Enchanting Eastside

Waking up Friday I was excited because I knew we were going to be visiting Central Park, which is one of my favorite places to be on a beautiful autumn day. I was also excited because mike informed us that we would not be doing as much walking as we have been for the past two classes, so maybe I wouldn’t be as exhausted as I have been by the end of the day. I preformed my normal routine by taking the train from Wantagh to Penn Station to meet with the class. Once we were all together we got on the subway and headed for The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

                  The Metropolitan Museum of Art, or simply called The Met, is the largest, most comprehensive art museum in the world. The building occupies 1.5 million square feet and its collections include more than two million objects, whose range includes the whole world and the entire sweep of human civilization (BG, 326.) our class focused mainly on the Modern Art. I found Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol to be the most interesting. Pollock is known for his abstract expressionism art. If I had to describe what this type of art work looked like I would say that if you gave a child a paintbrush covered in paint and let them run around on a canvas with it, it would come out looking like abstract expressionism. What I found interesting about Pollock is that you can tell what he was thinking and his mood by his painting. For example when he was drunk and in a rage his painting were dark colors with almost violent looking brush stokes. I was really able to feel emotions through a painting that looked like a child could have done it. That’s what I found so interesting, how something so simple could share so much. I also really enjoyed Andy Warhol’s pop art, and the whole exhibit dedicated to him. I enjoy how colorful and different his artwork is, he will take something ordinary and make it extraordinary; for example a picture of someone famous, or his Campbell’s tomato soup painting. I admire how he was afraid to be different and create this wild and trippy eye-catching artwork. My favorite part was the balloon room, where the balloons would slowly fall and you were able to hit them back up in the air. Mike told us this took place at some of the parties Andy had, I can only imagine how many people were on drugs during that time.

            After we finished up with the modern art we were allowed to explore a part of the museum we desired, so I chose to look at the arms and armor exhibit. The collection of arms and armor contains weapons that range from simple arrowheads to elaborate ceremonial jewel-encrusted swords. The collection includes European, Japanese, and Islamic armor (BG, 341.) I really enjoyed seeing how detailed and beautiful some of this armor was and how crazy it is to think that people actually wore this to protect themselves when really in sure the armor is quite heavy and not very easy to move around in. the coolest piece was the Equestrian Court, where fully armed and armored man and their horses “parade” beneath colorful banners (BG, 341.) this piece looked like something out of a movie that takes place during medieval times. Although I have been to The Met before it was still a new experience for me seeing the modern art, and I really enjoyed it. After The Met we were off to explore central park and all the beauty it holds.

                  Central Park is the heartland of Manhattan, 843 acres set aside for the recreation of New Yorkers and visitors alike.  Activities in the park include; bicycling, boating, carousel, carriage rides, ice-skating, and swimming (BG, 279-280.) the park also includes a zoo, beautiful statues and landmarks. Soon after entering the park we found the 11-foot tall bronze Alice in Wonderland statue. Created by Jose de Creeft, Alice sits on a giant mushroom, surrounded by the Mad Hatter, the Dormouse, the Cheshire Cat, and the March Hare (BG, 292.) This was exciting for me because even though I have been to the park a few times I was never able to find this statue. Walking through the park on this beautiful day I could feel the positive energy from all around. I love being outdoors so I enjoyed seeing children playing on the playground and people walking around with their dogs just enjoying the day. Our next stop was to the boat pond, which I never realized was used in the movie Stewart Little. The scenery was very peaceful, some ducks were swimming in the pond and boats were being steered.  After the boat pond we made our way to the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain. The angel on top of the fountain is known as

         the Angel of the Waters. This area was crowded with people taking pictures and just hanging out. We     were also able to get a view of the lake where many people had rented rowboats. Something that caught my eye was a woman playing the harp by the lake for money. I find it pretty uncommon for someone to be playing the harp because it is a very big and heavy instrument, but the sound of the harp was very pretty and added to the scenery around it. After the lake we made our way to Strawberry Fields, the 2.5-acre near Central Park West and 72^nd street in honor of John Lennon who was assassinated in the courtyard of the nearby Dakota Apartments in 1980. The site is now one of the most popular destinations for visitors, a shrine where fans from all over the world leave flowers and other tokens of remembrance (BG, 792.) lucky for our class it was international peace day on Friday so we were able to watch a tea ceremony being preformed. I think it’s beautiful how the shrine is decorated with all flowers. The site is a peaceful spot where someone could go to just clear their head and think. After our tour of central park the class split up for lunch I decided to go to Dallas BBQ where I had a delicious chicken BBQ sandwich.

                  After lunch we stopped by The Plaza Hotel, which I know of because one of my favorite movies, Home Alone 2.  The hotel is as famous for its guest as for its site-with views of Central Park and Fifth Avenue- its architecture and its luxury (BG, 273.) even through we quickly walked through the hotel I could see how beautiful it was and how expensive it looked. After The Plaza we stopped into F.A.O Schwartz, which is a huge toy store. This store has anything a child could ever want ranging from dolls, toys, stuffed animals; they also have a whole candy section, it is like a child’s heaven. Personally I enjoyed the huge stuffed animals; I would love one for myself, but I’m not willing to pay 1,200 dollars for it.

After F.A.O Schwartz we continued down Fifth Avenue, home to the finest jewelry, clothing, and accessory stores, such as Tiffany’s, Fendi, Gucci, and Saks Fifth Avenue. These stores are all to rich for my blood, but it is nice to think about one day being able to afford the items in these stores especially for a shopaholic like myself. Breezing down Fifth Ave we did stop in Grand Central Terminal which is much more beautiful then Penn Station. I really enjoy the Ceiling that was decorated with constellations of the zodiac, it was crazy to that that was once covered in dirt and filth and that people actually used toothbrushes to clean it. Mike told us how they were trying to redo Penn so it looks more like Grand central. Our final stop was to the N.Y Public Library. Unfortunately we arrived just when the library was closing so we were not able to go inside. Even though I have never been inside, I have seen a depiction of the inside from the movie The Day After Tomorrow.

                  After this unfortunate event our class was free to leave and go back to Penn, but Jennie and I had 

a better idea. We went shopping at Forever 21, which includes four floors of fun. I had a great time 

exploring the Eastside, definitely one of my favorite classes.

Bodacious Brooklyn

                  Waking up on Friday I was excited to discover and learn more about Brooklyn. I have been to Brooklyn before but have only visited Coney Island so I knew there was much more to learn about. I took the train to Penn Station where I met with the class and we were off to Coney Island.

                  In the popular imagination Coney Island survives as an archetype of American honky-tonk, the birthplace of the hot dog and home of the worlds most terrifying roller coaster, a place remarkable for high energy and dubious taste (BG, 491-492.) When I hear the words Coney Island I automatically think of The Cyclone and Nathan’s Famous. I have been to Coney Island many times; I have attended the mermaid parade that takes place there on the first day of summer every year, and have also been to a Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game. When we got off the subway we got to walk around and explore the boardwalk. The boardwalk was pretty empty compared to how it usually is during the summer and when the amusement park is open. Three classic rides have been landmarked and cannot be destroyed: the Parachute Jump, which is not operative, the Cyclone, and the Wonder Wheel (BG, 492.) I was bummed that I wasn’t going to get a chance to ride the Cyclone since I haven’t in a few years. Even though the boardwalk was not crowded it still had a positive upbeat vibe. For lunch I got a hot dog and fries from Nathan’s, the iconic hot dog stand founded in 1916 (BG, 492.) My hot dog was deliscious as usual. After lunch we took the subway down to Brooklyn Heights, a place where I have never been before.

                  Brooklyn Heights, sometimes called New York’s first suburb, has also become its first designated historic district (BG, 466.) Our first stop in Brooklyn Heights was to The New York Transit Museum. This two level subterranean museum, located in an unused subway station, was created in 1976. Run by the Metropolitan Transit Authority, it includes exhibits on buses, bridges and tunnels but the emphasis is on the subway (BG, 468.) We began our tour by learning about the history and construction of the first subway system. Our tour guide told us about all the different jobs that went into making the subway system and how dangerous they all were. One of the jobs I would hate to having was blowing up the concrete with a lot of dynamite then poking the fallen rocks with long sticks to make sure everything exploded and fell. I would also hate to carry out the fallen rocks in wheelbarrows all day long. I could only imagine how many people got sick or died during the making of the subway. Another fact I was surprised to hear was how it took four years for them to complete the subway system back then, but now it takes four years to just make one stop. I would think with all of the technological advances we would be able to make it much quicker. After the tour was over we were able to explore the rest of the museum. My favorite exhibit was being able to walk through all of the old subway cars. It was cool to see how much the cars change overtime; I really enjoyed looking at all of the old advertisements that were in the subway cars as well. The old subway cars are much more appealing then the ones now a days but I do enjoy having air conditioning on the subway I don’t know how people were able to deal with a crowded subway car on a hot day with just fans. I also enjoyed looking at the bus exhibit since my father is a bus driver mainly in Brooklyn.

                  After leaving the Transit Museum our next stop was to the Brooklyn Historical Society. This site was founded in 1863 as the Long Island Historical Society. The society maintains a library, a museum, and an educational center dedicated to Brooklyn history and culture (BG, 472.) we started off by looking at old paintings and photographs and it was interesting to see how much the community has changed over time; what was once open land is now filled with buildings. I also enjoyed seeing all the different movies and T.V shows take took place in Brooklyn. We then took a walking tour on Montague St. this tour didn’t really peak my interest, I found it hard to pay attention while there was so much going on around me. Once again it was cool seeing how much buildings and landmarks have changed over time. I did however love the brownstones wishing I could live in one of those apartments right on the river with the amazing view of the city.

                  After walking along the river we made our way to Dumbo, which stands for down under the Manhattan Bridge overpass. What were once many factories, old warehouses and filth is now a beautiful place for people to go and enjoy the outdoors, and there is even a merry-go-round. The view at Dumbo is also beautiful, a very peaceful place one can go to relax. Finally we made our way to the Brooklyn Bridge. I was excited to walk across the bridge because I have never done it before. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of New York’s greatest landmarks. The bridge opened on May 25, 1883, it was justly considered one of the world’s greatest wonders. It was the largest suspension bridge in existence, with a single span arching 1,595 feet across the East River (BG, 464.) During our tour at the Brooklyn Historical Society our guide told us John Roebling designed the bridge but he fell sick and was unable to leave his home so he would share all of the plans with his wife, Emily, who would deliver them to the workers. Emily was the first to walk over the bridge. Walking over the bridge gave me a feeling like I was on top of the world as I saw the cars pass beneath me. The view was amazing and it was relaxing to feel the wind hit you.  I did not enjoy the bicyclists speeding past me however; they were very mean and hostile if you got in their way. After crossing the bridge we made our way back to Penn Station.

                  I really enjoyed my experience of Brooklyn, and I can now say I have officially walked over the Brooklyn Bridge. Even though I was exhausted by the end of the day it was totally worth it.  I am really enjoying this class and the experiences it is given me that I might of never had.

Quixotic Queens

                  Waking up on Friday I was excited to discover what this class really was all about. I was eager to learn more about the sites queens had to offer because the only times I’ve been to queens was to watch the Mets play, and more times then not that usually ends in disappointment and heartache. I took the train from Wantagh to Penn Station to meet with everyone. Luckily Jennie, my friend since high school, was able to take this class with me so I felt more comfortable meeting up with a group of people who I didn’t know. Once our class came together at Penn we made our way to Queens, which is the largest borough in the city and the second most populous borough. It is the nation’s most diverse, having more then 130 different languages spoken (BG, 493).

                  We took the 7-subway train to Queens, which has been named the “International Express” because it passes through so many different ethnic communities (BG, 493).  I’ve taken this subway multiple times before when attending Met games so the experience was nothing new to me. However I have never experienced the U.S Open taking place so it was interesting to see the large crowd of people attending the game. I also couldn’t think of a better way of starting this class other than Mike getting into an argument with someone.  Our first stop was to Flushing Meadows Park. Mike and Meritta informed us that this park was originally a salt marsh and dumping ground, but during the 1930’s Robert Moses converted the marshland into the grounds for the 1939-40 World’s Fair (BG, 497). I’ve heard of the World’s Fair before but never really knew what it was, but thanks to Mike explaining to us to picture the Epcot center in Disney I now understand. After walking trough the park we finally reached the

Unisphere, originally stated as “Man’s Achievements on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe.” The Unisphere is 700,00 lbs of stainless steel, 12 stories high, and 120ft in diameter (BG, 497.) I have seen the Unisphere in pictures but I never knew what it was for or where it was located so it was nice to gain some information about it. Overall the park was well maintained and seemed to be a very peaceful place where one could hang out and enjoy themself.

                  Our second stop was to The Queens Museum of Art. The museum occupies the former New York City Building built for the city’s exhibition in the 1939-40 World’s Fair and later used by the United Nations General Assembly before its permanent headquarters were built (BG, 497). While inside we look at the Watershed model, which showed the city’s water supply. After, we went to the see the Panorama. The Panorama was commissioned by Robert Moses for the 1964 World’s Fair and updated in 1992. It contains 895,000 buildings-every buildings constructed before 1992 in each of the five boroughs (BG, 497-498.) seeing the city laid out like that in front of you I though was amazing. I was able to compare difference between the boroughs and really get a sense of how the city was planned out. What I liked most about that panorama was that they kept up to date with changes in buildings and other important structures. After the museum we got back on the subway and headed toward lunch in Jackson heights at the Jackson diner, which is Indian food. I chose to go to McDonalds because I am a picky eater when it comes to American food and the smell alone of the restaurant was too much for me. I did find it interested although that you were able to turn the block and it would be populated by a whole other culture.

                  After lunch we jump on another subway and made our way to Astoria. The Astoria section of Queens is still the place outside Greece with the largest number of people of Greek heritage, though today it also has growing Arab and Latino populations (BG, 499.) When we first got off the subway Astoria didn’t see to be that high class of a neighbor but then we turned the corner and the atmosphere seemed to change. While walking we passed many places that I would eat at and also a school was letting out that seemed to show diversity among the kids. I did think to myself this seems like a nice place to live. In Astoria we made our way to the Museum of the Moving Image, which is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Queens (BG, 499). Before the tour, we learned that the studio next door was used to film popular movies. This museum showed us all the work and time that go into making a movie or a television show. Some displays I enjoyed seeing some of the costumes, makeup, and props that were actually used in making some movies. I really enjoyed seeing how much technology has advanced over the years that go into making movies and T.V shows, such as the cameras they use and the props. I remember I was looking at a huge record player that people used to keep in their house and I thought to myself how crazy it is that people now have iPods for their music and it could fit in your jean pocket. I really enjoyed being able to look back on some the moves and T.V shows I grew up watching and understand further what went into creating them. I’m very glad I took this class because I never knew this museum existed and I really enjoyed my time there.

                  After the museum we took another subway to reach our next destination, 5 Pointz. I was very excited to go here because I have heard and seen pictures of this spot because and thought how cool it looked and how badly I wanted to go. 5 Pointz is an outdoor exhibit in Long Island City, where graffiti artists from all over the world come to display their art. It was incredible to see all the different graffiti. I loved how colorful and creative each design was. I was captivated by the graffiti and would honestly rather look at different graffiti designs all day then have a chance to see the Mona Lisa. I loved every minute of 5 Pointz.

                  Finally we ended our day in Queens at Gantry Plaza State Park. I learned that this park was originally a warehouse in the past but with the help of mayor Bloomberg it has transformed.  Now the park is a beautiful riverfront overlooking the city, I thought to myself I would like my boyfriend to take me here for a romantic date. After taking in the beautiful view we made our way back to Penn Station

                  This class completely changed my view of Queens. I really enjoyed every stop we made and would not mind going to visit again and sharing the knowledge I learned with friends and family. Without this class I would of never know that some of these places even existed.

feelings about New York City

When I hear the word New York City many thoughts come to mind. The first thing I think of when someone is talking about the City is Time Square. i can just picture the image of bright lights, different sounds coming from every direction, and the numerous amount of people walking around. Other things that come to mind when thinking about the city is all of the main tourist attractions that New York is know for; such as Broadway, The Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, etc. New York is also know for other aspects such as their fashion, food, night life.  Another aspect i think about is all the different cultures living in New York City and how it is said to be one large melting pot of people. At the same time i believe the City is segregated in a way when it comes to certain neighborhoods. some neighborhoods are know for the crime and poverty while others are know to be upper class. Even though I have gone to the City multiple times through out my life there is still so much I don't know about. I am excited to learn more about what each borough of the City holds and to open my mind to different cultures and experiences. Growing up on Long Island i believe that experiencing the city through this class is going to show me a different perspective of how people live.