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What are the implicit rules/norms of this space? How do people navigate and understand them? 

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What are the implicit rules/norms of this space? How do people navigate and understand them? 

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In regards to NYC as a whole, these, like any public area in the city, are very casual, and you don’t have to act or dress a certain way to enter either of these places. At the same time, however, if you wanted to dress formally or even show up in a wedding dress and film a music video at Central Park or in the subway, most, if not all, New Yorkers wouldn’t bat an eye.

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How does the history of this space contribute to its current atmosphere and purpose? 

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How does the history of this space contribute to its current atmosphere and purpose? 

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Both the subway and Central Park, being public areas, have been places for “sketchy” activity and have a history of death associated with them. Whether it’s the subway being known for stabbings and robbery or Central Park having a whole killer related to the park, this history plays a significant role in how people navigate both areas. While using the subway, many riders hold their belongings close to them. If possible, the individual may lie against a wall or post to lower the possibility of someone attacking/approaching them. Most MTA riders try to avoid standing near the platform, and some have entirely given up on the subway system, choosing to use alternative transport measures. In Central Park, many visitors decide to come to the park with purpose. If a person chooses to visit the park, they usually go with another person, and if they are in the park alone, they’re most likely doing some type of exercise (biking, running, walking a dog).

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In what ways does this space promote or prohibit/discourage certain kinds of social interactions? 

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In what ways does this space promote or prohibit/discourage certain kinds of social interactions? 

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Since the subway and Central Park are public areas that aren’t motioned by the police, people have done almost everything and anything in these areas. From eating lunch, performing in between subway platforms, and, in rare cases, some individuals even do/take drugs. In an attempt to regulate these actions in the subway, the MTA has prohibited performing on the train and has started the “Courtesy Counts” Ad Campaign to try to stop some of these "normalized” activities that continue to happen on the subway.

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Beyond physical capacity to enter or access a place, consider emotional or psychological access. Who feels welcome here? Who might feel excluded? 

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Beyond physical capacity to enter or access a place, consider emotional or psychological access. Who feels welcome here? Who might feel excluded? 

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Anyone can access the subway and Central Park whether others like it or not. There are no powers put in place to discriminate who and who doesn’t enter these areas besides the MTA ride fee.

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How are power dynamics expressed in this space? Who seems to hold authority? How is that authority demonstrated? 

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How are power dynamics expressed in this space? Who seems to hold authority? How is that authority demonstrated? 

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Regarding Central Park, no power dynamics are expressed in this space. In the park, everyone feels equal as they all take in the park's beauty and use its resources. The subway was similar to Central Park up until recently when the MTA increased the number of police officers on the tracks to make sure that riders were paying the price. While there were officers before, their scale increased. This emphasizes the MTA's authority over its riders by carrying out strict rules against them.

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What are the economic factors that determine access to this space? Are there hidden costs/invisible issues? 

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What are the economic factors that determine access to this space? Are there hidden costs/invisible issues? 

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Central Park has no fee for entering the additional activities in the park; however, there are costs. The zoo, carousel, boating rentals, and other things featured in the park also have a fee to participate. There are no hidden costs for the subway besides the rider's fee to enter the station.

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How do different social markers (such as, age, gender, religion, ability, race etc.) exist or do not exist in this space? 

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How do different social markers (such as, age, gender, religion, ability, race etc.) exist or do not exist in this space? 

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Social markers do not exist in either of these spaces, and all are welcome to stay and participate in activities in both these areas.

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Are there any visible or invisible signs of social control or surveillance within this space? 

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Are there any visible or invisible signs of social control or surveillance within this space? 

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As mentioned above, the MTA launched its "Courtesy Counts" Ad Campaign to subtly drop hints at their riders to be more polite and mindful of their fellow riders. These posters, which appear as ads on subway trains and throughout the station, say things like, "Save it for the Salon. Make yourself look good somewhere else." or "Leave some seat for the rest of us. Give others some room and respect their space.

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How does the maintenance of the space reflect the values of the people or the groups that have entry to it? 

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How does the maintenance of the space reflect the values of the people or the groups that have entry to it? 

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The subway is known for its low maintenance, and anyone familiar with its systems knows that most stations are under construction or are overall dirty-looking. The area of the 59th St. Columbus station that I was in was decent-looking. An area on the tracks was cut off due to construction, and the entrance I used had a mysterious puddle by the turnstile. However, this does not reflect the values of those who ride the trains; instead, it adds to their attitude toward the subway. The subway, already a dangerous place, is also associated with its dirtiness and low maintenance, which adds to the feeling of "I just want to get in and out of this place to get to where I need to." Some of the more popular stations, like 34th St or the Howard Beach JFK station, are more established and seem way better than most stations. They are probably taken care of more because of the priority the MTA has for these communities.

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How do your personal experience and background influence your entry to and interpretation of this space? 

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How do your personal experience and background influence your entry to and interpretation of this space? 

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Central Park has always been a “big NYC attraction” as someone who’s a native New Yorker, but I’ve never really walked around the park and explored it like how I did for this project. I’ve heard about all the bad things that have happened at the park, and my Mom would take me to the Victorian Gardens Amusement Park, but I didn’t really think anything of it as I walked through its paths. While walking around the subway, however, I was way more cautious. I tried avoiding standing by the tracks and made sure I knew my surroundings. I gave my purse to my friend to put it in their backpack, and overall tried to “lay low.” Hearing all the news about the subway nowadays definitely affected how I acted. Plus, I haven’t ridden the subway in a long time.

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What assumptions might you have about this space and the people who are seen or not seen here? 

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What assumptions might you have about this space and the people who are seen or not seen here? 

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Subway-wise, I assumed that everyone I saw was just trying to use the train to get to where they needed to be. While there has been a lot of unsettling news surrounding the subway, most people are just trying to get home, work, or wherever else they need to go. Most people who live in New York or know about the subway system take the train, so unless you have a car or don't know how to take the train, you wouldn't be found in the subway. As for Central Park, most native New Yorkers who aren't from Manhattan don't go to Central Park unless they have a reason to. A person like me from Queens wouldn't go to Central Park just to run or read a book like other people local to the area would. I believe that the people in Central Park were there to hang out with friends, on a date, do a photoshoot, tourists/locals from the area there to take in the scenery, or those who are exercising.

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How can you use different research methods (such as, observation, interviews, online/library research etc.) to uncover histories and information about this space? 

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How can you use different research methods (such as, observation, interviews, online/library research etc.) to uncover histories and information about this space? 

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The subway and Central Park have histories that are completely intertwined with New York's overall history. Both areas have changed the city significantly, so any information about the areas can be found in archives, newspapers, reports, and websites.

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How does the local businesses or local groups influence the information that is distributed about this space? 

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How does the local businesses or local groups influence the information that is distributed about this space? 

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Because the subway and Central Park are open to the public, native and non-native New Yorkers use both places. Therefore, information about both areas can be seen as non-factual and unreliable. A non-native New Yorker might see the NYC subway as this big, scary, dangerous place, while a native New Yorker who always takes the train sees these claims as over-exaggerated and nonsensical.

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Walking research can definitely enhance a person's understanding of a space. It's so easy to walk around a city like New York and be completely captivated by your own world. We pass by so many things without even realizing and walking research helps slow down the pace. Through walking research, you can take in some of the privileges you do and don't have. In the chapter, Springgay and Truman Walking, it states, "Walking becomes a way of inhabiting place through the lived experience of movement. Walking is a way of becoming responsive to place; it activates modes of participation that are situated and relational." I honestly believe that there's so much truth behind this statement. There is so much more action behind "just walking." The choice of paths a person takes, how they act in this space, and their thoughts about the place they're in are all ways a person responds to a space. While walking through Central Park, I made many choices to get up to the park and others while I got there. I made sure I wasn't alone; I chose to stay on the main trails instead of going onto the small ones and so many other subconscious things. The podcast mentions, "Walking is a way of thinking and feeling, where the mind, body, and world work together to create new forms of philosophical and poetic insight." This quote really resonates with me because so many people use walking research to capture the hectic city and its people. Even on my walk in the park, I saw a woman sketching her surroundings, and while she created, she seemed so focused on each person she drew. She probably thought about what the person she was drawing was going through and how they also ended up in the park. Overall, I'm glad I could take two things that an everyday "average person" does (walking in the park and taking public transport) and expand that experience. This research made me realize how much I don't see and made me acknowledge some of my privileges and appreciate them. It's so easy to think about what you don't have instead of appreciating what you do.

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Whether I like it or not, I will continue to learn about both of the spaces I wrote about because of the influence the subway and Central Park have on New York. I would like to explore as much of Central Park as possible since I was only in a specific section of the park. As for the subway, I’ll probably be able to visit more stations as I move and travel throughout New York. Walking throughout both areas made me realize how big the city can seem. While I was on the train, I was able to take in some of the subway art they have by my local station, and while walking through Central Park, I noticed all of the events taking place at the park. Whether it was a baseball game happening, couples taking pictures of each other, or people rushing through the park. This walking research also helped me put myself in other people’s shoes. While on the subway, I thought of moms who carry children in their stroller, and I wondered how they even get onto the subway tracks with such small turnstiles. Additionally, I also realized the lack of other languages while riding the train. You would think that in a city where so many people speak so many different languages, there would be some translation for the signs in the subway and on the train. I also thought riding the subway, even just for a day, creates a community with the people you ride with. You’re sitting/standing next to someone who you don’t know, yet everyone is so relaxed in hoping that the person next to them isn’t a murderer. I tried to use a picture for each section in the beginning that relates to at least one thing I mentioned in that section to keep things from being overcrowded/messy. And I don’t feel like any picture or media could capture the nuances of my walking experience. New York is too diverse for me to try to capture all of it. The nuances and essence of its people, so I tried to keep things “simple.”