Day 10: New York Historical Society and Museum of Natural History
Our last day in the city was a memorable one. First, it was our last day on the subway. I think that we got the hang of it pretty well after the first couple days, as long as we read our maps and relied on our own intellect to guide us. The subway system was actually easy to use once I got the hang of it. In fact, I would argue that using taxis probably only makes sense in very specific circumstances, as the subway is more cost effective and gets one to his/her destination relatively quickly. A trip from Brooklyn Heights uptown as far as Yankee Stadium only takes about half an hour. The only thing that I don’t like, and it is my bias as a westerner, is when the cars are so crowded that you can practically become one with one or two people near you. Luckily, this only occurred once or twice. This trip changed my pre-conceived negative perceptions about the subways and all the bad things that could happen there.
New York Historical Society
Our time at the New York Historical Society was valuable. The artifacts that we saw were fascinating, and the activity was did using inquiry for different artifacts was interesting. I liked the way different people used the same sculpture of a child and a man reading and came up with different questions. Mark’s question was particularly thought-provoking when he asked “who is teaching whom.” We got a great binder with information about New York’s ambivalence toward the slavery question in the years leading up to the Civil War. We have heard this several times now on this trip, and this has really helped my knowledge more as I was unaware of a lot of this, although when either Ken or Ed, or Mia explained it, it all came together because intuitively, I realized that I should have thought of it before given New York’s position as a commercial port. The statistic that thirty-eight percent of cotton profits were pocketed by New Yorkers was eye-opening. This will greatly expand what I teach in my class on this topic, and the document binder will be a great aid in doing so.
After a quick lunch at a deli up the street, several of us headed to the Museum of Natural History. The most impressive thing about this museum is how expansive its collections were. I have seen other similar museums that have displays that I would argue are just as good, but the sheer number of them is the difference. I had to look at the collection of North American animals because…well, just because. They had two excellent specimens of Alaskan brown bears. Hopefully I see their relatives in living form in a couple weeks when I am in Alaska. Another display that I thought was awesome was the Biodiversity hall. They had a huge wall full of different species of animals, hanging fish, crabs, etc. The African wing was comprehensive in the sense that the different cultures of Africa and artifacts from different regions were displayed. I have not seen such a large collection of African artifacts.
Museum of Natural History
Theodore Roosevelt at Entrance of Museum of Natural History
Alaskan Brown Bears
Biodiversity Hall
After a quick trip back to the hotel, we went to Yankee Stadium on 161st Street in the Bronx. Although I do not like the Yankees, I am drawn to the tradition and history of the team. The stadium was an amazing facility with big screens out in the plaza, large concourses, restaurants like the Hard Rock, and upscale bars. Yet, despite the undeniably numerous and luxurious amenities, the place almost seemed “sterile.” I wonder if the new stadium here isn’t like Invesco in Denver: a beautiful state-of-the-art facility but lacking the charm and magic of the Old Mile High.
Outside Yankee Stadium
Babe Ruth Plaza
Everywhere were reminders of the Yankees and their storied past. Almost everyone in the stadium area was wearing Yankee gear—there were few Astros shirts or for that matter, any non-Yankee shirt. Despite what a Yankee fan on the subway told me, however, I still have not bought that Yankee fans are the best fans in baseball. I will still take St. Louis fans over just about any other fan base (with apologies to Red Sox fans, Paul, who are also great fans).
Plaza in Yankee Stadium
Monument Park was something to behold. Even though I am not a Yankee fan, it is hard to argue against Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle back-to-back in one of the rows. Plaques lined the black granite bearing the evidence of the greatness of each player. The best of the best, like Gehrig, Ruth, Mantle, DiMaggio, Huggins, and McCarthy also had their own granite monument with their likenesses etched into the plaque. The Yankees also had one monument dedicated to the people of New York for their resilience in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. I thought this was a wonderful gesture.
Dave at Lou Gehrig Monument
Babe Ruth Monument
Joltin' Joe
The Mick
9/11 Dedication to New York
As for the game, the Yankees won 4-3 over the Astros. Best of all, we got to see at least three likely future Hall of Famers in Derek Jeter, Andy Pettite, and Mariano Rivera. It was a great evening at the ballpark.
View of Field
June 20, 2010 at 3:13 am
I was glad to see a plaque honoring Billy Martin, who I think is the most underrated manager in baseball history. Unfortunately, his self-destructive behavior, fueled by alcoholism, has denied him more recognition for his great ability to turn underperforming teams into winners. Just my opinion, of course…