The 7 Days in NYC is a course that opens an opportunity for committing to an extensive exploration of the landscapes present in NYC. In many ways that is what makes this course immensely important because looking at precedents for design inspiration allows for us to observe firsthand what we do and do not like. These observations can then be applied to our own designs through a variety of different methods. Everything from benches, pavements, plantings, sequence, layouts, and other aspects of design should be considered in these spaces. However I think the moments that we don't like are equally important to those that we did like because it presents us with the opportunity to critique a site and avoid certain design moves. With that being said, I will provide a brief overview/opinion of each day.
Day 1:
This is the day that the course began and really dove into the variety of sites in Manhattan. The main highlights of this day in my opinion were the Highline, Roosevelt Island, and Bryant Park (although the sites explored today were all worth witnessing). The Highline however was one of the only parks throughout this entire experience that still completely blows my mind with its orientation that seems to hover above everything else. The photograph below describes the moment that appealed to me the most throughout nearly the entire trip.
Day 1:
This is the day that the course began and really dove into the variety of sites in Manhattan. The main highlights of this day in my opinion were the Highline, Roosevelt Island, and Bryant Park (although the sites explored today were all worth witnessing). The Highline however was one of the only parks throughout this entire experience that still completely blows my mind with its orientation that seems to hover above everything else. The photograph below describes the moment that appealed to me the most throughout nearly the entire trip.
Day 2:
The second day of the trip was interesting in that the Hudson River Waterfront on the west of Manhattan was challenged to the high temperatures of the day. The combination of cool air from the water and shade from plant materials became the significant focus for me throughout the day. Although the walk brought us through some very difficult areas when passing through stadiums or concrete jungles, much of the walk was well shaded, especially towards the south. Additionally we visited Governors Island, which had its positives and negatives. The historic part of the island provides a great deal of shade and scenery. The new addition however feels like it still needs more time to be truly enjoyed during a hot day. The lack of a canopy makes the walk to the hill uncomfortably warm, but the hill is still a wonderful experience in its own right.
Day 3:
The third day is a transect from Long Island City to the Gowanus Canal, which is primarily situated in the industrial areas of the city. There are some great sites throughout this experience, but one of my least favorite sites (Newton Creek) is explored throughout the day. This may have more to do with the difficulty of traveling throughout the area in the heat, but the Creek stood out to me as the most difficult walk of the entire period. To explore the site you need to walk all the way to a dead end and then all the way back out, which is slightly disappointing. Regardless, sites such as Gantry Park and the Brooklyn Grange are sites that are entirely new to me and exciting in their connection to the historical context of place.
Day 4:
The fourth day was a break from a guided tour and an opportunity for others to visit some of the sites that they may not be able to see in the near future. The places I chose to visit were in Lower Manhattan, but what excited me the most about this trip was the train station at the World Trade Center. I have previously visited the site for the memorial showing the endless waterfalls at the locations of the towers. However the station came by complete surprise to me, especially when I looked inside. It was an enormous below ground area that functions as a station would in cities such as Berlin. In other words, it was a large shopping mall that connected to a wide variety of different stations.
Day 5:
The fifth day was relatively short for me, but it gave me an opportunity to revisit a local site less than a mile from my household. The Conference House at Tottenville is the southernmost point in all of New York. It also functions as an essential point for waterway connectivity throughout New Jersey and parts of New York City. The place is generally empty whenever I visit, but the place was full of really cool events such as the Conference House being opened, and the design proposal being shown to the locals.
Day 6:
The sixth day became an opportunity for individuals to explore further into Brooklyn with a transect from the Brooklyn Bridge Park to the Jamaica Bay. I personally enjoyed biking much of the site due to flat terrain of the sites with the exception of Prospect Park. I did enjoy Prospect Park for some of the moments of sequence such as the walk through the tunnel into a gigantic field that you wouldn't expect to find in a huge city. However, one of the sites that I had mixed feelings about was Floyd Bennett Field. Due to the sites location, it is relatively hard to access by anything other than a car. The pathway to get to the site was separated by highways and covered in broken glass. With that being said, the park itself seems like an awesome place to just explore being that it comes with a campground and a plethora of abandoned buildings.
Day 7:
The last day of our experience brought about a rainy day, which changed the feel of the sites that we visited. The transect from the Lincoln Center to the Socrates Art Park brought about some very interesting parts of the city. I also learned that Central Park is absolutely amazing during a light rain and foggy weather. The weather conditions assist with the parks ability to feel like an escape from the urban streetscape. Lastly, the the Socrates Sculpture Garden is a site that I liked a lot because of how it felt like a place that wasn't designed by a professional that probably lives away from the community. It felt like an area that was truly the pride and joy of the community, despite it's lack of any real sequence or design elements.
Best Day: Day 1 because of the Highline, the airtram to Roosevelt Island, and the diversity of spaces.
Worst Day: Day 3 because of the weather in combined with the disconnectivity of Newton Creek and Gowanus Canal.
The second day of the trip was interesting in that the Hudson River Waterfront on the west of Manhattan was challenged to the high temperatures of the day. The combination of cool air from the water and shade from plant materials became the significant focus for me throughout the day. Although the walk brought us through some very difficult areas when passing through stadiums or concrete jungles, much of the walk was well shaded, especially towards the south. Additionally we visited Governors Island, which had its positives and negatives. The historic part of the island provides a great deal of shade and scenery. The new addition however feels like it still needs more time to be truly enjoyed during a hot day. The lack of a canopy makes the walk to the hill uncomfortably warm, but the hill is still a wonderful experience in its own right.
Day 3:
The third day is a transect from Long Island City to the Gowanus Canal, which is primarily situated in the industrial areas of the city. There are some great sites throughout this experience, but one of my least favorite sites (Newton Creek) is explored throughout the day. This may have more to do with the difficulty of traveling throughout the area in the heat, but the Creek stood out to me as the most difficult walk of the entire period. To explore the site you need to walk all the way to a dead end and then all the way back out, which is slightly disappointing. Regardless, sites such as Gantry Park and the Brooklyn Grange are sites that are entirely new to me and exciting in their connection to the historical context of place.
Day 4:
The fourth day was a break from a guided tour and an opportunity for others to visit some of the sites that they may not be able to see in the near future. The places I chose to visit were in Lower Manhattan, but what excited me the most about this trip was the train station at the World Trade Center. I have previously visited the site for the memorial showing the endless waterfalls at the locations of the towers. However the station came by complete surprise to me, especially when I looked inside. It was an enormous below ground area that functions as a station would in cities such as Berlin. In other words, it was a large shopping mall that connected to a wide variety of different stations.
Day 5:
The fifth day was relatively short for me, but it gave me an opportunity to revisit a local site less than a mile from my household. The Conference House at Tottenville is the southernmost point in all of New York. It also functions as an essential point for waterway connectivity throughout New Jersey and parts of New York City. The place is generally empty whenever I visit, but the place was full of really cool events such as the Conference House being opened, and the design proposal being shown to the locals.
Day 6:
The sixth day became an opportunity for individuals to explore further into Brooklyn with a transect from the Brooklyn Bridge Park to the Jamaica Bay. I personally enjoyed biking much of the site due to flat terrain of the sites with the exception of Prospect Park. I did enjoy Prospect Park for some of the moments of sequence such as the walk through the tunnel into a gigantic field that you wouldn't expect to find in a huge city. However, one of the sites that I had mixed feelings about was Floyd Bennett Field. Due to the sites location, it is relatively hard to access by anything other than a car. The pathway to get to the site was separated by highways and covered in broken glass. With that being said, the park itself seems like an awesome place to just explore being that it comes with a campground and a plethora of abandoned buildings.
Day 7:
The last day of our experience brought about a rainy day, which changed the feel of the sites that we visited. The transect from the Lincoln Center to the Socrates Art Park brought about some very interesting parts of the city. I also learned that Central Park is absolutely amazing during a light rain and foggy weather. The weather conditions assist with the parks ability to feel like an escape from the urban streetscape. Lastly, the the Socrates Sculpture Garden is a site that I liked a lot because of how it felt like a place that wasn't designed by a professional that probably lives away from the community. It felt like an area that was truly the pride and joy of the community, despite it's lack of any real sequence or design elements.
Best Day: Day 1 because of the Highline, the airtram to Roosevelt Island, and the diversity of spaces.
Worst Day: Day 3 because of the weather in combined with the disconnectivity of Newton Creek and Gowanus Canal.
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