Its Just Good-Bye for Now - Until We Meet Again

       Oh no, I can’t believe it’s all over. This was the one class I really looked forward to every Friday morning. This was an awesome class. Every Friday was a new adventure, a new part of New York City to explore. While all my other classmates are probably now home on Fridays catching up on sleep and enjoying their day off, I am now back at work. This four credit class is unlike any other. We definitely did not still in a boring classroom for three hours. We had a different scenic classroom every week and the six or seven hours of class was far from boring.  Mike and Meritta made these seven weeks the most memorable of any class. We got a chance to visit some of the places that none of us knew existed or would ever visit. It was amazing to learn about the history of New York City and how it came to be. It has changed and developed and gentrified so much that our generation and many tourists get the prospect to experience New York City and its fine rich diverse culture that you won’t find anywhere else on earth.

            My mind-set about New York City has immensely changed after this class. I now have a broader appreciation for New York City after my different experiences within these past seven weeks. I’ve always had a special love for New York and I love to visit the city but after this class I have a new love for New York. I learned and experience so much in such a short time span. I find myself always talking about my Friday class and the places I experienced and how much fun it was and the history behind it. I have already recommended other students to take this class, telling them if they don’t take it they have no idea what a spectacular experience they are missing out on and telling many other people about the places they have to visit and the new cuisines they have to try. I know over the summer I will definitely be heading back to some of those places to spend more time and soak in the familiarity. I have now also introduced a few people to Thai Food and definitely plan on heading back to YUM YUM Bangkok for a dinner date and then over to Amy’s Bakery for dessert. This class was a mixture of everything and the class would not be half as much fun if it wasn’t for my classmates. Even though we all came from different cultures and different backgrounds, we were all one great unified class. We all stuck together, looked out for each other and just had a blast.

            This was such an incredible, unbelievable, most awesomest class I’ve ever taken. I gained a lot of knowledge and exposure to the cultures that make up New York City, but most of all I gained a class load of valuable friends that will be missed dearly. We will try to all keep in touch and we see some faces around campus but when our lives get crazy busy we lose touch. I hope to have another fun adventurous get together soon with everyone like we did on our last night at Red Lion. This was such an enjoyable, pleasant experience and I just want to thank my professors and classmates for making this one I will never forget.

Last of the Lower East Side

        Our last classL, so sad! The final class takes us to the heart of immigrant New York, where we will explore how various groups of new immigrants incorporated into the life of the City during the last two hundred years. We started at the Essex Street Market. Occupying the block of Essex St. from Delancy to Rivington St. is the Essex Street Market. Built in 1940 to house pushcart peddlers whom Mayor Fiorello La Guardia legislated off the streets, the market offers food for all tastes – Latino, Jewish, and upscale urbanite (BG, 123). We were able to roam around and try the different foods if we wanted to. I got some plantain chips and a soda and some of my classmates got some gourmet chocolate chip cookies which was really good. After being let free to find food we then headed down to Delancy Street which was named after the De Lancy family, who were early settlers of the French Huguenot origin (BG, 119). From here we walked a few blocks to the Tenement Museum where our tour and main focus was on the Moore family.

            When we first arrived I had no idea what this museum was all about, I thought it would be so boring. To my surprise it was one of the better more interesting museums. I was very afraid that the floors in these tenements won’t hold everyone’s weight and give way to the ground floor below. This museum, a former tenement, was founded in 1988 to preserve the heritage of the nation’s immigrants, honoring the millions who lived on the Lower East Side and in other immigrant ghettos (BG, 122). Tenements, built to exploit all available space and maximize the return for the landlord, were one of the horrors of immigrant life (BG, 122). The main focus of our tour was based on the Moore family. This was an Irish family, John, Bridget, Mary, Jane, and Agnes who came to New York in 1869 and had to cope with the death of their youngest, Agnes. Agnes was only a baby when she had gotten sick from “swill milk” that was given to her. It’s called swill milk because the milk was not refrigerated and took days to be delivered, so to cover up the bad odor and discoloration of the milk, the sellers added ammonia and chalk.

            We continued with our walk through the Lower East Side heading towards Tom and Jerry’s. I couldn’t believe I was enrolled in a class that was taking us to a bar. This is frigging awesome! I don’t drink but this was terrific. We got a little history about the bar from Ruby. We learned about the dive bar and flap houses and that the bar opened in 1993 and over the years there have been a shift in the demographics mix of people that come into the bar. Oh it was so cold and windy out on our last day that by this time I was freezing and hungry. We headed over to a super authentic place, Congee Village. Now this was really some genuine Chinese food. Our table was sooooo hungry we felt as though the food couldn’t get to our table fast enough. By the time a new dish reached our table the first one was already gone with not a scrap left hahaha. We were still hungry after we were finished.

            We tried to get as much needed feet rest as possible and warmth because we were headed back out into the cold for our last tour. We met up with our tour guide Drew who took us through Lower Eastside, the Bowery, parts of Little Italy and Chinatown. Like the rest of downtown Manhattan, the Lower East Side, long an immigrant neighborhood, is in the midst of rapid change. Chinatown is encroaching from the west and 19^th century tenement buildings are being converted into luxury apartments. Yet the neighborhood retains something of its past – ethnic eateries, synagogues in various state of despair or restorations, and a street of bargain shopping (BG, 118). Bowery, is one of Manhattan’s oldest streets, runs about one mile, from Chatham Square to Cooper Street, and for long was associated with loneliness, poverty, and alcoholism (BG, 152-153). While many of Manhattan’s other ethnic enclaves are shrinking or gentrifying, Chinatown is expanding eastward beyond its original boundaries into the Lower East Side and northward into Little Italy. Visitors come for the ambiance, for bargains, and for food, as well as for knockoff designer handbags and perfume (BG, 107). Mulberry St. from about Canal St. to Kenmare St. is the spine of Little Italy, an ethnic enclave dating from the 1880s that in recent decades have become increasingly Asian. The Italian population has aged or moved away, and today Little Italy has become a tourist draw, attracting visitors to its café, “red sauce” restaurants, and ethnic food stores (BG, 114).

            After our immigrant tour ended, we took one last group picture and parted ways (tears). A few headed back to Penn Station and went home, others went to Canal Street to look for and buy some knockoff bags, and the majority of us went out on our last adventure to enjoy a few drinks and a light dinner. It was an awesome last day and we had a great time.

Lower Manhattan & Captivating Chelsea

            When I heard there was going to be a change of plans for this week’s class I was a little skeptical. It was an awesome idea to be apart of this protest, to be a part of history but from what’s been going on in the news some of us were very afraid of what the outcome will be. The Occupy Wall Street protest has some feeling empowered while others are apprehensive. Wall St. is a short street, about a third of a mile long, which runs between Broadway and the East River. Ever since the New York Stock Exchange moved here in 1903, this thoroughfare, sometimes called simply “The Street”, has been synonymous with New York’s financial industry (BG, 64).

            When we arrived at Zuccotti Park I didn’t know what to expect. I had heard and seen on the news that the protesters were not cooperating with the authorities and that the NYPD were going to arrest almost everyone that day. Upon arrival we walked along the sidewalk and read the signs that the protesters were holding and eventually got yelled at by the cops for meandering. When they were told we were with a class and just wanted to get a statement from a few protestors we were eventually left alone. We heard a little overview from a protester, also some history on the Occupy Wall protest from one of Mike’s former college mate and all about the 99% of America being poor and 1% rich. I have to say I feel horrible for both ends but some of these people work hard to get to where they are at the top and they deserve their million dollar bonuses. Being a business major makes me see both sides to the story because maybe one day I might be on the other end of the rope. So after making history with the protestors we then strolled over to Trinity Church. Trinity Church stands at the head of Wall St. on Broadway, once the loftiest building in the neighborhood, now overshadowed by gigantic office buildings (BG, 65). We walked in through the gothic looking church where there was a bride and groom having their picture taken, we walked along to the back of the church and out the doors into the graveyard where we able to see gravestones of some very famous people like Alexander Hamilton. After this our next stop was Federal Hall National Memorial. Federal Hall is one of New York’s most important historic sites, although the historical events predate the present building (BG, 69). When we got inside the museum there were many historical exhibits and a great deal of them were on George Washington.

            We then walked down to St. Paul’s Chapel & Churchyard. St. Paul’s Chapel faces Broadway between Fulton and Vesey St. It is Manhattan’s only remaining colonial church. It became the most important Anglican Church in the city and was used by George Washington following his inauguration at Federal Hall. After the World Trade Center disaster, the chapel served both as a place of refuge for workers at Ground Zero and as a temporary memorial for visitors, who attached messages and memorials to the fence in front of the church. We continued our journey through the World Financial Center in the hub of Battery Park City, whose five office towers were designed by the firm of Cesar Pelli between 1985 and 1988. The spectacular Winter Garden, with its palm trees and great glass windows, is used for exhibitions and art events (BG, 61). We also visited the Irish Hunger Memorial and continued our walk down the Hudson River to the Poet’s House, a building completely devoted to the art of poetry. After here we stayed on our path along the Hudson River down to Chelsea Piers through the meatpacking industry. After such a long day we finally got to have lunch at the Chelsea Market. I was beyond hungry and the over priced food at the Chelsea Market was not appetizing. The cupcake from Amy’s Bakery was awesomely delicious though, the best part of my lunch.

            After lunch we headed towards the High-Line. The High – Line was built in the mid 19^th century, the New York Central Railroad used to run at street level. The streets were clogged with traffic and the tracks were dangerous and the avenue became known as “Death Avenue”. Beginning in the late 1990s, a local advocacy group defeated proposals for demolition, and at the present time, a park is being constructed over the 1.6 miles. After viewing this hidden masterpiece of New York City we visited a few art galleries that were quite interesting. We were tired and beat and it was getting dark and couldn’t wait to get through these galleries and head home. Overall it was a great experience.

Exhausting East Side

            Our next stop, SpaHa AKA Spanish Harlem. East Side part two. Today we headed towards the Museum Mile for more art and education on the diverse, rich culture that makes up New York City. Today we are headed to El Museo del Barrio. El Museo del Barrio is one of the city’s outstanding small, sharply focused museums; the only museum in the city devoted to Puerto Ricans, Caribbean, and Latin-American culture (BG, 376). It is located at the edge of Spanish Harlem or El Barrio meaning the neighborhood. El Museo was founded in 1969 by community activists, teachers, and artists, mainly Puerto Ricans. It operated first from a classroom in a public school, and then moved to several storefronts until it found a long term home in the present building, originally a settlement house for the Heckscher Foundation for Children and now owned by the city (BG, 376).

            When had a walking tour with Megan our tour guide, who introduced us to the education, history, culture, and art of Spanish Harlem. She showed us the many works of art through the streets that tells the story of Spanish Harlem. One piece that stood out was called “The Spirit of East Harlem”. This mural is located at east 104^th street and Lexington Avenue; it was painted over 25 years ago and represents the simple life of Spanish Harlem way back when. The mural portrayed the daily life of the community with children playing, the elderly, men playing dominoes, a few relaxing and others looking out the window. After our lovely tour we headed back to the museum to check out the pieces of art. Some I have to say were very very interesting. After this we were off to experience the best part of every class, LUNCH! Woohoo!! A few of us headed down to El Paso for some Spanish culture food. BURRITOS! The food was very good, after that I was stuffed.

            After an enjoyable relaxing lunch, we then headed right next door from El Museo del Barrio to the Museum of the city of New York. The Museum of the City of New York offers exhibitions that explore the city’s complex history from its early days as a Dutch colony to its present eminence. Founded in 1923, the museum’s collections contain more than three million artifacts (BG, 376). We got to see exhibits from 9/11 and the Twin Towers and then sat down to watch a short film about how New York City came to be, starting from the early European settlers to present day. Throughout this short film, I’m not going to lie I took a short nap but still knew what was going on in the film.

            I was very happy that I took this short nap because after we walked out of the museum we were in for a surprise. This crazy surprise constituted by Merritta was to walk through the entire central park! I was both thrilled and worried. Thrilled because we get to visit Strawberry Field, which we were not able to visit the first time because mother nature rained on our parade and worried because here we are getting ready to walk the entire central park, over 100 blocks, 843 acres, it gets dark out earlier and will my wee lil legs ever make it. So Central Park is the heartland of Manhattan, 843 acres set aside for the recreation of New Yorkers and visitors alike. Although the park seems natural, the largest surviving piece of Manhattan unencrusted with asphalt and masonry, its landscape and scenery are completely man made, based on designs by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux (BG, 279).

            We started Central Park at the Vanderbilt Gate on east 106st in the Conservatory Garden. The six-acre Conservatory Garden, the parks only formal garden, is named for an elaborate greenhouse torn down in 1934 during the Depression as a cost cutting measure. After it started up and fell into despair again in 1982 Lynden B. Miller, a painter and garden designer, took over, and the following year the Central Park Conservatory began restoring the perennial beds and planting wild flowers. Today the Conservatory Garden, with its magnificent displays of blooms and fine collections of perennials, draws people to admire the plants, contemplate nature, and even get married (BG, 297). We stopped at west 72^nd St. by Strawberry Fields. The 2.5 acre near Central Park West and the 72^nd St park entrance is called Strawberry Fields to honor John Lennon, the songwriter, singer, and member of the Beatles, who was assassinated in the courtyard of the nearby Dakota Apartments in 1980 (BG, 290).

            We then walked over to the front of the apartment building to the entrance of the courtyard where John Lennon was assassinated. After here we were done. But in order to get home we had to walk about 20 more blocks in order to get to a train station to head home. We all trotted down to 59^th and Columbus Circle where the majority of us went down and caught the train back to Penn Station and a few of them walked back to 34^th street and Penn Station. An overall fun but exhausting day.
                                    

Walking the West Side

As I started on my path to Penn Station I knew today would be a better day, unlike our wet adventure on the East Side. I arrived extra early at Penn Station and decided to get some breakfast while I waited for class to start. When mike arrived he did the same usual routine, took attendance and explained our escapade for today with a little twist. We were handed the menu for lunch and had to make our selections. When I heard that we are to prepare for a great deal of walking I said to myself “ah I got this, it shouldn’t be anything compared to our first two classes”. Boy was I in for a rude awakening.

As we left Penn we head towards Times Square via Broadway up the pedestrian path that the city has created. We stopped at 42^nd street and Times Square. Times Square was known for theatre and entertainment in the 1940s and 50s, by late 60s and 70s it became tarnished by drugs, prostitution, and pornography. Time Square is not at all a square. Geometrically it is two triangles created by the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue. Time Square was once known as Longacre Square that was dominated by hors exchanges, carriage factories, stables and blacksmith’s shops. In 1904 when the subway arrived along with the New York Times, whose publisher persuaded the city to rename the area for his newspaper, perhaps in competition with Herald Square, named for the New York Herald, then the dominant newspaper (BG, 217). Some say the city went to far turning the Time Square area into somewhat a version of Disneyland but at the hour we went it didn’t seem that way. It was just everyone trying to get to work or lounging in the pedestrian areas, I think more at night with all the pretty lights it looks more Disney like.

From here we walked a few more blocks over to and through the GE building, home to the NBC Studios in order to get over to Rockefeller Center. Rockefeller Center, a complex of commercial buildings, theatres, plazas, underground concourses, and shops developed principally during the Depression, is the world’s largest privately owned business and entertainment center. The first architecturally coordinated development in New York City, and a milestone in urban planning, it became a National Historic Landmark in 1987 (BG, 243). The first building constructed at Rockefeller Center is still the most famous and imposing: the GE Building, originally the RCA Building (BG, 248). From Rockefeller Center we then walked to M.O.M.A – the New York Museum of Modern Art. Upon our arrival we received our tickets and headed up to the 6^th floor for a tour of the permanent collection, which houses works from famous New York artists as Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jackson Pollock. The Museum of Modern Art is one of the city’s premier cultural institutions, one of the great repositories not only of modern painting and sculpture, but also of drawing, design, photography, and film (BG, 260).

By the time we were half way through all the exhibitions here at MOMA I was already tired and hungry. We then had to walk yet a few more blocks to get to Hell’s Kitchen where we had lunch at Yum Yum Bangkok. At first I was very skeptical because when I first had Thai food it wasn’t the best tasting meal I’ve had. So I was miserable and didn’t know what I was going to order or if I would enjoy any of it. The salad I had with peanut butter sauce was ok. Peanut butter isn’t for everything. When I order my meal I was extremely hungry but still iffy about it. I had the white rice with sweet and sour chicken. To my surprise, it was the best tasting Thai food I’ve ever had. It was really good, I hope to find another Thai restaurant that’s just as good because I really enjoyed my lunch. After lunch we headed back in the direction we came for a few blocks and got on the 2 or 3 train headed for Harlem. I’ve never been to Harlem so I was curious to see what it was like.

As I came up the subway and peeked out, the class was welcomed by the voices of the residence in the area. After I saw what the area looked like my curiosity soon vanished and I just wanted to keep it moving but was happy to experience the area. Harlem is currently undergoing a gentrification process to restore the area to its beauty. Bounded by the East and Harlem Rivers, the cliffs of Morningside Heights and St. Nicholas Terrace, Harlem is the most famous center of African – American life and culture in the U.S. (BG, 437). White business and property owners fought bitterly to keep Harlem white, but failed simply because it was too profitable to rent to blacks. Nevertheless, the 1920s were years of optimism and great artistic activity, as writers, artists, and intellectuals made the pilgrimage to Harlem, by then the capital of black America. The Depression devastated Harlem, revealing the poverty behind the glittering exterior. In the 1970s, as the city fell into fiscal difficulties, Harlem suffered even more. Since the late 1990s, the northward spread of gentrification in Manhattan has reached into Harlem (BG, 438).

On our long journey now heading towards Morningside Heights we passed by the Studio Museum in Harlem. It was founded in 1968 to collect and exhibit the work of artists of African decent. The permanent collection embraces 19^th and 20^th century traditional African art and 20^th century Caribbean art, but the emphasis is on contemporary artists (BG, 440).  We also walked by the Apollo Theatre. The Apollo Theatre was once for whites only and as the neighborhood changed, so did the Apollo. The theatre fell on hard times during the 1970s and became a movie theatre. In 1991 the state of New York bought it, and the Apollo is now run as a not-for-profit foundation (BG, 440). We continued walking towards Morningside Heights, through Morningside Park up the very long flight of stairs. Before the Revolutionary War much of Morningside Heights, like much of the rest of New York, was farmland. Morningside Heights remained isolated until the Ninth (Columbus) Avenue El opened in 1880. Major educational, religious, and service institutions dominate the social and economic tone of the area (BG, 417). From here we visited Grant Memorial. The General Grant National Memorial, familiarly known as Grant’s Tomb, is the imposing resting place of the victorious commander of the Union forces in the Civil War. It contains the remains of the General Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant (BG, 434). We walked by the famed Riverside Church. The Riverside Church occupies a commanding site overlooking the Hudson River (BG, 432). Through Columbia University which by the way is a spectacular campus and ended at St. John the Divine Cathedral. Columbia University, one of the oldest, wealthiest, and most respected of all North American universities (BG, 427). The Cathedral Church of St. John Divine rises in uncompleted splendor on the heights above Morningside Park.

I was ridiculously tired from walking all day. When Mike emphasized to prepare for a great deal of walking I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. My feet just kept moving trying to get to the train station to head back home, I had no energy I just knew I had to get to the station by foot. It was a day dedicated to walking and ended divinely!

The Enchanting Eastside equaled WET!

When I checked the weather the night before class it stated rain throughout the day. I also checked our class’ website and we were informed to come prepared for the weather. I was a little bummed; I thought maybe class will be rescheduled even though I read before that class will continue rain, sun, or snow. Anyways, so off I went headed to the train station bound for Penn. As usual we met in the same spot and like last class we were joined by the freshmens. Instead of leaving at 11:05 we were running a bit late after Mike had to address both classes on the day’s schedule.

Our class today took us to the East side of the city. First stop the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, generally called the Met, is the largest, most comprehensive art, museum in the world. The building occupies 1.5 million square feet and its collections include more than two million objects. Whose range includes the whole world and the entire sweep of human civilization (BG, 326). When we got off at 86^th street and came up from the subway it was raining cats and dogs. We had to walk to 82^nd street to get to The Met. By the time we arrived, even though we had umbrellas we were all drenched from our knees down. Walking in from the pouring rain into the Met were the AC was kicking we all froze. We gathered and followed the professor to the museum’s modern art section. He told us about the art work and the artists. Some of the art pieces I did not understand and some of them were really cool. As we went from room to room we came across a certain artist. Pollock, he was an influential American painter. His art work was weird and looked like anyone could do it. I found out from the professor though that it’s hard to replicate because he had his class try it once. After here we strolled off on our own and tried to keep moving to stay warm in the freezing Met museum.

When we got back to our designated meeting time and place, plans had changed for the remaining of the day. Mike thought we would have breaks in the clouds and would be able to hike through Central Park and break for lunch. That obviously didn’t happen and the rains kept coming down with no signs of stopping. We headed out into the rain back to Grand Central terminal. Upon our arrival here we would break for lunch. Here we could have anything our taste buds desired. A few of us headed for pizza which was by the way very appetizing. We met back at our designated area in the main hall by the information desk. Grand Central Terminal stands proudly athwart Park Avenue at 42^nd street (BG, 228). Grand Central remains one of the world’s great railroad stations, and an enduring symbol of the city. The station covers three city blocks from 42^nd to 45^th streets between Vanderbilt and Madison avenues (BG, 229). We learned that Penn station once looked like Grand Central. They would have torn down Grand Central also but Jackie Kennedy saved it.

From here we headed towards the New York Public Library. This was supposed to be our last stop but due to the weather a few items got switched around. The building generally known simply as “the New York Public Library” stands on the west side of Fifth Ave between 40^th and 42^nd street. It is officially the Humanities and Social Sciences Library of the New York Public Library, one of it’s four major research facilities, world famous for its collections and much admired for the architecture of its building (1911; Carrere & Hastings) (BG, 207). The building sits on a wide terrace running the length of the Fifth Ave façade. The steps, which have long attracted tourists, pigeons, footsore shoppers, and office workers at lunch, are flanked by two famous marble lions by Edward C. Potter. Originally criticized as mealy-mouthed, complacent creatures, they seemed undeserving of the nicknames Mayor Fiorello La Guardia would later give them – Patience (south side) and Fortitude (north side) – virtues the mayor thought important for New Yorkers struggling economically during the Depression (BG, 208). We went up to the Main Reading Room of the library where we rested for a bit and sat quietly.

Last part of our tour took us through fabulous Fifth Ave, one of the most lavishing, luxurious shopping streets in the world. We paused for a bit at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, a famous city landmark and a symbol of the success in New York. Designed by James Renwick, it draws on the decorated Gothic style of the 13^th century. It is the largest Catholic cathedral in the U.S. and the 11^th largest in the world (BG, 254). We then worked our way down pass the Fred F. French Building, one of the city’s first skyscrapers and then on to Tiffany & Co. Tiffany & CO. is one of the world’s renowned jewelers. It was founded by Charles L. Tiffany, father of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the famous designer of stained glass, jewelry, enamels, and interiors (BG, 272). We ended our dreary day at F.A.O Schwartz. Here we were brought back to our childhood with all the stuffed animals and candy. All of those toys were way over priced but then again it was located on Fifth Ave.

We headed back to the train station from here. We got back to Penn rather early and I was happy to know after being soaking wet all day and freezing I didn’t have to wait long for my train home. As I sat there on my way home and reflected back on my miserable day I started dozing off to sleep and was tired from our wet yet eventful day. What a day? Cold and Wet! 

Beautiful Brooklyn!

            When I woke up this morning, I was miserable. I thought it would be a long, dreary, cold day even though the sun was up and shining but the temperature had dropped a little. I headed for my train bound for Penn Station. We met at our usual time and spot. By now everyone got to know each other a lot better and carried longer conversations and kept each other company until the professors arrived. Mike made sure everyone was there, he took attendance, explained the days itinerary and then we were off. We knew this would be a long day like our first class and to start off this long exciting day was a long, relaxing train ride on the F line.

            Our first stop, Coney Island! Now I’ve been to Coney Island many times but never knew the history behind it. I was curious to find out all about this place I’ve visited on so many occasions. Coney Island was settled by the Dutch, who named it Konijn Eiland after the rabbits they found there (BG, 492). It started with the Coney Island Hotel, but its history really began when the three spectacular amusement parks opened up: Steeplechase Park (1897), Luna Park (1903), and Dreamland (1904) (BG, 492). Coney Island was once an island but was later joined to the mainland by landfill, so it is no longer an island but now a peninsula (BG, 492). Coney Island was once an important amusement and recreational area for New York during the 1920s and 30s. What was once such an upbeat, populated area, have now fallen on hard times in recent years. Many of the amusements have been sold off or torn down, leaving empty buildings and vacant lots. Urban renewal programs filled Coney Island’s massive housing projects with the elderly, blacks, and Latinos (BG, 492). Despite the fact that the amusements have been torn down and sold off, three classic rides have been landmarked and cannot be destroyed: the Parachute Jump (which I learned was part of the 1939 World’s Fair), the Cyclone roller coaster, and the Wonder Wheel (BG, 492).

            When we arrived in Coney Island we were suppose to go into an exhibition center to learn more history about the place but it was closed. Also we were not able to experience the thrill of Luna Park or the Cyclone. We did have an hour or so to venture off on our own and explore the area. The majority of us were hungry so we all went off in different directions in search of food. Not too many places were open because school is now in session so a lot of the shops were closed. A few of us headed down the boardwalk to Nathan’s Famous, the iconic hot dog stand founded in 1916 (BG, 492). For the most part we enjoyed our lunch, we were not too happy about the annoying seagulls that kept coming around looking for food. After lunch we started on our way back to meet up with everyone. It was such a relaxing experience on the boardwalk. It was not crowded and loud; the few people that were there came out for their morning jog. We walked on the empty beach in the sand and took in the beautiful view.

            After we all met back at the starting point we were then back on the F train off again working our way back to the city stopping of at Brooklyn Heights to explore the Transit Museum. The Transit Museum is a two-level subterranean museum, located in an unused subway station. Run by the Metropolitan Transit Authority, it includes exhibits on buses, bridges, and tunnels, but the emphasis is on the subway. Lined up on the tracks of the former Court St station are examples of most of the subway cars that have traveled the tracks since the first line opened in 1904 (BG, 468). These subway cars were antiques. They looked uncomfortable; some of the seats were made from the material of wicker baskets. Some trains didn’t have any poles to hold on to only straphangers, others had a lot more room to move around and stretch your legs. The trains’ way back then didn’t have air conditioners so some of the trains had fans attached to the ceiling. Because of our public transportation, in particular our subways, has helped in transforming New York to be the world-class city that it is.

            Next we visited the Brooklyn Historical Society where we took a tour to get a sense of the importance of Brooklyn in the history of New York. Brooklyn occupies the western tip of Long Island and is bounded by the East River, the Narrows, and Upper New York Bay on the west and north, by the Atlantic Ocean on the south, and the borough of Queens on the east (BG, 461). We took a speed walking tour around this area and learned of its founders and how the area came to be the first historic district.

            Our last item on the itinerary was the treacherous walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. By this time we were all exhausted. I knew myself for one kept second-guessing myself as to whether or not I can walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of New York’s great landmarks, certainly the best known and most loved bridge in the city. The view from the bridge is spectacular, day or night, up to the cables or down to the river (BG, 464). We started off on the pedestrian path headed towards the city. We decide to time ourselves to see how long it would take us to cross the bridge. We made it over in half an hour.
        A few of us kept looking at our watch because we knew if we didn’t make it over the bridge in time to get on the train back to Penn station we would be waiting for a long time for the next train. As soon as we made it over we didn’t stop to wait for the rest of our classmates, we said our goodbyes to Mike and Meritta and jetted straight for the train station. After walking all day we found the extra energy to speed walk through the busy streets of New York City. We bolted pass everyone and ran into Penn station with a little more than five minutes to catch our trains. What an exhausting day. This day was more tiring than the first. As I sat on the train and looked back on how my day had turned out I was especially proud and very excited to say I walked over the Brooklyn Bridge. Beautiful!