The Treacherous Eastside

        So as I awaited for my train at 9:53 am in Valley Stream I began to feel some rain drops on my head.  And I began to think oh man I forgot my sweater, my umbrella and I shouldu've wore my rain boots today.  Oh wells it was too late.  So I got into Penn Station at 10:33 with enough time to pickup a cup of fresh fruit and a bottle of water.  Was ahead of time waiting for my professors at 10:50 as they had requested prior to this class.  So we all met up at the same spot and we headed out of Penn Station on 34h street and began to walk down to 42nd Street where we went to our first stop was the New York Public Library  that was constructed in 1897 and opened to the public in May, 1911.  It's 

known as the Humanities and Social Sciences Library of New York, it is one of four major research facilities, and world famous for its collections and admired for the architecture of its building (Blue Guide, 207).

When we were in front all I saw was a huge, enormous building that looked like the White House or some sort of court house never imagined it could be a library.  But I thought yes it can and only in NYC.  Once inside it was all floor to ceiling white marble and as I walked up to the third floor my eyes were amazed to see the murals in the Rotunda that were created by Edward Laning depicting the story of the recorded word ( Blue Guide, 208).  Mike  then told us if we knew what a Haiku was? and it all started to come back to me from when I was in elementary school and I did a book with all kinds of poems in it.  A Haiku is a poetic form and a type of poetry from the Japanese culture.  Haiku combines form, content, and language in a meaningful, yet compact form.  Haiku poets, which you will soon be, write about everyday things.  Many themes include nature, feelings, or experiences.  Usually they use simple words and grammar.  The most common form for Haiku is three short lines.  The first line usually contains five (5) syllables, the second line seven (7) syllables, and the third line contains five (5) syllables. Haiku doesn't rhyme.  A Haiku must "paint" a mental image in the reader's mind.  This is the challenge of Haiku - to put the poem's meaning and imagery in the reader's mind in ONLY 17 syllables over just three (3) lines of poetry (http://volweb.utk.edu/school/bedford/harrisms/haiku.htm)  So our assignment was to sit in a quiet area and come up with a Haiku describing the New York Public Library.  So this is what I came up with...                                                                                                                  

Shelves filled with great books                                                                                                         

to research and to explore                                                                                                                                     

at the library                                                                                                                                  

This is what came into mind when I thought of this great big place.    

From here in the pouring rain we walked to  St. Patrick's Cathedral at 15 East 51Street in NYC.  It is the largest Catholic cathedral in the U.S. and the 11th largest in the world.  First intended to be a burial plot but the grounds was to rocky.  So in 1850 Archbishops Hughes anounced he was going to build a new cathedral on site. (Blue Guide, 254) Was such a beautiful feeling to enter and see how many people were there listening to the priest.  So I walked to the front and put 2 candles up to Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe and asked her to look after my family, my health and took a moment to thank her for all the beautiful things I had.  Then as I walked out I poured some holy water on my forehead and felt a great peace and blessing after that.  I was so into my time there that 10 minutes were not enough for me and I had to catch up to my class on 53rd street because they had left me behind.  So as we stroll through all these beautiful, luxerious stores like Tiffany and Co., Louis Vuitton, BCBG and many others we stopped in to FAO Schwarz.  

 

FAO Schwarz begins with a warm greeting from the store's real life Toy Soldier.  The soldier was also willing to pose for pictures, while ushering crowds of eager customers into this famous toy store.  So I entered and I decided to go straight to where the sweets were.  I didn't even look at all the toys there, I went straight for the goodies and came out with a sugar rush. haha.... I tried gummy cherries for the first time they were so good. 

From here we walked through the New York Plaza Hotel and went in to Central Park.  In 1844, William Cullen Bryant made the motion that a public park be made in New York City due to industrial expansion taking away most of the areas where plant life and trees could flourish. Andrew Jackson Donning an architect as well and landscape designer also made the motion that a park be built and in 1856 the city made the move and purchased most of what is Central Park for 5 millions dollars (Blue Guide, 280) The plan was based on enhancing existing land and highlight the beauty and value it already had. During the first 20 years of construction a lot was accomplished; 4 to 5 million trees and a variety plants were planted and 62 miles of ceramic pipe was laid. (Blue Guide, 281) what a wet experience.  We walked for miles and miles.  We went by the  Central Park Zoo which opened in 1935 and remodeled in 1988 (Blue Guide, 286) and the Children's Zoo as well  Central Park Zoo was originally not in the design of the park and was actually frowned upon by the designers. As the park opened to the public, the park received many gifts....some in the form of animals, and when a bear cub was signed over to the park, they decided to make some room and create a zoo, which is now one of the most popular zoo's to visit in New York (Blue Guide, 286)  It was not easy at all with this rain.  I slipped when I was going down a hill, but luckily I held on the a fence that was there and didn't get hurt but unfortunately another student in the class slipped on the same spot and did get feel the pain.      

Too bad we couldn't enjoy the beautiful sceneries :(

Just some of us

The Belvedere Castle 

Splish splashing threw Central Park

Finally we took a break for lunch and stopped in at Dallas BBQ.  Most of us that went there went for the lunch special.  Felt so good just to sit and relax. 

$5.99 LUNCH SPECIAL @ Dallas BBQ

Next stop was The Museum of Modern Art  is one of New York's most prized institutions not only for it's vast amount of modern art work but for its;s drawings, designs, exhibits and film. The historical building remodeled and expanded by Yoshio Tanguchi was reopened in 2004 and drew in many visitors in just the first year of its re-open (Blue Guide, 260).  So we all went in a bit wet, cold and we made a small donation and got a ticket to go in.  As we walked around we saw all the different types of art work that there was.  Mike and Hayes spoke to us about a famous American painter called Jackson Pollack(1912-1956).  He was 44 when he died.   His art was all about oil on Canvas.  As per the professors Pollack did not have a strict rationist d just be representation.  His art showed motion power of feelings.  He had no method or pattern.  All of his pieces were anger related.  When he was mad he would just begin to paint and take it out on the canvas.  In the other hand Mark Rothko was the opposite.  His personality was nothing like his art work.  He was an emotional guy nothing to what his work reflected.  Every artist has there own particular method, style, or pattern.  As we walked further in we saw  a colored wall that Elisworth Kelly did.  She was born in 1923.  This is considered modern art.  Then we saw some pop art that reminded me of the Campbell  soup commercial.  Very similar to comics.  Then Mike told us that the blue wall showed minimalization and was another example of modern art.  I was truly amazed to see how Chuck Close did a painting just by using his teeth, tooth pick and paint.  Then we had to pick another form of art that may interest us.  I stuck with modern art.  

Coney Island Oil paint

There was an oil painting on Coney island that grabbed my eye.  Because of the colors and pattern that this artist used.  Joseph Stella was an American, born in Italy (1877-1946).  He did this oil on canvas in 1914.   As per the information that was provided at the Museum  Stella based a series of abstract paintings on the dazzling electric lights and energetic crowds of Brooklyn's Coney Island amusement park and boardwalk.  This one was an unusual for its circular format.  Following a trip to his native Italy and to France in 1910-1911.  Stella became strongly influenced by Italian Futurism, which celebrated the dynamism of modern life.  Another painting from this series.  Battle of Lights: Mardi Gras, Coney Island (Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven) was exhibited in the 1913 Armory show in New York.

Feel in love with this

Never imagined this could be considered art

Wow it is made out of bottle caps

Thought this was very cool

Found it a little bit weird

This concludes our experience through the East Side.  Although it was a very wet day,  it was a great experience and I definitely learned a lot of significant things.  They have played a huge part in the cities history and culture and continue to strive, and improve to this day.