STATEN ISLAND REFLECTION!!!

STATEN ISLAND REFLECTION!!!

My name is Tyshame Reid. This summer I worked at Red Hook Initiative (RHI) in a program we call OUR NYC. This program allowed us to travel to the five different boroughs in New York City. I gained the privilege to lead the group to Staten Island.

On August 10, 2010, I planned a trip to the Alice Austen House. It’s pretty cool. I did everything at the last minute. I was shy and nervous because I never really planned my own trip. However, after this operation, I was plotting a trip each week for me, my family, and friends. Now, let me tell you want we did on that wonderful day.

First we walk to the Smith and 9^th Street subway station and discovered how to get to Whitehall. Once we approached the station in Manhattan we learned how to get to the ferry. Boy, what a perfect breeze it was with a beautiful view down below. We then rode the SIR (Staten Island Railroad) and I never knew in Staten Island you could take the train for free (unless you desire to leave the borough you will have to pay $2.25). Soon, we figure out where the house was and who ever knew the place could be so deserted.

The house was so amazing and really old. I still wonder if I could really buy this place, but its government’s property. Who ever knew Alice took 8000 pictures in her lifetime. When I heard that at the moment, I thought it was nothing; until, I saw the outstanding pictures. I also wonder how a little 10 year old girl could be so advanced to work a gigantic camera.

After the visit we left with hopes to return to this house. Then again, there were scary tales and rumors of how the house was haunted by the Spirit of Alice that never rested in peace. We stopped at a close by Getty Gas Station and brought some healthy snacks. The trip to Staten Island seemed short but it lasted two hours. It was my first visit to Staten Island and I enjoyed it.

Brooklyn

     Brooklyn is one of the 5 boroughs, but it’s more than just the hood or an area you live in. It’s about
culture, religion, and family. There are a variety of famous people who were born and raised in Brooklyn, like
Carmelo Anthony (Famous NBA player), Fabolous (Rapper), Zab Judah (professional boxer) and many more.
     My job at the Red Hook Initiative (RHI) helped me get to know more about Brooklyn and the other 4
boroughs too. I had to choose a borough to do research on and to find places I have never gone before. I chose 3
trips which were the Transit Museum, Prospect Park Zoo, and also a youth group called Teens P.A.C.T.
     The first trip we went on was the Transit Museum it was fun. But oh my god it was hot there. It really
did feel like a train station. It was as hot as the train and smelled like the New York train station, too. We
took so many pictures while we were there. The trains that were there were from like the 1950’s to the like
1970’s. You can tell that the trains were well constructed at the time, before they got upgraded. I prefer
the old trains compared to the new ones. The reason why I say that, is because the new trains are
uncomfortable when you sit in the seats for a long time. The old trains had the soft seats.

     The second trip my group went on was the Prospect Park Zoo. Sadly, I wasn’t able to go on that trip
because I got sick. I was tight though, because I told everyone that I wanted to go on that trip, but of course I
had to be the one to get sick right? Ricky, an RHI staff member, got to lead that trip. The next day they told me all about it.
Ricky said I looked like one of the moneys with its family. I found that funny….for the moment. It was just
another trip to the Zoo I guess, just without me.
     The last trip we went on, well that I actually went on, was to a youth group called Teens P.A.C.T. Teens
P.A.C.T. means Positive Actions and Choices For Teens. They have lots of programs and teens. I asked about
applications so I could work there (hopefully). The man who showed us around the place was really nice and
explained Teens P.A.C.T. very well. I hope we can go there another time, because I think we all had a good
experience. Hopefully you can experience Our NYC better than we did.

OUR NYC Pictures

Queens

       Have you ever been to Queen’s museums and organizations? Well I have and I’m here to tell you all about them. The three places we went to while we were in Corona and Jackson heights were D.R.U.M., NY Hall of Science and the Queens Museum of Arts. We also went food tasting in an Indian restaurant.

                  D.R.U.M. is a youth organization. The letters spell out DESIS RISING UP & MOVING. They help immigrants get their education and job rights. They also help them get global justice. They help with deportation also. In their education program, they offer English and computer classes.  Every Saturday they have a free legal clinic. I do recommend other people to go visit because they are a well organized place. For transportation we took the F and 7 trains.

               The NY HALL of SCIENCE was a new and fun experience for me. I loved the bubbles that they had there. They had a shadow wall and if you stood in front of it, and waited for the blue and yellow light to flash, it would catch your shadow. After that, it would show your shadow like a picture.  Other fun things we did, were riding this airplane simulator. The plane wings would spin and you would start to feel like you’re riding a plane. For transportation, we took the 7 and F trains. We walked through Flushing Meadows Park to get to the building.

At The Queens Museum of Art, we learned all about different types of art. We saw a big model of New York City that took up a whole floor. It was like a flat universe. The experience at The Queens Museum of Art was nice and quiet. The journey to The Queens Museum of Art was long.  We had to walk far to find it. However, we enjoyed ourselves in the long run.

On our way back from The Queens Museum of Art, we went to do some food tasting. We went in to an Indian Restaurant and we ate some really good food. We ate something called samosas, tandoori chicken and naan bread. The food tasted great. I enjoyed my trip to Queens. FYI, the train ride from Brooklyn to Queens was about an hour and a half. Make sure to bring a friend or music to listen to on the train!

The Bronx

     The Bronx is more than just another borough. The Bronx is full of culture, history, and excitement. Many famous people were born in the Bronx that has made entertainment more enjoyable such as: Aventura, Willie Colon, La India, Jennifer Lopez, Fat Joe, Big Pun, Regis Philbin, Doris Roberts, and Luther Vandross, and those are only a few. The Red Hook Initiative gave my co-workers and I an opportunity to visit all 5 boroughs so we can get a chance to really learn about our New York City. I was the most interested in the Bronx.

     The youth organization I chose to visit was Casa Atabex Ache. I was browsing their website when I came across the description of their film “Yo Tengo Fuerza”. While visiting Casa we were introduced to two women, Natalie and Dayanara. The film was about 3 girls and their stories about their experience with sexual and physical abuse. It showed them growing and learning how to let things in your past go so it doesn’t affect your future. This really inspired me in a way I couldn’t have imagined. Casa is a great place to go and get your mind right and to let go of any emotions that may not be healthy for you. At Casa, they were very relaxing and made you feel good about yourself and your future.
     My co-workers and I also had a chance to go to the Bronx Museum of Arts. It was very interesting and not what anybody thought it would be. The exhibit we went to was full of photos about the civil rights time period. The photos and descriptions of them opened my eyes, and I learned more than I already knew. I disliked the fact that a lot of the pictures we saw were very graphic and disturbing. It was sad to think about, especially since a lot of those horrible things happened not so long ago.
     Part of this summer job was not only learning about different boroughs but learning how to travel and be comfortable with traveling in New York City. My experience with leading the trips and trying to figure out the trains was very stressful. I didn’t have a lot of experience with trains, but when I read the directions clearly and slowly, and read the signs in the train station, I found my way around. You just have to be aware of things like announcements on the train.
    This experience has meant a lot to me. I felt important as an individual visiting all these cool other boroughs. Every time a friend asked me what I was going to do at work and I told them, they would look at me with their eyes open wide, like they were amazed. I met a lot of different people and visit environments I have never been in before. My job has made this summer worthwhile. It was a summer to remember.

Manhattan

     Manhattan is a borough that I researched at my job as a Youth Leader in the OUR NYC project this summer . My team and I explored Manhattan and went to different places. The places I’ve been to in Manhattan are The Skyscraper Museum and to a youth organization called The Door.I chose the places we visited by going online and looking up where I’ve never been.
    I chose the Skyscraper museum because I wanted to learn more about other skyscrapers throughout NYC and the globe. I learned a lot of interesting facts about different skyscrapers in Tokyo, Japan and Shanghai, China. This museum is located in Battery Park. To get to the Skyscraper museum, we took two trains. The trains we took are the F train from Smith-9th St one stop to 4th-Avenue and transferred to the R train from 9th Street station and took it to White Hall – South St Ferry, then walked to 39 Battery Place.

   I looked at the website for The Door and found it quite interesting. This organization reminds me a lot of the Red Hook Initiative, where I work, because they want to help you with anything you need. I noticed that they have programs such as GED, Graphic Art, Music and they had their own health center. This organization is located in SOHO (South of Houston Street). To get to The Door we took 2 trains. The trains we took were the F train from Smith-9th St to Jay Street- Borough Hall then crossed over to the C train to Spring St, then walked to 555 Broome St.

Here are some questions that I wanted to answer about Manhattan:
1. What makes a landmark?
It is an historic place or structure that has made an historical impact in the history of the United States.

2. What are the famous restaurants/hotels?
Restaurants
• The Four Seasons (East 50’s, NY)
• Sylvias Restaurant (Harlem, NY)
• Le Benardin (East 60’s, NY)
Hotels
• Ritz-Carlton Hotel (Battery Park, NY)
• The Plaza Hotel (Central Park South, NY)

3. How was Manhattan named?
According to Google , ”the native tribe on the island were called Manhattans, and from that tribe came the name of the Island of Manhattan. The name Manhattan means "Hilly Island" probably from native name, Manah "island" + Atin "hill."
Manhattan is a very exciting place to visit and has a lot of museums, gallerys, City parks.