New York Stories

My final project is about bike riding in New York City. I filmed a few rides that I took in order to attempt to give those who may not bike around Gotham, a peek at what it’s like. I also interviewed two fellow cyclists about their thoughts on the subject.

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This is a two-part multimedia project. The first part addresses the main theme of my paper: MoMA as a true New York institution because it defines what art is for the rest of the world. The second part is the unique part of only the multimedia: MoMA as an incredible education institution that provides a vast variety of unique opportunities for students of all ages and nationalities.

Hello everyone! So, for my final project, I researched the history of New York and its people, and particularly focused on first-hand accounts of elderly people in our city. Thus, I present to you all the story of  Pernell, an 87 years young New Yorker. Enjoy! [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/goGXdcJjIvE" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

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I was looking for a reflection paper that I wrote last year about the reading that I attended at 92Y when Patti Smith was there. The premise of the reading was to have authors from around the world read sections of their work. The whole night there was an empty chair with a spotlight on center stage. Towards the end when she gave a speech, she knelt down by the chair and started thanking it (at this point I had no idea who she was or what she was doing). She then stated that the chair represented all of the journalists and writers in other countries that are sitting in jail for writing something that they firmly believed in. She went on to talk about the power in having a voice and being able to use it freely. It was extremely moving.

China Buddhist Association, a temple in Flushing, NY, has long catered to immigrants from China and Taiwan who live in Flushing or nearby neighborhoods. On weekends, the temple offers ceremonies and services, spoken in Mandarin Chinese, for its Buddhist worshippers, most of whom regularly attend. Reverend Ming Yee, a nun from Hong Kong, became a minister of the Buddhist faith in 1997, and has continued to reside at the temple where she was once trained by Venerable Master Mew Fung, the founder of the temple.

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I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, but here is that New York Magazine article from August 11, 1980 that declares Long Island City the “Next Neighborhood”: http://books.google.com/books?id=5-UCAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA20&ots=JgRlj3Yeaw&dq=long%20island%20city%20new%20york%20magazine%20old&pg=PA20#v=onepage&q&f=false

In 1999 the New York Times revisited the notion and examined why it didn’t happen: http://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/07/nyregion/why-long-island-city-hasn-t-happened-once-neighborhood-was-hailed-next-soho-but.html

Then, in 2010, it finally actually starts to happen: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/realestate/09cov.html

The neighborhood has the right geography, but what has always been missing is the anthropology. With New York poised to bounce back strong from the recent recession, Long Island City might actually see its time come. Still, I’ll believe it when I see it.

The emergence of food trucks have been one of the better things New York has seen in recent history. The lack of space to set up shop in a physical store really attributed to more food trucks arising. It is said that food trucks originated from LA.

Also, with the use of Twitter, food trucks are beginning to just tweet about their ever changing location and tons of people will flock towards the truck. I find that the food truck model is great since customers won’t have to travel far and wide to get a meal at a brick-and-mortar shop. If you’re in the right location (usually in midtown), the food comes to you instead.

I was absolutely amazed after watching this video. In such a densely populated city like New York, many of us are always complaining that we do not have enough space- to live, to breathe, to do anything, really. In addition, developers may find it challenging to build new apartments that are eco-friendly. I think that this gentleman in Hong Kong may have the answer for both residents and developers when it comes to maximizing the use out of small spaces and developing a “green” apartment. I feel that an apartment like this would definitely be a step in the right direction if built in New York CIty, and I would not mind living in such a space.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4yJGTPUR_0

I came across these videos and decided to share them with you all. The first two videos contradict the many positive depictions of our city, and are hilarious. The last one is an instructional video on how to blend into the city. Enjoy!

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