Exploring NYC through 26 words
The Covid Journal is a project I launched a few days ago. It’s my response, my contribution, my attempt to be useful in this incredibly strange and difficult moment. On a regular basis I am going out into my community which includes one of the most virus besieged hospitals in this virus besieged city, Elmhurst Hospital.
A short film about the sewer systems in NYC. Directed by Audrey Gevorkian.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKQXR2p1kfw
On his land use and transportation blog, Starts and Fits, Aaron Donovan, examines Charlotte Street, and the effort to bring suburbia to the Bronx in “New Hope in the Bronx.” The post is from 2006, but thoroughly examines the history of development in the area using detailed maps and diagrams. If you’re interested in urban planning and Bronx history, it’s a fascinating read. While on the site check out his other posts on locations from St. John the Divine to DUMBO, and browse the Planning and Urbanism link collection.
In case you were wondering, yes, The New York Public Library (NYPL) has a YouTube channel, and the “Treasures of The New York Public Library” playlist is an amazing resource for all that obscure archival footage you never knew you were looking for. Start here with “The New York World’s Fair, 1939-40” and then travel to Manhattan’s Sputyen Duyvil Creek in “Mapping the World” with curator’s from the Map Division.
Sometimes the sweep of technology can be overwhelming. Even FOUDROYANT. The almost 50 year old New York based Film-makers’ Cooperative is facing some major problems . We need the city of New York to stand up for alternative modes of expression. To VATICINATE is to see into the future, and here we can do this with both film and the internet hand in hand. Go to a great New York Times article to understand the situation more clearly.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/movies/11coop.html?_r=3&ref=movies
For anyone interested in above, or below ground NYC history, Forgotten NY is an absolute treasure. Curious what your neighborhood looked like 100 years ago? Find detailed street necrology and photo galleries for neighborhoods from Greenwich Village to Astoria. Whether you live in Bushwick or Jamaica, St.George or the Lower East Side, this trove of original source documents will keep you occupied for hours. Want to get even closer to NYC history? Take a Forgotten NY walking tour anywhere from Prospect Park to Hell’s Kitchen.
Happy exploring!
A great tool to find and contribute NYC cultural destinations. Add your own local favorite or explore other ‘hoods with WNYC Soundcheck’s Noteworthy New York.
An brief exploration into georgicism (made up word).
geor•gic |’jôrjik|
noun
1 a poem or book dealing with agriculture or rural topics.
2 disambiguation: a short film by Wei-Ming Lam shot in upstate New York on the Appalachian Trail (Metro North stop) and on location in Manhattan on the lower west side.
adjective – poetic/literary
rustic; pastoral
-Oxford American Dictionaires
I was doing a little reading on Welkin in anticipation of the launch event this evening, and found this interesting Wikipedia article about a line of warplanes built in the 1940s with the intention of fighting at high altitudes.
For those interested, here is the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westland_Welkin