Ankit Derive
February 20, 2018, by
title: ankits first derive author: am8290 map: true derive:
- [40.734254, -73.994921]
- [40.734032, -73.995135]
- [40.735336, -73.998268]
- [40.736669, -73.997393]
- [40.735311, -73.994143]
- [40.736010, -73.993638]
- [40.733964, -73.988800]
- [40.735858, -73.987405]
- [40.736516, -73.988971] —
Walking around campus, in the rush that is getting to class, it is oftentimes hard to notice the details and intricacies of what surrounds many of the dorms. Thomas Wolfe once said that “one belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years,” and as an International student now experiencing my first year in the city, the Derive assignment allowed for me to truly explore the area I have been acquainting myself with for the better part of six months.
Walking around areas such as Union Square and the lead up to it creates an interesting contrast of experiences for me. Growing up in London, England, one of of the major architectural differences is the size of the buildings. Just walking down fifth avenue, one of the major observations I made was that the height of the buildings, though slimmer, towered over me, creating a different urban feel than to what I was used to, but a very New York-centric feel. Switching over to sixth avenue and 11th street, I could feel a shift happen between the East side of the city and the West side. Gone were the intimidating high rises, now replaced with shorter, more business oriented store fronts, swarming with people looking to purchase food, coffee or goods. In a matter of meters, Manhattan changed in front of my eyes - a concept that truly intrigued me as I continued my Derive.
As I kept the idea that there were perhaps two Manhattans during my walk, I began to inch closer to the bustling Union Square. On my way, I found not only traffic on the road, but foot traffic increased dramatically, and with the openness of the square it felt like NYU seemingly had two campuses - Washington Square Park and Union Square. Despite the former having more academic buildings, Union Square boasted a similar youthful, vibrant mindset that makes downtown the unique environment that it is. Walking up to 14th street you can sense a certain level of excitement, both from NYU students, Parsons School of Design students as well as the residents.
When my Derive app asked me to “follow something white” I found a 20-something woman walking a Bichon Frise that I decided to pursue. A dog owner myself, I wanted to garner a better understanding of how dogs walk through the city and decide where they want to walk during walks. Surprisingly, the Bichon marched with little care for the pedestrians that were seemingly in its way rather than vice versa as the small, white dog crossed avenues on 14th street, leading me to find myself outside of NYU’s Palladium Hall, looking for the dog as it got lost in the sea of people. Standing and observing my surroundings, the hustle and bustle of the city could truly be felt. With the 14th street subway exit directly to my left, and union square directly in front of, I could feel the pure buzz of the city.
Having not seen the Irving Plaza, but having heard so very much about it, I decided my next move would be turning on Irving Place. As I walked by modern bars and restaurants, it was evident that upon hitting 14th street the entire construction differed dramatically to that of the prior three streets that I had been exploring that day. Walking down past 15th street, one of the major contrasts was how concentrated the vibrancy of the area is. Here I was, one avenue from the heart of Union Square, and it seemed desolate. Behind me was a bustling Trader Joes, packed to the brim with people walking in and out, and having just crossed the street, with the Irving Plaza directly in front of me, I was isolated in a city you truly believe that occurrence never happens in.
The Derive experience truly allowed for me to immerse myself in a city that is still relatively new to me. Seeing the city through an undistracted lens made it so that I was able to see the bustling culture that downtown Manhattan has earned, paving the way for me to also see the divide between the East and West side, creating a unique, two-faced city.
