"West Side Charm"

Class 4 was enjoyable, and exhausting! Walking from Penn to Times Square with a camera in hand made me feel like a total tourist. How embarrassing! "Times Square is two triangles created by the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, the 'Crossroads of the World' " (BG, p.217). It's nice, but it's not a major attraction for me. In the first three decades of the 20th century, the theater district developed around Times Square. The Depression crushed Broadway, and in the decades following it, Times Square was known for "crime, drug dealing, and prostitution" (BG, p.218). The area began to improve in the early 1990's. Today, unless I'm going in for a show, I avoid this area like the plague. The pedestrian and bike lanes are great for tourists and non-drivers, but they've greatly increased the congestion and chaos in this area. While some say that the merchants love these lanes, others strongly disagree: http://gothamist.com/2011/07/14/post_blames_bike_lanes_for_bad_busi.php

2nd stop: Rockefeller Center: "a complex of commercial buildings, theaters, plazas, underground concourses, and shops developed principally during the Depression" (BG, p. 243). The buildings were constructed in art deco style. I learned from Professor Don that this ornate style was seen as the "style of the future." The construction provided 75,000 jobs and its technique envisioned the future as greatly optimistic. During the Depression, with its high rate of unemployment, optimism was precisely what New Yorkers needed to break from despair. John D. Rockefeller Jr. believed "that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; and every possession, a duty" and "in the dignity of labour, whether with head or hand, and that the world owes no man a living, but that it owes every man the opportunity to make a living" http://james4america.wordpress.com/2009/03/14/i-believe-words-from-the-great-capitalist-john-d-rockefeller-jr-valuable-premises/. My respect for the creator of this center grew ten sizes today.

The art scheme in the interior of the Rockefeller Center lobby was quite impressive. Professor Don mentioned that all of the art commissioned for Rockefeller Center was focused on the progress of man and new frontiers. My favorite of all was titled "American Progress," and painted in 1933 by Jose Maria Sert. It depicts men constructing modern America. His work is magnificent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_G5D66uP2M

We were off to the Museum of Modern Art. "MOMA's collection of 19th and 20th century painting and sculpture is installed on the 4th and 5th floors" (BG, p.262). Here we saw works by Paul Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso, de Kooning, Monet, Warhol, Pollock, Rothko, and Still. We viewed examples of Analytical Cubism , which Professor Don mentioned that Picasso played a major role in developing. I saw Picasso's Les Demoiselles d' Avignon. The caption read "the result of months of revolution and revision, this painting revolutionized the art world when first seen in Picasso's studio." Really? While I did not stand and analyze its geometrical components, I did observe the absence of feminine beauty in these figures. Their triangular shapes; acromegalic facial features, arms, and hands; and african style masks were interesting but lacking in feminine appeal. The Latin woman in me could not relate to this odd portrayal of les demoiselles.

"Between the early 1890's and the end of his life in 1926, Monet was preoccupied with several series of paintings of the pond in his garden at Giverny" (BG, p. 265). Professor Don explained Impressionism, and highlighted the reflection of plant life, natural light, and clouds on the surface of the water. Claude Monet's Water Lilies mural with its brilliant use of color, and soothing scene, put me in a place of great tranquility.


Yum Yum Thai did not disappoint! I was so hungry and very glad that everything was prepared and served quickly. The steamed dumplings were so tasty that I ordered a second serving. The Thai Fried Rice was delicious, and filling. I felt compelled to taste the Chang, a Thai beer; I liked it. I do intend to visit this place again soon.

Next Stop: HARLEM





Founded in 1658, Nieuw Haarlem attracted Dutch farmers and wealthy merchants. "In 1837 the New York and Harlem Railroad reached out along Park Avenue from City Hall to the Harlem River, opening the area for development, but simultaneously raising a barrier between the east and west sides of Harlem and creating a strip of blight where factories, squatters' shacks, and tenements quickly sprang up (BG, p.437). While eastern Harlem became home to many immigrants, western Harlem attracted middle class German-Americans. Harlem, divided by race and class, was united by Jazz. By the 1920's Harlem had become a mecca for African American musicians, artists, writers, and poets, and the Harlem Renaissance was an expression of their culture through every art form. "The Depression devastated Harlem, revealing the poverty behind the glittering exterior" (BG, p. 438). Depression-Era Harlem saw a surge in crime and violence. Overcrowded Harlem had higher levels of poverty and illness than other areas, and at the root of this was racism. "During the civil rights era of the 1950's and 1960's, Harlem was a focus of political and social activity" (BG, p.438). The heightened racial tension and social issues shaped the civil rights movement in Harlem.   http://www.pbs.org/newshour/forum/february98/harlem2.html. In the late 1990's, the northward spread of gentrification in Manhattan reached Harlem (BG). While many welcome change and see it as good for the neighborhood, some have conflicting emotions. While walking through the streets of Harlem, I did see sharp contrast in such close proximity. It's hard to imagine these two worlds peacefully coexisting.

Had I known what awaited us on the other side of Morningside Park, I would have sprinted across. Let's just say it brought new meaning to the kool aid smile. Morningside Heights is home to Riverside Church, Columbia University, Barnard College, and Riverside Park, where Ulysses S. Grant and his wife are interred. It is evidently also an area with beefcake firemen! John D. Rockefeller Jr. funded construction of Riverside Church. Built in Gothic style, it has been criticized for its aesthetic servitude to Europe and liberal appeal (BG).
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/r/riverside_church_nyc/index.html. The church was immense, and its exterior was quite impressive. As we walked past Riverside Church, we were greeted by charming NYC Firemen. We then walked over to General Grant National Memorial. It was closed to the public, and seizing the opportunity, we took pictures with the friendly "Beefcake" firemen. This NY Experience class just gets better and better!

Last stop: Columbia University Campus
The grounds are beautiful. Constructed in Roman Classical Style, the Low Memorial Library was extraordinary. While sitting on its steps, we viewed the majestic plaza, and guessed at the tuition rates. "Columbia University, one of the oldest, wealthiest, and most respected of all North American universities, is known for its professional schools- medicine, law, business, education, journalism, and architecture- and for the School of General Studies, where adults of any age can work toward degrees" (BG, p.427). Ivy league education comes with a hefty price tag, including room and board, it's a whopping $70,124 per annum! Yikes! It makes Molloy look a whole lot better!