Summation Chapter 7 and 8

In chapters 7 and 8 Jacobs will discuss diversity within communities. She explains that ''Diversity is natural to big cities." When she discusses the ineffective "tactics" that city planners undertake and how they categorize everything in a city as far as its purpose is concerned she compares it to "the picture assembled by the blind men who felt the elephant and pooled their findings together." I liked very much this analysis, it describes perfectly how city planners really are the blind men because they try to rationalize everything and classify people. With diversity comes the need for flexibility in city planning. Jacobs explains how this breeds the need for different types and styles of structures the integration of the old and new that goes hand in hand with an ever changing city. The growth of people and diversity requires for a city to have a diverse way to accomodate these people as well.

MLA Works Cited#1

United States.The New York Times Company. 2008 http://realestate.nytimes.com/Community/Profiles/Queens-Jackson-Heights.asp

This website provides real estate listings of the tri state area. It also includes a section of a community profiles where you can find information about the neighborhoods, a tool useful for prospective residents. Some of the information provided may include average salaries, ethnicities within the neighborhoods, schools and hospitals.

New Buildings

While I was walking around my neighborhood looking at buildings and trying to figure out which ones might have been built after 1950, I thought to myself; I've lived in this neighborhood my whole life and have seen many new buildings built. What better choice than a project I have seen built from beginning to end. One of the buildings that came to mind was the train station at 74street Roosevelt Avenue. Construction for a new this new train station began in the year 2002 and was completed in the year 2004. This structure was built as a bus terminal as well to better accomodate the many bus lines that pass through this area. Prior to this construction, this intersection was notorious for traffic jams as cars waited patiently for busses to make sharp turns or stop and pick up passengers. What attracted me to this building is that it is practical since it neatly routes all the busses and provides a shelter from the elements to the many commuters. At the same time it is aesthetically pleasing. Its design is very modern, with sleek steel lines and a simple sillhouette. When entering the train station the doors are framed by steel beams symmetrically place pn either side. Large cathedral like cielings all done in glass and steel allow an immense amount of light to penetrate and houses the occasional lost pidgeon. This is the first structure of its kind in Jackson Heights, a neighborhood most noted for the character of its pre-war buildings. The architect managed to incorporate this very modern structure amongst buildings that are anything but modern in such a tasteful manner that the building does not look out of place. While passing under the boistrous 7 train one is easily distracted at the magnitude of the station. Its simplicity is very welcoming and in great contrast to the constant traffic of both pedestrian and cars. I believe that architecture should not just be practical, but beautiful as well. The picture I have icluded shows the back of the station and the bus terminal, where in neat well labeled lines you can wait for your bus under a roof, whereas before you would have had to exit the train station and walk to your bus stop that may not have even had a bus shelter. This design places the train station and bus terminal all in one flowing coherent structure. I believe that this embodies the idea of good design and appeal to the comfort of the masses as well.

Summation Chapter 3

In chapter three Jacobs explains the characteristics of the relationships people share with each other within a community, as well as the intricate rituals of neighbors in urban communities.It is socially frowned upon and the opinion of many that if people had adequate homes to live in they would not be "on the street". Jacobs elaborates however that this statement has as much validity as saying that people attending a charity banquet would not have to be there if they had good wives who knew how to cook well. People have a need to socialize, however they also have a need for privacy, so they tend to socialize in suitable venues outside of their own home. A bar, dinner, corner bodega or if your a child on a hot summer day, an open fire hydrant. This socialization leads to relationships of sorts between buisness owners and the consumers as well as neighbors themselves however, the rules of their social interactions may not always be logical and remain unspoken. For example people will entrust key they need to give someone to the local bodega owner to hold behind the counter or to someone working at the barber shop. A buisness owner might pick up a package for someone living in the next door building while they are away, but a buisness owner will never introduce two of his customers together, it is simply not done. These oddities are what make the communities function on a social level. When a community lacks a proper social ambience one will be created out of what is provided, a stoop, or a playground, however the more suitable the social venues are the healthier and more communal the interactions will be.

My Sidewalks

It is a wonderful thing to be able to walk around your neighborhood under the shade of tall mapples and alongside magnificent pre-war buildings. I have had the pleasure of growing up in one such building. Twelve foot cielings, large foyers, ample windows with balconets characterize these buildings, as well as the unmistakeable red brick, and roof tops with structures reminiscent of bell towers. Some of the buildings may even make you think of a castle of sorts. Jackson Heights is no medieval town and its inhabitants are from all over the world. In my building alone I do not exagerate when I say that on every floor you will find a different nationality, with more moving in at a rapid pace. These pre-war buildings dating back to the early 1900's are desirable pieces of real estate. What I consider to be the real treasure of these buildings to be however, lies hidded beyond its brick facade, where only the tenants are lucky enough to go. These buildings dont just have your typical New York building tiny plot of a garden. The span of the garden is from one end of the block to the other. They are like valleys and the buildings serve as mountains surrounding them on all side. When I walk through the garden sometimes, the long way home, it is my moment of zen before reaching home and the duties that await me. Looking at the outside of these gigantic imposing buildings one would never imagine that a delicate garden lies within, just one of the many secrets not easily revealed by a New York sidewalk.

Forgotten New York

Forgotten-ny.com is a website I had not been introduced to prior to this class, however i will be frequenting it more often. This website's aim is to shed light on the little known gems found in the most unlikely corners of our city. It has no particular focus on any one of the boroughs or anything in specific. It is like an archive of the miscelaneous unique things that give New York its distinct and diverse character. No matter what anyones particular interest may be or where they live they will most likely find something to meet their interests only an MTA trip away. From stone sculptures in Staten Island, hay rides, and city tours forgotten-ny leaves no stone unturned.
The aspect of the website that initially caught my eye was the neighborhoods portion. I was curious to see if I would be able to find mine, Jackson Heights, and indeed there it was. I've lived there all my life and the picture of my street was even posted. It gave me facts about the history of Jackson Heights, and pointed out remarkable things that I walk by without even noticing. Jackson Heights has buildings dating back to the early 1900's still standing and along 82st where most of the shops are located, the website pointed out how when you look up above the stores you can still see the original Tudor style architecture, I was amazed at how I had overlooked something like that my whole life. Forgotten-ny serves its purpose to shed new light for us on this great city, and now everytime I walk down 82st i look up even for just a second to see a remnant of the past.

Summation of Intro

In the introduction of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs explains her view on what is wrong with city planning. She argues that there is a perpetual error being made by city planners with the design and execution of certain areas, mostly on how to better accomodate traffic as well as low incoming housing.
The first point made in the introduction and what Jacobs will try to explain in the book, is why some neighborhoods are considered to be great and good while others are deemed to be beyond repair, dangerous and bad. Jacobs will present ideas that will contradict the norm for city planning, but ideas that may make more sense in accomodating people and preventing the decline of neighborhoods into irreperable slums.
According to Jacobs, the manner in which low income housing is constructed, along with its parks and places of recreation, instead of providing a welcoming environment turns the neighborhood into a "slum" and often a breeding ground for crime. An example used is Morningside Heights in New York City. Jacobs explains how even though this neighborhood houses many prestigious institutions including an Ivy League school, hospitals, churches, parks all over loooking a beautiful river view it was still considered a bad neighborhood where people even feared walking the streets. In the 1950's an attempt was made by city planners to try and salvage the neighborhood with the construction of a middle income cooperative project. This resulted in no progress rather in an even speedier plummit into more disorder.
Another point established is that perhaps a social aspect is in play in how we percieve neighborhoods, what we view a good neighborhood to be and what we view a bad one to be like. For example Jacobs explains how when she was in the North Side of Boston, what is considered by the Bostonians a slum, she found herself looking at a very pleasant neighborhood booming with vitality. Years before in dissaray, The North Side's formerly overcrowded apartments now housed comfortably less familes and the buildings even boasted fresh coats of paints. Jacobs puts it best when she states that city planning is trial and error, but if the same "mistakes" or ways of building are being repeated and taught to future city planners then perhaps there is no element of trial and rather just error.