A walk to the past in the Lower East Side

by Aiyma Yerkin

The Lower East Side is one of the oldest neighborhoods of New York City. It has long been a working-class neighborhood and often a poor and ethnically diverse section of New York. Today it is largely a Puerto Rican and Dominican community.

The Lower East Side is perhaps best known as having once been a center of Jewish culture. It is especially remembered as a place of Jewish beginnings in contemporary American Jewish culture.

I liked visiting the Tenement Museum on Orchard street the most. The museum's exhibits including the restored apartments are said to depict the lives of immigrants who lived at 97 Orchard street between 1863 and 1935. The museum also has an extensive collection of historical archives and provides a variety of educational programs.

The movie we watched in the visitor's center told us the stories of immigrants from different countries. It showed their life in tenement apartments in the 19th and 20th centuries. Starting with how they arrived in New York, their way of life, their work, the difficulties they faced at that period of time, and ending with the successes in their lives, which they deserved. Their success is being able to find happiness living as citizens of the United States.

class: Explore NYC

Strolling, hiking through Central Park

Chatting and taking a break at the Bethesda fountain 

Last week, Explore NYC took a stroll through Central Park from the Dairy near the southeastern corner of the park to the Swedish cottage on the West Side near 87th St. It was a cloudy day. Thankfully, we were spared the forecasted thunderstorm, but we had to endure the 90% humidity.

We walked down the Great Mall under the canopy of the great elms, took a break at the Bethesda fountain, hiked through the Ramble, and took another break at the foot of Belvedere Castle before going in to explore inside. By then, we were hungry and exhausted, so it was a good thing we were at the end of our walk. A short rest on a couple of benches at the Shakespeare garden and we were ready to head for the nearest subway.

We completely missed the Alice in Wonderland sculpture, which was definitely a planned stop--teacher's fault. A nice walk, nevertheless.

Another set of Usual Suspects under the elms on the Great Mall. 

At the Shakespeare Garden. Pooped at the end of our walk. 

Sitting in a miniature turret at Belvedere Castle.

Putting tricky prepositions into practice

The following are some short, imaginative, perhaps humorous writing from the Explore NYC class to practice prepositions and some expressions containing them. We think prepositions are tricky.


by Imanol Erquiaga
Yesterday at midnight, I was at home when my friend George called to invite me to a really fancy party. After I hung up, I dressed to the nines. He told me that the party was close to my house, so I did not have to take a taxi. I just went to the party on foot. The party was very good, and I arrived home at midday today!


by Gwen de Backer
They were going home on foot dressed in suits and ties. Even if they were excited about the party, they were forbidden to stay up late at night on weekdays. Their teacher wanted to avoid confusing them with their lesson and wanted them to finish their homework first.


by Gwen de Backer
I know you don't feel concerned about my new iPad but anyway, I'll explain how it works because it's known for being very useful. Don't blow up this way! You should feel blessed with the explanation I'm providing you. I don't want you to feel annoyed with the user guide; it's only limited to the basic functions. Thanks to this amazing device, you will be connected to the world right away so please try to appreciate my advice.

More places to explore

Taking a break at the north end of Roosevelt Island

Inside the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, which houses
the National Museum of the American Indian in Lower Manhattan.

Gwen, So-Gyu, and Gig at the very end of the N train in Astoria.

On the boardwalk, down by the sea

Here we are, the Explore NYC class, on the boardwalk at Brighton Beach, a neighborhood on the southern edge of Brooklyn at the end of the B train. We took the Q, however--it's supposed to be a little faster than the B--and got there in less than 50 minutes. As soon as we arrived, we strolled down Brighton Beach Avenue and quickly noticed that most signs were in Cyrillic and many people were speaking Russian. This Russian enclave is also known as Little Odessa as most of the locals who populated this area in the 1970s came from the Ukrainian town of the same name on the Black Sea. The elevated subway ran above us and the noise was deafening; we felt sorry for the woman selling cakes and pastries in front of a cafe and had to endure the intermittent rumbling of the trains above.

After browsing inside Saint Petersburg bookstore and being amused by some of the items on display, we made a turn toward the beach. The weather was perfect for a stroll on the boardwalk with the ocean on one side of us. We all walked down the blue plastic carpet toward the water but stopped short while Gwen and Renata went all the way to dip their feet in. After a little more walking, everyone decided to sit at a cafe for some beer and appetizers.

Come back and check out what we'll be posting about this experience! 

I Believe in Love

by Renata Crespo

I believe in the power of love. Not the kind of saint's love or romantic love, but human love with all its imperfections--love as a kind of benign disease that becomes a way of living or a way to deal with life.

I was born in a family nourished by a very passionate couple. As far as I can remember, I could see that their love was the most important asset in our family. It was the basis of our happiness and would be the basis of our self-confidence--mine, my two brothers' and my sister's. My origin and these first memories of love as a mix of harmony, passion and adventure are the strength that have sustained me all my life. I have passed through many difficult situations and love has always been my most important tool.

When I was thirty-two years old, I separated from my first husband when our sons were two and three. I raised them practically alone because I lived more than 3000 km away from my parents or their father. I had to work all the time while I was also writing my PhD thesis. After that, I got married again and I helped my second husband to raise his daughter. We all lived together for 5 years, and it was a very rich experience for all of us. This girl is now a woman and a good friend of mine. We meet at least once a month to have lunch and enjoy a chat.

As I had a very strong example of marital love from my parents, it was hard to accept a shallow love story as my destiny. Whenever my relationships became disturbing, and being alone seemed to be better than being together, I always chose to be alone and to give both of us a chance to live better. In fact, I was alone again when I met my true love. We have been in love since our first date. It started out crazy and fast. Two months after we first met, we were traveling with 6 kids on a 6000-km trip. Foolishness? Craziness? Yes, it was and it still is. We have created a family that seems more like an NGO (Non-Governamental Organization) with 6 kids (4 boys and 2 girls) stemming from 3 fathers and 4 mothers. Of course, it was not easy, but I believe that the power of our love was able to let us overcome all difficulties to the point that now we can say that we are a real family.

All of our kids are developing well and succeeding in their studies and lives. Each one in his own way. Our crazy love could create among us an environment of friendship and respect for each other's differences. And we are very confident that this will be the strongest heritage for them for their whole lives.  

Sensing the power and influence behind each exhibit

by Renata Crespo

A few weeks ago, my whole class visited The Cloisters, and it was very impressive. During our trip to the 190th stop on the A line, my husband and I had an animated conversation with a new colleague from China; that was his first day in the class. In the beginning, he was a little quiet, but as we were interested in knowing more about his country, he had to talk a lot to answer all our questions, and we learned a lot about his country.

When we arrived, we walked through Fort Tryon Park, which was very close to the metro station. I enjoyed that park very much, with its breathtaking view of the Hudson River, tall trees, flowers and calm. There I met a cute squirrel up close; he was looking at us waiting for some food. It was so lovely!

After a while, we could finally see the museum; it was like a big castle behind the trees. Visiting The Cloisters was an amazing experience. Not only because of the stained glass windows, tapestries or art objects, but also because the whole building itself was an artwork to be appreciated. My husband and I followed the guided tour given by the museum, and it was entertaining. We listened to interesting stories about the pieces and explanations about the life of monks in a monastery.

On our way back, my husband and I were talking about our experience. We were very impressed by the power of money that could afford each stone and portal of that construction, as everything had come from Europe. With money, Americans could import a piece of European history, and today it's very useful for teaching their kids about the Middle Ages and its monasteries and cloisters. This dark era so far and so different from America can now be felt and experienced by their sons because of The Cloisters.

Traveling to realize what I want from life

by Rocio Delgado

Once in a while, people must make important decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. My friend’s moment was 4 years ago when she decided to quit her well-paying job to move to the United States. She had been applying for a couple of years, and finally she was accepted to South Dakota University to pursue a PhD in Pharmacy.

Because she was one of my best friends, I missed her a lot. We've known each other since college, and later we used to work together for the same company. In every board meeting, she used to get behind my ideas as I got behind hers. Three months ago, I decided to go on sabbatical because even though I was getting ahead in my career, I didn’t have enough time for the real important things in life. I felt I needed to get my priorities straight. Therefore, I handed in my resignation at work and moved abroad.

My first destination was obviously the USA. I learned to love New York City and endured the pollution and crowded spaces. I learned to like the transportation system--you can love or hate the subway, but you have to feel something for it--and got hooked on the hot dogs on 7th Avenue in Manhattan.

A week ago, I decided to visit my friend in South Dakota and landed at the Sioux Falls airport. We went to her laboratory inside campus. She showed me her current life as a researcher, and even though I was happy for her, I noticed that her lifestyle is not for me. Although I earned a Master’s Degree in Pharmacology in my home country of Peru and I could apply for a PhD there, the life of a PhD student is just not for me. I want to avoid weekends spent away from friends, cooped up in my room studying or in the lab experimenting with mice.

Now, I've come back to NYC to take my TOELF exam, and I am so grateful to my friend for letting me see how she lives. Staying with her last week, hanging out with her friends and being part of her current life really helped me to distinguish what I really want to do with mine.

The good, the bad, and the brownstones

Rocio and Samara at a gift shop in Park Slope.

by Rocio Delgado

A few weeks ago, I went to Park Slope in Brooklyn with my teacher and classmates. It was fun walking with them in Manhattan in order to get to the 3 or the 4 train. We got off at Prospect Park 30 minutes later and started our adventure visiting the Brooklyn Public Library, specifically the Central branch. The place was amazing, with plenty of space for studying and one exhibit of pictures of different kinds of bridges in the New York area. The wooden floors, the high ceilings, and the wide stairs together created a majestic view inside the library.

After our visit to the library, we started to wander around the Park Slope neighborhood and something that caught my eye was the row houses there. They were made of brown stones and looked organized. However, although I liked the organization and neatness of Park Slope, I prefer the crowded and exciting environment of Astoria in Queens, where you can find a variety of restaurants with different types of cuisine. Most of them will make your mouth water for a very reasonable price. Although the quality is the same in Park Slope, the dishes are ridiculously expensive.

I noticed the price problem in Park Slope is not just with food, it is the entire neighborhood. For example, I came into a gift shop with a couple of classmates just to look around, and one piece of jewelry was valued at $65; it is easier to find the same in Astoria stores for half the price.

If there was something that I really enjoyed in Park Slope, it was the sense of solitude and the peaceful environment. It is definitively a good place to live if you can afford it.

Admiring an Egyptian temple

by Malgorzata Zielinska

What I really like at the MET is the Egyptian temple. It stands in the middle of a huge hall with glass walls and a glass celling. Natural light illuminates the area and is reflected on the water surrounding the temple. The whole complex gives the impression as if it were located in the open air.

As a tourist you could spend a long time there, even hours contemplating the play of sun, water and shadows; but probably also as a New Yorker, you can still enjoy the atmosphere even if you may have seen the place many times.

The historical aspect of the exhibition, of course, plays a very important role, too. You can see some hieroglyphics on the old stone, which are perhaps 3000 or 5000 years old, and you can imagine people from previous eras working on them. You could picture Egyptians who left the messages for us on the walls of their temple and even try to guess what they were willing to tell us.

The combination of the old historical ruins and the new modern architecture gives a great opportunity to admire both old and new cultures together.

Going Medieval at the Cloisters

The whole gang (minus the teacher) at the Cloisters. 

Last week, we took the A train to 190th St., rode the elevator to the upper subway entrance and found ourselves in front of Fort Tryon Park high above the Hudson River. The views were spectacular.

After a nice, leisurely stroll through the park, stopping to take photos, admiring the views of the river, and getting lost for a few minutes, the Cloisters eventually came into view like an old monastery on a hill. It was quiet and calm; the sun was out; there was a nice breeze, and a couple of students commented that we could easily have been walking a winding road in the French or Italian countryside. 

Our visit was too short as it took awhile to travel there from Midtown, but we had enough time to check out the cloisters, which were covered walkways that monks had actually used centuries ago to cross a courtyard from one building to another, the gardens that featured plants that grew in similar gardens in the Middle Ages, and the exhibits that the students in Explore NYC, I'm sure, will write about in following posts.

Many things impressed us. Among them was the building itself--medieval-looking, built in 1938, and housed artifacts that were probably more than a millennium years old. Be sure to check out what we've written about this experience.

Lukasz and Samara under the arches of a colonnade.

Elsa and Cele by a fig tree.

Dung Woo and Samara in the garden.

photos by Joe Yu and Gwen de Backer

Paris Hilton at the Met?

by Gwen de Backer

First we went through the Egyptian section. The collection of ancient Egyptian art at the Metropolitan Museum is said to rank among the finest outside Egypt. You should come take a look, it's really worth it! Then, we went through the Arms and Armor section, which was also very impressive; I was so absorbed by what I saw that I lost track of the group. I tried to find them, but where did they go? In which part of the museum are they? After a while I gave up looking for them and decided to enjoy the visit on my own—just me, myself, and I. 

I started wandering in the museum, my guide was my gut feeling. There were a couple of temporary exhibitions such as Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. The line to get in was so huge; people had been waiting for hours to see it! I was sure my classmates were not in this section. Another exhibit was Richard Sera Drawing: A retrospective. I was also sure they hadn't gone to see this one—Not because they wouldn't like it but because, for some of them, it was their first time visiting the Met so they already had so many things to discover. Then I thought if my goal weren't to find them, perhaps I would unexpectedly meet them. Who knows? 

Suddenly, something caught my attention! It was a painting of a woman, a woman with a dog. I got closer. It was an elegant woman with a toy dog. The name of the painting was: A woman with a dog, and was painted by a famous french painter from the 18th century called Fragonard. I had a feeling of “déjà vu”. She had thin facial features and fancy clothes. Both of them, the woman and the dog, looked picky—or more like spoiled—elegant, mannered, and kind of snobbish, too. I finally understood my feeling of “déjà vu”. This woman with her dog and her fancy jewels made me think of Paris Hilton in an earlier “version”. Me, myself, and I were laughing together for a while! Finally, I decided to move on and to enjoy other parts of the museum when I heard someone calling my name. They saw me! My classmates were back.

If I hadn't lost track of the group, I wouldn't have found that "Woman with a dog", which gave my visit to the museum a nice time of fun. Laughter is the best medicine, right?

Exploring Park Slope

The whole gang at the Brooklyn Public Library at the start of our walk around Park Slope.

Last week, the Explore NYC class started at the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza, where we checked out the library's temporary art exhibit of New York City bridges. After a quick tour up the narrow escalator to the second floor, across the balcony, and into one of the library's enormous reading rooms, we headed out to walk around Park Slope.


We saw the grand homes along Prospect Park, the quiet, tree-lined streets and their brownstone buildings, which are ubiquitous in this area, and the variety of small shops, boutiques, and cafes on 5th and 7th avenues.


We've begun to write about our experience. Stay tuned, and come back and see what we've written!



In front of a brownstone on a typical Park Slope street.



Doing a little shopping on 7th Avenue.

Admiring one painting in particular

Hanging out on the front steps of the Met. 

by Lukasz Sleziak

I really like going to museums. I like paintings and sculptures, even the buildings, themselves. Last Wednesday, I was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This was an amazing experience for me. First, the museum building, which was huge and richly decorated with many rooms, beautiful stairs and corners. Second, I had the opportunity to visit several permanent exhibitions, including the art of Egypt with the beautiful Temple of Dendur and a peaceful exhibition of Asian art with a replica of a Chinese home.

However, I was most impressed by the 19th and early 20th Century European paintings and sculptures. There, I liked Van Gogh and Monet paintings the most, especially the painting "Garden at Sainte-Adresse". It is a painting by the French impressionist painter, Claude Monet. This image shows a group of people in the garden by the sea. It shows a man and a woman sitting on chairs in the garden and a man and a woman talking along a short wall barrier by the seafront. Women are holding colorful umbrellas and dressed in clothes from that era. In addition, men are dressed elegantly. In the distance you can see a few ships. The garden has a few chairs and lots of colorful flowers. Two flags are waving against a blue sky. The picture is very lively and colorful. The painting is now in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was bought in 1967, with special contributions given or bequeathed by friends of the Museum.

After visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I've decided to visit museums more often.

Garden at Sainte-Adresse by Claude Monet

Staying cool at the Met

At the Temple of Dendur in the Egyptian Wing of the Met

Last week, the Explore NYC class took a break from the heat and decided to head indoors for our weekly outing. We walked around the Metropolitan Museum of Art and actually covered a lot of ground for the short hour and a half that we were there. We got to check out the Egyptian Wing, the indoor courtyard in the American Wing, the Arms and Armor displays, parts of the Asian wing including the Asian garden,

Stay tuned to see what we'll be writing about regarding this experience.

Waiting for the Shuttle at 42nd St.

The Chinese garden in the Asian Wing.

A courtyard in the American Wing

In the Arms and Armor room.

A stop at the library

by Malgorzata Zielinska

First, we visit the public library in Greenwich Village. The library was built in the Victorian Gothic style, and it's comfortable and cool inside. There are two floors and a basement, where you can look for your favorite books or videos. Especially in the second floor, you really feel the spaciousness of the place. This is due to the high ceiling and large stained glass windows. The light filters through the green and yellow glass flooding the room with pleasurable colors. When you find the book you were looking for, you can take your time and read it for a while in a spacious reading corner.

To get to the basement, you have to go down an old spiral staircase. Down there, you can find a place that has a totally different character. It has low ceilings with old arches, but since the ceiling is painted white, it doesn't have the depressing atmosphere common to most basements. In the library, you can also use the free wifi, and there are some computers reserved for teens.

Liking Gay Street in the Village

by Alice Vicini

A small white house with ivy on the walls
 that caught the writer's attention.

The little curve at one end of Gay Street.

Gay Street is very short. It has a little curve at the start and then straightens out. When it curves, there are some trees that create shadows. In this shade, we spent a few minutes reading the history of the street. The houses are small and really colorful with red, orange, and white. There is one that touched me. It is a small white house with a brown door and a black fire escape. It is nice because it has ivy on the walls. I don’t know why but I think it is really poetic. Also, because the atmosphere yesterday was nice, on Gay Street, you can’t hear the sound of traffic; everything is so quiet! There is an amazing atmosphere full of peace and with beautiful sunlight. In fact, the rest of the street has no shade; it was hot, but at the same time fascinating.

At the end of the street, there are many bicycles parked very close to each other. I also think this is nice. This is why this is my favorite place in the West Village. It reminds me of London. I think because in London there are colorful houses, too. The difference with London is the weather and the light. In London you can’t appreciate the house in the same way because everything becomes gray and sad. I prefer New York!

A place both historic and modern

by Lukasz Sleziak

Last Wednesday, I was in Greenwich Village. It’s one of the oldest places in New York. I visited a library, Washington Square, Hudson St. This area is nice because it is similar to cities in Europe. But I think this place is very nice because it has a youthful atmosphere that is dynamic and modern but at the same time, it’s filled with history: with buildings, shops and coffeehouses that date back to the 18th century. It’s like time stopped here. I saw buildings similar to those in Amsterdam--very small, old, and made of red bricks.

In this place, people from different cultures, countries and continents live together in peace and tolerance. If you go to Washington Square, you will witness this. Of course, Washington Square isn’t only about people; there are other things to experience including the flowers, trees, animals and fountains. You can swim, walk and sing because this place is an oasis of peace and a circus of culture.

I've found that Greenwish Village is a place of peace, culture, tolerance and life.

The charm of a small Village in a big city

by Yulia Kez

I really like old small European towns; they have a special charm, and I probably love them even more than big and famous ones. Greenwich Village, especially Gay Street and the nearby area looks very similar to such towns in Europe such as in England or in Norway. As for me, this special atmosphere is always made by narrow bumpy streets and tiny old houses with flowers on the windows. Actually, I don't remember if there were any flowers, but there really should be in such places. They all makes me feel as if time had stopped a couple of hundred years ago there and since then, nothing has changed. The quietness and peacefulness of this place creates a feeling that Greenwich Village is not a part of New York at all, but it's really cool that the same city can have so many different faces. Perhaps it would be interesting to see people who live there; they seem to be completely different from other locals.

A nice, enjoyable walk on a hot day

At Washington Square Park at the end of our walk. Is anyone exhausted? 

We decided to do our outing last Wednesday because at 90F (32C), it was the coolest day of the week. Still, it was hot, but thankfully, the tree-lined streets of the West Village, which we read about the day before, kept us cool enough in the shade.

We started at the Jefferson Market Courthouse on 10th St. and 6th Avenue, strolled down the same narrow lanes laid out by the Dutch, and saw some of the oldest houses in Manhattan. Our route included the historic Stonewall Inn, the White Horse Tavern (the iconic hangout of literary greats), and the narrowest house in Manhattan. We ended our walk at Washington Square Park, where we sat for a little bit before heading off in different directions.

Be sure to check out what we wrote about our experience in the Village.

There are a couple of theories as to whom Gay St. is named after,
but it goes back three centuries to the Dutch era in Manhattan.

Alice and Yulia browse the stacks at Jefferson Market Courthouse.

A quick stop where literary greats used to hang out.