Right now, this page is basically just an archive of class e-mails, a schedule of the walks (both assigned and student-led), a list of the reading assignments, and a few useful links. If you can think of any other useful or fun information to put up here, e-mail me.

What's New:

Added Julie and Steve's notes on Transportation in Queens and Brooklyn (12/7)
Updated the Morningside Heights walk page to correct some typos, added GNYC11 and updated the walks list with the final walk, and added notes pages on Brooklyn's downtown Civic Center and Washington Heights. Also, added some fun new stuff to the links page--check the end of the "Odds & Ends" section. (12/6)
A page on the Morningside Heights walk (12/5)
Notes pages on the Williamsburg walk (11/28)
GNYC10 added, walks and reading assignments updated (11/19)
Schedule for this weekend's walk (added 11/16)

Archived Class E-mails
(note: I cut out the list of registered students and phone numbers, in case anyone is sensitive about having that information up on the Web. Everything else in the e-mails is included. If there's anything else in these e-mails that anyone would prefer not be online, just let me know.)

GNYC1
GNYC2
GNYC3
GNYC4
GNYC5
GNYC6
GNYC7
GNYC8
GNYC9
GNYC10
GNYC11

Assigned Walks
(Comments on the walks at the end are from GNYC8)

Walk #0: East Harlem/Upper East Side

[The walk I led- I said it all!]

Walk #1: Fordham Road/Bronx OR Walk #2: Tremont Ave/Bronx [RELIEF]

1. Bronx-Manhattan: Fordham Road from Webster Ave (Metro North) to 1/9 (207 St Manhattan) over University Hts Bridge (P214-215)
OR
2. Bronx: Tremont Avenue from Jerome Ave (Burnside/4) to Bronx River (pass 2/5 W Farms)
[Up and down- what's on the the hilltops; what's in the valleys; transit]

Walk #3: Jamaica/Queens OR Walk #4: Kingston to Nostrand/Brooklyn [RELIEF]

3. Jamaica: (F/169) 166 St/Highland Blvd/Parsons/Rufus King/160 St/Liberty Ave to E/J Jamaica Center (P338)
OR
4. Brooklyn: (Kingston/Throop A/C) Follow Kingston to E. New York Ave to Nostrand (2,5) (P416-417)
[Down the glacial moraine- whats' up/down. Whats on different arterials. other side of LIRR. 3. Ethnic change 4. Class change]

Walk #5: Lower Manhattan Waterfront [EARLY WATERFRONT]

5. Lower Manhattan (E,1,9 World Trade Center) to World Financial Center, following BPC Esplanade to Battery Park to South St to Seaport Pier 17 to Front Street Seaport "Museum" to Fulton St (2,3,4,5,A,C,J,M) (P102-105)
[Maritime influences and vestiges, redevelopment, new residential, recreation, landfill use]

Brooklyn (A,C High St) to Cadman Plaza to Old Fulton St to Bargemusic to Furman St (runs under Bk Heights Promenade) to Atlantic Ave to Court St to Boro Hall (2,3,4.5) (P406-407)
[Maritime influences and vestiges, Xway construction, use of the high land, pending park from old piers]

Walk #7: Long Island City/Queens OR Walk #8: Mott Haven to Bruckner/Bronx [RAILROAD JUNCTION]

7. Long Island City (7/Vernon-Jackson) to Borden Ave to 2 St (Penn RR power plant) to Gantry Park (Citilights Apts) to 48 Ave(old RR right-of-way) to 11 St to Pulaski Bridge for view midway across (can return via Borden Ave staircase) (P316)
OR
8. Mott Haven (4,5/ E138 St) (Under RR Bridge, pass "Canal St/Pl")- Lincoln Ave to end at RR Xway (view, include old industrial bldgs on landside) return on Lincoln to Bruckner Bl to stairway leading to Third Ave Bridge walkway - view RR complex to east and MetroNorth trains on bridge to west. (P227)
[Particularly concentration of rail transport what that replaced and what replaces that; trends in reuse of older buildings. Scarcity of people. Ask why all this here?]

Walk #9: Bayside by LIRR OR Walk #10: New Dorp by Ferry & SIRT [RAILROAD VILLAGE]
OR Walk #11: Park Slope to 5th Ave/Brooklyn [TROLLEY/ELEVATED TRAIN ROUTE]

9. Bayside (Long Island Rail Road/Port Washington line to Bayside station ) Bell Blvd. From 36 Ave to Northern Blvd. (If you have time check out Corp Stone St, Pedestrian RR bridge and cemetery @ 216 St) (P323)
Suggested approach: Get schedule, and take LIRR from Penn Station at least one way ($3.75 except rush hour) Takes only about 25 minutes! Time your walk for scheduled return train or return with Q13 bus on Bell Blvd to Flushing (#7 train).
OR
10. New Dorp (Staten Island Ferry (1,9 South Ferry, 4,5 Bowling Green) then Staten Island Rapid Transit from Ferry Terminal to New Dorp) New Dorp Lane from Richmond Rd to Hylan Blvd. (P523)
[9,10 Busy village commerce @ RR stop; old houses, cemeteries attest to origin in RR age]
OR
11. Park Slope- Fifth Ave (M,N,R/Union St) Union St to 5 Ave to Ninth St to Fourth Ave (F,M.N.R) (P415)
[11 Density of housing,shops typical of major trolley/elevated route; age, height, style of buildings, gentrification at North end.

Walk #12: Franklin Ave. Shuttle/Brooklyn OPTIONAL [ELEVATED TRAIN JUNCTION]

12. Franklin Ave Shuttle (A,C/Fulton St) Ride S train through the middle of a block and explore connections at start and finish (Prospect Park/D,Q) (P416)

[If you don't go, you might find some of the virtual tours of the BMT interesting. http://www.nycsubway.org/bmt/]

Walk #13: Grand Concourse & CrossBronx/Bronx OR Walk #13A: QueensBlvd & LIE/Queens [GRAND BOULEVARDS/EXPRESSWAYS]

13.Grand Concourse/Cross Bronx Xway (4, Mt Eden Ave) Exit on Jerome Ave (note Jerome/CBX interchange) and continue North to 174 St, E on 174 St (walk on North side), crossing UNDER Grand Concourse, left on Eastburn Ave crossing over CBX, climbing hill to Grand Concourse. Take in the scope of the Grand Concourse and depart at (C,D 174-5) (p 221)
13A. Queens Blvd/Long Island Xway (R,G Woodhaven Blvd) Exit on Queens Bl and get a feel for LIE/Woodhaven/QB interchange. Walk thru Queens Center Mall and exit rear to 57 Ave E to Junction Bl and view Lefrak City. South on Junction under LIE to Queens Bl and take in scope of QB. Depart (R,G 63 Dr) (p 319, 327, 328)

Walk #14: Queensboro Plaza to 33rd Street/Queens (Queensboro Bridge walk is optional)

Some of the above features can be seen from the length of the UPPER level of the Queensboro Plaza station (7,N). Leave subway or bridge and stand by the Taxi Academy @(Crescent St/Queens Plaza S. (Taxis sleep in LIC and drivers learn here!) You should be able to see unused pink elevated structure on the North side left over from when the 2nd elevated trains went here also. Walk east along Plaza noting elevated ramps connecting to buildings, off ramps for autos from the bridge, 1920s vintage office/industrial buildings on the north side, the G,R,E,F subway beneath, where Jackson Avenue becomes Northern Blvd. At the eastern end of the Plaza the elevated trains split; N to Astoria, briefly on Northern Blvd, 7 to Flushing, on Queens Blvd viaduct over Sunnyside Yards. Follow Queens Blvd over Yards (or view from #7 bound for 33 St) noting post WWI industrial structures following rail lines in Yards.

Walk #15: Triboro Bridge (N Train to Astoria)/Queens OPTIONAL [LIMITED ACCESS ROADS/SUBWAYS ]

TRIBORO BRIDGE/GRAND CENTRAL PKWAY/ASTORIA BLVD/N TRAIN (p. 309) Not much walking is needed. Everything you need to see can be seen from outside parts of the elevated station (But you have to exit the turnstiles.) Look to both the East (GCP and Astoria Blvd.) and West (Triboro Bridge and Astoria Blvd) sides.

Walk #16: Gowanus Canal (F/G to Smith/9th)/Brooklyn OPTIONAL [LIMITED ACCESS ROADS/SUBWAYS]

F/G TRAIN/GOWANUS CANAL/GOWANUS XWAY/BKLYN WATERFRONT (p. 414) Not much walking is needed. View the whole scene from the ends of the Smith/9th St (F/G) station platform (no need to go thru turnstiles.) This is the highest point in the subway system! You should be able to identify many landmarks with the aid of your @tlas.

Walk #17: Jackson Heights [ETHNIC COMMERCIAL]

Jackson Heights (p. 319, @tlas) Take (E,F,G,R,7) TO 74/Roosevelt. Walk North on 74 St, East on 37 Ave, South on 82 St, West on Roosevelt past 74 St to 69 St. Note changes in what is sold by whom to whom, on each segment.

Walk #18: Coney Island OR Walk #19: Rockaway OR Walk #20: Tottenville

18. Coney Island: Take F train to Stillwell Ave. Walk on boardwalk. Return with B, D or N train.
19. Rockaway: Take A train (must be a Far Rockway train, NOT Lefferts Blvd) to Beach 60 St. Walk on boardwalk. Return same way or from another station.
20. Tottenville: Take ferry to Staten Island. Take SIRT train to Tottenville.Walk close to water. Return same way.

Student-Led Walks

Saturday, Nov. 4

Manhattan and Bronx logistics leaders: Lisa, Franziska
Morningside Heights: Stacy, Gail
West Farms - zoo area: Annamaria, Debra
Hamilton Heights: Andres, Denise
South Bronx: Alexandra, Frank, Erika, Thresine
Washington Heights: Daniel, Chris L

From Lisa:

We will be meeting at the northeast corner of 110th Street and Broadway and starting the walk at 9:00am sharp. If you cannot make it on time, our next walk will start at approx 10:00am at the northeast corner of 137th Street and Broadway. I suggest if you are meeting us for this one, you arrive no later than 9:45am.

It should take approx 15 mins to get from Times Square to 110th Street on the 1/9 subway. Or approx 20 mins to get from Times Square to 137th Street.

Saturday, Nov. 18
Brooklyn and Queens logistics leaders: Julie, Steve