With Respect and Gratitude to Cynthia Davidson
For her guidance and support.
A View From My 49-Floor Window 1
List of Signs around Trinity Church 3
Area Closed & Shallow 5
A Letter to Le Corbusier 7
Architectural Myth 9
Battery Park City: A Bridge Between City and Nature 11
Observations of Journal Square Path Station 13
Coney Island’s Quieter Side 17
Macy’s: A Legacy in Retail 19
Bryant Park: A Space Through Time 21
PATH: A Bridge Across Boundaries 23
Hudson Yards Across the River 25
Young and Facing New York 29
A View From My 49-Floor Window
It’s 4 p.m. on September 4th and I just pulled the curtain to let more sunlight into my room.
The view from the 49th floor reveals layers upon layers of lines on the ground below. The city stretches out like a detailed map where highways snake between clusters of buildings, bridges connect fragmented pieces of land, and the river at the edge serves as a natural boundary.
At the bottom of the sky, the bridge connects two thick lines: the left extends into a web of streets and neighborhoods, while the right transforms into New Jersey, with its dense skyline and endless flow
of construction.
Buildings closer to my apartment appear larger and more detailed, revealing windows, scaffolding, and intricate designs. The farther ones fade into the haze, blending into the horizon where the river ends.
Below me, blocks of buildings rise like statues in a grid. The north-facing facades remain dim, barely catching any sunlight. Only a few streets escape the long shadows cast by these towering structures.
Sitting by the window, the sound of the ground can still reach my ears. A path emerges—first, a fire truck honks its way through the streets below, then the sharp clanging of hammers from a nearby construction site fills the air. Shadows lengthen as the sun sets.
It’s 5 p.m. now. The fire truck’s siren grows fainter, replaced by distant voices and the occasional yell under my window. Life moves below as the shadows stretch, blending the city into a single, living entity.
List of Signs around Trinity Church
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BIRTHPLACE OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
In 1752 Trinity Church gave a grant of land for a new college. On July 17, 1754, the first class of King’s College, which was to become Columbia University, met in the schoolhouse of Trinity Church located across this street.
The charter for the college was granted on October 31, 1754, during the reign of King George II.
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Area Closed & Shallow
Area Closed
I always dream of sealing away certain parts of my memory deep within my mind. Inside this space, nothing was ever unpleasant: flowers bloomed, dogs napped peacefully, the air was crisp, the sea was pristine, and the sunlight gently restored the warmth taken away by the breeze. But when shadowed by a melancholic mood, nothing seemed capable of suppressing true “happiness.” These areas were always locked up, yet more and more fragments were inevitably stored there.
Even though this area is closed off, there’s still a small window gives a glimpse into what lies within. I chose that beach to take a walk at that moment; all I knew was that I was contemplating whether to lock away a new memory and how desperately I longed to see a crystal-clear sea I love.
Shallow
The surface reflects a calm, perfect mirror—a facade of depth. Beneath, the water is murky, filled with unsettled particles that obscure the bottom. It reminds me of thoughts skimmed, conversations halted, moments left unexplored. Everything appears weightless, yet the substance is missing. I step into the water, feeling its coolness against my skin, but it never pulls me in deeper.
Perhaps, this is all it will ever be—light and undemanding, with no risks of getting lost in the depths. Yet, as the shallow waves touch my feet and retreat, I wonder: what lies beyond the surface that I’ve yet to reach?
A Letter to Le Corbusier
Dear Le Corbusier,
When I first arrived in New York, I think my feelings were similar to yours during your initial visit in 1935. After reading When Cathedrals Are White, I looked at images of New York from that time and compared them to the city today. I was surprised to see how many skyscrapers there were even then. Reading your words again, I find myself agreeing with many of your conclusions.
New York is a vertical city, where elevators constantly move people from the ground to hundreds of meters up in the air. You believed New York needed taller buildings to hold more people, and decades later, they have only grown taller. Air rights, now purchased and traded by developers to allow for even higher structures. You could not have imagined the air rights above Trinity Church which is in Downtown Broadway being sold to a building in Midtown, making even the Empire State Building look small.
After decades, New York has continued to balance order and chaos. If you visited today, you might find some things unchanged: traditional pubs still stand beside Art Deco skyscrapers, and noisy subways
carry people from one tower to another. The buildings remain clean and grand, yet the streets are now filled with the smell of marijuana. Order has evolved into a new kind of order—but with new chaos too.
This New York, which in some ways fulfills your vision of the “Radiant City,” might leave you reflecting not only on the progress made but also on the compromises along the way.
Yours, Yifan
Architectural Myth
“Two buildings along the East Third Ring Road in Beijing appear to lean toward each other, almost colliding.” This remark, made by a citizen in 2006, referred to the towering, gravity-defying structure of the CCTV Headquarters in Beijing. The approval of such a bold design symbolized the government’s ambition to showcase its architectural and engineering capabilities to the world.
The building, designed to be carved from an 800-meter-high rectangular loop, stands out among the surrounding box-like towers. The architect, inspired by ancient stone-cutting techniques, employed the concept of subtraction to create the structure’s striking and seemingly impossible form.
Over 140,000 tons of steel were used in its construction, with parts of the complex steel structure exposed on the facade. This bold engineering feat demonstrated China’s industrial strength and modern ambitions. Despite the budget tripling to nearly $3 billion, the government remained determined to complete the project, positioning it as a global icon of innovation.
Locally, the structure earned the nickname “Da Ku Cha,” meaning
“Big Shorts,” a playful reference to its unusual shape. Public opinion remains divided—some admire it as a symbol of modern China, while others ridicule its unconventional appearance. Few can ignore its commanding presence as they drive past.
Even after the infamous fire that damaged the annex, the CCTV Headquarters remains immovable. Its continued presence, unshaken by criticism or controversy, sends a clear message of resilience and power to the world.
Battery Park City: A Bridge Between City and Nature
Crossing West Street, a 1979 urban design project unfolds before you: Battery Park City. A unique blend of city life and nature. Here, the bustling energy of New York meets the calm of the waterfront. Built on landfill that pushed the edge of Manhattan, this 92-acre neighborhood was conceived as an extension of New York’s financial district, embodying the city’s constant growth and transformation.
Battery Park City is not just a place to live or work; it also serves as a bridge between land and water, between the fast pace of the city and the tranquility of nature. Tree-lined paths along the waterfront invite people to slow down, enjoy the view, and feel the rhythm of the river. The water sparkles, and the tall buildings in the background create a harmonious mix of green spaces and urban architecture—a delicate balance between the natural and the man-made.
This area represents more than New York’s creativity; it reflects its aspirations—a place designed with open spaces where people can live, work, and reconnect with nature. Parks like Rockefeller Park and Teardrop Park provide sanctuaries of green within the urban fabric, offering a respite from the city’s noise and chaos.
Battery Park City is more than just a neighborhood. It is a symbol of balance in urban life, offering both space for growth and moments of quiet.
VII
Observations of Journal Square Path Station
Journal Square Path Station
Time: 17:28-18:28
Weather: Clear, no clouds, light breeze, cold
Colors
Gray with a hint of yellow
Blue Jacket
Bright Green Bicycle
Red Bank of America Billboard
Yellow Taxi
Journal Squared 3 Billboard in Blue Yellow and green tree
A woman in bright green walks by with a paper bag
A woman in her sixties wearing a bright blue down jacket walks by sending a voice message on her cell phone.
A delivery man in a red jacket
holding a railing and talking to a friend.
A man in a hoodie and a man in a backwards hat crouch on the steps smoking a cigarette and chatting.
A girl in her 20’s wearing glasses and Gothic clothing walks by.
A man in his forties wearing a light blue medical mask.
A man in a knit cap shakes hands with a man in a blue jacket who has been waiting on the steps for ten minutes.
Another delivery person on the steps looking at a cell phone sign.
I’m drinking an iced lemonade from Starbucks.
A path train coming from Manhattan stops (I don’t see it but a lot of people come up from the underground platform)
A girl with green Apple headphones and a Starbucks drink runs toward the bus stop.
Two women in white down coats walking together towards the escalator into the path station.
An Indian-origin man in a dark blue suit buys a matcha drink and leaves Starbucks
Two men in suits and a man in a down jacket and jeans chatting in front of the Bank of America.
The sun is about to set, but can still be seen in the reflection of the curtain wall of a building to the west
A woman in a pink down jacket is on the steps, placing her book bag on the handrail looking for something
A delivery boy gets the item he needs to deliver (an item wrapped in a huge yellow plastic bag, so big he can’t close the lid of his box)
A very tall man with long hair walked under a tree and zipped up his down jacket.
An Indian-origin woman wrapped her hijab tightly around
her head.
A Chinese couple carried paper bags through the station.
A man on a motorized scooter rides quickly through the crowd.
A man in a leather jacket pushes a small wheeled road bike from the platform to the ground.
Warm yellow lights come on
A woman in a white jacket descended the stairs with a grandmother in bright green on her arm.
A man with what I thought was a beard entered a Starbucks with a water bottle.
A bunch of couples entered the path station with suitcases in hand
Two men with baseball caps of the teams they support walk by.
An older black woman with her dreadlocks dyed red walks by
A man standing against a wall, holding a motorized scooter and looking at his cell phone
A man in a work style jacket carrying a huge bag on his back talking on the phone
A woman in a beret meets the man waiting for her and leaves the Starbucks.
A man with a beard looks around and leaves the plaza.
A woman under a tree is talking earnestly on her headset to someone on the phone.
Another wave of people leaves the path.
A man in a suit leaves the station with a square briefcase.
A girl carries her school bag in one hand and two huge plastic bags in the other.
A man in green half-sleeves looks for something in his bag. A woman with gold earrings walks by.
A man with a school bag and a red sports backpack is looking for someone, but when he doesn’t find them, he takes out his cell phone to send a message and leaves the square.
A tall boy in a hipster suit with a target backpack walks by, followed by two friends who run over and leave the square with him.
A man in short sleeves just The sun is setting and the wind is picking up a bit.
A man with a blue baseball cap slowly rides his motorized scooter to the steps.
A man on his way to the station bumps into his homie and they bump fists to say hello.
A man in his fifties in a gray jacket finds his locked mountain bike, unlocks it and pushes it out of the square.
The man in the workman’s jacket is still on the phone in the square. There’s a white wrapping paper blowing around in the wind.
A woman in a white trench coat swings her arm hard and walks through into the station.
A woman with a heavy backpack walks across the square while talking on the phone.
A man with short sleeves waits for his friend and both of them buy a cup of coffee and leave the square.
A man in a dark green work style suit enters the square with an Amazon delivery bag.
A man in a bright orange work jacket enters the square and enters the station
Another group of people went up from the station to the ground level
The wind scatters fallen leaves and stray papers, dancing momentarily before settling again. er in a plaid jacket skates by, narrowly avoiding a child chasing after a red balloon.
Two men in matching navy coats laugh loudly, their voices cutting through the hum of the crowd.
A street performer sets up a small speaker, letting soft jazz drift across the square. The golden glow of the setting sun deepens, painting everything in amber.
Photographed at 5:52 PM, October 18, 2024
Coney Island’s Quieter Side
On the evening of Friday, October 18th, I visited Coney Island, hoping to witness the vibrant energy Rem Koolhaas so vividly captures in Delirious New York—a site once alive with technological wonders, a playground where excitement and entertainment collided in a dreamlike spectacle. Yet, the reality I encountered was far removed from the bustling amusement parks of the past. Instead, it was quieter, more subdued, offering a glimpse into a different side of Coney Island.
As I walked toward the beach, a sandy sports field came into view across the road. The sunset cast a warm, golden light over the scene, outlining the silhouettes of children playing in the distance. Their laughter punctuated the stillness of the fading day, their quick movements kicking up dust that caught the sunlight. The air shimmered as light filtered through nearby trees, creating an ethereal and dreamlike quality. It was a serene and intimate moment, a stark contrast to the chaotic energy I had imagined when reading Koolhaas’s descriptions.
The amusement park, once the epitome of a technological utopia, stood nearly empty. Its usual throngs of tourists had given way to
the local residents—the families and children who make Coney Island their home. The flashing lights and mechanical wonders seemed irrelevant in the face of this simpler, everyday beauty: a sunset, children playing, and the soft rustle of autumn leaves carried on the cool evening breeze.
In that moment, Coney Island transformed. It wasn’t the playground of extravagant dreams Koolhaas had written about, but a peaceful retreat. Life had slowed down, inviting me to embrace the ordinary beauty of an autumn evening—a quiet reminder that even in the most iconic of places, the mundane can hold its own kind of magic.
Macy’s: A Legacy in Retail
Across from the massive H&M storefront, Macy’s prominent logo continues to assert its longstanding place in the retail world.
Having lived in New York for over two months, Macy’s was my first visit to a large, multi-floor department store. My initial impression of New York as “fancy” didn’t quite align with what I found inside. On a bustling weekday evening at 8 p.m., 34th Street was as lively as ever. Entering Macy’s through its historic canopied doors, I was immediately greeted by rows of international beauty brands on the ground floor, encircled by luxury boutiques that reinforce Macy’s upscale image.
We chose to explore downward from the top, so took the express elevator up to the ninth floor first. As the doors opened, I was momentarily transported to an older department store back home, where outmoded suitcases covered the floor in a seemingly semi-abandoned away. I picked one up and thought, $500 for this? Isn’t that a bit much? But this is Macy’s, after all, and in New York, prices often make sense even when they don’t.
Descending the wooden escalators, we were consistently struck by
the assortment of items. This pajama set for $20? My grandmother might go for it. A dress for $399? It was something I had seen online for about $45 back home. The contrast was striking, making me reflect on how Macy’s balances its status as a legacy brand with the realities of on-line competition.
With on-line shopping reshaping the market place, physical retail faces undeniable challenges. Yet, the beauty and luxury brands on the first floor still thrive in these prime, tangible spaces, suggesting that for some industries, brick-and-mortar remains indispensable—a tactile experience only a store can offer.
Bryant Park: A Space Through Time
The first time I heard about Bryant Park was last summer. It was introduced in a landscape design class as a case study, and I later explored it on Google Earth. The tall trees stood out, their planters subtly raised above the ground, making it appear as if the trees were floating. The park looked peaceful, with a few outdoor cafés and people lying on the lawn. It felt like a simple, open, and relaxing space—a quiet escape in the heart of the city.
The second time, I visited Bryant Park at night during December. I just had returned to Grand Central from Cold Spring and decided to stop by. The north side of the park was alive with a holiday market, glowing lights, and crowds of people. The December cold air made the experience feel completely different from the serene summer scene I had imagined months before. The energy of the market, combined with the festive atmosphere, transformed the park into a lively and dynamic space.
Yesterday was my third visit. This time, I walked from the East Village to Bryant Park, intent on seeing it closely and in daylight. As I approached, the sharp angles of nearby skyscrapers framed the park, creating a striking contrast with the soft grass and trees. It reminded
me of that winter evening—the same light came through the trees and paths now basking in warm autumn sunlight. The park felt familiar yet new. The sound of conversations, the warmth of the sun, and the bustling crowd made it another unique experience—one of calm energy rather than stillness or excitement.
Bryant Park doesn’t change physically, rather time and culture transform its atmosphere. As Ana María Durán explains, spaces evolve with the rhythms of time and activity. Keller Easterling’s concept of “performance” also applies here—the trees, lights, and surrounding buildings adapt to play different roles across seasons. Bryant Park remains the same space, yet it is always different, offering fresh experiences with each visit.
PATH: A Bridge Across Boundaries
The Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) train is much more than just a literal meaning of the word “path.” Proposed in 1874, decades before the New York subway, this cross-state rail project has endured technical challenges, economic hardships, and even disasters. Yet, it remains an essential connector between New Jersey and New York.
Every morning, young commuters board PATH trains in New Jersey. Traveling through its signal-less tunnels, they emerge in Manhattan to begin their work or studies. Unlike the New York subway, PATH’s interstate organization introduces unique dynamics: cheaper rents farther from Manhattan, differing tax regulations, and even separate driver’s license requirements. These factors constantly remind commuters, “This isn’t New York; this is New Jersey.” As Alexander Hamilton reflects in Hamilton, “Everything is legal in New Jersey.”
Despite these distinctions, PATH connects communities on both sides of the Hudson River with nearly equal convenience. From Midtown to Wall Street, the commute from Journal Square mirrors the speed of traveling within Manhattan itself. PATH bridges not just offices and homes; it opens up opportunities, offering Manhattan’s possibilities to all.
On-board, the train becomes a microcosm of urban life. Young workers exchange greetings with friends, suited Indian businessmen play card games on their phones, and delivery workers with large insulated backpacks scroll through emails or videos. A small dog lies quietly on the floor, its curious gaze wandering. For eight minutes in the tunnel, they breathe the same air, disconnected from the bustling world above. In this shared moment, they are equals—united in their journey toward Manhattan.
Hudson Yards Across the River
On my second day in New York, August 19, I wandered along the Hudson River’s west bank after mistakenly taking the wrong bus from Port Authority. Across the water, a gleaming cluster of glass towers caught my eye. I didn’t know it was Hudson Yards—just a futuristic skyline that seemed to blend into the city’s larger image. Exhausted by jet lag and walking, I overlooked the Vessel entirely, unable to distinguish the boundaries between Downtown and Midtown. l couldn’t distinguish between Downtown and Midtown – I only knew it must be Manhattan.
I’ve since returned to Hudson Yards, each visit revealing new facets of the development. Within the site, the Vessel stands as the center-
piece—a polished spectacle drawing photographers from every angle. But from across the river, the illusion shifts. The glass beak of the “robot duck,” as some critics call it, diminishes. Set against Manhattan’s iconic skyline, Hudson Yards appears less monumental, more an intricate piece within the broader machinery of the city.
Hudson Yards, like other high-density developments, symbolizes the uneasy balance between progress and public interest. While critics often deride it as a “playground for the wealthy,” it also represents the compromises cities make to fund large-scale infrastructure. The 7 train extension and its adjacent 14 acres of public space exist only because of the revenue generated by luxury condos and office towers. The project highlights an uncomfortable truth: idealistic visions of equitable urban development often clash with the realities of economic sustainability.
Viewed from the riverbank, Hudson Yards serves as both a reflection of Manhattan’s ambitions and a reminder of its challenges. Its towers rise with unapologetic confidence, yet their glass facades mirror the city’s struggle to balance private profit with public good.
Thanks Giving -A moment to pause.
Definitely not because of a layout reason.
Photographed at 6:10 PM, November 1, 2024
