Meryem's First Derive
February 20, 2018, by Meryem
Traveling around New York City with no purpose or sense of direction created a new perspective of the city that I have never experienced before. My location started in the Lower East Side, which I have previously only been once before. I have never fully explored this area before this dérive. This exercise made me feel like the tourists that I would so often be irritated by on the street. I wasn’t sure where I was going, except by using the printed out map. Because I have formed a habit of being so dependent on navigation apps such as Google Maps, I was often lost or unsure where I was going. In addition, every few blocks I would constantly stop to take pictures or stop to check my location. For the first time since I started living in the city, I felt like I was in a place that I didn’t belong. Most of the people surrounding me were traveling with a purpose while I was aimlessly wandering. The Derive app also served a new element of feeling like a tourist as there were cards such as “ask the nearest person where the closest pharmacy is”. This adventure showed me a new side to traveling in New York City, as for the first time, I wasn’t rushing to a destination but deeply observing my surroundings.
Exploring the Lower East Side felt like I was in a different world besides Manhattan, the area was much quieter and less busy compared the areas I am usually in. There was minimal foot traffic and there was an overall low noise level.
Visually, the area didn’t contain that much color, there seemed to be a lot of browns and greys everywhere I looked. There was minimal street art in the area itself which contributed to this sense of dreariness. The area seemed to be more residential and focused on necessities rather than entertainment. There were many apartment buildings within the area and I even walked through what seemed like an apartment complex. This area seemed more suburban than any other area in the Lower East Side.
In terms of stores, it mostly comprised of grocery stores and bodegas. I also noticed that there were many schools, such as high schools and even day cares. In my limited time, there I also passed by two community gardens. When I envision the people living in this place, I imagine many couples and families settling here. For me, the area seemed like a place you would pass by, but not really stay in as place of leisure. However, as I started traveling toward the East Village, it felt more familiar as there were more people and cultural influences. As I started walking, more store fronts popped up and many walls were covered with art. Walking on Avenue A, there were an increasing number of bookstores and shops. One particular bookstore sparked a lot of interest to the people walking by as people talked about going in and peered into the window.
A lot of stores showed cultural trends and sentiments popular not only in New York but society in general. For example, I walked by one store that included a lot of popular phrases and current cultural icons. There was also a lot of political novelty items including jokes and distaste for President Donald Trump.
In addition, I soon saw more occurences of street art, specifically on Bond Street. One piece that fascinated me was an optical illusion of David Bowie painted on railings of a gate. The image seemed to move as you walked by the gates. This street also included a lot of abstract sculptures attached to many buildings; I even saw a sculptural piece on a fire escape outside of an apartment building.
I also passed by a theater in the East Village “La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club”. After researching this theater, I learned that it was founded in 1961 by an African-American producer and director named Ellen Stuart and this theater is described to be an “Off Broadway Theater”. This theater is only a block away from Bowery Street. While Luc Sante in “Low Life” concentrated on the theater history in the 18th century rather than the 20th century, many of contrasts of the theaters in Broadway versus Bowery can still be applied to this theater. Sante consistently emphasizes how Bowery and Broadway stood as a “class distinction” as “Broadway was a theater for the bourgeoise…while Bowery was the circus of the masses” (Sante 72). The concept of Bowery theater being for the masses perfectly fits with the history behind this theater. La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club is known for having very humble beginnings. It focused on showcasing new places and playwrights and their main goal was to give more opportunities to this group. This theater was known for giving its space and equipment for free to amateur playwrights. Compared to Broadway theaters, this theater focused on serving the “common man” rather than already famous and recognized playwrights.
Overall, the beginning of my journey started as exploring a residential area, to progressing to the cultural and leisurely face of Manhattan. The beginning of my dérive started in a very quiet area with few people and stores. However, as I traveled toward the East Village and Bowery, the atmosphere completely changed. Visually, there were more people and signs of the arts through street art and places like La MaMa Theatre Club. The changing of scenery speaks to the contrasts and contradictions that New York can have. While many see the city through a scope of a busy and bustling place, it’s easy to forget the pockets that are more quiet and slow. At the same time, we usually think of New York for its arts and shopping, but think little of the normal day to day like of New Yorkers, such as going to school or grocery shopping. This speaks to the diversity and the changes the city is constantly enduring, as some areas are much more populated than others.