Lorraine O'Connell Activity 2- Go somewhere someone else told you to go.

I went to El Museo del Barrio in Spanish Harlem located 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street. This was not a typical trip to the museum because the actual place where the museum was resembled an apartment building rather than the fancy buildings other museums were in. I was told by Patricia to go to this museum and it was definitely a good choice. I am planning on minoring in Spanish so this was a very helpful experience in that decision. The museum on the outside didn’t match its colorful and festive interior. I was pleasantly surprised by this discovery. I enjoy going to museums but I feel if I’ve seen one I’ve seen them all so I felt it would be a uneventful situation, but I was definitely pleased.
The Museum was tiny compared to the other extravagant museums in New York but I liked that. It was a hidden treasure of Spanish culture. I spent three hours there exploring the art pieces from countries like Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, countries in the Caribbean and much more. The location of the museum reminded me much of Jane Jacobs’s discussion about sidewalks and how we establish them from being safe or unsafe. When I told my friends I needed to go to Spanish Harlem instantaneously they were like I hope you’re not going alone it’s not safe there. I myself was confused and a little annoyed, I didn’t see why they would think the streets there were unsafe. I have never been in the area before so maybe I was expecting it to be like the rest of New York which for the most part is safe but they insisted that it wouldn’t be safe but I obviously still went. The discussion Jane Jacobs had about the sidewalks reminded me very much about the situation I was left in while going to this museum. I had gone with a friend and walked from the train station to the museum, the sidewalks were busy enough, well busier than I expected. And what kept replaying in my head was do I consider being here safe, why or why not, is it because there are people walking around here, and would I have been different if people weren’t walking around. The area was a pretty place and seemed to be a cultural enriched place.
I learned a lot that day; I learned that the reason the museum was called El Museo del Barrio is because Spanish Harlem the area it is located in is sometimes called El Barrio. I found that a very interesting to learn in that one day, because not only was I learning about the many Spanish cultures but I was now also learning about an area in New York I have never visited or learned about and may not have ever learned about if not for this class.
The artwork was beyond beautiful; it was a new kind of art that isn’t common in the other museums. Instead they were brightly colored and possessed so much history. And I appreciated the arts, history and Spanish culture more due to this experience.