Introduction
We visited Chelsea and Greenwich Village for our 3rd class. They were nice and aesthetic areas, but not the most exciting. It is filled with history and is currently in the middle of major transformation. Chelsea was named after Thomas Clark's neighborhood in London. He purchased the land in 1750 and it was eventually inherited by his grandson Clement Clark Moore. In the early 19th Century, Clement Clark Moore divided the land into lots along 9th Avenue. The area remained quiet and suburban with townhouses until the Hudson River Railroad laid tracks through Chelsea. Since then, Chelsea has been a heavily industrialized area until recently.
Chelsea's High Line
The High Line is an abandoned elevated freight line. The High Line came about due to numerous fatalities from a street level freight line. In the 1930's, NYC Railroad elevated the freight line by 30 feet above street level. Unfortunately, by the 1980's, it was no longer used. In 1999, the city planned to bring down the High Line, but a local non-profit community saved it and turned it into a park. The community transformed it into a a floating garden space for Chelsea and was officially opened in 2006. We were able to walk a small portion of the High Line. But, because it was a Saturday and it was a beautiful day, it was very crowded. It was beautiful. There were lots of small and colorful flowers, green plants, and small statue figures in the garden. I did see a few places to sit, but it was nearly impossible with all of those people there.
Chelsea's Art Galleries
In the late 1990's and early 2000's, Chelsea was transformed. Luxurious apartments, hotels, and art galleries sprang up. Chelsea quickly became a very upscale area to live and is now the center of the NY ART world. We visited a few art galleries nearby, although I got the impression that they didn't really like us there. Most of the art galleries located in Chelsea display contemporary art. Contemporary Art differs from Classic Art in many ways. Classic Art is mostly drawings, paintings, and sculptures. Contemporary encompasses all of that and also includes videos, photography, and models and sculptures made out of different materials. Among the galleries we visited, we saw Annie Morris and Nick Cave. Some of the artwork was beautiful, some bazaar, some interesting, and others just plain confused me. There was one artist that scultped things out of garbage and everyday household items. I'm not entirely sure why people would pay thousands or even hundreds of thousands for these pieces. If they have the money and space, whatever floats their boat, I guess.
St. Peter's Episcopal Church
St. Peter's Episcopal Church was designed by Moore. It's Gothic Revival Style replaced a Greek Revival that was there previously there. It served as Moore's personal family Parish. The building itself is very tall and has a clock on the top of it. It reminds me of a building you might have seen during the Middle Ages with the large grey stones, the tall stature of the building. Almost looks like a castle.
The Meatpacking District
The Meatpacking district gained this name because it was originally a wholesale meat market from the 1850's- 1930's. There were many slaughter houses and meat packing plants located in the area. Around the 1970's and 80's, the area was primarily a Red Light District, where transvestite prostitutes walked the streets at night. Mayor Guiliani cleaned up this area in the 90's as part of his effort to lower crime in the city. Today, the area houses upscale boutiques of some of the most prestigious fashion designers. When I walked through this area, it never would have dawned on me that it was filled with slaughter houses or a Red Light District. It was a nice area with cute little shops, not overly crowded streets, and citibikes. I'm sure it looks much different now than what did before.
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village aka 'The Village' was originally inhabited by the Native Americans. The land was first known as "Sapokanican" (tobacco field). The land was cleared by the Dutch settlers in the 17th Century and used for farmland. When the British took over the land, they renamed it "Grin'wich". Up to the 19th Century, Greenwich Village was very rural. With the outbreaks of cholera and yellow fever in 1821 and 1822, people who lived in lower Manhattan relocated more north to escape from the outbreaks of disease occurring in the city. With the increase in the population, suburban rowhouses were built and businesses sprang up. From the 1820's- 1840's, the area was well known for being a very affluent place to live. With the Immigration of the Irish and the Italians, many "lower class" people moved into the area, and the upper class residents who were living there moved even further uptown towards Fifth Ave and Central Park. With Immigration on the move in The Village, it became a very industrial area. Unfortunately, the cost of living in The Village was very inexpensive, but the up side of this was that it attracted a very specific group of people. They included artists, writers, and radicals.
Christopher Street
In the 1960's, the United States was in full swing for the Sexual Revolution. More specifically, the area surrounding Christopher Street became a very popular area for the Gay and Lesbian Community. It later became the location for the Initiation of the Gay Rights Movement following the Stonewall Riots in 1969. It remains the heart of Gay and Lesbian Community to this day. Today, it is a very exclusive place to live because of how expensive it is to live there. But, it is very pretty, seems quiet, and appears well maintained. These statues are located in the middle of the park. They represent the love that the Gay and Lesbian Community share for their partners. The artist wanted to portray these people in a very naturalistic way, but demonstrate the emotions behind the movement.
Washington Square
Washington Square was sort of cool to visit. Today, its main inhabitants are the students at NYU. The land that we now know as Washington Square was bought by NYC for the purpose of using the land as a burial ground for unknown or indigent people. In the 19th Century, the Park served as a location where public executions took place. Most of them were hung from a tree known as "Hangman's Elm". This is believed to be the oldest tree in the city. It is located on the Northwest corner of Washington Square. In the 1820's, NYC transformed the area and made it into a very upscale neighborhood. The Hallmark Structure for the Park is the Washington Square Arch. The Arch was designed by Mike's favorite architect, Stamford White, in 1891. It served as a dedication to George Washington's Inauguration. I liked this structure because on One side of the Arch, there is a statue of George Washington dressed and displayed as a War hero. The other side shows him stanced as a strong figure, but at Peace time. Even though this is supposed to honor him during peace time, I think it really celebrates him as a Great Leader and Politician. Washington Square almost didn't survive the Robert Moses Tsunami. In 1950, he proposed building a highway straight through the middle of the Park. Thankfully, the City heroine, Jane Jacobs protested this proposal and saved the Park. This was the beginning of the end to Robert Moses' career.
Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street was named after the man who originally owned the land in the 19th Century. His name was Anthony Bleecker. By the 1850's, this area was also a well known Red Light District. At 157 Bleecker Street, there is an establishment called "The Slide." It was a popular drag club that many straight and gay men visited. It is also known as the first Gay bar in NYC. I find it interesting that even though it was known as a gay bar, many straight men still used this place as a common social area.
Merchant's House
The Merchants House is located between Lafayette Street and Cooper Square. The house itself is Federal Style and has been preserved in its original form. The house was owned by Seabury Tredwell. He, his wife, 8 children, and a variety of servants lived in the house. Seabury Tredwell passed away in 1865 and the house was eventually passed to his youngest daughter, Gertrude. She remained single, never married, and never had any children. She occupied the house until her own death in 1933. Amazingly, the house was maintained in it's original form, including the layout of the house, the lighting, the furniture, the heating and water systems, the "servant's intercom system, and even the household items found inside of the house. This house is a wonderful insight into how everyday life passed for affluent families living in the Mid 1800's.
The back of the house had lush gardens that would have been maintained by the servants. All the way in the back, there was an outhouse for the family. Due to modern health laws, the outhouse is no longer there. The backyard was a very important commodity for the family. Their water supply came from rain water that they collected and used. Otherwise, they would have had to go out and buy individual pales of water.
The first room we saw was the family room. This room was a multipurpose room for the family. Mr. Tredwell would have used this room to read the paper or smoke a pipe. This room also served as a family sitting room where the family would have spent time together. This room was NOT used for guests. This room was also the family's everyday dining room. When I looked at the table, it seemed rather small to me. But then the tour guide pointed out that it is a leaflet table and it extends in length to accommodate the large number of family members eating.
The next room we saw was the kitchen. This room was rarely visited by Eliza Tredwell, or her children. This room was exclusively used by the servants. The servants cooked using coal and firewood. Doesn't sound important, but it takes much skill to cook things to perfection at different temperatures. If you looked to your right in the kitchen, there were different bells hanging on the wall. Each of those bells came from a different room upstairs. These bells were the original intercom system. Depending on the pitch of the bell, the servants could tell who was calling and what room they were located in.
When you go upstairs, the main hallway was divided by a wall and a doorway. The hallway entrance was located by the main entrance to the house. Servants and delivery men were never allowed to use the main entrance. They used the side entrance. The main entrance was used for the family and for guests. When guests came to the home, they were asked to remain in the outside hallway until the lady of the house invited them into the main house. If the lady of the house refused to have a particular visitor in the house, this could be devastating for the guests social stature. If the guest was allowed and invited into the house, they would have been led to the main sitting parlor. The main sitting parlor was exclusively for guests to socialize, conduct business, and take care of everyday social matters. It would have been rare for the family to use this room for themselves. For the servants, maintaining the cleanliness and organizations of this room was of the utmost importance. This is the room that represented the house and the family that lived in the house. The room was decorated Federal and Democratic style. Mr. Tredwell was believed to be one of the last men to wear the wig that the founding fathers wore. The reason why the house was decorated this way was because the family was proud of living in a democratic country and portrayed the ultimate Patriotism. When you walk into this room, you quickly notice that the room, its furniture, decorations, and even the wall structure is symmetrical. One of the "doors" that you see is actually a fake door, but was placed there to balance the symmetry of the room.
The room next to the main sitting parlor is the Main Dining Room. The Dining Room can be separate from the sitting parlor using the french doors that lay between the rooms. The two rooms can also be merged as one big room for social events and parties by opening the french doors. The Dining Table also extends to accommodate more people. The Dining Room was rarely used by the family for dining, but occassionally was used. The reason these two rooms were rarely used by the family or for everyday use was because the most expensive furniture and decorations were located here. Preserving such treasures was very important for the family.
The first room we saw upstairs was Mr. Tredwell's Room. This is obviously the room he slept in, but it is also the room he passed away in. Interestingly, when you look inside of the Clothing Wardrobe closet, there are burns from candles on the wood and shelves. This shows us that even getting dressed in the morning was not easy. There was no such thing as switching on the light. The Tredwells had to use candlelight in order to see what they were doing and where they were going. For this time period, house fires were a serious, real concern and fear because of how easily they started and how deadly they could be. In his personal room, Mr. Tredwell also took his tea, wrote letters, and took a bath in what to me looked like a large bucket. Under no circumstances were guests allowed in the private bedrooms. When the youngest daughter, Gertrude inherited the house, this bedroom became hers. She later died in the very same bed.
Adjacent to Mr. Tredwell's Room was Eliza's room. This room also had a fireplace, a desk for writing letters, and a small bathtub. Also in this room, was a small twin size bed in the corner. This bed was most likely used for out of town guests, or a sick child. On the wall, within view of the bed, is a very popular quote from the bible. It shows us how important religion was to this family and most likely the other families living during this time period.
The last room we saw was the servant's room. It was on the highest floor of the house. The room was very small. To make things even worse, not only did the servants sleep up there, they performed their daily chores such as laundry and folding up there. On top of the room being small, it was also very plainly decorated, if at all, and the beds were very small. It was a very hard place to live. In the winter, there was little to no heat,a nd in the summer, there was no AC or fans, so it would have been unbearably hot. Thank God I didn't have to live there.
Cooper Square
41 Cooper Square is a post-modern building designed and constructed by Peter Cooper. He wanted to provide an education for working class people. The school focuses on art, architexture, and engineering. It is one of the most prestigious schools in the country for the above named majors. Until recently, the school was tuition free for it's students. because of rising education costs, housing costs, and rental of land, the school has recently started charging it's students tuition on a sliding scale basis. I think it's great that there is an exclusive school for architecture and engineering right in the heart of NYC. I give much respect to an institution who appreciates the working class and offers free/ low tuition education.
St. Mark's Church
St. Mark's Church is located in the Bowery. It is the oldest Church in NYC that is still in use. Peter Stuyvesant had a church built there in 1660. When he passed away, his remains were placed in a vault under the church. The chapel was sold by his great grandson to the Episcopal Church. In 1799, a Georgian-style church was built to serve the surrounding community. The Church was nice. We didn't have a chance to go inside. The building itself doesn't stand out and isn't the most interesting thing to look at. It's nice because of it's history and what it means to the community.
C-Squats of the East Village
In the 1970's and 80's, the East Village was not a very nice place. It was stricken with crime and poverty. Because of the new housing laws, the landlords had to make reparations to the buildings to make them safe. This costed thousands of dollars that the landlords either didn't have or didn't want to spend. As a result, they abandoned the buildings with the residents still living inside. The city wanted these people evicted. The people living ing these apartments had lived there for years and had nowhere else to go. They became known as squatters. Many riots and violent protests arose. Finally, the city formulated an agreement. For a price of $1, the squatters could buy the buildings and stay, but they had to make the necessary reparations to bring the buildings up to the city's building codes. Today, there are only 11 squats left. Across the street from the squats, nearby residents have transformed an abandoned lot into a community green space/garden. The garden was created in 1976. Local volunteers cleared the lot, planted trees, and started growing fruits, vegetables, plants, and flowers. They even have a compost in the middle of the garden. As housing prices in the city rose, the city tried to take over the gardens. After much litigation, the gardens remain preserved. When we went inside, it was a really eye opening experience. They had all kinds of things growing in the garden. Local residents were in the middle of doing an improv skit on the importance of gardening and eating fresh. There were also works of art inside done by local artists using garbage and all organic material. I was truely impressed. It shows us that the importance of healthy eating and taking care of the earth by going green is trickling down to even lower class, urban areas.
Tompkins Square Park
Tompkins Square Park was named after Governor Daniel D. Tompkins. The Park itself has been a hot spot for social protests, riots, and revolts. In 1988, the city planned to clean up the park. It was inhabited mostly by homeless people, drug users, and prostitutes. The police and the people living in the park came head to head. The clash was broadcasted on TV. Many accusations of police brutality broke out. In 1991, the park was closed to the public for a little over a year for renovations. They reconfigured the park so that large scale gatherings could not take place. They installed metal fences throughout the park and left little space in between for a large number of people. Their clean up plan worked after all. The park is beautiful and serene.
Conclusion
So far, out of all the places we visited, today was my least liked day. The only attraction that I liked today was the Merchant's House. It was interesting, full of history, and could easily be relatable to today. It was almost like walking through a time capsule and seeing how life was like in the mid 1800's. The only criticism I had for the house was that there were no family portraits or paintings. Seemed a little cold and aloof. By today's standards, unpersonable. But, that's how houses were decorated in those times. It was more important to show off luxury than the personality of the houses inhabitants.