Day 3: East Side

            Day three of my ventures was to the East Side of Manhattan. I was so excited to finally make it to the big city and be able to finally start to get to know my way around. Putting a slight damper on these plans was Mother Nature trying to play a nice joke on us. Me, trying to be prepared, dressed as best I could for the weather, brought an umbrella and even extra pants and socks if necessary! I was ready for bad weather, and boy did we get it! After getting out of the hot oven, also known as a subway, we were graced with pouring rain and after my sprint to the MET not only was I out of breath, my shoes, socks, and pants were soaked and I had mud on my shirt. Perfect start to this lovely day… but I guess that’s why it’s a New York “Experience” class, you experience it however you can.

            Once inside the Met, before I saw even one piece of artwork, I was amazed by the amount of people that were there, out of their own free will in this rain. This made me realize that this must be an incredible place to have so many people make it out despite the weather. My next amazement was the sheer size of this place. 1.5 million square feet (BG, 326), the Met holds collections from every country, and all showcase so many different kinds of artifacts. Anywhere from paintings, to sculptures, to jewelry, pottery, and tombs, even buildings such as the pyramids from Egypt.  One area that I was interested in investigating was the Roman and Greek exhibits.

   Being Italian I always feel as though I should have more of a connection to something with Roman heritage so I found my way using the map Mike provided for us to find where the Roman and Greek exhibit began. There were many interesting pieces of art, statues, and jewelry. I found one piece to be absolutely beautiful, the matching gold armbands. Looking much like something people would wear today as costume jewelry; these bands are actually made out of pure gold and have male and female tritons, holding a figure of Eros (BG, 332). I didn’t know until reading about the armbands what was actually on them, I just remember how beautiful they seemed to flow with their mermaid looking fins, wrapping around the arm of whoever were to wear them. They were from 200B.C. (BG, 332),and  from the looks of them they could be sold in any high end jewelry store as if they were brand new because they were in amazing condition.

            This wrapping type of jewelry must’ve been popular because there was another similar type of jewelry from 300-250 B.C., from the Greek Ptolemaic, of a snake that would wrap around the wrist, also made out of solid gold. To me these are sometimes more impressive then the larger statues because of the delicacy of the items and how they were kept in such amazing condition even after all these years.

            After leaving the MET, we were all starving, and a change of itinerary was in order due to the rain still in effect. Instead of relaxing in Central Park (which I would’ve loved to do, and was very sad the weather ruined our plans) we went to Grand Central Station, which was also a new experience for me.  Grand Central Station was started by Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1869 (BG, 228). He had to do a lot of prep work before being able to start this endeavor. He bought out the Hudson River railroad in 1864 along with New York Central Railroad. Next he made a rail-link so that people could travel from the Hudson to the East Side. His plan was to make a common ground for people from all over to be able to centrally meet. He then purchased land from 42^nd to 48^th between Lexington to Madison to finally put his plan together and make the Grand Central Depot.

            While in Grand Central Station we were all able to get lunch from whatever ethnic background we preferred. I always go straight for what I know best…pizza. The food was delicious but the seating was hard to come by. Sending people in all directions to find a table took a good 15 minutes but was definitely necessary. After eating, I HAD to save a little room for a Magnolia’s cupcake. I’ve always heard so much about this bakery and I was more than thrilled when I saw it in Grand Central. I was so excited I didn’t even get to take a picture of it before I had icing all over my face and fingers. 

 

           Next we went to the New York Public Library. I have never seen a library so huge and beautiful. The two huge statues of lions flanking the outside stand for Patience and Fortitude meant to give the people hope throughout the Great Depression (BG, 208). The Main Reading room was huge, having long wooden tables on either side of the main walkway. There are 75 miles of shelving in this library. I couldn’t imagine this being my local library where I would go to study for school and do my assignments. I think I would be way too distracted by the amount of people in and out and the size of the room itself. The ceilings were one of my favorite parts of the building. They were so detailed and had gorgeous paintings.

         

   Last we traveled up 5^th avenue to see the numerous up-scale stores, ones that I’ll never be able to step foot in, and we ended at FAO Schwarz Toys. I’ve always heard of FAO Schwarz but never knew where it was. Once finally making it to our last stop on this day that seemed to last forever, I all of a sudden got a sudden rush of adrenaline. I got so excited with every toy that I saw! The huge stuffed animals and the amazing Disney costumes, for dress up or even Halloween coming up soon. The Barbie section was amazing! I had more Barbie’s then I could count when I was little and seeing the collectors Barbies, along with the special edition Foosball Table that instead of little soccer players, there were soccer playing Barbies! There were only 10 made in the world and it cost a whopping 25,000 dollars! My favorite toy though was the quintessential FAO Schwarz toy, the Big piano, well known from the movie Big starring Tom Hanks. I actually got to play on it, though I sadly never took piano and couldn’t play anything of interest.

            Overall this day was exhausting, but still fun. As I said experiencing New York is truly experiencing it however you can. Rain, mud, and sweat are all part of what makes these trips throughout the city exciting and worth remembering. Can’t wait to see what’s in store next week!

Day 2: Brooklyn

    Day two of my new experiences in New York took place in Brooklyn. Brooklyn, which is located on the far west side of Long Island, couldn’t be more different than that to which it is attached. Not only is the diversity in populations much greater, but the land that this enormous population lives on is just as contrasting from the flat lands seen on Long Island turf. Brooklyn’s geography is shown interestingly through the names of the towns. Examples such as Brooklyn Heights (high grounds), Bay Ridge (rocky ridges), and Flatbush (flat lands). The History of Brooklyn shows how quickly a city can go from being populated by Indian Tribes, to the most populated borough in New York. Once the Dutch bought Brooklyn land from the Canarsie Indians, it was only a matter of time before they started using ferries to move westward out to Manhattan. A mere seventy years later the Brooklyn Bridge was made and the new influx of people was unfathomable. The city’s population was expanding at exponential rates due to the now more accessible land. Years later Brooklyn started becoming filled with immigrants, now making the land just as ethnically diverse as it was geographically. Sadly, after World War II Brooklyn started in an economic downward spiral. This caused many people to lose their jobs and neighborhoods to become un-kempt and dangerous. Thankfully in more recent years Brooklyn has become settled by more wealthy families, trying to catch a break from the overbearing costs of living in Manhattan (Blue Guide, 461-463).

            The first stop on the day was to Coney Island. I was so excited to go to Coney Island being that I always hear about it but had only been there once before when I was very little. All I had remembered was going on the cyclone with my father, and it being very rickety, and of course getting Nathans. This time I actually was able to walk the boardwalk, see the people, the food stands, the beach, and sadly only the outside of the carnival. I honestly never even knew that there was a beach there! After first walking straight down to the street where the original Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog stand was and having a lunch to last me through the rest of my walking for the day, I was able to observe the people who live in the area. I have to say there were a few strange people, but overall it was a very enjoyable environment.  I could easily see how this was just a crowded and exciting place to hang out. Coney Island was really entertainment for the lower middle class, a hang out that wasn’t expensive yet allowed for anyone and everyone to get together for good times (Blue Guide,491-492)

Coney Island was named after an animal that was very prevalent before any hot dogs or roller coasters were even thought of, the rabbit! It was only around the 1900’s that Coney Island started being occupied by numerous amusement parks such as Steeplechase, followed by Luna Park, and then Dreamland which burned down not even ten years later. After the big boom of people filling up the boardwalk in the 20’s and 30’s, the excitement started to move towards the newer attractions that came along with the more popular use of cars, such as traveling farther distances to reach new areas of recreation. Present day Coney Island has a History Project devoted to the many different aspects of the Island that made it unique. It even has a section dedicated to Charles Feltman, whose genius idea of putting a hot dog in a bun came about simply because he wanted to save a buck and not have to give out any silverware. Coney Island definitely gave me a good feel of what Brooklyn is all about (Blue Guide, 491-492).

Our next stop was to Brooklyn Heights to visit the Transit Museum. Not being one to pick up on directions quickly, had been following the crowd to our next destination, and assumed we were getting on yet another subway to get there. Once down the stairs from the street it finally clicked that we were already there! The Transit Museum in Brooklyn Heights was once a subway in use to the public. Since it had been shut down, it is now used as the only museum showcasing public transportation in the country. This was an amazing exhibit that had many old photos that were enlarged to show all the men working on these subway railings. I found it amazing when the tour guide was explaining the different ways that men had to go about creating the subways. That they either had to use dynamite to make openings underground, or they would do something called “cut and cover” where they would cut up the roads and when they were done building the railings underneath they would rebuild the roads to sit on top of them. I had never given it much thought to how subways were first created and how much time and sweat these men put into building it. People simply take it for granted that we have this amazing type of transportation available to us and instead complain that they’re not all air conditioned, or the carts are crowded. Once we made it downstairs we were able to see the old trains that were used. There were so many different styles and we were even allowed to walk onto them and get a real 360 degree look at them from the inside.  The first official subway started running in 1904 in Manhattan and was 9.1 miles long. Within eleven years the subway reached The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. In 1932 the Board of Transportation created the Independent Rapid Transit Railroad which then bought out both IRT and BMT and was then the only owner of New York City subways. Interestingly before metro cards and even coins were used in the subway system people had to actually buy a ticket to use the subway! It was only in the 1920’s that the turnstile was invented and people began using coins to pay for a ride on the subway.

Next we went to the Brooklyn Historical Society. This was a gorgeous building that has history not only on display in exhibits inside, but built into the architecture on the outside of the building as well. Surrounding the outside of the building are busts of many different influential people, the interesting piece of this is that the people shown don’t have anything to do with Brooklyn’s history. People such as Beethoven, Mozart, Columbus, and Michelangelo are shown around the building to represent art, literature, and scholarship. Meredith Bergmann decided to change this. She decided to make a bust of Sally Maria Diggs who was an enslaved woman that a man named Henry Ward Beecher helped free by holding auctions to purchase her freedom. Sally known as “pinky” Meredith rightly felt had more history with Brooklyn then any of the people surrounding the building. Now Pinky’s bust hangs right through the main entrance of the historical museum.

Lastly on our voyage we walked over the famous Brooklyn Bridge. After the Civil War it was starting to be seen that a bridge was becoming more and more necessary to accommodate for the new influx of people and products. John A. Roebling was the man assigned to be the engineer and he was the first person to use wire rope for industrial use. This allowed him to be able to make suspension bridges and he used this idea for his plans on the Brooklyn Bridge. Sadly Roebling died after getting tetanus, leaving his plans in the hands of his son Washington. Once the bridge started being built caissons were used to be able to work beneath sea level. Washington suffered from “caisson disease” which occurs after going deep underground. Nitrogen bubbles accumulate in the body when the body’s pressure drops. The nitrogen bubbles cause many unsettling symptoms which eventually led to Washington’s death. Emily, Washington’s wife, thankfully was able to oversee the bridge until it was opened to public (Blue Guide, 464-466).

The Brooklyn Bridge was beautiful and I loved how people are able to walk and bike across it. It definitely makes Brooklyn unique in yet another way. Brooklyn had much more to offer then I had ever known, and it’s amazing to learn about the history of so many different areas. I can’t wait to see what kind of history I’ll get to learn about next week when we finally reach Manhattan!

Day 1: Queens

On the first day of our ventures into experiencing New York we undertook the borough of Queens. As we left Penn. Station at approximately 11:05 taking the subway into Times Square followed by taking the number 7 train all the way out to Shea Stadium, I was able to try and gather my thoughts of what I was going to be seeing throughout the day’s ventures. As we arrived we walked down the boardwalk towards the crowds waiting for the U.S. Open which is held every August at the Flushing Meadow-Corona Park lasting two weeks.

            Walking around the crowds and long lines to attend the match, we were able to escape to the more secluded area of the park. Flushing Meadow-Corona Park is an amazing 1255 acres and has just as much history to hold up to its size. Originally this park was nothing more than a dumping ground! Tons of garbage was continuously dropped off here, making mountains of trash. Amazing to think that such a beautiful park was once a dirty dingy marshland that no one wanted to go near. Robert Moses saw more to this disgusting dump than anyone else cared to. He had a vision of transforming this ground into a useable terrain, and obviously from my personal experience, his visions became a reality. He was able to not only make this land useable and the water sources around it clean again, this area was then used for not only the 1939-40 World’s Fair, but the 1964-65 World’s Fair as well! (BG, 497)

            The World’s Fair was an amazing achievement.  Buildings were built specifically for this fair, including the Unisphere standing at a breathtaking 12 stories high , which was the center focal point representing the overall  theme of “Peace through Understanding”(BG, 497). This globe and fair were meant to unite people from all over the world, all with different cultures, beliefs, and religions to all be represented in one area for all to blend together and experience the beautiful complexities in the differences we all share. During the 64-65 World ’s Fair there were 140 pavilions, 21 being state pavilions and 36 foreign. Due to the rise of the space age “Man’s Achievements on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe” was a also a main theme represented by the Unisphere.

            One building that is still standing from the World’s Fair is now the Queens Museum. Originally this building was the New York City Building used for the World’s Fair in 1939-1940, and it has also been used as a headquarter for the United Nations (BG, 497). Inside they have on display one of the most amazing exhibits I have ever seen. The Panorama was built specifically for the World’s Fair and has been on display for visitors to come experience the sheer magnitude of the creation for years to come. Having been updated up until 1992, there are obvious changes that still need to be made, but the precision and time spent on this creation makes it hard to forget (BG,497-498). Robert Moses was the brains behind having this exhibit created, wanting his previous endeavors of creating numerous parkways, bridges and preserving beaches throughout the city to be showcased. The entire model is represented on a scale of 1 inch: 100 feet, interestingly enough the only pieces not to this scale are the numerous bridges, 20 of them connecting the boroughs, these bridges are actually on a larger scale to show the complexities of Robert Moses prior works.

            Our next ventures once leaving the Queens museum was visiting the Museum of the Moving Image located in Astoria. This Museum has many different exhibitions ranging from old time cameras, microphones, and movies on display, to more modern up to date interactive exhibits that allow people of all ages to learn how to make a movie reel scene by scene, or do a voice over for classic movies to see Marilyn Monroe having their voice! They even have a section with costumes from well known movies, one of my favorites being the woman body suit Robin Williams wore in the unforgettably funny film "Mrs. Doubt Fire". This museum helps preserve the film industry and present it to people for years to come. One exhibit that is fun for all ages is Jim Henson’s Fantastic World. Jim Henson, being the creator of the Muppets and Sesame Street, has his imaginative work displayed in the museum of moving image. There are rooms full of his sketches and earliest drawings of the characters we’ve all grown to love and adore for over 25 years. His works span from his movie The Dark Crystal to the Muppet movies, the Muppet shows and Sesame Street. The most iconic characters are on display as well ,including Miss Piggy in her wedding gown (obviously wanting to marry the famous Kermit the frog), and Bert and Ernie the famous duo showing how opposites can still be best friends. The most intriguing aspects of his works to me were the innocence in his drawings. How he would simply jot down thoughts, of how a character should look, their temperament, and the personality he wanted to suggest through the design of the costume. Even the mechanics of how these characters would move and evoke life for audiences. Big Bird, for example, would be a 7 foot tall monster; to represent this he needed a man to not only have a full body suit, but for his arm to extend upwards with his hand being able to move the beak.  All of these ideas are shown in their most immature state, yet anyone familiar with these characters can appreciate how they came to be.

        One of our last stops was not to a museum per-say, but an outside exhibit for all to enjoy and appreciate an abstract art that doesn’t always have a good name attached to it. The graffiti at 5Points in Long Island City was originally created by Jonathan Cohen who had and still has many aspiring ideas for this artistry. This block long, 5 story high building, located at Jackson Avenue and Davis Street, has drawn artists from not only the 5 boroughs (representing the 5 points) but graffiti artists from around the world including Canada, Japan, and Brazil just to name a few. Dj’s, Musicians, Break Dancers, Film Makers and photographers all flock here to get a taste of the art that is farthest thing from ordinary. Graffiti has never truly gained respect of artistry, but no one can refute the amazing talent that is needed to execute works of art to this magnitude simply through spray paint. Jonathan Cohen even has hopes of opening an art school specifically for graffiti, to be able to share art techniques, along with the importance that teamwork holds in an art such as this.

            Our trip to Queens was filled to the brim with new experiences for me. Everything from using the subways, to visiting numerous museums and walking around experiencing all the culture and personality that the city has to offer was something I had never done before. I find it amazing how even though I have two parents that grew up in Queens, I never knew any of the history behind any of it. Robert Moses was simply a beach I went to, never knowing the full magnitude of his projects and his importance to the city. I had never even heard of the World’s Fair before; forget about knowing how much effort had gone into creating it, how many people attended, and what it actually stood for representing so many different countries and trying to bring all the differences between us to mesh and allow us to be more accepting and understanding of each other…as per the theme “Peace through Understanding”. This trip was very insightful for me, and I can’t wait to see what next week will bring!

My New York....before the "experience"

                New York City means so many different things to so many different people. What does it mean to me? Well I have to say I’m a lover of New York and have always been proud to say I’m a New Yorker, yet I’m truly from Long Island, and don’t travel to New York City as much as I should being it is so close. When I think of the city I picture a crisp fall day, traveling on the train getting into Penn. Station and scurrying with the crowds up the stairs to the familiar “city smell” that is one of a kind and always makes me know I’ve made it to New York City. Dressed in your best “city chic” you have to make a stop at one of the millions of Starbucks you’ll pass in your travels to get a hot latte, your “look” wouldn’t be complete without it. Walking alongside the locals, the tourists and the people like me whom I consider the “in-betweens”, you notice everything around you. You have to take it all in quickly though because New York City is not the place to stand in one spot and look around being that you would get trampled on in a heartbeat.

 I can’t say I know much about the architecture only that it’s breathtaking and people don’t appreciate it enough (me being one of them). I have never been to a single museum or art gallery, never saw a Broadway play or have been to the empire state building or the statue of liberty. All of these things I’m aware are right at my fingertips but that’s not what I think of when I think of the city. I am guilty of gravitating towards time square due to the high energy, bright lights, and tons of stores that are available. New York City to me is the typical “city that never sleeps”. My most frequent trips into New York City are simply for the never ending nightlife that it provides. Anything from a local hole in the wall bar to four story dance clubs to even the break dancers in the subways, the city always is intriguing and never has a dull moment.

One of my most beloved things that I think of when I travel to the big city is of course the food! I’m Italian and trips to little Italy are one of my favorites. I absolutely love when streets are basically shut down with tons and tons of food stands every which way you look. New York City has not only every ethnicity serving all kinds of foods, but at all different prices and different environments. Thinking of New York City I can picture a dirty water hot dog on the run or an extravagant, pricey sit down dinner where I’ll end up spending an entire paycheck on an appetizer. That’s the best part of it though, the city is made for everyone and has everything you could ever need all in walking distance…and if you can’t walk there’s always a kart with a biker attached to it willing to give you a ride!