Month: October 2019

The High Line experience for me I feel was overrated. In both instances when I went on my own time and as a class, the place fails to amuse or excite me. Although that is my personal opinion of the experience, I am an overall fan of what is High Line is, where it came from, and what it serves to people. For one, I love the fact that the High Line doesn’t have a admission price and is free for everyone to enjoy. This tells me that the place welcomes all types of people and isn’t catered to a specific demographic. It is a walk way that includes unique benches, different types of plants, sculptures, views of the city and unique looking buildings along the way that gives variety for viewers to look at. Looking back at the history, the High Line was originally a railroad that would lift heavy freight trains from the Manhattan streets. These trains would carry meat, dairy, and produce to warehouses and factories, mainly in the Meatpacking District in NYC, hence the name. However, by 1980’s the High Line and its function became obsolete and since there wasn’t anymore use for it, it was being planned for demolition. But thanks to the effort of residents of the Meatpacking District, they were able to come to a negotiation with the mayor to preserve the High Line and make it into a landscape part of NYC. This effort had led us to witness the High Line as a one of a kind park that thousands of people visit and enjoy everyday. The High Line itself is both an architectural and cultural landscape of New York City. It is amazing to see an abandoned railroad transformed into an elevated park that is unusual yet still loved by many. The cultural aspect of the High Line is that it represents the resilient spirit of New York residents and the foundation of the High Line. Along the High Line, you can still see glimpses of old meat packing warehouses and factories that allude to the original function of the High Line. Instead of letting the city destroy the High Line railroad, residents decided to keep it and transform into something to be enjoyed and cherished by future generations to come.

After seeing the High Line, I was able to visit “The Vessel” for the first time. This structure is very popular among New York City residents and I was finally able to see it for the first time in person. It was an exciting experience because of the peculiar design of the structure and the large size of it. The most exciting part of the experience was walking up the stairs to reach the top. To make the experience even more crazy, the day I went was really windy and started to rain as well. When you finally reach the top, you are rewarded with an amazing view of the inside structure of the Vessel and the surrounding area of Hudson Yards. The design to me always reminded me of a bee hive and that the people inside are inside a hive. I love the symmetry of the structure and the subtle bronze color of it, which I feel makes it satisfying to look at. It is not too “in your face” or flashy, but more subtle, warm, and makes a statement. To me, the development of Hudson Yards and The Vessel is a huge success. In terms of an architectural standpoint, the structure is amazing. As for business, it is a great tourist attraction that can bring the city a lot of money, especially from the surrounding shops. Also my favorite part of the development of Hudson Yards is the new addition of a subway station for the 7 train. This is a great for commuters such as myself to get off or enter the station at such a populated busy place.

 

On this trip, I went to visit the Panorama of NYC inside the Queens Museum of Art. This museum is located inside of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, and is right next to the popular Unisphere structure. The panorama of NYC is a miniature reproduction of all the 5 boroughs, which includes The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island. However, calling it “miniature” is an understatement because of how large the panorama actually is. When you walk into the room, you are standing on top of a cat walk that gives you a view of the panorama  from above. The unexpectedly large size of the room and panorama display gives viewers a “wow moment”, especially since we are viewing it from a bird’s eye view, giving us a new view experience of our city. I like the design of the room and I think the placement of lights and structures were carefully designed for the best viewing experience. The room is about the size of 2 large gymnasiums and the elevated catwalk surrounding the room lets viewer get a clear picture of all the 5 boroughs in the center of the room. Another design I felt was unnoticed and I appreciated was the lighting in the room. While most the lighting in the room is focused on the panorama in the center of the room, I noticed the catwalk is dark and has minimal lighting. I like this for the fact that it lets viewers know what to focus on and that the panorama is the star of the exhibit. Probably the most coolest feature of this exhibit is when the panorama goes into night time mode. The room goes almost completely dark, and there are lights coming from the little buildings in the panorama, which almost resembles how the city looks like at night when you look out from an airplane window.

The panorama has changed the way I see the size of the city. When I think of my own city, I just think of 5 mere boroughs. But after seeing the panorama, I realized how big those 5 mere boroughs actually are. Each borough is like it’s own city with their own unique buildings and identity. Manhattan is the heart of the city where the atmosphere is fast paced and where the major buildings are. The Bronx and Brooklyn are places where there is deep history and iconic culture. Then there is Queens and Staten Island where the atmosphere is more relaxed and the place is more residential. New York City can be described as “quality over quantity”. It makes sense why in only 5 relatively small boroughs, the total population reaches a little over 8.5 million people. In such a diverse city, the place is home to people from all places of the world, making any borough suitable for anyone. I have lived in Queens and commute to different boroughs almost my whole life, but there are still places in NYC that I am unfamiliar with or never been to. I was able to identity some notable places I never been to was the Far Rockaway islands, and a lot of the Bronx. This goes to show that NYC doesn’t have to be large in size to have abundance. An interesting thing that I noticed when looking at Manhattan was the street structures and patterns. The grid pattern stayed the same since the city was first developed in the late 1800’s. It reminds of the “Timescapes” short film I saw and how far NYC has come since the beginning of their foundation. Manhattan is the center of NYC with the major buildings, and it makes me wonder will other boroughs start to look like Manhattan in the future. Queens and Brooklyn already have a urban city environment in parts of Long Island City and Williamsburg. My thought is will other boroughs begin major urban city development? How will this affect lower income residents who are already struggling?

The panorama overall was well made and gave viewers a feel of what the whole New York City looks like. The details on the buildings were well made, where I can recognize many major structures, such as Madison Square Garden, the High-bridge, Central park, and more. One thing I would say about the Queens Museum of Art is that because it is in a somewhat secluded location in Queens, it doesn’t attract as much visitors as other museums like the MET or MoMa. This is also not a bad thing though, because it gives visitors a more relaxed experience where the environment is less crowded, quiet, and it is a place where people like myself would prefer. A suggestion that I have for the panorama is that there could be interactive features that allows viewers to see it more up close, or control certain features within the panorama. It gives the exhibit even more to look forward to and might even draw in more visitors to a secluded Queens location.

On this trip, I visited the downtown financial district in Manhattan. In this area, I got to see the World Trade Center Memorial and the Oculus, along with the mall inside.

Starting with the World Trade Center Memorial, I liked the structure and the design of it. I think it contributes well as an landscape to the city, and to the landscape of the financial district area. I saw that the structure commemorates the victims of the attack on 9/11/01, by having their names on the side of the structure, where everyone can see it as they are walking by. However one thing that I didn’t feel was the eerie feeling that a lot of people have said to felt when seeing the site. I wasn’t at the country or state when the attack of the twin towers happened, so that is why I don’t feel the strong connection that many people felt when seeing it. It makes me realize that this memorial affects people depending on if they got to witness the event that occurred. For those people who were in the country and got to witness the attack first hand or on the TV, seeing this site will give them flashbacks, memories, or eerie feelings that other might not have. To me, this honestly is just another memorial to me. This isn’t out of disrespect to the victims, but it is because I hadn’t experience 9/11 the way many people did during the time, so I don’t feel the connection to it. Also one thing about the structure that I would criticize is the design. I think the design is wonderful but I don’t understand the concept. If I were to see this structure without having knowledge that it was called the World Trade Center Memorial, I would no idea what this structure meant. The design itself is already solid and makes a statement, but there could be more things done with it or remind people it’s a memorial for the victims of 9/11.

The next part of the trip is the Oculus. The Oculus is a large white structure that looks almost like a dinosaur skeleton. Seeing it at first glance, it is an amazing architectural piece that catches your eyes.  In the financial district where there are many skyscrapers and mundane colors, this bright white peculiar shaped structure stands out in the open and becomes the center of attention. On the inside when you go inside, the walls, floor, ceilings, are white as well. One could argue that this was done on purpose by the designer to make thing place stand out and symbolize “new life”. But by making this stand out, some would call out the designer and say the structure was built to feed his ego. Having it built in the heart of the financial district and making it standout not fitting in with the culture of New York City, it screams, “me, me ,me”. However, while this might be true, it could also be interpreted more positively. This structure could signify the diversity and boldness New York City offers. Not everything has to be uniform and in line with everything else. There is room for difference, innovation, and new ideas. Structures like the Oculus could be inspiration and the beginning of new architectural designs or for people to realize it’s okay to be different and stand out, like the dinosaur skeleton structure in the middle of the financial district.  One thing that I do have to criticize is the mall that is inside. I feel that the stores inside are not catered for everyone. It was catered for more wealthy individuals.

         

For my visit to the Museum of the City of New York, I watched a short film called “Timescapes”. This film showed the history of how New York City came to be, starting all the way from the 1600’s when New Amsterdam became New York, to the city that we know and currently live in. I enjoyed this film for the reason that it gave me a new perspective for the city that I’ve been living in my whole life. When people live in this city, there is a small chance that majority of the people take the time to think about how did this modern and technological advanced city came to be. I got to see how the hard work and determination of the people before us in different eras paved the way for this city.

One of my favorite eras in New York City that was explored was after the Great Depression. I believe that after the Great Depression, the people of New York City displayed great determination and perseverance. When the economy was down and the city was physically in shambles, the civilians didn’t want to give up on the city they lived in. Instead, they wanted to revive it and make it into something even greater. Residents were doing work on their neighborhood buildings, construction was being done in major cities area, and new sky scraping buildings were seen for the first time. Without the strong people of the previous era, I don’t think I would be seeing the greatness my city currently has to offer.

After seeing “Timescapes”, it made me wonder how the development of New York compared to the development of another major city. In Erik Larson’s book “Devil in the White City”, it tells a story about a famous architect and his uprising in the city of Chicago around the time of the early 1900’s. While reading, I saw how another major city such as Chicago was developed, and I compared it to what I noticed about New York City in “Timescapes”. Some things that I noticed about both cities is that there was a huge class separation, explosive growth, and progressive movements. There was the city area, where wealthy individuals lived in lavish buildings, while the working class lived in the slums where homes were in unbearable conditions. Larson describes the Chicago street of the working class area as dirty, foul smelling, and there would be piles of garbage and corpses, which all sound similar to the streets of New York. However, one positive similarity is that both had an explosive growth with new building development and rising population. During that time, New York and Chicago were #1 and #2 in terms of population respectively. Women in both cities were also allowed for the first time to go out by themselves in the street without their husbands to go into the workforce.

After seeing the short film and reading the book, it made come to the conclusion that “Timescapes” was showing the development of New York City in a positive light, as something heroic and wonderful. Compared to Erik Larson’s “Devil in the White City”, the development of Chicago depicts the more harsh reality side of the development of a major city. In New York City, we hear the good side of the determination and perseverance of the people, and all the brilliant leaders that helped shaped the city through the beginning and temporary downfalls. But in the development of Chicago, we are introduced to a more detailed look of the city’s development. As the book points out, when a city becomes more popular and growth is expanding, it also comes with more crime. As the city developed, more problems came along with it such as diseases and pointless murders due to inexperienced police force. Building skyscrapers were also not an easy task because of the way the earth and soil was in Chicago. Bedrock was not easily accessible and hard work was needed to compensate for the lack of natural conveniences, which led to the deaths and illnesses of many construction workers. Although New York City has also experienced similar hardships, the way Larson depicts Chicago gives us the reality that comes with the development of successful major cities.

   

For the first part of this trip, I got to visit and explore the New York Transit Museum for the first time. This museum is actually a decommissioned subway station at Court Street that is still working. One of the first things I noticed when I entered the museum, is that the interior looks almost identical to an actual subway station in New York City. The lighting, wall tiles, floors, and the underground structure of the museum all replicate how a typical subway station would look and feel like. Even on the outside, the entrance looked as if I were entering a subway station about to commute somewhere. With this setup, I felt that this was one of the most unique museum experiences I ever had. Another part that made my experience so unique was how much I related to what was in the museum. I was learning the history of a transport system I use everyday and don’t even think much about. When I step onto the the earlier versions of the subway carts used, it almost felt like I time traveled back into the past. I was in the 1963 version of the 7 Train and I got to see how different the floor was, what railings were used for passengers, the seats, and especially the advertisements. All I could think about was the comparisons between the 7 Train from 1963, to the current 7 Train that I know. This museum is definitely a place I would recommend to all New York City residents to visit. The ticket price is affordable, and seeing the exhibits can really changes your perspective on our city’s transit system. It makes you more appreciative and knowledgeable of the subways we ride everyday and take for granted.

One of the thing that I learned while exploring the different exhibits of the New York Transit Museum were that subways had their own culture. On the subways cars, there are many advertisements and MTA reminder posters. Although I see these posters all the time when I am commuting on the subway, I never thought too deeply about it until I saw it in the museum as one of the exhibits. I saw MTA reminder posters that reminded people to not take up seat space with their belongings, and another one that targeted men to not “man spread”. After seeing those posters in the museum, I came to the realization that the subways in NYC have their own culture that is being promoted by the MTA. The MTA uses advertisement campaigns to promote good behavior, ethics, and norms for subway riders. That is why people follow unwritten rules, such as letting people out the cart before stepping in. This is the outcome of the culture that the MTA has promoted onto subway riders. However, for those who don’t abide by that culture, they will get serious side-eye looks from other passengers.

Another interesting that I learned from this visit to the Museum is some fun facts that I never realized about the subways in New York City. A museum guide kindly did a small presentation for the class, and one fact I learned was that some of the subway cars displayed in this museum, were featured in popular movies. But, my favorite fact that I learned was about the difference between number trains and letter trains. The number trains in NYC (1,2,3,4,5,6,7), are part of the IRT (Inter-borough Rapid Transit) Company. These trains can be distinguished by their subway cart interior. Inside IRT trains, the seats are long, narrow, and there are only 3 doors. Meanwhile the letter trains are part of the BRT (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit) Company. These trains can be distinguished by their bench seats, and there are 4 doors on these subway carts.

Even though I wasn’t able to make it with the class to the Brooklyn Bridge Park, I have been there multiple times in the past. I would say that the park is a huge success in terms of popularity. Throughout my time in high school, I remember that this park was the go-to place among a lot of my peers. People of all ages whether student or adult, would come to this park after school to hangout, on the weekends to relax, and even go there for prom pictures. There is a lot of scenery, green field, displays, and activities for people of all ages. One of my favorite things about this park that has me going back is the Pier 2 outdoor basketball courts. These basketball courts are right next to the waterfronts on the East River, where you can enjoy a great view while playing a pickup game. What I love most about the Brooklyn Bridge Park is that most of the activities there are free. This means anyone can enjoy themselves there, and it isn’t catered to a particular group of people. This park is one of the most positive aspects in NYC in my opinion because of the fact that it can bring all types of people together to enjoy themselves with minimal cost.