“Empire State of Mind”:
A Field Trip to New York City (Spring 2010)

“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.
Perhaps it is that the heart beats faster here than elsewhere” --- Simone de Beauvoir

In the early morning hours in March 26 students and 4 faculty members got on their way to Frankfurt Airport to catch a plane to the city that never sleeps: New York – a city known to most of us only from seminars, books, TV shows or movies.

The first afternoon we spent in Midtown seeing the Chrysler Building, the United Nations Building, New York Public Library, Bryant Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Grand Central Station and Times Square, while probably finding one of the quietest places in Manhattan: Tudor City Greens. We ended this fantastic first day in New York with a breathtaking view from Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, experiencing New York’s skyline at a height of 269 meters:

Click on picture for more impressions of Midtown.

The next morning we got ready for a day in Harlem, a part of New York we discussed in detail in our seminar. But before arriving in Harlem we stoppedat an impressive building: Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine on the Upper Westside. The cathedral is built in a wonderful neo-gothic style and worth seeing. Then we took a little break to take pictures in front of the Alma Mater statue at Columbia University. Finally we arrived in Harlem and strolled down 125th Street, passing Apollo Theater, Hotel Theresa, Strivers Row (St. Nicholas Historical District), Marcus Garvey Park, Mount Morris Historical District and the Abyssinian Baptist Church. In the afternoon we visited the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture where we were introduced to the center’s history and work. In the evening we had the wonderful opportunity to meet German students from New York University where we were cordially received.

Click on Apollo Theater picture for more impressions of Harlem and Uptown.

Another day breaking in New York City, our group had an appointment at the Goethe-Institut where we were told about its structure and history,and learned about how to get aninternship in New York City. Next, after exploring the amazing Upper East Side, we visited the Jewish Museum on Fifth Avenue. The museum’s director, NormanKleeblatt, gave us insights into his work and motivations during his talk with us. After this, we enjoyed a wonderful sunny afternoon walk in Central Park and were left to explore the city on our own.

The next day was to become the most exciting, unforgettable and special day of our trip: it was the day of our tour of the Bronx. We all were psyched in advance as we did not know what to expect. Should we be scared? Will it be dangerous? Will we get mugged at daylight? Well, it was nothing like that, but quite the opposite. We peacefully wandered the streets [077], with Professor Laux telling us a lot about the population structures and the history of the Bronx.

Click on picture for more impressions of the Bronx

After that we had the pleasure of being the first visitors to the new exhibition “Road to Freedom – Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956–1968” at the Bronx Museum – the museum was opened just for us! Clearly this was one of the best museums we visited. Then the city planner Sam Goodman continued the tour of the Bronx, telling us more about the borough’s history, including details about the architecture of the Grand Concourse Boulevard and its surrounding art déco buildings. You might think we had by then seen most of the Bronx, but the highlight of the day was still ahead: a Hip Hop Tour with Professor Mark Naison aka Notorious PhD from Fordham University [VIDEO 1, VIDEO 2]. By bus we explored the South Bronx, while listening to loud music from the beginnings of Hip Hop to today’s Hip Hop. We passed the house where Grandmaster Flash threw his first parties in the Bronx and stopped at a community center, called “The Point”, where a guy named Angel let us listen to a little jam session [VIDEO] of him playing the bongo-drums. This definitely was no normal tourist day in New York, but an adventure.