From The Peopling of New York City

To Jump to the Heart of this Investigation, Go to Stage 3:

Homepage User:Yanwar
Stage 1: A Modest Proposal
Stage 2: The Game Plan
Stage 3: The 7th Regiment Armory and The People Behind its Inception

Contents 1 About Me 2 My Narrative 2.1 Stage One: A Modest Proposal [to investigate Park Avenue] 2.2 Stage Two: The Game Plan [for conducting research] 2.3 Stage Three: Putting It All Together: A Narrative of Park Avenue

About Me

Welcome! My name is Yusuf Anwar, and I'm a freshman here at BC. As a member of the BA-MD Program at Brooklyn College, I am not necessarily majoring in “pre-med” or biology. Part of the reason I chose this program is that is offers me a chance to major in a field of interest that I will not be able to pursue once I am in medical school. Tentatively, I am leaning towards majoring in economics and mathematics, with possible minors in physics and chemistry. Additionally, I applied to the Macaulay Honors College because of the incredible resources it offers its honors students. I cannot emphasize enough how fortunate I feel to have access to these opportunities. As a student in CHC1, I was able to travel to many venues in New York City including a select few at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. If I was not a CUNY Honors student, I probably would have missed out on such experiences.

My understanding of the immigrant experience in New York City largely stems from my background. Both of my parents emigrated from Pakistan many years ago in hopes of finding greater opportunity. Their journey to the present has shaped my view of the peopling of New York immensely.

Looking back at my parents’ journey, I can see that New York truly provides great opportunity for social and economic mobility. This understanding of demographics from my family has taught me what I currently know about the socio-economic developments in New York. Through the associated readings and wiki online project, I hope to gain an enhanced understanding of the Peopling of New York, as a function of the dynamic nature of New York City.

My Narrative

As part of my CHC2 Honors Seminar, I have decided to create a narrative of the history of Park Avenue, specifically between 66th and 67th. Much of my research will focus on the secrets of the Park Avenue Armory (more commonly known as the Seventh Regiment Armory), as well as the lives of those who were involved in its inception. I recommend you go through the different sections of this wiki chronologically, but feel free to browse around if you like! If you want to skip ahead, the heart of the investigation lies in Stage 3.

Stage One: A Modest Proposal [to investigate Park Avenue]

In the early going, I originally intended to focus on the development of Long Island for my wiki research paper. The analysis of the peopling of New York in relation to Long Island provides a very compelling area of interest to research for me (also, in consideration of my daily commute, it proved to be more convenient). The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, always made me wonder how the “new” and “old” money social institutions shaped the growth of Long Island. Despite this, as my research progressed, I found it increasingly difficult to get access to the same types of archives and primary resources that are available for streets in New York City. As such, I shifted my focus back to New York City.

Of the three areas that I had a desire to further research (Wall Street, Yankee Stadium/161st street, and Upper East Side), I was learning towards the Upper East Side, but it became apparent that I needed to narrow my area of interest considerably. After spending a significant amount of time further researching the area, I narrowed my search down to an area that I feel will be exciting to investigate...continue reading (by clicking below) to learn about what I proposed to research.

Stage One: A Modest Proposal

Stage Two: The Game Plan [for conducting research]

My research on Park Avenue involved the use of a variety of sources. From logging on to www.ancestry.com to conducting research at the New York Public Library (5th Avenue and 42nd Street), I was able to weave together the varying documents and images I obtained into an enhanced narrative. As the semester progressed, I learned that conducting this type of primary research is different from typical online research in that it is a process that utilizes different types of investigative techniques. Click below to see a description of the sources I "employed" for my research.

Stage Two: The Game Plan

Stage Three: Putting It All Together: A Narrative of Park Avenue

Click the following for the full, in-depth analysis:

Stage 3: The 7th Regiment Armory and the People Behind its Inception