Journal #8: immigrant New York

            When I woke up this morning, I was sad because it was our last class together. This experience has been like no other. Just like the previous weeks, Maria and I took the 9:18am train to Penn Station. We sat for our last breakfast together. We then walked around Wal-Mart. Who would have known that a store could be that large in the middle of Penn Station? The rest of the class met us at the meeting point and we were off to our last destinations of New York.

            Our first stop was at Delancy Street, where we stopped in at the Essex Street Market. This market was built in 1940 to house the pushcart peddlers. Mayor Fiorello La Guardia legislated that these push carts be off the streets and eventually the market expanded. The market offers foods of all different tastes: Latino, Jewish, Greek, and upscale urbanite (BG, 123). I was able to buy my Coco nut water so that I would have my healthy electrolytes for the day, and then we were off to the Tenement Museum.

            The Tenement Museum was very interesting. Tenements were built so that the city could maximize its space for the exceeding population. In 1867, the city passed an act where landlords were required to provide fire escapes and to connect toilets to sewers (BG, 122). This was a major movement because it was the beginning of safety law for the people who were living in these buildings. It also helped to clean up the streets because there would not be as much land fill. As we walked up the stairs we were asked to imagine carrying buckets of water and coal.  We were able to walk through actual tenements and get the vibe of what a family had to go through during those times. We learned about the Moore family and the different obstacles they had to face in order to survive. One of their babies died from the toxic milk that was being distributed. We learned that they usually took a shower once a month! Ew! Although this museum was fascinating, it was very hot and humid, and there was no ventilation. Although we were getting the full effect of how the people lived during that time, classmates were becoming sick from the heart.

            The tour ended early because of the heat conditions my classmates were experiencing and we headed next door for some Chinese food. I have had Chinese food plenty of times, but this food was out of this world. The ribs, chicken, rice, and vegetables were cooked to perfection. Damian and Mike have exposed me to a dining experience where you can eat like a king but not have to pay the price. After eating, Liz and I traveled to an Ice cream shop. They only had two types of flavors. I tried honey dew, which was very refreshing on a hot day like today.

            After dessert we met back at the Tenement Museum, where our walking guide was waiting for us. She seemed eager and ready to teach us all about the sights of immigrant New York. We first saw Tammany Hall. We learned about Boss Tweed. Tweed was “convicted for stealing an amount estimated by an aldermen's committee in 1877 at between $25 million and $45 million from New York City taxpayers through political corruption, although later estimates ranged as high as $200 million. Based on the inflation or devaluation rate of the dollar since 1870 of 2.7%, $25–$200 million is between $1 and $8 billion 2010 dollars. He died in the Ludlow Street Jail.” We learned that he had two private chefs in jail and two private rooms. Not too bad for being in jail huh?  He escaped custody at one time, but was bought back to jail where he died. We then walked through China Town. China Town is literally like a piece of China in the middle of the city. I was surprised to find out that “while many Manhattan’s other ethnic enclaves are shrinking or gentrifying, Chinatown is expanding eastward beyond its original boundaries into the Lower East Side and northward into Little Italy (BG, 107).” There were fruits that I have never seen before, writing that was all in Chinese (literally), and the Chinese culture was exploding off of the streets. China town has grown slowly throughout the years. Although the China trade bought many traders from the far east in the late 18^th century, only 150 Chinese had established residence in the last hundred years. We learned about Canal Street and how you could get a great knock off bag for a good price.

            We then made our way past Little Italy. It was amazing to see that one culture transformed to the next in just a couple of blocks. The “Italian population has aged or moved away, and today Little Italy has become a tourist draw, attracting visitor to its cafes, “red sauce” restaurants, and ethnic food stores. We passed the famous Ferrera’s Bakery and heard the crowd cheering about the soccer game that was being played. It was interesting to see Little Italy during the day time. The only other time I have been here was at night when my boyfriend got us lost and we had to WALK all the way back to Penn Station.

            At this point, the class was dismissed unless you wanted to visit Williamsburg. Of course I was going to go. I have always wanted to see the Second hand shops that they have to offer. Williamsburg is in the borough of Brooklyn which offers a verity of art, restaurants, and second hand stores. We stopped at this one store where I was about to buy a Lucella Bag for $26. I learned that they are being sold online for $500. Pretty good find if you ask me. Then we stopped at this cute little Thai Food Restaurant. I ate like a pig, once again, and got the pork thai hero. It was so delicious! To top off our “snack” (hehe) we all got a chocolate cake to share. Oh my goodness I cannot express how the chocolate just melted in your mouth.

After a couple of galleries, we had to say our good byes. It was sad to see everyone go. I have made some great friends in this class and have enjoyed every day. Every Tuesday and Thursday was a different experience and I am thankful I was able to participate in a class, where there is a whole different learning experience. I hope to see everyone around school and could not thank Mike and Damian enough for being the professors they are a teaching me about a whole new world that is in my backyard of Long Island.