Journal 2
Wild West Side
Today we were able to explore the Westside of Manhattan. I’m probably most familiar with the parts of this area in comparison to other areas we have visited thus far. I’ve been in Times Square numerous times, and I feel like the atmosphere is just so exciting that I could never get bored going there. We also made our way to Harlem to embrace the lifestyle there as well. I was excited for the class, and the weather was very nice when we started. However, this would change and our day would get cut short.
We began our day walking around parts of Manhattan. Times Square is just a sight to behold. It’s truly one of the greatest locations in the city, and certainly one of the most popular parts of the Big Apple. This is my absolute favorite part of the city. The weather was perfect for strolling around Times Square. It’s really hard to believe that Times Square wasn’t always as lively as it is now. It’s pretty much the center of the city. After reading about the history of Times Square, I was surprised to learn how drastically things have changed. “Before 1904, Times Square, then known as Longacre Square, was dominated by horse exchanges, carriage factories, stables, and blacksmiths’ shops” (Blue Guide p. 217). Times Square was hardly the great tourist site it is today. I learned that as the development of trains and subways rose, Times Square boomed. “As advances in transportation made the district widely accessible and investors realized the profits of theaters as real estate, Times Square flourished” (Blue Guide p. 217).
We made our way through the famous NBC Studios. The building was quite attractive and exactly what I pictured NBC Studios to look like on the inside. Right outside of NBC Studios was Rockefeller Center. I had seen the tree lit up a few times in the past during the Christmas season, but I never really visited Rockefeller Center during this time of the year. People are always moving nonstop in the city, and Rockefeller Center was packed with people like usual. Rockefeller Center is definitely a site you would want to visit to experience the New York culture, as their website claims that “John D. Rockefeller Jr.'s resolution to make Rockefeller Center contemporary and innovative can be felt with every artwork and attraction” (www.rockefellercenter.com/art-and-history/). The Rockefeller name is legendary itself and will forever be cemented in New York’s legacy.
We had the chance to visit the Museum of Modern Art, also known as the MOMA. The MOMA is full of a lot of interesting artwork, some of which to be honest I personally wouldn’t consider art. However, you have to have an open mind about some of the pieces of art because each artist had a specific reason for why they consider their artwork actual art. I was able to see one of my favorite paintings by Vincent van Gogh, the Starry Night! This painting dates back all the way to 1889, and I’ve always loved the way van Gogh depicted the starry skyline at night. I was happy I got to see it firsthand, it was really neat. I learned the church spire in the Starry Night was an interpretation of van Gogh’s native land, the Netherlands. I saw a lot of odd-looking pieces of art, but again, I’m not in the artist’s head. Overall, the MOMA was definitely the perfect place to learn about some modern art that is popular in the world.
The whole class was treated to Thai Food. I ordered the chicken in peanut sauce, and it was pretty good. I’m not a big fan of oriental cuisine; however this particular meal was pretty tasty. I would definitely dine at a Thai restaurant again in the future. Unfortunately, our day was cut short by bad weather while we were still in Harlem. The class tried to stick it out, but it really got nasty out. We’ve been getting pretty unlucky with the weather lately, hopefully are next couple of classes will be sunny and nice!
Lower Manhattan and Captivating Chelsea
This particular class was a very interesting one, and needless to say, it was a very eventful day in New York. From the very start of the day, the sun was wicked, and we all had to try our best to beat the heat. After meeting up with the class in Penn Station as usual, we made our way to City Hall to learn some history about this great landmark. We were given a spectacular tour by a very knowledgeable tour guide. I learned that the Dutch settlers built the first City Hall, and that this current City Hall is actually the third one in history. The architecture on the exterior of the building exemplifies a style from the French Renaissance, and the whole building is really a remarkable landmark. We were able to take a tour inside the City Hall, and the inside is just as stunning as the outside. We were able to view The Governor’s Room where we viewed notable artifacts such as the desk George Washington used to preside over the Continental Congress. We even got to get a taste of the City Council Chamber, which is utilized for public meetings, ceremonial events, and receiving dignities. I got a healthy dosage of history on the tour of City Hall, and it was the perfect way to start off our class.
Our next destination was one that I will never forget, the 9/11 Memorial Site. The structures in this particular site are unforgettable. This memorial is such a beautiful tribute to the heroes of New York that lost their lives on that tragic day. All of those people lost in 9/11 will surely never be forgotten thanks to this breathtaking memorial. It was a very moving experience to see the names of the thousands that were lost in this tragic event, which were engraved around a stunning waterfall structure. I said a prayer for those who were lost and their loved ones, making sure to pay my respects one last time before we left. I recommend that every American take the time to visit this memorial, for it really is a wonderful memorial dedicated to the victims of 9/11 (www.911memorial.org/).
We were able to see Trinity Church, which had some surprising history. “At the head of Wall St. on Broadway stands Trinity Church, once the loftiest building in the neighborhood, now overshadowed by gigantic office buildings. Despite its modesty in size and conception, Trinity Church is probably New York’s most famous house of worship, because of its dramatic setting. It is also one of the wealthiest- as befits a parish situated in a district so unabashedly devoted to Mammon” (Blue Guide p. 65). I was very surprised to learn that Trinity Church was so popular and wealthy. I would have never guessed that it was a giant landmark, due to its outer appearance. Because of its legacy in New York, I soaked the whole experience in, and I was very glad that I visited Trinity Church.
On Wall Street, there were plenty of landmarks. One obvious landmark was the Federal Hall National Memorial. In the front of the memorial was the very famous statue of George Washington, which is located in the very spot where he was sworn in as the first President of the United States. “George Washington took the oath of office in 1789 on the second-floor balcony, wearing what was for the period a simple suit of brown cloth” (Blue Guide p. 69). Inside, various artifacts such as the Bill of Rights could be found. The Federal Hall National Memorial was surreal, especially after considering just how many historic Americans were in that exact location at very important times in their lives.
We arrived in Chelsea, which turned out to be a very nice part of New York. We ordered some interesting food from a marketplace in Chelsea. I enjoyed the gelato I got very much- it was very tasty! After walking along the High Line, we visited numerous museums filled with unique artwork. In the Gagosian Gallery, I was able to sneak a shot of Jeff Koons’ New Paintings & Sculpture exhibit. The giant balloon-animal sculpture of a swan really caught my attention. I enjoyed the simplicity of the piece, and how Koons incorporated a child’s toy into the artwork. It was so simple yet unique and elegant. As we traveled from museum to museum, I got to see firsthand a lot of exotic artwork. One painting I discovered in Luhring Augustine had very colorful, vibrant patterns. I was just staring at the painting for a decent amount of time, admiring its attractive layout and intelligent design. It was just art at its finest.
Printed Matter, Inc. was full of very diverse and unordinary books. The book that stood out to me a lot was We Who Feel Differently by Carlos Motta and Christina Motta. By skimming the book, I could tell its message was clear. Stand out because we are different. Stand out because we want to. Stand out because we can. Stand out because it’s better to be unique. No matter what, try your best to stand out and be yourself. It was truly a great note to end the day on.
Immigrant New York
Upon arriving to Penn Station for class, I was particularly excited for today because I had never been to Chinatown. Coming from an Asian background, I wanted to see the lifestyle in Chinatown and really embrace it. But before Chinatown, we had some exploring to do. First, we stopped at one of New York’s famous markets, the Essex Street Market. Being inside of the Essex Street Market was like being on a whole other planet. I had never seen a market quite like this one before. I’m so used to the markets from Long Island that seeing one in New York that was filled with such unique products was very fascinating. I couldn’t picture myself ever shopping at a market like that, but now that I’m a lot more open-minded to street markets like the Essex Street Market. The diversity of the foods inside the market goes to show you just how diverse the area is (www.essexstreetmarket.com).
We met up with our tour guide who was very knowledgeable about this diverse area of New York. The lower East side of Manhattan is very ethnically and culturally diverse, and the scenery really displayed just how diverse of a community it was. “While many of Manhattan’s other ethnic enclaves are shrinking or gentrifying, Chinatown is expanding eastward beyond its original boundaries into the Lower East Side and northward into Little Italy. The neighborhood surges with energy” (Blue Guide p. 107). The atmosphere in Chinatown was amazing, and I really enjoyed the diversity of it all. Chinatown is full of Chinese writing. I think Chinese writing is so beautiful and artistic that I was seriously entertained just looking at different signs. The Blue Guide was right about the signs when it stated that “signs in English and Chinese hang from virtually every storefront” (Blue Guide p. 107). Taking a trip to Chinatown was definitely on my bucket list, and I am thrilled I got to check that one off.
One of the highlights of the day was dining with the class at the Congee Village Restaurant. The outside of the restaurant was modern, yet had a hint of Asian style to it. The inside of the restaurant was also a little more modern, but very cool- I thought the bar was really designed nicely with some Asian culture mixed in. We got several entrees that we were able to share with each other so that we each got a little taste of all of the different foods. I enjoyed the sesame chicken, the sweet and sour chicken, and the garlic chicken. I guess you could say I’m a fan of tasty chicken. The one thing that totally freaked me out was when I saw the head of the garlic chicken sitting on the plate of food. It grossed our whole table out so bad that the waiter eventually took it off the plate and threw it away. I kept on thinking how something so bizarre to me was probably so normal to them. It was obvious that I was experiencing a different type of Asian culture, and the whole experience was exciting.
Our next task was a test of our stamina, crossing the Williamsburg Bridge by foot! This bridge is approximately 1.2 miles long, so it was almost the same length as the Brooklyn Bridge. This time we were traveling from the Lower East Side to Brooklyn, rather than the other way around. The sun was unforgiving, and I wondered how the residents of the City were able to live like that. Seeing all the City residents being unfazed by the heat really blew my mind. This is when it really clicked in my head that even though I live fairly close to the city, my culture and way of life was so different from the people who live in the City. Even though the heat was ridiculous, I enjoyed the walk over the Williamsburg Bridge because the view of the City was so dazzling.
We battled the heat and we were able to arrive in Williamsburg with time to visit the Brooklyn Art Library. We learned about the Sketchbook Project, which consists of various artists from around the world sharing their art through sketchbooks. In order to participate, you purchase a sketchbook from the library and fill it up with your own original work. Once you are finished filling it up, you return it to the library and it gets displayed at events in popular locations. I thought this was a very cool way to share art and to exchange creative ideas. A lot of the artists were very talented, and I just thought the whole idea of personalizing a sketchbook for others to see was a brilliant one. Afterwards, we did a little more site-seeing and finally called it a day. Our next class is our last one, and I can honestly say I’m upset that this course is coming to an end.
Quixotic Queens
This class was a bittersweet one, for it was our last class. To be honest, it was sad that my time with such a great group of people was coming to an end. I was determined to have the very best last day with my class, and I was not disappointed. This particular class was supposed to be our first class, but ended up being our last one due to rescheduling. As normal, we gathered in Penn Station and began our journey to learn about different parts of New York, including Queens. “The first inhabitants of Queens were the Rockaway Indians, whose name lives on in the peninsula stretching across Jamaica Bay. The first settlers were Dutch, who arrived c. 1635, followed by the English some 20 years later” (Blue Guide p. 494). Throughout the day, we were able to learn about various parts of Queens, and experience firsthand some of the most interesting parts of Queens.
Before we headed off to Queens, we had a nice group discussion in Bryant Park. Bryant Park is a very famous park in New York City, and I have personally been ice skating there in the winter. Bryant Park is a great site of entertainment year round (www.bryantpark.org/). Our class discussed what we liked and did not like about the course thus far. My contribution to the conversation was that I loved the different waterfront sites that we had been too, and Mike informed me that I would be happy with the day we had ahead of us because it was full of some nice waterfront scenery. I was excited to see how my day would unfold.
At the New York Public Library, I was overwhelmed with the structure of the building. It was one of the biggest libraries I had ever seen before. Inside, it was very quiet, and people were definitely obeying the rules and keeping to themselves. Inside, we wrote individual haikus. My haiku is a simple one that shows how I view New York. I enjoyed writing a haiku, because I love writing and creating poetry. I was happy I got to write my first haiku in the New York Public Library.
New York never sleeps
The atmosphere is unmatched
Big Apple for life
The atmosphere is unmatched
Big Apple for life
We visited Grand Central Terminal, which was gorgeous inside. Everything looked like it was made of gold, and everyone had somewhere to be (www.grandcentralterminal.com). It was really a sight to behold. The number 100 was in clear sight, being displayed to represent how Grand Central Terminal has been a popular form of transportation for over 100 years. We were able to visit the Chrysler Building, which was dedicated to world commerce and industry. Both sites were very interesting, and I recommend visiting both places.
We took a tram to Roosevelt Island, which was a very interesting experience for me. After swiping my metro card, I was excited to go on my very first tram ride. The view of the 59th Street Bridge, as well as the skyscrapers and other city buildings, was incredible. The tram ride alone was a great experience. Once we arrived at Roosevelt Island, we made our way to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedom Park. I can honestly say that the design of this park was amazing. With the great waterfront views, I could have stayed in the park all day just staring at the scenery.
In this particular class, we went to the Museum of the Moving Image. This museum was by far my favorite museum to date. It was full of vintage video games, which alone got me really excited. I made a video by taking still pictures, one by one, until I had enough frames to piece together. My friends and I loved the video flipbook, which captured us doing silly dances. It was just such a fun museum. I am definitely going to visit that museum again in the future.
In Long Island City, we were able to see amazing artwork through beautiful graffiti on various buildings. “In recent years Long Island City, a largely industrial neighborhood, has become a center for contemporary art, particularly sculpture, since its industrial architecture sends itself to the installation of large works” (Blue Guide p. 495). I really enjoyed seeing the different graffiti designs, and personally I consider graffiti one of my favorite forms of art. The amount of talent that goes into creating the elaborate designs just blows my mind.
My least favorite part of the day was saying goodbye to everyone. I had such an amazing experience. I don’t think I was ready for the class to be finished. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. As we said our goodbyes, I knew I was leaving the class a more knowledgeable person.
Final Impressions of New York
Before I took this course, I really did not know too much about New York and its culture. I have a lot of new outlooks on New York now, and I really feel a lot more cultured. This whole entire experience was one that I will remember my whole life. I made new friends, learned about new places, and got to experience some of the most exciting parts of New York. I am so glad I took this course, and I am planning on using the knowledge I have learned in the class to become a frequent visitor to New York City.
Now that I have finished my New York experience, I want to talk a little bit about the culture of New York. I have never seen so much cultural diversity in my life. I was always aware that New York was a very diverse city, but I never understood the magnitude of its diversity until I took this course. Culture is so diverse everywhere you go that it’s hard to adjust to the atmosphere in some locations. Culture is what makes the city so diverse and exciting. Experiencing the different lifestyles of New York City was so entertaining.
I really enjoyed visiting Coney Island the most. Coney Island was the first class, and what really sold me on wanting to learn about New York. The boardwalk was stunning, and the theme parks were outrageously fun. I wasn’t even there for a long time, but I’m already considering taking a trip out to Coney Island to spend an entire day there. Our first class had such a good impression on me that before every class I was always anxious to meet in Penn Station to have more great experiences. I was able to make friends with people who I would have never met if not for this class. Our whole group was just so perfect because everyone’s personalities blended together so well.
I still see New York as the concrete jungle. It is the city that never sleeps. It is the greatest city in the world. I cannot put into words just how intriguing the city is. The rich history I learned really gave me some background info that put the city itself into perspective. After taking this course, I have so much more respect for the history of New York. I praise every aspect of New York, and I certainly appreciate the city for what it is. I recommend this course to every student in Molloy. It was the best class I have ever taken. The experiences I had in this course were some of the greatest experiences in my life. This course was honestly life changing, and I wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything in the world. I really loved this course, and although I am sad it had to end, I am extremely happy that I was able to experience New York and all of its greatness. I look forward to taking the knowledge I learned in this course and applying it whenever I visit the city in the future. New York for life!