New York Transit Museum

Dad didn't have to work on Yom Kippor, so we decided to check out a museum we don't often visit- The New York Transit Museum. Matt & Ella had never been and Lexi & I hadn't been there since she was about a year and a half old. It's out in Brooklyn, and it is located in a decommissioned (but still operational) subway stop. That means that the museum is underground in a previously-used subway station. It is the largest museum of public transportation history in the US and one of the premier institutions of its kind in the world. They have an exhibit called "Steel, Stone and Backbone" that tells the story of how the subway was built. It shows kids what it looks like under city streets, salutes the monumental achievements of the workers who built the New York City subway system, and shows the construction methods and tools that were used. One fascinating story tells of how several men were constructing the tunnels under the East River (to connect Manhattan & Brooklyn) and were sucked out of the tunnel, through the muck and mud and water and shot up like geysers from the East River into the sky. Some of them even survived the experience!

We attended a little workshop where Lexi built a building that is important to a city. She chose to build a hospital. She made it out of different-size boxes and was very clear that there needed to be two tall towers. This photo is the progress of the building, so there's only one tower:


The "On The Streets" exhibit is an interactive and hands-on experience that traces the 175 year history of above-ground transportation in NYC. In this cluster of galleries visitors can "drive a bus" or be a passenger; stroll through the history of NYC street transit; listen to interviews with people who work on buses and meet the evil smog twins - Nox and HC - who help youngsters learn about modern pollution control methods. Alexis loved driving the bus while Ella liked to climb up and down the stairs over and over and over and over.






This is the downstairs platform of the station/museum. Here they house more than 19 examples of vintage subway cars from 1904 wooden cars originally used on the old Brooklyn Els to the subway car design that set the standard in 1914. They held a storytime while we were there right inside one of the old cars. We talked about how Nanny and Pop-pop and Grandma Susan and great-Aunt Barbara all rode in cars like this when they were little boys and girls just like Alexis.



We also strolled through the fare collection artifacts beginning with "ticket choppers", used when the subway started and a nickel bought the price of admission, to the currently used MetroCard turnstiles. Alexis & Ella posed behind the token booth:



In the cafeteria section of the museum there is a large selection of signage dating to 1904, fabricated from porcelain enamel, cast iron, brass, wood, and plastic, which showed riders how to get around the system. This is only an example of the signs that informed passengers of the other rules of subway riding.

After the museum we walked over to Junior's for a piece of their famous cheesecake (also known as the World's Most Fabulous Cheesecake). We opted to "take-out", so we only got a photo outside the restaurant. And boy, that is some good cheesecake.

This is us in front of the bakery display windows.
Ella was sleeping in the stroller so she's absent from the photo.

*many museum facts pulled from the New York Transit Museum brochure

The Death Cab Report

I'm deferring this post to Matt. Because although I thoroughly enjoyed the concert, I'm not a specialist in critiquing music etc. But he is. An extra special HUGE thanks to That Redheaded Chick for hooking us up with the tickets.

Matt's turn- Yes, thank you to the Redhead. Warning to all, this post will probably bore the vast majority of you since I am at the helm. I think Kendra has deferred to me because generally I am the one with the strong musical opinions. I, like Kendra, thoroughly enjoyed the show. Great locale, hot date, and a band ready to rock is always a good thing. Radio City in all of its art deco splendor really is a fantastic venue- there is a little bit of an awe factor involved just walking in. I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of production. Those familiar with Death Cab know that their albums have a precise, pristine quality that would never be confused with say an analog recording with everyone in the same room playing. Think, we just cut this record on a computer with one guy doing most of the work- even though that is not how they do it. That said, these guys played and sounded like a rock band. Benjamin Gibbard's (the band's singer/guitarist/keyboardist and I suppose primary songwriter) voice sounded exactly the same as on record. No studio tricks. The band also played with much more rock and roll abandon (their records seem to be moving this way as well), which was right up my alley. Side note for any guitarists: both guitar players get kudos for plugging into Dr. Z cabinets with what appeared to be Dr. Z and custom heads (Dr. Z is one of the finest boutique amp makers specializing in AC-30 style flame throwers- I hope to own one someday). It was just great to hear four guys play great for two hours without huge video monitors, pyrotechics, and hired guns to make them sound similar to their records. It was a fun time for all. Also, apologies to the couple behind us in the photo- her face is screaming, "I know I'm in this picture and there's nothing I can do about it". Welcome to the blog both of you. Hasta logo.






There's a good article here about the band, if you're interested.

OHNY Part 2

Our second adventure during Open House New York (October 4) was to head down to Pier 40 and hop on the John J. Harvey fireboat. (We initially tried to get a ride on the tugboat, but they were full so we opted for the fireboat which was pulling up just as the tugboat was leaving.)

Built in 1931, MV John J. Harvey, at 130 ft and 268 net tons, is among the most powerful fireboats ever in service. She has five 600 HP diesel engines, and has capacity to pump 18,000 gallons of water a minute. Her pumps are powerful -- enough so that when she and the George Washington Bridge were both brand new, she shot water over the bridge's roadway. She was retired by the New York City Fire Department in 1994 and bought at auction by her current owners in 1999. She was placed on The National Register of Historic Places in June 2000.

She was the largest, and most powerful fireboat in the world when built. More importantly, she was the model of modern fireboat engineering, and set the pattern for all subsequent fireboats to follow. After the FDNY retired her, she sat in the Brooklyn shipyards where she was basically neglected. In 1999, a group of friends were sitting around talking about what it would be like to restore her, and then they decided to do it. They bought the fireboat and restored her to excellent working condition. On September 11, 2001, she was unofficially called back into service and helped at the World Trade Center pumping water for over 80 hours. There is a great children's book called Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey that illustrates her history.

Lexi and the tugboat that we couldn't get on (as it's pulling up to the pier). We took a photo because we thought the tug was awesome up close!

Nameplate on the Fireboat

Lexi's ready to spray some water! Unfortunately, a couple of days before we rode, the fireboat had accompanied the USS Intrepid back to its resting place on the west side of Manhattan. During that ordeal, one of the pipes burst so the pumps weren't able to shoot any water the day we rode. It was disappointing, but the good thing is that a ride on the fireboat is always free, so maybe we'll get a chance to ride it again and see some water.

Manhattan! We rode up the Hudson River and this was our view...

The Financial District (the WTC used to be in the center of that cluster of buildings- where there's sort of a space.)

There were several cruise boats docked at the piers that day. One of them passed us as we sailed up the Hudson. Several passengers waved to Alexis as we went by.

The George Washington Bridge out in the distance. (NJ on the left and NY on the right.)

This barge passed us on our voyage. Our captain radio-ed the tug's captain and found out that these old subway cars were headed down the coast to become artificial reefs off the New Jersey Shore.

High Bridge Water Tower

Saturday, October 4, 2008 was part of Open House New York Weekend. We decided to take advantage and see a couple of things that are normally closed to the public. The first thing we did was walk up to the High Bridge Water Tower to ascend the stairs inside and get a 360-degree view of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

This graceful water tower, located in Manhattan’s Highbridge Park at 174th Street, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been a visual landmark on the heights of Manhattan overlooking the Harlem River since 1872. The tower was not part of the original Croton Aqueduct. It was added to serve the growing number of residents in the villages of north Manhattan, which were at an elevation higher than the Croton Aqueduct. (The Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842. It brought water by the force of gravity alone 41 miles (66 km) from the Croton River in Westchester County into reservoirs in Manhattan, where local water resources had become polluted and inadequate for the growing population of the city.)

After water from the Aqueduct crossed the High Bridge, it was pumped up to a seven-acre, 10.8-million-gallon reservoir next to the tower. The Highbridge Pool was built inside the old reservoir in 1936. The water tank in the tower served the small number of customers at an even higher elevation. Extending up the 185-foot height of the octagonal granite tower are two iron pipes that reached to a 47,000-gallon tank, now gone. The water was pumped up one pipe to the tank, and flowed down the other.

View to the top of the tower from the bottom of the stairs with the 2 huge pipes.

Stairs

Window

Ella, mom, Grandma, Lexi & Dad at the top of the platform. Those huge windows behind us were open. We had to hold on to Lexi & Ella very tightly to make sure there were no *unfortunate accidents*.

The view to the north- The bridge in the foreground is the Alexander Hamilton Bridge, which connects the Cross Bronx Expressway to the George Washington Bridge. In the background is the Washington Bridge, which connects the Cross Bronx to West 181st St. You're also looking at the Harlem River with Manhattan on the left and the Bronx on the right.

The view east- the High Bridge into the Bronx. The bridge, which connects High Bridge Park near West 174th Street, Manhattan, and West170th Street in the Bronx, is the oldest bridge connecting two boroughs. When it was built between 1837 and 1848 it actually connected two separate towns, since that area of the mainland would not become a part of New York County until 1874 (and the Bronx would not become a separate county until 1914!)

High Bridge has featured a walkway since the 1860s, although it never had roads for auto or horse traffic. But in 1960, the walkway was closed, never to again reopen, because of local knuckleheads throwing objects from the bridge onto Circle Line boats in the Harlem River.
In recent years, High Bridge Park (on the Manhattan side at Amsterdam Avenue and West 174th Street) has been spruced up by New York Restoration Project, a group spearheaded by Bette Midler.

View to the west- The George Washington Bridge and to the left of that you'll see 3 tall buildings we call "the Towers". That's where Columbia Medical & Dental students live and we have several friends that have lived in those buildings. Just behind the GWBridge & the towers is New Jersey. In the foreground is the (drained) pool that we visited many times this past summer.

View to the south: On the left are a bunch of housing projects that are in the former location of the Polo Grounds (home to the New York Giants baseball team- of Willie Mays fame). That big red x is where our building is- it's actually behind the white building that the x is on... it is shorter than that building, so you really can't even see it in this photo, but it gives you an idea of where we live in relation to the water tower. And if you click on the picture to enlarge it, you may even be able to see the Empire State Building out in the distance.

View to the southeast: Can you see the new & old Yankee Stadiums behind that row of 4 housing projects?? That highway is the Major Deegan, aka the NY State Thruway, aka I-87. And a slice of the Harlem River. And some of the commuter rail tracks, MetroNorth.

Writing Celebration

Everyday, Lexi's class has something they call Writer's Workshop. They take time to write and illustrate a story. They are encouraged to write their own words (gibberish or not) and also to tell their teachers about the story. On Friday, October 3 all the parents and family members & friends were invited to a writing celebration in their classroom. Each child had gathered all their stories from the first month of school and had *published* a book. They took turns standing in front of the class to read the title of their book and the dedication (Lexi dedicated her book to me!) and then a couple of their stories. It was a Spanish day and Lexi was able to say a few things, but she is obviously more comfortable speaking in English, so most of her presentation was in English. We weren't able to bring the book home (they are currently displayed in the hallway of school), so I snapped a picture of each and every story. I'll only post a few here.
(That's Ramon, the assistant teacher, and Cindy, the head teacher, with Lexi).

(This is when I was at a Pepsi Fest and I found a dandy lion that was so big.)

(I saw Ramon on the slide and I wanted to go on the monkey bars with Luciana.)



(Un sol brillante. Un poquito de luna y muchas flores.)


(We went to Costco on a Sunday and my daddy was smiling and Ella just laughed. My mom was holding Ella but then she decided she (Ella) was going to walk).
**We did NOT, in fact, go to Costco on a Sunday.**

(Aliens trying to get out of the water.)

(I have to draw lots of clouds, rain and umbrellas. I went to C-Town with my family. Here's the sidewalk. I made the sidewalk."

Then I noticed a bulletin board in the classroom with my Corduroy right in the center! The kids had all made their own little Corduroys and now have a whole board devoted to him. Cute!

Read for the Record Report

On Thursday, October 2, 2008, I headed over to Lexi's class at school to particpate in Read For The Record. I read the class Corduroy and I have never seen 18 4-year-olds so quiet and attentive! After we read the story we talked about all the new things Corduroy had done and seen while he was searching for his button. He climbed a *mountain* (aka the escalator), he entered a *palace* (aka the home section of the department store), he slept in a bed, he made a friend, and he found a real home. Then the kids each got a little button (made out of paper) and got to draw a picture of something they have always wanted to do or be or somewhere they've always wanted to go. I admit, it was a tough concept for some of the kids to grasp- coming up with something they've "always wanted to do." But it was fine. When they had finished decorating their buttons we gathered on the carpet again and I had each one stand in front and tell his/her classmates what they had drawn- what hopes & dreams they have, if you will. I drew that big Corduroy beforehand, and then each child taped their button to Corduroy's overalls.

At one point during the activity I called on "Lexi". Not just one, but two or three of the other kids yelled out, "Her name is ALEXIS." I guess she's Alexis at school. Wonder if she'll always want to be called that?

From left to right: Back row: Khianna, Kyrsa, Alma, Dorian, Edu, Alexis, me, Gianna, Justin, Amiel and Luciana
Front row: John, Alejandro, Danny, ??, Victoria and Elyse

Ella loves to sit in the little seats at the little tables in Lexi's class- here she is ready to draw:

100 Bottles of Beer

This happened back at the end of July but I completely forgot to blog about it! Occasionally we get together with some friends and barbecue on the roof of Columbia U's medical student housing. It's always fun. This year, a family with 2 little girls moved into the 'hood and Lexi and Ella seem to play well together. During this particular bbq, they were off playing by themselves for a long time. Eventually, an adult went to check on them and found this scene. They had scrounged up a whole slew of empty beer bottles from the trash cans (from the previous night's big bash???) and had been picking some flowers from the surrounding planters. I pose the question: Young and innocent or foreshadowing of the times that lie ahead?!

Happy Rosh Hashanah!

During Rosh Hashanah public schools are not in session here in NYC. And thanks to our neighbor & another friend, we came into 5 tickets for the Museum of Natural History. Technically, the museum is a "Pay What You Wish" museum, so we just donate $1/person and tour some of the galleries before heading home. But if you pay full price for a full-fledged ticket you are able to see the special exhibits going on, the IMAX movie and go to the Planetarium. Both Matt & Lexi were home and we met up with Allie & Zac for a day at the museum. We saw the special Horse exhibit, the Lizards Alive! exhibit (my favorite was hands-down the chameleon), the IMAX movie about ancient sea creatures, and the planetarium movie "Cosmic Collisions." Lexi and Ella spent a little time in the Discovery Room, and of course you can't go to the Museum of Natural History without seeing some Dinosaurs.... I think Lexi would tell you that this is her favorite museum.

Eating apples with Allie & Zac in the dinosaur room

While waiting for the train after our museum trip, Ella spontaneously put her fingers in her ears as an express train went whizzing by. She must have picked that up from Lexi!

SwingTime

This is some video of Ella swinging her right arm as she walks or runs around. Sometimes she'll wind up before taking any steps at all. And it's always just her right arm while she holds the left arm steady. We took this video at the Museum of Natural History.

Mishap at the Museum

While sitting on this bench, Ella would yell out to Lexi and then tap the bench right next to her, indicating that she wanted big sis to come and sit next to her. Lexi would come running over and sit down and Ella would greet her with a nice big hug. It was really cute. So I reached for the camera to take a little video of this game, and this is what I caught:


After soothing Ella, she didn't want to play her little game with Lexi anymore.