Nicole McGuire
2/23/2010
Activity # 3- Public vs. Private
I have walked up and down Chambers Street millions of time because my job is located right on that street. But I have never really paid attention to the different private and/or public places. The street itself is public because no one can tell you that you cannot walk up and down the block. It starts from the River Terrace, Battery Park, goes to the West Side Highway, to Greenwich Street, West Broadway, Church Street, Broadway, all the way to the Brooklyn Bridge. As I was walking past all these streets I started to realize that there were numerous private buildings and places. It was obvious that these buildings were private because there were security guards that you needed to pass before being allowed access inside. There were not to many places open to the public. “This dictated a way of thinking about the community in which private property was everything and the public realm- namely, the streets that connected all the separate pieces of private property- counted for nothing” (Kunstler, 30). This is clearly stating that people are more concerned with private spaces than public because private is restricted for only certain individuals who can gain access to that place. His statement is also very true because these private places were very separate from the public in the sense that you needed an I.D. to get in.
As I started my journey on Friday February 19th, the weather was pretty nice. It was not to sunny but it also was not that cold. I decided to go around 3:30 p.m., since that’s when most people and children are out. As I started walking from near the Brooklyn Bridge I saw that there was a lot of people just walking on Chambers Street. Since the New York City Hall, the Tweed Courthouse, Manhattan Municipal Building, and the New York Surrogate’s court were located right there a lot of people were coming in and out of work. These buildings are private because you could not get in without an I.D. You were not even allowed to sit on the high steps in front of City Hall because the security guards were constantly telling people to get off. Right behind City Hall is a park and its pretty public but the security guards still walk around there guarding what’s going on. “The explosive and implacable manner of New York City’s growth- plus its unique character as an island- had all but completely cut off the population from access to any rural experience” (45). The private building took away from the park and makes it feel more private than open to the public even though anyone can walk through. This was definitely not a gathering space because people were constantly watching you.
Then on Saturday afternoon, February 20th, the whole street was deserted. There were no students really around and the acticity level was pretty low. It was nice outside and the temperature was about in the 40’s. The people mainly walking around were the people who lived around the neighborhood in the huge apartment buildings. As you walk further down Chambers Street there are a lot of fast food restaurants such as Subway, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Quizno’s and other little unknown places such as Bon Chon. These places seems to be a public-private mix because anyone was allowed to come in but only allowed to stay if you were actually purchasing something. There were signs clearly stating “No loitering”, and the manager at Subways kicked this one teenager out because the kid refused to but anything. He wanted to eat lunch with his friends but he was occupying a chair that a buying customer might need to use. When you continue to walk down Chambers towards Battery Park it remains private until you reach Battery Park/River Terrace itself. The elementary school P.S. 234 is completely private and strangers are highly prohibited from being around that school unless to pick up your child. Stuyvesant High School is right down the block and that is also private. There is a bridge that leads you right into the school, and you are not really allowed to walk over that bridge while school is in session but any other time is okay. And then there’s Borough of Manhattan Community College and you are not allowed to sit in front of the school unless you have a BMCC school I.D. card. The security guards are also really strict and there is a station platform for the security guards right in front of the school to the side. Even though it’s considered a public institution, not just anyone is allowed to hang around.
As I reached Battery Park I saw that there were many people walking around or sitting down enjoying the view of the water. There were no security guards around and no one telling anyone that they cannot do something. I saw people gathering around watching a man do some magic tricks and saw some other men playing football on the field. The park was public and people could choose to stay as long as they want, but once again there were a few restrictions. Even a public park that people pay taxes for is not completely private. If you do not follow the rules such as leaving when the park officials tell you that the park is closing, could lead to a problem with the law. “The space between buildings was as important as the buildings itself- did not jibe with American property-ownership traditions, which put little value in the public realm” (39). There will always be a separation between private and public but as time goes on it seems like more and more public places are slowly becoming private without any regard to the public.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Maria Popa - Activity 3: Pubic vs. Private
In my opinion, a public space is a space to which no one can be denied access. A private place, on the other hand, is entirely open only to its owners. But this concept of ownership and restricted access is not always obvious, and it is hard to certainly label a place as either private or public. There are few public spaces left in NYC, and many of them set various restrictions on those who use them and so become increasingly privatized. According to James Kunstler, the lack of public space is due to the fact that most land use laws were “hinged on whether it might deprive somebody of the economic value of their land” (26) and public spaces are simply unprofitable.
For this activity I walked around the area from Lexington Avenue to 5Th Avenue and from 76th street to 83rd street. The area is abundant with private space and has very few public places. Madison and Park Avenue are overwhelmingly private. Other than a few fancy cafes, the buildings are mainly residential or used for small private offices, such as the Church of Scientology Celebrity Center. There were very few people going in or out of these buildings, and the streets were almost deserted both on a windy Friday afternoon, as well as on a warm and pleasant Sunday afternoon.
Lexington Avenue was crowded on both days. This is because there were always people walking to and from the subway station, but mostly because it incorporates both private and public places. Unlike Madison and Park, Lexington is not strictly residential; it is lined with small shops (delis, florists, dog kennels, liquor stores, cafes) and has apartments as well as office space above the shops. Even though these shops are not completely public, anyone can go in and no one will ask them to leave unless they are doing something the owners consider inappropriate. As Kunstler said, stores are “private space masquerading as public space” (120). During shopping hours, people can come and go without paying an admission fee, “but in reality they [are] the guests of the [owner]…this mean[s] no free speech, [and] no right of assembly” (Kunstler, 120).
The public places in this neighborhood I consider to be the steps of the Met, Central Park, and the court yard of P.S 6 Lillie Devereaux Blake School. Central Park is a public park and on both days it was used by a combination of diverse groups, such as joggers, cyclists, little children riding their bikes, nannies pushing strollers, tourists etc. Like Central Park, the steps of the Met were also used as a public place, as well as a gathering place. Although you need to give a donation to go into the museum and the security guards will chase away people they believe don’t “belong” in the lobby, the steps can be used by anyone. On Sunday afternoon there were a variety of people just sitting on the steps, eating lunch, taking pictures, reading, or simply watching the people go in and out of the museum, with no one to tell them they couldn’t do it. On Sunday, the school court yard was used by a few older men playing basketball, as well as school aged children playing in the corner, while their moms or nannies were carefully watching them from the side. Outside the school there was a sign clearly stating that the court yard is a public place while school is not in session, the only such sign I’ve seen in this area.
Ultimately, private places are restricted to the general public either by gates, locked doors, security guards or owners, while public spaces are unguarded and people feel free to do whatever they want (as long as its legal). There are few such places in New York City or any other city, because capitalistic cities are “primarily concerned with the squares of the private property” (Kunstler, 30). This idea of ownership of private property not only restricts the general public from using a certain space but it “degrade[s] the idea of public realm…and the notion that the private individual has a responsibility to this public realm” (Kunstler, 27).
For this activity I walked around the area from Lexington Avenue to 5Th Avenue and from 76th street to 83rd street. The area is abundant with private space and has very few public places. Madison and Park Avenue are overwhelmingly private. Other than a few fancy cafes, the buildings are mainly residential or used for small private offices, such as the Church of Scientology Celebrity Center. There were very few people going in or out of these buildings, and the streets were almost deserted both on a windy Friday afternoon, as well as on a warm and pleasant Sunday afternoon.
Lexington Avenue was crowded on both days. This is because there were always people walking to and from the subway station, but mostly because it incorporates both private and public places. Unlike Madison and Park, Lexington is not strictly residential; it is lined with small shops (delis, florists, dog kennels, liquor stores, cafes) and has apartments as well as office space above the shops. Even though these shops are not completely public, anyone can go in and no one will ask them to leave unless they are doing something the owners consider inappropriate. As Kunstler said, stores are “private space masquerading as public space” (120). During shopping hours, people can come and go without paying an admission fee, “but in reality they [are] the guests of the [owner]…this mean[s] no free speech, [and] no right of assembly” (Kunstler, 120).
The public places in this neighborhood I consider to be the steps of the Met, Central Park, and the court yard of P.S 6 Lillie Devereaux Blake School. Central Park is a public park and on both days it was used by a combination of diverse groups, such as joggers, cyclists, little children riding their bikes, nannies pushing strollers, tourists etc. Like Central Park, the steps of the Met were also used as a public place, as well as a gathering place. Although you need to give a donation to go into the museum and the security guards will chase away people they believe don’t “belong” in the lobby, the steps can be used by anyone. On Sunday afternoon there were a variety of people just sitting on the steps, eating lunch, taking pictures, reading, or simply watching the people go in and out of the museum, with no one to tell them they couldn’t do it. On Sunday, the school court yard was used by a few older men playing basketball, as well as school aged children playing in the corner, while their moms or nannies were carefully watching them from the side. Outside the school there was a sign clearly stating that the court yard is a public place while school is not in session, the only such sign I’ve seen in this area.
Ultimately, private places are restricted to the general public either by gates, locked doors, security guards or owners, while public spaces are unguarded and people feel free to do whatever they want (as long as its legal). There are few such places in New York City or any other city, because capitalistic cities are “primarily concerned with the squares of the private property” (Kunstler, 30). This idea of ownership of private property not only restricts the general public from using a certain space but it “degrade[s] the idea of public realm…and the notion that the private individual has a responsibility to this public realm” (Kunstler, 27).
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Activity # 2-Tamon Charles
Tamon Charles
Activity # 2
I would recommend visiting the Yankees Stadium area for various reasons. It was my very first time exploring this area at 161st Street in the Bronx as I usually would pass by on the number four train. I was very much aware of this particular train line teeming with loyal fans especially around baseball season. The first thing I have noticed getting off the platform was the specific exit (161st Street and River Avenue,) should it be your intent to be a spectator during the game season. Another, I have instantly noticed were the little shops along the corner of Gerard Avenue and 161st where one can easily purchase souvenirs.
The nearby McDonald’s franchise also paid tribute to the fans and the Yankees Stadium. It is very hard to miss the Yankees mascot configures that are featured in the dining area as you stop by for a quick bite. Outside the gray colored stadium was also another replica of the mascot that wears a proud smile to greet fans on their way inside of the arena. What I have also noticed was that both figures were very dynamic—they were both featured to be in batting positions.
As I walked along 161st street, I was impressed to see that this area was bursting with flavor. “It is just so on city streets everywhere. A lively street always has both its users and pure watchers” (Jacobs, 37).There are many delis, adjacent Chase Banks, clothing stores, convenient stores and other fast food franchise that kept the area vibrant even when baseball season has underwent. I have decided to dine at the nearby Burger King to have a better idea of the neighboring citizens. It was quite obvious that the population was made up of citizens of Hispanic/Latino descend. There was a great influx of people ever so often during the early afternoon. There were groups of young people who just came from school and came to enjoy their pass time and even the local folk who occupied the tables to have small talk.
I particularly grew interest in a group of older men around the same age who were discussing issues that seem to bother them such as waiting in line to conduct their businesses whilst their another comrade greeted his fellowmen who he has not seen in awhile. “A city’s very wholeness in bringing together people with communities of interest is one of its greatest assets, possibly the greatest” (Jacobs, 119). They conversed and even share a few laughs while drinking hot beverages to keep warm for the winter temperatures. I have also noticed how frequent the team members at Burger King would clean up immediately after customers have left just to keep the environment safe and welcoming.
In all, I enjoyed my excursion in this area. I appreciated the position of the Joyce Kilmer Park as I continued along East 161st Street and reached as far as Grand Concourse. I even asked someone the name of a beautiful building that is adjacent to the park and was blissful to learn that is was in fact the Bronx Supreme Court. “And, in turn, one of the assets a city district needs is people with access to the political, the administrative, and the special interest communities of the city as a whole” (Jacobs, 119).This locale is very inviting and so the closely knitted community gains a sense of belonging and customary liveliness that only a city like New York can necessitate.
Activity # 2
I would recommend visiting the Yankees Stadium area for various reasons. It was my very first time exploring this area at 161st Street in the Bronx as I usually would pass by on the number four train. I was very much aware of this particular train line teeming with loyal fans especially around baseball season. The first thing I have noticed getting off the platform was the specific exit (161st Street and River Avenue,) should it be your intent to be a spectator during the game season. Another, I have instantly noticed were the little shops along the corner of Gerard Avenue and 161st where one can easily purchase souvenirs.
The nearby McDonald’s franchise also paid tribute to the fans and the Yankees Stadium. It is very hard to miss the Yankees mascot configures that are featured in the dining area as you stop by for a quick bite. Outside the gray colored stadium was also another replica of the mascot that wears a proud smile to greet fans on their way inside of the arena. What I have also noticed was that both figures were very dynamic—they were both featured to be in batting positions.
As I walked along 161st street, I was impressed to see that this area was bursting with flavor. “It is just so on city streets everywhere. A lively street always has both its users and pure watchers” (Jacobs, 37).There are many delis, adjacent Chase Banks, clothing stores, convenient stores and other fast food franchise that kept the area vibrant even when baseball season has underwent. I have decided to dine at the nearby Burger King to have a better idea of the neighboring citizens. It was quite obvious that the population was made up of citizens of Hispanic/Latino descend. There was a great influx of people ever so often during the early afternoon. There were groups of young people who just came from school and came to enjoy their pass time and even the local folk who occupied the tables to have small talk.
I particularly grew interest in a group of older men around the same age who were discussing issues that seem to bother them such as waiting in line to conduct their businesses whilst their another comrade greeted his fellowmen who he has not seen in awhile. “A city’s very wholeness in bringing together people with communities of interest is one of its greatest assets, possibly the greatest” (Jacobs, 119). They conversed and even share a few laughs while drinking hot beverages to keep warm for the winter temperatures. I have also noticed how frequent the team members at Burger King would clean up immediately after customers have left just to keep the environment safe and welcoming.
In all, I enjoyed my excursion in this area. I appreciated the position of the Joyce Kilmer Park as I continued along East 161st Street and reached as far as Grand Concourse. I even asked someone the name of a beautiful building that is adjacent to the park and was blissful to learn that is was in fact the Bronx Supreme Court. “And, in turn, one of the assets a city district needs is people with access to the political, the administrative, and the special interest communities of the city as a whole” (Jacobs, 119).This locale is very inviting and so the closely knitted community gains a sense of belonging and customary liveliness that only a city like New York can necessitate.
Activity #1-Johanna Kelly
Johanna Kelly
Activity #1: “Be a Flauneur”
On a Saturday evening, I took a trip to the Manhattan Mall. I observed the people shopping around the various stores circulated in the mall. I presumed that the majority of the people shopping in the mall were middle class and they seemed to be residents of New York City. They were shopping in stores such as: Strawberry, Aéropostale, Foot Locker, and most of all, JCPenny. The crowd all seemed like they knew where they were going. They looked very concentrated on their shopping however; they also seemed to be very energetic. The age groups of the people varied. I mostly recognized a lot of teenagers shopping together. I noticed a group of young girls shopping and they looked like they were having fun. They had shopping bags from Victoria’s Secret, Strawberry, JCPenny, etc. I realized how diverse the mall was. As I gazed upon the numerous people walking amongst each other, you could tell that they were a mix group of people ranging from white, black, Hispanic, Asian, etc. However, because I live in such a big city, I tend to overlook the immense diversity present. As Jane Jacobs states in her book, “Diversity is natural to big cities” (Jacobs, 144). I have lived in New York City ever since birth and thus, diversity is natural to me because I am surrounded by it all the time.
I observed that there were many families shopping together. There were a lot of kids tagging along with their parents while they were racing from store to store. The only spot where I saw the kids the most excited was when they were entering or exiting Toys’R’Us. So I assumed that these types of families must enjoy taking their kids with them while shopping because I know I would rather shop alone in serenity. I assumed that there were a lot of families shopping together because it was Saturday evening so parents were off from work and they had leisure time.
As I was observing the crowd, I noticed a young guy and girl going down the escalators. They looked about in their teen years, maybe seventeen or eighteen years old. They were standing neutral next to each other and I couldn’t figure out if they were siblings, friends, or a couple. However, as they were reaching the end of the escalator ride, I could tell by their body language that they were not siblings and they were a little more than friends. The way they moved off the escalator showed how their bodies were very close to each other and neither of them looked uncomfortable because of that. I was fascinated in how much you can figure out people and their relationship to each other by just observing their body language.
Then I spotted a family walking towards the store JC Penny. The mother was walking with the daughter in front while the father was tagging along in the bag. The daughter looked about nine or ten years old and she looked like her father. She was carrying an American Girl Palace shopping bag so I presumed that her parents had just bought her an American girl doll. By the way the father was walking behind them you could tell that he didn’t feel so motivated shopping and that he would rather be somewhere else rather in a crowd of people.
Later on I noticed a young woman, maybe about in her early twenties who was walking with her iPhone and cell phone in both her hands. I didn’t quite understand why would she have both since the iPhone allows you to listen to music and speak on the phone. However, it looked as if she was looking for somebody because she had her cell phone in her hand as if she was waiting for a phone call. So I assumed that her iPhone was only used for listening to music. She then approached the security guard for directions. He was pointing her in a certain direction and you could tell that he was trying to make conversation with her. He was a young guy and the outfit she wore made it hard not to find her attractive. She was wearing tight sweats that outlined every curve on her body. She was wearing a tight shirt and a tight jacket on top of that but the jacket did not seem to do any justice since it didn’t even cover her stomach.
Overall, the scene at the mall was interesting to watch because I saw different groups of people but who had one common interest, and that was shopping. Even though it was very crowded in the setting, the people managed to walk in a way that there were no collisions. Thus, you could tell that they all came from the city because they did not seem overwhelmed of the crowd. I noticed that majority of the people that like to hang out in Manhattan mall are teenagers or families. I guess malls seem very cozy and friendly since there are no cars or other interruptions.
Activity # 2- Nicole McGuire
Nicole McGuire
2/12/2010
Activity # 2
The place that I was recommended to visit was the Bay Terrace Mall located in Bayside, Queens. When I was first told about this place, I thought it was going to be a small mall area with a few places to shop. But when I reached my destination I was actually surprised by what I saw. The mall is outside and separated into different sections with numerous restaurants and shops. It reminded me of the outlet stores located in Long Island called Tangers. The mall being outside kind of gives it a suburban feeling because it is not cluttered up all in one building.
I decided to go during the middle of the afternoon and since the mall was outside it was pretty quiet and not to many people were around. The only people that I saw were the people who work in the stores, mothers with their young children, and elderly women. The mall is surrounded by a huge parking lot which shows that most of the people who shop here do not come from this neighborhood. “Automobiles are often conveniently tagged as villains responsible for the ills of cities and the disappointments and futilities of city planning” (Jacobs, 7). The use of cars also gives it an suburban feeling because people in cities usually take buses and trains to get to their destinations but no trains are that close to this mall but you could take the bus. The stores were random in the sense that they were not organized in any particular way. The restaurants were not all right next to each other and the shops were separated also. I felt lonely being there and almost felt out of place. “The sidewalk must have users on it fairly continuously, both to add to the number of effective eyes on the street and to induce the people in buildings along the street to watch the sidewalks in sufficient numbers” (Jacobs, 35). If there were more people around I might not have felt so out of place. Or maybe if there was more people my age walking around in the different shops then maybe I would of felt a little more comfortable with the situation.
As I was walking around I also noticed that there were huge apartment buildings right near the mall. There buildings were so high and isolated from the streets and from the mall. It almost seemed as if those buildings represented a different part of the city that’s how separated it felt from where I was standing. I did see those buildings when I got off the Q28 bus and just looking at them made the whole environment uncomfortable. “ The high-rent tenants, most of whom are so transient we cannot even keep track of their faces, have not the remotest idea of who takes care of their street, or how” (Jacobs, 39). While I was walking around all I could think about is how desolate this area is and all the danger that could be caused within this one area and the people in those apartment buildings would have no idea what was going on. There were no people really paying attention except some security guards but even they were busy talking on texting or talking on their cell phones. Some of these women were even letting their children just run around some of the areas not realizing that their child could easily get kidnapped and no witnesses because there was no one actually watching.
Just from walking around the mall you could tell that not many people in the neighborhood have much contact with what goes on within the mall or if they even have any type of contact with the neighborhood itself. The neighborhood did not seem bad but I did not feel safe. I do not know if it is because I have never been here before or because of it having such low density. “The trust of a city street is formed over time from many, many little public sidewalk contacts” (Jacobs, 56). This statement is true because you get to know your street and neighborhood through making contact with the people you surround yourself with. Maybe the people who live in this neighborhood feel safe because they see one another on a regular basis, but for one of the first times in my life I felt really uncomfortable walking around not knowing a single person and as if I was all by myself in an huge outside mall.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Activity # 2 - Maria Popa
I’ve never been to Staten Island before yesterday, and if it wasn’t for this assignment I probably never would have gone. I cannot say that I was impressed by Staten Island, but nonetheless it was an experience and now I can say that I’ve been to every borough of New York City.
First, I was very surprised by how many tourists equipped with New York City maps and video cameras took the ferry to Staten Island. I always thought of the island as a mostly residential area, but it perfectly fits Jacobs’ idea of a “mixed-use” neighborhood development. Tourists are attracted by the free boat ride and spectacular view of the Statue of Liberty, and the attractions located right outside the St. George terminal such as the Staten Island museum, the ballpark, city hall, and fast food restaurants as well as ritzy steak houses.
Yet, Staten Island mainly caters to its residents, not tourists. The hill across from the waterfront and the ferry terminal is covered with apartment buildings, and at the bottom of the hill there is a police station with about 20 cars out front (to assure a sense of safety as soon as someone steps on the island, I suppose) and a small shopping plaza. The plaza has everything from fast food – Popeye’s, a steak house, a Laundromat, a liquor store, a wine and beer store, a tax office, and a gym. The shopping plaza is neighbored by the police station on one side and a couple of buildings decorated “office space for rent” posters, on the other.
Despite the sidewalks, the shopping area, the playground, and the nearby police station, I was the only person walking up and down the street, and could not help but feel uneasy. I saw no one walk in or out of any of the stores or offices I mentioned above. The streets were busy with cars, but the sidewalks were empty. This made me understand what Jane Jacobs meant when saying that “the simple needs of automobiles are more easily understood and satisfied than the complex needs of cities” (7). The streets were spacey enough to prevent traffic jams, while the sidewalks were narrow and did not encourage any street activity.
Activity #1 - Maria Popa
Once every couple of weeks I take the train to see my parents up in Westchester. Most of the time I’m too engrossed in finding a ticket booth and making my train to even realize how grandiose Grand Central really is. But spending some time there as an observer made me realize that Grand Central represents New York City for what it is, a melting plot.
A tourist is presented with the diversity of New York from the moment he steps into Grand Central. From the suit clad businessmen shouting into their phones, down to the homeless man outside holding up an overused cardboard sign telling everyone who cares to look that “I’m an honest man. I need money to buy beer”, every group in the city is represented here.
I felt like a creep standing on top of the staircase and watching the people below me go about their day. And as an impatient person, I didn’t think I could stay there for more than 10 minutes. Yet quickly enough my attention was caught by a young guy sitting on the steps right bellow the staircase I was on. He wasn’t particularly attractive, but he was intriguing. He had on a bright yellow scarf and was scribbling away in a composition notebook unaffected by, or at least unaware of, the dozens of people who gave him dirty looks after almost tripping over him on their way down the stairs. He never raised his head from his notebook, so I doubt he was an observer like I was.
I was brought back to reality by my friend exclaiming “Whoa that lady’s coat is swanky!” It wasn’t hard finding her; everyone was staring. The woman who was wearing a floor length fur coat was accompanied by two men clad in black suits, and on their way to the balcony bar caught the attention of everyone lingering on the stairway like us. The overdressed party of three came back down in a couple of minutes, but I doubt they were in a rush to catch their train.
Other than these two standouts, on a Friday afternoon Grand Central terminal is also graced with the presence of suburban adolescents ready to “fist pump the night away in the N.Y.C” (this is a direct quote, I really couldn’t make it up). There are also families returning from a day at the museum, with souvenirs in paper bags from the MOMA, the Met, and American Museum of Natural History. There were women with handfuls of shopping bags, as well as white collar workers going home after a long day of work, and many other people you see on the streets of the city on a regular basis.
What I found most surprising was how many people stopped to admire and take pictures of the chandelier in the grand hall and the architectural design. I never really stopped to “ooh” and “ahhh” and take pictures from every angle possible of the ceiling and chandelier. But most people who weren’t rushing anywhere stopped to do so. I suppose they were tourists because those who use Grand Central regularly, like I do, have seen it so many times that its beauty became part of the ordinary.
Activity # 1- Nicole McGuire
Nicole McGuire
2/9/10
Activity #1
As I was walking through Manhattan Mall on February 4th, I never realized how big it was inside. I have passed it numerous times but only looked through the door and saw one or two stores but lots of people. There were two floors filled with the most popular stores in America such as Victoria Secret and Bath and Body Works. But I decided to sit on the lower level of the mall near the food court to observe the different things that was going on.
Many people in the mall were shopping but a lot of people were window shopping. People were looking at certain expensive items and heard a few couples promise their children that in a few weeks they would buy them that certain thing they wanted. There was a group of teenage boys hanging out by the food court trying to talk to the different girls walking past. While I was watching the different groups of people in the food court, I realized that some people have a lot of different shopping bags and some only had one or two. There were all different types of races shopping together. There were black, white, Spanish, and Asian people. Even though there were all these different backgrounds I mainly saw white people shopping in the different stores. This mall was a lot different than the one near my house in Long Island. Until recently most of the people that shopped at the mall were white, until they created a bus system to the mall from other towns and more minorities started shopping there also. This actually makes the mall feel safer because it is more diverse. “But unless eyes are there, and unless in the brains behind those eyes is the almost unconscious reassurance of general street support in upholding civilization, lights can do no good” (Jacobs, 42). In the Manhattan Mall I felt safer because there was this consistent flow of different people walking around and watching everything. “
One instance that I saw at the Manhattan Mall was these two security guards telling this homeless man he has to leave. I saw this as I was leaving the mall and the homeless man started to shout back “I deserve a right to be here too”. Many people were looking at him as if he was crazy and started to give him dirty looks because of his stench and the outfit he was wearing. His hair and face was covered in soot from lying in the streets, at least ten different sweat shirts on, ripped jeans, and he was carrying a huge cart with him that had nothing but bags of clothes in it. But nobody said anything to him; they just ignored him and continued with their shopping. The sad part about this situation is that anyone of these people including myself could lose all the money we have and be homeless just like him one day. Will other people just walk past us and ignore the situation? It does not surprise me that people just stared and acted like this homeless man was not even worth acknowledging because of all the other numerous homeless people, people ignore on a daily basis. But it still amazes me that even though we have all these shelters and programs for the homeless people and the city promotes these ads showing strangers helping the homeless that people are left stranded with nowhere to go. Jane Jacobs’ states in her introduction “Civic centers that are avoided by everyone but bums, who have fewer choices of loitering place than others” (4). This proves Jacob’s point in saying that the city has wasted countless dollars on trying to rebuild but instead of making it better they only made it worse for the people living in the cities. No one living within the urban areas has benefitted which hurts the city as a whole.
2/9/10
Activity #1
As I was walking through Manhattan Mall on February 4th, I never realized how big it was inside. I have passed it numerous times but only looked through the door and saw one or two stores but lots of people. There were two floors filled with the most popular stores in America such as Victoria Secret and Bath and Body Works. But I decided to sit on the lower level of the mall near the food court to observe the different things that was going on.
Many people in the mall were shopping but a lot of people were window shopping. People were looking at certain expensive items and heard a few couples promise their children that in a few weeks they would buy them that certain thing they wanted. There was a group of teenage boys hanging out by the food court trying to talk to the different girls walking past. While I was watching the different groups of people in the food court, I realized that some people have a lot of different shopping bags and some only had one or two. There were all different types of races shopping together. There were black, white, Spanish, and Asian people. Even though there were all these different backgrounds I mainly saw white people shopping in the different stores. This mall was a lot different than the one near my house in Long Island. Until recently most of the people that shopped at the mall were white, until they created a bus system to the mall from other towns and more minorities started shopping there also. This actually makes the mall feel safer because it is more diverse. “But unless eyes are there, and unless in the brains behind those eyes is the almost unconscious reassurance of general street support in upholding civilization, lights can do no good” (Jacobs, 42). In the Manhattan Mall I felt safer because there was this consistent flow of different people walking around and watching everything. “
One instance that I saw at the Manhattan Mall was these two security guards telling this homeless man he has to leave. I saw this as I was leaving the mall and the homeless man started to shout back “I deserve a right to be here too”. Many people were looking at him as if he was crazy and started to give him dirty looks because of his stench and the outfit he was wearing. His hair and face was covered in soot from lying in the streets, at least ten different sweat shirts on, ripped jeans, and he was carrying a huge cart with him that had nothing but bags of clothes in it. But nobody said anything to him; they just ignored him and continued with their shopping. The sad part about this situation is that anyone of these people including myself could lose all the money we have and be homeless just like him one day. Will other people just walk past us and ignore the situation? It does not surprise me that people just stared and acted like this homeless man was not even worth acknowledging because of all the other numerous homeless people, people ignore on a daily basis. But it still amazes me that even though we have all these shelters and programs for the homeless people and the city promotes these ads showing strangers helping the homeless that people are left stranded with nowhere to go. Jane Jacobs’ states in her introduction “Civic centers that are avoided by everyone but bums, who have fewer choices of loitering place than others” (4). This proves Jacob’s point in saying that the city has wasted countless dollars on trying to rebuild but instead of making it better they only made it worse for the people living in the cities. No one living within the urban areas has benefitted which hurts the city as a whole.
Activity #1-Tamon Charles
Tamon Charles
Urban Life 101
Activity #1-Be a Flaneur
The place I have chosen for this exercise was the Atlantic Center that is located in Brooklyn. As I entered the mall, I am noticing people are gathered in groups at time whether as a family (I assume that with some couples with strollers) as well as a clique of friends. Everyone is engaged whether at the McDonalds grabbing a quick snack are being helped by customer service associates in the stores of choice.
I have observed that admits the chattering that some of the trendy stores that are geared towards attracting younger shoppers like Mandees-also use the tactic of playing “hip” and updated music to get turn consumers into perspective customers. I have also observed that in the groups of shoppers-they appeared to be of the same age and of the same sex. For example, at the Victoria Secrets store which is conveniently located next to the Mandees- the same bunch of young women who are having a great time together and enter both stores to enjoy their experience.
I also noticed that more families whether single parent or nuclear and so on preferred using the store Target on the Upper Level of the Center and that more kids are having the time of their lives running in the huge spaces in the aisles of Target rather than the more trendy store-Daffy’s which is adjacent to it. The lighting, various departments and use of colors and lots of open space can be factors that contribute to this. And also, children are more attentive in stores like Mrs. Fields and Mc Donalds as opposed to stores like Daffy’s even if there are items for their age group.
I believe that my observations tell me that urban life is very much about the availability of goods in close proximity that is very convenient for New York City citizens. We have the access to these basic needs or wants and the availability of the transit system that allows us to be at our destinations as quickly as possible. The Atlantic Center for instance is conveniently located above the train station that run locally as well as to the surburbs by use of the Long Island Railroad for instance. And also, there are many bus lines to travel back and forth this Center as well.
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