Writing New York

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Posted March 29, 2011

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Just two blocks away from Columbia University, there is a zone of absolute silence. This place remains abandoned in spite of being just outside the university’s mess. The visitor will not see groups of giggling student’s hanging out on the grass as well as people running. A very few individuals pass quickly and disappear in one of the parks layers. The ones that are not in hurry are reminiscent of ghosts. Maybe something horrible happened here and caused people not to come or maybe there is a creepy legend about this deadly silent place. But whatever it is, it would make the accidental passerby to drown in the mysterious energy created by unique colors, dark silence, always-presented light fog and Gothic architecture.

The Morningside Park is one of New York City’s public parks and might be the most unpopular one, too. Most of the time the park is concrete gray and rainy as well as its air and skies. The sun does not visit this area often. The ground is wet. The trees are bare and curved into unthinkable figures. New York City throws off its glorious surface. Walking here alone is similar to walking alone in a cemetery in a rainy day. Feelings are both creepy and refreshing. And only young junkies with mad eyes and extensively shaky hands would remind a person about the time and the forthcoming dusk and anyone would force to leave.

Just outside the park there is another New York City’s hidden treasure. The enormous complex of gothic-design buildings is not to be found in tourist’s “must see” booklets; however, surprisingly, it is the biggest Gothic Cathedral in the world. The Cathedral Church of Saint John The Divine or simply St. Johns Cathedral, located on Amsterdam Avenue between 111^th and 112^th streets, is colossal, but still is unfinished. With its 232 foot ceiling it might fit the Statue of Liberty from the base to the torch, which is 151 foot in height. The Cathedral is so big that it is formidable at first, especially if accidentally discovered in the dark of the peaceful Harlem night.

The Cathedral, which is the great example of the 13^th century High Gothic style of Northern France, in fact had been only built in the beginning of the 20^ht century on the wave of Gothic revival in New York. It is surrounded by a number of smaller buildings, which are referred to as The Cathedral Close and are the Cathedral’s school and library. It also features The Biblical Garden with the Gothic arches, sculptures and the eclectic Piece Fountain. All the flowers and herbs presented are the ones mentioned in the Bible. But still the most impressive part of the garden is the huge colorful peacocks walking around. At first it seems to be one of the sculptures, but they actually move and fly freely around and therefore must be alive.

The Cathedral is interfaith and intercultural. It is also not limited to be only spiritual destination but artistic as well for its stone carving, paintings, mosaics and the world-famous Raphael’s tapestries. The Gothic masterpiece has also known to be an epic site for blues and jazz concerts, Opera listings and Sting’s performances for its dignified acoustic.

Even thought it is one of the greatest masterpieces in the city, it does not attract many admirers. The people inside were a couple of homeless people and a guy reading a book next to an enormous Jesus Christ’s depiction. All over the world even smaller Cathedrals become a pilgrimage destination and exist as expensive tourists attractions. St. John the Divine in New York still functions and is free to explore both inside and out, yet only a destination for frozen homeless people. Only in New York such an ethereal beauty might be unknown not only for visitors, but for most of the locals too.

This majestic spot of medieval beauty and atmosphere is exceptional to modern New York City. Guests would experience out-of-time feelings coming here. New York City simply stops its rotation facing eternity. Thus it is the greatest place to think and relax just outside the city’s glorious mess.