It is now the second trip of the semester, and already I feel like I have learned so much about the greatest city in the world. On the second day of our New York adventure, Brooklyn welcomed us with open arms. Our first stop was Coney Island. A couple of my classmates and I took the F train to the last stop where we waited for the rest of the class. Although it was a long trip, I knew that it was going to be worth it. Before stepping foot on Coney Island, we were provided with a brief history on Brooklyn. We had learned that Coney Island was first settled by the Dutch in the 17th century (BG p. 492). The Dutch called it "Konijn Eiland" after the rabbits that they had found there (BG p. 492). Although a peninsula now, Coney Island was actually an island before. People would have to take a ferry to get to Coney Island. However, the island was later joined by landfill to the mainland (BG p.492). As we begin walking towards the magical Coney Island, we get closer to this vibrantly colored painted wall that had the words "Coney Island" on it. All of my senses kick in. I can smell the salty water, hear kids laughter, smell the Nathan's Famous hot-dogs in the air, and although, the amusement park was closed, I can still imagine hearing the rolling thunder of the Cyclone roller coaster. Like a moth to a flame, Coney Island was luring me in. Mike and Meritta gave us about 50 minutes to take in all of what Coney Island had to offer. A group of my friends and I couldn't fight the temptation any longer and decided to treat ourselves to a Nathan's hotdog. Nathan's Famous is an iconic hot dog stand founded in 1916 at Stillwell Avenue (BG p.492). We then decided to walk the boardwalk and savage through a flea market that we had passed by earlier. Coney Island gives off a very laid back vibe. I believe it is a perfect place to just kick back, relax, and not have a care in the world.
Although I'm sure I could have stayed in Coney Island forever, we were on to our next destination: The New York Transit Museum. When we took the train to Jay Street in Brooklyn Heights and headed out into the streets, we walked for a bit and then started to head down into what looked like another subway station. I was a tad confused as to why we were going to take the train again. However, my confusion didn't linger, when I saw that there was a hidden museum under this subway station. We were told that we would be given a short tour around the museum and then we would be able to explore it on our own. We had learned that the Transit Museum was actually an unused subway station. 
That might explain why the entrance to the museum was so deceiving! The Transit Museum was inaugurated in 1976 (BG p. 468). The tour guide had also explained how the transit system came to be. Due to bad weather conditions, some people may not be able to travel to work above ground, so an underground transit system seemed fit. We had also learned about the dangerous conditions that Italian and Irish immigrants had to work in when building the tunnels through the cut and cover method. Workers also had to be very careful when working and could only work for a certain amount of time due to high air pressure. The first subway line ran in 1904. Since I commute a lot, I thought the tour was very interesting. I always wondered the process that it took to build these subway stations. After the tour, my friend and I looked at the displays of all the different subway cars that had been running since 1904. Looking at the old advertisements and sitting on the chairs, I almost felt like I was traveling through time when I went inside each car. I enjoyed the museum a lot and highly recommend it to other people. Not only did I learn about the subway stations and its vital role in New York City, but I also enjoyed that the museum was like a playground where the displays were there to be touched and played with. 
After enjoying our time in the Transit Museum, we continued on and walked the streets of Brooklyn Heights. We passed by the Brooklyn Borough Hall, which was the original city hall. The building's architectural design was called Greek Revival. It also portrayed neoclassical architectural design through its large columns.So far we have learned about three architectural designs, art deco, neoclassical, and gothic. Gothic architecture is present in some of the churches that are in Brooklyn Heights. One of the many churches that we passed by was the Spencer Memorial Church. Since Brooklyn Heights is scattered with churches, this is probably why Brooklyn Heights is sometimes called the city of churches. We finally get to the southwest corner of Clinton St, where the Brooklyn Historical Society stands. It was founded in 1863 and use to be known as the Long Island Historical Society (BG p. 472). The Brooklyn Honor Society was made in order to preserve Brooklyn history and culture. We were given a brief tour inside the museum where we saw an exhibit called "Inventing Brooklyn". It was a permanent collection that explored the history of Brooklyn, its people, and its faces through photographs and archival materials. For example, I was able to see Native American artifacts including arrowheads and shells. Inside, there was also a library that can be used for free as long as you paid for admission to the museum. After the tour of the museum, we were then given an outside tour of Brooklyn Heights. We walked through Montague St, and passed by bank row, where we were surrounded by endless banks. We then ended up in the Promenade. In front of us was a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. We were also given a little history lesson on the Promenade, it was the site of the "Four Chimneys". This is where George Washington had his temporary headquarters and made the decision to withdraw his army across to Manhattan (BG p. 473). I thought that the tour was very interesting. I have never been to Brooklyn Heights or the Promenade. So, it was very eye-opening to know that almost every street corner in Brooklyn, had a story.
After the tour of Brooklyn Heights, we walked our way over to the majestic Brooklyn Bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge was opened on May 25,1883. It was a very big project to build the Brooklyn Bridge. It employed about 4,000 people, took 14 years to build, and cost $15 million dollars (BG p.464). I can never get tired of walking the Brooklyn Bridge. I believe it has one of the best views of New York City without even having to pay a cent. As we walk the Brooklyn Bride and get farther away from Brooklyn, I am walking away with more knowledge of the people and places of Brooklyn. Parting is such sweet sorrow, but Brooklyn, you have tired me out! Till next time!
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