Author: Shellyshellz

I had no idea what this class entailed until I actually showed up on the first day. I just took the class because it fit into my schedule. When I got to class and realized that it was about studying neighborhoods, buildings and the like, I made up my mind to drop it the same day. My first thought was, “this has absolutely nothing to do with my major (Legal Studies), so I’m out.” By some act of fate, I was unable to find another class and decided to go to the second class meeting. This is when I met Professor Phillip and somehow she made the coursework seem a bit more manageable. We did our first voice impromptu memo, and as hard as it was, that was what motivated me to stick with the class for the rest of the semester. I can honestly say this class forced me out of my comfort zone, pushed me to learn new things and bond with my classmates. I am more aware of the changes taking place in the city and city planning. My vocabulary has been expanded tremendously with terms I’ve learnt in this class. Believe it or not, I even see where there were overlaps with this class and some of my legal classes. For example, the changes in zoning laws over the years. I recently did a presentation in my Real Estate Law class about zoning laws and thanks to this class, I was able to apply my knowledge about Metrotech to make arguments. Indeed, this class was not what I expected, and I am quite happy about that.

It was exciting to see my fellow classmates share their perspectives on the development of Metro Tech. It was particularly interesting to see how similar all our topics where, yet we all managed to focus our research on different areas. Myself and my teammate Diana, chose to focus our study on how  the development of Metro Tech impacted the neighborhood of Downtown Brooklyn.  But, learning from the other teams’ research  about how the zoning laws and the city’s overall efforts to “renew” the area, facilitated the development of Metro Tech, helped me to better understand the whole master plan.

This was our third day examining the Metro Tech area. As expected, we acquired information that gave us more insight on the architectural differences in buildings and how the change in time has allowed building construction to evolve over the years. We examined an older building near the Fulton Mall area, which by all appearances was constructed in the 1800’s. This building stood out because of its construction. It was clearly built in a time when zoning laws were much more rigid since it wasn’t nearly as tall as the high rise buildings going up in the surrounding area. The attention to detail and design also indicated that a lot of time was spent laboring to build it. It was constructed out of bricks which is also a more predated practice. We learned that buildings like these are referred to as Romanesque Architecture and we also saw some Floral Gothic Architecture which featured more engravings of naturalistic forms.

 Much of the surrounding buildings are made out a more metallic or glass looking material. These more modern buildings take less time to be constructed and are used for various purposes whether a residential or commercial sometimes both . We learned about how the architecture impacts the surrounding community. The scale of the buildings; how big they are and how they relate to the ones surrounding them are determined by the developers.  Building developers often seek uniformity for the buildings on one block as they want the city to have a more consistent/sterile look and feel.

The new high rise buildings which are now under construction are catering to a particular section  of the population; the ones who can afford such “luxuries.” This will eventually affect the cost of living in the community which will become significantly higher than it was before. Thereby forcing out the current inhabitants and making way for new ones. 

I must confess, I was a bit apprehensive at the very thought of venturing outside my comfort zone and discovering areas in my neighborhood. Strange as it may seem, I have lived in this area for almost a year and I still have not fully explored the community. That being said, I am extremely grateful for this exercise because it not only forced me to locate the historical significance of my neighborhood, but also helped me to practice my descriptive and public speaking skills. I live in the East Flatbush neighborhood. Which is a diverse residential area sprinkled with a lot of the commercial world on the outskirts. 

Among the various attractions on the neighborhood, I found the historical landmark of the Albermarle and Kenmore Terraces to be the most endearing. It’s an area that can be easily overlooked in the midst of our everyday lives running from one destination to the next, barely noticing each other. I am guilty of failing to notice this landmark even though I have walked past it severally. This majestic historical neighborhood is like a little drop of history in a modernized community. Set in a colonial housing style from the early 1900’s, the whole area is so quaint and peaceful in direct opposition to the surrounding apartment buildings. I have been back to this area twice since I discovered it during this project.  

Before embarking on this assignment, I had no idea where to find anything in this neighborhood other that the train station, my workplace and the nearest grocery store. I am immensely happy this project afforded me the chance to look up and around me, take in the scenery and try to describe it in ways others can understand. Now I find myself trying to guess what year a building was constructed depending on the type of materials that it is made out of, the surrounding buildings in the area and so on. I am not an architecture student. In fact, I was feeling out of my element being the only student with legal studies as my major in this class. But after doing this assignment, I am more comfortable with the semester ahead.