Chris Andree
06/28/2013
COR 390
Journal 4
The Wild Westside
Today’s walking tour of the Westside of Manhattan was very interesting. Although we had visited some areas I am somewhat familiar with, I learned things I never knew. Starting in Times Square, I learned the rich history of this famous area. The museum of modern art gave me a close at both today’s art and famous art from the past. Although this day was cut short due to rain I was able to absorb a great deal of history of the city.
When I learned that our first stop of the day was going to be Times Square I was skeptical, because I thought there was nothing new to learn about this tourist spot. It was interesting to learn the transformation this place made over the years. It started as a famous theatre spot during the 40’s and 50’s. However in the 60’s 70’s and 80’s it was the place you came to if you wanted by crack, a prostitute or get mugged. However soon after Mayor Rudolph Giulliani took office, the streets were cleaned up greatly. Giulliani cracked down on all forms of street crime and began gentrifying the worst areas of New York City. From there Times Square became the tourist hot spot that it is today. It was interesting to see that gentrification has caused such a large increase of tourism and revenue in the city. This proved to me that gentrification is necessary for the survival of this city. It will be interesting to see what Times Square will look like 20 years from now.
From there we proceeded to the museum of modern art. It was a very enlightening experience to see what art has evolved into today. Although I did not understand all the art I saw. I did not understand why things like broken furniture, a hanging snow shovel, a flight of stairs or a bike wheel were considered art. I was also very confused as to why Jackson Pollock is a renowned as he is. When I was looking at his art it seemed like it was something that I could do myself. The artwork looked like he was just splattering paint on a large canvas. However I was able to enjoy some of the art at the museum. I was very intrigued by the art work of Pablo Picasso. His art work was very captivating. The way he portrayed people in his paintings was very surreal. I was also able to enjoy the paintings by Andy Warhol. It was interesting to see that even though his best paintings were paintings of soup cans, they were still very interesting to look at. All in all, the museum turned out to be much more interesting than I expected.
Even though this tour was cut short due to rain, I found it to be very informative. It was very interesting to learn the deep and sometimes dark history of Times Square. I was intrigued to learn that this area was not always the happy tourist spot that it is portrayed as today. I also enjoyed learning about modern art at the Museum of Modern Art. Although I did not fully understand or enjoy most of the art of the museum, I was able to connect with most of the older pieces of art in the museum. Today’s class greatly enlightened me on an area of Manhattan that I thought I already knew.
06/28/2013
COR 390
Journal 4
The Wild Westside
Today’s walking tour of the Westside of Manhattan was very interesting. Although we had visited some areas I am somewhat familiar with, I learned things I never knew. Starting in Times Square, I learned the rich history of this famous area. The museum of modern art gave me a close at both today’s art and famous art from the past. Although this day was cut short due to rain I was able to absorb a great deal of history of the city.
When I learned that our first stop of the day was going to be Times Square I was skeptical, because I thought there was nothing new to learn about this tourist spot. It was interesting to learn the transformation this place made over the years. It started as a famous theatre spot during the 40’s and 50’s. However in the 60’s 70’s and 80’s it was the place you came to if you wanted by crack, a prostitute or get mugged. However soon after Mayor Rudolph Giulliani took office, the streets were cleaned up greatly. Giulliani cracked down on all forms of street crime and began gentrifying the worst areas of New York City. From there Times Square became the tourist hot spot that it is today. It was interesting to see that gentrification has caused such a large increase of tourism and revenue in the city. This proved to me that gentrification is necessary for the survival of this city. It will be interesting to see what Times Square will look like 20 years from now.
From there we proceeded to the museum of modern art. It was a very enlightening experience to see what art has evolved into today. Although I did not understand all the art I saw. I did not understand why things like broken furniture, a hanging snow shovel, a flight of stairs or a bike wheel were considered art. I was also very confused as to why Jackson Pollock is a renowned as he is. When I was looking at his art it seemed like it was something that I could do myself. The artwork looked like he was just splattering paint on a large canvas. However I was able to enjoy some of the art at the museum. I was very intrigued by the art work of Pablo Picasso. His art work was very captivating. The way he portrayed people in his paintings was very surreal. I was also able to enjoy the paintings by Andy Warhol. It was interesting to see that even though his best paintings were paintings of soup cans, they were still very interesting to look at. All in all, the museum turned out to be much more interesting than I expected.
Even though this tour was cut short due to rain, I found it to be very informative. It was very interesting to learn the deep and sometimes dark history of Times Square. I was intrigued to learn that this area was not always the happy tourist spot that it is portrayed as today. I also enjoyed learning about modern art at the Museum of Modern Art. Although I did not fully understand or enjoy most of the art of the museum, I was able to connect with most of the older pieces of art in the museum. Today’s class greatly enlightened me on an area of Manhattan that I thought I already knew.
Chris Andree
06/28/2013
COR 390
Journal 5
Lower Manhattan and Captivating Chelsea
Today’s class taught me a lot about modern New York City. I also got to get a close look at City Hall and how its rich history has been able to adequately combine with the daily business of the City. After that I was able to get a firsthand look at some of the artifacts from the terror attack on September 11th 2001. I was also able to get a very real look at the legacy that the attack has left behind. From there, I took an enlightening walk through Wall Street past the New York Stock Exchange. From there I received an in depth lesson on the art community of New York. All in all, today gave me an in-depth look at the legacy New York City has.
The first stop of the day was to City Hall in lower Manhattan. I was happy to get such a rich history lesson of how this famous building has grown over. It was also very interesting to see all the people representing different support groups and social protests that come to City Hall every day to try and further their cause. I was also intrigued by the fact that one room of City Hall could be nothing more than a historical landmark, like Mayor LaGuardia’s office, and the next room over was currently holding a meeting about the current issues surrounding the City. My tour of City Hall gave me a look at both history and the present running of New York City.
The next part of the day’s tour was unfortunately more angering than informative. The tour of the 9/11 memorial showed me how this monument of the most devastating day in human history has turned into just another tourist hot spot in the City. While exploring the Trinity Church where first responders sought refuge after that devastating day, I saw people that were rudely talking on their cell phones so loud that you could not concentrate on anything else. When I was at the monument itself, I saw tourists that were sitting on the names of the people that died on 9/11. I also saw families of tourists posing by the wall and smiling while having their picture taken. It angered me to learn that all of those people died and the people that visit this monument have no true understanding of the heart break and tragedy that this day caused.
The next half of the day was much more uplifting. It was a very interesting experience to walk down Wall Street, the money making capital of the City. I was instantly able to tell how rich the people working here were when I saw the restaurants and cocktail bars that I would never have a prayer to afford. From there when we reached the lower west side, it was surreal to see the art community of New York. After examining multiple art galleries I wondered why these pieces of art were not in museums when other similar pieces are. After today’s tour I learned the true legacy New York has. I learned the rich history of city hall and I also saw what people today really think about the tragedy of September 11th. The most important lesson I learned was that the true spirit of New York is not found in tourist sites, but where local New Yorkers struggle to make it every day.
06/28/2013
COR 390
Journal 5
Lower Manhattan and Captivating Chelsea
Today’s class taught me a lot about modern New York City. I also got to get a close look at City Hall and how its rich history has been able to adequately combine with the daily business of the City. After that I was able to get a firsthand look at some of the artifacts from the terror attack on September 11th 2001. I was also able to get a very real look at the legacy that the attack has left behind. From there, I took an enlightening walk through Wall Street past the New York Stock Exchange. From there I received an in depth lesson on the art community of New York. All in all, today gave me an in-depth look at the legacy New York City has.
The first stop of the day was to City Hall in lower Manhattan. I was happy to get such a rich history lesson of how this famous building has grown over. It was also very interesting to see all the people representing different support groups and social protests that come to City Hall every day to try and further their cause. I was also intrigued by the fact that one room of City Hall could be nothing more than a historical landmark, like Mayor LaGuardia’s office, and the next room over was currently holding a meeting about the current issues surrounding the City. My tour of City Hall gave me a look at both history and the present running of New York City.
The next part of the day’s tour was unfortunately more angering than informative. The tour of the 9/11 memorial showed me how this monument of the most devastating day in human history has turned into just another tourist hot spot in the City. While exploring the Trinity Church where first responders sought refuge after that devastating day, I saw people that were rudely talking on their cell phones so loud that you could not concentrate on anything else. When I was at the monument itself, I saw tourists that were sitting on the names of the people that died on 9/11. I also saw families of tourists posing by the wall and smiling while having their picture taken. It angered me to learn that all of those people died and the people that visit this monument have no true understanding of the heart break and tragedy that this day caused.
The next half of the day was much more uplifting. It was a very interesting experience to walk down Wall Street, the money making capital of the City. I was instantly able to tell how rich the people working here were when I saw the restaurants and cocktail bars that I would never have a prayer to afford. From there when we reached the lower west side, it was surreal to see the art community of New York. After examining multiple art galleries I wondered why these pieces of art were not in museums when other similar pieces are. After today’s tour I learned the true legacy New York has. I learned the rich history of city hall and I also saw what people today really think about the tragedy of September 11th. The most important lesson I learned was that the true spirit of New York is not found in tourist sites, but where local New Yorkers struggle to make it every day.
Chris Andree
06/28/2013
COR 390
Journal 6
Immigrant New York
Today’s class taught me more than I ever thought I would learn about the history of immigrants in New York City. I learned how New York City became as diverse as it is today. I also learned that New York City itself was shaped by the influx of these immigrants. From there, I crossed the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn and got another look at Brooklyn that I thought I would never get. Today truly showed how New York City was built and the people responsible for it.
The first part of the day’s tour began with the history of immigrants of New York. The tour of the area taught me how diverse the immigrants of New York truly were. The Irish immigrants were the some of the first immigrants that really made an impact in New York life. After the potato famine in Ireland, Irish refugees looking for a new life arrived by the thousands and began to overcrowd the city. From there refugees from all over the world including Italy and eastern European nations like Poland and Russia began to flee from persecution and find a new life in New York. Years later in the early 20th century, immigrants began to pour in from china and the immigrant area of New York became even more crowded. Once these immigrants had gotten here they began to take all the factory jobs and other labor jobs in New York. A major issue with the immigrants was where they would be housed. This sparked the creation of infamous tenements. Tenements were apartment buildings that were very unsafe and very unsanitary. A tenement apartment usually housed a family of 10 into one small room. These became very unsafe and unsanitary due to the lack of windows. They were also very unsanitary because garbage removal consisted of all the buildings inhabitants dumping their trash into the center of the building. This lesson on immigration opened my eyes to the true spirit of New York.
The next part of the tour involved us crossing over the Williamsburg bridge into Brooklyn. Although the walk over the bridge was so blisteringly hot that I almost took a nose dive into the East river, it was interesting to see how many commuters come over this bridge every day. Once we reached the other side of bridge into Brooklyn I was able to learn a little bit more about the art community of Brooklyn. I was intrigued by the book store that lets anyone draw their own sketch book and put it on display at the store for others. This showed me that anyone with a taste for art can survive in Brooklyn. This tour of Brooklyn gave me even more of an incentive to come back soon.
The tour of immigrant Manhattan gave me a true understanding of how New York City became the developed metropolis it is today. I also was able to see more of Brooklyn that I wasn’t able to see during our first class. Today’s tour gave me such a great lesson of culture that I would love to re examine soon.
06/28/2013
COR 390
Journal 6
Immigrant New York
Today’s class taught me more than I ever thought I would learn about the history of immigrants in New York City. I learned how New York City became as diverse as it is today. I also learned that New York City itself was shaped by the influx of these immigrants. From there, I crossed the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn and got another look at Brooklyn that I thought I would never get. Today truly showed how New York City was built and the people responsible for it.
The first part of the day’s tour began with the history of immigrants of New York. The tour of the area taught me how diverse the immigrants of New York truly were. The Irish immigrants were the some of the first immigrants that really made an impact in New York life. After the potato famine in Ireland, Irish refugees looking for a new life arrived by the thousands and began to overcrowd the city. From there refugees from all over the world including Italy and eastern European nations like Poland and Russia began to flee from persecution and find a new life in New York. Years later in the early 20th century, immigrants began to pour in from china and the immigrant area of New York became even more crowded. Once these immigrants had gotten here they began to take all the factory jobs and other labor jobs in New York. A major issue with the immigrants was where they would be housed. This sparked the creation of infamous tenements. Tenements were apartment buildings that were very unsafe and very unsanitary. A tenement apartment usually housed a family of 10 into one small room. These became very unsafe and unsanitary due to the lack of windows. They were also very unsanitary because garbage removal consisted of all the buildings inhabitants dumping their trash into the center of the building. This lesson on immigration opened my eyes to the true spirit of New York.
The next part of the tour involved us crossing over the Williamsburg bridge into Brooklyn. Although the walk over the bridge was so blisteringly hot that I almost took a nose dive into the East river, it was interesting to see how many commuters come over this bridge every day. Once we reached the other side of bridge into Brooklyn I was able to learn a little bit more about the art community of Brooklyn. I was intrigued by the book store that lets anyone draw their own sketch book and put it on display at the store for others. This showed me that anyone with a taste for art can survive in Brooklyn. This tour of Brooklyn gave me even more of an incentive to come back soon.
The tour of immigrant Manhattan gave me a true understanding of how New York City became the developed metropolis it is today. I also was able to see more of Brooklyn that I wasn’t able to see during our first class. Today’s tour gave me such a great lesson of culture that I would love to re examine soon.
Chris Andree
06/28/2013
COR 390
Journal 7
Quixotic Queens
The final journey of the Gotham Experience was no doubt the most exhausting tour of any previous day. This tour stretched from Penn Station all the way to Long Island City. The tour that I took today will not be forgotten anytime soon. This tour took me to all the sites that I was afraid we would miss and I am happy to say this day got me to see everything that I had wanted and more.
The first part of the tour had us see all the remaining sites we had missed in Manhattan. The first site was the famous New York library. It was humbling to see the main reading room where so many famous authors have written their books. At the behest of Mike Russo I even attempted to write my own Haiku.
Haiku’s confuse me
Since I cannot write them well
Refrigerator
While my own literary skills won’t be making me famous any time soon, it was still interesting to see other potential authors at work. When we reached Grand Central Station I was intrigued to see all the commuters bustling back and forth around the station. The infrastructure of Grand Central was outstanding and unlike anything I had ever seen before. When the tour brought us to the United Nations building, I was accosted by several Chinese nationalists that handed me a flyer outlining their protest against their government persecuting them. It was humbling to see that still after all of these years people still come to New York City to request assistance from leaders of the world. The next stop was in too the famous Chrysler building. Although our stop was very brief I was able to get an idea of what it is like to work in a skyscraper every day. After a brief tram ride into Roosevelt Island I was able to see this little suburban community in the middle of New York City. It was very interesting to see that suburbia still exists in the City. After half the class was left behind in Queens after lunch and several romps around the Subway system, we made our way into the Museum of the Moving Image. This museum allowed me to see actual props and costumes from my favorite movies like the Chewbacca costume and Yoda puppet from Star Wars, the outfit worn by Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire and the outfit worn by Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop. Our next stop was too Long Island City which was once known for transgender prostitutes. This area has transformed from being the dirtiest part of the five boroughs, to a center of art. Aside from the Museum of Modern Art, street artists have put graffiti on nearly every square foot of wall space in this neighborhood. When the day finally ended, we had walked at least 10 miles and to say I was tired was an understatement. However I left the city with more knowledge than I ever thought I would get from the City. All of the sites I saw today and all the people I encountered have left me with memories that I will never forget. The time spent in this class has confirmed the fact that I will be returning to the city many times in the future.
06/28/2013
COR 390
Journal 7
Quixotic Queens
The final journey of the Gotham Experience was no doubt the most exhausting tour of any previous day. This tour stretched from Penn Station all the way to Long Island City. The tour that I took today will not be forgotten anytime soon. This tour took me to all the sites that I was afraid we would miss and I am happy to say this day got me to see everything that I had wanted and more.
The first part of the tour had us see all the remaining sites we had missed in Manhattan. The first site was the famous New York library. It was humbling to see the main reading room where so many famous authors have written their books. At the behest of Mike Russo I even attempted to write my own Haiku.
Haiku’s confuse me
Since I cannot write them well
Refrigerator
While my own literary skills won’t be making me famous any time soon, it was still interesting to see other potential authors at work. When we reached Grand Central Station I was intrigued to see all the commuters bustling back and forth around the station. The infrastructure of Grand Central was outstanding and unlike anything I had ever seen before. When the tour brought us to the United Nations building, I was accosted by several Chinese nationalists that handed me a flyer outlining their protest against their government persecuting them. It was humbling to see that still after all of these years people still come to New York City to request assistance from leaders of the world. The next stop was in too the famous Chrysler building. Although our stop was very brief I was able to get an idea of what it is like to work in a skyscraper every day. After a brief tram ride into Roosevelt Island I was able to see this little suburban community in the middle of New York City. It was very interesting to see that suburbia still exists in the City. After half the class was left behind in Queens after lunch and several romps around the Subway system, we made our way into the Museum of the Moving Image. This museum allowed me to see actual props and costumes from my favorite movies like the Chewbacca costume and Yoda puppet from Star Wars, the outfit worn by Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire and the outfit worn by Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop. Our next stop was too Long Island City which was once known for transgender prostitutes. This area has transformed from being the dirtiest part of the five boroughs, to a center of art. Aside from the Museum of Modern Art, street artists have put graffiti on nearly every square foot of wall space in this neighborhood. When the day finally ended, we had walked at least 10 miles and to say I was tired was an understatement. However I left the city with more knowledge than I ever thought I would get from the City. All of the sites I saw today and all the people I encountered have left me with memories that I will never forget. The time spent in this class has confirmed the fact that I will be returning to the city many times in the future.