important in New York City history. Walking along the bridge I noticed that bike riders are very aggressive and that most people stop and stare at the view and just embrace it. As time progressed, I couldn't wait for the walk to be over because it was just such a long walk that you just want it to be over after you reach the half way mark of the bridge. I was surprised to see the amount of people that walk the bridge, it was people of all ages that were just having so much fun.
Overall, I enjoyed my Brooklyn adventure because this is a borough that I don't travel to often. It was nice to see the rich culture of Brooklyn because I did think of the borough in a certain way but because of this experience I came to enjoy what Brooklyn really had to offer. I definitely want to come back and visit these places again and make new memories with my family members.
4. The Village
7/12/14
On Friday's adventure we explored Chelsea and the Village. We all met In Penn Station and from there we walked to Chelsea. While walking to the area of Chelsea we noticed that most buildings around Penn Station were not as attractive like other buildings we encountered in Brooklyn or Queens. Some fun facts about Chelsea is that in the nineteenth century it was mostly farm land, where later on wealthy people from lower Manhattan traveled to the Chelsea area where they built beautiful houses (ENY pg 105). Around the 1980's, Chelsea had become a place where a lot of hookers were established and overtime, artists started to buy warehouses/garages and turn it into art galleries. The best way to really experience Chelsea is by viewing the area from above (ENY pg 106). We started off on the "High line" , which is on 30th street and tenth ave and honestly it was the most beautiful view I have ever seen. Primarily, what Chelsea is known for today is mostly art galleries (ENY pg 107). What I learned about galleries in particular is that they are much smaller and provide more of an interaction with society and it usually show cases one or two artists at a time. The first art gallery was the Mike Weiss Gallery, the artist was Jerry Kearns, which I liked very much because his art work used this unique perspective on superheros. What I found interesting was how he portrayed Jesus in his art work as some kind of a super hero as well, which had me thinking that some people imagine the world much differently than you expect. When I saw his art work, in a way it made me change my mind of how I see this religious figure and what it might represent to the artist.
We explored other galleries as well where each gallery had a specific essence to it. I liked how each gallery portrayed the artists views, each painting or picture had this collective story, which I believed was about that specific artist and what he/she thought art was to him/her. Along Chelsea there is an area, which is called the "historical district". In this district there is a place called "Cushman Row", which is a collection of seven red brick row houses that were built around 1839 to 1840 (ENY pg 108). In another area in Chelsea we came across Saint Peters church, which was completed in 1836 and was built in a Gothic revival style (ENY pg 109). We got to see the inside of the church and it was a place that till this day has such beauty and elegance. We decide for lunch that we would go to Chelsea Market, which I found very crowded and somewhat expensive but was a place that made you want to try everything. After lunch we head to Greenwich Village a place with numerous row houses and a vibrant area to explore. We walked to the Washington Square Park, which is a park that has a variety of people singing, dancing, and relaxing around the fountain area that I kind of wanted to join in on. Around 1820, the park was a Washington military ground and Greenwich area at the time was a place where federal and Greek style houses were built for the elite (ENY pg 110). At first, Greenwich village was not such a great neighborhood, it was Jane Jacobs who was this great visionary who did not let Robert Moses make an expressway in this area. One particular area, which I found amazing was the Washington Square arch that was built in 1891. That specific arch represents the inauguration of George Washington, where on one side he is at peace and on the other side he is ready for war.
The next stop on our adventure was the "Merchants House Museum". This particular museum shows how life at home was in the 19th century New York. The house was built in 1832 by Joseph Brewster and after all these years the home has been preserved in a way that most belongings in the house are from the original family (ENY pg 121). The first family that settled in this historic house were the wealthy Tredwell family. The house was occupied by Mr. Tredwell, his wife, eight children, four servants, and other relatives until his passing in 1865 (ENY pg 121). The house was eventually passed down to the youngest daughter who maintained the house until 1933 when the neighborhood at the time was not the safest place to live. My thought of the house was that it was amazing for its time but I did not understand why if the family was so wealthy that they all had to live under one roof. Most wealthy individuals today have many houses with numerous family members spread throughout. After the museum we walk to 41 Cooper square, which is an area with the most modern building that really takes over the street. The building in Cooper square is officially now part of the Cooper Union campus and is a great addition to that area (ENY pg 123). Inside the building you get a sense of architecture genius where there is this dramatic stair case that makes you feel as if you are getting ready for a long journey. As we walked further we make it to Astor Place which was named after John Jacob Astor the 3rd (ENY pg 124). Around that area there is numerous buildings and various spots that hold historical significance. The Astor Place Riot was a time where Irish immigrants did not like the British at all. The riot broke out when a English actor by the name of William Charles Macready and an American actor were presenting their versions of the play Macbeth in the area (ENY pg 124).
The last place in our adventure was when we walked east along Astor Place until we reached St. Mark's Place (ENY pg 126). This area in particular is filled with various stores, bars, and restaurants, which seems like a place were the fun does not stop. We headed to the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, which I was excited about because Professor Russo bragged about it so much. I ordered the "salty pimp" and by surprise it was one of the best ice creams I ever tried. The ice cream really lived up to its name and had all the elements, which in my opinion make a great treat. Overall, I enjoyed this trip because it was part of the city I don't encounter often. The whole day was filled with laughter and great food, which makes me even more excited for the adventures ahead.
On Friday's adventure we explored Chelsea and the Village. We all met In Penn Station and from there we walked to Chelsea. While walking to the area of Chelsea we noticed that most buildings around Penn Station were not as attractive like other buildings we encountered in Brooklyn or Queens. Some fun facts about Chelsea is that in the nineteenth century it was mostly farm land, where later on wealthy people from lower Manhattan traveled to the Chelsea area where they built beautiful houses (ENY pg 105). Around the 1980's, Chelsea had become a place where a lot of hookers were established and overtime, artists started to buy warehouses/garages and turn it into art galleries. The best way to really experience Chelsea is by viewing the area from above (ENY pg 106). We started off on the "High line" , which is on 30th street and tenth ave and honestly it was the most beautiful view I have ever seen. Primarily, what Chelsea is known for today is mostly art galleries (ENY pg 107). What I learned about galleries in particular is that they are much smaller and provide more of an interaction with society and it usually show cases one or two artists at a time. The first art gallery was the Mike Weiss Gallery, the artist was Jerry Kearns, which I liked very much because his art work used this unique perspective on superheros. What I found interesting was how he portrayed Jesus in his art work as some kind of a super hero as well, which had me thinking that some people imagine the world much differently than you expect. When I saw his art work, in a way it made me change my mind of how I see this religious figure and what it might represent to the artist.
We explored other galleries as well where each gallery had a specific essence to it. I liked how each gallery portrayed the artists views, each painting or picture had this collective story, which I believed was about that specific artist and what he/she thought art was to him/her. Along Chelsea there is an area, which is called the "historical district". In this district there is a place called "Cushman Row", which is a collection of seven red brick row houses that were built around 1839 to 1840 (ENY pg 108). In another area in Chelsea we came across Saint Peters church, which was completed in 1836 and was built in a Gothic revival style (ENY pg 109). We got to see the inside of the church and it was a place that till this day has such beauty and elegance. We decide for lunch that we would go to Chelsea Market, which I found very crowded and somewhat expensive but was a place that made you want to try everything. After lunch we head to Greenwich Village a place with numerous row houses and a vibrant area to explore. We walked to the Washington Square Park, which is a park that has a variety of people singing, dancing, and relaxing around the fountain area that I kind of wanted to join in on. Around 1820, the park was a Washington military ground and Greenwich area at the time was a place where federal and Greek style houses were built for the elite (ENY pg 110). At first, Greenwich village was not such a great neighborhood, it was Jane Jacobs who was this great visionary who did not let Robert Moses make an expressway in this area. One particular area, which I found amazing was the Washington Square arch that was built in 1891. That specific arch represents the inauguration of George Washington, where on one side he is at peace and on the other side he is ready for war.
The next stop on our adventure was the "Merchants House Museum". This particular museum shows how life at home was in the 19th century New York. The house was built in 1832 by Joseph Brewster and after all these years the home has been preserved in a way that most belongings in the house are from the original family (ENY pg 121). The first family that settled in this historic house were the wealthy Tredwell family. The house was occupied by Mr. Tredwell, his wife, eight children, four servants, and other relatives until his passing in 1865 (ENY pg 121). The house was eventually passed down to the youngest daughter who maintained the house until 1933 when the neighborhood at the time was not the safest place to live. My thought of the house was that it was amazing for its time but I did not understand why if the family was so wealthy that they all had to live under one roof. Most wealthy individuals today have many houses with numerous family members spread throughout. After the museum we walk to 41 Cooper square, which is an area with the most modern building that really takes over the street. The building in Cooper square is officially now part of the Cooper Union campus and is a great addition to that area (ENY pg 123). Inside the building you get a sense of architecture genius where there is this dramatic stair case that makes you feel as if you are getting ready for a long journey. As we walked further we make it to Astor Place which was named after John Jacob Astor the 3rd (ENY pg 124). Around that area there is numerous buildings and various spots that hold historical significance. The Astor Place Riot was a time where Irish immigrants did not like the British at all. The riot broke out when a English actor by the name of William Charles Macready and an American actor were presenting their versions of the play Macbeth in the area (ENY pg 124).
The last place in our adventure was when we walked east along Astor Place until we reached St. Mark's Place (ENY pg 126). This area in particular is filled with various stores, bars, and restaurants, which seems like a place were the fun does not stop. We headed to the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, which I was excited about because Professor Russo bragged about it so much. I ordered the "salty pimp" and by surprise it was one of the best ice creams I ever tried. The ice cream really lived up to its name and had all the elements, which in my opinion make a great treat. Overall, I enjoyed this trip because it was part of the city I don't encounter often. The whole day was filled with laughter and great food, which makes me even more excited for the adventures ahead.