Last week, I and five of my friends cycled around New York City on a hunt for sites that still stand as the evidence and testament of the hardships that the city has endured. We did not come up with it ourselves. The organization Open House NY organized the scavenger hunt called “Now What- New York?”. We spend the weekend deciphering clues and roaming the city to photograph them with our mascot(purple unicorn). Our unexpected discovery was ‘The City College’ with its dramatic gothic revival architecture(titled by some “Hogwarts of the Manhattan”), which besides being captivating used to provide free education to poor immigrants.
The scavenger hunt was an exceptional reminder about city’s and in general, human's resilience and perpetual rebuilding. As humans we tend to be fatalistic and melodramatic, rereading our history helps us put things in perspective and remind us that things used to be much worse and the best is yet to come.
Further Reading:
* If you are curious about the scavenger hunt and want to replicate it at your own pace - [here is the brochure, but it contains the answers]
* There are lot’s of books about the history of New York City, but “Gotham City” is a fundamental work that provides an extremely detailed account of how New York became New York. My friend Kenneth M said: “This is one of those books that you find on everyones shelf but which few have actually read.” He also gave me a tip to opt for an audio book instead of reading: “It’s 67 hours and fifteen minutes long but only one credit on the audible subscription or $16. So, for $0.50/hr you can hire a scribe to follow you around all day and read this book to you in your spare time. “ I “read” the book when I am cleaning, driving, walking and doing other menial tasks. To say that it is an `impressive history` would be an understatement. This book is especially handy in the pandemic- while my fellow New Yorkers are shocked with current life in the city, while listening to this book there is a disaster occurring almost every 30 minutes (the book is 67 hours) - cholera outbreak, pandemic, fire, revolution. And yet, the city is coming back stronger and more wonderful every time. I am certain that this time would not be an exception.
* Another book that puts things in perspective and showcases how as a general trend things are getting better for humans is “Enlightenment Now” by Steven Pinkert. While the name sounds like evangelical propaganda, the book is almost a perfect reminder on how much progress humans have achieved.
* I predict *scavenger hunts* will be big in the pre-vaccine future: Paris is also doing a city scavenger hunt: WANTED!, an immense quest for contemporary art, taking place on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2020.
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
“The Gross Clinic” is recognized as one of the greatest American paintings ever made. The young and little known Thomas Eakins created it specifically for Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exhibition, depicting the city’s world-famous surgeon Dr. Gross. The subject shocked viewers unused to seeing such a frightening event depicted in such. Realistic detail.
Do you read your news in the morning with a cup of coffee and wonder how bad is the world? Revolutions are happening, elections are rigged, the internet is addictive, crime is on the rise. Yet, if you delve into the science section and only science section you will see the incredible progress that we are doing as humans. Just this week NASA mission has managed to intercept, interact with, and collect samples from an asteroid and *Impossible Foods is now working on a food replacement that looks, tastes, and behaves like cow’s milk*, and [our cars might look soon as skateboards with custom tops. I mean isn’t it the best time to be alive?
One last thing - if you are planning to buy a book, any book, please consider ordering it from [Strand Bookstore). The sales of bookstore is down 70% and it’s fighting for it’s survival. Let’s fight for our bookstores!
