Pedro, Anna, Emily, Loribeth

Our area of tourism is History/Heritage, Historic tourism is the act of traveling to a place to experience its activities and artifacts that authentically represent the stories and people of the past. Heritage tourism is inspired by historic preservation, including a combination of natural, cultural and architectural environment. We observed plaques on the ground which showed early settlement and development of the Brooklyn Waterfront. We also learned that in the Brooklyn Navy Yards, ships were built during the American Revolution and some of George Washington’s quotes were imprinted on the ground. We also observed the community’s effort to take care of the park by placing recycling bins, creating ponds and also created system that collects and recycles rain water used for flushing toilets and watering the plants surrounding the park. As we walked around we saw seagulls on stomps in the river and learned that oysters are starting to come back to their original habitat. The Brooklyn waterfront has been home to the River Cafe for over 39 years. With astonishnig close up views of New York’s Skyline. Its a wonderul place to sit down and take in a little bit of history with each bite. Another bit of history that is not far from the cafe, and fun for the entire family,  Jane’s Carousel.  Originally Built in 1922 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, This beautiful Carousel was restored and donated to the park by Jane and David Walentas. The Brooklyn Waterfront an area of New York City that was once forgotten is now visited by millions of people annually. Thanks to community and government efforts the natural and historic preservation of the Brooklyn Waterfront is active today.

Going to the brooklyn Bridge was a great experience. It told a lot of history through the dates that had significant events. In addition it catered to the locals and to tourists at the same time. Locals could enjoy restaurants that have alot of history such as Grimaldi’s and the original river cafe. At the same time tourists would enjoy this as well because of what the restaurant means to Brooklyn. Overall the brooklyn bridge was a universal area that catered to locals and tourists that truly shows its versatility.

My personal focus on the topic of cultural tourism was literature.  The Brooklyn Bridge Park is famous for having famous literary artists.  The most prominent being Walt Whitman.  Upon discovering the lines of “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” I was able to notice the influence this poem had on the waterfront.  Whitman’s poem shows a story of how people can easily travel from Brooklyn to Manhattan.  Whitman’s main idea and purpose in writing this was to show how the people of New York City can all be united even with something as simple as taking the ferry.  Unification is very important when it comes to culture because without unification culture can not carry out traditions keeping a custom alive.  Whitman’s poem on the waterfront shows to everyone from and outside of Brooklyn that cultures can be shared and spread together.

During our visit to the Brooklyn Bridge Park, we were assigned to the group of cultural tourism. Cultural tourism is a trip motivated by interests in cultural events such as feasts or festivals or activities such as theater, history, arts and sciences, museums, architecture, and religion. During our visit, there were specific areas to the park that related to cultural tourism, the first on being the Brooklyn Bridge. Many people who visit Manhattan or New York City in general, come to see and walk the Brooklyn Bridge. It is a historical landmark in New York because it was the first bridge built and it gives tourists a glimpse into the hustle and bustle of the city. Another area that showed our culture were the concrete stairs, this is where some people come to see theater while enjoying the beautiful view of Manhattan. Along with the view, tourists can see the harbor traffic of the ferries which can be used by people visiting or locals commuting to work. This gives them a chance to see what it is like to live in the city and what a commuters travel is like in our New York culture. The music barge right by the entrance of the park, which is open on weekends, shows the cultural music of Brooklyn and New York as a whole. Tourists could also visit, Photoville, which is a week long photo venue which people can visit to see pictures from locals living in New York or from people all around the world. It shows candid photos in New York which really show what our culture is like.

The story that the East River tide hides, is a rich one. Walt Whitman, a poet, wrote a piece on the amount of tourism downtown Brooklyn received back when it was a docking station. When warehouses and industrial factories were the only thing around and the people traffic was not as much as it is now. Being able to stand on the promenade today, reading about the history this place holds is eye opening. The Brooklyn Bridge water front is definitely an area that has gone through so much progression and become an integral part of Brooklyn. Making it a community, family, disability, and ecological friendly area was the idea they had to compromise both the people that already lived there and the people who wanted more tourism to come about.Reusing parts of old warehouses to make beautiful hidden theaters and peaceful benches is a way they kept the foundation of the area alive. Having natural habitats help the ecosystem, by protecting the land from natural disasters such as Sandy; but it’s also a great place to escape this hectic city for just a second. The city that never sleeps is growing every minute and the building owners that now call the waterfront home won’t discuss otherwise.Gentrification is apart of the touristic blow up of this area. Take it as you see it, but not all gentrification is bad. In this case, It allowed much more diversity not only in people but in food (smorgasburg), attractions (Jane’s Carousel), and even neighborhoods (new condos). All in all, this area is full of cultural tourism no matter where you turn. Learning all of the history has given me insight to how tourism can work efficiently in a young area.

During our visit to the Brooklyn Bridge Park we learned about all the historic events that took place at our very feet and the many different things that were set in place before the creation of  the park itself. What was once the Fulton Ferry Landing which connected Brooklyn to manhattan is now the main entrance to the park, what was once piers full of warehouses and loading docks are now piers filled with different activities for locals and tourists alike. Though the park itself is a new attraction and isn’t centered around its extensive history the very entrance to this park pays homage to very to several historic events that helped shape our society today.