Journal 1
Impressions of New York
How lucky am I that I get to live a quick thirty-minuet train ride away from the greatest city in the world? The amazing food, people, buildings, cultures, entertainment; the list could go on and on. When I stop to think about the millions of people that have never and will never get to experience the true beauty that NYC has to offer, it makes me sad for them. But it stops and gets me to thinking. Do I really know all the beauty that NYC offers? I mean I’ve been to this city hundreds of times and sure, I can tell people a few good bars to go to, how amazing Madison Square Garden and exactly where Baked By Melissa is located but that’s pretty much it. As a native New Yorker, that fact that I feel like a tourist when I go to my own city is not cutting it anymore. I want to know the ins and outs of this great place, the history behind each building, the story of each street and this is what I am hoping this class can bring me.
As I was reading through the introduction to Essential New York, a lot of history was coming back to me from what I learned in High School such as Giovanni da Verrazano finding Staten Island and the Dutch having large trading posts set up in New York, I was more interested in reading about the events that occurred in the 19th Century. Other than the period during the Great Depression, I was under the impression that New York was always the place to be, with a thriving social and nightlife and jobs and money for all kinds of people. But that was proved to be wrong. “ It was Robert Moses who physically transformed New York into the modern city it is today.” (ENY, 21) Other than driving countless hours on the Robert Moses Parkway, I had never known that he was such a huge reason why New York is what it is today. Bridges, buildings, tunnels houses and beaches were all created in thanks to his genius mind.
From the mid 60’s to the 90’s, New York saw even more hard times by being in a debt of over $6 billion. New York was not a very desirable place to live during that time. But as the city began to bounce back one worlds most deadly and horrifying terror attacks took place. I was 11 years old when this happened. I remember every detail of that day like it was yesterday. And sadly, a majority of the time when I think or go to NYC, September 11th, is always on my mind. The heartbreak, fear and confusion of that day will stick will millions of people for the rest of their lives but in a weird way, 9/11 helped make New York into the amazing city it is right now. As New Yorkers, we should the fight and heart we have, that we would not let anything break us. We could have fallen apart from such a tragedy but we only got stronger. We were there for each other, we leaned on one another and aided our friends and family through one of the most difficult times New York will ever see. I think that really shows what New York is about. When we had every reason to roll over and drown we got back up and made our city the place to be.
What I truly hope to get out of this class is an understanding of how New York came to be now, in 2014. The events, the people, the victories, the losses, all of these things helped make us. I want to go into New York with my friends and family and be able to tell the story of our city and to get other people to appreciate all the beauty and culture that this city has to offer. How were the 5 boroughs separated? How did MSG become the world’s most famous arena? Where did Penn Station and Grand Central Station get its start? The Empire State Building and the Twin towers, what is their history? Where did all the art, music and movie inspiration come from? As a New Yorker, we should know the answers to all these questions and more, and that’s what I hope to achieve.
How lucky am I that I get to live a quick thirty-minuet train ride away from the greatest city in the world? The amazing food, people, buildings, cultures, entertainment; the list could go on and on. When I stop to think about the millions of people that have never and will never get to experience the true beauty that NYC has to offer, it makes me sad for them. But it stops and gets me to thinking. Do I really know all the beauty that NYC offers? I mean I’ve been to this city hundreds of times and sure, I can tell people a few good bars to go to, how amazing Madison Square Garden and exactly where Baked By Melissa is located but that’s pretty much it. As a native New Yorker, that fact that I feel like a tourist when I go to my own city is not cutting it anymore. I want to know the ins and outs of this great place, the history behind each building, the story of each street and this is what I am hoping this class can bring me.
As I was reading through the introduction to Essential New York, a lot of history was coming back to me from what I learned in High School such as Giovanni da Verrazano finding Staten Island and the Dutch having large trading posts set up in New York, I was more interested in reading about the events that occurred in the 19th Century. Other than the period during the Great Depression, I was under the impression that New York was always the place to be, with a thriving social and nightlife and jobs and money for all kinds of people. But that was proved to be wrong. “ It was Robert Moses who physically transformed New York into the modern city it is today.” (ENY, 21) Other than driving countless hours on the Robert Moses Parkway, I had never known that he was such a huge reason why New York is what it is today. Bridges, buildings, tunnels houses and beaches were all created in thanks to his genius mind.
From the mid 60’s to the 90’s, New York saw even more hard times by being in a debt of over $6 billion. New York was not a very desirable place to live during that time. But as the city began to bounce back one worlds most deadly and horrifying terror attacks took place. I was 11 years old when this happened. I remember every detail of that day like it was yesterday. And sadly, a majority of the time when I think or go to NYC, September 11th, is always on my mind. The heartbreak, fear and confusion of that day will stick will millions of people for the rest of their lives but in a weird way, 9/11 helped make New York into the amazing city it is right now. As New Yorkers, we should the fight and heart we have, that we would not let anything break us. We could have fallen apart from such a tragedy but we only got stronger. We were there for each other, we leaned on one another and aided our friends and family through one of the most difficult times New York will ever see. I think that really shows what New York is about. When we had every reason to roll over and drown we got back up and made our city the place to be.
What I truly hope to get out of this class is an understanding of how New York came to be now, in 2014. The events, the people, the victories, the losses, all of these things helped make us. I want to go into New York with my friends and family and be able to tell the story of our city and to get other people to appreciate all the beauty and culture that this city has to offer. How were the 5 boroughs separated? How did MSG become the world’s most famous arena? Where did Penn Station and Grand Central Station get its start? The Empire State Building and the Twin towers, what is their history? Where did all the art, music and movie inspiration come from? As a New Yorker, we should know the answers to all these questions and more, and that’s what I hope to achieve.
Journal 2: Queens
For our first full day in the city, I could not have asked for a better day! Transpiration ways and buildings that I have walked passed and driven through countless time such as Penn Station, Grand Center Terminal, the Chrysler Building and the Queensburrough Bridge are just a few locations that I know have a better understanding of the history and meaning behind them.
I have taken trains in and out of Grand Central Terminal time and time again but like every New Yorker I was in a rush to get to my destination that I never the time to look at how beautiful the terminal really is. “Unlike the utilitarian, neutered Penn Station with its bland architecture, Grand Central is a train station in the European tradition.” (ENY, 48) Everything from the outside structure to the amazing ceiling and staircase is worth taking a minuet to look at and appreciate. But what I found the most interesting was hearing that Jackie Kennedy Onassis was one of the main reasons Grand Central Terminal is still standing today. With her efforts, GST became a landmark and will forever grace the streets of New York.
With our next few stops being the world famous buildings such as The Chrysler Building, The Daily News Building, the Waldorf Astoria and the General Eclectic building, I was able to learn more about the architecture and history of each building. Starting with the Daily News Building, this was a building that meat a lot to me. My grandfather was a photographer for the Daily News and to this day, he is always showing me photographs and telling me stories of his time there. After hearing all of these stories and never have been to the building, I was so excited to find out we would be going on the first day! I finally was able view the world famous Globe. Pictures does not do this huge spinning world justice, it was amazing! I also loved seeing the timeline in the lobby of all the events that had taken place there and the picture of when Superman was filmed there!
As for the Chrysler and General Eclectic buildings, what a site to see! The detail around the GE building was amazing; I could have found myself staring at it all day. The lighting bolts and the clock with the musicale arms holding the GE symbol over were so cool. And what I really found interesting about the Chrysler Building (along with a majority of the buildings in NY) was why they were built with setbacks. I honestly thought it was just because it looked better; I had no idea it became mandatory. In order to get sunlight and air flowing throughout the streets of the city, these huge buildings were required to have setbacks in their design after a certain height.
With our exploration of Roosevelt Island, I found this to be the most interesting. I have heard about Roosevelt Island and the tram that takes you there but I never knew the story behind it. Honestly when we go onto the island, I was a little creeped out. I felt like I was so far away from the city but in reality we were so close. Being on an island that at one time was used for prisoners and people of Polio so that they would be cut off from the rest of the population gave me weird vibes. But seeing how far this island has come and the beautiful tribute to FDR really shows how this is an up and coming place to live. After already learning more about NYC in just one class, I cannot wait to see what our next class exploring Brooklyn will bring me!
For our first full day in the city, I could not have asked for a better day! Transpiration ways and buildings that I have walked passed and driven through countless time such as Penn Station, Grand Center Terminal, the Chrysler Building and the Queensburrough Bridge are just a few locations that I know have a better understanding of the history and meaning behind them.
I have taken trains in and out of Grand Central Terminal time and time again but like every New Yorker I was in a rush to get to my destination that I never the time to look at how beautiful the terminal really is. “Unlike the utilitarian, neutered Penn Station with its bland architecture, Grand Central is a train station in the European tradition.” (ENY, 48) Everything from the outside structure to the amazing ceiling and staircase is worth taking a minuet to look at and appreciate. But what I found the most interesting was hearing that Jackie Kennedy Onassis was one of the main reasons Grand Central Terminal is still standing today. With her efforts, GST became a landmark and will forever grace the streets of New York.
With our next few stops being the world famous buildings such as The Chrysler Building, The Daily News Building, the Waldorf Astoria and the General Eclectic building, I was able to learn more about the architecture and history of each building. Starting with the Daily News Building, this was a building that meat a lot to me. My grandfather was a photographer for the Daily News and to this day, he is always showing me photographs and telling me stories of his time there. After hearing all of these stories and never have been to the building, I was so excited to find out we would be going on the first day! I finally was able view the world famous Globe. Pictures does not do this huge spinning world justice, it was amazing! I also loved seeing the timeline in the lobby of all the events that had taken place there and the picture of when Superman was filmed there!
As for the Chrysler and General Eclectic buildings, what a site to see! The detail around the GE building was amazing; I could have found myself staring at it all day. The lighting bolts and the clock with the musicale arms holding the GE symbol over were so cool. And what I really found interesting about the Chrysler Building (along with a majority of the buildings in NY) was why they were built with setbacks. I honestly thought it was just because it looked better; I had no idea it became mandatory. In order to get sunlight and air flowing throughout the streets of the city, these huge buildings were required to have setbacks in their design after a certain height.
With our exploration of Roosevelt Island, I found this to be the most interesting. I have heard about Roosevelt Island and the tram that takes you there but I never knew the story behind it. Honestly when we go onto the island, I was a little creeped out. I felt like I was so far away from the city but in reality we were so close. Being on an island that at one time was used for prisoners and people of Polio so that they would be cut off from the rest of the population gave me weird vibes. But seeing how far this island has come and the beautiful tribute to FDR really shows how this is an up and coming place to live. After already learning more about NYC in just one class, I cannot wait to see what our next class exploring Brooklyn will bring me!
Journal 3: Brooklyn
Emily D’Archangelis
Journal # 3 – Brooklyn
Today, I didn’t want our trip to end! It seemed like every place we went to was better than the last! We started off our day going to the famous Coney Island. Even though I have been there years before, this time seemed different. Being at a place that for so long was the most popular beach/vacation location in the United States. During the summer families would rent houses or condos out there and spend weeks there, as their working fathers would come to meet them on the weekends from the city. With it being known as “the place without shadows” who wouldn’t want to spend their vacation there? “The Atlantic location of the Island enabled the beach to remain in the sunlight all day.” (ENY, 115) Put aside the amazing location and beach, but Coney Island is also home to the world most famous rollercoaster and the worlds original Nathan’s, both in which I got to experience! Since 1927, the Cyclone has been one of the greatest attractions in the United States. When my grandparents got married and being natives of Brooklyn, before their reception they stopped at Nathan’s to get a hotdog, so I thought it was fitting if I did the same!
As we made our way to the transit museum, I wasn’t sure if I was going to find it has interesting the museum of the moving image, but surprisingly I did. My great grandfather was a worker in the help to build the underground subway systems, so it was cool to see his stories come to life. It is still crazy to be how during that time they were able to created the worlds greatest transit system. They did this by actually going under ground and using explosives to clear away space and then creating braces to hold everything up. Seeing all the old subway cars was amazing. Physically being allowed on these trains to see the wicker seats, the large overhead fans, and handrails really allowed you to get the full experience. It was also really fun to see the old advertisements that were still on the train. As I came back and showed my mom and dad that pictures, they were so excited to show me the trains they used to ride on. One of my favorite cars was the IND R-7A/R-10 Car from 1947. I loved the colors and the spacing, even though for today’s commute, that would not be idle.
After exploring Brooklyn Heights, I have found my new dream place to live, it is amazing. The brownstones are beautiful and so simple. I really love how they have kept many of the original older houses instead of updating them for today. There were a couple the looked like old homes that were just picked up and moved into Brooklyn; so beautiful! My favorite part was Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Right before you enter the amazing high raised park over looking the city and The Seaport, we saw the Montague Terrace were Washington stood and decided to return to Manhattan, abandoning Brooklyn Heights. As we walked along the East River, we saw all the construction going on to transition into a park, so far what they have done is beautiful. But thanks to Robert Moses and the BQE, some of Brooklyn Heights was destroyed. “The destruction of the neighborhood so outraged New Yorkers that it led to the beginning o the preservation movement in Brooklyn Heights.” (ENY, 128) As you make your way down the Promenade, you have a beautiful view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge.
Before we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge we went to DUMBO, here we saw many manufacturing factories, including two from the civil war, which are now being resorted. Jane’s Carousel is also located here, which was originally from 1922. As we finally made our way to Brooklyn Bridge, it has to be one of the moments where I felt most like a tourist. The story in which the Brooklyn Bridge was built was also something I found so interesting. After the original architect was crushed by a ferry (and thought putting water on his wounds would help) his son Washington Roebling continued the project. But he too fell victim to sickness and was not able to complete the project, so instead he worked from his apartment that was right across from the bridge and gave orders to his wife Emily. Emily did not only take orders but she made sure to learn about construction and the math behind the project so that she could contribute to the building. The best part of this story is how Emily snuck across the bridge to be the first one over. President Arthur and Governor Cleveland were supposed to be the first ones over but Emily thought she deserved to be, and I totally agree! After taking what seemed to be a hundred pictures, I still don’t think that captured the beauty of this bridge. Over looking the city and having the Freedom Tower so close, it truly was breathtaking. But there were times when I could not shake the image of thousands of scared New Yorkers crossing over that bridge in fear after the Twin Towers were hit. The Brooklyn Bridge was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had!
Emily D’Archangelis
Journal # 3 – Brooklyn
Today, I didn’t want our trip to end! It seemed like every place we went to was better than the last! We started off our day going to the famous Coney Island. Even though I have been there years before, this time seemed different. Being at a place that for so long was the most popular beach/vacation location in the United States. During the summer families would rent houses or condos out there and spend weeks there, as their working fathers would come to meet them on the weekends from the city. With it being known as “the place without shadows” who wouldn’t want to spend their vacation there? “The Atlantic location of the Island enabled the beach to remain in the sunlight all day.” (ENY, 115) Put aside the amazing location and beach, but Coney Island is also home to the world most famous rollercoaster and the worlds original Nathan’s, both in which I got to experience! Since 1927, the Cyclone has been one of the greatest attractions in the United States. When my grandparents got married and being natives of Brooklyn, before their reception they stopped at Nathan’s to get a hotdog, so I thought it was fitting if I did the same!
As we made our way to the transit museum, I wasn’t sure if I was going to find it has interesting the museum of the moving image, but surprisingly I did. My great grandfather was a worker in the help to build the underground subway systems, so it was cool to see his stories come to life. It is still crazy to be how during that time they were able to created the worlds greatest transit system. They did this by actually going under ground and using explosives to clear away space and then creating braces to hold everything up. Seeing all the old subway cars was amazing. Physically being allowed on these trains to see the wicker seats, the large overhead fans, and handrails really allowed you to get the full experience. It was also really fun to see the old advertisements that were still on the train. As I came back and showed my mom and dad that pictures, they were so excited to show me the trains they used to ride on. One of my favorite cars was the IND R-7A/R-10 Car from 1947. I loved the colors and the spacing, even though for today’s commute, that would not be idle.
After exploring Brooklyn Heights, I have found my new dream place to live, it is amazing. The brownstones are beautiful and so simple. I really love how they have kept many of the original older houses instead of updating them for today. There were a couple the looked like old homes that were just picked up and moved into Brooklyn; so beautiful! My favorite part was Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Right before you enter the amazing high raised park over looking the city and The Seaport, we saw the Montague Terrace were Washington stood and decided to return to Manhattan, abandoning Brooklyn Heights. As we walked along the East River, we saw all the construction going on to transition into a park, so far what they have done is beautiful. But thanks to Robert Moses and the BQE, some of Brooklyn Heights was destroyed. “The destruction of the neighborhood so outraged New Yorkers that it led to the beginning o the preservation movement in Brooklyn Heights.” (ENY, 128) As you make your way down the Promenade, you have a beautiful view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge.
Before we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge we went to DUMBO, here we saw many manufacturing factories, including two from the civil war, which are now being resorted. Jane’s Carousel is also located here, which was originally from 1922. As we finally made our way to Brooklyn Bridge, it has to be one of the moments where I felt most like a tourist. The story in which the Brooklyn Bridge was built was also something I found so interesting. After the original architect was crushed by a ferry (and thought putting water on his wounds would help) his son Washington Roebling continued the project. But he too fell victim to sickness and was not able to complete the project, so instead he worked from his apartment that was right across from the bridge and gave orders to his wife Emily. Emily did not only take orders but she made sure to learn about construction and the math behind the project so that she could contribute to the building. The best part of this story is how Emily snuck across the bridge to be the first one over. President Arthur and Governor Cleveland were supposed to be the first ones over but Emily thought she deserved to be, and I totally agree! After taking what seemed to be a hundred pictures, I still don’t think that captured the beauty of this bridge. Over looking the city and having the Freedom Tower so close, it truly was breathtaking. But there were times when I could not shake the image of thousands of scared New Yorkers crossing over that bridge in fear after the Twin Towers were hit. The Brooklyn Bridge was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had!
Journal 4: The Village
Emily D’Archangelis
Journal #4 – Chelsea
For our third day of exploring we walked to Chelsea and The Village. I have been to The Village a few times but Chelsea was a whole new experience for me. Though I can totally see why people are migrating towards this area to live, out of the three areas we visited so far, living wise, this would be my least favorite. But this does not mean Chelsea is not a beautiful place! Our first stop was the High Line. This was so cool! Instead of getting rid of the freight line that transported goods through this area, they turned it into a walking garden with a beautiful view of Chelsea Piers and the water! Like many other places we visited such as Grand Central Terminal and the Brooklyn Promenade, the High Line was in jeopardy of being torn down. By 2006, the Hine Line was opened to the public and is one of the main reason Chelsea is so desirable, “With notable architects vying to construct innovative buildings along the line.” (ENY, 96) The High Line was such a huge success that other cities such as Pittsburgh has tried to make a line that resembles the original but none of them even compare!
From the High Line we visited a few of the Thousand Art Galleries that Chelsea has to offer. Although art is not really my favorite thing in the world, it was really interesting to see how each art gallery displays such different work. Two of my favorite that we visited was a gallery that showed globes with flashing pictures inside. To me this was really abstract and made me think deeper into the work than I normally would. There were sets of globes that said “fear” and “happiness” and showed moving video of people depicting what they thought each emotion was. I found this so interesting because not everyone has the same feeling on what fear or happiness is, its all how we interpret it, which is what I truly think art is all about. In the next gallery, although for made for an audience for eighteen and over, there was a collection of photos that I found to be really sad. The photographer documented what seemed to be a day in the life of a guy addicted to heroin. It really showed the un-glamorous part of drugs, which I think in today’s society, goes unseen.
As we made our way to Greenwich Village (and seeing famous talk show host Andy Cohen on the way!!!) we walked through the West Village to Christopher street’s Stonewall Inn, which is, where a lot of the gay rights movements got their starts. With seeing how far we have come today, it was pretty cool to be in the area where these movements originated. We also walked to the Jefferson Market Library, which has so much history. I found it kind of creepy that a park we were standing in was once home to a prison, one in which “The Crime of the Century” was held when Harry K. Thaw murdered the rich architect Stanford White after he was accused of drugging and raping a 16 year old “Kim Kardashian” of that time.
We eventually made our way to the Merchant’s House Museum, which I won’t lie, was not looking forward to but was actually pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it! This house “reflects a refined upscale 19th century lifestyle.” (ENY, 109) and how a rich family would have lived during that time. Seabury Tredwell bought and own the house until 1933 and lived there with his wife and five kids. After touring the house and seeing how the wealthy lived, it was believed that the Tredwell family was not as rich as they were made out to be, which could have been one of the reasons only two of the family members got married. It was also really stressed how certain items in the house were displayed solely for the purpose of showing off how much money they supposedly had. Like their front door hallway, certain paintings and a piano, these were all things that people of high class would have. The craziest parts were those stairs! My goodness, I would not want to walk about all those steep steps everyday, I especially feel bad for the maids and servants that had in which they had to carry heavy objects up them every day. The tour guide said that right next door they were are trying to build a hotel and that if it does go up, the foundation of the house good be in danger. The landmark community did all they good to stop this but they were out voted. I find this so ridiculous. There are thousands of hotels in this city, do they really need to squeeze one in jeopardizing a landmark?
One of our last stops was Washington Square Park, which was so beautiful and full of life. With it being right next to the NYU campus, it was filled with younger people, live music and vendors! It was kind of creepy seeing a 300-year-old tree where executions took place though. The huge arch is something I can look at all day. I really like how on one side they show George Washington as a Military Solder and the other side they have him as President. I think it is important how they showed both sides of him. The area around this park was and still is where the wealthier would live, so there go my chances. All and all, a day that I thought wouldn’t be as exciting turned out to be amazing. Seeing so much culture and history that I had no idea even existed makes me excited to and almost overwhelmed with how much there is still left to learn!
Emily D’Archangelis
Journal #4 – Chelsea
For our third day of exploring we walked to Chelsea and The Village. I have been to The Village a few times but Chelsea was a whole new experience for me. Though I can totally see why people are migrating towards this area to live, out of the three areas we visited so far, living wise, this would be my least favorite. But this does not mean Chelsea is not a beautiful place! Our first stop was the High Line. This was so cool! Instead of getting rid of the freight line that transported goods through this area, they turned it into a walking garden with a beautiful view of Chelsea Piers and the water! Like many other places we visited such as Grand Central Terminal and the Brooklyn Promenade, the High Line was in jeopardy of being torn down. By 2006, the Hine Line was opened to the public and is one of the main reason Chelsea is so desirable, “With notable architects vying to construct innovative buildings along the line.” (ENY, 96) The High Line was such a huge success that other cities such as Pittsburgh has tried to make a line that resembles the original but none of them even compare!
From the High Line we visited a few of the Thousand Art Galleries that Chelsea has to offer. Although art is not really my favorite thing in the world, it was really interesting to see how each art gallery displays such different work. Two of my favorite that we visited was a gallery that showed globes with flashing pictures inside. To me this was really abstract and made me think deeper into the work than I normally would. There were sets of globes that said “fear” and “happiness” and showed moving video of people depicting what they thought each emotion was. I found this so interesting because not everyone has the same feeling on what fear or happiness is, its all how we interpret it, which is what I truly think art is all about. In the next gallery, although for made for an audience for eighteen and over, there was a collection of photos that I found to be really sad. The photographer documented what seemed to be a day in the life of a guy addicted to heroin. It really showed the un-glamorous part of drugs, which I think in today’s society, goes unseen.
As we made our way to Greenwich Village (and seeing famous talk show host Andy Cohen on the way!!!) we walked through the West Village to Christopher street’s Stonewall Inn, which is, where a lot of the gay rights movements got their starts. With seeing how far we have come today, it was pretty cool to be in the area where these movements originated. We also walked to the Jefferson Market Library, which has so much history. I found it kind of creepy that a park we were standing in was once home to a prison, one in which “The Crime of the Century” was held when Harry K. Thaw murdered the rich architect Stanford White after he was accused of drugging and raping a 16 year old “Kim Kardashian” of that time.
We eventually made our way to the Merchant’s House Museum, which I won’t lie, was not looking forward to but was actually pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it! This house “reflects a refined upscale 19th century lifestyle.” (ENY, 109) and how a rich family would have lived during that time. Seabury Tredwell bought and own the house until 1933 and lived there with his wife and five kids. After touring the house and seeing how the wealthy lived, it was believed that the Tredwell family was not as rich as they were made out to be, which could have been one of the reasons only two of the family members got married. It was also really stressed how certain items in the house were displayed solely for the purpose of showing off how much money they supposedly had. Like their front door hallway, certain paintings and a piano, these were all things that people of high class would have. The craziest parts were those stairs! My goodness, I would not want to walk about all those steep steps everyday, I especially feel bad for the maids and servants that had in which they had to carry heavy objects up them every day. The tour guide said that right next door they were are trying to build a hotel and that if it does go up, the foundation of the house good be in danger. The landmark community did all they good to stop this but they were out voted. I find this so ridiculous. There are thousands of hotels in this city, do they really need to squeeze one in jeopardizing a landmark?
One of our last stops was Washington Square Park, which was so beautiful and full of life. With it being right next to the NYU campus, it was filled with younger people, live music and vendors! It was kind of creepy seeing a 300-year-old tree where executions took place though. The huge arch is something I can look at all day. I really like how on one side they show George Washington as a Military Solder and the other side they have him as President. I think it is important how they showed both sides of him. The area around this park was and still is where the wealthier would live, so there go my chances. All and all, a day that I thought wouldn’t be as exciting turned out to be amazing. Seeing so much culture and history that I had no idea even existed makes me excited to and almost overwhelmed with how much there is still left to learn!