Category Archives: ENG1101 Project #4

Project 4 Reflection

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

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/

The Review

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.

The Pitch

Your route may never have shown you the advantages and opportunities that you could take hold of . This route offers many of the 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 new found experience that you could potentially find. This inspiring route maximizes the happiness one can experience on the way to the subway from City Tech by passing through the Metro Tech Center as well as the Fulton Street Mall. And one well known thing that can bring happiness to people is a nice meal from some of the best restaurants in the city. This a major attraction to people everywhere that will always be around.

At the end of a long day, an individual may  want something to eat to relax and tend to their hunger. This route is primarily lined with numerous restaurants that can be chosen from. Almost as soon as you begin the route through the Metro Tech Center, you are greeted by the pleasant scent from 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 on the environment 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. Then you can take a breather and relax on a park bench and observe the the art piece that is placed in the center grass portion of the park. One could also make a short stop at a local Starbucks to enjoy a nice creamy cup coffee while they stroll through the Fulton mall area. The warm cup will defrost your finger tips as you go on your way. As you continue on this route, you may decide that you want a lamb gyro from the Halal food stand at 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 is a simple few feet away.

As we all know, taking walks are a very effective way for people to clear their minds and actually take a moment to appreciate the very aspects of their city. Throughout this route you will be surrounded by many other people you don’t know. This is not a lonely path, and it puts you in the presence of others that make up the very culture of the city. While one continues on this route, they have the chance to see the breath taking view of the city on a sunny afternoon. On a normal route to the train, people don’t really give a second thought to the area because they are too focused on getting home. Many routes that people choose involve passing through back roads behind tall buildings that block the view of the city. As you enjoy a wholesome meal from one of the many restaurant options, you can take a breather on a park bench and take in the sights. The city sky line will have you in awe as the windows reflect the sun’s light as it begins to set. Many people prefer having something pleasant to look at while they eat. But what is better to look at while you rest, other than a cell phone, than the view of your surroundings. As you relax, you can watch the sun set in the distance.  You may even listen to music and picture the scene as something like a music video.

This route is ideally created to be taken around the time of 4 or 5pm. Around this time the sunset view will give off a calming vibe as the day concludes. This is something that is very helpful especially for individuals who are just ending a long work day. Taking walks is great way to relieve stress and gather thoughts. This will give them a chance to unwind and loosen up as they stroll. By the time you reach the 5 train station at the end of the route, you will feel satisfied and probably be ready for a hot shower and some sleep. But your mind will be at ease because you have taken the time to slow things down and relax for once. And the best part is, the course will only take approximately 15 minutes to complete which is worth the while. For this reason I would highly recommend that you consider this route for the upcoming Aesthetic mapping app.

The Route:

The ideal route for one to consider should generally give them a taste of the different aspects that Brooklyn has to offer. It should be the most comfortable to them, allowing them easy access to the things they believe are important, pleasant, or fascinating while  on their way. With my route in particular, it emphasizes happiness including the favorable restaurants in Brooklyn as well as other businesses such as clothes stores, as well as view of the city buildings. Along this route, one can be in the presence of many other individuals, whether they are tourists, or school kids that are making their way from store to store. They can also have a pleasant walk through what is considered a peaceful area in the city.  As you walk, you can also see sky scrapers in the distance which is a typical aspect of the city. Once an individual leaves the City Tech , they have an opportunity to take this route that provides numerous choices for places to enjoy a nice meal, or swing by a local H&M for that sweater you’ve had your eye on. And when all is done, you can easily continue on the same direction heading out to a train or bus.

The route that I have chosen will take an individual approximately 15 minutes out of the original path to the train station. First, leave through the front entrance of City Tech which is on 300 Jay street. You will see the construction directly across the street and hear the jack hammers digging into the pavement when you reach outside. Proceed south on Jay street onto the next block. Continue on this path up until you are in front of the Marriott hotel on the right, at which point you will stop. Cross the street directly across from the hotel onto the walkway entrance of  the Metro tech center. There will be a lighted map of the center, as well as Christmas decorations that hang along the walkway. Proceed along the center walkway up until the end of the block. You will be welcomed by the aroma of cooked ground beef from the near by Chipotle. Make a right onto Laurence street where you will see a local 5 guys restaurant. Continue for approximately 3 blocks on Laurence street where you will see the city building structures in the distance. The fall trees will sway in the wind currents as the leaves swiftly slide onto the ground. On the left will be the local Golden Crust and Chinese restaurant. Turn right onto Fulton street and proceed down this path for 3 blocks up until Adams street. Directly behind you, will be one of the many tall skyscrapers in the distance on Fulton streets vantage point. While walking along this street,  there is a Modells accompanied by two local banks to the left. On the right there is a Burger King  restaurant. Approximately 20 feet down is  the much favored Shake Shack restaurant on the intersection of Fulton and Adams street. You will immediately see the city skyline as the light reflects of the building windows. Safely cross Adams street and proceed into the Borough Hall 5 train station. As one can see, this route offers more meal choice opportunity as well as a better angle at the view of the city, unlike the usual route that is taken.

BHS Research

Map of the BK subway lines
Boro Hall Civil Center 1955; flat maps b 1955 fl ( BK subway maps)

 

On today’s field trip we went into the BHS library which consisted of all sorts of primary information that can’t be found anywhere else. We mainly focused on maps of Brooklyn from different time periods . This is something that I would most likely include into project 4. For example, in my group we had a manuscript map of Brooklyn in 1856 which depicted the cut-off boundaries of farm lands that people owned. There was also a clear detailed drawing of the cliff of Brooklyn Heights. This was before the construction of the Brooklyn bridge, so the steam boat was a popular way to travel between the boroughs. Another map, which was printed, displays the subway map map from 1955. As we know, the train system was originally a series of companies that operated in different ways. This map is a significant piece of history that I could add to my project. Lastly, we saw a large booklet of maps that was created by the fire department during the time. From what I learned in class, civilians that lived in homes made of wood would be charged higher than someone in a brick house because of the higher chance of a fire. These different maps of Brooklyn give me a better understanding of it’s history that goes way beyond my time. Each version allowed me to see every phase that has come. I should have a better grasp of this concept from the research which will be a good guide for this project.

Happiest place in New york

One of my happiest places in New york is the Chelsea piers sports center in Manhattan. This center offers a number of sports such as ice skating, roller skating, golf and more. When I first stepped inside, I could hear the loud screaming of players enjoying their time in the area. I see skaters speeding across the ice while trying to avoid those that have fallen. This makes me happy because it’s the best place for friends and family to spend time with each other while learning a new experience. It’s also an interactive environment for athletes and participants to get to know each other and raise a competitive spirit.

#Fun #Sports #Family #Athletes #GoodVibes #It’sLit