Tag Archives: City Limits

Glossary Entry – From “City Limits”

Drab

Definition- (noun) a dull, lifeless, or faded appearance or quality

Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drab

I came across this word in the last line of the first paragraph of the reading.

As i reread the sentence that the word is located, I sort of guessed what it probably meant. But now that i understand what it really means, i can use this word in my vocabulary and in my other projects/essays.

Resoled

Def: (prefix) again, anew

Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resoled

I found this word in the middle of the second paragraph.

When i first saw this word, i was thinking about shoes. Like the soles of the shoes. (i hope i spelled that right) Anyway, i went to reread the sentence and looked up the word, it made more sense to me.

Palsied

Def: (adjective)affect with

Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palsied?show=0&t=1414006036

Found the word in the 4th paragraph.

This word confused me more as i tried to reread the sentence, but i knew what it meant when i look it up. I’ll have to keep finding the perfect definition to help me understand it more clearly.

Hokum

Def: (noun)foolish, or untrue words or ideas; Nonsense, unrealistic situations

Sources: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hokum ,and

From Prof. Rosen as we went over the reading together

Found this word near the beginning in the 6th paragraph.

Honestly, I guess that it meant nonsense because of the short sentence and the other sentences after made sense to me. It’s just a “fancy” way of saying that is all untrue. Might as well use this in my vocabulary.

Unheralded (opposite of the word : herald)

Def: (adjective)without warning; not previously announced, expected or recognized

Sources: From Prof. Rosen in-class, and

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=unheralded

Found this word the middle of the 10th paragraph.

This was new to me like any other words i found in this reading, but this one had a clear meaning to it that even helped me to use it in my Project#2 essay. I sort of understood it when Pro. Rosen explained it in class and as i found the definition online.

Impediments

Def: (noun)Road block; a hindrance or obstruction in doing something.

Sources: From Pro. Rosen, and https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=impediments

Found this in the middle of the 11th paragraph

This word was familiar to me because i’ve seen this in previous readings/books in my life and i’ve been using it mostly. Also, as you reread the sentence , you can understand the word without looking up the true meaning.

Incredulous

Def: (adjective) not able or willing to believe something : feeling or showing a lack of belief

Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incredulous

Found this in the 11th paragraph.

I didn’t understand this word at all as i read the sentence over and over.But when i finally gave in and looked it up, i totally understand now.

 

 

Project#2 – Essay of Overlapping New Yorks

Throughout my time of attending Citytech, it was a great chance to explore the area  and get to know it more. There are different areas around citytech that show many different New Yorks and how they overlap/juxtapost each other. I would say Brooklyn have many old & new sites that makes the “adventure” worth it.

Before I went off on my journey to walk 15 mins away from CityTech, I didn’t want to go alone, so, my very close friend came along. First, I chose to start our walk in front of the first train station point on the opposite side of Citytech’s sidewalk. But to make it short, it was at Metrotech. We were 3 mins away from the building, so, we started the watch and started walking.

We kept walking straight up Jay Street to the second corner that’s in front of Duane Reade. That street was busy with people walking or on bikes at the time. You can hear a lot of conversation, some with laughter and some with anger around us. You had to be careful with not getting hit by bikers mostly on this street. But you can hear the cars beeping in the distance. Then we made a right on Fulton Street  towards the highway. We pass two small streets, Pearl St. & Red Hook Ln., on Fulton. You can smell the burgers from Burger King and spot the reddest bank which is obliviously Bank of America. Surprisingly you can hear gospel music every time you go up this street, but it’s usually the same song is repeated. There’s always many “interesting” characters/people around as well. But I don’t really focus on them at all. As we made it to the corner next to the highway, we just kept walking straight a crossed it into Joralemon St. We passed the Brooklyn Law School that didn’t look like a school, but a court building which is ironic. Even the students  don’t look like “students”, but lawyers or business workers. Overall this area was filled with people and cars that seem very busy and loud. We passed a huge Sephora at the end of the block and two huge court buildings. Then we made a left on Court St. and seen a majority of fast food restaurants, stores, apartments. We first walked  passed Livingston St. & then Schermerhorn St.. Finally made it to our destination at the corner of Court St. & State St.. We were next to a cinema and loads of trees  near us.

The location I chose was about the movie theater that I heard  was to close down and thought it was a good spot to see up and down the street clearly to find the juxtaposition.

I’ve realized that how the movie theater and the buildings on the same side look older compared to the buildings on the other side of Court St. It looks more modern and new. I find that the old & new New York are looking at each other without even knowing their ages or when they were built. I don’t think they’re overlapping but I found that to be interesting to point out. As I look back up the street, I can see the court building in the middle of court st, which is juxtaposed with a modern business building next to it. In that area is mostly busy with people with suits and ties. Noisy cars driving back and forth. There wasn’t that much nature in the area, but as you turn the corner down Court St., there’s more greenery sights as you pass and look down other streets. There are a lot of restaurants in the area, so, you smell different food in the air. Hamburgers, fries, pizza, etc. I would recommend if your really hunger, you should come here to get a lot of food choices to nimble on. This street doesn’t seem as busy as the other area I spoke about, but the people seem more laid back and having a good time. This area seems to be like a hang out area to go eat or do some shopping.

You would ask why I chose this subject or location in particular because where I stand from where I’m standing in the middle of Court St., on the corner of State St., I can see how the area of where the court buildings and law school and where I stood overlapped in someway that made me more interested. From seeing the other area is busy and in rush compared to the more relaxed one. The people and cars rushes passing through the street to court or work and then on the other side the people are smiling and having a good time as they go to hang out to shop at convenient stores or go to a restaurant. The two areas are their own New York. Both different in many ways. Anyway, there’s a old theater that I stand in front of that people still use. The theater doesn’t seems just “old”, but historical in this area of Brooklyn. I wonder as i look at the modernized buildings surrounding this wise & old one, what other buildings were here before they vanished. It’s a mystery to me. But I know that this building will vanish as well with or without warning even if we walk passed it everyday. Even from Colson Whitehead argues in the reading, “City Limits”, that we won’t get the chance to say out last goodbyes to the buildings we known for so long from the 8th paragraph. But Colson never made his goodbyes either because he thought that those buildings will always be there, but it didn’t stop him from believing they’re existence is still there. The thing that shocks me is that the theater will be relocated and it will change. This building will be different and modernized like the rest. It will disappear from a blink of an eye if new or old people want to visit it. Also, the old liking court building that stand mighty and tall in the beginning of Court St., shows that will be there as long as people use it and acknowledge its existence. It’s outer shell looks reinvented from a far, but it won’t be forgotten. Colson states, “The disappeared pizza parlor is still here because you are here, and when the beauty parlor replaces the travel and agency, the gentleman who still have his vacation and that lady will have her manicure.” If these two old buildings are gone, they still there because you still believe that it never left. “Our old buildings still stand because we saw them, moved in and out of their longshadows lucky enough to know them for a time. They are a part of the city we carry around.”, Colson argues from the second to last paragraph in the reading. The theater and the court building will be there when others see that they vanished but I know they are still there.

I never went inside the theater or the court building because I don’t live around this area or in Brooklyn in general, but I can still include this in my own New York. Even if we see things go away before our eyes, we should never forget what was there in the first place that made the are what it is now.

Bibliography/work cited :

Whitehead, Colson. “City Limits.”  The Colossus Of New York

Summary of the reading, “City Limits”

To think New York wasn’t the New York that’s infront of you. That’s strange to think about as you gaze at the Freedom tower. But the tower wasn’t always there. You just believe or imagine having your own New York to make you feel at “home”.

Colton whitehead, whom wrote the reading, “City Limits”, states that as the years go by, old New York is changing rapidly without everybody knowing or being herald. So it can’t ever come back. He still sees some buildings now as they were in the past. He even says that the people who own those old buildings didn’t even know that it was neglected and abandon,so, it was gone without saying goodbye. Even if we don’t see or know the Old or new New York, whithead states that the city knows everything about us. Basically, he says you can have your own New York but it’s wrong.