Reflection of New York

After exploring New York City, my attitudes, beliefs, and feelings toward New York, have definitely changed for the better. I have learned a lot from our many travels in the city. I have learned to appreciate the city more. Although I thought I've pretty much seen what New York has to offer, this was not so. This class has taken me to a lot of places that I never would have thought existed in New York. My thoughts on New York have definitely changed. I am now more aware of the gentrification that is taking place in this city. After our trips, I have seen the artwork that is present in the city and seen how it is so vital to New York City. The city is simply surrounded by beautiful artwork. This class has also changed my mind on the city in that I have learned to appreciate it more. Through the museum visits, I have learned many things that I definitely have taken for granted in the city. For example, I have become more aware of the contributions and the impact that Robert Moses has had on New York, through the expressways and parkways that have been made. I have also learned to appreciate the transit system more through my experience in The Transit Museum. I have also learned a lot and have learned to appreciate and gain respect for the immigrants that have lived in the tenements through my experience in the Tenement Museum. Overall, my view of New York has widened and one thing that I have definitely learned is that New York has a lot to offer, and it is simply impossible to get tired of New York.

Immigrant NY: Lower Eastside, The Bowery, Little Italy, and Chinatown

It really is true what they say, "Time goes by fast, when you're having fun". It is the last Friday of our Gotham New York Experience, and we are heading towards the Lower Eastside and exploring Immigrant New York. We will be focusing on immigrant life in the city for the last two hundred years. Our first stop was Delancy Street, where we stopped by the historic Essex Street Market. Here, we were able to view (and sample) many different ethnic foods from around the world. For example, I was able to see some foods from Puerto Rico. This market was built in 1940 and was at first home to pushcart peddlers who offered different kinds of food such as Latino, Jewish, and upscale urbanite (chicken gizzards, nopales, and fish cheeks) (BG p.123). These pushcart peddlers were at first located on the streets, but Mayor Fiorello La Guardia legislated them off the streets and into this market. It was a fun experience being able to look at the different types of food that each country had to offer.

   
     After the Essex Street Market, we walked a few blocks to the Tenement Museum, where we were given a tour that focused on the life of the Moore family. This museum was founded in 1988, and was once a tenement. This museum's focus is to preserve the heritage and honor the millions of immigrants of the Lower Eastside (BG p.122). The museum is a six-story Italianate brownstone that houses five apartments. It has been restored to its 19th century appearance in order to recreate the Moore family's experience (BG p.122).     During the tour, we were first shown pictures of what the neighborhood was like. Streets were filled with mountains of garbage. We had also seen pictures of everyday life and how women would be crowded and doing laundry together and maybe gossiping or catching up. We had learned of the difficult life that many immigrants such as the Moore family had to deal with. For example, one story that our tour guide told us was the hardships in trying to find a job. Many of these immigrants came to America for a better life, however, once arriving here, they were discriminated and denied of any jobs. The inability to find a job, therefore made it very difficult for families to get by. For example, the Moore family's youngest child, who was only a few months old, became sick because of the milk that was being fed to her. Milk back then was not pasteurized and even contained chalk to make it the color white. The Tenement Museum was probably my favorite part of the day. It was not just a regular museum where you look at artifacts behind a glass or in a frame. When walking into the rooms, you were able to take in the room and be able to almost live and experience what the Moore family was experiencing. I highly recommend this museum to anyone. The tour guide was very informative as well and made the tour very interesting and fun.  

     

    After visiting the Tenement Museum, we headed to lunch at Congee Village, a few steps away from the museum. Here, we were able to enjoy authentic Chinese cuisines. The food was very delicious and I especially enjoyed the batchoy. After enjoying our lunch at Congee Village, we were given a tour of the Lower Eastside, the Bowery, and parts of Little Italy and Chinatown. Our tour guide, a local historian guided us through Immigrant New York. We had learned a lot with this tour. Our tour guide first started out by giving us some statistics on Immigrant New York, such as how the percentage of people in NY who were not born in America, is 36%,which is the same percentage as it was back then when immigrants came from Ellis Island.

We then headed to Orchard Street, where we had learned that it was the center of the Jewish community. Orchard Street was named after the apple orchards on the 18th century farm of James De Lancey (BG p.120). It is considered the district's main shopping street, where many people can haggle and shop over handbags or home decorating fabrics. Our tour guide showed us a picture of Orchard Street and how it was back then. The picture showed a street that had mountains of garbage and horse feces, and when it snowed, snow would be on the bottom, covered up by the garbage and feces. We had also learned that during that time, there were no greenspace, it was in the streets where children played and gathered. Our tour guide also told us about Seward Park High School, which was an immigrant school, that consisted of 1% white and 99% non-white. At the time, there were also garment factories, where women worked in sweatshops. It is very hard to believe that where we were standing, this place once existed. Now, this place is even showing signs of gentrification where art galleries are starting to appear.


We then headed to Hester Street, which was a place that had rows and rows of tenements and no park. Hester Street also once had a push cart market that stretched a few blocks north and south. We had also learned about Jacob Riis, a reformer who during the Progressive era pushed for parks. He believed that we should use the city to provide amenities. The first municipal playground was therefore created. It had however become the ghetto and the slum when peddlers would sell stuff. Before the 1930's, peddlers did not need to have a permit to sell things, however this was changed due to health code violations. We also visited the Independent Kletzer Aide Association, which was used to help out immigrants in Kletz. This was an example of how Eastern European Jews would be scattered throughout Immigrant NY and how different towns from different countries would come together in NY.

After Hester Street, we headed to Canal Street to the Forward Building. The Forward Building was built for the Jewish Daily.Forward, the country's most influential Yiddish daily newspaper at the time (BG p. 124). It was considered the largest Yiddish newspaper in the city. Its editor was a socialist and the newspaper was completed in 1912. It was a major ethnic language newspaper that covered conflicting immigrant issues, small salary that immigrants got paid while working 12 hour/day 6 times a week. There would also be labor parties outside.

After learning a bit about Canal Street, we headed to Chinatown where we had learned that it has been expanding in the last 30-40 years. Chinatown was also considered a center for illegal immigration, where people from China would be smuggled through boats to arrive in Latin America and then the U.S. An agency would then find the person a job. We had also learned that since it cost a lot of money to get smuggled to the U.S., some people didn't have enough money to pay the agency when they arrived and therefore had to make payments to them and were indebted to them. Chinese immigrants were also able to travel  throughout the country. This was made possible by the Transcontinental Railroad, which was completed in 1869. Peasant laborers in the West who were brought to build the railroad, were faced with racial hostilities and would travel eastward (BG p.108). Racial hostilities and discrimination towards Chinese people erupted even more with the Chinese Exclusion Act which lasted 61 years from 1882-1940. This ended because Chinese became an ally of the U.S. during World War II. We then headed to the Eldridge Street Synagogue, considered a landmark because it is the oldest Eastern European Jewish synagogue. It was designed by 2 German architects. It was considered the grandest synagogue on the Lower East Side, drawing in many worshipers during the high Holy Days. Police were even sometimes called to control the crowds (BG p. 120). We then headed to Yung Wing School, which was connected to a Plaza. We had learned that Yung Wing was the first Chinese person to get a college degree in Yale University. He converted to Christianity and was responsible for building Western schools in China.

We then headed to Doyers Street. Dowyer, Pell, and Mott Street, we had learned are considered the oldest streets. Doyers Street was once known as "Bloody Angle". This was due to the crooked, narrow streets that would hold sword fight games against two powerful families, the Hip Sings and On Leongs (BG p.112). We then visited the Church of Transfiguration, which was once a Zion Episcopal Church, but is now a Roman Catholic parish that hold their masses in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English (BG p.112). We had also learned about Five Points and how it was the center of prime poverty, especially for the Irish and African Americans who lived there. This was due to the hardships in trying to find a job.

We then ended out day in Little Italy. Little Italy today has now become a tourist spot, where it is attracting visitors to its Italian restaurants (BG p.114). It was here where we said our bittersweet farewells and headed for some cannolis at Ferrara Bakery and Cafe.

Lower Manhattan & Captivating Chelsea

     Another Friday, another opportunity to get to know the city a little better. Today, we are going to explore lower Manhattan and Chelsea. We departed from Penn Station as usual, and headed to the World Trade Center (not the Freedom Tower, as emphasized by Meritta) and St. Paul's Chapel. While standing in between the One World Trade Center and the Trinity Church, we were given a brief history of the two buildings. During September 11, 2001, terrorists had crashed two planes into the Twin Towers, which were two office buildings that were part of the World Trade Center complex. In the Spring of 2002, the debris that had resulted from the attack, had been cleared away and a construction of a new building is now being made. This building is called the One World Trade Center and it is located just north of the former plaza at 250 Greenwich St. This building was made to symbolize the date of American independence in 2006 (BG p.62).  Reconstruction of the office towers by Daniel Libeskind are still in the process, causing much conflict and financial overruns (BG p.62). Looking at the construction of the building, it was hard not to get a little emotional. It sometimes seems as if 9/11 had just happened yesterday, and already there are new constructions being done. After the event of 9/11, rescue workers, such as volunteers, fire fighters, and police officers took refuge in St. Paul's Chapel. St. Paul's Chapel is Manhattan's only remaining colonial church and was built as a subsidiary chapel for Trinity Church (BG p.77). Today, this chapel has now become a small, temporary memorial in remembrance of the victims, family members, and workers affected by the event of 9/11. When we entered St. Paul's Chapel, it was filled with paraphernalia, such as flowers, photos, and teddy bears. St. Paul gives off a very comforting ambiance, and it is the perfect place for people to mourn and remember those who have been affected by 9/11.

     Our next stop was Wall Street, the financial district and the heart of capitalism. It is a third of a mile long and runs between Broadway and the East River (BG p.64). Wall Street got its name from a wall that was built in order to protect the Dutch town from British neighbors (BG p.64). As we walked the streets of Wall Street, we had passed by the famous New York Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange in the world. The New York Stock Exchange first moved to Wall Street in 1903. Once a place for premier banks and major corporations, is now turning into a place filled with restaurants and hotels. Today, Wall Street has also become the backdrop of Occupy Wall Street (OWS). OWS is a protest movement that centers around the issues of economic and financial inequality and the influences of corporations on government. OWS has made Wall Street a scene of radical protest. After walking through Wall Street, we headed to the Trinity Church on Broadway. Trinity Church, a Gothic Revival church, is one of the famous churches in New York City because of its history, dramatic setting, and attendance of famous people during the Revolutionary period.. What was once the tallest building in Lower Manhattan, is now overshadowed by gigantic office buildings. It is 79ft wide and 166ft long (BG p.65). This church, which dates back from 1846, is the third on the site. The first church in 1698 was burned in 1776, and the second church, which was completed in 1790, was demolished in 1839 after a heavy snowfall on the roof (BG p.65). We admired the church's impressive front doors which were modeled after Lorenzo Ghiberti's famous bronze doors of the baptistery of the cathedral in Florence (BG p.65). We also went to the churchyard, where we viewed the graves of Alexander Hamilton and Robert Fulton. 

     After saying farewell to Hamilton and Fulton,  we headed to the Federal Hall National Monument, where we greeted a statue of George Washington being sworn to oath at the steps of the entrance. The Federal Hall National Monument is the seed of American government. It is where Washington was sworn in as our first president in 1789 (BG p 69). It was named the Federal Hall because New York use to be the nation's capital. The building, designed by Alexander Jackson Davis and Ithiel Town, was designed to evoke the democratic ideals of ancient Greece and the power of the Roman Empire, through the Greek Doric portico (BG p.69). Inside, we were able to view memorabilia of the inauguration, such as Washington's handwritten inaugural address. It was very interesting to get up close and see this. We were also able to view models of the original City Hall and Federal Hall, and exhibits on the Civil War.

   

After visiting the Federal Hall National Monument, we walked south past Wall Street to the tip of Manhattan, where we passed by the National Museum of the American Indian, which is housed in what was formerly Alexander Hamilton Customs House. West of the Customs House, we then headed towards Battery Park, where we learned that it was called Battery Park due to the row of cannons that defended a fort that was once there (BG p.46). Goods would be unloaded in these forts. Henry Hudson also brought his boats here because he was concerned that people would invade. While walking through Battery Park, we also passed by The Sphere. It is a large metallic sphere that use to reside in an area between the Twin Towers. It is now a 9/11 memorial. As we walked Battery Park, we were also able to view the beautiful Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty. We were also able to briefly explore a Castle Clinton exhibit. Castle Clinton is a national monument that was raised before the War of 1812 in order to protect the harbor from naval invasion (BG p.48). We then walked through Battery Park City, which is now a green space.    

   

After Battery Park City, we headed north along the Esplanade and visited the World Financial Center. The World Financial Center is made up of five office towers that were designed by Cesar Pelli. It is considered the hub of Battery Park City (BG p.61). We were also able to view the beautiful palm trees present in the Winter Garden and view the German industrial glass that overlooks the World Trade Center site. We had learned that during 9/11, it had caused some damage to the garden, and was therefore restored and reopened in September 2002 (BG p.61). While walking along the Esplanade, we also visited the Irish Hunger Memorial. This half an acre memorial was built in order to raise awareness about the Great Irish Famine that forced many Irish immigrants to look for a better life out of Ireland. Like a postcard from Ireland, it is a landscaped plot that consists of stones, soil, and vegetation. After visiting the Irish Hunger Memorial, we headed to the Poet's House on River Terrace. The Poet's House is completely devoted to the art of poetry where anyone can donate a collection of their poetry. We were able to rest for a while here and read a few poems. One poem, Epitaph, a poem by J. Tarin Towers, caught my attention and made me laugh.

                                                                           Epitaph

                                                       Since you have spent more hours

                                                          or days staring into your glass

than you will ever spend

looking into my eyes;

And since one stiff drink can

hold me all night long

the way you never could;

It's clear that I should stick with Jack,

and you should stick with Jim,

and then both of us will be happy. 

                                        

    

     


After the Poet's House, we headed to Chelsea Market and also learned about the Meatpacking District. The Meatpacking District, formerly known as the Gansevoort Market, gives its neighborhood its working-class edge (BG p.184). What was once a place of prostitution and warehouses, is now in the process of being gentrified. We had lunch at Hale & Hearty Soups in Chelsea Market on 16th St. Chelsea Market is the home of the Nabisco Company and used to occupy five blocks of the market district in the 1920's. 

   

After having lunch at Chelsea Market, we headed to the High Line. The High Line is a 13 mile abandoned freight line. It was at first built in order to solve the problems of the dangerous New York Central Railroad that ran from Eleventh to Tenth Avenue. We had also learned about "West Side Cowboys", which were men who were mounted on horseback and preceded the engines of the New York Central Railroad by waving flags (BG p.188). The High Line was left to rust and is now a garden and an elevated walkway. It is  a place where people can relax and enjoy the town of Chelsea. 

   

   




 After walking on the High Line, we then went art gallery-hopping. Gentrification is also present in Chelsea because of the High Line and the increasing amount of art galleries. I enjoyed looking at the art galleries because each gallery had very different styles of contemporary art. I would have to say my favorite gallery was one by an artist name Leonardo Drew, who made maze-like exhibitions from thousands of wood scraps. His pieces looked very intricate and almost impossible to do. I enjoyed exploring Lower Manhattan and Chelsea. I will definitely be visiting this area more often!   

     

Traveling Through Time: The Harlems and Morningside Heights

     As we get to know the borough of Manhattan a little better, it was time to explore the Harlems and a little bit of Morningside Heights. We first headed to East Harlem, which is the area east of Park Avenue and north of 96th St (BG p.437). In this area, there is a large Puerto Rican and Latino population, therefore this part of Harlem is also known as El Barrio or Spanish Harlem (BG p.437). Our first stop was the Museum of the City of New York, which was facing the  far north side of Central Park. In the museum, we were able to view artifacts and collections of New York history, such as the history of the East River Waterfront. I had learned that it used to be a shoreline of farms, villas, and meadows at first and then during the 19th century, it was then inhabited by docks and piers, which was then followed by factories, slaughterhouses, coal yards, and breweries. We had also learned that there was an "ideas competition" towards Reimagining the Waterfront, called the East River Esplanade. The East River Esplanade is an area that consist of open areas, pedestrian bridges, and shoreline views. The competition is centered on inviting architects and city planners around the world to submit a redesign proposal for this Esplanade. We were also able to watch a short and informative film on the history of New York, called Timescapes: A Multimedia Portrait of New York. I enjoyed the film very much because it used 3 different screens to help explain the history of New York. For example, one screen showed shots of animated maps, while another showed pictures and quotes from famous New Yorkers. The film was also very interesting because we were able to visualize and see the progression of New York and how it has developed and the major paths of transportation. We had also learned how some areas in New York got its name. For example, "Canal Street" had gotten its name because it was simply a canal at first. After the film, a few of my friends and I headed to the exhibit called "Activist New York". In this exhibit, we were able to explore social activism in New York City dating back from the 17th century. One of the many things that caught my eye was the piece they had on John Bowne. This interested me because a few blocks from where I live in Flushing, is the actual Bowne House. I had learned that John Bowne, an English-born Quaker, was banished because he was hosting illegal religious gatherings in his home. Bowne, therefore, protested and won in his favor. It was declared that everyone was allowed to have their own belief as long as they behave quietly and legally. Bowne's activism was important because it helped extend protection for religious minorities. Another piece that also caught my attention was the piece on "New York Is the Battleground: Woman's Suffrage". This piece focused on the national movement for women's rights to vote. On May 21,1910, about 10,000 New Yorkers fought for this right. It was considered the largest woman suffrage demonstration in the country.

    After the museum, we strolled through the East Harlem community, which is sometimes also known as El Barrio or Spanish Harlem due to the large Puerto Rican and Latino population (BG p.437).We had learned that at first German immigrants had migrated in this area, however, after World War I, Puerto Rican immigrants started to populate the area. During the 1990's Mexican and Caribbean immigrants then also started to settle in East Harlem. However, East Harlem, is still considered the largest Puerto Rican population in the country. After getting a little bit of history on East Harlem, we entered a very well known store in the area, called "Justo Botanica". This store was established in 1954 and is owned by Jorge Vargas. This store sells herbal remedies, some would even say witchcraft, to ward off evil spirits. For instance, some examples are bracelets, oils, statues, incense, and actual herbs. He told us of his experience while working in this store and that he believes that people come to this store looking for some type of healing in their life. He also said that there has probably been more confessions in this store than in a church. Unfortunately, he told us that the store will be closed by November and that they will relocate. This is due to non other than gentrification and increasing cost of renting the space. I have never been to a store like this. It was very cool and interesting to see the different kinds of healing people turn to. 

    

      After staring in awe at all the cool herbs and medicine in Vargas' store, we continued our stroll through the community to view its fascinating collection of public art. Some of the few collections of public art that we viewed was a mural of Pedro Pietri by a Harlem born artist, James De La Vega. While viewing this famous mural we also listened to a poem that was written by Pietri himself, called "Puerto Rican Obituary", which speaks about Puerto Ricans who travel to New York in search of a better life, however find hardships along the way. Across from the mural of Pietri was another work of art called "The Spirit of East Harlem" It was restored by a very well-known artist, and whose art can be seen throughout East Harlem, Manny Vega. This piece represents the street scenes in the 1970's where there was a close-knit community and scenes of crowded people enjoyed themselves despite any problems. While mural hopping, we then found ourselves in the Modesto Flores Community Garden on 104th St and Lexington Avenue, where we viewed "Soldaderas", by Yasmin Hernandez. This mural illustrates the connected hearts of Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo and Puerto Rican poet, Julia de Burgos. This mural celebrates the legacy of two Hispanic women who both used art as a weapon (as seen in the bullets around their chest) to share their love for their culture, people, and country. I loved this mural very much because it was very empowering towards women. We had also learned that community gardens such as this one, were built because there were no public parks. These community gardens therefore bring up the debate on public vs. private space. We were told that during Saturdays these community gardens were very lively and that many people gathered here. It was a quaint little spot to sit down and have a few minutes away from the urban life. As we were walking to look at more public art, we came across an unfinished mural. Suddenly a man came across us and started to continue his work on the piece. It was Manny Vega himself! He was working on a mural called, "Trickster". He was able to talk to us a little bit and speak about his art. What I remember the most was him saying that his art is whatever one wants it to be. It was very cool getting to meet the famous Manny Vega and seeing him working in his natural habitat. After meeting Vega, we then passed by another mural of Julia de Burgos as well as an elementary school playground that celebrated urban art with walls of graffiti. As we walked the streets of East Harlem, we noticed new condominium buildings being built. Just like many of the places we visited in the city, Harlem is also starting to be gentrified.   

     After mural hopping, our class decided to have lunch around 104th St and Lexington Avenue. A few of my classmates and I decided to eat at "El Caribeno Restaurant", where we had delicious inexpensive Caribbean food. I had beef stew, beans, and yellow rice. After lunch, we then headed to the northern end of Central Park (105th St to be exact) which we had learned from a previous class was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and was opened in 1873. As we entered the beautiful Vanderbilt Gate, we were welcomed by the breathtaking Conservatory Garden.

  

     After taking in the views of the Conservatory Garden, we then headed to central or what some may call mainstream Harlem on 125th St. Here, we were given a guided walking tour of the historic sites in the community. We had learned that Harlem was at first a fertile farmland that was taken over by the Dutch in 1658 . However, as the Harlem Railroad was built, more people were able to travel and settle in Harlem, such as German and Irish immigrants and African Americans. The Harlem Railroad reaches out from City Hall to the Harlem River (BG p.437). Although this railroad made it possible for development, it also acted as a barrier between the east and the west (BG p.437). We had also learned about what basically made Harlem what it is today, the Harlem Renaissance, which was the brief period from 1924 until the stock market crash of 1929 (BG p.439). The Harlem Renaissance was the rebirth of urban development such as in black literature, art, music, and political thinking (BG p.438). It is through the Harlem Renaissance where people such as Langston Hughes and Billie Holiday are known today.  During our walking tour, Jim, our tour guide, spoke about the boycott in the Blumstein Store. Jim had also told us about  Hotel Theresa and the Apollo Theater and how those places were the center of jazz music and where famous musicians such as Duke Ellington had first started out. The Apollo Theater is still being used today and is now run as a non-for-profit foundation (BG p.440). Jim even told us that in the Apollo Theater, it was tradition to rub the tree stump for good luck before any performer performed. During our tour, we had also passed by a few churches. Jim had told us that churches in Harlem have basically become political institutions. We had also learned about the famous Adam Clayton Powell Jr, who had protested against the department store. Other places that we had also passed by were Rice Highschool, Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church, and St. Martin's, which we found out had the largest carolone. Jim had also spoke to us about a man name Philip Peyton who was a real estate entrepreneur, helped populate Harlem. We had also learned about another man by the name of Marcus Garvey who created Black Star Line in order to ship African Americans back to Africa. We also visited the Marcus Garvey Park which was made because its steep, rocky terrain was not suitable for buildings (BG p.439). During our tour, we were also able to pass by a few brownstone houses. We had learned many things about the brownstones, such as the reason why there were so many stairs was done in order to wipe off any dirt of the shoes of any person entering the house. We had also learned that in the past, one family of 8-12 children would live there and the servants would live on the top floor. We had also passed by the Graham Court which had a classical design. We had also learned that its terracotta corness is now gone. We also walked by St. Nicholas St., which is the oldest street in New York City. We also saw Minton's Playhouse, which is where modern jazz began. We then ended the Central Harlem tour at the very inspirational and larger-than life Harriet Tubman sculpture. The sculpture had 70 faces on her skirt in order to symbolize the 70 people she rescued from slavery in the South. 

     After walking the streets of Harlem, we quickly walked up a long winding fight of stairs through Morningside Park on 120 St., where we arrived at Morningside Heights and had a quick glance. We had also learned that Morningside Park was also designed by Central Park's designer, Frederick Law Olmsted. I enjoyed exploring Harlem. Harlem is very vibrant and filled with a lot of history and culture. One thing that I definitely learned today is that Harlem has a lot to offer. 

          k".

Journal 5: These (Rain) Boots Are Made for Walking: Midtown & Williamsburg

    
      Although the day started out rainy and gloomy, we weren't going to let that get in the way of our New York adventure. With our handy dandy Molloy College umbrellas and rain boots, we started to walk the streets of Midtown, Manhattan. We first headed down Broadway, where we were introduced to the city's implementation of pedestrian zones. Here, 5 blocks of Times Square has been blocked off from traffic and has been made into a pedestrian plaza where passersby can lounge around and enjoy the Times Square ambiance. How Times Square is now, was not always how it has always been in the past. Before 1904, Times Square was known as Longacre Square and it was a center for horse exchanges, carriage factories, stables, and blacksmiths' shops (BG p.217). Before the Giuliani administration had cleaned it up, Times Square was once considered a center for drugs, prostitution, and pornography during the 1970's. Man, how things have changed! There are many different opinions about the pedestrian zones and the debate between private versus public space. Some people enjoy having the extra room to move while trying to rush to their job, while others, like taxi drivers, it can be a headache due to the traffic jams that the zones have caused.  

   
     After exploring Times Square, we then headed to Rockefeller Plaza, a complex consisting of 19 buildings on 21 acres of land that runs between West 48th and West 51st streets. These buildings centered on one architectural design, Art Deco. We went into the GE building, which is the first building constructed at Rockefeller Center and it is considered the most famous (BG p.248). We were also told that it is the home to NBC Studios. Rockefeller plaza was named after a very wealthy family, the Rockefeller's. John D. Rockefeller wanted to design a commercial center that was "as beautiful as possible consistent with maximum income" (BG p.243).  As we walked towards the lobby, the design surely served its purpose, for we felt like we were waking into what would be a futuristic modern universe. As we made our way through the futuristic bubble, we stopped in the lobby and gazed at the beautiful mural above us. The mural was titled America's Progress by Jose Maria Sert. We had learned that before this mural was created, a fresco by Diego Rivera, the husband of Frida Kahlo, was first present. In his fresco, Rivera wanted to illustrate "man's new possibilities from his new understanding of material things" (BG p.249). Rivera who was a Marxist, included a portrait of Lenin in the piece, which caused controversy and was later destroyed. The lobby was the perfect spot for the mural, it gave all its visitors the ability to be awed and taken aback by the artwork. The mural was very mesmerizing. After being visually serenaded by the mural, we then headed outside and was able to have a glimpse of the Lower Plaza as well as the colorful 200 flags from all over the world that surrounded the rink. 
     
    

      
     The next place on our agenda was MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art on West 53rd street. I was very excited to explore more contemporary and modern art. MoMA was expanded and reconfigured by Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi  (BG p.260). This museum is not only the place to go for modern paintings and sculptures, but it is also explores drawing, design, photography, and film. We first started out by looking at the Century of the Child exhibit and then headed to the fifth floor, where we explored early cubism in a piece such as Les Demoiselles by Picasso. Picasso referred to this painting as his "first exorcism picture", where he portrays expressionistic and savage prostitutes (BG p.264). We also explored minimalism in works by Barnett Newman such as The Voice and Vir Heroicus Sublimis. The Voice, which almost looks like a blank canvas, depicts a paradox because it almost seems voiceless because it is a little too simple. However, some people would enjoy this piece and say that it is calming and serene. Newman's Vir Heroicus Sublimis, on the other hand, expresses anger with the use of red color. We also explored Jackson Pollock's drip paintings, which we were quite familiar with after visiting The Met. However, some would say that the MoMA has the best single gallery to observe the development of Pollock's work (BG p.266). Pollock's work depicted abstract expressionism during turmoil. It was more cerebral compared to the works by Andy Warhol, which we were able to explore as well, which were more superficial and centered on celebrities and frivolous gratification.  
  

     
     After taking in all of the modern and contemporary art that MoMA had to offer, we headed for lunch in Hell's Kitchen. Although during the 1970's Hell's Kitchen was plagued by drugs and crime, it has started to be gentrified during the 1980's and today, is now considered the go-to-place for food (BG p.227).We ate at a cute Thai restaurant called Yum Yum, which indeed was YUM! I ordered a delicious Chicken with Thai Basil and a refreshing Thai Ice Tea. 

     
     After stuffing ourselves with Thai food, we headed to hipster city: Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. While walking through Bedford Avenue, we had learned that gentrification has also started to take place after artists started to settle there. We then arrived at a small but unique museum called City Reliquary. This museum is a non-for-profit community museum that focuses on preserving the history of New York with New York City artifacts and collections. For example, they have an impressive Statue of Liberty collection and memorabilia of the New York World's Fair. My favorite part was seeing the slideshow of the old pictures of little kids getting their first haircut at a local barber shop. This was done in order to show other kids not to be afraid to get their haircuts and if their friends can do it, they can do it too. I recommend this museum to anyone walking the streets of Williamsburg. It is not your typical museum. It has a unique sense of style and you are advised to touch and play with things, which makes the learning process more fun!

      









After City Reliquary, we then headed to the Brooklyn Art Library, where we learned about the Sketchbook Museum Project, which I would probably say was my favorite part of the day. This Project is a worldwide creative experience that makes it possible for people all over the world to contribute to a traveling library of handmade sketchbooks.One just simply has to pay $25 to get a blank sketchbook and then they can sketch away! When they're done, they send it back to library and it becomes part of the worldwide traveling library collection. Neat, huh? We were able to flip through a couple of sketchbooks that were from sketchers around the world. It was interesting to see how art can connect people around the world.

      

     After the Sketchbook Museum, we passed by many art galleries, which goes to show Williamsburg really is the most experimental art scene in New York. We also passed by the beautiful waterfront some. Some of us ended our day with a little bit of shopping in Beacon's Closet. This is a popular thrift shop and clothing exchange store in Williamsburg. Although we we slightly tired from walking around the city, we will always still have energy for shopping! Till next time!