journals 5-9
5. East Harlem, "El Barrio", & Central Park from Start to Finish:
We began our day by taking the E to the 6 train uptown to 103rd street, to East Harlem. East Harlem is also known as Spanish Harlem or more affectionately known as "El Barrio". East Harlem was one of the largest Hispanic populations in the country and although the neighborhood has undergone and continues to undergo gentrification, it still remains predominately Latino. (ENY pg.161) In the time following World War II, there was a surge of Puerto Ricans arriving in East Harlem, thus earning the name "El Barrio". These immigrants suffered from severe poverty. This lead to the building of project housing in the area. The projects did not create any solutions, they just caused a lot more, very serious problems. The projects concentrated all the crime, violence, and substance abuse to one place. This made East Harlem one of the most dangerous areas of New York City. It had the highest rates of poverty, unemployment, and crime in the city. (ENY pg. 162) As we walked through East Harlem we saw the Carver Houses, named after George Washington Carver. The Carver houses, was 13 building housing project created in 1958 for low income residents. (ENY pg 162) The area is under going serious gentrification since the 1990s. Although it is going through drastic changes, the neighborhood still maintains its Latino culture, heritage, and traditions.
In East Harlem we visited the Museum of the City of New York. At the museum we watched a short film featuring "time-scapes" of New York's development into the great city we know and love today. I really enjoyed this film, I really liked visualizing the map as population began to spread out on the land. (ENY pg. 163) The film explaining what had sparked people moving outward. I would definitely like to go back to the museum to see the rest of the exhibits. The museum has changing exhibits to showcase various parts of New York City's history. One of the museum's exhibits was the Gilded Age exhibit, where we were able to get a glimpse of how the exorbitantly wealthy lived, the families like the Rockefellers, and Carnegies. The exhibit was dripping in designer jewelry, clothing, furniture, and home decor. The piece I found most interesting was the set of gold utensils. Most families, even nowadays has fine china and it contains silverware. These families lived so ornately that they used gold forks and knives to eat. My favorite portion of the museum was the stairwell full of quotes about New York. It was interesting to read others opinions about their perception of New York.
After this museum we headed to El Museo del Barrio where we met our walking guide Luke. Luke is a peace poet, and a wonderful guide. After brief introductions, Luke graced us with one of the poems entitled solidarity. It was extremely moving and was very thought provoking. I often find myself thinking about the vastness of the world and how little I really think of what is going on outside of my own neighborhood. It is horrible and very self-centered but if I am being truly honest that it is the reality of it. I felt that Luke's poetry about solidarity, exploring the idea that the whole world is your family and we need to recognize all peoples suffering and struggles and be present for them, really made me reflect on that aspect of myself. It is very easy to get blinded by our own lives and troubles becoming ignorant to the others struggling. After Luke shared his poetry with us, he took us on a walking tour of "El Barrio".
Luke took us around the neighborhood, showing us different displays of local art and spoke with members of the neighborhood asking them what they love most about East Harlem. Which I thought was just awesome, he just went up to a group of people and just struck up a conversation about the neighborhood and culture. The sense of community was very evident from this interaction. One of our stops was a community garden, Modesto "Tin" Flores Garden. (ENY pg. 163) It like most community gardens provide the people of the neighborhood with a quiet green space to escape from the chaos of the busy city. This garden was home to some very unique pieces of art work. In the center of the garden was a sculpture entitled "Seed of Growth" it was a mosaic fountain sculpture of Fallopian tubes.The artist wanted to convey the strength of women and celebrate women in way that doesn't classify them as sexual objects.(ENY pg. 164) On the back wall of the garden is an eye catching mural. It is called "Soldaderas", and was created by Yasmin Hernandez. (ENY pg.164) The mural consists of a painting of a Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and a Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos. The two women are holding hands, their hearts on visible on their chests and connected. In the background of the mural are the women's flags respectively. Luke explained the similarities between the two women, they were both political radicals, feminists, and devoted to their homelands. The two women also shared the loss of an unborn child, and so did the artist of the mural. As I took in the mural, I felt the purpose of this piece in the community garden was to be a role model. The women were depicted there to remind the members of the community of all they represented. To me the purpose of art in the garden and throughout the community was to express unity and an understanding of others struggles. The art helped to bring community members together and provide them with comfort to know they are not alone. I felt the artwork touched on the solidarity Luke spoke about in his peace poem.
Another piece of community artwork that Luke brought us to see was the "Spirit of East Harlem" mural, created by Hank Prussing. (ENY pg. 163) I really enjoyed this piece, it depicted the culture and history of the neighborhood. It is going to become of increasing importance as gentrification continues to run through the area. It will show future generations about the history of the neighborhood and its beginnings.It was nothing extravagant or abstract, it was simple and beautiful, showing to all who come through the kind of neighborhood East Harlem is.
Central Park was our next stop. We entered the park at 5th Avenue and 105th street through the Vanderbilt Gate. The important thing to remember about Central Park is it a large landscape architecture site, it is completely man made from top to bottom. The city was in dire need of a relaxing green space in mid 19th century. New Yorkers at this time found relaxation in cemeteries because sanitary conditions in the city were awful. Because of this the New York Legislature bought 700 acres from 59th to 106th streets to create a park for the people of the city. Years later 65 acres were bought from 106th to 110th. The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Clavert Vaux. The park was inspired by the parks seen in Europe and cemeteries seen in Brooklyn. (ENY pg. 149) "Olmstead envisioned the park as a bucolic, naturalistic landscape with "separate circulation" systems for pedestrians, horseback riders, and vehicles." (ENY. pg 149) The park officially opened in 1873 and became the first major public park in any city in the U.S.
We entered the park through the Vanderbilt Gate which brings you into the Conservatory Garden. The Conservatory Garden is split into three distinct formal gardens, the English, French, and Italian styles. This was one of my favorite parts of the park. It felt very secluded because most of the people conjugate at the other end of the park. I have been to Central Park many of times and well I always find it relaxing and calming, I found this area of the park to be the most serene. As we walked through the park we made our way to the Central Park Reservoir, it is also known as the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. (ENY pg. 151) It was created as a water supply however it has been decommissioned since 1993, now it is a beautiful place to jog. As we went along you could see the Guggenheim Museum and the Metropolitan Museum from the park, if you wanted to you could stop exit the park and get some artsy culture time in. The Guggenheim was designed by an architect named Frank Lloyd Wright. The design is "based upon the concept of an inverted ziggurat that was circular in design with gently sloping ramps." (ENY pg 152) The design of the building is said to be esthetically pleasing but it makes it very difficult to view and appreciate the artwork.
After passing the MET you are now in the lower park. The lower park houses the 3,500 year old Egyptian Obelisk. The obelisk was built on the Nile River in honor of the Pharaoh Thutmose III. It was relocated to to Alexandria near a temple built by Cleopatra. The Khedive of Egypt gave the obelisk to New York City in 1881. (ENY pg. 153) It is made of red granite, is 69 feet tall and weighs 224tons. The Obelisk is always nicknamed Cleopatra's needle and remains covered and under maintenance because the hieroglyphics have been damaged from New York's weather. (ENY pg. 153) I think this is by far the coolest thing in the park. I had no idea we had an Egyptian statue in New York City. I wish we could have really seen it and it wasn't under maintenance.
We continued our way through the park and stopped at Belvedere Castle, which was made out of our favorite Manhattan schist. It is not really a castle, it is ornamentation. It is now used a visitor center and does have some impressive views of the city. (ENY pg. 154) We also made a pit stop in the Ramble, it was designed by Olmstead to be a "wild garden." In this area of the park it very easy to get lost in the natural paths. This area attracts a lot of bird watchers, as well as couples looking for alone because of its secluded space. We made through the Ramble without encountering any love birds and headed to the Boat Pond. The boat pond was full of couples and families enjoying the absolutely beautiful day we had strolling. We made our way to the famous Strawberry Fields and stood in front of the Dakota. In Strawberry Fields, there were dozens of individuals paying tribute to John Lennon's memory. I am an avid listener of the Beetles, even went to the tribute band Strawberry Fields, and I have never been moved by this memorial. I always feel that it is far to crowded to truly get lost in the moment and connect with the space.
Our final stop in the park was Bethesda Terrace and the beautiful Bethesda fountain. It was created by Emma Stebbins and was a protrayl of the biblical story from the Book of Revelations. It was created as a tribute to the Croton water system which provided the city with continuous fresh water. (ENY pg. 156) Bethesda Terrace overlooks The Central Park Lake, which is the largest body of water in Central Park. I really liked this spot in the park, it was full of many different characters, a dancing ballerina, a man mesmerizing children with creating huge bubbles, families fishing, a woman singing opera, and young men making balloon animals. It was so fun to just sit and people watch. I have only been to the Bethesda fountain once before and that was for my cousin's wedding, she and her husband got married right in front of the fountain and took their photos overlooking the lake.
I really enjoyed our day of exploring Central Park, although it was a lot of walking it felt like more of a leisurely day because of where we spent our time. Luke was definitely our best guide thus far, I felt like he truly gave us the history of East Harlem but also provided us with an accurate sense of the culture.
We began our day by taking the E to the 6 train uptown to 103rd street, to East Harlem. East Harlem is also known as Spanish Harlem or more affectionately known as "El Barrio". East Harlem was one of the largest Hispanic populations in the country and although the neighborhood has undergone and continues to undergo gentrification, it still remains predominately Latino. (ENY pg.161) In the time following World War II, there was a surge of Puerto Ricans arriving in East Harlem, thus earning the name "El Barrio". These immigrants suffered from severe poverty. This lead to the building of project housing in the area. The projects did not create any solutions, they just caused a lot more, very serious problems. The projects concentrated all the crime, violence, and substance abuse to one place. This made East Harlem one of the most dangerous areas of New York City. It had the highest rates of poverty, unemployment, and crime in the city. (ENY pg. 162) As we walked through East Harlem we saw the Carver Houses, named after George Washington Carver. The Carver houses, was 13 building housing project created in 1958 for low income residents. (ENY pg 162) The area is under going serious gentrification since the 1990s. Although it is going through drastic changes, the neighborhood still maintains its Latino culture, heritage, and traditions.
In East Harlem we visited the Museum of the City of New York. At the museum we watched a short film featuring "time-scapes" of New York's development into the great city we know and love today. I really enjoyed this film, I really liked visualizing the map as population began to spread out on the land. (ENY pg. 163) The film explaining what had sparked people moving outward. I would definitely like to go back to the museum to see the rest of the exhibits. The museum has changing exhibits to showcase various parts of New York City's history. One of the museum's exhibits was the Gilded Age exhibit, where we were able to get a glimpse of how the exorbitantly wealthy lived, the families like the Rockefellers, and Carnegies. The exhibit was dripping in designer jewelry, clothing, furniture, and home decor. The piece I found most interesting was the set of gold utensils. Most families, even nowadays has fine china and it contains silverware. These families lived so ornately that they used gold forks and knives to eat. My favorite portion of the museum was the stairwell full of quotes about New York. It was interesting to read others opinions about their perception of New York.
After this museum we headed to El Museo del Barrio where we met our walking guide Luke. Luke is a peace poet, and a wonderful guide. After brief introductions, Luke graced us with one of the poems entitled solidarity. It was extremely moving and was very thought provoking. I often find myself thinking about the vastness of the world and how little I really think of what is going on outside of my own neighborhood. It is horrible and very self-centered but if I am being truly honest that it is the reality of it. I felt that Luke's poetry about solidarity, exploring the idea that the whole world is your family and we need to recognize all peoples suffering and struggles and be present for them, really made me reflect on that aspect of myself. It is very easy to get blinded by our own lives and troubles becoming ignorant to the others struggling. After Luke shared his poetry with us, he took us on a walking tour of "El Barrio".
Luke took us around the neighborhood, showing us different displays of local art and spoke with members of the neighborhood asking them what they love most about East Harlem. Which I thought was just awesome, he just went up to a group of people and just struck up a conversation about the neighborhood and culture. The sense of community was very evident from this interaction. One of our stops was a community garden, Modesto "Tin" Flores Garden. (ENY pg. 163) It like most community gardens provide the people of the neighborhood with a quiet green space to escape from the chaos of the busy city. This garden was home to some very unique pieces of art work. In the center of the garden was a sculpture entitled "Seed of Growth" it was a mosaic fountain sculpture of Fallopian tubes.The artist wanted to convey the strength of women and celebrate women in way that doesn't classify them as sexual objects.(ENY pg. 164) On the back wall of the garden is an eye catching mural. It is called "Soldaderas", and was created by Yasmin Hernandez. (ENY pg.164) The mural consists of a painting of a Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and a Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos. The two women are holding hands, their hearts on visible on their chests and connected. In the background of the mural are the women's flags respectively. Luke explained the similarities between the two women, they were both political radicals, feminists, and devoted to their homelands. The two women also shared the loss of an unborn child, and so did the artist of the mural. As I took in the mural, I felt the purpose of this piece in the community garden was to be a role model. The women were depicted there to remind the members of the community of all they represented. To me the purpose of art in the garden and throughout the community was to express unity and an understanding of others struggles. The art helped to bring community members together and provide them with comfort to know they are not alone. I felt the artwork touched on the solidarity Luke spoke about in his peace poem.
Another piece of community artwork that Luke brought us to see was the "Spirit of East Harlem" mural, created by Hank Prussing. (ENY pg. 163) I really enjoyed this piece, it depicted the culture and history of the neighborhood. It is going to become of increasing importance as gentrification continues to run through the area. It will show future generations about the history of the neighborhood and its beginnings.It was nothing extravagant or abstract, it was simple and beautiful, showing to all who come through the kind of neighborhood East Harlem is.
Central Park was our next stop. We entered the park at 5th Avenue and 105th street through the Vanderbilt Gate. The important thing to remember about Central Park is it a large landscape architecture site, it is completely man made from top to bottom. The city was in dire need of a relaxing green space in mid 19th century. New Yorkers at this time found relaxation in cemeteries because sanitary conditions in the city were awful. Because of this the New York Legislature bought 700 acres from 59th to 106th streets to create a park for the people of the city. Years later 65 acres were bought from 106th to 110th. The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Clavert Vaux. The park was inspired by the parks seen in Europe and cemeteries seen in Brooklyn. (ENY pg. 149) "Olmstead envisioned the park as a bucolic, naturalistic landscape with "separate circulation" systems for pedestrians, horseback riders, and vehicles." (ENY. pg 149) The park officially opened in 1873 and became the first major public park in any city in the U.S.
We entered the park through the Vanderbilt Gate which brings you into the Conservatory Garden. The Conservatory Garden is split into three distinct formal gardens, the English, French, and Italian styles. This was one of my favorite parts of the park. It felt very secluded because most of the people conjugate at the other end of the park. I have been to Central Park many of times and well I always find it relaxing and calming, I found this area of the park to be the most serene. As we walked through the park we made our way to the Central Park Reservoir, it is also known as the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. (ENY pg. 151) It was created as a water supply however it has been decommissioned since 1993, now it is a beautiful place to jog. As we went along you could see the Guggenheim Museum and the Metropolitan Museum from the park, if you wanted to you could stop exit the park and get some artsy culture time in. The Guggenheim was designed by an architect named Frank Lloyd Wright. The design is "based upon the concept of an inverted ziggurat that was circular in design with gently sloping ramps." (ENY pg 152) The design of the building is said to be esthetically pleasing but it makes it very difficult to view and appreciate the artwork.
After passing the MET you are now in the lower park. The lower park houses the 3,500 year old Egyptian Obelisk. The obelisk was built on the Nile River in honor of the Pharaoh Thutmose III. It was relocated to to Alexandria near a temple built by Cleopatra. The Khedive of Egypt gave the obelisk to New York City in 1881. (ENY pg. 153) It is made of red granite, is 69 feet tall and weighs 224tons. The Obelisk is always nicknamed Cleopatra's needle and remains covered and under maintenance because the hieroglyphics have been damaged from New York's weather. (ENY pg. 153) I think this is by far the coolest thing in the park. I had no idea we had an Egyptian statue in New York City. I wish we could have really seen it and it wasn't under maintenance.
We continued our way through the park and stopped at Belvedere Castle, which was made out of our favorite Manhattan schist. It is not really a castle, it is ornamentation. It is now used a visitor center and does have some impressive views of the city. (ENY pg. 154) We also made a pit stop in the Ramble, it was designed by Olmstead to be a "wild garden." In this area of the park it very easy to get lost in the natural paths. This area attracts a lot of bird watchers, as well as couples looking for alone because of its secluded space. We made through the Ramble without encountering any love birds and headed to the Boat Pond. The boat pond was full of couples and families enjoying the absolutely beautiful day we had strolling. We made our way to the famous Strawberry Fields and stood in front of the Dakota. In Strawberry Fields, there were dozens of individuals paying tribute to John Lennon's memory. I am an avid listener of the Beetles, even went to the tribute band Strawberry Fields, and I have never been moved by this memorial. I always feel that it is far to crowded to truly get lost in the moment and connect with the space.
Our final stop in the park was Bethesda Terrace and the beautiful Bethesda fountain. It was created by Emma Stebbins and was a protrayl of the biblical story from the Book of Revelations. It was created as a tribute to the Croton water system which provided the city with continuous fresh water. (ENY pg. 156) Bethesda Terrace overlooks The Central Park Lake, which is the largest body of water in Central Park. I really liked this spot in the park, it was full of many different characters, a dancing ballerina, a man mesmerizing children with creating huge bubbles, families fishing, a woman singing opera, and young men making balloon animals. It was so fun to just sit and people watch. I have only been to the Bethesda fountain once before and that was for my cousin's wedding, she and her husband got married right in front of the fountain and took their photos overlooking the lake.
I really enjoyed our day of exploring Central Park, although it was a lot of walking it felt like more of a leisurely day because of where we spent our time. Luke was definitely our best guide thus far, I felt like he truly gave us the history of East Harlem but also provided us with an accurate sense of the culture.
6. The Frick, Hell's Kitchen & Central Harlem:
We started our day by taking the E train to the 6 uptown to the Frick Museum. The Museum is on 5th Avenue between 70th and 71st streets. The museum is Henry Clay Frick's home. The Frick family was one of the wealthy millionaire families in the U.S. Well the house does demonstrate the lifestyle of the Fricks, the home serves mainly as an art gallery. Mr. Frick was an avid art collector, he had a real passion for art. When Mr. Frick passed away he had written in his will that wanted the house and all his belongs to be turned into a museum. The tour guide informed us that Mr. Frick had always intended the house to be turned into a museum. We entered the house and headed to the an area that was converted into a garden space in the middle of the house. That was not an original part of the house but an addition that was made much later on. However, it was stunning I could never imagine if it had been a original part of the house. The tour guide kept saying that Mr. Frick wanted a "simple home", the house was far from simple by any means, especially with the addition of the marble garden and fountain in the middle. The first room we visited from the original home was the dinning room. It was large but did not seem large enough to accommodate the amount of guest the tour guide stated the Frick's had for their weekly dinner parties. I also found it interesting that the table was round, I always pictured these wealthy family dinner parties to have long rectangular tables. There were very large pieces of artwork that were on display. I am hesitant to use the word decorate the room because Mr. Frick was an avid art collector, it was far more than decorative. The next room we entered was used as the woman's corner, this was where the women of the family would have visitors and do various activities. The focal point in this room was a series of 4 painting that were telling the love story of a young couple. And of course they were not in order, so we tried to figure out the sequence of them. The other paintings in the room were all of cherubs, which if I am being honest really creep me out, and I do not know why. The next room was known was the room of "Great Men", this room was the man's space in the home and featured artwork of only men. Mr. Frick did not collect a lot religious works however there was a piece in this room. It was entitled "St. Francis in the Desert" by Giovanni Bellini. The painting was full of imagery that was important to Franciscan literature. After "the room of great men" we entered the house's largest gallery. While in the house's largest gallery, we looked closely at two paintings. One painted was entitled the "Mistress and Maid" by Vermeer. This was the last painting purchased by Frick himself. The other painting we observed closely was "The Choice between Vice and Virtue" by Veronese. Out of the two, I liked the second painting better. It was a clearer story and it was easier to relate to it. I also happen to really enjoy Greek mythology, and one of the prevailing themes is the decision between good and evil. It was a constant battle. In the painting the man, Hercules, is in a struggle between two women, one being vice and one being virtue. I enjoyed taking in the painting, it was portrayed as a physical ordeal, the man's pant leg was torn, there was a real struggle between the two women. The man was running toward virtue, barely escaping from vice. This was probably my favorite piece of all the works we looked at today.
This museum was not what I was expecting, I thought it was going to be similar to the Merchant Museum. I felt I wasn't fully able to get a picture of who this class of society lived. I did enjoy it, however I was looking for a different experience going in. It was very evident that the Frick's were extremely wealthy from the furnishings, the size of the home, and the vast collection of art however I was not able to see how they lived day to day.
After we explored the Frick museum we headed to lunch, we walked thru Central Park to the area known affectionately as Hell's Kitchen. Hell's Kitchen is sometimes referred to as "Clinton" by uppity New Yorkers. (ENY pg. 122) Hell's Kitchen spans from 34th to 59th streets between 8th and 9th avenue. (ENY pg. 122) The neighborhood is full of tasty food at really good prices. Interestingly enough no one knows where the name "Hell's Kitchen" came from but it sure did stick. In the 19th century of New York, this neighborhood was one of the poorest, crime-ridden, and filthy places. It began as a large farm, owned by Andres Hopper however by the mid-19th century it become more industrialized. The industries that filled the area were tanneries and slaughterhouses, which ultimately polluted all the water ways. (ENY pg. 122) All of the industry attracted poor immigrants to the area, particularly the Irish. After the Civil War, tenement buildings were constructed to house all the immigrants. By the time of the 20th century, this neighborhood was one of the most dangerous in the entire U.S. because the streets were controlled by gangs and organized crime.There were major tensions between the Irish and Italian members of the neighborhood, which was actually the inspiration for West Side Story the musical. (ENY pg. 122) In the 1990s, gentrification began to drastically change the neighborhood. Huge fancy apartment buildings went up, attracting young professionals to the area. This has lead to the various international restaurants popping up throughout the neighborhood. (ENY pg. 123) We went to one of those wonderful international restaurants. We went to Yum Yum 2 for lunch. Where I tried Thai food for the first time. I really enjoyed it, I had the cashew chicken. I love trying new food, if I could take a food tour of the city that would be incredible. I just love to eat, I am glad I was able to expand my palate with Thai food and I know for certain that I will be looking to get some more very soon.
Once we finished lunch we headed to Harlem. This week we got to explore a new part of Harlem, we went on a walking tour led by Jim, our guide. Harlem lies north of Central Park, and was originally settled by the Dutch in the 1600s. It was named Haarlem after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands. The English eventually took control from the Dutch, thus changing the name to Harlem. (ENY pg. 173) Although the grid system reached Harlem in 1811, the area stayed largely rural through the early 19th century. This was due to its location, to reach Manhattan from Harlem a person would have to take a steamboat down the East River or travel by stagecoach. Neither one of these options were convenient, so Harlem stayed fairly isolated. (ENY pg. 174) By the 1890s Harlem was one of the most exclusive residential areas in Manhattan thanks to the New York and Harlem Railroad system. In the beginning of the twentieth century there was an influx of Jewish and Italian immigrants. (ENY pg. 174) We were told by our tour guide, Jim, that Harlem at one time had a very large Jewish population, which surprised me. I have never thought of Harlem as having a large Jewish population. The population took a shift when middle class African American families started to move in. The families were trying to escape the discrimination they were subject to in other areas of the city. This led to southern Africans feeling to the northern industrial cities. Many of them settled in Harlem, which made a lot of white families move out of Harlem. (ENY. pg 175) Around 1920, Harlem became the cultural capital of black America, during the Harlem Renaissance. The Renaissance had lasting effects on how Africans were perceived in society, but more importantly it changed how Africans viewed themselves. The Harlem Renaissance ushered in a surge of art, music, theater, and literature. It also brought about a new progressive spirit. It marked the first time African American artists, musicians, and writers were being taken seriously. The emergence of jazz is probably one of the most well known contributions from the renaissance. Jazz music is created to the African culture and gained a lot momentum during prohibition and the opening of night clubs.Some of the most famous of the clubs were the Cotton Club, the Savoy Ballroom, and of course the Apollo. The Renaissance had long lasting effects of African culture and equality movements. The progressive thought of this period led the way for the formation of organizations such as the NAACP to bring about change. But again the most significant result of the renaissance was how it made Africans view themselves, they began to be proud of their heritage and not hindered by their identity. (ENY pg. 181)
We took a walking tour of central Harlem, taking in the history of the neighborhood. Our first site as we walked around was the Harlem hospital. It has a beautiful mural on the outside of the windows of the building, It features a music man, who looks very similar to Duke Ellington, as well as important cultural images. The interesting thing about this mural is it is not visible to the patients from inside the hospital, when they look out the windows it is just a normal window, however for onlookers outside the windows are a beautiful mural and you cannot see inside. As we began walking we came across the Mother AME Zion Church, this church was founded in 1796 by a group of African Methodists. This is the oldest African church in New York State. (ENY pg. 180) The church is in the Gothic Revival style and was designed by George W. Foster Jr. one of the New York's first registered African architects. (ENY pg 180) The church is still fully operational and holds services there every week. Jim our guide said that the Sunday services are so full of parishioners they have areas with televisions for more parishioners to take part in the service in the downstairs of the church.
We walked down Striver's Row, this area contains the best preserved rowhouses in Manhattan. These homes were typically purchased by up and coming mobile leaders in the African community known as "strivers", thus giving it is name Striver's row. These rowhouses are not your typical looking houses, the designer of these homes, David H. King wanted to give the middle class a unique home. King wanted to avoid having houses that all looked exactly the same, so he worked three different architectural firms to work on different sections of development. (ENY pg. 181) The homes on the streets "were built between 1891 and 1893 and included sophisticated architectural details, elegant woodwork, and modern amenities that were uncommon at the time for middle class housing." (ENY pg. 181) What stood out the most about these homes was the wrought iron work. The homes have intricate scrolling wrought iron railings on the stoops. Another interesting part of these homes were the alleyways. In between the homes were alleyways, that are gated off with again wrought iron work. The alleyways were originally used to "walk your horses", and there are still signs which state that purpose. (ENY pg. 182) It is reminding us that these homes were built well before the automobile congested the streets of New York and forever quicken the pace of city life. Of all the homes we have seen I liked these and the brownstones in Brooklyn the best. After we explored the history and architecture of Striver's Row we walked the Harlem Walk of Fame. The Harlem Walk of Fame, is the stretch of 135th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Frederick Douglass Bvld. It was commissioned by the Harlem Chamber of Commerce in 1995. The walk of fame consists of bronze plaques designed by Otto Neals and Ogundipe Fayoumi. (ENY pg. 183)The plaques are to honor great African Americans who made lasting contributions to music, science, the arts, and to public service. Some of the names on the plaques included Dizzy Gillespie, David Dinkins, Marcus Garvey, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday. We had a very enjoyable day, I particularly enjoyed the walked down the Harlem Walk of Fame. I really enjoy the history of Harlem, especially the Harlem Renaissance and its the lasting impact it has had, particularly on the music industry, with the amazing contribution of Jazz music.
We started our day by taking the E train to the 6 uptown to the Frick Museum. The Museum is on 5th Avenue between 70th and 71st streets. The museum is Henry Clay Frick's home. The Frick family was one of the wealthy millionaire families in the U.S. Well the house does demonstrate the lifestyle of the Fricks, the home serves mainly as an art gallery. Mr. Frick was an avid art collector, he had a real passion for art. When Mr. Frick passed away he had written in his will that wanted the house and all his belongs to be turned into a museum. The tour guide informed us that Mr. Frick had always intended the house to be turned into a museum. We entered the house and headed to the an area that was converted into a garden space in the middle of the house. That was not an original part of the house but an addition that was made much later on. However, it was stunning I could never imagine if it had been a original part of the house. The tour guide kept saying that Mr. Frick wanted a "simple home", the house was far from simple by any means, especially with the addition of the marble garden and fountain in the middle. The first room we visited from the original home was the dinning room. It was large but did not seem large enough to accommodate the amount of guest the tour guide stated the Frick's had for their weekly dinner parties. I also found it interesting that the table was round, I always pictured these wealthy family dinner parties to have long rectangular tables. There were very large pieces of artwork that were on display. I am hesitant to use the word decorate the room because Mr. Frick was an avid art collector, it was far more than decorative. The next room we entered was used as the woman's corner, this was where the women of the family would have visitors and do various activities. The focal point in this room was a series of 4 painting that were telling the love story of a young couple. And of course they were not in order, so we tried to figure out the sequence of them. The other paintings in the room were all of cherubs, which if I am being honest really creep me out, and I do not know why. The next room was known was the room of "Great Men", this room was the man's space in the home and featured artwork of only men. Mr. Frick did not collect a lot religious works however there was a piece in this room. It was entitled "St. Francis in the Desert" by Giovanni Bellini. The painting was full of imagery that was important to Franciscan literature. After "the room of great men" we entered the house's largest gallery. While in the house's largest gallery, we looked closely at two paintings. One painted was entitled the "Mistress and Maid" by Vermeer. This was the last painting purchased by Frick himself. The other painting we observed closely was "The Choice between Vice and Virtue" by Veronese. Out of the two, I liked the second painting better. It was a clearer story and it was easier to relate to it. I also happen to really enjoy Greek mythology, and one of the prevailing themes is the decision between good and evil. It was a constant battle. In the painting the man, Hercules, is in a struggle between two women, one being vice and one being virtue. I enjoyed taking in the painting, it was portrayed as a physical ordeal, the man's pant leg was torn, there was a real struggle between the two women. The man was running toward virtue, barely escaping from vice. This was probably my favorite piece of all the works we looked at today.
This museum was not what I was expecting, I thought it was going to be similar to the Merchant Museum. I felt I wasn't fully able to get a picture of who this class of society lived. I did enjoy it, however I was looking for a different experience going in. It was very evident that the Frick's were extremely wealthy from the furnishings, the size of the home, and the vast collection of art however I was not able to see how they lived day to day.
After we explored the Frick museum we headed to lunch, we walked thru Central Park to the area known affectionately as Hell's Kitchen. Hell's Kitchen is sometimes referred to as "Clinton" by uppity New Yorkers. (ENY pg. 122) Hell's Kitchen spans from 34th to 59th streets between 8th and 9th avenue. (ENY pg. 122) The neighborhood is full of tasty food at really good prices. Interestingly enough no one knows where the name "Hell's Kitchen" came from but it sure did stick. In the 19th century of New York, this neighborhood was one of the poorest, crime-ridden, and filthy places. It began as a large farm, owned by Andres Hopper however by the mid-19th century it become more industrialized. The industries that filled the area were tanneries and slaughterhouses, which ultimately polluted all the water ways. (ENY pg. 122) All of the industry attracted poor immigrants to the area, particularly the Irish. After the Civil War, tenement buildings were constructed to house all the immigrants. By the time of the 20th century, this neighborhood was one of the most dangerous in the entire U.S. because the streets were controlled by gangs and organized crime.There were major tensions between the Irish and Italian members of the neighborhood, which was actually the inspiration for West Side Story the musical. (ENY pg. 122) In the 1990s, gentrification began to drastically change the neighborhood. Huge fancy apartment buildings went up, attracting young professionals to the area. This has lead to the various international restaurants popping up throughout the neighborhood. (ENY pg. 123) We went to one of those wonderful international restaurants. We went to Yum Yum 2 for lunch. Where I tried Thai food for the first time. I really enjoyed it, I had the cashew chicken. I love trying new food, if I could take a food tour of the city that would be incredible. I just love to eat, I am glad I was able to expand my palate with Thai food and I know for certain that I will be looking to get some more very soon.
Once we finished lunch we headed to Harlem. This week we got to explore a new part of Harlem, we went on a walking tour led by Jim, our guide. Harlem lies north of Central Park, and was originally settled by the Dutch in the 1600s. It was named Haarlem after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands. The English eventually took control from the Dutch, thus changing the name to Harlem. (ENY pg. 173) Although the grid system reached Harlem in 1811, the area stayed largely rural through the early 19th century. This was due to its location, to reach Manhattan from Harlem a person would have to take a steamboat down the East River or travel by stagecoach. Neither one of these options were convenient, so Harlem stayed fairly isolated. (ENY pg. 174) By the 1890s Harlem was one of the most exclusive residential areas in Manhattan thanks to the New York and Harlem Railroad system. In the beginning of the twentieth century there was an influx of Jewish and Italian immigrants. (ENY pg. 174) We were told by our tour guide, Jim, that Harlem at one time had a very large Jewish population, which surprised me. I have never thought of Harlem as having a large Jewish population. The population took a shift when middle class African American families started to move in. The families were trying to escape the discrimination they were subject to in other areas of the city. This led to southern Africans feeling to the northern industrial cities. Many of them settled in Harlem, which made a lot of white families move out of Harlem. (ENY. pg 175) Around 1920, Harlem became the cultural capital of black America, during the Harlem Renaissance. The Renaissance had lasting effects on how Africans were perceived in society, but more importantly it changed how Africans viewed themselves. The Harlem Renaissance ushered in a surge of art, music, theater, and literature. It also brought about a new progressive spirit. It marked the first time African American artists, musicians, and writers were being taken seriously. The emergence of jazz is probably one of the most well known contributions from the renaissance. Jazz music is created to the African culture and gained a lot momentum during prohibition and the opening of night clubs.Some of the most famous of the clubs were the Cotton Club, the Savoy Ballroom, and of course the Apollo. The Renaissance had long lasting effects of African culture and equality movements. The progressive thought of this period led the way for the formation of organizations such as the NAACP to bring about change. But again the most significant result of the renaissance was how it made Africans view themselves, they began to be proud of their heritage and not hindered by their identity. (ENY pg. 181)
We took a walking tour of central Harlem, taking in the history of the neighborhood. Our first site as we walked around was the Harlem hospital. It has a beautiful mural on the outside of the windows of the building, It features a music man, who looks very similar to Duke Ellington, as well as important cultural images. The interesting thing about this mural is it is not visible to the patients from inside the hospital, when they look out the windows it is just a normal window, however for onlookers outside the windows are a beautiful mural and you cannot see inside. As we began walking we came across the Mother AME Zion Church, this church was founded in 1796 by a group of African Methodists. This is the oldest African church in New York State. (ENY pg. 180) The church is in the Gothic Revival style and was designed by George W. Foster Jr. one of the New York's first registered African architects. (ENY pg 180) The church is still fully operational and holds services there every week. Jim our guide said that the Sunday services are so full of parishioners they have areas with televisions for more parishioners to take part in the service in the downstairs of the church.
We walked down Striver's Row, this area contains the best preserved rowhouses in Manhattan. These homes were typically purchased by up and coming mobile leaders in the African community known as "strivers", thus giving it is name Striver's row. These rowhouses are not your typical looking houses, the designer of these homes, David H. King wanted to give the middle class a unique home. King wanted to avoid having houses that all looked exactly the same, so he worked three different architectural firms to work on different sections of development. (ENY pg. 181) The homes on the streets "were built between 1891 and 1893 and included sophisticated architectural details, elegant woodwork, and modern amenities that were uncommon at the time for middle class housing." (ENY pg. 181) What stood out the most about these homes was the wrought iron work. The homes have intricate scrolling wrought iron railings on the stoops. Another interesting part of these homes were the alleyways. In between the homes were alleyways, that are gated off with again wrought iron work. The alleyways were originally used to "walk your horses", and there are still signs which state that purpose. (ENY pg. 182) It is reminding us that these homes were built well before the automobile congested the streets of New York and forever quicken the pace of city life. Of all the homes we have seen I liked these and the brownstones in Brooklyn the best. After we explored the history and architecture of Striver's Row we walked the Harlem Walk of Fame. The Harlem Walk of Fame, is the stretch of 135th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Frederick Douglass Bvld. It was commissioned by the Harlem Chamber of Commerce in 1995. The walk of fame consists of bronze plaques designed by Otto Neals and Ogundipe Fayoumi. (ENY pg. 183)The plaques are to honor great African Americans who made lasting contributions to music, science, the arts, and to public service. Some of the names on the plaques included Dizzy Gillespie, David Dinkins, Marcus Garvey, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday. We had a very enjoyable day, I particularly enjoyed the walked down the Harlem Walk of Fame. I really enjoy the history of Harlem, especially the Harlem Renaissance and its the lasting impact it has had, particularly on the music industry, with the amazing contribution of Jazz music.
7. Lower Manhattan, The start of it all
As we made our way out of the Penn and onto the street, the first thing we observed was the famous Woolworth building. The building was designed in the neo-Gothic style by Cass Gilbert. It was completed in 1913 and it was the second tallest building in the world at the time, and the tallest in New York City. It remained the tallest until 1930 with the construction of the Chrysler Building. It is said that F.W. Woolworth was opposed to credit and paid the entire construction of the building, 13.5 million dollars in cash. (ENY pg. 46) The area we were in and headed further into is known was the Civic Center. The Civic Center is the area around City Hall in Lower Manhattan, this is because it primarily holds the city's government offices. This area holds some of the cities most historic sites.
We arrived at the Municipal Building, which is one of the largest governmental buildings in the world. The building itself is a mixture of architectural styles. It was designed by the famous architecture firm, McKim, Mead, and White. It is combination of Roman, Italian Renaissance, and Classical styles. When you walk through the colonnade of the building there is an area full of Guastavino tile-work on the ceiling, more commonly known was subway titles. (ENY pg. 42)It is extremely impressive to look at, the title is holing up the ceiling, along with support arches and vaults. The title being all one, plain beige color I think made it more interesting to look at. There was no showy mural or design to take away from the sheer fact that the tile was holding the ceiling together. From here we headed to Foley Square.
Foley Square was named after an important Tammany Hall district leader, Thomas F. "Big Tom" Foley. Before 1811 this area had an 48 acre pond which was one of the city's fresh drinking water supplies. The pond became so polluted and was eventually filled in to prevent outbreaks of cholera. (ENY pg.43) There is a small fountain in the center of the square and in the middle of the fountain is a sculptural piece called, "Triumph of the Human Spirit". The piece is a 50 foot tall black granite monument. The monument is meant to symbolize the journey the African slaves took across the Atlantic Ocean. This monument was created to honor all the Africans who were buried in this area, the area was at one time an African burial ground. (ENY pg. 43) We discussed the building's history and the monument while sitting on the steps of the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse. The courthouse was originally called the Foley Square Courthouse and was renamed in 2001 after the Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall. The building is in the Neoclassical style, it has massive Corinthian columns. On the building is the image of four great law givers, Plato, Aristotle, Demosthenes, and Moses. I thought that building was very substantial looking and regal. It was clear it was of great importance. An architecture critic described it as "the supreme example of pretentiousness, mediocrity, bad design, and fake grandeur." (ENY. pg. 44) so needless to say it is not liked by all, and not appreciated. There is a second courthouse in the Foley Square, the second is just north of the first. It is the New York State Supreme Court. The architect of the building, Guy Lowell, wanted to created a circular courthouse similar to the Roman Coliseum, however due budget a less expensive design was constructed. (ENY pg. 44) The whole building is faced with granite, and Corinthian columns. There is a quote on the building that was said by George Washington, however the quote is incorrect, that is a pretty big blunder if you ask me. I am very surprised it was never corrected. We left Foley Square and headed to Tweed's Courthouse.
The Tweed Courthouse use to be The Old New York Courthouse, it was built between 1861-1881 in the Italianate style. The creation of this courthouse was the idea of William "Boss" Tweed, who was one of the most corrupt politicians. Boss Tweed was an immensely large man, six feet tall and over 300 lbs. He and his Tweed Ring controlled all the city spending, they would steal large sums of money from public funds for themselves. Tweed and his associated embezzled up 200 million from the City of New York. Tweed's illegal activities were brought the public by a political cartoon artist, Thomas Nast. Tweed was eventually tried and ultimately convicted in his own unfinished courthouse. The irony of that story is just perfect. From here we were off to our tour of New York City Hall.
Our New York City Hall tour began outside, where we stood almost exactly where George Washington and his troops stood as they heard the Declaration of Independence being read in 1776, which provoked his men to go knock down the statue of King George the III in the park. I always find it very surreal when I think about being in the same place, massive historical figures where hundreds of years prior. I just find it incredible and really strange to think about. The current City Hall is actually New York's third city hall building. The first was built by the Dutch on Pearl Street in the 17th century, the second was built in 1700 on Wall street and became Federal Hall. The design of the current city hall was determined like many buildings in New York, by competition. The winners were Joseph Francoise Mangin and John McComb Jr. It was completed in 1811 and is the oldest city hall in the U.S. The dome on the top of the building is currently the third, the first 2 were destroyed in fires. ( ENY pg. 40) The interior of the building is just amazing. As you enter to your right is a statue of George Washington, which according to our guide is the most accurate representation of him and how he actually looked. He had his face caste in plaster for this piece. She also commented on his height, he was a very tall man however no one ever comments on his height, only Abraham Lincoln's is often brought up. As you make your way into the build you enter a stunning rotunda which is supported by 10 Corinthian columns. This and the omega shaped staircase is the most impressive part of the building aside from all its historical significance. The rotunda appears to be much taller and deeper than it actually is, the designer used illusion to create depth, he made each square design smaller and smaller as it got farther away creating this impression of height. I thought that was just so cool and amazing to look at. The interesting part about the dome is from the outside it is not visible, it is hidden in the second and third floors. The omega shaped staircase is incredible, it appears to be floating, there is no vertical supports under the stairs. Our explained to us how exactly this is possible, there are three engineering methods at play here. The first being how the stairs are placed into the wall and protrude out from it. Second being the landing at both the top and bottom providing support. And lastly, each stair is interlocked with the one above and below it. I truly found this to be fascinating. The building is over 200 years old and the durable construction of the stairs and building is just so interesting. We were also informed that Abraham Lincoln spent a lot of time here. He spoke to the people of New York from the second story window/balcony area. After his death, his body was brought here so people could pay their respects to him. Again this just brought about a surreal feeling of sharing the same space hundreds of years later with huge historic individuals from our nation's history. It is just incredible. Upon leaving City Hall we headed to another place full of history and cultural significance, the African Burial Ground National Monument.
African Burial Ground National Monument is located on the first floor of the Ted Weiss building. It is estimated that between 1690-1794 20,000 free Africans and slaves were buried in a 6.6 acre burial ground on this site. The burial ground was developed over and rediscovered in 1991 during the construction of the Ted Weiss Building. The construction of this building and the discovery of the burial ground sparked large protests. The African community wanted this land to scared ground and a resting place for their ancestors. Ultimately a compromise was met and in 2007 the memorial opened in the building to pay tribute to the role African slaves made to development of the city. (ENY. pg 44) While at the museum we watched a 20 or so minute film about the history of the burial ground. It was interesting to see the depiction of the burial rituals and services. What stuck me in the film was when they African people were forbidden from burying their loved ones at night because they were considered to dangerous to all be congregating after dark, so they were forced to sneak away to provide their loved ones a proper burial, because it wasn't as if they were going to be giving off during the day to do so. That really bothered me, no respect even for the dead.
St. Paul's Chapel was designed by Thomas McBean and made in the Georgian style out of none other than Manhattan schist. It was completed in 1766, and this is New York's only intact pre-Revolutionary War Church. It is the oldest church in Manhattan and the oldest building to be in continuous use in New York City. This is the church where George Washington worshiped at during the time when New York was the U.S. capital. His private pew box is still inside. (ENY. pg 47) The church is more notably a small memorial for those who died September 11th. It is directly across from where the Twin Towers previously stood. St. Paul's was amazingly sparred destruction from the debris of the terrorist attack, the church remained undamaged without even a broken window. This miracle was said to be done in part by a massive sycamore tree that was in the church's cemetery. The tree is said to have deflected all the debris away from the church. If you ask me, there was divine intervention at play there, especially because the church became a safe haven for the rescue workers at Ground Zero. There is a permanent 9-11 exhibit inside the church. There is an immense wave of solace that takes over as you walk thru the memorial taking it all in. It has always just made sense to me that the church became a place of relief for these worker, even if they were not all religious individuals, they needed something to bring comfort after such hideous acts of violence. From here we naturally headed to the 9-11 Memorial and Museum.
9-11 Memorial and Museum is located in the World Trade Center complex. The World Trade Center was a 16 acre commercial complex, it was built between 1966-1987. It in total contained 7 buildings and an underground shopping mall. The center pieces of the complex, were the Twin Towers. They were the tallest buildings in New York City for almost forty years and the tallest in the world until the Sears Tower in Chicago. The Twin towers were 110 stories each and home to 430 companies, with 35, 000 employees from all around the world. On September 11, 2001 a terrorist attack, sent two commercial airlines into each tower. The attack on the World Trade Center killed 2,977 victims, making it the worst terrorist attack on American soil in the nation's history. (ENY. pg 48) In 2003 a competition began for the best design to replace the Twin Towers. Daniel Libeskind was the winner, the construction was completed on May 10, 2013, and the end result is a 1,776 feet Freedom Tower. Which is the tallest building in the United States and the fourth tallest in the world. (ENY. pg 48) The 9-11 Memorial design was also the result of a competition, the design by architects Michael Arad and Peter Walker was chosen. It is called "Reflecting Absence", it consists of two 1 acre pools set in the footprint of the original Twin Towers. They are 30 foot waterfalls which descend into pools draining in a center void. The names of the victims are inscribed in the edge of the waterfalls. The memorial contains over 400 swamp white oak trees, except for the "Survivor Tree" which was originally planted at the World Trade Center Site in the 1970s, it was nursed back to health and planted in the Memorial plaza. (ENY pg. 49) I really appreciate the design of the Memorial, I think it pays an amazing tribute. The darkness in the center of the waterfalls is the best thing they could have done. It isn't too showy and ornate, it relatively simple and does not distract from the purpose of the Memorial. I have visited the Memorial a number of times and each time it feels the same, horribly sad. Although I was young when the attack occurred, I was old enough to understand and feel the depth of sadness of the families, and the entire state. Upon leaving the Memorial we arrived at Zuccotti Park which was heavily damaged from the attacks and was restored and renamed to Zuccotti Park. The park is a public-private hybrid and in 2011 it was where Occupy Wall Street protestors gathered. Since the park is partly a public park the protestors could not be forced to leave and in November 2011 the police cleared the park and the New York Supreme Court ruled against protestor's rights to encamp in the park. (ENY. pg 49)
From the park we went on to view the Equitable Building and Trinity Church. At Trinity Church we were able to see the sculpture created by Steven Tobin as a memorial to the sycamore tree that protected St. Paul's Church from the debris from the attacks on 9-11. The graveyard of the church is the resting place of many famous historical figures such as Alexander Hamilton, and Robert Fulton. (ENY pg. 50) From here we headed to the New York Stock Exchange was finished in 1903 and is Beaux Art in style. It was established as a way to pay back the 80 million in bonds that were issued by Congress to pay for Revolutionary War debts. (ENY pg. 51) We were instructed to find out the story behind the tree in front of the building and the pediment on top of the building. The tree outside the Stock Exchange building was a Buttonwood tree. This is because in 1792 the Buttonwood Agreement was signed.The Buttonwood Agreement started the Stock Exchange. It was stuck by a group of 24 stockbrokers and merchants under a buttonwood tree. And the pediment of the Stock Exchange building, is not the original. The original had too much weight, pollution had taken its toll, as well as flaws in the marble, therefore it was replaced. In 1936, the figures were replaced with lead-coated replicas however it was all done overnight, very hush-hush. It is said it was done this way to avoid the impression that the Stock Exchange was vulnerable to anything. It was all done in such secret, very few actually know that the figures are replicas and not the originals. I looked up all the facts before realizing they were in our text, therefore (ENY. pg 51). From here we walked just a bit and reached Federal Hall.
This Federal Hall National Monument was built in 1835 by Ithiel Towne and Alexander Jackson Davis. The building was modeled after the Parthenon in Athens. It was designated a historic site in 1939. There is a statue of George Washington being sworn in on the steps of the building, it was designed by John Adams Quincy Ward in 1883.(ENY. pg 52). This was not the first Federal Hall. The first was built by the British in 1703 and served as as city hall. Major historical events occurred in the first Federal Hall such as the Stamp Act where Congress meant and determined there shall be no taxation without representation, and George Washington was sworn in on those steps in 1789. (ENY pg. 52). Today was very historically informative day, we learned and experienced a lot about New York's history.
As we made our way out of the Penn and onto the street, the first thing we observed was the famous Woolworth building. The building was designed in the neo-Gothic style by Cass Gilbert. It was completed in 1913 and it was the second tallest building in the world at the time, and the tallest in New York City. It remained the tallest until 1930 with the construction of the Chrysler Building. It is said that F.W. Woolworth was opposed to credit and paid the entire construction of the building, 13.5 million dollars in cash. (ENY pg. 46) The area we were in and headed further into is known was the Civic Center. The Civic Center is the area around City Hall in Lower Manhattan, this is because it primarily holds the city's government offices. This area holds some of the cities most historic sites.
We arrived at the Municipal Building, which is one of the largest governmental buildings in the world. The building itself is a mixture of architectural styles. It was designed by the famous architecture firm, McKim, Mead, and White. It is combination of Roman, Italian Renaissance, and Classical styles. When you walk through the colonnade of the building there is an area full of Guastavino tile-work on the ceiling, more commonly known was subway titles. (ENY pg. 42)It is extremely impressive to look at, the title is holing up the ceiling, along with support arches and vaults. The title being all one, plain beige color I think made it more interesting to look at. There was no showy mural or design to take away from the sheer fact that the tile was holding the ceiling together. From here we headed to Foley Square.
Foley Square was named after an important Tammany Hall district leader, Thomas F. "Big Tom" Foley. Before 1811 this area had an 48 acre pond which was one of the city's fresh drinking water supplies. The pond became so polluted and was eventually filled in to prevent outbreaks of cholera. (ENY pg.43) There is a small fountain in the center of the square and in the middle of the fountain is a sculptural piece called, "Triumph of the Human Spirit". The piece is a 50 foot tall black granite monument. The monument is meant to symbolize the journey the African slaves took across the Atlantic Ocean. This monument was created to honor all the Africans who were buried in this area, the area was at one time an African burial ground. (ENY pg. 43) We discussed the building's history and the monument while sitting on the steps of the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse. The courthouse was originally called the Foley Square Courthouse and was renamed in 2001 after the Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall. The building is in the Neoclassical style, it has massive Corinthian columns. On the building is the image of four great law givers, Plato, Aristotle, Demosthenes, and Moses. I thought that building was very substantial looking and regal. It was clear it was of great importance. An architecture critic described it as "the supreme example of pretentiousness, mediocrity, bad design, and fake grandeur." (ENY. pg. 44) so needless to say it is not liked by all, and not appreciated. There is a second courthouse in the Foley Square, the second is just north of the first. It is the New York State Supreme Court. The architect of the building, Guy Lowell, wanted to created a circular courthouse similar to the Roman Coliseum, however due budget a less expensive design was constructed. (ENY pg. 44) The whole building is faced with granite, and Corinthian columns. There is a quote on the building that was said by George Washington, however the quote is incorrect, that is a pretty big blunder if you ask me. I am very surprised it was never corrected. We left Foley Square and headed to Tweed's Courthouse.
The Tweed Courthouse use to be The Old New York Courthouse, it was built between 1861-1881 in the Italianate style. The creation of this courthouse was the idea of William "Boss" Tweed, who was one of the most corrupt politicians. Boss Tweed was an immensely large man, six feet tall and over 300 lbs. He and his Tweed Ring controlled all the city spending, they would steal large sums of money from public funds for themselves. Tweed and his associated embezzled up 200 million from the City of New York. Tweed's illegal activities were brought the public by a political cartoon artist, Thomas Nast. Tweed was eventually tried and ultimately convicted in his own unfinished courthouse. The irony of that story is just perfect. From here we were off to our tour of New York City Hall.
Our New York City Hall tour began outside, where we stood almost exactly where George Washington and his troops stood as they heard the Declaration of Independence being read in 1776, which provoked his men to go knock down the statue of King George the III in the park. I always find it very surreal when I think about being in the same place, massive historical figures where hundreds of years prior. I just find it incredible and really strange to think about. The current City Hall is actually New York's third city hall building. The first was built by the Dutch on Pearl Street in the 17th century, the second was built in 1700 on Wall street and became Federal Hall. The design of the current city hall was determined like many buildings in New York, by competition. The winners were Joseph Francoise Mangin and John McComb Jr. It was completed in 1811 and is the oldest city hall in the U.S. The dome on the top of the building is currently the third, the first 2 were destroyed in fires. ( ENY pg. 40) The interior of the building is just amazing. As you enter to your right is a statue of George Washington, which according to our guide is the most accurate representation of him and how he actually looked. He had his face caste in plaster for this piece. She also commented on his height, he was a very tall man however no one ever comments on his height, only Abraham Lincoln's is often brought up. As you make your way into the build you enter a stunning rotunda which is supported by 10 Corinthian columns. This and the omega shaped staircase is the most impressive part of the building aside from all its historical significance. The rotunda appears to be much taller and deeper than it actually is, the designer used illusion to create depth, he made each square design smaller and smaller as it got farther away creating this impression of height. I thought that was just so cool and amazing to look at. The interesting part about the dome is from the outside it is not visible, it is hidden in the second and third floors. The omega shaped staircase is incredible, it appears to be floating, there is no vertical supports under the stairs. Our explained to us how exactly this is possible, there are three engineering methods at play here. The first being how the stairs are placed into the wall and protrude out from it. Second being the landing at both the top and bottom providing support. And lastly, each stair is interlocked with the one above and below it. I truly found this to be fascinating. The building is over 200 years old and the durable construction of the stairs and building is just so interesting. We were also informed that Abraham Lincoln spent a lot of time here. He spoke to the people of New York from the second story window/balcony area. After his death, his body was brought here so people could pay their respects to him. Again this just brought about a surreal feeling of sharing the same space hundreds of years later with huge historic individuals from our nation's history. It is just incredible. Upon leaving City Hall we headed to another place full of history and cultural significance, the African Burial Ground National Monument.
African Burial Ground National Monument is located on the first floor of the Ted Weiss building. It is estimated that between 1690-1794 20,000 free Africans and slaves were buried in a 6.6 acre burial ground on this site. The burial ground was developed over and rediscovered in 1991 during the construction of the Ted Weiss Building. The construction of this building and the discovery of the burial ground sparked large protests. The African community wanted this land to scared ground and a resting place for their ancestors. Ultimately a compromise was met and in 2007 the memorial opened in the building to pay tribute to the role African slaves made to development of the city. (ENY. pg 44) While at the museum we watched a 20 or so minute film about the history of the burial ground. It was interesting to see the depiction of the burial rituals and services. What stuck me in the film was when they African people were forbidden from burying their loved ones at night because they were considered to dangerous to all be congregating after dark, so they were forced to sneak away to provide their loved ones a proper burial, because it wasn't as if they were going to be giving off during the day to do so. That really bothered me, no respect even for the dead.
St. Paul's Chapel was designed by Thomas McBean and made in the Georgian style out of none other than Manhattan schist. It was completed in 1766, and this is New York's only intact pre-Revolutionary War Church. It is the oldest church in Manhattan and the oldest building to be in continuous use in New York City. This is the church where George Washington worshiped at during the time when New York was the U.S. capital. His private pew box is still inside. (ENY. pg 47) The church is more notably a small memorial for those who died September 11th. It is directly across from where the Twin Towers previously stood. St. Paul's was amazingly sparred destruction from the debris of the terrorist attack, the church remained undamaged without even a broken window. This miracle was said to be done in part by a massive sycamore tree that was in the church's cemetery. The tree is said to have deflected all the debris away from the church. If you ask me, there was divine intervention at play there, especially because the church became a safe haven for the rescue workers at Ground Zero. There is a permanent 9-11 exhibit inside the church. There is an immense wave of solace that takes over as you walk thru the memorial taking it all in. It has always just made sense to me that the church became a place of relief for these worker, even if they were not all religious individuals, they needed something to bring comfort after such hideous acts of violence. From here we naturally headed to the 9-11 Memorial and Museum.
9-11 Memorial and Museum is located in the World Trade Center complex. The World Trade Center was a 16 acre commercial complex, it was built between 1966-1987. It in total contained 7 buildings and an underground shopping mall. The center pieces of the complex, were the Twin Towers. They were the tallest buildings in New York City for almost forty years and the tallest in the world until the Sears Tower in Chicago. The Twin towers were 110 stories each and home to 430 companies, with 35, 000 employees from all around the world. On September 11, 2001 a terrorist attack, sent two commercial airlines into each tower. The attack on the World Trade Center killed 2,977 victims, making it the worst terrorist attack on American soil in the nation's history. (ENY. pg 48) In 2003 a competition began for the best design to replace the Twin Towers. Daniel Libeskind was the winner, the construction was completed on May 10, 2013, and the end result is a 1,776 feet Freedom Tower. Which is the tallest building in the United States and the fourth tallest in the world. (ENY. pg 48) The 9-11 Memorial design was also the result of a competition, the design by architects Michael Arad and Peter Walker was chosen. It is called "Reflecting Absence", it consists of two 1 acre pools set in the footprint of the original Twin Towers. They are 30 foot waterfalls which descend into pools draining in a center void. The names of the victims are inscribed in the edge of the waterfalls. The memorial contains over 400 swamp white oak trees, except for the "Survivor Tree" which was originally planted at the World Trade Center Site in the 1970s, it was nursed back to health and planted in the Memorial plaza. (ENY pg. 49) I really appreciate the design of the Memorial, I think it pays an amazing tribute. The darkness in the center of the waterfalls is the best thing they could have done. It isn't too showy and ornate, it relatively simple and does not distract from the purpose of the Memorial. I have visited the Memorial a number of times and each time it feels the same, horribly sad. Although I was young when the attack occurred, I was old enough to understand and feel the depth of sadness of the families, and the entire state. Upon leaving the Memorial we arrived at Zuccotti Park which was heavily damaged from the attacks and was restored and renamed to Zuccotti Park. The park is a public-private hybrid and in 2011 it was where Occupy Wall Street protestors gathered. Since the park is partly a public park the protestors could not be forced to leave and in November 2011 the police cleared the park and the New York Supreme Court ruled against protestor's rights to encamp in the park. (ENY. pg 49)
From the park we went on to view the Equitable Building and Trinity Church. At Trinity Church we were able to see the sculpture created by Steven Tobin as a memorial to the sycamore tree that protected St. Paul's Church from the debris from the attacks on 9-11. The graveyard of the church is the resting place of many famous historical figures such as Alexander Hamilton, and Robert Fulton. (ENY pg. 50) From here we headed to the New York Stock Exchange was finished in 1903 and is Beaux Art in style. It was established as a way to pay back the 80 million in bonds that were issued by Congress to pay for Revolutionary War debts. (ENY pg. 51) We were instructed to find out the story behind the tree in front of the building and the pediment on top of the building. The tree outside the Stock Exchange building was a Buttonwood tree. This is because in 1792 the Buttonwood Agreement was signed.The Buttonwood Agreement started the Stock Exchange. It was stuck by a group of 24 stockbrokers and merchants under a buttonwood tree. And the pediment of the Stock Exchange building, is not the original. The original had too much weight, pollution had taken its toll, as well as flaws in the marble, therefore it was replaced. In 1936, the figures were replaced with lead-coated replicas however it was all done overnight, very hush-hush. It is said it was done this way to avoid the impression that the Stock Exchange was vulnerable to anything. It was all done in such secret, very few actually know that the figures are replicas and not the originals. I looked up all the facts before realizing they were in our text, therefore (ENY. pg 51). From here we walked just a bit and reached Federal Hall.
This Federal Hall National Monument was built in 1835 by Ithiel Towne and Alexander Jackson Davis. The building was modeled after the Parthenon in Athens. It was designated a historic site in 1939. There is a statue of George Washington being sworn in on the steps of the building, it was designed by John Adams Quincy Ward in 1883.(ENY. pg 52). This was not the first Federal Hall. The first was built by the British in 1703 and served as as city hall. Major historical events occurred in the first Federal Hall such as the Stamp Act where Congress meant and determined there shall be no taxation without representation, and George Washington was sworn in on those steps in 1789. (ENY pg. 52). Today was very historically informative day, we learned and experienced a lot about New York's history.
8. Tenements, Chinatown, & Lower East Side:
We began our last day by heading out of Penn to catch the F train to the Lower East Side. Our first stop in the Lower East Side is the well known Lower East Side Tenement Museum. The museum is a extremely well preserved 1863 tenement building. The museum provides its visitors with a glimpse of immigrant life in the 19th and early 20th century. (ENY pg. 67)We were able to learn about the lives the families who called the tenements home. The museum was founded in 1988 and deemed a National Historic Landmark in 1994. Before the tenement was closed in 1935, in the almost 80 years it was open, it was called home by approximately 7,000 people from more than 20 countries. (ENY pg. 67) On our guided tour we learned about two Jewish families that made their home in the Orchard Street tenements. The first was the Levin family, which consisted of the Harris and Jenny and their 5 children. The 7 family members made a home and a business in the 3 room apartment. Mr. Levin like many of the breadwinners of the family, set up their business from their homes. This is had its perks when it came to raising a family and making their own hours to observe days of religious importance. Although it had some upsides, it had some very clear negatives, the already cramped apartment became even smaller with the addition of sometimes 6 workers for Mr. Levin's garment in house factory. In many cases the factory workers would clash with Jenny Levin, who was trying to run a home and often interrupted by the needs of the business. The factory life was infringing on the family life. The second family whose story we learned about was another immigrant Jewish family, the Rogarshevski's. They moved into the tenement in 1901, the family consisted of Abraham and Fanny, and their 6 children. At the time they move in the tenements were forced to make changes to the buildings structure, so they have running water, gas lights, and flush-able toilets. This family worked outside of the home, and had four members added to the family wages. Abraham worked as a presser, Ida works at paper-box factory, Bessie worked at a garment factory, and Morris worked in a shipping industry. This was very difficult on home life, and maintaining traditional Jewish practices. Because so many members of the family worked outside of the home, they were forced to work the traditional American work week, which was Monday-Saturday, this presented problems for the family to keep up with honoring the Sabbath in the Jewish faith. The family was struggling to create a life, assimilate into American society, while maintaining their traditions, and culture. As we explored the final apartment, it did not display the life of a specific family but rather the life of every family who lived in the tenement buildings. In this room the walls we not so clean and restored, there was no furniture placed to distract from the disarray of the rooms. Because the apartment was empty, we were able to observe structures of the building, such as the windows. The windows in all the interior rooms were exterior windows, which is strange. The windows were placed after one of the Tenement Acts which were formed to improve the conditions in the tenements. The windows were referred to as tubercular windows, they were placed to increase the light and air circulation between the rooms. The windows were placed in appeasement to the legislature however did very little to actually improve conditions for the families. The building stopped being a residence in 1935 and condemned because there was no fire proof staircase in the building. I thoroughly enjoyed this museum, being a first generation in the U.S. it was important to see how the immigrants lived before my father and grandparents came here. It is so important to learn the history and culture of the immigrants because they have made New York the melting pot it is known to be. After we explored the tenement museum we broke off into groups to gallivant through Chinatown ourselves.
The atmosphere of Chinatown makes you feel as if you have left New York and are in China or as I have seen China portrayed in films. The culture in this is area is so palpable, it is so interesting. In 1868 the first wave of Chinese immigrants came to the U.S. They came by way of the transcontinental railroad, or from California. By the 1880s the Chinese population in NY was over 10,000. The interesting part about that was in that population it was predominately men, it was 200 to 1 ratio of Chinese men to women. And often times the Chinese men married Irish women. (ENY pg 72). In 1882 The Chinese Exclusion Act was implemented which stopped immigration from China. The law was repealed in 1943, and a small number of Chinese were allowed to enter the U.S. It was with the Immigration Act of 1965 that Chinese immigration was able to increase. It went from allowing 105 immigrants per year to 20,000 after 1965. (ENY pg. 72) Chinatown began as a cultural enclave around Mott street however it has grown immensely and no spans over 55 blocks and has taken over parts of Little Italy and the Lower East Side. (ENY pg. 73) As my group and I began our tour, almost scavenger hunt through Chinatown we first headed down Bowery to Canal. As we headed down Bowery we started to become immersed in the culture. This is my favorite part of Chinatown and I cannot lie, its not one of my favorite places in the city. I love to watch the interactions at the produce stands. You are able to see so many aspects of the culture in the one scene. You can see it through the different produce items or standby goods that are in every little shop. I also like to watch the interactions between the customers and the stand owners, most of them know each other because of the nature of the neighborhood and I enjoy watching that sense of comradery. We made our way down to Canal, where we did a little browsing around the shops and knockoff designer products. After Canal we visited the Eastern States Buddhist Temple of America. At first I was very apprehensive to go inside, I felt like I might have been disrespectful walking through a place of worship, thankfully we were welcomed inside. It was interesting to see the various Buddha statues. There were two different areas where you could donate and receive your fortune which sort of reminded me of the candle lighting areas in churches, where you can light a candle and pray for someone barring that you donate. Also the amount of fruit was interesting, I didn't understand the significance other than it being an offering. From here we headed to Bayard Street to sample various Chinese treats. Our first stop was Mai Li Wah Bakery for pork buns, which were delicious. I mean honestly what is not to like, soft squish bread, filled with tasty marinated pork. That being said I do know that I would have liked them steamed, baked was definitely the right choice. After that we went to cleanse our palate with some bubble tea from Vivi Bubble Tea, where I learned that I do not like bubble tea. And lastly in true dining fashion we stopped for ice cream from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. I did not have any ice cream, it was a bit pricey and I wanted to save room for lunch, but three members of the group got ice cream and really enjoyed it. They even tried the exotic flavors like black sesame, and lychee. (ENY pg. 80) This closed our self guided tour of Chinatown and we headed back to Bowery for lunch and the well known Congee Village. Congee Village is located between Delancy and Broome Streets. This restaurant features authentic Cantonese food. My favorite part of the meal was the Chinese broccoli, I could have eaten a whole plate myself. I liked the house chicken dish, but wasn't crazy about the noodles mainly because of the curry and the pork patties were a little too nondescript for me to eat comfortably. After a big lunch we got to walk it off with a walking tour of the Lower East Side.
Walking tour of the Lower East Side with our friend Jim it began with a bit of history about the Lower East Side. In the beginning of the mid-19th century millions of immigrants poured into New York. The Lower East Side was a predominately Jewish neighborhood. Between 1880-1924 two and half million Ashkenazi Jews came to the U.S. with the majority of them settling in the Lower East Side. The Ashkenazi Jews were from Russia and Eastern Europe, rather than Sephardic Jews who were from Spain and North Africa. (ENY pg. 65) They came here to escape religious persecution, called pogroms. The Jewish people of the Lower East Side tended to form smaller communities with those from the same country, this led to varying customs, dialects, and traditions. However overall they were all linked my common faith and the Yiddish language. These were the only things they had as they struggled to make it in the tough NY life and living in reprehensible conditions in the tenements. Through all the difficulties they faced, they were able to leave a last mark of the area. There are more than 500 synagogues, Yiddish newspapers, and theaters for Jewish audiences. (ENY pg 66) By the 1900s, the Lower East Side was the most densely populated place in the world. And by the 1990s gentrification began and the demographic of the area dramatically changed, there was an influx of young, hip New Yorkers moving into the former tenements, and little boutiques pushing out ethnic restaurants.(ENY pg. 66) "In 2008, the National Trust for Historic Preservation declared the Lower East Side of Manhattan one of eleven most endangered place in the country because the pace of development threatens to eradicate the neighborhood's immigrant past." (ENY pg. 66) Gentrification is threatening to ruin the history of the Lower East Side like it has done in so many other areas of Manhattan and the other boroughs. The most important stop during our walking tour was the Economy Candy shop, just kidding...well sort of.
Economy Candy was a massive old time candy store. It was like an awesome blast from my childhood, I bought some delicious taffy and candy cigarettes to reminisce of summer days getting them from the ice cream truck. The shop was opened in 1937 and is still run by the Cohen family which opened it. From here we headed Delancy Street to see the Williamsburg Bridge. The bridge opened in 1903 and at the time of completion was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It was also the first bridge to use steel instead of masonry towers. It crosses over the East River and is 1.2 miles in length, a little longer than the Brooklyn Bridge. It begins from the Lower East Side and ends in Brooklyn. (ENY pg. 197). The bridge used to be referred to as "Jews Highway" because of how many Jewish immigrants used the bridge to travel back and forth between Brooklyn and the Lower East Side. (ENY pg. 68)
We also visited Bialystoker synagogue and a Mikhav. The Bialystoker Synagogue was originally a Methodist Episcopal Church but there was a large congregation of Jewish people from Poland that came together and purchased it and converted it to a Synagogue. The Jewish people came from the town of Bialystock in Poland. They did not change the outside of the church, it is still the same Federal style building that was built in 1826, made of Manhattan schist. (ENY pg. 68) According to Jim, the bialy the breakfast treat has its roots in the Jewish culture. On East Broadway there is a 1904 Beaux Arts building that makes you think, one of these things is not like the other because it contrasts the area that greatly. It has served as multiple things in this history, first it was the Jewish Young Men's Benevolent Association, which fought against discrimination. After that it was the Arnold Toynbee House of the Grand Street Settlement. And lastly in 1941, it was converted into a "mikvah" which was a ritual bath used by orthodox Jewish women to purify themselves after menstruation. (ENY pg. 68) The term "mikvah" means collection of water. According to Jim, the water used was rain water. Rain water was used because that was in accordance with Jewish law which stated the mikvah must hold living water, therefore the water was taken from the East River or collected rain water. (ENY pg. 69) The whole idea of a communal bath house really freaks me out and it is especially gross after menstruation. Our next two stops were the Henry Street Settlement and Seward Park.
The Henry Street Settlement was founded by a 25 year old nursing student named Lillian Wald. Wald was upset by the conditions she witnessed while in the Lower East Side volunteering. In 1983, she founded the Nurses' Settlement to bring nursing care and education to the immigrants of the community. A couple of years later, a banker Jacob Schiff purchased a rowhouse on Henry Street and donated it to the Settlement in 1903. Wald with the help of Schiff organized a Visiting Nurse Service to care for the sick. (ENY pg. 69) As a nursing major, this was very cool to see. The visiting nurse career is still an option for nurses today and it also a large part of the history of the profession. Next we came upon Seward Park, it was named after William Seward, the Governor of New York from 1839-1842. This park was developed during a time when green spaces in New York were scarce. The Progressive Era activists and politicians recognized a need for a park, they believed if children had a public space to play in they would be less likely to turn to crime and gangs. (ENY pg. 69) The Small Parks Act of 1887 allowed for 3 blocks of tenements be demolished and a park be opened. The destruction of the tenements displaced almost 3,000 people. Seward Park was the first municipal playground in the United States in 1903. (ENY pg.69) After we headed to our last two sites for the course. The Jewish Forward building and The Eldridge Street Synagogue.
Jewish Forward was a Social Newspaper that was founded in 1897 by Abraham Cahan, who was a former Russian revolutionary. The paper was extremely important amongst the Jewish immigrant community of New York. By 1924 it had over 200,000 readers making it the most read Yiddish paper in the world and one of the largest in the U.S. (ENY pg. 70) The building itself was impressive that was the paper's headquarters. It was designed by George Boehm in the Beaux Arts style. It was completed in 1912 and the exterior of the building showcases the busts of famous socialists, two of which were Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels. (ENY pg. 70) Lastly, we visited the Eldridge Street Synagogue. It was constructed in 1887, and was the first synagogue built in New York by the Eastern European Jews. When it was first built, it was in a largely Jewish neighborhood even though its currently in Chinatown. It was designed by Peter and Francis Herter. There are twelve stars lining the window to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Unfortunately, by the 1950s the synagogue's membership went very low forcing it to close. (ENY pg.71) It was empty until 1986 when a non-profit group began a campaign to restore it. In 2007, the synagogue was reopened with a museum to display its history. (ENY pg. 72) We were told by Jim and yourself that the interior of the building is absolutely exquisite and that we should all take a trip in to see the interior. This was the end of our final day, where we all stood on the steps to take a final picture together.
We began our last day by heading out of Penn to catch the F train to the Lower East Side. Our first stop in the Lower East Side is the well known Lower East Side Tenement Museum. The museum is a extremely well preserved 1863 tenement building. The museum provides its visitors with a glimpse of immigrant life in the 19th and early 20th century. (ENY pg. 67)We were able to learn about the lives the families who called the tenements home. The museum was founded in 1988 and deemed a National Historic Landmark in 1994. Before the tenement was closed in 1935, in the almost 80 years it was open, it was called home by approximately 7,000 people from more than 20 countries. (ENY pg. 67) On our guided tour we learned about two Jewish families that made their home in the Orchard Street tenements. The first was the Levin family, which consisted of the Harris and Jenny and their 5 children. The 7 family members made a home and a business in the 3 room apartment. Mr. Levin like many of the breadwinners of the family, set up their business from their homes. This is had its perks when it came to raising a family and making their own hours to observe days of religious importance. Although it had some upsides, it had some very clear negatives, the already cramped apartment became even smaller with the addition of sometimes 6 workers for Mr. Levin's garment in house factory. In many cases the factory workers would clash with Jenny Levin, who was trying to run a home and often interrupted by the needs of the business. The factory life was infringing on the family life. The second family whose story we learned about was another immigrant Jewish family, the Rogarshevski's. They moved into the tenement in 1901, the family consisted of Abraham and Fanny, and their 6 children. At the time they move in the tenements were forced to make changes to the buildings structure, so they have running water, gas lights, and flush-able toilets. This family worked outside of the home, and had four members added to the family wages. Abraham worked as a presser, Ida works at paper-box factory, Bessie worked at a garment factory, and Morris worked in a shipping industry. This was very difficult on home life, and maintaining traditional Jewish practices. Because so many members of the family worked outside of the home, they were forced to work the traditional American work week, which was Monday-Saturday, this presented problems for the family to keep up with honoring the Sabbath in the Jewish faith. The family was struggling to create a life, assimilate into American society, while maintaining their traditions, and culture. As we explored the final apartment, it did not display the life of a specific family but rather the life of every family who lived in the tenement buildings. In this room the walls we not so clean and restored, there was no furniture placed to distract from the disarray of the rooms. Because the apartment was empty, we were able to observe structures of the building, such as the windows. The windows in all the interior rooms were exterior windows, which is strange. The windows were placed after one of the Tenement Acts which were formed to improve the conditions in the tenements. The windows were referred to as tubercular windows, they were placed to increase the light and air circulation between the rooms. The windows were placed in appeasement to the legislature however did very little to actually improve conditions for the families. The building stopped being a residence in 1935 and condemned because there was no fire proof staircase in the building. I thoroughly enjoyed this museum, being a first generation in the U.S. it was important to see how the immigrants lived before my father and grandparents came here. It is so important to learn the history and culture of the immigrants because they have made New York the melting pot it is known to be. After we explored the tenement museum we broke off into groups to gallivant through Chinatown ourselves.
The atmosphere of Chinatown makes you feel as if you have left New York and are in China or as I have seen China portrayed in films. The culture in this is area is so palpable, it is so interesting. In 1868 the first wave of Chinese immigrants came to the U.S. They came by way of the transcontinental railroad, or from California. By the 1880s the Chinese population in NY was over 10,000. The interesting part about that was in that population it was predominately men, it was 200 to 1 ratio of Chinese men to women. And often times the Chinese men married Irish women. (ENY pg 72). In 1882 The Chinese Exclusion Act was implemented which stopped immigration from China. The law was repealed in 1943, and a small number of Chinese were allowed to enter the U.S. It was with the Immigration Act of 1965 that Chinese immigration was able to increase. It went from allowing 105 immigrants per year to 20,000 after 1965. (ENY pg. 72) Chinatown began as a cultural enclave around Mott street however it has grown immensely and no spans over 55 blocks and has taken over parts of Little Italy and the Lower East Side. (ENY pg. 73) As my group and I began our tour, almost scavenger hunt through Chinatown we first headed down Bowery to Canal. As we headed down Bowery we started to become immersed in the culture. This is my favorite part of Chinatown and I cannot lie, its not one of my favorite places in the city. I love to watch the interactions at the produce stands. You are able to see so many aspects of the culture in the one scene. You can see it through the different produce items or standby goods that are in every little shop. I also like to watch the interactions between the customers and the stand owners, most of them know each other because of the nature of the neighborhood and I enjoy watching that sense of comradery. We made our way down to Canal, where we did a little browsing around the shops and knockoff designer products. After Canal we visited the Eastern States Buddhist Temple of America. At first I was very apprehensive to go inside, I felt like I might have been disrespectful walking through a place of worship, thankfully we were welcomed inside. It was interesting to see the various Buddha statues. There were two different areas where you could donate and receive your fortune which sort of reminded me of the candle lighting areas in churches, where you can light a candle and pray for someone barring that you donate. Also the amount of fruit was interesting, I didn't understand the significance other than it being an offering. From here we headed to Bayard Street to sample various Chinese treats. Our first stop was Mai Li Wah Bakery for pork buns, which were delicious. I mean honestly what is not to like, soft squish bread, filled with tasty marinated pork. That being said I do know that I would have liked them steamed, baked was definitely the right choice. After that we went to cleanse our palate with some bubble tea from Vivi Bubble Tea, where I learned that I do not like bubble tea. And lastly in true dining fashion we stopped for ice cream from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. I did not have any ice cream, it was a bit pricey and I wanted to save room for lunch, but three members of the group got ice cream and really enjoyed it. They even tried the exotic flavors like black sesame, and lychee. (ENY pg. 80) This closed our self guided tour of Chinatown and we headed back to Bowery for lunch and the well known Congee Village. Congee Village is located between Delancy and Broome Streets. This restaurant features authentic Cantonese food. My favorite part of the meal was the Chinese broccoli, I could have eaten a whole plate myself. I liked the house chicken dish, but wasn't crazy about the noodles mainly because of the curry and the pork patties were a little too nondescript for me to eat comfortably. After a big lunch we got to walk it off with a walking tour of the Lower East Side.
Walking tour of the Lower East Side with our friend Jim it began with a bit of history about the Lower East Side. In the beginning of the mid-19th century millions of immigrants poured into New York. The Lower East Side was a predominately Jewish neighborhood. Between 1880-1924 two and half million Ashkenazi Jews came to the U.S. with the majority of them settling in the Lower East Side. The Ashkenazi Jews were from Russia and Eastern Europe, rather than Sephardic Jews who were from Spain and North Africa. (ENY pg. 65) They came here to escape religious persecution, called pogroms. The Jewish people of the Lower East Side tended to form smaller communities with those from the same country, this led to varying customs, dialects, and traditions. However overall they were all linked my common faith and the Yiddish language. These were the only things they had as they struggled to make it in the tough NY life and living in reprehensible conditions in the tenements. Through all the difficulties they faced, they were able to leave a last mark of the area. There are more than 500 synagogues, Yiddish newspapers, and theaters for Jewish audiences. (ENY pg 66) By the 1900s, the Lower East Side was the most densely populated place in the world. And by the 1990s gentrification began and the demographic of the area dramatically changed, there was an influx of young, hip New Yorkers moving into the former tenements, and little boutiques pushing out ethnic restaurants.(ENY pg. 66) "In 2008, the National Trust for Historic Preservation declared the Lower East Side of Manhattan one of eleven most endangered place in the country because the pace of development threatens to eradicate the neighborhood's immigrant past." (ENY pg. 66) Gentrification is threatening to ruin the history of the Lower East Side like it has done in so many other areas of Manhattan and the other boroughs. The most important stop during our walking tour was the Economy Candy shop, just kidding...well sort of.
Economy Candy was a massive old time candy store. It was like an awesome blast from my childhood, I bought some delicious taffy and candy cigarettes to reminisce of summer days getting them from the ice cream truck. The shop was opened in 1937 and is still run by the Cohen family which opened it. From here we headed Delancy Street to see the Williamsburg Bridge. The bridge opened in 1903 and at the time of completion was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It was also the first bridge to use steel instead of masonry towers. It crosses over the East River and is 1.2 miles in length, a little longer than the Brooklyn Bridge. It begins from the Lower East Side and ends in Brooklyn. (ENY pg. 197). The bridge used to be referred to as "Jews Highway" because of how many Jewish immigrants used the bridge to travel back and forth between Brooklyn and the Lower East Side. (ENY pg. 68)
We also visited Bialystoker synagogue and a Mikhav. The Bialystoker Synagogue was originally a Methodist Episcopal Church but there was a large congregation of Jewish people from Poland that came together and purchased it and converted it to a Synagogue. The Jewish people came from the town of Bialystock in Poland. They did not change the outside of the church, it is still the same Federal style building that was built in 1826, made of Manhattan schist. (ENY pg. 68) According to Jim, the bialy the breakfast treat has its roots in the Jewish culture. On East Broadway there is a 1904 Beaux Arts building that makes you think, one of these things is not like the other because it contrasts the area that greatly. It has served as multiple things in this history, first it was the Jewish Young Men's Benevolent Association, which fought against discrimination. After that it was the Arnold Toynbee House of the Grand Street Settlement. And lastly in 1941, it was converted into a "mikvah" which was a ritual bath used by orthodox Jewish women to purify themselves after menstruation. (ENY pg. 68) The term "mikvah" means collection of water. According to Jim, the water used was rain water. Rain water was used because that was in accordance with Jewish law which stated the mikvah must hold living water, therefore the water was taken from the East River or collected rain water. (ENY pg. 69) The whole idea of a communal bath house really freaks me out and it is especially gross after menstruation. Our next two stops were the Henry Street Settlement and Seward Park.
The Henry Street Settlement was founded by a 25 year old nursing student named Lillian Wald. Wald was upset by the conditions she witnessed while in the Lower East Side volunteering. In 1983, she founded the Nurses' Settlement to bring nursing care and education to the immigrants of the community. A couple of years later, a banker Jacob Schiff purchased a rowhouse on Henry Street and donated it to the Settlement in 1903. Wald with the help of Schiff organized a Visiting Nurse Service to care for the sick. (ENY pg. 69) As a nursing major, this was very cool to see. The visiting nurse career is still an option for nurses today and it also a large part of the history of the profession. Next we came upon Seward Park, it was named after William Seward, the Governor of New York from 1839-1842. This park was developed during a time when green spaces in New York were scarce. The Progressive Era activists and politicians recognized a need for a park, they believed if children had a public space to play in they would be less likely to turn to crime and gangs. (ENY pg. 69) The Small Parks Act of 1887 allowed for 3 blocks of tenements be demolished and a park be opened. The destruction of the tenements displaced almost 3,000 people. Seward Park was the first municipal playground in the United States in 1903. (ENY pg.69) After we headed to our last two sites for the course. The Jewish Forward building and The Eldridge Street Synagogue.
Jewish Forward was a Social Newspaper that was founded in 1897 by Abraham Cahan, who was a former Russian revolutionary. The paper was extremely important amongst the Jewish immigrant community of New York. By 1924 it had over 200,000 readers making it the most read Yiddish paper in the world and one of the largest in the U.S. (ENY pg. 70) The building itself was impressive that was the paper's headquarters. It was designed by George Boehm in the Beaux Arts style. It was completed in 1912 and the exterior of the building showcases the busts of famous socialists, two of which were Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels. (ENY pg. 70) Lastly, we visited the Eldridge Street Synagogue. It was constructed in 1887, and was the first synagogue built in New York by the Eastern European Jews. When it was first built, it was in a largely Jewish neighborhood even though its currently in Chinatown. It was designed by Peter and Francis Herter. There are twelve stars lining the window to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Unfortunately, by the 1950s the synagogue's membership went very low forcing it to close. (ENY pg.71) It was empty until 1986 when a non-profit group began a campaign to restore it. In 2007, the synagogue was reopened with a museum to display its history. (ENY pg. 72) We were told by Jim and yourself that the interior of the building is absolutely exquisite and that we should all take a trip in to see the interior. This was the end of our final day, where we all stood on the steps to take a final picture together.
9. Final Impressions: As I reflect on the course and my first journal entry I ask myself the same question, What do I think of when I think of New York?
After this experience when I think of New York I am still
filled with pride, perhaps even more so now. Throughout this course I have
learned incredible things about the history of New York. I have known about the
immigrant history of New York however I did not know the vast historical
history of the U.S. that is in the city. Our last two classes have given me so
much knowledge in regards to New York’s important part in the history of the
country. When we visited the city hall building I was really struck by just how
important the city was. It was surreal to know I was sharing ground with
massively important men such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. As we
made our way through Harlem, “El Barrio”, Chinatown, and the tenements it made clearer
that New York’s history is the history of several cultures their new
beginnings. There are not many places in the world that one can visit which
displays the tolerance and acceptance of all the various cultures that New York
does. I am not saying there is no racism or discrimination however it is less
than it other areas and I am thankful for that. So again, as I think of New
York I am filled of pride for its many accomplishments, the immigrant families
it gave a home to and its resilience in time of trouble.
New York’s beauty was only exemplified by taking this class. I saw beautiful parks and community gardens I would have never stumbled upon myself. Aside from Central Park I have never been to the several other green spaces in the city. While Central Park is beautiful at any time of the year the other community run green spaces add something much more special to New York’s culture. The community garden we visited when we were in the village, where there was a fall festival for children being held was my favorite. And to me the most beautiful by far, not quite esthetically beautiful but its purpose was. I felt this garden touched on the themes behind Luke, our El Barrio guides, peace poem of solidarity, and unity. Prior to taking this course I was not aware these community gardens existed, and I have great appreciation for them and the important purpose they serve.
Prior to taking this course I felt very guilty never taking advantage of the sites and attractions that surround me. Now that the course has completed I feel like I have made amends for neglecting the city for so many years by going to places I know I would have never gone to myself. I am happy to say that although I am by no means and expert about the city, I can contribute some fun facts about its history and vast culture with friends and family. I am happy to say that I am less likely to get lost while traveling through the city on my next solo visit. I have become much more familiar with the subway system and the various trains, the numbered vs. the lettered trains. And I have already learned the valuable lesson of keeping my belongings close to me while taking mass transit. This course has given me a great appreciation for the city. I love the hustle of the streets. And boy do I know the fast pace of the city traveling it with you, Mike. The important lesson I learned there was not to follow the pack, because that's how you get hit by a car or a biker. I also love the smell and taste of the food on the charts. I love the architecture and the art, an not just the conventional art but the graffiti and those inspired by the Banksy craze. Even the garbage smells that often flood the streets, while it is typically over powering, it is something I associate to large cities.
This course has provided me with invaluable lessons and information about the city and all it holds. It is definitely the most unique course Molloy offers and its a shame more students aren't able to take this course. While the class is unconventional and perhaps it is thought students cannot learn in this way however I would greatly disagree. I think this was the only way to learn about New York and its history. The only way was to immerse ourselves in it, you cannot truly learn the culture and attitude of New York in a classroom. I am very happy that I took this class and will be recommending it to fellow Molloy students looking for an adventure.
New York’s beauty was only exemplified by taking this class. I saw beautiful parks and community gardens I would have never stumbled upon myself. Aside from Central Park I have never been to the several other green spaces in the city. While Central Park is beautiful at any time of the year the other community run green spaces add something much more special to New York’s culture. The community garden we visited when we were in the village, where there was a fall festival for children being held was my favorite. And to me the most beautiful by far, not quite esthetically beautiful but its purpose was. I felt this garden touched on the themes behind Luke, our El Barrio guides, peace poem of solidarity, and unity. Prior to taking this course I was not aware these community gardens existed, and I have great appreciation for them and the important purpose they serve.
Prior to taking this course I felt very guilty never taking advantage of the sites and attractions that surround me. Now that the course has completed I feel like I have made amends for neglecting the city for so many years by going to places I know I would have never gone to myself. I am happy to say that although I am by no means and expert about the city, I can contribute some fun facts about its history and vast culture with friends and family. I am happy to say that I am less likely to get lost while traveling through the city on my next solo visit. I have become much more familiar with the subway system and the various trains, the numbered vs. the lettered trains. And I have already learned the valuable lesson of keeping my belongings close to me while taking mass transit. This course has given me a great appreciation for the city. I love the hustle of the streets. And boy do I know the fast pace of the city traveling it with you, Mike. The important lesson I learned there was not to follow the pack, because that's how you get hit by a car or a biker. I also love the smell and taste of the food on the charts. I love the architecture and the art, an not just the conventional art but the graffiti and those inspired by the Banksy craze. Even the garbage smells that often flood the streets, while it is typically over powering, it is something I associate to large cities.
This course has provided me with invaluable lessons and information about the city and all it holds. It is definitely the most unique course Molloy offers and its a shame more students aren't able to take this course. While the class is unconventional and perhaps it is thought students cannot learn in this way however I would greatly disagree. I think this was the only way to learn about New York and its history. The only way was to immerse ourselves in it, you cannot truly learn the culture and attitude of New York in a classroom. I am very happy that I took this class and will be recommending it to fellow Molloy students looking for an adventure.