June 01st, 2013

Wild West Side

While on our journey to the west side that is oh so wild...we trooped it through Times Square and ran into some of Jada's biffles<3 (bestfriends for life, see slideshow!)
Times square has modified in the past 100 years which is no surprise.  One major change besides of the renovations that have occurred was the name change of the location.  Times Square was once known as the Longacre Square (Blue Guide, 217).  How cute.  The location of this prime time, hopping, congested area is 7th avenue and West 42nd street plus 5 blocks.  Times Square is where it happens!  It is where tourists go to view the sights, the lights, the ball drop, the skyscrapers, the parades, yada yada yada!  Regardless of whatever time you go into Times Square it is always a beaut!  We were there in the early afternoon and it was still momentous enough to snap some shots.  There is so much going on throughout this area.  From Broadway to off Broadway shows, the restaurant activity, the Ferris wheel at Toys R' Us or the famous candy store FAO Schwarz.  It is the ultimate New York experience to any tourist to come visit.  To any New Yorker, if you sit back and soak it in, you realize how lucky you are to be a native to this area. 

Then our next stop was NBC Studios in Rockefeller Center!  Rockefeller Center is gigantic!  It stretches from 5-7th avenue and 48th-41st street (Blue Guide, 243).  It was so nice to check it out for more reasons than one.  That heat was intense!  (I am not complaining!)  There is a lot of history you see once you enter the building, it was almost like walking down through memory lane when you saw the ads of their most popular shows!  They also had some fantastic stores to splurge in!  The building itself is absolutely gorgeous.  The artwork from entrance to exit is stunning and exquisite. 

The Museum  of Modern Art was our next adventure!  Good old MoMA to check our some interesting works of art that created quite the appetite!  The exhibition held at the museum was Claes Oldenburg: The Street and The Store Claes Oldenburg: Mouse Museum/Ray Gun Wing.  Claes Oldenburg is an artist from Sweden who mainly replicated edible objects  that were ginormous. 
We looked at other infamous artists such as Andy Warhol and his Starry Night and Campbell's Soup art piece!   The experience as a whole was really cool.  I thoroughly enjoy going to museums and I have never been to MoMA and I cannot wait to go back!  The artwork was exceptional (hence why those artists are famous). 
After viewing the delectable artwork we eagerly walked into Hell's kitchen to consume our first meal together.  We went to an authentic Thai restaurant.  Due to prior experiences I was not so gunge-ho but I figured hey!, when in Rome or the kitchen of hell put on your big girl pants and give your taste buds a whirl...and so I did.  It is not my favorite cuisine but you know...So that was cute.   

Then we looked at other works from various artists. 

After we met up with a gentleman named Jim who was a gem. Jim the gem, anyway due to the inclement weather it had to call it a day.

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Lower Manhattan and Captivating Chelsea

What a fantastic day!  First we went to the infamous City Hall.  While in the front of City Hall we admired the Woolworth Building which was the tallest building in NYC and in the world during the 1920s (Blue Guide, 80).  We had a great tour guide that filled us in on so many interesting facts.  One very interesting fact is no one gets married at City Hall anymore.  The outside of City Hall is gorg (gorgeous).  It looks like a stylish mansion I would not mind kicking my legs up in any day of the week (just saying).  The inside decor was just as beautiful.  City Hall is considered to be one of New York'sarchitectural teasures (Blue Guide, 83).   Once you enter the corridor there was a double staircase which lead to you The Governor's Room on the opposite end.  The room was a Tiffany's blue/green color that consisted on historical and original paintings of George Washington and other political figures.  There was a another room where they make quite important decisions.   The room was a court style room that had a breathtaking balcony.

Saint Paul's Chapel

Saint Paul's Chapel is Manhattan's only colonial church that is still standing (Blue Guide, 77).  When you enter the chapel you are graced by a beautiful Waterford chandelier which survived the attacks of 9/11 (Blue Guide, 78).  This was definitely an interesting place to go.  The church had a small room near where we exited that contained letters and portraits from young children.  I could not imagine being a family member or a child wondering if one of my loved one's was going to return home.  There unforgettable memorials throughout the entire church from entrance to exit where tourists from all over the world come to visit to pay their respects and to educate themselves on the devastation experience on that horrible day.

September 11th Memorial

What an experience.  Just like the rest of the country I will never forget what I was doing on that day when I heard about the disaster of 9/11.  Going to this memorial site was bittersweet.  It was a reminder of the attacks of that day.  It was also great to see the beautiful monuments that were created to celebrate the lives of those that were unfortunately lost on that day.  There are two large memorials that now stand where the north and south tower once stood.  The memorials consist of a breathtaking waterfall that contains a perimeter of engraved names of those heroes and patrons who lost there lives on that unforgettable day. There is now a 1,776 foot building that now stands symbolically known as the Freedom Tower (Blue Guide, 62).  The museum is set to open in 2014 and I am sure that will be a surreal experience as well.  

We then went to Federal Hall on Wall street where Mr. good old George Washington (totally not as cool as Honest Abe!) was sworn into presidency.  The building houses many important things such as a vault with the Bill of Rights.

Captivating Chelsea (Not Bill Clinton's Chelsea) was next on the agenda for this busy day!  We stopped at Chelsea Market for a bite to eat.  The outside was very misleading.  We walked in to find a place to eat and it seemed as if the walkway went on forever.  Then again, the market is two streets and two blocks large so that is pretty large and in charge! (Blue Guide, 186).  I enjoyed a yummy sandwich that a washed down with a glass of riesling!

We then took the High Line to view a very glamorous view of the Chelsea Piers.  The High Line used to consist of freight trains that would pass through to avoid the traffic down below (Blue Guide 188).  There were many people enjoying this location whether they were tanning, viewing the people having sex in their apartments or relaxing and taking a load off.  There were musicians arts and craftsman and even more food!  It is quite a popular spot so it could definitely get pretty packed.  It seems like the ideal spot to view Macy's fireworks for the 4th of July!

We then went to some pretty exciting art galleries.  One that showed very abstract pottery, others showed the empowerment of women, the sport and art of swimming and how people empower it, to the beautiful art found within our very oceans.  Don informed us that many of these galleries will sell the art they have as an entire set or they may sell individual pieces. Many of these artworks range and vary within price and their uniqueness. 

We ended the day by going to this fabulous book store called Printed Matter that had some of the most interesting books I have ever seen.  Very impressive.  Something that caught my attention was the pro abortion light and sewing kit!  These items look semi-antique and to see where we are today is quite fantastic!

Immigrant New York

Essex street market was our first stop but definitely an unforgettable one!  It was originally built in the 1940's for a place to keep pushcarts that carried items to sell throughout the streets (Blue Guide, 123).  Prior to entering they had a sign on the wall that read "do not lick the wall."  That definitely says a lot about how yummy the contents inside must be!  The market was unlike any I had ever been to before!  They had delicacies from various cultures, you could also find various necessities for every day living and while you're there you could also get a cut and a shave from the barbershop located right inside!  From there we met back up with Jim the gem to show us around the area. We headed towards some of the most densely populated areas at one time in the entire world.  It was hard to imagine having 5,000 people living on one block at a given time on Delancy street.  He spoke about the pollution and garbage issues New York had.  I flash-backed to our rat-loving friend from the transit museum that showed us pictures of what the city looked like prior to the unionization of sanitation workers. 
We then enjoyed the views of the tenement museum while window gazing.  We then walked throughout areas of Little Italy and Chinatown to get to our lunch location in the Congee Village in Chinatown of canal street.  Canal street also marks the southern boundary of SoHo (Blue Guide, 109).  I did not part-take but, the little fishies in the restaurant were cute!  It seems although gentrification is running through New York City it is effecting Chinatown at a slower rate than everywhere else.  These areas were authentic in some and not in others.  I do wonder how the education within these areas work.  I think it would be quite interesting to know. 

ohhhh yesssss...we also went to economy candy...best place ever!

We then took a very treacherous walk over and through the great sites of the Williamsburg bridge.  What a treat!  I don't usually like bridges but this was scenic it was difficult not to enjoy!  Atlhough the bridge was considered "ugly" when built in 1903 (Blue Guide, 110).  Once we completed the marathon of the bridge we endeavored through Williamsburg to go some of the wealthiest places in the area (don't mind if I do).  We then went to a cute bookstore called Brooklyn Art Library in which people pay to draw art in a book and leave it at the art library.  They then notify the artist when their book is being viewed or taken on showcases.  We then walked through the shore lines to view some of the brand new apartments but more importantly the gorgeous view of New York City and Freedom Tower. 

QUIXOTIC  QUEENS

Queens is the home of many and then some.  It is the largest borough in the city and is connected to Brooklyn on the west.  It is second greatest regarding population, Brooklyn being the first (Blue Guide, 493). There are many many towns ranging in variety and wealth.  Before we trekked it over to Queens we walk through New York and stopped over at the infamous Bryant Park.  It was a gorgeous day out so we sat together and reflected about our experiences of the course.  We then went lurking through the prettiest library ever, the New York Public Library.  While in the main reading room I wrote the best Haiku

I am so happy
It is sunny today yup
Let's play with cocktails


After exploring through the library we were off to our next task! While on our adventure we traveled passing the outskirts of the United Nations...how fab!

We headed towards Grand Central Terminal.  Duhh...like Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist..super romantic!  Rail travel declined ever since the terminal was built.  The station is quite symbolic for the city and is considered to be one of the most attractive railroad stations in the entire world (Blue Guide, 228).  From Grand Central we took the Roosevelt tram which I had never done in the city before.  How exciting!  We were then left in Roosevelt's Island which is a two mile piece of land that was originally for criminals or mentally unstable (Blue Guide, 382))  We were left at a remarkable view of the East River a monumental area in honor of President Roosevelt.  I never knew any of this existed! 

Jackson Heights was our next stop for lunch!  I haven't been to Jackson Heights in a little more than a decade.  Definitely brought back some memories of my childhood.  It is an area that is densely populated to create like a "Little India".  We went to Jackson Diner for lunch.  It was way better than I thought it would be!  Most Americanized Indian restaurants don't usually taste that good but shockingly it totally was!  Bravo on picking the authentic cuisine!

Then a few of us got lost...

One of the last few places we went to was the Museum of Moving Images...it was awesome!  It is the largest attraction in Queens (Blue Guide, 499). They had all these interesting things from old school filming equipment to how they make face masks, to creating your own videos!  It was a ton of fun and made me feel like a kid!  I thoroughly enjoyed the decor of the museum as well.  It was almost futuristic.  It was all white once you entered which reminded me of that Michael Jackson music video he made with Janet that cost $1,000,000....crazy!  I would definitely go to that museum again.  My sister is all into that filming and producing stuff so I am sure she would enjoy it and it will give me an excuse to go back!

Then while on our way to Long Island City we stopped off at a MoMa PS 1 museum.  They had some quite interesting stuff located inside.  My favorite had to be the woman stuck in the wooden floor. That had some very interesting yet, confusing things I may never understand.  The works of art were beautiful though.

After the museum we went across the street to 5POINTZ: The Institute of Higher Burnin'.  The story is very different and unique from anything on the island.  Unlike the Island, no business would allow for graffiti.  Here is a place that allows graffiti artists to schedule in a slot and they get a location on their wall to show their skill and work.  The idea is great but unfortunately all good things must come to an end.  The building is up for sale which means this 5POINTZ tradition will not be around for much longer.

Our final stop of the class left us back by the East River but this time we were in Long Island.  In Gantry Plaza State Park stands the original railroad that was created that allowed for goods to be shipped to the Island and vice versa.  The train there no longer exists but the site is absolutely breath taking.  The cobblestones within the area can mentally slip you away to the streets of Rome!

Final Impressions of New York..
 

I always knew New York City was great I just never knew how great.  If I could do this class all over again I definitely would.  Not because it was not good the first time around but because the experience was well worth it.  There are more than enough things to do in the city.  There are so many places I would absolutely love to go back to whether it is with family, friends or a date.  The city is a glamorous life.  I always think of the city as being super congested and busy but there are low key places just to escape when you need some time to yourself.  It was great to see the simple pleasures that we take for granted like Bryant Park or even the Manhattan library.  I thoroughly enjoyed viewing the exhibitions in all the museums and I am around planning to go back to the Punk exhibit so my friends and I can drink on the rooftop of The Metropolitan Museum.  There are so many great memories that I have from the class that I cannot wait to go exploring on my own.  Prior to walking across the Brooklyn bridge we came across a little restaurant next to the Hudson; The River Café.  In a year I plan to be a nurse and I definitely want to go back there to wine and dine!  New York City truly is the city that never sleeps, the hustle and bustle and if you could keep up then you are golden and if not you better pack your bags and go back home.  New York City has a lot of heart and a lot of patriotism.  September 11th is a time I will never forget and being able to visit this past summer was great.  I am so grateful I was able to see the completion of the memorial where the towers once stood.  Granted, the city is a costly place especially after being a student at Molloy College my funds are not as large as they could be but.. I plan to utilize the city more than ever before.  I have always had a dream of living in New York City and I hope to make that a reality within the next few years.

 

Thank you for the amazing time and experience!