Learning Places Spring 2017
SITE REPORT
Vinegar Hill
Aissa Sonko
02.17.2017
INTRODUCTION
During our site visit, we visited the neighborhoods of Hudson ave and Plymouth st. We also visited the projects, DUMBO, Bridge street, John st, Gold st, Navy st, York st, etc. The neighborhoods that we visited were very different and diverse. Nothing was really the same and every corner you turned, you would have a view of something new whether it was good or bad. It was not really something I expected but truthfully speaking, I was not really sure what to expect going to that neighborhood. I am not originally from brooklyn but one thing I did learn was that Brooklyn is very different appearance wise every neighborhood you visit.
PRE-VISIT REFLECTION
In advance of visiting the site that we did, I thought we would see regular project housing. We were on our way to visit housing project complexes and from my knowledge that usually consists of very tall projects that are usually isolated from everything else and and sometimes unsanitary conditions.
SITE DOCUMENTATION (photos/sketches)
This site was the first place we saw. I was very fascinated with this area and I thought it was very beautiful. This area looked very antique and untouched. It looked as though it was a scene from an old movie or television show. The floor was made from some type of stone. At the site, the neighborhood looked very deserted as if no one have lived there in years however we did visit the site during the afternoon hours in which most people are at work or school.
This photo that was taken was of a closed down power plant. This power plant stands right in the same neighborhood as the building with the store fronts. It was very confusing and different to see a power plant standing in the middle of the neighborhood. It seemed as though big money companies were ready to take over but never actually got the job done.
Around the corner from this neighborhood was a mansion like house. It was a big white house with gates and a car parked in front. It looked very pretty and modern. Everything was scattered and very diverse. I was shocked and fascinated that beside a vintage looking neighborhood was a modern looking mansion. Right next to that big house was an apartment complex that was about six stories high with a balcony for each floor.
OBSERVATIONS
- Movie site
- Balcony
- Tiled floor
- Faux train tracks
- One school with garden
- Graffiti wall
- Old (looks as though from WW2) car
QUANTITATIVE DATA
Subject |
Data |
| Buildings | 10 |
| Closed store fronts | 6 |
| Broken car windows | 5 |
QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESIS
QUESTIONS:
- I wonder what will come of the neighborhood with the three story houses with store fronts?
- Will the area with the power plant still be around in five years?
- Do people still run businesses in the store fronts?
HYPOTHESIS:
- I believe that the three story houses would last for years to come
- I feel that the power plant will eventually reopen
- I think that the storefronts are local business
SUMMARY / POST VISIT REFLECTION
What really surprised me about our walk was how antique one part of the neighborhood looked. It looks as if we were walking back in time or through an old movie or television show. It looked like a portal where one side was the past and the other side was the present since there was a power plant right across from the neighborhood. I felt like I was observing through a looking glass the past and the present. It was an very beautiful sight. I was surprised that it was pretty much still in tact. However, it seemed as though nobody actually lived there. Around the corner, was a view of a mansion looking house. It was big and gated and across from that looked like condominiums. We also passed a colorful place which reminded me of my trip to Mexico. I felt as if I was in different times and places all at once
REFERENCES TO EXPLORE HYPOTHESIS
- http://vinegarhillhouse.com/
- http://nypost.com/2015/07/08/why-vinegar-hill-is-brooklyns-edgiest-enclave/
- http://gothamist.com/tags/vinegarhill
