Journal 1
Impressions of New York
My initial impressions of New York are varied. My assessment of Manhattan from my previous experience is that it has turned into a tourist wonderland. I believe that Manhattan is completely converted to a tourist hot spot and has lost its sense of home and community. Although i have not been in the other 4 boroughs much, i believe that i will learn about cultures i knew very little about
Impressions of New York
My initial impressions of New York are varied. My assessment of Manhattan from my previous experience is that it has turned into a tourist wonderland. I believe that Manhattan is completely converted to a tourist hot spot and has lost its sense of home and community. Although i have not been in the other 4 boroughs much, i believe that i will learn about cultures i knew very little about
Chris Andree
06/09/2013
COR 390
Journal 2
Bodacious Brooklyn
My experience of Brooklyn was not what I was expecting. I was pleasantly surprised by the day I spent in Brooklyn. I was unaware of the vast amount of culture this borough had to offer. I held some major misconceptions about Brooklyn. The only part of Brooklyn I had ever seen was on the news in some dark where someone had been killed or assaulted.
My misconceptions caused me to think of Brooklyn as an area that only serves as a buffer between Queens and Manhattan that no one wanted to be in. Our tour of that borough completely changed that for me. When we started in Coney Island I was able to ride the cyclone, walk on the boardwalk with a Nathans hotdog and wander through Luna Park. The entire time the threat of crime was the furthest thing from my mind. The city of New York has taken great strives to clean up this area (Blue Guide 492).
Another misconception I had about Brooklyn was that it was completely devoid of any sort worthwhile museums. I was proven wrong when we toured the Brooklyn Transit Museum. This museum gave me a very interesting lesson in the history of the Subway in New York. After our tour guide gave us a walking tour of the museum I explored all of the old Subway cars from previous eras in New York’s history. After we left the museum I was surprised by my experiences in Brooklyn Heights. I expected to walk through a neighborhood with no link to the past and no unique sights of its own. Going through the neighborhood and seeing all the buildings in their original Gothic style changed that misconception (Blue Guide 467). It was interesting to see that the businesses in the neighborhood had adapted so that the inside of the building was modern but the outside still looked the same way it did when it was originally constructed. I was also able to get a glimpse of the neighborhood attitude when a U-Haul truck sent an open car door flying down the street and the 2 drivers had a verbal altercation that was broken up by the police. While the culture seemed very different from what I was used to, at its core it was the same. I saw couples that were a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, or a man and a man that cared for each other. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the day was when we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a humbling experience to walk across a structure that was once considered one of the most amazing man made wonders of the world (Blue Guide 464). It was very interesting to see how many people commuted to work over this bridge whether it was by foot, car or bicycle. This bridge walk was a great way to wrap up the day.
My experiences in Brooklyn completely changed my perspective of the borough. From a fun afternoon on the Coney Island boardwalk, to an interesting tour of the Transit Museum, to a culture tour of Brooklyn Heights and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge I learned that Brooklyn had more to offer than I thought. I could absolutely see myself returning to Brooklyn to visit soon. I could even imagine living in this borough sometime in the future.
06/09/2013
COR 390
Journal 2
Bodacious Brooklyn
My experience of Brooklyn was not what I was expecting. I was pleasantly surprised by the day I spent in Brooklyn. I was unaware of the vast amount of culture this borough had to offer. I held some major misconceptions about Brooklyn. The only part of Brooklyn I had ever seen was on the news in some dark where someone had been killed or assaulted.
My misconceptions caused me to think of Brooklyn as an area that only serves as a buffer between Queens and Manhattan that no one wanted to be in. Our tour of that borough completely changed that for me. When we started in Coney Island I was able to ride the cyclone, walk on the boardwalk with a Nathans hotdog and wander through Luna Park. The entire time the threat of crime was the furthest thing from my mind. The city of New York has taken great strives to clean up this area (Blue Guide 492).
Another misconception I had about Brooklyn was that it was completely devoid of any sort worthwhile museums. I was proven wrong when we toured the Brooklyn Transit Museum. This museum gave me a very interesting lesson in the history of the Subway in New York. After our tour guide gave us a walking tour of the museum I explored all of the old Subway cars from previous eras in New York’s history. After we left the museum I was surprised by my experiences in Brooklyn Heights. I expected to walk through a neighborhood with no link to the past and no unique sights of its own. Going through the neighborhood and seeing all the buildings in their original Gothic style changed that misconception (Blue Guide 467). It was interesting to see that the businesses in the neighborhood had adapted so that the inside of the building was modern but the outside still looked the same way it did when it was originally constructed. I was also able to get a glimpse of the neighborhood attitude when a U-Haul truck sent an open car door flying down the street and the 2 drivers had a verbal altercation that was broken up by the police. While the culture seemed very different from what I was used to, at its core it was the same. I saw couples that were a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, or a man and a man that cared for each other. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the day was when we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a humbling experience to walk across a structure that was once considered one of the most amazing man made wonders of the world (Blue Guide 464). It was very interesting to see how many people commuted to work over this bridge whether it was by foot, car or bicycle. This bridge walk was a great way to wrap up the day.
My experiences in Brooklyn completely changed my perspective of the borough. From a fun afternoon on the Coney Island boardwalk, to an interesting tour of the Transit Museum, to a culture tour of Brooklyn Heights and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge I learned that Brooklyn had more to offer than I thought. I could absolutely see myself returning to Brooklyn to visit soon. I could even imagine living in this borough sometime in the future.
Chris Andree
06/14/2013
COR 390
Journal 3
A tale of 3 villages
The tour of the three villages of the three villages was a day that was filled with history, controversy and exposure to the rich night life. While at some points the history got a little to in depth, I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. The tour taught me things about Manhattan that I probably never would have learned on my own.
The day began with a tour of a house on Bedford Street that had been converted into a museum. The house was originally lived in during the early 1830’s. Although the house was very small for a tour group as large as ours, combined with the blistering humidity that almost caused me to have a heat stroke, I really enjoyed this tour. I am fascinated by the history of New York during the 19th century. I always find it enjoyable to learn about how people lived during this time period. We learned about how these people with opulence lived out their daily lives, and how their servants also lived. While the job as a servant for these wealthy people was very demanding, it also meant that you never needed to worry about finding a place of your own to live in or to worry about traveling home at night (Blue Guide 140). This was a very enlightening experience all around.
After our tour of the west village we entered the heart of the village. Our tour of this area allowed us to get an in depth look at the area around NYU. This area, mainly MacDougal street has such a diverse night life that anyone could enjoy. It was interesting to see college students my age that have so much more to enjoy living in the City than on Long Island. After a lunch break at one of the most fantastic taverns I have ever been in, we proceeded to the east village which proved to be the most controversial part of the day.
The tour of the east village could easily be named the history of free loaders in New York. We were given of squats, which are basically empty buildings that lazy unemployed people live in without paying any rent. We were given a tour first by a man who actually believed that the police that protect the neighborhood are a slow down to social progress. This man’s solution was to just let these people continue living in these squats and contribute absolute nothing to the neighborhood. The man argued that they had created great community gardens for anyone to hang out in. However these gardens were nothing more than masses of crab grass, dirty pond water, and other scattered garbage. This tour proved that gentrification into this neighborhood is the right idea. The next part of the tour was given by a man who had pride in his marijuana use as it was blatantly shown on his T-shirt. I enjoyed this part of the tour more because the guide was much more objective about the subject matter than the previous guide. My only problem was that the history lesson given about the neighborhood was a little bit to in depth. Another problem with the tour was that the tour guide actually supported the extremely farfetched theory of police paying local thugs to rob convenience stores so that they had a reason to move into the neighborhood. All around, this tour showed that among the high rate of unemployment in this country, there are people who believe they should live in dirty squats and not have to pay a dime and would even say that they have the right to government assistance.
My tour of the villages of New York was a very enlightening experience. I was able to get a brief glimpse into what life was like in the 19th century. I was also able to see how college students living in New York City get to live. I also got a glimpse at how some people living in New York get around the rules the rest of us live by. I could definitely see myself returning to this area soon for some fun times.
06/14/2013
COR 390
Journal 3
A tale of 3 villages
The tour of the three villages of the three villages was a day that was filled with history, controversy and exposure to the rich night life. While at some points the history got a little to in depth, I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. The tour taught me things about Manhattan that I probably never would have learned on my own.
The day began with a tour of a house on Bedford Street that had been converted into a museum. The house was originally lived in during the early 1830’s. Although the house was very small for a tour group as large as ours, combined with the blistering humidity that almost caused me to have a heat stroke, I really enjoyed this tour. I am fascinated by the history of New York during the 19th century. I always find it enjoyable to learn about how people lived during this time period. We learned about how these people with opulence lived out their daily lives, and how their servants also lived. While the job as a servant for these wealthy people was very demanding, it also meant that you never needed to worry about finding a place of your own to live in or to worry about traveling home at night (Blue Guide 140). This was a very enlightening experience all around.
After our tour of the west village we entered the heart of the village. Our tour of this area allowed us to get an in depth look at the area around NYU. This area, mainly MacDougal street has such a diverse night life that anyone could enjoy. It was interesting to see college students my age that have so much more to enjoy living in the City than on Long Island. After a lunch break at one of the most fantastic taverns I have ever been in, we proceeded to the east village which proved to be the most controversial part of the day.
The tour of the east village could easily be named the history of free loaders in New York. We were given of squats, which are basically empty buildings that lazy unemployed people live in without paying any rent. We were given a tour first by a man who actually believed that the police that protect the neighborhood are a slow down to social progress. This man’s solution was to just let these people continue living in these squats and contribute absolute nothing to the neighborhood. The man argued that they had created great community gardens for anyone to hang out in. However these gardens were nothing more than masses of crab grass, dirty pond water, and other scattered garbage. This tour proved that gentrification into this neighborhood is the right idea. The next part of the tour was given by a man who had pride in his marijuana use as it was blatantly shown on his T-shirt. I enjoyed this part of the tour more because the guide was much more objective about the subject matter than the previous guide. My only problem was that the history lesson given about the neighborhood was a little bit to in depth. Another problem with the tour was that the tour guide actually supported the extremely farfetched theory of police paying local thugs to rob convenience stores so that they had a reason to move into the neighborhood. All around, this tour showed that among the high rate of unemployment in this country, there are people who believe they should live in dirty squats and not have to pay a dime and would even say that they have the right to government assistance.
My tour of the villages of New York was a very enlightening experience. I was able to get a brief glimpse into what life was like in the 19th century. I was also able to see how college students living in New York City get to live. I also got a glimpse at how some people living in New York get around the rules the rest of us live by. I could definitely see myself returning to this area soon for some fun times.
Chris Andree
06/19/2013
COR 390
Journal 4
East of the Park
The tour of the East Harlem, central park and museum mile opened my eyes to a part of New York I had never seen. This tour gave a glimpse at another culture completely different than what I was used to. I was also able to learn much more about central park itself. Our walk down museum mile and our brief stop at the Metropolitan Museum of Art opened my eyes to modern art. This day’s tour taught me a lot about Manhattan.
When we first stopped in East Harlem, I will admit I was a little bit uneasy because of the reputation that this neighborhood. However it wasn’t long before I realized that this neighborhood was filled with good people that carry out their daily lives without fear of crime. The first stop of the tour was to the Museum of the City of New York. Before the guided tour started I had the opportunity to look at the fashion of New York during the 1970’s. It was very interesting to see how fashion has evolved over the years. The guided tour included a brief but informative video on the history of the City. It was interesting learn how Manhattan island evolved from Native American controlled swamp land, to a small Dutch city, to a British controlled trade capital, and finally to an American city producing large skyscrapers.
After we left the museum we had a tour of East Harlem given to us by a politically active rapper. Although at certain points the tour guide started to drift into a long winded diatribe complaining about the government, he did give a very informative tour of the neighborhood. We were able to see the beautiful murals painted on the walls of the neighborhood. These murals were painted by inhabitants of the neighborhood and often depicted people living out their daily lives. After the tour ended we stopped for lunch and I had the best Mexican food of my life. Once the tour ended we entered central park from the North East side. It was interesting to learn that this area of the park that is now so rich and vibrant was once the center of crime in New York City. The fact that I walked through this area that you once couldn’t walk through without getting mugged was amazing. When we left the park we were on museum mile. While the name is self explanatory, every museum on this mile stretch is unique in its own way. Although we were only their briefly I was able to thoroughly look at Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new punk exhibit. It was amazing to see the styles and relics that directly influenced my favorite bands. This tour was probably my favorite tour so far.
The tour of East Harlem and central park was a very enlightening experience. I learned so much about the history of New York and its vast culture. I was happy to learn about the history of Central Park. The best part of this day was our stop at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at the historical artifacts from the punk rock era. I learned more about Manhattan on this day than I did in my previous 21 years of life.
06/19/2013
COR 390
Journal 4
East of the Park
The tour of the East Harlem, central park and museum mile opened my eyes to a part of New York I had never seen. This tour gave a glimpse at another culture completely different than what I was used to. I was also able to learn much more about central park itself. Our walk down museum mile and our brief stop at the Metropolitan Museum of Art opened my eyes to modern art. This day’s tour taught me a lot about Manhattan.
When we first stopped in East Harlem, I will admit I was a little bit uneasy because of the reputation that this neighborhood. However it wasn’t long before I realized that this neighborhood was filled with good people that carry out their daily lives without fear of crime. The first stop of the tour was to the Museum of the City of New York. Before the guided tour started I had the opportunity to look at the fashion of New York during the 1970’s. It was very interesting to see how fashion has evolved over the years. The guided tour included a brief but informative video on the history of the City. It was interesting learn how Manhattan island evolved from Native American controlled swamp land, to a small Dutch city, to a British controlled trade capital, and finally to an American city producing large skyscrapers.
After we left the museum we had a tour of East Harlem given to us by a politically active rapper. Although at certain points the tour guide started to drift into a long winded diatribe complaining about the government, he did give a very informative tour of the neighborhood. We were able to see the beautiful murals painted on the walls of the neighborhood. These murals were painted by inhabitants of the neighborhood and often depicted people living out their daily lives. After the tour ended we stopped for lunch and I had the best Mexican food of my life. Once the tour ended we entered central park from the North East side. It was interesting to learn that this area of the park that is now so rich and vibrant was once the center of crime in New York City. The fact that I walked through this area that you once couldn’t walk through without getting mugged was amazing. When we left the park we were on museum mile. While the name is self explanatory, every museum on this mile stretch is unique in its own way. Although we were only their briefly I was able to thoroughly look at Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new punk exhibit. It was amazing to see the styles and relics that directly influenced my favorite bands. This tour was probably my favorite tour so far.
The tour of East Harlem and central park was a very enlightening experience. I learned so much about the history of New York and its vast culture. I was happy to learn about the history of Central Park. The best part of this day was our stop at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at the historical artifacts from the punk rock era. I learned more about Manhattan on this day than I did in my previous 21 years of life.