Category Archives: ENG1101 Project #2

Project 2: Reflection

In Project 2 Of English 1101 we had to take a 10-15 minute walk passed city tech. Our goal was to use our senses and observe  an overlapping New York. We would post about the location we chose and why did we choose it. Prior to the project we read ” City Limits” by Colson Whitehead and got an idea on how to explain our topics in our writing.One of the goals was to compare and contrast Different and overlapping New Yorks and the people that live there and how they are affected by it. I wrote about the overlap between commercial buildings and personals stores like Groceries or even little apartments far off next to the Brooklyn Bridge. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know this area more and the type of people who live here. I am new to the busy side of Brooklyn so this project made me feel more welcomed around here.Because I got more familiar, I was enlightened. I was Taught where the nearest Barnes and Noble is located and I learned directions towards different subway stations to lead me to City Tech just in case I am stuck In Traffic, However I think I need more improvement on how I describe my surroundings and senses.But since I have acquired these life skills , I know I have gained something from this adventurous project. The additional support I had was friends and I going through the busy streets and spotting anything of interest to help us along the project and also the reading of City Limits and how a overlapping New York look like.

Project #2 Final

New York City! one of the most famous cities of the world. It has tons of American and world History and we live in it. They’re many stories yours and mine , big and small but all these stories are our very own personal New York. Peoples own New York are very different from others and it is to be expected due to our continuously growing city. The overlapping New Yorks leads to a big discussion about how things came to be and who’s New York is best. What is Overlapping exactly? Overlapping is when two things come in between each other and cause an effect.

I am not all that used to Brooklyn I only come to Brooklyn whenever I am visiting a family member but not around here and now I am coming here often for school. Since I am new around these areas, seeing different New Yorks overlap over at CityTech can be quite interesting especially The Brooklyn Bridge Near by. I am interested because its a new scenery  and I like exploring new places and learning about the environment that surrounds me.Because I found this very convenient, I decided to research the different aspects of the different New York that overlap around City tech And Brooklyn Bridge.

As I walk down from City Tech I notice something very important to mention and that is the construction. Already this shows that nobody how much time passes in New York, there will be lots of construction. There will be always the team of constructers remaking and remodeling, making something new and better, New York is the city that never sleeps so there is always something going on, and this leads to a lot of busy neighborhoods like the one we are on. Due to construction its safe to assume that people that pass by can smell the tar in the air and all the loud cracking noises hitting the ground. People are talking and rushing on their cellphones with suits having a designation they are heading towards. The Park I went inside was a little more spacious and quiet than the rest of places I came across. This shows a very big overlap because for example a child comes to this park everyday playing frisbee with his father,  these memories will be with the child and he will remember this park as his New York no matter how much change will come to it, but lets say this park was to change the child would never be able to have the chance to say goodbye to it because you can never really part ways with a park, especially if you’re a child. Therefore these memories would mean to the person even more since it has changed and a sudden feeling of nostalgia arises.This park overlaps different memories to those of others, because the park exists differently for a variety of  people at a different time. A very strong statement Colson Whitehead included in his reading of City Limits says ” I’m here because I was born here and thus ruined for anywhere else” this quote really impacts and highlight the whole point he is trying to make. ” thus ruined for anywhere else” shows how much people are going to stand by their point of view and the way they see New York City. Whitehead deliberately contradicts himself in saying that his New York is right and others are wrong while at the same time he explains everybody has their own, because he contradicts himself it proves a big point in how New York is different in different peoples eyes.

While I proceeded my way down passed the park on Borough Hall I started to see that there was less and less stores and more about restaurants and small stores instead of seeing  Macy’s and clothing stores. Now as I continue to head towards the bridge I hear a very quiet atmosphere compared to the loud neighborhood near by. I can infer that the Juxtaposition between these two different New York are extremely different life styles of the people themselves. The loud and busy side are filled with people aiming for money and progression and the quiet side is more probably about settling down with a small family. As I finally reached my destination I see a big open portion of water with boats traveling and lemonade stands, I also see a mini park that has swings for toddlers and parts of grass to sit on, next to the benches. I can smell the water and feel the wind blowing. What I see across the bridge is the buildings that inhabit manhattan and Tons of yet again construction. All I can think about is that New York is really a place for people to start. There are tourists going on the boat and viewing the statue of liberty for the first time while i’ve already seen it a dozen times. It shows me the perspective that another has instead of my own. A lot of perspective topics like these also brings in a spice of value. Value is what the perspective is worth like the statue of liberty for example.Value is what makes the whole point of the Old and New memories of New York City come together and make a heated debate wither which is better and value is finally the place it holds in our memories that we cherish in our own New York.

Even though People would have their own stand point in this topic, thats exactly what it is all about. It is about the mix culture and diversity we see now, and it can also represents America’s foundation in freedom and opportunity. That is the way that it is and New York will move on with or without us as Whitehead explains. We can never really say goodbye to our old buildings or stores we grew up around, but as long as we have those memories It will be forever carved into New York History.

Describing My Location

photo 2 (4) The Location of my Walk is 15 minutes away from City Tech. I began my walk by proceeding left through the crowds. For about 5 minutes through the journey I began to have more space on the sidewalk and I noticed that things seem to be quite less busy. I knew that I was going somewhere different. Soon I came across a park inhabited by lots of chirping birds and a lot of visual greenery. It was more tuned to nature the area i was in, but there was more to the area as I continue to walk down and see that its not all about business and more about stores. There was lots of cafes and food places. I seen a lot of construction like in the photograph above. I thought that this was a perfect example of my goal that i was trying to achieve by observing the everlasting change of New York city. I smelled a lot of Hot dog stands and heard a lot of cars honking and people arguing. I would really like to see this place in the night due to this area being a mixture of busy and relaxed, I wanna see how this certain area in particular fits into the saying of New York being the city that never sleeps.

City Limits: Summary

First off I would like to say that this Reading is very interesting, because We are experiencing on what the author Colson Whitehead is trying to convey, he tries to explain to us that we are in a very productive city and nothing is going to change it. Everything is changing around us and especially around this time where technology is growing in an incredible rate. Something as small as a grocery store can make an impact on us through our memories just by being in it.Then years later we come back and its changed into a bank. Colson gives a lot of contradiction in his ” New York”. He does this deliberately to show us that we have our own New York and the way we look at things through our memories is New York but at the same time its not, in someone else’s eyes. A good quote to help explain my summary would be ” I’m here because I was born here and thus ruined for anywhere else, but I don’t know about you”. This is very firm and straight to the point.Peoples own New York never dies as long as we never forget it.

Project 2 Research: Location

My location around CityTech goes from an immediate left turn when you come out of the main doors all the way down to the construction sites. I chose this location because it shows the less busy areas and the new upcoming ‘New York’. I feel that this could provide a perfect example of old and new. Not everything was fancy or official. There was definitely more fast food restaurants and other food places. when you keep walking down at least 2-3 blocks you should be able to see a large trench like structure in the ground due to constructionphoto 4 (1) photo 1 (4) photo 3 (2) photo 2 (4)