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
Nicole McGuire-Book Review
Nicole McGuire
Book Review
The book The Hidden Dimension, by Edward T. Hall is a very thoughtful and insightful book towards urban space. He came up with the idea of proxemics (“the interrelated observations and theories of man’s use of space as a specialized elaboration of culture”(Hall,1) and applied it to humans and how it’s used within different cultures. The theme of this book is how humans recognize space but depending on the culture you come from may view space in a different type of way. Depending on how you grow up is how you view space and how humans keep distance from on another. “Thus it must be impressed upon architects, city planners, and builders that is this country is to avoid catastrophe, we must begin seeing man as an interlocutor with his environment, an environment which these same planners, architects, and builders are now creating with little reference to man’s proxemic needs” (Hall, 6).
The central argument of Hall’s book was that one man’s observation of space comes from different senses that are derived from culture. “Selective screening of sensory data admits some things while filtering out others, so that experience as it is perceived through one set of culturally patterned sensory screens is quiet different from experience perceived through another culture” (Hall, 2). Every culture has different traits and through these different traits people experience different events. But experience does not necessarily make how man views space. Hall then argues that one man’s view of space can cause problems in “cross-cultural relationships”. All cultures have a specific way of how they organize space within their minds and communities. This then leads to problems in communication with one another. “What Gibson has done is to analyze and describe the system and the component “stimulus variables” which combine to provide the information man needs in order to do all that movement implies on the surface of our globe” (Hall, 191). With the senses, man can come up with different types of spaces through his culture and environment.
Some interesting points in Hall’s book was how human’s deal with personal and informal space. People have there personal space were only certain people (close relations such as family and friends) are allowed to invade. Once someone invades someone else’s personal space people back away or even feel offended. Then there is public space which people may interact with other people depending on the situation put do need their space. An example Hall makes of this is when people will normally have a few inches between each other if they are sitting down and no one knows each other. This is very true because even in New York City people will sit in every other seat when waiting for the train just not to invade other people’s space. There are social spaces were people can communicate with strangers and other people without feeling uncomfortable. Throughout the book, the most important point I found was the different perspectives of visual impressions. It wasn’t necessarily his idea, it was Gibson’s ideas, but it was interesting how he connected it to space. “They constitute the basic structural categories of experience into which the more specific varieties of vision fit” (Hall, 191). This relates to space because culture molds how individuals see space through there eyes. “Bioncular perspective operates very much out of awareness” (Hall, 192).
The arguments of this book relate to the themes we have discussed in class through urban planning and public and private spaces. In class we have discussed how cities and neighborhoods have come together, and this relates because all different cultures have different ways of organizing their communities. All humans have different ideas of how they want to organize there spaces which creates the streets and environments people live in. Different uses of spaces can create communication problems through different groups of people and this could also relate to the unfairness of how certain neighborhoods are set up and separated. The use of space is different through all cultures which makes the world an unique urban space.
Book Review
The book The Hidden Dimension, by Edward T. Hall is a very thoughtful and insightful book towards urban space. He came up with the idea of proxemics (“the interrelated observations and theories of man’s use of space as a specialized elaboration of culture”(Hall,1) and applied it to humans and how it’s used within different cultures. The theme of this book is how humans recognize space but depending on the culture you come from may view space in a different type of way. Depending on how you grow up is how you view space and how humans keep distance from on another. “Thus it must be impressed upon architects, city planners, and builders that is this country is to avoid catastrophe, we must begin seeing man as an interlocutor with his environment, an environment which these same planners, architects, and builders are now creating with little reference to man’s proxemic needs” (Hall, 6).
The central argument of Hall’s book was that one man’s observation of space comes from different senses that are derived from culture. “Selective screening of sensory data admits some things while filtering out others, so that experience as it is perceived through one set of culturally patterned sensory screens is quiet different from experience perceived through another culture” (Hall, 2). Every culture has different traits and through these different traits people experience different events. But experience does not necessarily make how man views space. Hall then argues that one man’s view of space can cause problems in “cross-cultural relationships”. All cultures have a specific way of how they organize space within their minds and communities. This then leads to problems in communication with one another. “What Gibson has done is to analyze and describe the system and the component “stimulus variables” which combine to provide the information man needs in order to do all that movement implies on the surface of our globe” (Hall, 191). With the senses, man can come up with different types of spaces through his culture and environment.
Some interesting points in Hall’s book was how human’s deal with personal and informal space. People have there personal space were only certain people (close relations such as family and friends) are allowed to invade. Once someone invades someone else’s personal space people back away or even feel offended. Then there is public space which people may interact with other people depending on the situation put do need their space. An example Hall makes of this is when people will normally have a few inches between each other if they are sitting down and no one knows each other. This is very true because even in New York City people will sit in every other seat when waiting for the train just not to invade other people’s space. There are social spaces were people can communicate with strangers and other people without feeling uncomfortable. Throughout the book, the most important point I found was the different perspectives of visual impressions. It wasn’t necessarily his idea, it was Gibson’s ideas, but it was interesting how he connected it to space. “They constitute the basic structural categories of experience into which the more specific varieties of vision fit” (Hall, 191). This relates to space because culture molds how individuals see space through there eyes. “Bioncular perspective operates very much out of awareness” (Hall, 192).
The arguments of this book relate to the themes we have discussed in class through urban planning and public and private spaces. In class we have discussed how cities and neighborhoods have come together, and this relates because all different cultures have different ways of organizing their communities. All humans have different ideas of how they want to organize there spaces which creates the streets and environments people live in. Different uses of spaces can create communication problems through different groups of people and this could also relate to the unfairness of how certain neighborhoods are set up and separated. The use of space is different through all cultures which makes the world an unique urban space.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Tamon Charles-Book Review
Urban Life
Spring 2010
Book Review
I found the book entitled “Behind the Gates: Life, Security, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Fortress America” by Setha Low was very interesting and necessary for the society that we currently live in. The book is presented as an autobiography where the author seeks to take a childhood experience at the tender age of six and growing up in West Los Angeles and explore on a type of lifestyle that she was not aware of. The experience pertained to why she [the author] was not allowed to enter the gated community to play with her friend Dolly who is also her classmate in second grade. Although her friend Dolly later explained her mother’s disapproval of her playing within the walls of the gated community as she [the author] was “low class”, this labeling though dismissed because of her inability to understand what that meant, was the building block that lead to her compiling a collection of research work on what it meant to reside in such a community.
One of strong points of Low’s methodology used to understand the way of living in a gated community was include her personal observation of her sister whom she visited in San Antonio Texas with her husband Joel and daughter. The author was very aware of how the security system was very much like a confined representation of residing. For instance, one morning as she opened the door to get some fresh air, the alarm quickly went off and this immediately got the attention of her sister and her family. To her surprise, their response to alarm going off was unbecoming—they acted as if an uninvited person invaded their property. For the rest of the visitation, she describes her stay there as being “trapped, claustrophobic and uneasy, as if something dangerous is just outside the door” (6). Her mission from then on was to conduct interviews with residents of gated communities to fully cover and unfold the benefits (if any) of inhabiting in such places as opposed to those communities without gates.
Based on her research, Low introduces that living in gated communities was a new version of middle-class American dream as a method of protection from danger, crime and consequently this version is an opportunity to have safe environmental conditions as well as friendly neighbors. As she continues this venture, she incorporates how seldom residents are truly aware of their very neighbors—one of the cons of this type of living arrangement and that to some people, this was preferred.
The author goes on to draw the connection between the design of gated communities were due to crime and the fear of crime as she quotes Jane Jacobs who spoke of “keeping “eyes on the street” is an important solution for creating streets and neighborhood” (22). Low recalled conducting interviews with the residents of Sun Meadow, Texas and found it interesting in the variations of ideas that the homeowners considered prior to purchasing their property. Their common interest was about finding community where family ties are kept and that residents come together to organize events such as Christmas shows as a way of bringing the neighbors together. Whether it was Tara who was seeking an old fashioned community or Georgette, the grandmother married for forty six years who was retired and attempted replicating a military lifestyle or Eileen who seeking community but could not find it although she attended community board meetings as her husband sits on the board—the author concurs that gating does not necessarily create community, however it selects for a certain type of individual as well as level of income.
In all, the author’s argument remains cohesive throughout her findings in the book. She states that “gated communities are an attempt to recapture an ideal world in the face of contemporary realities” (224). She finally affirms the trends of gated communities in California to sum up most communities that “the illusion is important for homeowners because it enables them to feel better about their social status and place in the world in a period of social and economic transition. This evolution of fake gating from the “real” thing substantiates how profoundly gating permeates American culture, replacing and reconstructing notions of “community” “security” and the “American dream” (229).
Spring 2010
Book Review
I found the book entitled “Behind the Gates: Life, Security, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Fortress America” by Setha Low was very interesting and necessary for the society that we currently live in. The book is presented as an autobiography where the author seeks to take a childhood experience at the tender age of six and growing up in West Los Angeles and explore on a type of lifestyle that she was not aware of. The experience pertained to why she [the author] was not allowed to enter the gated community to play with her friend Dolly who is also her classmate in second grade. Although her friend Dolly later explained her mother’s disapproval of her playing within the walls of the gated community as she [the author] was “low class”, this labeling though dismissed because of her inability to understand what that meant, was the building block that lead to her compiling a collection of research work on what it meant to reside in such a community.
One of strong points of Low’s methodology used to understand the way of living in a gated community was include her personal observation of her sister whom she visited in San Antonio Texas with her husband Joel and daughter. The author was very aware of how the security system was very much like a confined representation of residing. For instance, one morning as she opened the door to get some fresh air, the alarm quickly went off and this immediately got the attention of her sister and her family. To her surprise, their response to alarm going off was unbecoming—they acted as if an uninvited person invaded their property. For the rest of the visitation, she describes her stay there as being “trapped, claustrophobic and uneasy, as if something dangerous is just outside the door” (6). Her mission from then on was to conduct interviews with residents of gated communities to fully cover and unfold the benefits (if any) of inhabiting in such places as opposed to those communities without gates.
Based on her research, Low introduces that living in gated communities was a new version of middle-class American dream as a method of protection from danger, crime and consequently this version is an opportunity to have safe environmental conditions as well as friendly neighbors. As she continues this venture, she incorporates how seldom residents are truly aware of their very neighbors—one of the cons of this type of living arrangement and that to some people, this was preferred.
The author goes on to draw the connection between the design of gated communities were due to crime and the fear of crime as she quotes Jane Jacobs who spoke of “keeping “eyes on the street” is an important solution for creating streets and neighborhood” (22). Low recalled conducting interviews with the residents of Sun Meadow, Texas and found it interesting in the variations of ideas that the homeowners considered prior to purchasing their property. Their common interest was about finding community where family ties are kept and that residents come together to organize events such as Christmas shows as a way of bringing the neighbors together. Whether it was Tara who was seeking an old fashioned community or Georgette, the grandmother married for forty six years who was retired and attempted replicating a military lifestyle or Eileen who seeking community but could not find it although she attended community board meetings as her husband sits on the board—the author concurs that gating does not necessarily create community, however it selects for a certain type of individual as well as level of income.
In all, the author’s argument remains cohesive throughout her findings in the book. She states that “gated communities are an attempt to recapture an ideal world in the face of contemporary realities” (224). She finally affirms the trends of gated communities in California to sum up most communities that “the illusion is important for homeowners because it enables them to feel better about their social status and place in the world in a period of social and economic transition. This evolution of fake gating from the “real” thing substantiates how profoundly gating permeates American culture, replacing and reconstructing notions of “community” “security” and the “American dream” (229).
Johanna Kelly-Book Review
Johanna Kelly
Book Review
The book Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier is a book about the life that takes place on the streets of mostly Greenwich and Sixth Avenue. In this book, Duneier discusses the role of street vendors and how they play a significant role in urban life. He speaks about the different street vendors who make a living in New York City by selling things such as books, magazines, and secondhand goods. In this novel, readers will encounter street vendors and the interactions that Mitchell Duneier makes with them on the sidewalks. In this book are recorded the real conversations and discussions and that he had with these people.
Duneier introduces the reader to an important character, Hakim Hasan, who is a book vendor and a street intellectual. Hakim’s role on the street is very unique because he is a public character. This indicates that he doesn’t only sell books to the public; however, he is a watch guard to the street. This evidently links to Jane Jacob’s The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Hakim’s intellectual insight on Jane Jacob’s writing truly does justify that he is a public character to the street. “A public character is anyone who is in frequent contact with a wide circle of people and who is sufficiently interested to make himself a public character. A public character need have no special talents or wisdom to fulfill his function-although he often does” (Duneier, 6). As Duneier describes Hakim’s role on the street, he is clearly perceived as a public character. He is very aware of what goes around on the street and is always able to assist someone in need of help. This connects back to the concept of Jane Jacobs that the sidewalk doesn’t necessarily need an authoritative figure in order to make the people feel safe. People like Hakim are the public characters whom the public can turn to. The regular people on the street guard each other; we are able to maintain safety within each other.
This book successfully shows the connection between Jane Jacobs and one of the elements of urban life. Hakim is an important role model in the story who brings the public on the sidewalk together. His table of books brings an amalgam of people from all over the public. This book therefore brings attention the readers in not to underestimate the street vendors and what they offer to the public. A character such as Hakim is someone who could be also misunderstood. He is an intellectual and educated man who has the ability to communicate with a variety of people, educated or not. He sells books and has a immense amount of knowledge on different books and authors.
Mitchell Duneier does a very successful job with bringing the street vendors to life. I as a reader attained an appreciation for these street vendors and that they are a contribution to our city. Readers will gain respect for these kinds of people who are part of our community. People like Hakim are the ones who create diversity to our New York City sidewalks. It breaks away from stereotypes that we may have about people like Hakim and thus, Duneier allows us to see the real thing.
Book Review
The book Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier is a book about the life that takes place on the streets of mostly Greenwich and Sixth Avenue. In this book, Duneier discusses the role of street vendors and how they play a significant role in urban life. He speaks about the different street vendors who make a living in New York City by selling things such as books, magazines, and secondhand goods. In this novel, readers will encounter street vendors and the interactions that Mitchell Duneier makes with them on the sidewalks. In this book are recorded the real conversations and discussions and that he had with these people.
Duneier introduces the reader to an important character, Hakim Hasan, who is a book vendor and a street intellectual. Hakim’s role on the street is very unique because he is a public character. This indicates that he doesn’t only sell books to the public; however, he is a watch guard to the street. This evidently links to Jane Jacob’s The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Hakim’s intellectual insight on Jane Jacob’s writing truly does justify that he is a public character to the street. “A public character is anyone who is in frequent contact with a wide circle of people and who is sufficiently interested to make himself a public character. A public character need have no special talents or wisdom to fulfill his function-although he often does” (Duneier, 6). As Duneier describes Hakim’s role on the street, he is clearly perceived as a public character. He is very aware of what goes around on the street and is always able to assist someone in need of help. This connects back to the concept of Jane Jacobs that the sidewalk doesn’t necessarily need an authoritative figure in order to make the people feel safe. People like Hakim are the public characters whom the public can turn to. The regular people on the street guard each other; we are able to maintain safety within each other.
This book successfully shows the connection between Jane Jacobs and one of the elements of urban life. Hakim is an important role model in the story who brings the public on the sidewalk together. His table of books brings an amalgam of people from all over the public. This book therefore brings attention the readers in not to underestimate the street vendors and what they offer to the public. A character such as Hakim is someone who could be also misunderstood. He is an intellectual and educated man who has the ability to communicate with a variety of people, educated or not. He sells books and has a immense amount of knowledge on different books and authors.
Mitchell Duneier does a very successful job with bringing the street vendors to life. I as a reader attained an appreciation for these street vendors and that they are a contribution to our city. Readers will gain respect for these kinds of people who are part of our community. People like Hakim are the ones who create diversity to our New York City sidewalks. It breaks away from stereotypes that we may have about people like Hakim and thus, Duneier allows us to see the real thing.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Book Review - Maria Popa
Lance Freeman’s There Goes the Hood: Views of Gentrification from the Ground Up discusses the effects of gentrification on the original residents of a neighborhood undergoing gentrification. Freeman conducted his research in the gentrifying neighborhoods of Harlem and Clinton Hill where he interviewed and befriended the original residents. His book provides an “overview of the evolution of Clinton Hill and Harlem from homes for the upper middle class, to depressed inner city neighborhoods, and finally through the beginnings of gentrification” (17). As he believes that minority groups are the ones to suffer from gentrification and the whites the ones to benefit, he focused his research on minority groups; eighty five percent of the people he interviewed were African American and the other fifteen percent were Latino.
Freeman argues that the “black inner city is unique and set apart from the rest of the metropolis;” (4) its residents create a strong bond within the community and establish a unique culture. He described Harlem as the “physical manifestation of the new negro – rather than relying on whites, the new negro would blaze his own trails and knock down barriers before him. He acted to improve his conditions, and those of his race.” (21) But both Harlem and Clinton Hill were transformed into slums because of the “color line” that limited their residents’ employment opportunities to low paid jobs in retail and personal service industries, and because there were better housing options in other parts of the city that appealed to the wealthier residents.
Freeman discusses how both areas were initially populated by artists and affluent members of the African American community but once “demographic, economic, and political changes created a new middle class that was attracted to the city” (57) both neighborhoods began going through gentrification. One of his main arguments is that there is not enough gentrification literature concentrating on the losses experienced by low income residents, such as losing their homes and the support networks they formed in the community. Therefore he tries to shed light on what these residents go through. Freeman argues that even though some residents welcome gentrification and see it as a way to “bring their neighborhoods into the mainstream of American commercial life with better services that others might take for granted and achieve upward mobility without having to escape to the suburbs or predominantly white neighborhoods.” And most residents appreciate the better produce in groceries stores, the neighborhood’s improved physical appearance, and the increased government responsiveness in providing social services such as trash pickup and public safety, they are skeptical about these improvements and see them as meant for the outsiders not for themselves.
Freeman’s analysis of gentrification reminded me most about our discussion regarding gentrification in Bushwick and the debate on the Atlantic Yards. We discussed in class how the government tries to push out the poor by demolishing public housing and creating mixed income housing. Freeman also focuses on efforts to “deconcentrate the poor” that makes some view gentrification as “state sponsored gentrification” (126). Another point that Freeman focuses on that we discussed in class is how the poor view themselves as powerless. Freeman notes that residents of minority communities wonder “how can neighborhoods under the same mayor be treated so differently” – with better schools, better police protection, cleaner streets, and the like, and they attribute such these differences to the relative power of certain groups…white are clearly viewed as the more powerful group” (108).
What I found most interesting in Freeman’s book is the fact that Harlem was originally intended for upscale whites but it became a mecca for African Americans because of the “consciousness of decisions of African Americans to develop a community in Harlem” (20). He also attributes Harlem’s poverty to the “various types of retail outlets that now sell alcohol in Harlem” (33) and I never made a connection between the two. Finally, the last fact that surprised me was that “blacks lived in Fort Greene since its initial development, [and] in 1860 half of Brooklyn’s population lived in Fort Greene”(38), a neighborhood of which Clinton Hill is a part of but was given a new name “as a marketing ploy to attract a more upscale clientele” (35).
Freeman argues that the “black inner city is unique and set apart from the rest of the metropolis;” (4) its residents create a strong bond within the community and establish a unique culture. He described Harlem as the “physical manifestation of the new negro – rather than relying on whites, the new negro would blaze his own trails and knock down barriers before him. He acted to improve his conditions, and those of his race.” (21) But both Harlem and Clinton Hill were transformed into slums because of the “color line” that limited their residents’ employment opportunities to low paid jobs in retail and personal service industries, and because there were better housing options in other parts of the city that appealed to the wealthier residents.
Freeman discusses how both areas were initially populated by artists and affluent members of the African American community but once “demographic, economic, and political changes created a new middle class that was attracted to the city” (57) both neighborhoods began going through gentrification. One of his main arguments is that there is not enough gentrification literature concentrating on the losses experienced by low income residents, such as losing their homes and the support networks they formed in the community. Therefore he tries to shed light on what these residents go through. Freeman argues that even though some residents welcome gentrification and see it as a way to “bring their neighborhoods into the mainstream of American commercial life with better services that others might take for granted and achieve upward mobility without having to escape to the suburbs or predominantly white neighborhoods.” And most residents appreciate the better produce in groceries stores, the neighborhood’s improved physical appearance, and the increased government responsiveness in providing social services such as trash pickup and public safety, they are skeptical about these improvements and see them as meant for the outsiders not for themselves.
Freeman’s analysis of gentrification reminded me most about our discussion regarding gentrification in Bushwick and the debate on the Atlantic Yards. We discussed in class how the government tries to push out the poor by demolishing public housing and creating mixed income housing. Freeman also focuses on efforts to “deconcentrate the poor” that makes some view gentrification as “state sponsored gentrification” (126). Another point that Freeman focuses on that we discussed in class is how the poor view themselves as powerless. Freeman notes that residents of minority communities wonder “how can neighborhoods under the same mayor be treated so differently” – with better schools, better police protection, cleaner streets, and the like, and they attribute such these differences to the relative power of certain groups…white are clearly viewed as the more powerful group” (108).
What I found most interesting in Freeman’s book is the fact that Harlem was originally intended for upscale whites but it became a mecca for African Americans because of the “consciousness of decisions of African Americans to develop a community in Harlem” (20). He also attributes Harlem’s poverty to the “various types of retail outlets that now sell alcohol in Harlem” (33) and I never made a connection between the two. Finally, the last fact that surprised me was that “blacks lived in Fort Greene since its initial development, [and] in 1860 half of Brooklyn’s population lived in Fort Greene”(38), a neighborhood of which Clinton Hill is a part of but was given a new name “as a marketing ploy to attract a more upscale clientele” (35).
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Activity # 5-Tamon Charles
Community Board 3 Meeting
Community Board 3 has a population of 143,387, up from 138,696 in 1990 and 133,377 in 1980.
As of the year 2000-- 2,056 (1.4%) are White non-Hispanic, 110,431 (76.8%) are African-American, 1,457 (1.0%) Asian or Pacific Islander, 432(0.3%) American Indian or Native Alaskan, 473 (0.3%) of some other race, 2,998 (2.1%) of two or more race, 26,020 (18.1%) of Hispanic origins. 44.9% of the population benefit from public assistance as of 2004, up from 32.7% in 2000. The land area is 1,894.4 acres, or 3.0 square miles (7.7 km²) respectively.
The board’s current Chairperson is Henry L. Butler and its District Manager is Charlene Phillips.
Community Board No.3 comprises of the following neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Stuyvesant Heights, and Ocean Hill in the borough of Brooklyn. It is delimited by Classon Avenue on the West, Flushing Avenue and Broadway on the North and Atlantic Avenue on the South and Saratoga Avenue on the East.
The most recently held meeting I attended was held on May 3rd 2010 at the Von King Cultural Center at 670 Lafayette Avenue at approximately 7:20pm. The meeting began with a warm welcome from the Chairperson who introduced the first presenter Ms. Melissa Lee from the Coalition of Bedford-Stuyvesant. Ms. Lee’s primary concern involved advising members on the importance of completing and returning their Census 2010 forms as the borough of Brooklyn lags behind in funding at a percentage of 50% as of the April 30th deadline.
The next presenter Ms. Sandra Cowello spoke about a grant that the Community Board received concerning the Von King Cultural Center programming for seniors. She embarked that the membership fee was ten dollars per year and that all has to be over the age of fifty-five for approval of membership and be a resident of any of the five boroughs.
The remarks for the Elected Officials portion of the agenda began with representation from the 79th Precinct in Brooklyn by Officer Brown and Captain William Bizcotti who announced the precinct’s new commanding officer-Inspector Peter Bartocuette PSA 7. To the Board’s surprise, they were not informed or aware of that sooner.
Following this was Ms. Tadia Arduso from the District Attorney’s Office publicizing that on Saturday May 8th would be another “pick up cash of guns” event in conjunction with the police department at a neighborhood center. She carefully stated that no questions will be asked nor will anyone will be arrested and that two hundred dollars will be collected per gun as an ongoing process to remove them off the streets.
One of the major discussions on the agenda was a public hearing spearheaded by C. Doris Pinn who is the current 1st Vice Chairperson of Community Board 3. She presented two Attorneys at Law who gave detailed information on the construction of a new department store at 912 Broadway. The hearing described that the 20,000 square fronts on Broadway and Stockton Avenues which encompassed 20% on residential district, proposed that the entire lot be used for commercial use. The application informed that the business owner as a successful entrepreneur and is the current President of the Business Improvement District and who also already runs two other department stores in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn. The difficulty was that although the property was already owned for twenty years, the application was not received by the Zoning Board and that approval thus far was consent of 19 persons from the Broadway Merchants Association. Some of the concerns of the Community Board members include:- failure to utilize the lot for two decades and now—new plans for development, the demographics of the persons to be hired whether they were in-store employees or contractors, the affect on the environment for residents pertaining to the regulations as well as how the construction at the site will disturb residents as well as how the hiring process will be conducted. Towards the end of the meeting the board had actually voted in favor of this new development at Broadway with some stipulations such better employment benefits, state of the art lighting at the site, no rolled down gates and that the owner should be engaged in community give backs to organizations as well as schools and so on –just to name a few of the conditions.
I was very moved by two of the informational presentations. The first was Ian Jack, Forestry, Department of Parks who was excited about the planting season for the Fall 2009/Spring 2010 period. He raised the issues in such a charismatic manner bringing the attention of the focus by the City of New York. This was to plant a new palate of trees which would allow scattering of species in the event of a blight and that these trees are grown with the ambition to live for over 150 years. He discussed the specificity of the trees that were cloned in an attempt to produce low pollen production as well and also answered questions in relation to fixing broken trees in conjunction with the Department of Transportation. The second informational presenter was Yonette Fleming, Founder of the Hattie Carthan Community Farmers Market. Ms. Fleming was very passionate about being a farmer that led to her forming her organization since 1991 as she tries to put into words what it took for her to develop this project from the ground up. She notified the board on the health equity affecting the Bedford-Stuyvesant area and the importance of implementation of new technologies for success and continual growth of the Farmers Market. She explained that up to this date, her involvement in educating the community by instructing 200 elementary school children on a weekly basis on the production of food as well as her 7 employed high school kids who she taught how to harvest food and versatility and the fertility of a compose heap. She also invited everyone for their support and gave the dates of the proposed open market days.
Another item on the agenda that endeavored to positively influence the youths of the neighborhood by putting on a spring kickoff starting May 25th. Representation was be done by young actor Ephraim Benton who was featured in newest films such as “Inside A Chance” as well as “Precious”. There will be screening “Inside A Chance” for the benefit of Haiti’s victims.
In all, the meeting was very well attended and many issues were raised by residents who obviously love and respect their environment. There is a wide array of events that are ongoing as well as in the works for the betterment of this community—for instance; all of the items discussed will be inclusive in a newsletter for the June Community Board meeting. There were 34 present board members and 14 absent members apart from regular community members who were about fifty plus in attendance and the meeting was adjourned at 9:38pm.
Community Board 3 has a population of 143,387, up from 138,696 in 1990 and 133,377 in 1980.
As of the year 2000-- 2,056 (1.4%) are White non-Hispanic, 110,431 (76.8%) are African-American, 1,457 (1.0%) Asian or Pacific Islander, 432(0.3%) American Indian or Native Alaskan, 473 (0.3%) of some other race, 2,998 (2.1%) of two or more race, 26,020 (18.1%) of Hispanic origins. 44.9% of the population benefit from public assistance as of 2004, up from 32.7% in 2000. The land area is 1,894.4 acres, or 3.0 square miles (7.7 km²) respectively.
The board’s current Chairperson is Henry L. Butler and its District Manager is Charlene Phillips.
Community Board No.3 comprises of the following neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Stuyvesant Heights, and Ocean Hill in the borough of Brooklyn. It is delimited by Classon Avenue on the West, Flushing Avenue and Broadway on the North and Atlantic Avenue on the South and Saratoga Avenue on the East.
The most recently held meeting I attended was held on May 3rd 2010 at the Von King Cultural Center at 670 Lafayette Avenue at approximately 7:20pm. The meeting began with a warm welcome from the Chairperson who introduced the first presenter Ms. Melissa Lee from the Coalition of Bedford-Stuyvesant. Ms. Lee’s primary concern involved advising members on the importance of completing and returning their Census 2010 forms as the borough of Brooklyn lags behind in funding at a percentage of 50% as of the April 30th deadline.
The next presenter Ms. Sandra Cowello spoke about a grant that the Community Board received concerning the Von King Cultural Center programming for seniors. She embarked that the membership fee was ten dollars per year and that all has to be over the age of fifty-five for approval of membership and be a resident of any of the five boroughs.
The remarks for the Elected Officials portion of the agenda began with representation from the 79th Precinct in Brooklyn by Officer Brown and Captain William Bizcotti who announced the precinct’s new commanding officer-Inspector Peter Bartocuette PSA 7. To the Board’s surprise, they were not informed or aware of that sooner.
Following this was Ms. Tadia Arduso from the District Attorney’s Office publicizing that on Saturday May 8th would be another “pick up cash of guns” event in conjunction with the police department at a neighborhood center. She carefully stated that no questions will be asked nor will anyone will be arrested and that two hundred dollars will be collected per gun as an ongoing process to remove them off the streets.
One of the major discussions on the agenda was a public hearing spearheaded by C. Doris Pinn who is the current 1st Vice Chairperson of Community Board 3. She presented two Attorneys at Law who gave detailed information on the construction of a new department store at 912 Broadway. The hearing described that the 20,000 square fronts on Broadway and Stockton Avenues which encompassed 20% on residential district, proposed that the entire lot be used for commercial use. The application informed that the business owner as a successful entrepreneur and is the current President of the Business Improvement District and who also already runs two other department stores in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn. The difficulty was that although the property was already owned for twenty years, the application was not received by the Zoning Board and that approval thus far was consent of 19 persons from the Broadway Merchants Association. Some of the concerns of the Community Board members include:- failure to utilize the lot for two decades and now—new plans for development, the demographics of the persons to be hired whether they were in-store employees or contractors, the affect on the environment for residents pertaining to the regulations as well as how the construction at the site will disturb residents as well as how the hiring process will be conducted. Towards the end of the meeting the board had actually voted in favor of this new development at Broadway with some stipulations such better employment benefits, state of the art lighting at the site, no rolled down gates and that the owner should be engaged in community give backs to organizations as well as schools and so on –just to name a few of the conditions.
I was very moved by two of the informational presentations. The first was Ian Jack, Forestry, Department of Parks who was excited about the planting season for the Fall 2009/Spring 2010 period. He raised the issues in such a charismatic manner bringing the attention of the focus by the City of New York. This was to plant a new palate of trees which would allow scattering of species in the event of a blight and that these trees are grown with the ambition to live for over 150 years. He discussed the specificity of the trees that were cloned in an attempt to produce low pollen production as well and also answered questions in relation to fixing broken trees in conjunction with the Department of Transportation. The second informational presenter was Yonette Fleming, Founder of the Hattie Carthan Community Farmers Market. Ms. Fleming was very passionate about being a farmer that led to her forming her organization since 1991 as she tries to put into words what it took for her to develop this project from the ground up. She notified the board on the health equity affecting the Bedford-Stuyvesant area and the importance of implementation of new technologies for success and continual growth of the Farmers Market. She explained that up to this date, her involvement in educating the community by instructing 200 elementary school children on a weekly basis on the production of food as well as her 7 employed high school kids who she taught how to harvest food and versatility and the fertility of a compose heap. She also invited everyone for their support and gave the dates of the proposed open market days.
Another item on the agenda that endeavored to positively influence the youths of the neighborhood by putting on a spring kickoff starting May 25th. Representation was be done by young actor Ephraim Benton who was featured in newest films such as “Inside A Chance” as well as “Precious”. There will be screening “Inside A Chance” for the benefit of Haiti’s victims.
In all, the meeting was very well attended and many issues were raised by residents who obviously love and respect their environment. There is a wide array of events that are ongoing as well as in the works for the betterment of this community—for instance; all of the items discussed will be inclusive in a newsletter for the June Community Board meeting. There were 34 present board members and 14 absent members apart from regular community members who were about fifty plus in attendance and the meeting was adjourned at 9:38pm.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Activity 9 - Maria Popa
After a long search, I finally found an urban life blog that caught my attention - http://ps-chicagodailyphoto.blogspot.com/. Although this blog shows the city of Chicago only through photographs, it does accurately depict the diversity of the city. These beautiful photographs vary from skyscrapers lighting up the Chicago skyline, buildings covered in graffiti, interesting sculptures and architecture, and people going about their regular lives. One picture that especially captivated me was “Snow Showers.” The picture is blurry and the colors fade into each other, which to me shows the fast paced life style of the city and the blending of the various cultures within the city.
One of my favorite blogs was - http://londonwriting.blogspot.com/. This blog details the experiences of an American woman living in London. Her entries are well written, funny, and brief, which only made me want to read more. Her entries vary from urban shopping experiences, museum expositions, fashion trends and the daily routine. She talks about adjusting to life in London, and every time she talks about a new aspect of London she compares it to life in the U.S and it seems like she would rather be here. Despite her critical attitude, she defends herself in almost every single entry saying that she enjoys living in London.
Another blog I enjoyed was - http://mylifeinhayes.blogspot.com/, which details a woman’s life in San Francisco. I liked the simplicity of it; the pictures and the short entries focus on a single subject and make the blog very enjoyable to read. The brief entries focus on subjects varying from local coffee shops, surviving rush hour traffic, and parking issues. One of her blog entries is about her visit to New York in which she talks about encounters rude as well as friendly strangers, as well as feeling star struck while sitting next to Lou Reed and Antony Hegarty , even though I have no idea who they are.
I finally narrowed my search to read what other bloggers thing about New York. One of my favorite was http://sowonderfulandglamorous.blogspot.com/. The author talks about places in the city such as bars, stores, and local events varying from sample sales, happy hour specials, and new store openings. I think tourists would find this blog useful because it provides them with ideas of what to do around the city. Locals will also be interested because the blog focuses on daily things we all go through, like choosing fruit at the fruit stands, the MTA fair hike, and other urban issues. Another New York based blog was - http://anglo-brooklyn.blogspot.com. This blog follows an English man’s life in Brooklyn. His entries discuss everything from the local public school’s art project, to the magnificence of the sunset. Although many of his blogs focus on household tasks and walking his dogs, it offers a different side of living in NYC than what our blog does.
After my extensive research of urban life blogs, I now look differently at blogs. I’m surprised to see how passionate people are about blogging about their lives and their cities, simply for their pleasure and not just because they are required to do so for a college class. I left a comment on each of these blogs including my reaction to their entries and a link to our blog, encouraging them to read about experiences of New York.
One of my favorite blogs was - http://londonwriting.blogspot.com/. This blog details the experiences of an American woman living in London. Her entries are well written, funny, and brief, which only made me want to read more. Her entries vary from urban shopping experiences, museum expositions, fashion trends and the daily routine. She talks about adjusting to life in London, and every time she talks about a new aspect of London she compares it to life in the U.S and it seems like she would rather be here. Despite her critical attitude, she defends herself in almost every single entry saying that she enjoys living in London.
Another blog I enjoyed was - http://mylifeinhayes.blogspot.com/, which details a woman’s life in San Francisco. I liked the simplicity of it; the pictures and the short entries focus on a single subject and make the blog very enjoyable to read. The brief entries focus on subjects varying from local coffee shops, surviving rush hour traffic, and parking issues. One of her blog entries is about her visit to New York in which she talks about encounters rude as well as friendly strangers, as well as feeling star struck while sitting next to Lou Reed and Antony Hegarty , even though I have no idea who they are.
I finally narrowed my search to read what other bloggers thing about New York. One of my favorite was http://sowonderfulandglamorous.blogspot.com/. The author talks about places in the city such as bars, stores, and local events varying from sample sales, happy hour specials, and new store openings. I think tourists would find this blog useful because it provides them with ideas of what to do around the city. Locals will also be interested because the blog focuses on daily things we all go through, like choosing fruit at the fruit stands, the MTA fair hike, and other urban issues. Another New York based blog was - http://anglo-brooklyn.blogspot.com. This blog follows an English man’s life in Brooklyn. His entries discuss everything from the local public school’s art project, to the magnificence of the sunset. Although many of his blogs focus on household tasks and walking his dogs, it offers a different side of living in NYC than what our blog does.
After my extensive research of urban life blogs, I now look differently at blogs. I’m surprised to see how passionate people are about blogging about their lives and their cities, simply for their pleasure and not just because they are required to do so for a college class. I left a comment on each of these blogs including my reaction to their entries and a link to our blog, encouraging them to read about experiences of New York.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tamon Charles-Activity # 9
The urban life blogs that I came across to complete activity nine were as follows:
The First blog which was http://www.urbanlifeblog.com/ that is based in Phoenix, Arizona that pertains to the real estate market as well as the rental investment market in the greater Phoenix area as well as a life blog. The business partners that upkeep the website call themselves the “The Urban Team” that focus on updates on reviews for restaurant and business particularly in downtown/central Phoenix area.
The second blog that really intrigued me was http://www.urbantravelblog.com/ which tells of a traveler named Stuart Wadsworth who in his free time visit areas of central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The newest blog on the link posted April 26th 2010 featured his revisited to the city of Lviv in Ukraine. This particular city has ruins that compile a great mix of Russian, Polish and Austrian influences and Wadsworth captures the everyday functions of the historical remains such as Dominican Cathedral and Latin Cathedral. The architecture of the churches reminded me on our group tours in the Lower East Side of Manhattan where we were shown the only Polish Cathedral in New York City Metropolitan area.
The third blog I came across was http://veggiegardenblog.blogspot.com/ which was one of my favorites! The blog featured very beautiful photographs of forestry, flowers and home gardens. The purpose was to show people how to conserve our spaces and how to cultivate freshly grown food in our very backyards, again, this blog reminded me of the community gardens of Sixth Avenue and Avenue B area of Lower East Side Manhattan. People are investing their time into harvest crops as well as provide very helpful and simple hints as to how you can also do the same.
http://reinventingtransport.blogspot.com/ was the fourth blog I came across that boasts of reinventing urban transport. This blog basically featured a book that can be viewed or downloaded with the provided link. The blogger also included that “the purpose of this guide is to introduce urban transport issues to a wider audience than just professional transport planners and experts”. The book is making the effort to aware community organizations, journalists and decision-makers about the basics of urban transport. I recall the zoning laws of New York in the Williamsburg area of New York which affects its residents concerning the construction of a waterfront which will indefinitely affect urban transport.
The fifth and final blog that caught my eyes was http://www.urbansketchers.com/p/about-this-blog.html that features sketches of the stories of artists featured in more than 30 countries around the world. Illustrators, architects, web developers and graphic designers alike all share their passion for drawing of the buildings, surroundings and people etc. on location. There is a colossal and beautiful drawing of the city of Málaga, Spain just to give mention of attention to detail by the artist. I can only imagine how each traveler was a flaneur on a regular day and was motivated by what was in their immediate viewing and took the time to record exactly what they have seen in urban spaces and places. I was very moved to post my comment on this blog consequently.
Finally, as I have critiqued on these various blogs, I am leaving my blog for any interested person(s) to do the same on mine which is http://sohoflaneurs.blogspot.com/ Share your common interest, concerns on what my group members and I have experienced as we explored the Big Apple and provided feedback! Appreciated! Enjoy!!!
The First blog which was http://www.urbanlifeblog.com/ that is based in Phoenix, Arizona that pertains to the real estate market as well as the rental investment market in the greater Phoenix area as well as a life blog. The business partners that upkeep the website call themselves the “The Urban Team” that focus on updates on reviews for restaurant and business particularly in downtown/central Phoenix area.
The second blog that really intrigued me was http://www.urbantravelblog.com/ which tells of a traveler named Stuart Wadsworth who in his free time visit areas of central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The newest blog on the link posted April 26th 2010 featured his revisited to the city of Lviv in Ukraine. This particular city has ruins that compile a great mix of Russian, Polish and Austrian influences and Wadsworth captures the everyday functions of the historical remains such as Dominican Cathedral and Latin Cathedral. The architecture of the churches reminded me on our group tours in the Lower East Side of Manhattan where we were shown the only Polish Cathedral in New York City Metropolitan area.
The third blog I came across was http://veggiegardenblog.blogspot.com/ which was one of my favorites! The blog featured very beautiful photographs of forestry, flowers and home gardens. The purpose was to show people how to conserve our spaces and how to cultivate freshly grown food in our very backyards, again, this blog reminded me of the community gardens of Sixth Avenue and Avenue B area of Lower East Side Manhattan. People are investing their time into harvest crops as well as provide very helpful and simple hints as to how you can also do the same.
http://reinventingtransport.blogspot.com/ was the fourth blog I came across that boasts of reinventing urban transport. This blog basically featured a book that can be viewed or downloaded with the provided link. The blogger also included that “the purpose of this guide is to introduce urban transport issues to a wider audience than just professional transport planners and experts”. The book is making the effort to aware community organizations, journalists and decision-makers about the basics of urban transport. I recall the zoning laws of New York in the Williamsburg area of New York which affects its residents concerning the construction of a waterfront which will indefinitely affect urban transport.
The fifth and final blog that caught my eyes was http://www.urbansketchers.com/p/about-this-blog.html that features sketches of the stories of artists featured in more than 30 countries around the world. Illustrators, architects, web developers and graphic designers alike all share their passion for drawing of the buildings, surroundings and people etc. on location. There is a colossal and beautiful drawing of the city of Málaga, Spain just to give mention of attention to detail by the artist. I can only imagine how each traveler was a flaneur on a regular day and was motivated by what was in their immediate viewing and took the time to record exactly what they have seen in urban spaces and places. I was very moved to post my comment on this blog consequently.
Finally, as I have critiqued on these various blogs, I am leaving my blog for any interested person(s) to do the same on mine which is http://sohoflaneurs.blogspot.com/ Share your common interest, concerns on what my group members and I have experienced as we explored the Big Apple and provided feedback! Appreciated! Enjoy!!!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Activity # 9- Nicole McGuire
Nicole McGuire
Activity 9
As I began my search looking for other blogs that discussed urban life, the first blog I found was http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/ . This blog basically discusses urban mobility within the Washington, DC area. Richard Layman (the creator of this blog) discusses the zoning updates, having a very own bicycle station, project with public spaces, streetcar technology, and anything dealing with getting the people around the city. This relates to our blog because we did a lot of these activities when we went on our scavenger hunt for activity # 4. We had to search for zoning laws, how the bicycle lanes and traffic lanes connect, and look for old streetcar trolley tracks. Also in Activity # 3 we had to search for public v. private spaces. It seems that in any urban place there are going to be a lot of the same problems and issues. No matter if you are from New York City or Washington D.C.
The second blog I found was http://urbanvista-boston.blogspot.com/ . As I was reading this blog it showed that this person was trying to show the different parts of the city of Boston. This person had great pictures of what Boston looks like in the spring and winter. This person than gets into the discussion about the Industrial part of the city which I found really interesting because it made me think of Kunstler’s term “frontier neighborhood”. It seems as if the neighborhood is in the middle of a developing area and the neighborhoods become separate. In the person’s last post, I found it very interesting that he/she was discussing New York City and described it as the “ultimate urban vista”. The pictures this person took of the buildings in New York shows the urban landscape and what makes New York one of the most urban places to be.
The third blog http://urbanblink.blogspot.com/ , showed different images of New York City. I thought it was very interesting because it captures all the different elements of New York that makes it so urban. The different holiday decorations placed on buildings, the Chestnuts being made on nut carts on the corners of streets, the old newsstands, the scaffoldings, the graffiti on buildings, and also the capture of the skylines. This person also shows pictures of some of the most important spots in NYC such as 125th St. in Harlem. It captures the constant movement of the city and how the city never sleeps. In this blog http://nyportraits.blogspot.com/, there were pictures of NYC also and these pictures show the different lives people live. There was actually a picture of a community garden in alphabet city which relates to the field trip our group took with our guide Johanna. She took us through the East Village and Alphabet city and showed us around the different parts. In this blog there was a photo of the Polish President and his wife who passed away from the horrific plane crash in front of the church, and Johanna informed us of that being the only Polish Catholic Church still around. This relates to our blog because we have actually gone through the East Village and were informed about these facts before I even found this blog.
In the 5th blog I found, http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/, discusses how New York is slowly vanishing. The old buildings are being torn down and being replaced by huge apartment buildings, movie theaters, parking lots, etc. There was also a discussion about the President arriving in Cooper Union which our group also visited this historic place during our field trip. Astor Place is even where we all met up for our trip and that was one of the places the media was located. This blog shows how New York City is changing either for better or for worse. This relates to our blog because we have actually visited the East Village before, and I have not realized how historic the East Village really is. It’s sad to know that New York City is being replaced by all these new images that people are slowly forgetting how NYC came to be known as one of the most urban cities in the world.
On all of these blogs, I have left a comment on some of the entries and I have discussed how there entries are related to our class and to the different activities we have done throughout the semester. Some of the entries in these blogs were also somewhat similar to what we had to discuss in our blogs. On these 5 blogs I have found I have left our link to our blog and wrote comments such as this one “I found this entry to be very interesting. I did not realize that the President visited Cooper Union. I actually visited Cooper Union for the first time about two weeks ago and I did not realize how historic the East Village really is. I've lived in New York my whole life, and it's sad to say that NYC really is vanishing slowly. I'm in an Urban Studies class, and we are discussing all the different elements that makes a city urban. We also go on all these different activities that deal with going to different places around New York and experiencing new things. If you could please check out my blog http://sohoflaneurs.blogspot.com/ , and read some of our entries you will see all the different activities we do and all the interesting things we never knew about our own city! Thanks!” on http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/. Hopefully other bloggers will read some of our interesting entries and be able to relate to our experiences.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tamon Charles-Activity # 8
Activity # 8
It was a beautiful sunny day for the meeting up of two excited groups from our Urban Life class in order that we participated in two tours in two different boroughs. Sunday April 11th at 1pm was the designated date and time for the ladies of “SoHo Flaneurs” as well as “Urban Fever” to assemble near the cubical structure at Astor Place in the East Village. Our group; the “SoHo Flaneurs” were responsible for the first tour in the East Village that was lead by Johanna, whilst “Urban Fever” covered the DUMBO area of Brooklyn.
Our immediate places of interest that I recalled will waiting on our group members included the private Cooper Union University to our left and a Starbucks to our right. We started our exploration on St. Mark’s Place which had some very interesting boutiques, restaurants (I remembered one that served vegetarian cuisine), as well as an amusing outdoor vendor who meant business as he tried to persuade all passers by to purchase bracelets and sun glasses. There was much representation of various European cultures in some of the authentic restaurants as well and these spots were quite filled with citizens that were out enjoying their lunches in the lovely weather.
As we walked and talked we came to the end of street at Avenue B to Tompkins Square Park which was crowded with many people engaged in different activities. Some couples enjoyed each other’s company laying in the grass and soaking up the sun while others were taking a stroll holding hands. To the far left of the park was a gated area that was a mini dog park for pets to also enjoy themselves without the contraption of a leash but with their owners standing closely by and conversing without other owners. Leaving Tompkins Square Park, we headed towards the community gardens that the area had also contained for the purpose of neighbors coming together and taking turns to maintain freshly grown fruits and vegetables. Johanna also informed us that the community kept the garden under control by the use of gates and so everyone who has a membership would have a copy of their own key to these gardens. Shortly after, we were brought to view the only Polish Cathedral in the New York City area and I took note of how beautiful the detailing was on its architectural structure. We were also made aware of another nearby private church that also had a school (St. Joseph’s); however, this church was privately owned and one can see how quickly the gates are closed shortly after parishioners are existed. From then one, Johanna was ecstatic to share one of her favorite eat out places to try falafel which was a well seasoned vegetarian dish served in a roll and this chic place even offered student discounts upon producing your student identification card.
Afterwards, we then headed towards the Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall stop via the six train line to continue our exploration in DUMBO, Brooklyn. For this part, shortly after we exited the train, we had a great excursion on the historical Brooklyn Bridge. I observed that the walking trial on the Bridge was separated by a white line for pedestrians as well as cyclists. At the other end of the Bridge was the ever hectic Brooklyn Heights that we quickly walked passed to get to DUMBO.
I have realized that Maya was taking us along a more deserted part of Brooklyn with buildings that were once used as factories and to our surprised were a few crews of people with models that we capturing the remainder of these buildings of which some had very artistic graffiti works. As we left the secluded area (intersection of Pearl Street and Water Street) we arrived at Old Fulton Street and later on, the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory that boosts of its very delicious homemade ice cream. I believed in their slogan based on the massive line that took us forty five minutes before we arrived at the counter to order our cold treats. The location overlooked the water and New York City water taxis were heavily in use that day while others came to take photos of celebrated events that day—a bridal party could have been seen as they try to include the beautiful New York City skyscrapers in the background on a memorable day.
As the our field trip came to an end and we kept on enjoying the warm weather, I was fascinated to learn about parts of Brooklyn that I have never experienced before as well as the historical events that are attached to it—for instance, we were informed by our guide Maya that the ice cream factory was once a light house for incoming tug boats hence the obvious external structure of the building. “Extraordinary changes of scale took place in the masses of buildings” (Kunstler, 35). In all, it was an amazing experience with friendly classmates and indeed an enjoyably spent Sunday afternoon.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Johanna Kelly-Activity #7
Johanna Kelly
Activity #7
For my plaza observation, I went to visit Paley Park located on East 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan. I went there during an early break that I had in school. As I arrived there, I didn’t see much people there probably because it wasn’t around lunchtime yet. Thus, there were many seats there available for me to sit on. As I sit down I decided to face the falling water at first. It was a very pleasant feeling to have a break in a quiet spot. I noticed how this unique park was very serene and relaxing. It did not feel like any of the other parks that I usually encounter in my every day life. It was a very warm day however; I noticed that where I was sitting there wasn’t any sun. I spotted a chair where it was directly standing in the sunlight. I decided to sit there instead. As I sat around and observed the scenery, I noticed that it was getting warmer as it was reaching mid afternoon. And now the sun was not beaming on me anymore but in a different area. This reminded me about what William H. Whyte wrote in his book about urban spaces. He noted in his text that the sun does not directly link to the people. People in urban spaces enjoy sitting in the sunlight. However, even if the sun does shift away, the place feels warm enough to the people that it does not want them to move.
As I looked around, I saw a few people sitting alone in their chairs. Their ages varied from thirties to maybe early sixties. I spotted a young girl about in her early thirties dressed in a black and white suit. She was eating her lunch while listening to her iPod. I found this interesting because I on the other hand did not even think to listen to my iPod. I found it very serene to listen to the water falling instead. I noticed how little time I ever have in the day to pay attention to what is going on in the city. One of the important ways to make observations is by using one of the five senses, such as hearing. So I did not want to disconnect myself from the rest of the world with music as the young lady next to me did. I then spotted a woman about in her early sixties. She was sitting and reading a book. I noticed that people came to Paley Park for different reason. Some came during their lunch breaks at work and some just to relax away from the busy streets. The trees surrounding the parks created a sense of serenity and it clearly felt like I was separated from the noisy New York City streets. As I sat and observed the area, I noticed that more people were coming to the park. People in pairs were coming very excited to talk and eat their lunch. They grabbed seats that were available and positioned them in different places. I noticed that the people who sat alone liked to face to the side where they could have more privacy and not be distracted. People sitting talking with others positioned themselves more to the center or towards facing the street. I really enjoyed sitting and observing the people in this park. It was nice to experience being in a different kind of park in the city. The setting of the environment in Paley Park was very pleasant to be in and I would definitely return there for leisure time.
Activity #7
For my plaza observation, I went to visit Paley Park located on East 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan. I went there during an early break that I had in school. As I arrived there, I didn’t see much people there probably because it wasn’t around lunchtime yet. Thus, there were many seats there available for me to sit on. As I sit down I decided to face the falling water at first. It was a very pleasant feeling to have a break in a quiet spot. I noticed how this unique park was very serene and relaxing. It did not feel like any of the other parks that I usually encounter in my every day life. It was a very warm day however; I noticed that where I was sitting there wasn’t any sun. I spotted a chair where it was directly standing in the sunlight. I decided to sit there instead. As I sat around and observed the scenery, I noticed that it was getting warmer as it was reaching mid afternoon. And now the sun was not beaming on me anymore but in a different area. This reminded me about what William H. Whyte wrote in his book about urban spaces. He noted in his text that the sun does not directly link to the people. People in urban spaces enjoy sitting in the sunlight. However, even if the sun does shift away, the place feels warm enough to the people that it does not want them to move.
As I looked around, I saw a few people sitting alone in their chairs. Their ages varied from thirties to maybe early sixties. I spotted a young girl about in her early thirties dressed in a black and white suit. She was eating her lunch while listening to her iPod. I found this interesting because I on the other hand did not even think to listen to my iPod. I found it very serene to listen to the water falling instead. I noticed how little time I ever have in the day to pay attention to what is going on in the city. One of the important ways to make observations is by using one of the five senses, such as hearing. So I did not want to disconnect myself from the rest of the world with music as the young lady next to me did. I then spotted a woman about in her early sixties. She was sitting and reading a book. I noticed that people came to Paley Park for different reason. Some came during their lunch breaks at work and some just to relax away from the busy streets. The trees surrounding the parks created a sense of serenity and it clearly felt like I was separated from the noisy New York City streets. As I sat and observed the area, I noticed that more people were coming to the park. People in pairs were coming very excited to talk and eat their lunch. They grabbed seats that were available and positioned them in different places. I noticed that the people who sat alone liked to face to the side where they could have more privacy and not be distracted. People sitting talking with others positioned themselves more to the center or towards facing the street. I really enjoyed sitting and observing the people in this park. It was nice to experience being in a different kind of park in the city. The setting of the environment in Paley Park was very pleasant to be in and I would definitely return there for leisure time.
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