Tag: Exploring the Island of Manhattan

Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park 1 Four Freedoms Park Roosevelt Island, NYC 10044

Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park

1 Four Freedoms Park

Roosevelt Island, NYC, NY 10044

(212) 204-8831

Open: Sunday-Monday 9:00am-5:00pm/Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm

Fee: Free

Homepage

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d3595273-Reviews-Franklin_D_Roosevelt_Four_Freedoms_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The park on a sunny July day

Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park is the first memorial dedicated to the president in his home state of New York. Located on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City, it is the last work of Louis I. Kahn, an iconic architect of the 20th Century.

The interior of the park facing Roosevelt Island

The memorial, which opened to the public in October 2012, celebrates the four freedoms, as pronounced in President Roosevelt’s famous January 6, 1941 State of the Union address: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom of want and freedom from fear. This has been prominently etched on the memorial.

FDR Four Freedoms Park from a view

Our Mission:

As steward of this civic space, Four Freedoms Park Conservancy advances President Roosevelt’s legacy and inspires; educates and engages the public in the ideals of the four freedoms. The Conservancy does this by:

*Safeguarding the memorial as a space for inspired use.

*Fostering community and understanding.

*Igniting conversation about human rights and freedoms today.

The Four Freedoms that were the goals of the President

On January 6, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his eighth State of the Union address, now known as the Four Freedoms speech. In his address, Roosevelt presented his vision for the world, “a world attainable in our own time and generation,” and founded upon four essential human freedoms: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

Roosevelt’s call for human rights has created a lasting legacy worldwide, forming the basis for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948.

For a richer of FDR, his legacy and the four freedoms, visit fdr4freedoms.org.

The view from Roosevelt Island of the Upper East Side

Franklin D. Roosevelt Island: A History

Originally called Minnahannock by Native Americans and Varkins Island by the Dutch settlers, the island was acquired by the Blackwell family in the 1600’s, who renamed the land Blackwell Island. The Blackwells lived on and farmed it before selling it to the City of New York in 1828 for $30,000.

In the 19th Century, the island was used by the City for institutional facilities, including the Workhouse, Penitentiary, Lunatic Asylum, City Hospital and City Home and given the name Welfare Island in 1921. These institutions served the City until the 1930’s., before gradually being relocated to areas more easily accessible to public transportation.

The Roosevelt Island Main Street

In 1969, this two-mile island was lease to the State of New York for 99 years. Under New York State’s Urban Development Corporation, Welfare Island became a beacon for the affordable housing movement within the City. Construction of the Island community was completed in 1975 with four housing developments. In 1973, the island was renamed Franklin D. Roosevelt Island.

The Gardens in the Main Street of Roosevelt Island

Today, Roosevelt Island has a small town feel with approximately 20 buildings and 14,00 residents. The island is home to six landmarked structures and proudly houses Four Freedoms Park, one of the original visions for the Island. To learn more, visit the Roosevelt Island Visitor Center at the Tram Plaza.

The Visitors Center at Roosevelt Island

(Judith Berdy, President, The Roosevelt Island Visitor Center)

A Memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt

Nearly 40 years before the Park opened its gates to the public, Louis I. Kahn presented his vision for what would become Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. It was a simple idea. “I had this thought,” Kahn said. “that a memorial should be a room and a garden.”

The FDR Hope Memorial

This was 1973. Less than a year later, Khan had died; Governor Nelson Rockefeller, who had announced the project with Mayor John Lindsay, became Vice President of the country and the City of New York neared bankruptcy.

The bust of President Roosevelt

The future of the memorial seemed a fragile and tenuous dream. Yet, through the power and determination of a small but dedicated group, nearly four decades after Kahn completed his architectural design, Four Freedoms Park became the place he envisioned. In 2012, following 30 months of construction, the Park opened to the public. The Park is operated and maintained by Four Freedoms Park Conservancy in partnership with New York State Parks.

(Part of the New York State of Opportunity: Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation)

I admired the FDR Hope Memorial in which the statue of the President reaches to a young girl with a disability herself. The statue offers encouragement to those with a disability and the power to persevere.

http://www.fdrhopememorial.org/

FDR faces the young girl

the young girl facing FDR

The statue was designed by artist and sculptor Meredith Bergmann, who herself was inspired by the photos and stories of the President (FDR Hope Memorial).

Artist Meredith Bergmann (Cooper Union Alumni Picture)

https://meredithbergmann.com/

Ms. Bergmann is an American born artist with BFA from The Cooper Union School of Art and attended Parsons School of Design and Wesleyan University. Her public works explore history, social justice, human rights and disabilities (Author’s bio).

Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Points Freedom Park is the first memorial dedicated to the president in his home state of New York. Located at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City. It is the last work of Louis I. Kahn, an iconic architect of the 20th century.

FDR Four Freedoms Park

The memorial, which opened to the public in October 2012, celebrates the four freedoms, as pronounced in President Roosevelt’s famous January 6, 1941, State of the Union address: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

The skyline from the southern part of the park.

Disclaimer: this information was taken from the NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation pamphlet. Please call the park or email to check on opening times when in season.

The islands just south of the park.

El Museo del Barrio 1230 Fifth Avenue, Museum Mile New York, NY 10029

El Museo del Barrio

1230 Fifth Avenue

Museum Mile,

New York, NY 10029

(212) 831-7272

Homepage

info@elmuseo.org

Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm/Sunday-12:00pm-5:00pm/Closed: Tuesday

Fee: $9.00 for Adults/$5.00 Children & Seniors/Free: Members and children under 12/Seniors on Wednesdays

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d116228-Reviews-El_Museo_del_Barrio-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=1990

The El Museo del Barrio at 1239 Fifth Avenue

The Mission:

The mission of El Museo del Barrio is to present and preserve the art and culture of Puerto Ricans and all Latin Americans in the United States. Through its extensive collections, varied exhibitions and publications, bilingual public programs, educational activates, festivals and special events, El Museo educates its diverse public in the richness of Caribbean and Latin American arts and cultural history.

By introducing young people to this cultural heritage, El Museo is creating the next generation of museum-goers while satisfying the growing interest in Caribbean and Latin American art of a broad national and international audience.

The History of the Museum:

El Museo was founded 45 years ago by artist and educator Raphael Montanez Ortiz and a coalition of parents, educators, artists and activists who not that mainstream museums largely ignored Latino artists. Since its inception, El Museo has been committed to celebrating and promoting Latino culture, thus becoming a cornerstone of El Barrio and a valuable resource for New York City.

The exhibitions in the Main Gallery

El Museo’s varied permanent collection of over 6,500 objects, spans more than 800 years of Latin American, Caribbean and Latino art, includes pre-Columbian Taino artifacts, traditional arts, twentieth-century drawings, painting, sculptures and installations as well as prints, photography, documentary films and video. For a brief overview of our history and to explore the institutional chronology and exhibition history year by year.

The Galleries of El Museo del Barrio

Our Purpose:

El Museo del Barrio’s purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret the art and artifacts of Caribbean and Latin American cultures for posterity.

To enhance the sense of identify, self-esteem and self-knowledge of the Caribbean and Latin American peoples by educating them in their artistic heritage and bringing art and artists into their communities.

To provide an educational forum that promotes an appreciation and understanding of Caribbean and Latin American art and culture and its rich contribution to North America.

To offer Caribbean and Latin American artists greater access to institutional support in the national and international art world.

To convert young people of Caribbean and Latin American descent into the next generation of museum-goers, stakeholders in the institution created for them.

To fulfill our special responsibility as a center of learning and training ground for the growing numbers of artists, educators, art historians and museum professionals interested in Caribbean and Latin American Art.

The mission reaffirms the vision of Raphael Montanez Ortiz, who founded El Museo del Barrio in 1969 and of the Puerto Rican educators, artists and community activities who worked in support of this goal.

(El Museo del Barrio pamphlet online)

The Collection:

The museum features an extensive collection of around 8,500 pieces composed of pre-Columbian and traditional artifacts, particularly a large permanent Taino exhibit as well as 20th century arts and crafts, graphics and popular media, Mexican masks, textiles from Chile and photographs and traditional art from Puerto Rico. There are often temporary exhibits on Puerto Rican and Latino modern art. The museum also sponsors numerous festivals and educational programs throughout the year including the annual Three Kings Day parade. Due to a lack of space prior to their 2009-2010 expansion, the museum began to place some of their permanent collection online. This also served as a means of audience development. (Wikipedia)

The Hermitage Museum 335 North Franklin Avenue Turnpike Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ 07423

The Hermitage Museum

335 North Franklin Turnpike

Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ 07423

(201) 445-8311

http://www.thehermitage.org

http://www.thehermitage.org/

https://www.facebook.com/hermitagehhk/

Hours: Wednesday-Friday-10:00am-3:00pm/Saturday & Sunday-1:00pm-4:00pm

Fee: Adults: $7.00/AAA $6.00/Students & Seniors $4.00/Children $4.00/Children under 6 Free

Tours: 1:15pm/2:15pm/3:15pm

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46514-d10356697-Reviews-The_Hermitage-Ho_Ho_Kus_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

I have been to the Hermitage Museum many times for events and they do a nice job portraying the house in different periods at different times of the year. Both Christmas and Halloween at the homestead are always a treat.

The Hermitage at Christmas is very special.

The front of the Visitors Center and Gift Shop at Christmas time.

I have taken the Haunted House tours during Halloween when The Hermitage hosts seances. Their medium was not that convincing and I did not believe a word he said. We took a tour around the house at midnight and that was interesting. The house can be quite spooky at midnight but then every house is spooky at midnight. I noticed the boards creaking and the wind blowing around the house but that’s what old houses do. The house does creak a lot and when the wind acts up you can jump. Still there was noting to convey to me that the place was haunted.

The Hermitage is spooky at Midnight at Halloween.

The tour guides will go through how the family fortunes changed the way people lived in the house up to the 1970’s when the last family member died. Please don’t miss visiting the home during Halloween for their ‘Ghost tours’ . It can get quite spooky in the house at midnight with the wind hallowing and things creaking.

Things are much more cheerful at Christmas time when the house is decorated for the holidays. During the Revolutionary War, things were kept simple. There was church service in the morning and then a Christmas lunch and visits to family. It was not until the Victorian Age and the Industrial Revolution that things got more elaborate. Queen Victoria’s husband, King George came from Germany and brought with him Pagan traditions of evergreens, garland and greens all over the house to show life in the colder months of the year.

The tours of the house are $25.00 and very reasonable for a hourlong tour.

The house was decorated in 2018 for Christmas in the 1930’s during the Depression and it showed that people still decorated and gave presents in a more subdued way during this tough time.

The Hermitage keeps this tradition alive by decorating the house for the holidays. The entrance to the kitchen was kept simple but welcoming for visitors.

The decorations outside were kept simple with greens.

The outside of the house for the tour in 2023 was done in simple lights and greens but when it gets dark the magic of the holidays shows it beauty in the house. Each room is decorated for the holidays and there are all sorts of displays about Christmas, life at the Hermitage and elaborate displays of toys and gifts and meals that would have been served to the family at that time. There did not seem to be a nook or cranny that was missed and the house was just beautiful.

Getting ready for the holidays at the Hermitage.

The docent took us room by room and we got to see how the families lived at different times of the house’s history. We were allowed a glimpse into their daily lives at the holidays.

The Hermitage decorated for Christmas

In 2019, the house was decorated for the Victorian era and was done up quite elaborately. The Dining Room was set in the best china and silver with decorative poppers for Christmas lunch. The meal that day was one of the biggest and finest of the year with roasted oysters, roast turkey, sweet and mashed potatoes and many root vegetables.

The Hermitage is beautiful at Christmas time

The Living Room was decorated with an elaborate tree with lights and beautiful Christmas ornaments and there was garland all over the room leading into the hallway with more garland on the banister. The upstairs rooms were set with seasonal plants and clothing depicting the era. It looked like the family was going on an outing.

Sweets and Treats on sale and after the tours at Christmas time.

The Hermitage gift shop has amazing things at Christmas.

Touring the house at Christmas is always a treat as it was set up for a Victorian Christmas and the whole house was decorated inside and out. The pathways were set with luminaries and white lights and the porches were elaborately decorated.

The side of the house was decorated with white lights and luminaries.

The porch was decorated with an old fashioned sleigh

The front entrance to the house at Christmas.

The Hermitage Museum History:

The Hermitage Museum in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey is a charming and romantic mid-19th century Gothic Revival cottage. Surrounded by more than four acres of park land, the Hermitage is restored and furnished to reflect the lifestyle and interests of the Rosencrantz family during the second half of the 19th century.

The Revolutionary War display.

The fourteen room home is built in the Gothic Revival architecture that surrounds the original Dutch American home built in the 1700’s. The original colonial estate was bought by Ann Barlow DeVisne, who was from Manhattan, for herself and her five children.

The Rosencrantz Doll collection at the Hermitage.

One of the children, Theodosia Bartow Prevost, lived in the house with her husband, James Marcus Prevost. Major James Marcus Prevost fought on the side of the British during the Revolutionary War in battles in Georgia and North Carolina. Her husband would be later killed in the War.

The front of the house decorated for Christmas 2023.

During battle time with the British, Theodosia invited General Washington to stay at the house which he and his troops did in 1778. Theodosia welcomed all troops, both British and American to stay at the house during the war. In 1782, she married Aaron Burr, a soldier she had met during the war. On top of her five children by her first marriage, she had another child with Aaron Burr named Theodosia. Theodosia Prevost-Burr died in 1794.

The original Ice House/Smoke House at night.

The house was then sold to the Rosencrantz family in 1807 and then the house was expanded from the Dutch tradition into the Gothic Revival addition between 1847-48 by noted architect, William H. Ranlett. The addition was at the request of Elijah Rosencrantz Jr.

The Revolutionary War display at the Hermitage.

The house was lived in by four generation of Rosencrantz’s. Elijah’s daughter, Mary Elizabeth, was born in the house in 1885 and lived there her entire life until 1970 when she fell ill. She left the house to the State of New Jersey as a National Historical site.

The history of the Hermitage display at the museum.

The Hermitage is special at the holidays

During Christmas time, the house is decorated for the holidays. This year’s theme in 2018 is “Home for the Holidays: A 1930’s Christmas at the Hermitage”. The house is decorated at the time of the Great Depression and how people dealt with those times while still providing holiday cheer to their families. The decorations do not reflect Victorian times but more when times were tough and people had to watch their budgets.

The house was beautifully decorated for the holidays.

Even the gift shop offered cheerful items such as ornaments, collectables, small trees and elaborate gifts.

This cheerful Santa was on sale at the gift shop at the Hermitage. By the time I came back from the tour, he was sold.

Disclaimer: this information was taken directly from The Hermitage pamphlet and Wikipedia and Google. Please call the facility for information on special events.

The Hermitage “Tea Room” exhibition where the family made money during the 1900’s -1930s.

The Studio Art Museum in Harlem 144 West 125th Street New York, NY 10027

The Studio Art Museum in Harlem

144 West 125th Street

New York, NY 10027

(212) 864-4500

https://studiomuseum.org/

http://www.studiomuseum.org

Hours: Thursday-Sunday: 12:00pm-5:00pm/Closed: Monday-Wednesday-Closed

Fee: Donation

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d116230-Reviews-The_Studio_Museum_in_Harlem-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The Museum:

The Studio Museum in Harlem is the nexus for artists of African descent locally, nationally and internationally and for work that has been inspired and influenced by black culture. It is a site fro the dynamic exchange of ideas about art and society.

The Studio Museum of Harlem

History:

The Studio Museum in Harlem was founded in 1968 by a diverse group of artists, community activists and philanthropists, who envisioned a new kind of museum that not only displays artwork but also supports artists and arts education. The Museum was originally located in a rented loft at 2033 Fifth Avenue, just north of 125th Street. Renowned architect J. Max Bond Jr. led a renovation that adapted the building into a two level exhibition space with offices and space for rental tenants.

The Galleries at The Studio Museum in Harlem

In 1985, the Museum began excavation of an adjacent vacant lot at 142 West 125th Street, leased from the City of New York. Over the following two decades, the Museum, in partnership with the City, completed additional renovations to the building and lot and added additional gallery and lobby space, a theater and a flexible outdoor space. The Museum has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) since 1987, when it became the first black or Latino institution to gain this recognition.

The Studio Museum in Harlem is internationally known for its catalytic role in promoting the works of artists of African descent. The Artist-in-Residence program was one of the Museum’s founding initiatives, and gives the Museum the “Studio” in its name. The program has supported more than one hundred emerging artists of African or Latino descent, many of whom who have gone on to establish highly regarded careers. Alumni include Chakia Booker, David Hammons, Kerry James Marshall, Julie Mehretu, Wangechi Mutu, Mickalene Thomas and Kehinde Wiley.

The Rico Gatson exhibition in 2018

The Studio Museum serves as a bridge between artists of African descent and a broad and diverse public. A wide variety of programs bring art alive for audiences of all ages-from toddlers to seniors-through talks, tours, art-making activities, performances and on and off-site educational programs. Museum exhibitions expand the personal, public and academic understanding of modern and contemporary art by artists of African descent. The Studio Museum is a leader in scholarship about artists of African descent, publishes Studio magazine twice yearly and regularity creates award-winning books, exhibition catalogs and brochures.

The Museum’s permanent collection includes nearly two thousand paintings, sculptures, watercolors, drawings, pastels, prints, photographs, mixed-media works and installations dating from the nineteenth century to the present. The Museum’s Acquisition Committee facilitates the growth of the collection through donations and purchases. Artists in the collection include Romare Bearden, Robert Colescott, Jacob Lawrence, Norman Lewis, Chris Ofili, Betye Saar, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker and Hale Woodruff as well as many former artists in residence. The Museum also is the custodian of an extensive archive of the work of photographer James VanDerZee, the quintessential chronicler of the Harlem community from 1906 to 1983. The Museum does not have a permanent exhibition of work from its collection but frequency shows selections in temporary exhibitions.

The current exhibitions are wonderful and include:

Regarding the Figure

Rico Gatson Icons 2007-2017

Jamel Shaazz Crossing 125th

All them are compact exhibitions and you will need about two hours to see everything at the museum (See TripAdvisior review).

Public transit access:

Subway: 2 & 3 to 125th Street

Bus: M7, M60, SBS, M100, M102, BX15 buses

Website: studiomuseum.org (http://studiomuseum.org)

Folks, please don’t miss this gem of a museum in your travels to NYC in a very quickly gentrifying Harlem (See ‘MywalkinManhattan’ site for more details).

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