Seminar 2 Encyclopedia

NYCROPOLIS

Professor: Peter Vellon
ITF: Amanda Matles
Campus: Queens College
URL: https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/vellon18/

New York is dying. “But wait,” you say. “New York is dying? Impossible.” Sure, a visit to the Big Apple on any given day will yield sights of glass high-rises, bustling crowds of tourists and professionals, and shops with bedazzling variety: from classic bodegas to swanky yoga studios. But look closer. How can there be so many new skyscrapers and yet so many homeless? Why are trains on-time in Yorkville but not in Van Nest? And what on earth happened to the rent in Chelsea?

A visit to NYCropolis might leave you angry and frustrated with the current state of affairs. Good- that’s why we made it. The issues we researched relate to deep, unsolved problems in New York’s physical and social architecture. But our city is an amazing city, a feat of history that’s constantly reinventing itself. And we need you to be a part of its resurrection. Today, New York’s development conceals its death in essential areas. New life only comes when we stop treating the symptoms and start honestly working toward a cure. The more of NYCropolis you read, the more you will find that solutions to these problems don’t lie with the powers that be, but with the power of the people. Call your council member, join an advocacy group, and participate in Community Board meetings using your informed opinions. Turn this dying city into bright lights that inspire you and streets that make you feel brand-new.

-From the students of Honors 126, “The Peopling of New York,” Professor Vellon, and Amanda Matles

Macaulay Honors College and Queens College
Spring 2018
*With apologies to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys

The changing colors of williamsburg

Professor: Richard Ocejo
ITF: Kevin Ambrose
Campus: John Jay
URL: http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/williamsburggraffittiart/

THE GENTRIFICATION OF STREET ART

Brooklyn Literature in Context

Professor: Martha Nadell
ITF: Laurel-Mei Turbin
Campus: Brooklyn College
URL: http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/nadell2013/

If you think you know Brooklyn, think again. Your views, preconceptions & ideas will be challenged by the scholarly explorations of this Brooklyn College course. The Peopling of New York City offered a view into Brooklyn neighborhoods that changed our understandings of each place. Readings, class discussions, and film & web projects helped us understand the historical & sociopolitical contexts of Brooklyn literarature. Take a look around; you might be surprised at what you find!

Gentrification in New York City

Professor: David Rosenberg
ITF: Emily Sherwood
Campus: Baruch College
URL: http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/rosenberg13/

The Changing Personas of New York City: What is gentrification? Gentrification emerges in lower income level neighborhoods where the dynamics of the area change completely. It often involves the poor residents being pushed out by the new residents, who are significantly wealthier than the former. The average income increases, as well as rent property tax, real estate. Old buildings are modernized, and new infrastructures are built. New York City has certainly faced gentrification in many of its neighborhoods, including Chinatown, the Meatpacking District, Astoria, Harlem, and Williamsburg. Cultural, economical and social reforms have led to a series of numerous changes in NYC. These neighborhoods have encountered numerous transformations, for better or for worse. This site will give an insight into these neighborhoods and demonstrate the role gentrification plays in them.

Urban Ethnography

Professor: Ida Susser
ITF: Fiona Lee
Campus: Hunter
URL: http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/susser11/

Professor Ida Susser’s class looked at three varied area and five neighborhoods in New York: Chinatown, the Greenpoint/Williamsburg area, and Harlem/Morningside Heights. Students completed entries on specific issues in each area, such as Columbia’s involvement in the community and street vendors in Chinatown. The class conducted interviews, went on walking tours, and provide video, maps, bibliographic resources, and demographic information.

Immigrant Eyes

Professor: Philip Kasinitz
ITF: Jesse Goldstein
Campus: Hunter
URL: http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/kasinitz11

Overview
In Prof Philip Kasinitz’s class at Hunter, ITF Jesse Goldstein worked with the class to make a multi-neighborhood site that presented the work of groups who completed specific investigative tasks about the areas they studied: Chelsea, Chinatown, Williamsburg, the East Village, the Upper East Side, and Jackson Heights. Each group was tasked with examining and presenting the census data for the neighborhood, comparing statistics with their own observations of the area, finding out how residents think of their neighborhood, and creating a multimedia virtual walking tour. Students also completed individual final projects about immigrant experiences in the neighborhoods.