Journal Day #4

Time Square was known as Longacre Square in 1904.  It was a place consisted of horse exchanges, carriage factories, stables, and blacksmith's shops back then (BG 217).  Time Square was flourished in the 1920s when theaters, hotels, restaurants, and thearetical clubs were built (BG 217).  We started our day walking throgh Time Square today.  I used to work near Time Square.  The place today have changed a lot.  If I came by myself today, I would not be able to tell where I was.  I love the seating with tables among those green plants and flowers in the middle of street, creating oasis in the center of this fast-paced city.  This setting also slows down traffic in midtown, which decreases MVA with pedestrains. Visitors can use the seats to rest and appreciate the view of Time Square; people who work in the city can sit outside of their offices and breath fresh air during their lunch breaks.  I think it is brilliant idea of the previous Mayor Giuliani.  I absolutely love it!  As we walk down the street, we ran into a bicycle show.  We had the chance of watching the skilled bikers very closely.  It was great experience. 

After the great bike show, we walked to Rockfeller Center.  Rockefeller Center, originally known as Radio City is a complex of buildings developed in the midst of the Great Depression. The complex consisted of 14 buildings initially.  The tallest building was the RCA building (known as the GE building today) which has 70 stories.  it was planned for the Metropolitan Opera, owned by Columbia niversity (http://www.aviewoncities.com/).

However, the stock markert crashed in 1929 and caused the Metropolitan Opra to abandone the ambitious project. Rockefeller then launched a plan for a corporate complex to house the new radio and television corporations. Radio City was born.  By 1940, Radio City became Rockefeller Center.  In 1959 and the early seventies, Rockefeller Center was extended with 5 additional buildings along sixth Avenue(http://www.aviewoncities.com/).  

Ever since 1933, the famous annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, which marks the unofficial start of New York's holiday season, has taken place here. Rockefeller Center also known as a 'city in the city' - is an exceptional example of civic planning. All buildings share a common design style, Art Deco, and are connected to each other via an underground concourse, the Catacombs. The complex is nevertheless well integrated in the city of New York, especially along 5th Ave (http://www.aviewoncities.com/).  

I believe I am not artistic.  When I saw the artworks in MOMA, it was hard for me to appreciate them.  I understand that the American artists were trying to develop distinct American forms of avant-garde art from European style after WW II.  And the size of the work reflecting the artist's grand ambitions for American art.  However, some of the artwork still look like regular paint jobs to me.  However, Robert Rauschenberg's Bed looks extraordinary to me.  It is a combination of life and art, and it is his self portrait in an abstract Expressionism. 

We stopped by the Studio Museum in Harlem.  It was a little disappointing that they did not have much exhibition to show African culture.  The Studio was small and it only has some exhibits of basket products such as lamps, tables, mirrors; and exhibition of musician Benjamin Patterson's life story and achievement. 

Our next stop was General Grant National Memorial. I saw many historial buildings along the way.  Most of them are very detailed in decoration.  They are all beautiful to me.  Ulysses S. Grant, victorious Union commander of the Civil War, led to victories in the Battles of Vicksburg and Chattanooga and Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox.  He was elected twice to serve as President of the United States, from 1869 to 1877.  Grant settled in New York City after his presidency. He died in 1885 in throat cancer.  His granite and marble structured tomb was completed in 1897 and remains the largest mausoleum in North America (http://www.nationalparks.org/).

On our way back, we went through Columbis University and the Cathedral Church of St. John the Devine.  Columbia is the oldest institution of higher education in New York State, the fifth oldest in the US.  It is a Colonial College founded before the American Revolution (en.wikipedia.org).  The college has many campuses around NYC, most of them are historial buildings.  The Cathedral Church of St. John teh Devine is located in Morning Heights in Manhattan.  It is the 4th largest Christian church in the world.  The cathedral was designed in 1888 and began in 1892, undergone stylistc changes and interruptions of the two World Wars.  It started as Byzantine-Romanesque style, changed to Gothic design in 1909 (en.wikipedia.org).  I did notice some smoke traces on the outside of building blocks.  Sure enough, I found out that the church had a big fire in December 2001 and it was closed for repairs and reopened in November 2008.  It still remains unfinished with construction and restoration in process as of today.