Essay # 3- Overlapping New Yorks
In the reading “City Limits” by Colson Whitehead we get the idea that each person has a different story to tell about New York city, which means that we all build our own private New York. From my experience I see that this idea of New York is true since I am sure that the way you see New York is not the same way I see it. It is all based on experience and the time you started building your own city. I have taken a walk ten minutes away from city tech and I have discovered a place where I can see overlapping New Yorks and also the perception of my own New York. I have chosen the Brooklyn Heights promenade overlapping with the Brooklyn-Queens expressway (BQE). This place shows this idea of how we all have different views of this city and how there’s overlapping New Yorks everywhere.
I chose the Brooklyn Heights Promenade because it is a beautiful place and it really shows the way I see my own New York. To get there from city tech is very easy first make a left on Jay Street towards Tillary Street once you get to tillary turn left and continue into Clinton Street then turn right onto Montague Street last make a left and walk straight into the Promenade. This path is the easiest way to get to it according to Google maps but there are many options on how to get there. I recommend you take a different path every time you go and explore the Brooklyn heights neighborhood because it is a beautiful place. On my way to my location I explored this neighborhood and saw the beautiful old-fashioned houses. This neighborhood is very quiet and slow paced. Since it is a landmark you get to witness some part of Brooklyn’s history appreciating how Brooklyn was years ago and how it has progressed. On my way I stopped by a little store it was very interesting to me because it was old fashioned and almost everything was handmade and recycled materials. This walk was very interesting since I passed Tillary Street which is a very busy and commercial street into the quiet Brooklyn Heights.
When I finally got to my location I catch sight of the beautiful view of this promenade, I saw the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, the East River, etc. In the promenade there was mothers walking their babies enjoying their day and it was very relaxing and quiet. It wasn’t until I went to the edge that I noticed the BQE the noise of the traffic. I recalled historian Julie Golia telling us how many years ago Brooklyn heights residents came together to refuse to have the BQE cutting through this neighborhood, this was their New York and they refused to have this technological advances change their quiet neighborhood. That is how I then noted this was my place of juxtaposition with Brooklyn Heights. It was almost unbelievable that this peaceful promenade lies right above this busy and noisy highway. This is when I said to myself “oh yeah this is New York City” the busy city that never sleeps. Observing my surroundings more closely I started to realize what my “own private New York” looks like and I am pretty sure it looks very different from yours. According to Colson Whitehead in the reading he states “there are eight million naked cities in this naked city—they dispute and disagree”. He implies in this quote that each person builds its own NYC and us all having a different city there will always be disagreements. This New York I created is based on my experiences and the time I came seven years ago and this city I created is very different from all the others.
I saw the horizon and saw all this historic places the Liberty Island, empire state building the water taxis, etc. But from my knowledge from the news and history I know there’s something missing there it is the twin towers. I wouldn’t know this ever existed if it wasn’t for the news and what others tell me because when I came here seven years ago it wasn’t there therefore it is not part of my New York. It is probably parts of yours because every time you pass by there you will say “there used to be the twin towers” you will always see it that way no matter what is there now or how many years pass. But in my case it is as Colson Whitehead stated “Never listen to what people tell you about old New York, because if you didn’t witness it, it is not part of your New York and might as well be jersey”.
In summary I have chosen the Brooklyn heights promenade in juxtaposition to the BQE because it shows how you can go from a very quiet neighborhood to a noisy highway. This two New York’s overlap by the BQE passing right below the promenade reminding us that even though you’re in this quiet beautiful place you are still in New York City this busy city full of diversity and different neighborhoods everywhere. New Yorkers are always refusing change and see the our private New York as it used to be more further explained by Whitehead “maybe we become New Yorkers the day we realize New York will go on without us. To put of the inevitable, we try to fix the city in place, remembering it as it was, doing to the city what we will never allow to be done to ourselves”.
