Low West and Chelsea

 

The last time I visited the Lower Westside was when the Twin Towers were erect and there wasn’t a terrorist in sight. I was young and ignorant, I really didn’t pay attention to my surroundings nor did I value the architecture as much. I passed through Chelsea before, but I only caught a glimpse of some housing facades. This time around, Mike and Meritta are really going to get us into trouble. With Occupy Wall Street in progress, we were going to take part as observers… I think we are not going home anytime soon. It’s the slammer for us. HAHA well I’m excited as always to venture into the jungle of brick, stone, metal, and glass.



Trinity Church



We were led to Trinity Church, a serene setting. Outside the holy establishment was a tree. Yes, it was a large tree. I took fun to it for it was upside down and many were taking a picture of it. I was pretending I was coming out of a jungle of sorts. Well, Mike then said it was a petrified root of one of the World Trade Center trees. I then proceeded inside the church feeling like an idiot. Well the inside of the church was magnificent, it was active as well. People came there to take part in prayer while others came to take tour of the structure. Outside the church was an old cemetery which dates back to the late 1700s, according to one headstone. That creeped me out, so moving forward.



Occupy Wall Street Movement



Down the street at Zuccotti Park, Occupy Wall Street was in full effect and police enforcement in the area was of top concern. Mike and Meritta would have not cared if we got locked up, in fact they probably would have laughed and carried on about it. We just listened to what the nice police officers told us to do, which was take a picture and keep moving. Before we were allowed to get deep into the park to look around and ask questions, we met up with this knowledgeable man named Tom Trotier (I don’t know if I spelled his name correctly, close enough though). Tom told us that the protest was one that is a social justice movement. It is a “byproduct of the crisis of capitalism” and that the middle and lower class, which consists of 99% of the people in the United States, are suffering from the 1% controlling the economy. Tom said, as well as what other people brought up in the media, that 400 of the richest people in the United States own 10% of the American economy. This number shocked me completely and almost made me want to jump in the park and protest myself, or maybe get comfortable with one of those 400 people.



Federal Hall National Memorial



New York Stock Exchange





The excitement was too much for us, so we walked to Wall Street and passed by the New York Stock Exchange and visited the Federal Hall National Monument. The Federal Hall was something else. It is so rich in history and was preserved very well. There were so many pictures and artifacts that threw one back to 1790. The Alexander Hamilton Customs House was also pretty neat. The artifacts there were also well preserved and taught me much of how things were done in the beginnings of U.S. civilization.



One World Trade Center/Freedom Tower





We took a little walk through Battery Park, which happens to be my first time there. I was able to clearly see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the NJ Transit Museum (I am proud to have shared some information to the class about that). The views were amazing as we walked to the Irish Hunger Memorial, interestingly built, and to the World Financial Center. It was just breath taking. Just a little bit up the Hudson River, we visited the Poet’s House where I think I held the world’s oldest book. It was called “The Lord of Misrule.” It is a collection of poems by Alfred Noyes and I read about two poems during our visit. To me the poems were so complex in their meaning, so I’m guessing times were different in 1915. Today’s poems are pretty straight forward in their connotation.

So here is what Meritta did to us kids, make us walk ONE HUNDRED MILLION TRILLION MILES all the way to Chelsea. It was unbelievable! The whole way there Kolin, Henry, and I were singing and rapping, spitting rhymes, and throwing down beats. We had so much fun as we walked north along the Hudson River.

After what seemed like days, we arrived at the Chelsea Market. This is the home to many eateries and grocery stores. We were able to relax our feet and enjoy a bite to eat. I inquired to what exactly was the Market before it was established. Meritta, being an expert in the area told me that the Chelsea Market was once home to the old Nabisco Factory in the early 1900s. My mouth dropped. This old factory I was standing in has been remodeled into an authentic indoor marketplace. I looked down under my feet and could see the old floorboards just painted over. So cool!



We climbed some stairs to the High Line. I’ve heard of this elevated walkway and now I’ve been on it. It was done up nice and had some water fountains and pretty plant beds, benches and lighting. I liked it. We walked four blocks north to some galleries. I saw some interesting paintings, sculptures and other projects. At the same time, I walked into one gallery and had to walk right back out because of the repulsive “art” inside. We will not say which one.



Below: Video of Carsten Nicolai's Parachute



After about a hundred galleries, we called it a night… Well some youngsters called it a night. For me and a few others, the DRINK WAS ON at The Standard Hotel. It was time to relax and enjoy the beautiful evening.