The Beauty Of New York City

New York City’s old slum neighbourhood, the Five Points, was notoriously known for its vice and crimes. The first organized crime group in New York City was the Forty Thieves which was led by Edward Coleman, started in 1825, in the back of a grocery store. The Dead Rabbits were an Irish gang in the Five Points area, and are most known for the riot they caused in 1857. The Eastman Gang were a Jewish group in the Five Points area, which began in the late nineteenth century, and were the rival of the Five Points Gang. The Five Points Gang was another group, started by Paul Kelly and included future famous mobsters. In Five Points, where most of New York City’s crime started, it also started some of history’s most notorious gangs, and mobsters.

New York: the city that never sleeps, the Big Apple, the most lively city in America. It is home of the greatest pizza (right behind Italy) and the greatest bagels. It is home to the some of the greatest food in the world, as you can’t walk a hundred feet without seeing a different restaurant. It is home to nearly eight and a half million people, many of them world renowned names like Jay-Z, Robert De Niro, and Adam Sandler. I must admit, though, I am a little biased. This is because I come to UMass Amherst from Long Island, New York, from a town about a half hour train ride from New York City.

There I stood a short, chubby eleven year old boy ready to take on the world of professional theatre. Looking back now I realize that I had no clue what I was getting myself into, but at the time I thought of myself as “Broadway Ready.” As I wandered through the densely packed hallways I would brush past all of the equity actors, they would smile at me or make comments such as

As I sat enveloped in her story of overcoming conclusions, she taught my heart to embrace each quirky part of myself. I identified with Elle Woods’ need to prove herself. This idea of accepting individuality provided me with the courage to audition for my first show, the Arvada Center’s production of Footloose. Since that first nerve-racking, nail-biting experience, I have come to find myself through each move I dance onstage. Getting my first big role, the Dragon in a production of Shrek, I poured my heart out, knowing the people ready to judge and mock were watching. After the show, the peers who judged my intelligence approached me, saying things like, “I never knew you could sing like that.” Through performing I found myself again. I shifted back to the girl I was, the girl who cared about her morals. I want to perform, hoping to provide audience members with the ability to connect with characters who can offer them a point of realization, as Elle Woods did for me.

When you think of New York, most people imagine the great sky scrappers, the beautiful lights at night, The New York Yankees, and of course hectic traffic. New York City and its citizens have always demonstrated a toughness and grit that have historically defined the city and those who live. Often times, New Yorkers have been considered the bully, rude, and obnoxious type. Of course there are some unfriendly New Yorkers, but the city and is more than that. Without some of those obnoxious yelling taxi drivers, New York would not be New York. People often imagine the bad or more crazy part of New Yorkers rather than the good. Humans tend to do that in most situations. The frantic way of living in constant motion is what makes New York great.

In the city, there were countless attractions that summoned visitors on a day-to-day basis. The buses, trains, new subway system, cars, and elevated railroads all carried people over from everywhere and into New York. The city had all types of attractions that the towns didn’t, such as Broadway the shopping districts, cabarets and nightclubs, and fine wine-and-dine restaurants where the rich could enjoy an extravagant dinner and time. The middle class could do similar, all while being surrounded by and visible to family, friends, and neighbors. The city flourished with life, especially at night once streetlights became available. Those who had the ability to do so enjoyed everything that there was to offer; however, not everyone had the opportunity to relish in the excitement available.

New York City is the centerpoint of thousands of films and pieces of literature, a city whose charm can be felt through words or pictures. Lights, brighter than life itself, blend with a cacophony of car horns and shouts to create an addictive mix of chaos. The glamour and sparkle of New York City is dramaticized to be an all encompassing feeling of wonder that one keeps with them for the rest of their lives. In the spring of this past year, the band program I participated in was given the once in a lifetime chance to perform in New York. Being obsessed with the city since I was a child, I gladly leapt at the opportunity. However, actually navigating the fabled concrete jungle makes one realize that New York City is not the shining beacon of wonder and amazement that it is thought to be.

The sounds of the city penetrated the walls of the cab as we drove through the streets of Manhattan. I could hardly wait to partake in the action that was happening outside. The buildings themselves were an amazing site to behold. The buildings took on personalities of their own. Each building was bigger and more graceful than the next. When lights were added to the mix it was a dazzling combination. The city itself felt like a great big hug, and I felt overwhelmed by its power. The city allowed me to become part of it just like many others many years ago who immigrated to this awesome city. As I was looking out of the cab I finally got to see in person the sight of all sights; Times Square. The main juncture of

Although they may seem very different on the surface, the two city symphonies, “A Bronx Morning” and “Manhatta” converse very well with each other. They both manage to capture and emphasize the aspects of New York City that make up what they love about or what they see the city as. What the filmmaker wants to show their audience members, and how they wish to portray the city they are filming is what dictates what he or she chooses to focus in on, or graze over in their filmmaking process. Both “A Bronx Morning” and “Manhatta” capture the city of Manhattan in completely different yet similar ways, and this all has to do with the film makers choice of how to organize and present their material to their audience, yet they both manage to mystify New York City.

As a child, all I wanted to do was act. To be on TV and walk the red carpet was the ultimate goal. Playing the role of munchkins and Fagin boys was my life. In elementary school, my director’s name was Mrs. Jacksina. Her big green eyes were just as vibrant as her excitement towards theatre. She loved passing her passion down to others. She made me believe that I could obtain my goals as long as I put my heart and soul into it. Thus, the inner swirls of fire from my heart transformed into passion and dedication. That’s what I did with acting, at least, what I could’ve done at the age of 8. By 4th grade, I had a lead role in Good Luck Charlie Brown playing the role of Lucy, and in 5th grade playing the role of Brunhilda in Cinderella.

The first native New Yorkers were the Lenape, an Algonquin people who hunted, fished and farmed in the area between the Delaware and Hudson rivers. Europeans began to explore the region at the beginning of the 16th century--among the first was Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian who sailed up and down the Atlantic coast in search of a route to Asia--but none settled there until 1624. That year, the Dutch West India Company sent some 30 families to live and work in a tiny settlement on “Nutten Island” (today’s Governors Island) that they called New Amsterdam. In 1626, the settlement’s governor general, Peter Minuit, purchased the much larger Manhattan Island from the natives for 60 guilders in trade goods such as tools,

New York is the most complex city in the world. On a simple day with crowded people, suddenly I stun because of the restful surrounding in the park of New York, a beautiful lady, and the smell of her coffee. At this moment, I am sitting on a bench surrounded by a carnation garden. I smell the scent of carnations as though I were standing among the mountains and flower gardens. I see many dark red carnations and colorful butterflies in the garden, along with the vanilla sky which makes everything around here more romantic. I take my eyes to a lady drinking a cup of coffee. The sunlight gradually shines on her face. which makes me notice a woman. She has long straight dark hair which gracefully falls down to her shoulders. She has a heart-shaped

Throughout the centuries humans have seen cities rise and fall; each one had its own unique style and charm. Although no city is completely alike, they all have one thing in common: the elements that create them. Without these components, cities would not be successful and they would not foster memorable urban experiences. The main critical elements that are essential when designing a spatially rich urban condition are density, street, hierarchy, urban edge, streetwall and facades, and public/urban space.

Since late in elementary school, I’ve never really been interested in drama or theater of any kind. Acting in general since I was a little kid has just never been a strong suit of mine. Before that, however, in preschool and early elementary, I was regularly involved in school plays. Many factors contributed to my loss of attraction to theater after preschool. One big element was an embarrassing experience that I had related to acting early on in my childhood. I don’t remember it as vividly as I used to, but it affects me nonetheless.

“Looks like I didn’t iron well enough last night. A wrinkle in my suit. A wrinkle in my best suit! Everyone will notice! I’ll be the laughing stock of New York City!” Mr. Stevens stopped to inspect his crisp black suit and tie. “And on my important meeting day, too.” He grumbled to himself. “The convention! Can’t miss it, can’t miss it, can’t miss it!” With that, he resumed his hurried walk down the grubby streets of New York City. The sidewalks were marked with blue benches that appeared along the side of the sidewalk at regular intervals. Each bench was covered in rows of holes, but you couldn’t really tell because when you looked around, practically all you saw were mobs of people, people milling around, people sitting on the benches, and more people. This was rush hour in this part of New York City.