In Michael de Certeau’s essay, Walking in the City, the idea of flaneury is surfaced as a major aspect of art in the unconscious mind. With that said, it seems as though underneath the somewhat chaotic but normal buzz in New York City lies more than concrete, skyscrapers and subway tracks. Certeau says that the act of flaneurism “offers a series of turns (tours) and detours that can be compared to ‘turns of phrase’ or ‘stylistic figures’; there is a rhetoric of walking” (131) By simply immersing yourself within the act of walking, one can note a lot about the area. Similar to the idea of a picture being worth a thousand words, a surrounding can act the same.
With the hell life of being a New Yorker, there’s always a necessity to have a place of relaxation, a getaway that’s only a subway stop away. Whether it is in the city itself or in one of the other boroughs, nature is never too far away from us. Although it may be hard to find this natural phenomenon as time goes on, it seems as though we aren’t losing this essential part of life. Instead, we try to find ways of blending it in. With a flaneurist mindset, I was able to see nature at work not only in its natural setting but also in an innovative way at the Highline Park and Prospect Park.
My first stop as a flaneurist was, ironically enough, in Brooklyn near my old high school. I would always visit this park once a week with my friends after a rough day of classes. Now in college, I was more than happy to come back and let out some stress. While walking to the Circle near Prospect Park West, I stopped and actually admired the entrance. For so long, I would just run into the park believing that all Prospect Park had to offer was in the inside. However, I finally stopped myself and saw the two pillars for their aesthetic beauty. These two tall columns reminded me of a Roman or Greek structure from ancient times. With that said, one may have thought that these structures would stick out like a sore thumb. However, I found these added pillars to be just right and succinct with the neighborhood.
Located in the Windsor Terrace, Park Slope area of Brooklyn, Prospect Park seems to represent a lot of its surroundings. While walking around, I couldn’t help but have a nostalgic feeling of the old Brooklyn. By old Brooklyn, I mean before skyscrapers and the new technological era that I have grown up in. With it’s many cobblestone houses and colonial feel the Park seems to reflect the age and maturity of the neighborhood. Surrounding the park, you have cobblestone paths and 4-foot fort fencing, similar to that of Central Park.
Another aspect of the Park that I found very fitting was the way in which it accommodates the people of Park Slope. To no surprise, the area is made up of primarily young white families or emerging artistic eclectic groups of people. With this said, many of these people probably shop at organic places, buy clothes from Brooklyn Industries, or run around the lake while walking their dogs or strolling their kids. The park offers many events that seem to fit the area. For example, there was a mini marathon and an organic farmer’s market. If you’re not an outdoor person, then you can always find Grand Army Plaza on the other side of the park with the library. It’s amazing to believe that all of this is able to mix with nature at it’s best.
Although the cold weather may bring the level of nature down, the vast colors of the fall season still struck me as beautiful. The trees, although in hibernation, just willowed naturally without any interference of tall buildings or skyscrapers. The autumn colors accompanied the landscape of the large lake with the crunching of twigs as well. Although it’s been a while since my last visit to Prospect Park, not a lot has changed. Even with its stagnant aspect, the park still offers this peaceful getaway from the crazy life of a New Yorker.
Taking the subway a few stops to the city, I found myself in the Meat Packing, Chelsea district at the Highline Park. What seems to be an antique of New York City’s past from the under path is actually an innovative and futuristic twist on one of the city’s most important pieces to its present success: the railroad system. Abandoned in the early 20th century but reinvented in the last few years, these railroad tracks combined with the futuristic influence of the ever-growing neighborhood creates the Highline Park. Running parallel to the West Side Highway and the Hudson River, the Park transcends the idea of nature and parks.
While trying to find actual remnant of the old tracks, I was surprised to see all shapes. When thinking of a park, one normally thinks of an area dominated by trees, flowers, or something of the sort. I must note that there was some to offer from mother nature. Although not as grand with trees as Prospect Park, you see the effort by the park to restore a natural beauty with gardens growing everywhere including old garden tracks. In addition, we get a small view of the Hudson, something needed as a balancing element in the architectural city of an expanding New York. However, I must point out the effects of the recent Hurricane Sandy that struck the park with great force. It is evident within the lack of color and somewhat lifeless appearance of the garden.
However, that aspect of a cliché “park with a garden” is greatly overshadowed by the geometric shapes and architectures that one sees. All the lines and futuristic influence I saw overwhelmed me. Instead of plants, tall buildings and skyscrapers casted their tall presence over me. It seems as though the city has taken a toll on nature as its industrializing influence is seen throughout the park. For example, one of the pathways is actually the bottom of a hotel. If that wasn’t distracting enough, one can find other skyscrapers amassing the environment. Furthermore, construction of another building took away from the natural beauty of the park itself. What was supposed to be an innovative park turned out to be a flop in my opinion. Besides the gorgeous view and walk, the park had nothing to offer. To me, it seemed too perfect, almost pretentious in its design.
It seems as though my own walk in the city has made me an amateur flaneurist. Preferably, I admired Prospect Park the most because it stayed true to the idea of a park with its simple beauty and recreational atmosphere. The Highline, on the other hand, offered nothing but shapes and a reemphasis on the busy life of New York City with the shadowing of skyscrapers. As you can see, by simply immersing myself in walking with a flaneurist attitude, I was able to connect a lot of ideas that I would have not seen if I were to just walk without purpose. There is so much more to the design of a park than an aesthetic or euphoric feeling. In addition to their beauty, there is history and influence that is just waiting to be conversed about.
