I really enjoyed our visit to the New York Public Library map room. I’d been to the library many times, of course, but I’d never been to the map room before. I didn’t even know it existed!

I looked at many different maps of the area around the Farragut Houses, generally known as DUMBO, downtown Brooklyn, and/or Vinegar Hill. I found lots of interesting information about the street layout and how it changed over the years. The most interesting thing actually was the fact that it didn’t change very much until the Farragut Houses were constructed.  At that point, the neighborhood was demolished. Streets disappeared, were deleted, replaced by superblocks.

I didn’t find a lot of new information about transportation to the area—the main topic of my research project—because transit maps were not made available to us during our visit to the library. I did find one page in one book relating to the subway system, however, a map showing plans for the second system, the city’s planned expansion of the subway right before the Great Depression. The Depression derailed the plans, and then World War II killed them entirely: there were no workers around to do the building and all available iron and steel was needed for the war effort. One part of the planned system, the Second Avenue subway, is still under construction today.

It was very meaningful to me to be surrounded by all those maps, the physical record of our changing city. I find maps—especially paper maps—fascinating, almost poetic, a way to be in touch with history. I’m glad I discovered the NYPL map room. I’m sure I’ll return.

Unfortunately my classmate and I ended up at another library and not the main branch located on 42nd street . After we got to the China Town public library as Google maps directed us the librarian there gave us directions as to  where we can access the  F train that would lead us to the main branch on 42nd street. Even though we did not get to look at any of the  maps in the map room (room 215) I did manage to gather some information about the Farragut houses in the remaining class time at the NYPL. I  asked the librarian for assistance and was assorted to a section where I  saw one map of the area where the Farragut houses were built in a book titled, “BROOKLYN  NY VOL 12”. Although this visit wasn’t a huge success for me I do plan on revisiting the library sometime soon to look at as many maps as possible in order to better understand what that piece land was used for before everything was completely demolish and to also gain a broader perspective of the current and future of NYC Public housing.

Architecture students brought new ideas to me about how I can differently look at the space. What I’ve learned from their projects is that open space is not safe and to make area safer it’s better to divide blocks and put more objects there. To make it safer they also want to build more commercial and residential spaces to make area more alive. Also i think it was a good idea to mix people by building luxurious and low-income places. At the same time all that projects were very modern but I really like the idea of historical district and it’s different from any other place stile. I was surprised how much work was done and how much ideas this student can bring to this world.

The Urban Studio visit clarified the idea of our project and I finally realized the main purpose of our research. The exhibition shows how beautiful and interesting we can present our work and make a good contribution into the data base of the New York history. The Urban Studio presented the history of one of the buildings of City College of Technology, the Mosaic Building. The exhibition includes 3D paper models of the area and architecture, historical timeline, pictures of the important  people who were working on the project. The story of the main element of the building, its symbolic and the author of it. It is the good example for us of how we can present our work.

Very exited to visit the library. As I was looking at the maps all this time and going deeper into the old pictures I hope to see more pieces that are not possible to see in digital version. Question if it will be possible to take a copy of them?

I want to look at the names in historical section. And, of course, to make a research in books about NYCHA and downtown Brooklyn history.