Tag Archives: brooklyn

New York City’s Alteration

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Old buildings are being transformed into newer ones and new buildings are being constructed in order to maintain a modern outllook. In one instance there’s a large skyscraper under construction in the city of Manhattan that overlooks a shabby factory building located in Dumbo, Brooklyn. This is a good example of how , although the city of New York is advancing in architect there are still buildings that still stand from years ago. Many overlaps such as mine are described by Colson Whitehead and Patrick Mcgrath. Both giving their own perception on how New York goes through changes thus relating to my own juxtaposition.

Although New York is a modernized city there a still instances of pieces of history scattered all throughout the city. I came across an example of this while journeying through Downtown Brooklyn’s “DUMBO”.  On Water and Main Street there is a shabby and decrepit factory building that seems as if it were there from the 1800’s. At first it peaked my interest because Dumbo has already fell victim to gentrification and most buildings around it has already been modernized to fit the lifestyle of incoming yuppies and hipsters. What really got me interested was the large high-rise building being constructed in the distance. It precisely overlooks the factory building in such a way that it seems as if were meant to be built that way. It was my first time being in Dumbo so I was curious to see how long that building was there for. I went to google maps and I was amazed. I searched the address of the building and the latest image of it that came up was in September 2014. As I analyzed the photo the factory building was still in the same tattered and run-down fashion. What really amazed me was that the skyscraper that was being constructed wasn’t there.  This really appealed to me because it shows how fast a large change can be made in a city in just a matter of years.

 

In this day in age, especially in the city of New York, new buildings are being constructed in order to keep up with the modern era. An example of this is the skyscraper that overlooks the old factory building located in Dumbo, Brooklyn. The skyscraper is the Moinian’s Hudson Yards office tower located in 34th street Manhattan with a colossal height of 1,050 feet. The construction of this building began in 2016 (which is the reason why I couldn’t find it on Google Maps) and is projected to be completed in Fall of 2018. This building is being constructed in  the Hell’s Kitchen area of Manhattan which is known for its vast amount of actor and actresses and acting opportunists and also a hub for gay culture. I have been there once to watch my cousin perform at cousin perform at a cafe. I was really young at time and i’m pretty sure the are is nothing like what it used to be. ” Maybe one day we become New Yorkers the day we realize that New York will go on without us.” This was said by Colson Whitehead and he’s trying to say that as New Yorkers we shouldn’t fall victim to the change and keep traditions and cultures the same.

New York is home to many buildings that juxtapose one another. The denotation of juxtapose is to place two different things side by side as to either compare or contrast or to create and interesting effect. The Water and Main Street old factory building versus the Moinian Hudson Yards office tower is a suitable juxtaposition that emphasizes old vs. new. Although they are not exactly side by side, the angle in which the skyscraper is being built overlooks the old factory building in such a precise way it seems as if they are right next to each other. These two buildings are a fitting example of how city can be modernized but still withhold instances from history. New buildings are being created everyday, while old ones are being renovated to be replaced with a Starbucks or Trader Joe’s. Gentrification has been victimizing small pockets of the cities for years now and Dumbo, Brooklyn certainly is one of them. This old factory building is abandoned but still stands today. Why is that so? This building may become a historic landmark in the near future if it’s not transformed into something newer and up to date.

Although these two buildings are of far distance from each other, the overarching size of the sky scraper seems as if it is very close to the old factory building. This juxtaposition really is a good example of how old things will eventually be replaced with something of a more modern taste. Also it compares and contrast Old vs New , and it’s an instance of gentrification. Many people would just walk past this and pay little to no mind to this juxtaposition but this can be made into a bigger picture. A perspective on how cities are advancing and adapting to modern technology.

Whitehead, Colson. “City Limits.” The Colossus of New York: A City in Thirteen Parts. New York: Random House, 2004. 1-12. .

McGrath, Charles. “A Literary Visitor Strolls in From the Airport.” The New York Times, December 6, 2006.

Juxtaposition in Brooklyn

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Imagine yourself getting off the train at Jay and Metrotech. Once you get off the trains there are many exits you can take 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 downt that tight street. You will 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 from 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. The building across the street is very modern. The exterior itself is all glass which gives it aa 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 blackboards. The truth is before I came to CIty Tech the last time I had a blackboard was 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.

Korean War Veterans Plaza

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In the search of monuments, my group encountered many monuments we found very interesting to utilize for our project. Personally, I will write about the Korean War Veteran Plaza. The monument was accompanied by the following, ” In the memory of those Brooklyn who made the supreme sacrifice during the Korean War June 26, 1950 to July 27, 1953 . They will remain in our hearts and minds forever.” This monument is dedicated to fallen soldiers who resisted in Brooklyn before heading to the Korean War. Each solider has their first and last name as well as their position. This mural was located at the beginning of one the local parks around City Tech. The location of the mural allows those who walk by to acknowledge the names of the soldiers and the objective of the mural. I believe this monument serves a great purpose in the community because it reminds us that we should never take freedom for granted. Many have sacrificed everything including their lives for the sole purpose of allowing freedom for many generations. We may never be able to personally thank a solider for their courage and bravery but if we take a moment to acknowledge their names I believe we are showing them respect and gratitude. Although, I haven’t created a criteria for what monuments should remain I believe this monument is doing no harm to anyone therefore, it should remain where it is. This monument rather than creating harm it causes inspiration. The monument can inspire young men and women to serve their country.