New York Stories

Susan Monroy, 50, is a Bronx-born New York housewife and mother.  Her life is far from dull; taking care of five children throughout the years, staying involved in their lives, and starting up her own business making yarn and clothing is no simple task. She looks at her life with joy and optimism as she shares her New York Story.

Tags: One in 8 Million

Radek Wyrwas, 24, Polish-American

link:

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When one thinks of New York, its skyline and skyscrapers are often the first thing that comes to mind. This is the story because this very New York thing, the gruesome details of how our city comes to exist. In addition, I think that a great thing about New York is that one can do anything, be anyone, and there is no such thing as “too late” in New York, which this story shows.

Tags: One in 8 Million

This story is one of the many narratives of being an undocumented immigrant in New York City. The person I interviewed came to the U.S. when he was six, he’s in his third year of college, and he’s majoring in architecture. He has a passion for the arts and uses architecture as an “escape.” Even though he’s faces this tremendous obstacle, he appreciates living in New York and all it has to offer.

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Joseph Roberts: The Sustainability Advocate

Yuri Sandulov: Bridging Nations

For years, the city has tried to transform Willets Point, a hub of auto shops and junkyards, into prime real estate space for apartments and offices. But local businesses, their workers, and the neighborhood’s only resident, Joseph Ardizzone, have stood in staunch opposition. Ardizzone, who attends many Community Board 7 meetings, is frequently sought after by news publications for interviews regarding the ongoing legal battle. But this three year battle has only been a small sliver of Ardizzone’s 78 years at Willets Point.

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Growing up in various parts of Brooklyn, Ms.Morales has always stood out among her peers. This 20-year-old college student is no stranger to New York trains, buses, schools, and stares of those she passes on her way through all three. She realized how “different” she looks at a very young age, and is reminded of her appearance as a bright red-haired person by multiple people every week with questions of race and nationality. Although annoyed by the constant questioning, Ms.Morales has learned to turn her spectators in her entertainment.

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http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/03/how-skyscrapers-can-save-the-city/8387/

I thought this was a great article that is very relevant to what we discussed when we covered the architecture topic. The author, Edward Glaeser (whom I have mentioned earlier on this blog), argues for building skyscrapers in large metropolises, that they greatly increase available housing, making living in an attractive area affordable. In addition, an area that accommodates a large number of offices and businesses promotes communication and interaction, which, the author argues, is crucial in the globalized world of today. Although the article reads biased, the author offers a number of counterarguments to building skyscrapers.

I think that we cannot say that skyscrapers are ideal in the cities of today and to take a side for or against, one has to place the question in context. Skyscrapers seem to belong on Wall Street or on streets40’s streets on the east side, but I would not want to see very tall buildings encompassing Central park from all four sides. After researching a number of houses a few weeks ago, I know that there are a number of them that are not only beautiful but historically important in architectural sense. And I think that should be preserved. This also brings up another point that came up in the article; the unique example of Paris (although I believe it applies to a number of other cities). The majority of buildings in Paris, as well as Rome, and St. Petersburg (which is really a copy of Rome), to name a few cities, are integral parts of history and preserving those beautiful old cities is not optional.

So it seems impossible to take sides. I agree that if we are going to build we should build as high as we possibly can. If the difference in price between building a 40-story apartment building instead of 20-story one is relatively small, there is no reason why we should not strive to create the extra space. However, if the question is whether we should remove an old 3-story brownstone to create extra space, I would probably say no more often than not. While tall, tall buildings seem like the natural skyline of New York, there are many areas that are also majestic and grandiose but do not have the intimidating, disconsolate atmosphere blocks of skyscrapers can sometimes have.

A bit off topic, I was surprised to read that Otis did not, in fact, invent the elevator. As a matter of fact, elevators are believed to have existed 2,200 years ago (according to the article). What Otis did was invent the safety brake that made the elevators safe and changed the public’s perception about this construction. Otis made the elevators popular.

Browsing the interwebs this evening I came across this video that is narrated by the same blonde guy who was in the “Happy Carriage” video M. Owens posted a few days back. Taking the subway every day, I tend to forget that the individuals around me are actually human beings and not merely obstacles that are trying to make me miss the 6 train. I believe that most of you can relate. I appreciate the effort this gentleman is making in approaching total strangers and attempting to put a smile on their faces, as well as making them feel important, for making them feel human, even if for only a moment. This video reminded me that every single one of us in this city has hopes and dreams; every single one of us has our own New York Story.

Tags: New York Stories