All posts by gcrumbie

Project 4 Reflection

ENG1101 Project #4, ,

For this project, I realized that I have a new found interest in the environment around City Tech. I would have never guessed that there were such a large number of activities that could be done on the way from the school, to the train station.  I feel a sense of accomplishment now that I have discovered my own route that emphasizes happiness . Like the previous project, I was able to become familiar with the area. The difference in this case, is that it goes more into depth by pointing out all of the pleasant routes that I would prefer.

It took about 30 minutes for me to find a suitable route that I could use for this work that would be interesting for others to take. The first direction I went in,was toward the Metro Tech Center because I already had an idea of what I wanted the walk to consist of. I had to stop multiple times to think about what my next move should be. This wasn’t easy, considering the fact that it was 25 degrees that day with high wind chills. I knew I had to mention that people should aim to take the walk when the weather is more on the mild side. I believed that I excelled at describing the aspects of my walk in the pitch. These descriptionsgave it such a happy vibe. I felt that this was important because my interns should have a vivid image in their mind of what I am trying to convey, so that they themselves will want to talk the route.  On the day that I took the walk, my cellphone camera seemed to be having a problem capturing the images that I needed to apply to the pitch. As a result I was forced to take photos another day, with which it happened to be raining. However, if my route is chosen for this app, participants can choose when the right time is to make a move for the walk will be.

Revising the Pitch

ENG1101 Project #4,

Your route may never have shown you the advantages and opportunities that you could take hold of. This route offers many beautiful sights and businesses that Brooklyn Heights has to offer. It also informs one more about the environment that they spend their time in every week. You could walk this route alone or with a group of people that you enjoy being around. That won’t take away from the experience that you could potentially find. This route maximizes the happiness one can experience on the way to the subway station from City Tech by passing through the Metro Tech Center and the Fulton street mall. One well known thing that can bring happiness to people is food from some of the best restaurants in the city. This is one of the major attractions that will never get old. With that being said, the route that I have chosen emphasizes happiness and would be a great addition to this Aesthetic map application.

At the end of a long day, an individual may crave something to eat to relax and tend to their hunger. This route is primarily lined with numerous restaurants that can be chosen from. The route would begin by walking through the Metro Tech center of downtown Brooklyn. This business area is one of Brooklyn’s largest developments. It takes over approximately 16 acres, costing a near 1-billion dollars to create. It also consists of many office rental spaces inside each of the 12 buildings that are in the center. This is a very busy section in Brooklyn which is part of the reason there are such a high number of restaurants in close range. The expense that was put towards constructing this business site are what create the beautiful views that people can appreciate as they eat. When you first walk through the center, you are greeted by the pleasant scent of the Chipotle Mexican grill restaurant. This aroma is carried through the air by the same wind currents that whistle through the trees. You can see the fall season take effect as the trees are stripped of their coats, and the brownish-yellow leaves sway past your view. You can hear the laughter and yelling of the young children interacting with each other in the park area. You can take a breather and relax on a park bench and observe the art pieces that are placed all around the park area.

“The Alligator”, by Tom Otterness is a major public art piece that is shown to be a tourist attraction in Metro Tech. The sculptor created this fascinating piece in 1996 as a permanent part of the area. It displays an alligator coming out of a New York sewer and biting down on a man on the sidewalk. This piece is very eye catching and may grab a persons attention as they enjoy a meal from Chipotle. Another art piece in the center may bring out the fun side of people because it is a design of an over sized maze across from the benches. This piece is called “Light Over Time” and is an additional installment to the park by Sam Falls which makes the environment more intriguing to be in. The colorful design brings life to everything around it, and can be engaging if you decide to go through the maze. You can also make a short stop to the local Starbucks to get a nice creamy cup of coffee while you continue on your stroll. The warm cup will defrost your finger tips on the way. As you continue this route, you may decide that you want a Lamb gyro from a near by Halal food stand on the corner. This route offers a significant amount of convenience to the point where most of  the things a person may have a craving for are only a simple few feet away.

Before you know it, you will almost be done with the route as you approach the Fulton street mall. This mall consists of all the well known restaurants and stores that we have come to love, all on a single road strip. The concept for this mall was originally put into affect in 1976 by the Fulton Mall Association. According to downtownbrooklyn.com, the Fulton street ” welcomes more than 100,000 shoppers a day to its 150+ retail businesses”. This large attraction makes the area fun to be in for both shoppers and people taking the walk on this route. The project for the mall was finished just three years ago, in 2011, and cost about 15 million to complete. The amount of money spent was worth it and it brings much more happiness to this walk.

As we all know, taking walks is a very affective way for people to clear their minds and actually take a moment to appreciate the very aspects of the city.  Throughout the route, you can expect to be surrounded by people you don’t know. This is not a lonely path, and it puts  you in the presence of others that make up the culture of Brooklyn. While you continue on the route, you will have a chance to see the breath taking view of the city on a sunny afternoon. On a normal route to the subway, people don’t usually give a second thought to their surroundings because they are so focused on getting home. They may also take a back road as a short cut, however, this will block their view of the city skyline. While you enjoy a wholesome meal, you can take in the sights of the buildings and watch as the windows reflect the sunlight. Many people prefer having something to look at while they eat. But what could be better to look at, other than a cellphone, than the view of your surroundings. As you relax, you can watch the sunset in the distance. You may even listen to music and picture the scene as something from a music video.

This route is ideally created to be taken around 4 to 5pm. Around this time the sunset will give off a calming vibe as the day concludes. This is something that is very helpful, especially for individuals who are coming from a long day of work. As the walk relieves your stress, it gives you a chance to unwind and loosen up while you gather some thoughts. By the time you reach the 5 train at the end of this route, you will be satisfied and probably ready for a hot shower and some sleep. Your mind will be at ease because you took some time to slow things down and relax for once. And the best part is, it will only take a short 15 minutes out of your way which is worth the while. For this reason I would highly recommend that you consider this route for the upcoming app(lication).

 

 

Citations:

  • “Downtown Brooklyn.” NYCEDC. N.P, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
  • Y.C., Noel. “NYCLOVESNYC: Downtown Brooklyn’s Public Art: “Alligator” by Tom Otterness. “NYCLOVESNYC: Downtown Brooklyn’s Public Art: “Alligator” by Tom Otterness. Http://nyclovesnyc.blogspot.com, 2 Sept. 2011. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
  • Khemsurov , Monica. “Sight Unseen”. N.P., 9 Aug. 2104. Web. 2014.
  • Stuart Shabazz. “Fulton Mall Improvement Association” DowntownBrooklyn.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.

 

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/gcrumbie-eportfolio/2014/11/18/the-route-pending/

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/gcrumbie-eportfolio/2014/11/21/the-pitch/

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/gcrumbie-eportfolio/2014/12/01/the-review/

Quorum

Glossary,

Source: Merriam-Webster.com

Quorum- The smallest number of people that must be present in a meeting in order for decisions to be made

I first heard this word earlier in the day during my morning English class. The Professor used this vocabulary term because of the low amount of students in the class at the time. So she still decided that it was enough to begin. I was confused when I first heard this word because I had no idea what she was saying. After a quick search in the Webster dictionary it was obvious what was being said. It took a few seconds and I learned a simple new term.

The Review

ENG1101 Project #4, ,

For this review, I decided to walk the route that was presented by my fellow intern, Kevin. This route is a simple and easy way to get from City Tech to the Borough Hall train station without having to deal with crowds or too many distractions. It also gives you the chance to view many significant landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge or the Christopher Columbus statue. Even though I had already viewed many of these aspects before, I had to imagine that I am not familiar to the area that the route was taking me through. With this in mind, I could focus and appreciate the important things that the route brings up. As a result, it would allow me to learn more about the environment.

When I first began the walk, I was able to easily follow most of the directions given. From the starting point, the direction I was supposed to go in was fairly described and helped me to visualize what I needed to keep an eye out for even before I saw it. This descriptive language is what carries me through the rest of this route. He emphasized the details of certain areas on the block that indicate where I am supposed to turn or where I should pay a little more attention to. The only thing I may suggest is that he adds a bit more description to support the the directions he was trying to convey. At times I found my self taking a pause to try and find where I last left off in the instructions. It was as if I was left on edge for a brief moment but then found my way after careful observation.

For this route, The time of day that it was taken properly complemented the very details that needed to be witnessed. The view of the Brooklyn Bridge caught my attention because it was so easy to spot in day light. However, that doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t have me in awe with the glistening lights during the night. In my opinion, following directions in this specific area is easier to accomplish during the day. This way it can be properly understood and taken again at any other time. This route especially can be taken at any point because once you understand it, you can take more time to appreciate the man made beauty as well as the peacefulness that is mentioned in this Aesthetic mapping.

A picture of language: Summary

Coursework, ,

This article by Juana Summers depicts a technique that not many people may know about called diagramming sentences. For people who are not familiar with this concept, it is often seen as confusing and not useful when it comes to using it in the subject.In this specific structure, the sentence is nearly impossible to make out for most. In some ways it is described as a way for people to ” draw a picture of what the language looks like”. But according to most students, this concept is”an intrusion or as an absolutely confusing,crazy thing that they couldn’t understand”. However, if they’re taught in a way that they can easily grasp, it will allow them to structure sentences much more effectively. The example given in the beginning of the article clearly displays how this technique should be executed.

Zany

Glossary

Source: Google search.com

Zany- amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic

2. One who acts the buffoon to amuse others

When I first saw this word in the text ” A picture of language ” I had a little bit of an idea of what it may have meant. It stated, ” If you weren’t taught to diagram a sentence, this might sound a little zany”. Now that I have researched this word I have a better understanding of what it was conveying. However, the numerous definitions such as the second one provided, made it a little confusing as to which one properly fits the text. Obviously now I realize that the first one makes the most sense.