Ryan Yip

Professor Rosen

English 1101

November 2013

Metrotech center has been a staple in my everyday life. For three months now, I have been walking through here to get to my classes at New York City College of Technology (NYCCT). Overtime I have seen many things during my trips to and from Metrotech Center. Originally, this was a place built as a non-profit improvement district and has grown to me a commercial and academic hub. I have seen a number of events and interesting sights that have peaked my interest during my time there. I traveled with one of my friends to the area when we first set off to register for our first classes at NYCCT. I asked him tell me about his experience with Metrotech Center. Unfortunately, he only passes through Metrotech Center on occasion, meaning he does not see Metrotech Center on a daily basis. Nevertheless, his input on the topic was still good and well.

Metrotech Center has been a real help to me over the three months that I have attended classes at NYCCT. Originally Metrotech Center was just a road on my way to NYCCT, but now it has helped me by other means. Now I buy lunch here and I can find a number of train stations nearby. Passing by Metrotech Center has become a staple on my route to and from NYCCT. I would usually go to the Subways restaurant nearby to eat as my lunch. My friend is unlike me in the way that he does not go there to buy food or anything of the sort. When I talked to him about the food I get in the area, he was surprised at the obscene time and money I spent at the aforementioned Subways restaurant. We had a short walk to and from both our classes and the Dekalb Avenue train station. Coming and going through Metrotech Center has been very helpful to my friend and me during our first semester in college. Its location is one feature we both find beneficial.

The location is one of the best benefits about being in Metrotech Center. My commute to my classes in NYCCT requires that I use the Dekalb Avenue train station. The Metrotech Center commons has been the easiest and fastest way to get from the train station to NYCCT. The walkway is void of traffic so anyone can move from one end to the opposite with little to no obstacles. On your way to the opposite sides, you can see new and interesting things in the Metrotech Commons. Unfortunately, I am fairly impatient when it comes to waiting. My impatience also includes waiting for a traffic signal or a car to drive by so I can safely cross the street. The Metrotech Center commons is a straight and wide walkway for people to gget around on foot. I introduced my friend to Metrotech Center since we both used the Dekalb Avenue train station. He would use a different route than me, so the first time we went to NYCCT together was when I walked him through. He found at as helpful as I did. It was a place where someone can easily move on foot. While this is a great route to take, one of the most appealing things about Metrotech Center is the atmosphere it holds.

When someone passes by Metrotech Center they can see many wonderful things. There are a great number of trees, sculptures, and other decorations strewn about. During my two months of college I have seen many events and gatherings such as concerts, charity organizations and many other activities. During my third month, I noticed a pile of large rocks being moved in the Metrotech commons. There were some fairly large rocks that have been dyed several different colors being placed in some sort of formation. The next week, the aforementioned rocks were stacked on top of each other. They have a similar appearance as that of a face of a cliff or mountain. I asked my friend to describe his reaction to it and he stated he has not seen it yet. He said he would go see it the next day we met and we parted ways. When next we met, he thought it was for kids to play on by climbing the rocks. At that moment I pointed out that there was a no climbing sign on the ground. We agreed that we could not understand the artist’s intentions with these. The following weeks, I saw a rather large Christmas tree being placed in the center of the Metrotech commons. As the days go by, I begin to see workers putting lights and red bows on the tree. The street lights were wrapped with fake pine tree branches to compliment the occasion. Christmas decorations were being implemented well before Thanksgiving Day. In an environment with plenty of tall buildings and intense traffic, it was nice to see a more natural sight that is a giant Christmas tree. Everything about Metrotech center makes it feel like I can see the next day of the tireless grind of everyday life.

There are many different stories that different people tell about Metrotech Center. My friend told me about his experience, but it was nothing of real significance. He doesn’t take interest in the events or any other noticeable changes and he would usually take a different route to NYCCT. I however, pass through Metrotech Center and look around and see what is new and interesting. But there are some things that we share in common. We can find a number of conveniences in the area such as our next lunch. The location of Metrotech Center has made our commute to our classes easier. Even if we do not understand the sights and sounds of Metrotech Center we still see them as fascinating projects and events. Metrotech Center has been a great benefit to me and my friend. We both can go there for whatever reason we may have and see a number of interesting events while heading to and from NYCCT. They have become a prominent part of our New York.

http://downtownbrooklyn.com/about/metrotech-bid

http://www.forestcity.net/properties/mixed_use/property_listing/Pages/metrotech_center.aspx

Metrotech Center

When I was planning my route to NYCCT, I found a small walkway on the way from the Dekalb Ave. train station. Since I would not need to wait for any traffic lights, I decided to use this on my route. When I first arrived I thought nothing of it. Now that I have routinely used it to get to my classes, I have seen many things that are interesting there. I was passing through Metrotech Center on a regular basis. It was new to me, and I entered a new area of Brooklyn that I have never seen before. Metrotech Center was founded in 1992 to be a non-profit business district. It was created to be a commercial as well as an academic hub for patrons and students in the local area. It is a small community with nice open space and plenty of things to do and see. It is interesting and has become part of my New York.

Where some people see an uninteresting paved road, I see a place that has benefited me for a while. It is a place where I have no fear of traffic lights hindering my commute, and a place I can find anything I need. The convenience of it all has made it something worth remembering. It is located next to Jay St-MetroTech Station, where the A, C, and F train stop. It has a number of restaurants for a patron to dine indoors or outdoors. The Subways sandwich shop has been especially helpful at lightening the burdens of my daily grinds throughout my days. It has been useful to me in my time in downtown Brooklyn. The location of Metrotech Center is a place where one can find other interesting places. Metrotech Center is located right next to NYUpoly which is one of the universities in New York. Recreational areas such as Columbus Park and some historical sites can be seen within a short walk from Metrotech Center. It is a place that is convenient to someone as directionally challenged as myself.

The art works that reside in Metrotech Center are unique in their own way. The art styles vary between each work of art and have their own presence. One of the more noticeable pieces is the statue of an alligator emerging from the sewers to drag a person with a bag of money for a head. It is placed in a wide open area for many people to see and is something that a person sees every day. It is a new take on things, as you think about what the artist was thinking. What does an alligator emerging from the sewers mean? Is it something to represent a predator right under our noses? Is the individual with a bag of money for a head representing a select group or person? Is the person an interpretation of greed? I have left this topic un-researched so that I may speculate for myself. Another work of art being displayed there is a statue of the dog. It is a sort of hidden gem as some mistake it as a real dog during their first visit. Once you have seen the same dog standing by the same light pole in the same stance, you tend to wonder what that is still doing there. If you do not notice such by your second visit, then you will likely notice it again as you pass by it multiple times as your eyes wander to take in the sights and sounds surrounding you. It is a detailed statue or sculpture of a dog. The details go even further as you see that each brush struck forming the paint above it resembles the groomed fur of a dog. These are magnificent works that draw questions as well as give the area a bit more of an atmosphere that can only be found there.

Occasionally you can see something exciting happening in Metrotech Center. It has a large clearing for events and other public gatherings. Every so often I see people gathering as I walk towards my own destination. One time I saw a game of golf being shown on what I assume to be a large projector on a large surface. People sat on benches to watch the game as I was passing by. I was in a rush at the time, so I paid it no mind. More often than showing a game, there are relief foundations using the space. They try to encourage people to aid in their cause and other reasons to support their foundation. If there is more noise than either of those, than there is likely a concert. I do not care for them as I have more important matters to attend to, but the events all seem like good ways to kill time when I have nothing to do. They all seem fun and enjoyable.

This is a place that has made an impact on my everyday life. Metrotech Center has given me some interesting experiences so far. I would use this on my route to NYCCT every day. It is a convenient place for me to find snack or drink fairly quickly. I find that I can appreciate the artworks within. I enjoy seeing the events that they hold for the public. Metrotech Center is a fascinating area for a person like me. This has become part of my Brooklyn.

Source: http://downtownbrooklyn.com/about/metrotech-bid

I am Ryan Yip. My hobbies include videogames, anime, and video editing. I have been absent in the anime community, but I do watch some on occasion. I play games on both console and PC, but I do not own an xbox. I prefer console gaming because a controller feels more comfortable than a keyboard and mouse. I also record some games I play and post them on youtube. I do a lot of video editing to make the best video that I can produce at my skill level. On youtube I am known as LeafsShadow. My youtube channel is filled with videos that I did just for the fun of it. I treat it as a hobby, because I don’t want to take youtube of all things seriously. Here you can watch me play videogames with commentary. At the moment I am making videos with a Pokemon Colosseum commentary walkthrough (yes that is how they spelled it in the title of the game) and Vindictus videos that I do on public games. I am very new to making youtube content, but it is a new experience for me and I like it. I upload videos when I have a video to upload. I honestly hate taking things seriously. That’s why I hate playing “Call of Duty” and other games that people take seriously. I like games where I can mess around and do what I think is fun.

My avatar is my character on Maple Story.  I could not find a picture of my character because I uninstalled the game, but I managed to find a close match to use as my avatar. He is an archer from a town called Henesys on Maple Island. He uses a bow and arrows as his weapon to hunt and go on adventures with. He becomes high maintenance after you realize that the price of arrows are fairly high and how they are a necessity to his attacks, but that becomes irrelevant later in the game, because enemies start dropping arrows around the mid-game.

I chose him because he is a character I have built in the Maple world. I have put time and effort made him to be great character. There’s no one better to represent me then a character I made.  He enjoys adventuring, but hates being around other people. He tries to make to sell anything he comes across in his adventures including mushroom caps and whatever else he can get from the local wildlife. He is a skilled archer that can apparently cause an arrow to pierce threw enemies hitting multiple targets for no apparent reason. He uses this rather often and shoots indiscriminately. He does all of these things because I control him as a player and make decisions for him.

The profile I made is to represent me while I work on the OpenLab. When people view me using OpenLab they will know me by my profile. This is how other people will see me on OpenLab. I’ve used a character that is different from my peers. He is a character that I have built and I am proud of the resulting character. My character should be the one to represent me on the OpenLab.