WELCOME! We are the SOHO Flaneurs bloggers and we are excited to share our insight on what we have gained through exploring New York City throughout the Spring 2010 semester! We represent the culture and livelihood of the Big Apple and present our blog with eagerness and vitality!
This blog results from the collaboration of five very different girls who were randomly picked to work together for an urban life class. All five of us submitted a write up of all ten activities we did, as well as an assigned book report and even though we all had the same assignment our responses are very different. We walked around New York City discovering new places and even learned how to see a place we’ve known forever from an entirely different perspective. Most of the times we explored the city individually, except for activity eight for which we went on a group field trip in collaboration with another group from our class--"Urban Fever."
Although we’ve been working together for three months before the fieldtrip, walking around the East Village, crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, and waiting together on an incredibly long line at the Brooklyn Ice Cream factory, strengthened our bond.
For this, we have included colorful pictures to share our stories behind our findings and to also give you the reader an idea of what our findings! Although, not all activities were illustrated with photos, we hope that you can envision our postings and appreciate the vastness and uniqueness of New York City!
Throughout the semester we learned how to see the city through different lenses and notice things we normally didn’t such as the number of people or eyes on the street, the diversity of a neighborhood, or the width of sidewalks. For three months we acted like tourists in our own city, trying to learn everything there was about it, but in the end we did just that and made great friends. We learned new facts about the city we live in and as a team we started to appreciate what our city really has to offer. When one person here’s “New York City” they think mainly of Manhattan and forget about the other four boroughs. Doing these different activities for class helped us realize all the unique things that all five boroughs have to offer. New York City will always be our urban home and so we each share this pride.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Johanna Kelly-Activity #10
Johanna Kelly
Activity #10
The trip to Freshkills Park was a lot of fun because we visited a park that was actually in the process of being made. I learned on this trip that Freshkills Park was once a land of garbage. All the garbage that was from the different boroughs in New York City was being dumped into that area of Staten Island. The wastes were actually being dispensed right next to residential homes; it was very unpleasant for residents to have to live near this. I was very surprised when we arrived to Freshkills Park because I was expecting to see mounds of garbage piled everywhere. However, when we got to the park, I felt as if I was in a beautiful and refreshing meadow. The entire land was green with trees and flowers. I found out that the landscape architect, James Corner, of Freshkills Park was also the designer of the High Line project in New York. Even though it seemed to me that the park looked complete, the tour guide told us that Freshkills Park would be opened in about thirty years from now. “It’s all part of a radical plan to turn Fresh Kills landfill into Fresh Kills Park, with mountain bikers and kayakers and ballplayers sharing 2,315 acres of open space with restored maritime forests, with chestnut trees dotting dry prairies, with new or revived sweet-gum swamps, maybe a fox scooting through persimmon copses or a deer through a new birch thicket” (Sullivan, 1). Therefore, a lot of interesting things will be incorporated to the park before it actually opens. There are bright prospects ahead with the environment we are living in.
I was really surprised and engaged how I was at a new landfill area that will probably look very different in the next thirty years when it is actually a park. “This idea of a park—a green, pastoral place to sport and play—hasn’t evolved much since Central Park was finished.” It will be so interesting one day when the park is finally open and I go visit it only to find it looking completely different than the way I saw it on this trip. I learned on this trip how urban areas could always be renewed and changed for the better. What was once a landfill of garbage is now becoming a beauty and natural landfill mark.
Activity #10
The trip to Freshkills Park was a lot of fun because we visited a park that was actually in the process of being made. I learned on this trip that Freshkills Park was once a land of garbage. All the garbage that was from the different boroughs in New York City was being dumped into that area of Staten Island. The wastes were actually being dispensed right next to residential homes; it was very unpleasant for residents to have to live near this. I was very surprised when we arrived to Freshkills Park because I was expecting to see mounds of garbage piled everywhere. However, when we got to the park, I felt as if I was in a beautiful and refreshing meadow. The entire land was green with trees and flowers. I found out that the landscape architect, James Corner, of Freshkills Park was also the designer of the High Line project in New York. Even though it seemed to me that the park looked complete, the tour guide told us that Freshkills Park would be opened in about thirty years from now. “It’s all part of a radical plan to turn Fresh Kills landfill into Fresh Kills Park, with mountain bikers and kayakers and ballplayers sharing 2,315 acres of open space with restored maritime forests, with chestnut trees dotting dry prairies, with new or revived sweet-gum swamps, maybe a fox scooting through persimmon copses or a deer through a new birch thicket” (Sullivan, 1). Therefore, a lot of interesting things will be incorporated to the park before it actually opens. There are bright prospects ahead with the environment we are living in.
I was really surprised and engaged how I was at a new landfill area that will probably look very different in the next thirty years when it is actually a park. “This idea of a park—a green, pastoral place to sport and play—hasn’t evolved much since Central Park was finished.” It will be so interesting one day when the park is finally open and I go visit it only to find it looking completely different than the way I saw it on this trip. I learned on this trip how urban areas could always be renewed and changed for the better. What was once a landfill of garbage is now becoming a beauty and natural landfill mark.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Nicole McGuire- Activity 10
Nicole McGuire
Activity 10
When we went on the trip to Freshkills Park, I really was expecting to see all types of garbage mounted on top of each other. As we reached our destination I was surprised to see the hills of grass. And to think that these hills are made out of New York City garbage just would not connect in my mind. Before even reading the Fresh Kills pamphlet I start to wonder were does our garbage go now. When I found it goes to places like South Carolina and Virginia, I was disappointed to think that it is just a continuing problem and that now some other people have to deal with our garbage. Where does South Carolina and Virginia’s garbage go?
I did find it interesting that something positive is being made out of a once negative situation. An 2200-acre park is in the process of being built that will attract people from all over. “These days the Fresh Kills landfill is somewhere between its infamous, stinking past and its future as Freshkills Park, a 2,200-acre park with meadows and wetlands and a strange-looking name” (Barron, 1). The park will try to compromise everyone’s ideas about what should go on in the park. The people that live in the town of Freshkills will no longer have to deal with the stench of garbage and their environment will be a little cleaner. “Let’s start at the peak of what was once a steaming, stinking, seagull-infested mountain of trash..” (Sullivan, 1). I remember driving by that area before it was closed down and how disgusting and smelly the area really was. Like our tour guide said no one wanted to be around the area and that there were seagulls all over. The area was unhealthy to live in and also caused problems for the residents. These huge hills reminded me of huge mountains and volcanoes. As we were standing on these hills it was crazy to think that I was standing on top of tons and tons of garbage. As we were traveling on the bus through the park, I didn’t realize how complex the infrastructure was. There’s the soil barrier layer, gas vent layer, impermeable plastic liner, drainage layer, barrier protection material, and than the planting soil. This whole system tries to keep the environment safe all together from the harmful wastes.
The most interesting part of the trip was learning about the different types of habitat and wildlife. It’s sad to think that these lands were once wet lands with a healthy environment. “It’s actually not uncommon to have a large bird population on a former landfill site,” he said. “A good portion of the Meadowlands was landfill, and that’s a really popular site for bird-watching” (Barron, 1). It’s very interesting to think that nature is slowly starting to come back to Freshkills and how it will bring a whole new meaning to the park. The park will take sometime to come together but it’s very inspiring to know that there will eventually be cross-country skiing, environmental education, promenade and barge gardens, bridle trails, multi-use paths, and canoe and kayak launches. People from all over will be able to enjoy the park and all that it has to offer. This park will also bring a new meaning to New York City and show that even an urban city can bring nature to life.
This field trip definitely made me think more about my surroundings and about how I control my own garbage. It made me want to research where my garbage goes and to think that some other people have to deal with my garbage made me feel really guilty. I’m also starting to inform my friends and family about our garbage and where it’s going and to think twice before you throw something away. But now that this landfill is turning into a park, it will be a place for everyone to enjoy and celebrate together.
Activity 10
When we went on the trip to Freshkills Park, I really was expecting to see all types of garbage mounted on top of each other. As we reached our destination I was surprised to see the hills of grass. And to think that these hills are made out of New York City garbage just would not connect in my mind. Before even reading the Fresh Kills pamphlet I start to wonder were does our garbage go now. When I found it goes to places like South Carolina and Virginia, I was disappointed to think that it is just a continuing problem and that now some other people have to deal with our garbage. Where does South Carolina and Virginia’s garbage go?
I did find it interesting that something positive is being made out of a once negative situation. An 2200-acre park is in the process of being built that will attract people from all over. “These days the Fresh Kills landfill is somewhere between its infamous, stinking past and its future as Freshkills Park, a 2,200-acre park with meadows and wetlands and a strange-looking name” (Barron, 1). The park will try to compromise everyone’s ideas about what should go on in the park. The people that live in the town of Freshkills will no longer have to deal with the stench of garbage and their environment will be a little cleaner. “Let’s start at the peak of what was once a steaming, stinking, seagull-infested mountain of trash..” (Sullivan, 1). I remember driving by that area before it was closed down and how disgusting and smelly the area really was. Like our tour guide said no one wanted to be around the area and that there were seagulls all over. The area was unhealthy to live in and also caused problems for the residents. These huge hills reminded me of huge mountains and volcanoes. As we were standing on these hills it was crazy to think that I was standing on top of tons and tons of garbage. As we were traveling on the bus through the park, I didn’t realize how complex the infrastructure was. There’s the soil barrier layer, gas vent layer, impermeable plastic liner, drainage layer, barrier protection material, and than the planting soil. This whole system tries to keep the environment safe all together from the harmful wastes.
The most interesting part of the trip was learning about the different types of habitat and wildlife. It’s sad to think that these lands were once wet lands with a healthy environment. “It’s actually not uncommon to have a large bird population on a former landfill site,” he said. “A good portion of the Meadowlands was landfill, and that’s a really popular site for bird-watching” (Barron, 1). It’s very interesting to think that nature is slowly starting to come back to Freshkills and how it will bring a whole new meaning to the park. The park will take sometime to come together but it’s very inspiring to know that there will eventually be cross-country skiing, environmental education, promenade and barge gardens, bridle trails, multi-use paths, and canoe and kayak launches. People from all over will be able to enjoy the park and all that it has to offer. This park will also bring a new meaning to New York City and show that even an urban city can bring nature to life.
This field trip definitely made me think more about my surroundings and about how I control my own garbage. It made me want to research where my garbage goes and to think that some other people have to deal with my garbage made me feel really guilty. I’m also starting to inform my friends and family about our garbage and where it’s going and to think twice before you throw something away. But now that this landfill is turning into a park, it will be a place for everyone to enjoy and celebrate together.
Johanna Kelly-Activity #9
Johanna Kelly
Activity #9
The blogs that I visited were:
1) http://networkedblogs.com/3Erqz
This blog was very interesting because it spoke about a city in a near by state, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The blog describes the beauty of Pittsburgh and the many attractions the city has to offer. The blog describes how Pittsburg is identified mostly for its Super Bowls and other sports activities. However, it highlights that it has other features as well. It discusses how there are many “hidden neighborhoods” to see in Pittsburgh. The blog also included vivid photographs of the city and I never imagined how beautiful of a city it is.
It is very interesting that this blog mentions the incredible neighborhoods and even compares them to a “renaissance bloom.” I found an excerpt in Jane Jacob’s book where she speaks of Pittsburgh. “Thus a Pittsburgh study, undertaken to show the supposed clear correlation between better housing and improved social conditions, compared delinquency records in still uncleared slums to delinquency records in new housing projects, and came to the embarrassing discovery that the delinquency was higher in the improved housing” (Jacobs, 113). However, this was written over thirty years ago and this blog was written recently. Therefore, it is interesting to see how throughout time, neighborhoods in cities have changed. Neighborhoods in urban spaces that use to be considered dangerous and “delinquent” are now improved. I realized with this blog that it is very helpful to keep the status of your city updated in order for people not to think of it how it use to be but how it is now.
2) http://theurban.blogs.com/
This blog discussed issues occurring in Seattle, Washington. One of the main issues in this blog was about real estate investors buying old buildings and planning on changing them. This also includes in renewing these historic buildings. I quote directly from the blog, “After these changes, the building will have no chance of being listed as historic, and the developer or investor can then build a skyscraper full of condos for the affluent urbanite.” In this blog, this person expresses his true opinion on issues such as changing old buildings in the city. Thus, this brings more awareness to the people out there on the Internet in order to take action and to have opinions on these kinds of issues. Jane Jacobs would disagree with renewing old buildings and turning them into skyscrapers. As she quotes in her book, “Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them. By old buildings I mean not museum-piece old buildings, not old buildings in an excellent and expensive state of rehabilitation” (Jacobs, 187). She emphasizes on how old buildings are a major and positive contribution to urban life. It is important to preserve the old buildings and allow them to be used for their true purposes. This reminded me of the old fire escape buildings that are here in New York City. As much as it is nice to associate New York City with skyscrapers, old fire escape buildings are also a major part of the look of New York City.
I was glad to read this blog because it spoke about important urban issues that are occurring today. This blog brought attention to me how people do state their opinions on blogs in order to defend their city.
3) http://ctrlshift.co.uk/2010/05/05/craneloft-yorgos-rimenidis-michalis-softas/
I liked this blog because it discussed environmental issues in the city and how to reduce these problems. Interestingly, this blog is shared across the world from students in Volos, Greece. These students were basically sharing a proposal idea on their blog. They were planning an experiment in order to transform port cranes into lofts. The main idea of this project would be showing that this crane loft is a global friendly character. This blog highlighted the importance of reusing objects, structures, and engines that are left behind in the port. The blog included fascinating pictures of their plan for this construction. After reading this blog, it reminded me of the trip that we took to Freshkills Park. This is because it also talked about how to be more eco-friendly in our urban environment in order for there not to be so much garbage in the city. So this blog that I looked at showed how people in other parts of the world are looking for such solutions in order to take care of their urban environment.
4) http://shinelittleglowworm.blogspot.com/
I enjoyed reading this blog because it was separated into small excerpts that made it very simple to read. The author of this blog was a young girl who lives in San Francisco, California. However, based on her blog, it seemed that she traveled to a lot of different cities. For example, in her blog she wrote about her upcoming trip to Ireland and also visiting local areas in her state, such as Santa Barbara. The girl seemed someone I could relate to because she also lives in a big city however, she enjoys visiting new places. I compared myself to her because I also live in a big city, New York. However, throughout this semester, I have been visiting new and unfamiliar places that I’ve never been to or even heard of. The girl’s blog included photographs of the places she visited. It was an engaging blog to read because she spoke directly to the reader and made the blog completely relatable.
5) http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/
This blog was quite intriguing because it spoke about having farms in the New York City boroughs such as Brooklyn and Queens. This was fascinating to me because I have never seen any farmland here in the city. The only farms that I saw were in the countryside of Poland. So it was very interesting to read the blog and actually learn that these kinds of things exist in my city. One of the biggest farms is located in Brooklyn Grange and it grows one of the nation’s leading vegetable producers. Ben Flanner started the farm; his plans of the farm are to grow tomatoes, eggplants, chilies, and various other leafy greens. In this blog I learned that the farm is located on the roof of an industrial building in Long Island City. This idea reminded me about the Freshkills Park project because the park is being built on top of piles of city garbage.
After examining these various blogs on the Internet, I noticed how they were closely related to our blog: http://sohoflaneurs.blogspot.com I left comments on these five blogs and made sure to post the link to our blog. Similarly, people also enjoy posting photos that is related to what they are writing about. My group and I also had a lot of fun during our field trips and we definitely made sure to post pictures up to make the blog come to life.
Activity #9
The blogs that I visited were:
1) http://networkedblogs.com/3Erqz
This blog was very interesting because it spoke about a city in a near by state, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The blog describes the beauty of Pittsburgh and the many attractions the city has to offer. The blog describes how Pittsburg is identified mostly for its Super Bowls and other sports activities. However, it highlights that it has other features as well. It discusses how there are many “hidden neighborhoods” to see in Pittsburgh. The blog also included vivid photographs of the city and I never imagined how beautiful of a city it is.
It is very interesting that this blog mentions the incredible neighborhoods and even compares them to a “renaissance bloom.” I found an excerpt in Jane Jacob’s book where she speaks of Pittsburgh. “Thus a Pittsburgh study, undertaken to show the supposed clear correlation between better housing and improved social conditions, compared delinquency records in still uncleared slums to delinquency records in new housing projects, and came to the embarrassing discovery that the delinquency was higher in the improved housing” (Jacobs, 113). However, this was written over thirty years ago and this blog was written recently. Therefore, it is interesting to see how throughout time, neighborhoods in cities have changed. Neighborhoods in urban spaces that use to be considered dangerous and “delinquent” are now improved. I realized with this blog that it is very helpful to keep the status of your city updated in order for people not to think of it how it use to be but how it is now.
2) http://theurban.blogs.com/
This blog discussed issues occurring in Seattle, Washington. One of the main issues in this blog was about real estate investors buying old buildings and planning on changing them. This also includes in renewing these historic buildings. I quote directly from the blog, “After these changes, the building will have no chance of being listed as historic, and the developer or investor can then build a skyscraper full of condos for the affluent urbanite.” In this blog, this person expresses his true opinion on issues such as changing old buildings in the city. Thus, this brings more awareness to the people out there on the Internet in order to take action and to have opinions on these kinds of issues. Jane Jacobs would disagree with renewing old buildings and turning them into skyscrapers. As she quotes in her book, “Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them. By old buildings I mean not museum-piece old buildings, not old buildings in an excellent and expensive state of rehabilitation” (Jacobs, 187). She emphasizes on how old buildings are a major and positive contribution to urban life. It is important to preserve the old buildings and allow them to be used for their true purposes. This reminded me of the old fire escape buildings that are here in New York City. As much as it is nice to associate New York City with skyscrapers, old fire escape buildings are also a major part of the look of New York City.
I was glad to read this blog because it spoke about important urban issues that are occurring today. This blog brought attention to me how people do state their opinions on blogs in order to defend their city.
3) http://ctrlshift.co.uk/2010/05/05/craneloft-yorgos-rimenidis-michalis-softas/
I liked this blog because it discussed environmental issues in the city and how to reduce these problems. Interestingly, this blog is shared across the world from students in Volos, Greece. These students were basically sharing a proposal idea on their blog. They were planning an experiment in order to transform port cranes into lofts. The main idea of this project would be showing that this crane loft is a global friendly character. This blog highlighted the importance of reusing objects, structures, and engines that are left behind in the port. The blog included fascinating pictures of their plan for this construction. After reading this blog, it reminded me of the trip that we took to Freshkills Park. This is because it also talked about how to be more eco-friendly in our urban environment in order for there not to be so much garbage in the city. So this blog that I looked at showed how people in other parts of the world are looking for such solutions in order to take care of their urban environment.
4) http://shinelittleglowworm.blogspot.com/
I enjoyed reading this blog because it was separated into small excerpts that made it very simple to read. The author of this blog was a young girl who lives in San Francisco, California. However, based on her blog, it seemed that she traveled to a lot of different cities. For example, in her blog she wrote about her upcoming trip to Ireland and also visiting local areas in her state, such as Santa Barbara. The girl seemed someone I could relate to because she also lives in a big city however, she enjoys visiting new places. I compared myself to her because I also live in a big city, New York. However, throughout this semester, I have been visiting new and unfamiliar places that I’ve never been to or even heard of. The girl’s blog included photographs of the places she visited. It was an engaging blog to read because she spoke directly to the reader and made the blog completely relatable.
5) http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/
This blog was quite intriguing because it spoke about having farms in the New York City boroughs such as Brooklyn and Queens. This was fascinating to me because I have never seen any farmland here in the city. The only farms that I saw were in the countryside of Poland. So it was very interesting to read the blog and actually learn that these kinds of things exist in my city. One of the biggest farms is located in Brooklyn Grange and it grows one of the nation’s leading vegetable producers. Ben Flanner started the farm; his plans of the farm are to grow tomatoes, eggplants, chilies, and various other leafy greens. In this blog I learned that the farm is located on the roof of an industrial building in Long Island City. This idea reminded me about the Freshkills Park project because the park is being built on top of piles of city garbage.
After examining these various blogs on the Internet, I noticed how they were closely related to our blog: http://sohoflaneurs.blogspot.com I left comments on these five blogs and made sure to post the link to our blog. Similarly, people also enjoy posting photos that is related to what they are writing about. My group and I also had a lot of fun during our field trips and we definitely made sure to post pictures up to make the blog come to life.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Activity 10 - Maria Popa
Before this class I did not know Freshkills Park existed. In fact, I didn’t even know that Staten Island was bigger than Central Park, much less that it could house a park almost three size of it. During our tour of the park, I learned about and was impressed by the history of the land fill, the process through which the park is created, and the developer’s plans for the future of the park.
According to our tour guide, Freshkills’ name is of Dutch origin and it means “fresh waters” which is evident by the streams that separate the four mounds. The combination of the blue waters and the green of the grass and trees make the park look very naturely, which is incredible considering that is all built on New York City’s trash. Millions of tons of trash that generations of New Yorkers dumped on Staten Island now serve as the structure for what will be the largest park in the city. The planners see the park as a popular destination for people from all the boroughs to kayak, bird watch, bike, hike, star watch and enjoy being outdoors away from city traffic and pollution. But the park is also meant to give back to the community that had to deal with the smell of garbage for decades, and thus has numerous soccer fields and ball parks that can be used by local schools and all members of the community. The park’s four mounds contain trash for various decades and they will all have different purpose, like for example the west mound contains debris from the world trade center buildings and the park’s planners designed it as an area in which ball parks are replaced by monuments commemorating 9/11 victims.
Freshkills has a lot more to offer than a variety of leisurely activities. “Freshkills Park is a fascinating and inspiring project that weaves together a series of unusual issues and disciplines: waste management systems, ecology, landfill infrastructure, urban planning and landscape architecture, public art, land reclamation, sustainability, renewable energy, New York City history” (http://landscapeandurbanism.blogspot.com/2009/03/freshkills-park-blog.html). Personally, I was very impressed by the technology involved in creating this park. There are several layers covering the garbage – the soil barrier layers, the gas vent layer, the drainage layer, the barrier protection material layer, and a minimum of 6 inches of planting soil (which is surprisingly very expensive). I was also shocked to find out that not only are the builders of the park making garbage into something beautiful and healthy that the entire community can enjoy, but they also collect the land fill gas “generated by the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials at solid waste disposal sites,” (booklet) and sell it to the Staten Island community. According to Doug, last year 200,000 Staten Island homes were heated with gas coming from Freshkills, which is really impressive.
Ultimately I cannot wait for the park to be open to the public so everyone can enjoy spending time on millions of tons of garbage covered by very expensive soil. I can’t wait to go there in 20 – 30 years from now when the whole park is open and tell my friends that I’ve been there when the park was just in construction and bore them with trivia facts about the park’s origin.
According to our tour guide, Freshkills’ name is of Dutch origin and it means “fresh waters” which is evident by the streams that separate the four mounds. The combination of the blue waters and the green of the grass and trees make the park look very naturely, which is incredible considering that is all built on New York City’s trash. Millions of tons of trash that generations of New Yorkers dumped on Staten Island now serve as the structure for what will be the largest park in the city. The planners see the park as a popular destination for people from all the boroughs to kayak, bird watch, bike, hike, star watch and enjoy being outdoors away from city traffic and pollution. But the park is also meant to give back to the community that had to deal with the smell of garbage for decades, and thus has numerous soccer fields and ball parks that can be used by local schools and all members of the community. The park’s four mounds contain trash for various decades and they will all have different purpose, like for example the west mound contains debris from the world trade center buildings and the park’s planners designed it as an area in which ball parks are replaced by monuments commemorating 9/11 victims.
Freshkills has a lot more to offer than a variety of leisurely activities. “Freshkills Park is a fascinating and inspiring project that weaves together a series of unusual issues and disciplines: waste management systems, ecology, landfill infrastructure, urban planning and landscape architecture, public art, land reclamation, sustainability, renewable energy, New York City history” (http://landscapeandurbanism.blogspot.com/2009/03/freshkills-park-blog.html). Personally, I was very impressed by the technology involved in creating this park. There are several layers covering the garbage – the soil barrier layers, the gas vent layer, the drainage layer, the barrier protection material layer, and a minimum of 6 inches of planting soil (which is surprisingly very expensive). I was also shocked to find out that not only are the builders of the park making garbage into something beautiful and healthy that the entire community can enjoy, but they also collect the land fill gas “generated by the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials at solid waste disposal sites,” (booklet) and sell it to the Staten Island community. According to Doug, last year 200,000 Staten Island homes were heated with gas coming from Freshkills, which is really impressive.
Ultimately I cannot wait for the park to be open to the public so everyone can enjoy spending time on millions of tons of garbage covered by very expensive soil. I can’t wait to go there in 20 – 30 years from now when the whole park is open and tell my friends that I’ve been there when the park was just in construction and bore them with trivia facts about the park’s origin.
Tamon Charles-Activity # 10
Activity #10-Freshkills Park
On Wednesday, May 5, 2010, a small group of students along with Professor Kessler met up at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal around 8:45am to visit our scheduled Freshkills Park Site Tour. After the twenty minute ride on the ferry, we arrived at St. George to meet up with our Tour Guide whose name was Doug.
We quickly aboard the tour bus and took a drive to the landfill site to explore the development of the area and discuss future plans that will affect not only the Staten Island residents but all residents in the New York City Metropolitan area.
Our briefing on the tour bus included that Freshkills Park makes up 2,200 acres and approximately two and a half the size of Central Park and so is the largest park developed in New York City in over one hundred years. It was once the world’s biggest landfills—and now has been converted in to a productive destination that resulted into tourists from around the world seeking an interest when visiting New York City.
Doug represented the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and also informed us on the history of Freshkills Park. He led the discussion of Robert Moses in 1948 (who was a planner that also considered the development of the Verrazano Bridge) implemented proper dumping of the city’s garbage. Doug went on to discuss how the stench of the waste products have affected residents who often complained to the city to the extent in which the site was closed down—but was reopened in September 2001 for disposal of the contents remaining from ground zero; and then permanently opened in 2006 when the city of New York released a Draft Master Plan for the park (Department of Sanitation). He told us about the infrastructure of the landfill in which the inner surface was dug five feet deep was covered with plastic and then the garbage was then inserted, followed by a soil barrier layer, gas vent and then another impermeable plastic layer. This was then covered with a drainage area, barrier protection material at least two feet deep and then planting soil about six inches deep. This carefully designed infrastructure has led to planting of trees and even a permanent habitat for wildlife such as the osprey we observed nesting and great egret to name a few. The types of habitat that we explored were mainly upland grassfield and scrub shrub when we began the tour on the South Park end of the site. At this end, parts of the city can be observed as well as parts of New Jersey.
As Freshkills continued to be properly maintained by the Solid Waste Management Plan, there are hopes for building a trail running, horseback riding, sitting space as well as mountain biking etc. However, one of the biggest factor affecting this is funding and hence the reason that this transformation may actually occur in about three decades.
In all, this has been an eventful day and I have learned how the city tries its best to maintain and reserve this landfill and consequently allows this space no longer be a hazard but recreational and enjoyable.
On Wednesday, May 5, 2010, a small group of students along with Professor Kessler met up at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal around 8:45am to visit our scheduled Freshkills Park Site Tour. After the twenty minute ride on the ferry, we arrived at St. George to meet up with our Tour Guide whose name was Doug.
We quickly aboard the tour bus and took a drive to the landfill site to explore the development of the area and discuss future plans that will affect not only the Staten Island residents but all residents in the New York City Metropolitan area.
Our briefing on the tour bus included that Freshkills Park makes up 2,200 acres and approximately two and a half the size of Central Park and so is the largest park developed in New York City in over one hundred years. It was once the world’s biggest landfills—and now has been converted in to a productive destination that resulted into tourists from around the world seeking an interest when visiting New York City.
Doug represented the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and also informed us on the history of Freshkills Park. He led the discussion of Robert Moses in 1948 (who was a planner that also considered the development of the Verrazano Bridge) implemented proper dumping of the city’s garbage. Doug went on to discuss how the stench of the waste products have affected residents who often complained to the city to the extent in which the site was closed down—but was reopened in September 2001 for disposal of the contents remaining from ground zero; and then permanently opened in 2006 when the city of New York released a Draft Master Plan for the park (Department of Sanitation). He told us about the infrastructure of the landfill in which the inner surface was dug five feet deep was covered with plastic and then the garbage was then inserted, followed by a soil barrier layer, gas vent and then another impermeable plastic layer. This was then covered with a drainage area, barrier protection material at least two feet deep and then planting soil about six inches deep. This carefully designed infrastructure has led to planting of trees and even a permanent habitat for wildlife such as the osprey we observed nesting and great egret to name a few. The types of habitat that we explored were mainly upland grassfield and scrub shrub when we began the tour on the South Park end of the site. At this end, parts of the city can be observed as well as parts of New Jersey.
As Freshkills continued to be properly maintained by the Solid Waste Management Plan, there are hopes for building a trail running, horseback riding, sitting space as well as mountain biking etc. However, one of the biggest factor affecting this is funding and hence the reason that this transformation may actually occur in about three decades.
In all, this has been an eventful day and I have learned how the city tries its best to maintain and reserve this landfill and consequently allows this space no longer be a hazard but recreational and enjoyable.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Activity #8-Johanna Kelly
Johanna Kelly
Activity 8.1 & 8.2
On the group field trip, I organized my group’s part of the trip to the East Village in Manhattan. Since I live in the East Village, I knew great places to show to my group and the other group, Urban Fever, accompanying us. We all met on Astor Place by the giant cube that has been there for many years. I then led the group towards St. Marks Place since it is such a famous street to visit in the East Village. Since it was a gorgeous day, there were a lot of people hanging out on the street. St. Marks Place was very crowded because a lot of people were shopping around. There are foreign men who stand there with tables out selling hats, sunglasses, and other accessories. Later on we walked over to alphabet city, which is consisted of the letter avenues. I decided to take the group to Tompkins Square Park. The park was crowded with adults and children. Not only is it a park for humans, there is also a little space designated for the dogs. According to Jane Jacobs, Tompkins Square Park would be considered a neighborhood park. I remember while growing up, I associated Tompkins Square Park as the one located near my home. Thus, it is considered a neighborhood park to me. “Even the same person comes for different reasons at different times; sometimes to sit tiredly, sometimes to play or to watch a game, sometimes to read or work, sometimes to show off, sometimes to fall in love, sometimes to keep an appointment, sometimes to savor the hustle of the city from a retreat, sometimes in the hope of finding acquaintances…” (Jacobs, 103). Tompkins Square Park is considered to be mostly where the people from the neighborhood go. It is not perceived as a park for tourists to visit, such as Central Park.
After we walked through the park, we encountered some beautiful community gardens located on Sixth Street and avenue B. This was very nice to see in an urban space. Usually when we think of a city, we imagine busy and noisy streets with cars and lots of people. However, we did encounter a serene spot in the East Village where there were gardens and people could actually sit there and relax. However, we noticed that the gardens were considered a private space. The garden most likely belonged to the community who lived near it. Later on we passed by a Roman Catholic Church belonging to a Polish Parish. This Polish Parish is the only one that remains in Manhattan and thus Polish people all over the borough travel to that only one Polish church. Outside the church, there were candles lit for the Polish President and other victims who died in the tragic plane crash. After passing by the church, we walked through a street of all Indian restaurants. The shift was incredible how we were first surrounded by the Polish culture and then moved on to an Asian culture.
The second part of the field trip consisted of crossing over the Brooklyn Bridge. It was such a pleasant day to spend outdoors and enjoy the beautiful views. After we crossed the bridge, we took a walk through various neighborhoods in Brooklyn. It was a completely different setting than it was in the East Village. The neighborhoods were quiet and empty. Then we came across an area that seemed like a frontier neighborhood. This was because the neighborhood was made up of the projects, which is apartment buildings owned by the city. Thus, this is a frontier neighborhood because it was built in order to help out lower class people. Surrounding the projects, there were a lot of factories. There were also playgrounds; however they were empty. Even though we were in a different borough of New York City, it felt as if we were not in the city anymore. The atmosphere seemed very quiet and calmer. There were not a lot of people on the streets. While when we were in Manhattan, different people, restaurants, and stores surrounded my group and me. Overall, the trip turned out to be very fun and engaging. Thanks to this trip, I was able to visit Brooklyn, a place that I rarely go to. It was also my first time crossing the Brooklyn Bridge by foot. I learned to appreciate this trip because I was able to experience new parts of the city that I never saw before.
Giant Cube on Astor Place
Brooklyn Bridge
Polish Restaurant "Polonia" in the East Village
St. Mark's Place
Soho Flaneurs+Urban Fever
Brooklyn
Activity 8.1 & 8.2
On the group field trip, I organized my group’s part of the trip to the East Village in Manhattan. Since I live in the East Village, I knew great places to show to my group and the other group, Urban Fever, accompanying us. We all met on Astor Place by the giant cube that has been there for many years. I then led the group towards St. Marks Place since it is such a famous street to visit in the East Village. Since it was a gorgeous day, there were a lot of people hanging out on the street. St. Marks Place was very crowded because a lot of people were shopping around. There are foreign men who stand there with tables out selling hats, sunglasses, and other accessories. Later on we walked over to alphabet city, which is consisted of the letter avenues. I decided to take the group to Tompkins Square Park. The park was crowded with adults and children. Not only is it a park for humans, there is also a little space designated for the dogs. According to Jane Jacobs, Tompkins Square Park would be considered a neighborhood park. I remember while growing up, I associated Tompkins Square Park as the one located near my home. Thus, it is considered a neighborhood park to me. “Even the same person comes for different reasons at different times; sometimes to sit tiredly, sometimes to play or to watch a game, sometimes to read or work, sometimes to show off, sometimes to fall in love, sometimes to keep an appointment, sometimes to savor the hustle of the city from a retreat, sometimes in the hope of finding acquaintances…” (Jacobs, 103). Tompkins Square Park is considered to be mostly where the people from the neighborhood go. It is not perceived as a park for tourists to visit, such as Central Park.
After we walked through the park, we encountered some beautiful community gardens located on Sixth Street and avenue B. This was very nice to see in an urban space. Usually when we think of a city, we imagine busy and noisy streets with cars and lots of people. However, we did encounter a serene spot in the East Village where there were gardens and people could actually sit there and relax. However, we noticed that the gardens were considered a private space. The garden most likely belonged to the community who lived near it. Later on we passed by a Roman Catholic Church belonging to a Polish Parish. This Polish Parish is the only one that remains in Manhattan and thus Polish people all over the borough travel to that only one Polish church. Outside the church, there were candles lit for the Polish President and other victims who died in the tragic plane crash. After passing by the church, we walked through a street of all Indian restaurants. The shift was incredible how we were first surrounded by the Polish culture and then moved on to an Asian culture.
The second part of the field trip consisted of crossing over the Brooklyn Bridge. It was such a pleasant day to spend outdoors and enjoy the beautiful views. After we crossed the bridge, we took a walk through various neighborhoods in Brooklyn. It was a completely different setting than it was in the East Village. The neighborhoods were quiet and empty. Then we came across an area that seemed like a frontier neighborhood. This was because the neighborhood was made up of the projects, which is apartment buildings owned by the city. Thus, this is a frontier neighborhood because it was built in order to help out lower class people. Surrounding the projects, there were a lot of factories. There were also playgrounds; however they were empty. Even though we were in a different borough of New York City, it felt as if we were not in the city anymore. The atmosphere seemed very quiet and calmer. There were not a lot of people on the streets. While when we were in Manhattan, different people, restaurants, and stores surrounded my group and me. Overall, the trip turned out to be very fun and engaging. Thanks to this trip, I was able to visit Brooklyn, a place that I rarely go to. It was also my first time crossing the Brooklyn Bridge by foot. I learned to appreciate this trip because I was able to experience new parts of the city that I never saw before.
Giant Cube on Astor Place
Brooklyn Bridge
Polish Restaurant "Polonia" in the East Village
St. Mark's Place
Soho Flaneurs+Urban Fever
Brooklyn
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