Monthly Archives: November 2017

The Before And After Of Barclay’s

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The juxtaposition of the old and the new of gentrification impacts negatively to the community of Atlantic ST- Barclay’s Center. The old and the new creates another juxtaposition which is the poor and the rich. While I was looking up pictures of Barclays Center, I was filled with nostalgia. Seeing old picture of Atlantic yard (before Barclay Center) and the past and present pictures brought back memories. It is astonishing to me because my memory of Atlantic Yard is vivid and the gentrification of this community is obvious to see. There are still brown-stoned buildings that have been in this community for so long, yet the luxury building seems to be overtaking the community at a fast pace. According to the website Merriam Webster defines juxtaposition as, the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect. The old and the new of this community is a great example of a juxtaposed community. As I walk throughout Atlantic Yard, I can see that the old and the new is not just about the buildings, but also the people that live there.

The brown-stone buildings that are still left in Atlantic, screams the old Brooklyn. Seeing the luxury buildings being built all around the community, screams gentrification. The brown-stone buildings that are trying to survive in a community that is being renovated, is disheartening. It makes me wonder about the old residents that were kicked out or are in the process of being kicked out of their homes. A community that is no longer bringing them an authentic culture. A neighborhood that is becoming even more hard to survive financially than before. This reminds me of what Mr. Self said, from “A Literary Visitor Strolls in From the Airport” by Charles McGrath. He said, “There is a deep sadness to American poverty, greater than the sadness of any kind. It’s because America has such an ideology of success” (3). This quote can relate to Atlantic Ave because the poverty of the old residents is not being seen and it is being brushed away. The ideology of it, is the success of a neighborhood that is being gentrified. The success of the gentrification would be the amount of money it will make for the privileged.

The luxury buildings are being constructed for it to look modern and is creating a new Brooklyn. This is targeting new residents and bringing them the things they expect to see in a community they are moving into. The changes I have seen are the new shops that have been opened and targeting the pockets of the new residents. In “City Limits” by Colson Whitehead, he said “I never got a chance to say goodbye to some of my buildings” (3). This is a feeling that I share with the author because the New Yorkers that were born and raised here know that feeling of not having a chance to say goodbye to the memories they shared. Old stores are being closed in order for new stores to be open. This is the flow of gentrification and it creates another juxtaposition within the old and the new which is the poor and the rich.

The creation of the juxtaposition of the poor and the rich is once again related to the old and the new due to the gentrification of the neighborhood. The poor are the old residents that can no longer afford to live in their neighborhood. The rich are the ones that are creating new plans for the neighborhood and profiting from it. While the rich profits from their new plans, they create a contrasting effect. It is contrasting the residents of this neighborhood. The effect of it all is the topic of gentrification. It is noticeable that the old residents are trying to fight it, but it is not a successful fight after all. Whitehead mentions in his article, “Maybe we become New Yorkers the day we realize that New York will go on without us” (4).  This is the realization that I made as I walked the streets of the juxtaposed neighborhood of Atlantic Ave- Barclays Center. No matter how hard we try for a neighborhood not to change, it is bound to happen. There is no turning back once gentrification has set their eyes on a certain neighborhood, such as this one.

Nostalgia is a feeling that tries to hold on to the old, but it is not healthy to do so. The old and the new are linked because change is the contrasting effect of it. From this juxtaposition it may create a financial one which is the poor and the rich. Especially coming from a juxtaposed neighborhood that is having a dramatic change every day. There is always going to be mixed feelings when I walk by Atlantic Ave- Barclays Center. I hold dearly to the moments I would pass by there, as a child. These are the memories that I will hold and be able to observe the changes as a spectator. As Whitehead mentioned, “No matter how long you have been here, you are a New Yorker the first time you say, That used to be Munsey’s or That used to be the Tic Toc Lounge” (3). Memories are just memories and there is no way of going back to the old, once the new has started to make a move. Hopefully, I would have a chance to say goodbye to those brown-stone buildings that yells old Brooklyn! And welcome with a broken heart the luxury buildings. The biggest step is to accept the change of Atlantic Ave- Barclays Center.

Cite List

  • Colson Whitehead, “City Limits”; The Colossus of New York
  • Charles McGrath,” A Literary Visitor Strolls in From the Airport”;Books.

 

project 3 draft

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A very important part of New York City throughout its history must be Governors Island also called Pagganuck (meaning land of nuts.) Many historic things have happened there, from it being a Native American burial ground when the isle of Manna-Hatta which sat between the twin rivers of Mauritius from the Lenape tribes meaning land of many hills and the river that flows both ways. There are two forts built on Governors island which were used during the Revolutionary war to defend against the British, one named Castle Williams and the other Fort Jay. These buildings still had the armature on the roofs as well as keeping everything else perfectly preserved. After the Revolutionary war the island was converted into a base for the Civil war and had many housing units made for the military that was stationed there, again these are still standing in almost pristine condition. Recently a high school was built on the island called The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School. I attended the school in its first four years on the island and as such had an almost exclusive opportunity to see the island in its untouched state before it was converted into yet another tourist spot.

During the time frame of 2010 – 2014 I attended the Harbor School. At this time many of the buildings were closed and boarded off. Due to having high levels of asbestos. The castle and fort were also closed due to many reports of them being haunted as there was distinct sounds of chains rustling along with moaning going on that could be heard at night time. When I attended the school my friends and I, like any responsible teenager, would go explore the island when we heard that it was off limits and that it was actually federally forbidden from being ventured into. Many of the houses that we entered was molded and had cobwebs absolutely everywhere. The buildings were still in the state that they had been in from the civil war. It was incredibly stunning and beautiful to see. We found books and diaries that were never moved, perfectly preserved beds and dinner sets. In a couple houses were broken as they were never repaired from the cannon fire that happened there. Most of the island was just a field with random bumps in the ground. We later learned that the bumps were actually mounds, made for the burial of the natives as they used the island for their graves.

The most intriguing part of our exploration would be when we explored Fort Jay. We had heard that it was haunted and explicitly forbidden for us to enter. So as responsible teens we snuck into it during one of our overnights we had. Our school had sleep overs rather often as we would sleep on our ships, school and sometimes even in the fields with the mounds. As everyone slept we went into the fort and through some rigorous climbing managed to get into the building. All of us were terrified as it was the most eerie thing, just like everything else on the island, it was perfectly preserved from the civil war. Come to find out, Fort Jay was actually a prison. There were many many jail cells and old looking handcuffs along with anklets with the big balls attached to them. The freakiest part though was… remember earlier when I said there was reports of a haunting? All of us were together just sneaking as quietly as we could when suddenly from the cell next to us, A LOCKED CELL, we heard chains rustling and moving. The amount of speed that overcame us was insane and I will never forget it. We ran to the nearest stairs we could and ran and ran and it turned out we ended up running onto the roof. While we were cursing ourselves for going up instead of down in all the confusion it ended up letting us see something magnificent. There were cannons lined up along the roof with cannonballs piled up next to them all. There also was such a gorgeous view though. We could see all the lights of Manhattan along with the lights of New Jersey and coming over the horizon of the ocean was the sunrise. It was a view that is unforgettable and am grateful for having the opportunity for it.

Recently the island was renovated for tourists, opening in the summer and closing on Labor Day.  All the buildings that were perfectly preserved were torn down and remodeled to be more modern. The mounds were flattened so the ground would have a more uniform appearance and many of the trees were removed to allow space for more buildings and playgrounds to be made. They then boarded up the Fort and the Castle. The last time I was there, I recall that they even had a farm that was growing chickens and pigs there. They added a playground for young children and added a bike stand from which bicycles and quadracycles could be rented. The part of the island that had all the trees was renovated into a golf course. Now the island is becoming a big tourist destination and the history of it is being slowly erased. Most of the people on the island during the summer don’t know that they’re eating on the graves of Native Americans. It would be bad publicity. The don’t know about all the barracks that was there as they’re all gone now. The only remnant is the castle and fort but those have also been changed drastically as they’re all decorated to look pretty and the cannons + cannonballs along with the handcuffs and footcuffs have been removed. The only good news is that according to the park rangers, they have to go in every morning and fix some of the decorations in the cells as they’re constantly being destroyed or changed every day.

All in all, the juxtaposition of these two Governors islands are saddening as the New York that’s being seen now is not my New York. There is no history anymore there is only a money grab.

 

 

 

Commonalities, Nebulous, Amenities

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Commonality (noun): sharing of common contributions 

“And yet, the commonalities – from the chains to the sprawl….” — Walk with me

I encounter the word commonalities when I was reading “Walk with me”. The first word I see in it is common. I thought it might be something related to having common things or could be common interest. After I search up the definition, it matches the definition that I came up with.

 

Nebulous (adjective): lacking definite form or limits

” – from the chains to the sprawl, the nebulous lack of center, the insistence each city offers that we must make up as we go alone.”

When I was looking at this word, I couldn’t connect it with anything, context club wasn’t helping me. Without any guessing I took the word to dictionary.com. After reading the definition, the sentence is more understandable. “Something thats nebulous is clouded or hazy like the forest you walk through in a foggy morning.”

 

Amenities (noun):  things that make you comfortable and at ease.

“I have always live within walking distance of the basic amenities: bank, mini-mart, coffe shop, bar.”

While reading the sentence, the context club short of helped me defining the word. Bank, mini-mart, coffee shop and bar are all stores and buildings. I was thinking amenities is building or things related. The real definition of it is things that makes you comfortable, which kind of mean feelings in my opinion.

Project #3 Draft

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Ever since it’s establishment, New York City has been a city known for it’s diversity. Nicknamed the “melting pot”, New York City is home to many niche communities of various immigrants who have formed their own “New Yorks.” These little communities that have overlapped have created what is unique to New York, positively improving our urban landscape. But while there are many positive overlaps in much of New York City, as described by Whitehead and McGrath, there are also a lot of negative overlaps created by gentrification, that are hurtful to New York City’s cultural landscape.

The location I chose is a tiny corner on the edge of Chinatown. It’s around a 25 minute walk from City tech, you cross the Manhattan bridge, and walk down Canal towards Essex street. Seeing that what was once a deli and Chinese breakfast cafe become a trendy coffee joint really shocked me. I remembered waking up Saturday mornings and taking the train from Queens to Chinatown for doctors appointments, and buying soda from the Deli and waiting for my father to get coffee. What used to be so insignificant suddenly means a lot to me. The whole feeling of the area completely changed as well. It used to be bustling in the morning, The East Broadway station used to be full of people coming in and out, but now few people pass through. It used to be a busy center of transport, but now it’s a relaxed open environment. I hadn’t been to Chinatown most of high school, It took me a while to realize that this new area with Cafes was the same area I used to get breakfast from before Saturday school and doctor’s appointments. There is also a very distinct border to Chinatown and the lower east side. And you can feel the Lower East Side slowly encroaching, pushing Chinatown out of New York City.

Overlaps like this are a big problem because residents from Chinatown are primarily elderly and lack communication skills. They’re immigrants who came to New York and formed a community to help each other survive in their rough new environment. But as the city aged, it seems like Chinatown never did, The shops remain the same, the people remain the same, but it’s slowly dying. Kids are moving out and starting new lives and leaving the elderly behind to fend for themselves. The elderly are no match for the trendy hipsters moving in across the street. Raising rent, language barrier, and the public viewing them as lesser has made it hard for the elderly to push back and prevent the Lower East Side from pushing them in.

So what can we do about it? Media is the biggest way to help Chinatown. Educating the population and gaining sympathy is the best way to gain traction in this fight. Workshops where we can inform others about the struggles of keeping Chinatown alive. Promoting communication and community effort will greatly help Chinatown and New York City as a whole.

Technology and Society (draft)

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Imagine yourself getting off the train at Jay and Metrotech. Once you get off the trains there are many exits but you must take the easiest exit which is Jay street and Wilghony street. You take the elevator up and make a left and walk down that street. You will see a couple of buildings like the Credit Union, a sunglasses store and across from you will pass the NYU building and Starbucks. As you keep walking down you will come across Kings County Family Court. You continue to walk straight but now you are crossing the street. Now you are on the campus of City Tech and across the street you will find City Tech’s new building under construction. Both of these buildings belong to City Tech however both of them are very different when it comes to their exterior. This is a clear representation of juxtaposition, which can be defined as, the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect. These two buildings have the same purpose to educate but their design is so different. The modern look of the new building is a representation as how our society is evolving with technology.

The building across the street is very modern. The exterior itself is all glass which gives it a very modern taste. A glass building gives a reputation of being sophisticated which is the contrary to the building we are in now. The building we are in has a old design but not antique. Many educational buildings have smart boards but our school has chalkboards. The truth is before I came to City Tech the last time I had a chalkboard when I was in 6 grade. Our hallways are also kinda bland they lack that modern touch the building across the street has. Getting to this location was not very long but very hectic because Jay street is very busy in general. The area that has most traffic is usually outside the train station because everyone is rushing to get to work.

I decided to chose these building because I really like to see the huge difference of buildings in New York. I like to see the change of designs architects apply to our buildings nowadays. These new buildings really help us see the change in the world we live because we have modernized. The new design of buildings help testify how much as a nation we have industrialized and how we continue to grow. The buildings that are yet to be remodeled help us see how our New York was before. These buildings have history and culture tied within them so they still have relevant value. In the reading “City Limits” written by Colson Whitehead helps support my statement multiple times. On page 3 paragraph 2 we read that Whitehead also witnessed change in his neighborhood. On the same page but 1 paragraph, Whitehead goes on to further state that he was close to the buildings but to those who an business in them. He states, “if you had known, perhaps you would have stepped behind the counter and shaken everyone’s hand, pulled out the disposable camera and insured posing instructions”. A final supportive part of the passage can be found on page 3 paragraph 3 Whitehead states that he wished his part buildings could piece his life together to show his evolution as a person.

Personally, I have mixed feeling about juxtaposition because of the effects it brings to many neighborhoods. Many neighborhoods are made by immigrants and they integrate their culture within them allowing this mixture of culture make them feel closer to home. However, this modernization takes away with this sense of home. Although, this is a downfall, our neighborhoods are becoming a more representation as a society. This is a perk because as a nation we seem more industrialized and wealthy. Unfortunately, to achieve this representation many of our beloved neighborhoods have to be sacrificed. In conclusion, juxtaposition has a beauty to it but it overshadowed other beauties within our home.