Tag Archives: New York

A Million naked citys

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Different experiences of New York leads to different perspectives, just because some one has seen something on a particular street and its not there anymore doesn’t make them entirely wrong. The city is always changing and with those changes comes different points of view or routines might change. Its almost as a string is connected to all of the past buildings that use to be there and it always leaves a little part of it self when it leaves. New buildings get made constantly and put under construction rapidly as the city grows as time passes and moves forward. My personal experiences for this city has changed me and made me grow as a person, the city’s not perfect but it is a place I’m use to compared to other states or countrys, I tend to have a bitter sweet feeling twords the city, as much as this place feels like home I cant say I want to live here forever. Sure the attractions and the fast paced lifestyle might be fascinating for some and I can definitely see the appeal, I don’t think I can live my whole life that way.

I’m not going to give you my whole life story on how I see New York or I can explain it a million different times but it will never convey how I truly see this place. I have gotten use to the speed and adjustment of the city on how it works. They’re will be places you love and places you hate, areas you think that will stay there forever in your mind subconsciously even when they disappear. I’ve lived in the city since I was born and have yet to see what it still has to offer but I tend to miss the simplicity of just living in a quiet neighborhood and having the ability to travel somewhere with my friends or family. Everything is so close together that the destination becomes more important then the journey to the destination. I tend to find a lot of the time that I focus more on where I’m going rather then where I am now. Most of the time I am going somewhere I think to myself “where am I going, How will I get there” my mind wants to rush and tell me to get there at an expected time rather then look around me and the changes of  how A place looked when I was younger or what store use to be there. One example is my journey to Barclays Center in Atlantic ave.

It was a rather cold day. I had originally had no plan or location to go to so I decided to just walk straight out of the atrium building exit and just went to where my legs took me. From all I could hear was the traffic passing by me on my left side, walking down Tillary St. As I walk pass McLaughlin park as i start wondering what might have been there before. Its very odd to think about it but to realize how old an area must be and how it holds so much history to it makes me start to realize what this project starts to be about. I then made a right turn down Flatbush ave. and saw that it was more of a fast pace neighborhood and thought how long it must have taken to make it such a place. Because it was so close to Manhattan people are moving both in and out and passing by fair amount of university’s on the way. being close to Manhattan the place must have been similar too it and as you go lower into Brooklyn you start to feel the authentic Brooklyn experience . To me it almost feels like I’m in Manhattan. Once I saw the tall building and the giant odd shaped center I made it to Barclays center and decided this is where my perspective should lie. the place was littered with the noise of cars and people trying to get passed one another on such a busy street. The bright light wrapped around the loop, it was almost like a Manhattan style building. It was festive and full of life then the last time I remembered of it. Brown old warn down residential buildings. It was a lot more dangerous back then it is now with the high crime rate. It was a more dead and un-lively place that always tend to frighten me while I passed by it when I was little. apparently during that time there was a protest opposing the development of said Barclays center for the fear of people losing their houses and businesses. leaving a both positive and negative outlook on the area that sums up my feelings about the city of New York. Just because people say its an improvement twords the area does not mean that people wanted to sacrifice their jobs or living space.

I chose Barclays center as my point of interest because I really find that this was the place I began to understand the message behind the project. I truly find this was the place I started to comprehend the message behind the task. That everybody’s version of New York is distinctive as a result of the experience they have in the city, they create this picture of their own particular perspective of the city one more unique to the last. One persons experience could be the complete opposite of another.I understood its sort of an fascinating thought blended in conclusion and basically demonstrates the people identity towards their feelings over the city. For example Colson Whitehead’s  “city limits” essay at one point explains in the third paragraph: “only skyscrapers visible from your stroller were the legs of adults” that even at an early age an idea of a personal New York can exist. one individual could love the clamor and happiness of the city and consider it to be a place for circumstance, others can be the opposite twords the city and think that its misrepresented and the city does not fit the cliche of what others think. I’m some where in the middle. As much as I enjoy living here there are things I do dislike about it. That is how I see my New York. How crime rate is climed significantly and much of the controversy tends to drive people over the edge, homelessness, addicts, ect. much I would enjoy changing.  Another perspective of New York and the difference between them is also in “City Limits” is a passage found in the second page “There are eight million naked cities in the naked city — they dispute and disagree. The New York City you live in is not my New York City;” further explaining that no ones version of the city is exactly the same and how the city overlaps with one another showing the juxtaposition of the buildings that use to belong there. They may be similar but never the same. The ideas can argue with each other of what New York is really about and to appreciate that we are here and be grateful before our versions of New York change, the city is always having new buildings and tearing down others. That we should not take things for granted.

The city is always changing whether the residents want it or not it is going to happen, as much as I love the city I also dislike a lot of its features, which is why I cannot see my future in staying in here. my perspective of New York has changed over the years I’m sure but I do not feel like my feelings twords the city will change in the future, in a way it is my first home. Not perfect but a place that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Image result for barclays center

works cited:

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

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.

 

 

 

Reading a visual text

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Read the following visual texts:

Steinberg, Saul. “View of the World from 9th Avenue.” The New Yorker, March 29, 1976.

—. “View of the World from 9th Avenue.” Saul Steinberg Foundation. 1976.

Make two columns: observations and interpretations.

Start adding details to the observations column.

Observations:

NY looks well developed

tall buildings (not very) 12 stories?

cars: are they 1970s models?

streets crowded with people, cars: or gives the impression, even though not high #s

NY is he biggest area

traffic light at 9th Ave

no traffic light at 10th Avenue

West Side Highway

somewhere above Houston and below 59th St

Avenue numbers indicated on streets

 

 

elsewhere: not well developed, lack of detail

everything is next to each other

Hudson and Pacific (labeled) not far apart

other side of the world seems closer

Across Hudson from NY: Jersey

Jersey just seems like dirt–beige or brown

west coast of North America is yellow (sand?)

different areas are different colors

country borders labeled

US drawn as rectangular in perspective

map not drawn to scale

drawn with colored pencils

using the conventions of maps: labels, colors, borders

what is labeled? Hudson River, Jersey, Canada, Chicago, Washington, DC, Kansas City, Nebraska, Las Vegas, Utah, Texas, Los Angeles, Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Russia, Japan, China–“Jersey”=lack of respect

aerial view

Magazine: The New Yorker. Read by NYers, others, cultural studies magazine, elitist appealing to well educated readers who have exposure to cultural events and arts.

March 29, 1976, 75 cents.

Steinberg (Saul Steinberg)

Message or thesis statement of this text: New York is more detailed compared to the more spaced-out locations included in the image because according to Steinberg, it’s more lively (exciting, dynamic, unique, popular) than anywhere else that seems mundane, non-descript.

NY is more crowded than everywhere else?

 

The Confirmation Before Our Eyes.

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In the passage “City Limits ” Colson Whitehead described what being a New Yorker is, and what living in New York is as well. He stated that the past is more important than the present. He went further to say New York is not New York if you did not see it, then don’t believe it. Whitehead, then explains that everyone views New York and react to its different situations in a different way because we are all different. He specified, as he began to shape the passage, by the way New York began and how a person may have encountered it. Then in our heads we begin to build a point of view of New York. He describes the old New York to the new, New York. He says new, New York because old buildings are being broken or torn down and established with modernized buildings. Whitehead believe, we do not notice the changes because we as people; must accept and change with New York because we do don’t have a choice therefore, we confirm.

Summary for “City Limits”

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In the article “City Limits”, Whitehead said that everyone became a New Yorkers when they first land their steps on this states. He wasn’t born here, in fact, his first home was on the uptown No.1 train. Whitehead said no matter how much the environments or the buildings changed, it will still be the same as he first saw it. One part I really like is “never listen to what people tell you about old New York, because if you don’t witness it, it is not a part of your New York and might as well be Jersey.” I totally agree to it. You can never experiences the place just by listening to the descriptions of the others, you have to witness it yourself to truly know what New York looks like. Everyone has different views and opinion about something, what they said about New York could be different from what you thought. What I learn from Whitehead is that, as time flies, our neighborhood changes. The views you see today can changed by tomorrow, the deli or the restaurant you eat in today can be vanished the next time you visit. Enjoy and appreciate everything around because you never know when is the last time you’re going to see them.

Why De Blasio should use this criteria

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Monuments have been put up for many years and its purpose is to explicitly commemorate a person or event. Many figures in history have had monuments dedicated to them however, many controversial figures such as Christopher Columbus and Robert E. Lee have sparked protests. Although these men were known for their leadership they were also known to represent oppression and hate to minorities. Many Americans believe figures who represent hate and murder should not be given a monument. Nevertheless, we cannot take down a monument simply because we hate it there needs to be a non biases criteria that has a more concrete justification to remove it. The objective of this criteria is maintain stability and safety in the community if a monument fails to do so it must be taken down and moved to a local museum.

A monument cannot be taken down because we don’t like it there has to solid justification for its removal. The criteria I have created is meant to be non biases, fair, and promote safety. My the first part of my criteria involves investigating “who” this individual is. A monument cannot just go up because he was a nice guy. This monument has to have relevance to the community and its local history. Research of the foundation of this persons empowerment or historical significance is important in order to promote safety. Regardless, if the person has negative or positive background this investigation would allow us to see how the community may react and their reaction will allow to know if this monument would negatively affect safety.

The second part of my criteria refers to the safety and stability of the community because there are many lives involved. In a neighborhood, there should be no need for those who pay rent and live there have an additional burden. Controversial monuments such as the confederate statue of Robert E. Lee has spiked a lot of violence and even death. The people of Charlottesville had to have their daily routines interrupted because of police patrol and media coverage. This affects the traveling to work, school and simple daily activities therefore, this monument should not be put up. An additional, part of this criteria involves the proper maintenance of these monuments. If the statue is making the neighborhood look bad it should be removed.

The last part of my criteria helps prevent biases opinions. Everyone is entitled to look up to any individual they wish to. We cannot change people’s beliefs and opinions which is why we have so much conflict. For example, there are white supremacists in America and they look up to those who the confederate states. On the other hand, there are people that are liberals and believe these monuments of confederate leaders glorify hate and racism. To create a peace of opinions, monuments that are controversial will have a plaque that states the good as well as the bad they did. This is what makes this criteria very efficient because this criteria takes in consideration everyone’s opinion. We acknowledge the good and bad these individuals did which helps take away some of that glory they would have if the bad wasn’t stated.

During our presentations, a lot of my classmates had interesting points in their criteria. Some interesting points included how much was the cost to maintain a monument because the weather affected it.I think this is a good point because it would be a burden to continuously have to repair a monument. After evaluating the statues and one fails to meet then requirements it should be taken to a local museum. The statue would be better there because a museum acknowledges history and its place we cant condemn displays. These displays represent our history and deserve to be held there so future generations can learn from them.

In conclusion, this criteria will allow a fair display of monuments in New York. This criteria will allow there to be equal representation of opinions. I believe this is important because it will allow many New Yorkers to be tolerant of the many options that exist. This criteria covers what’s the most important thing the safety in a community. I believe if Bill de Blasio uses my criteria the people of the state of New York and himself will benefit tremendously.