On Wednesday we took a more focused look at the history of NYC.  We created a timeline of major events and shifts in shaping forces, which we will continue to develop throughout the semester.  A few things of note that make NYC unique (or as the authors say “outstanding”) among U.S. cities?
1.    It is the biggest (over 8M people) and almost 3x that counting the surrounding region.
2.    It has the greatest concentration of business and finance.
3.    It has the largest port and has dominated American commerce since the early 1800s.
4.    It is a sophisticated mosaic/pressure cooker of diverse people and cultures.

We began to discuss more recent trends in the development of NYC, which the authors describe as: “Economic restructuring,” “Upgrading the City,” and “Changing Population;” and characteristics, namely “Contradictions, contracts, and inconsistencies.”  Many of you focused on these dynamics in your reading responses: Brianna, Minhal, and Nick noted the paradoxes, trade-offs, and pros and cons of the city’s development; Sam and Ashley had a darker take on the situation/pressure cooker, especially given the changes we’ve since since this chapter was published in 2003; while Libby, Adrian, and Claudia were more optimistic, noting the importance of community and construction for economic growth.

Here are some articles that related to this week’s readings and discussions that you might find interesting:

• The 20 Oldest Buildings in NYC
• New York City History, as Told by 50 Bowery and Awakening the Bowery’s Ghosts
• The History of a City Underfoot
• New York destroyed a village full of African-American landowners to create Central Park
• (Previously) Unpublished Black History from the NYTimes Archive
• In Sandy’s Wake New York’s Landscape of Inequity Revealed.
• The Nation (2013). Welcome to the Gilded City of New York.
• Bob Master (2014). How the Zeitgeist Tracked Down Bill de Blasio.
• A video of a (Dec. 2014) protest against “Broken Windows” policing, which the mayor and police commissioner claim is why the city is “safer” now.