Welcome to the Geography of NYC 383/709 at Hunter (CUNY) with me, Dr. Jack Eichenbaum. Outside of class, email will be my principal means of communicating with you. "Office hours" are most convenient for me after Tuesday night classes. I can usually be available before class. My actual office is in Rm 370, Municipal Building (opposite City Hall Park) and appointments there are possible. My office # is 212-669-4563 but email should be your first means of communicating. I'll use the title GNYC# for email directed to the whole class. (The number refers to the sequential order; this is GNYC1).

I will email to update assigned walks, assign readings, post notices about the class, suggest related events of interest.You can copy the list of emails addresses in the "To" portion of the email you receive to communicate with the class as a whole. Do this if you have information to share or need help with something. You can also construct subsets of the email address list to communicate with certain groups- such as those involved in the same field area. I expect that the email list will change over the first couple of weeks as people drop/add/finally get to this class.

Our first task is to figure out who is taking this class so we can organize!

Why should you drop this class?
1. You hate walking.
2. You hate being in unfamiliar areas.
3. You can't ride long distances using public transportation to opposite ends of the city. In this class, this excuse is even beneath "The dog ate my homework" and I never want to hear it! You're in the greatest urban lab in the world and wandering through it is what the course is all about! Millions of NYC college students (including me) learned to study on public transportation. So if you consider a jaunt from Staten Island to Jamaica a super-schlep rather than an opportunity, fuggedaboudit, DROP!
4. You prefer everything you need to know to be in one or two text books.
5. You have something better to do.

Here are tentative assignments for Field Area "Show and Tell"

Saturday Nov 4: Manhattan and Bronx Logistic leaders-?

Morningside Hts- Stacy West Farms-Zoo area- Annamaria
Hamilton Hts- Andres South Bronx-?
Washington Hts- Daniel, Lisa
"Manhattan" - Nicole, Dwayne, Gail

Saturday Nov 18: Brooklyn and Queens Logistic leaders-?
Cemetery area (exact?)- Peter
Greenpt/Wmsbg- Glenn, Samuel Jackson Hts- Julie
Ft Green/Clinton Hill- Jennifer Flushing- Mohanie Elmhurst/Corona-?

This is not complete but a good start and outlines a framework to continue. I added more structure. South Bronx and Elmhurst/Corona (Queens) I consider especially interesting for this class. Those who haven't picked yet should think about where to fit into openings above. In general, two people on a neighborhood (who can work completely cooperatively or split oral/written). Logistic leader will be responsible for keeping groups organized and oral/written explanation of transportation and lunch. If leadership positions are unfilled my sense is to assign Grad students or unregistered or latecomers.

I had a good feeling about our first class. Keep up your enthusiam and I will do likewise! See you on Tuesday @ 125/Lex (5:40) or catch up by map/cell phone or @ 105/5th @ 6:50. (Go before you come!) Get the AIA Guide to NY and the NY@tlas and see appropriate pages.