Lower Manhattan: Exploring the History

Since taking a course on nineteenth century American literature about the city of New York, I have wanted to see old New York (a.k.a. Lower Manhattan). This itty-bitty area was all there was in the beginning; a New York that was walkable instead of just cabable. We visited the reconstructed docks at the South Seaport Museum to attempt to get a taste of this history. Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed. Yes, the docks have been reconstructed. But now they include shops and loads of dockside restaurants. Needless to say, Melville’s New York feels quite distant. However, there is one spot where old New York can be felt quite easily: the print shop.

With my love of books and book history, you can imagine that I adored the print shop. Bowne and Co., Stationers have been in business for over 100 years. They might even have been printing works while some of the greats, Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, were writing. The beautiful row of old brick buildings (including an old-school lamp post like the one in Narnia) allowed me to touch the piece of New York we’d studied in class. It gets even more exciting inside. They had two nineteenth century printing presses on display with the itty-bitty iron type set letters. Behind the display, you could see the old presses that are still in use in the print shop. We just missed the printer, but I’m sure he would have been happy to explain some of the finer points of these old machines. I am happy to say I did buy some cards printed on these old machines though. As much fun as it is to peruse nineteenth century newspapers on an online database, these cards printed in the here and now on the old presses are more special because they are more tangible. In a world of screens, I think the feel of paper becomes more important since we so often do not get to touch what we read.

The museum also had two restored ships hanging out in the harbour. One was a cargo vessel powered only by wind made in the early 19th century called Peking. This vessel plied the trade between Hamburg, Germany and Valparaiso, Chile. I was shocked that wind powered vessels remained a viable shipping option until well into the twentieth century. Touring this vessel made me realize I never ever want to be a sailor. The close quarters with my ship mates and uncleanly kitchen (the cook would just push dropped food into the corner to rot) would get to me fairly quickly. Plus I like to cook and the bigger the kitchen the better. I wonder if the kitchens are bigger in New York too because I’m all for supersized kitchens.

Anyways, back to the ships. We also toured a little light ship. I was confused by the name at first and started wondering if this ship was for people on a diet, but no, it actually led ships through the shallow channel to the harbour. I also think it would have been boring to shuttle back and forth between two places. I’ve always imagined sailors voyaging to new ports, but, in reality, these ships would probably have plied the same waters year after year. So even the one benefit of being a sailor, exploring all parts of the globe, would have been lost! Definitely not becoming a sailor anytime soon.

At the same time, seeing the ships at New York’s dock was something special. New York made its way in the nineteenth century through trade making the docks the lifeblood of the city. Its status as a financial capital began with the commercial trade of the nineteenth century. The docks also brought new immigrants to New York. From Battery Park, at the tip of the island, Kevin and I saw the most iconic image of New York City that has brought hope to thousands of immigrants: the Statue of Liberty. I can’t say I fell in love with the Statue of Liberty, but it is nice to say I’ve seen her from a distance.

I felt the presence of immigrants most clearly in Chinatown and Little Italy. We had the pleasure of walking in Columbus Park in the heart of Chinatown. This park was once part of the infamous Five Points district (or more accurately slum) in nineteenth century New York. Dickens describes this area by saying, “all that is loathsome, drooping, and decayed is here” (Chapter 6, American Notes). Obviously, it housed one of the poorest areas in America at the time, but also one of the most multicultural. Poverty made this the region that down-on-their-luck immigrants, escaped slaves, and other miscreants gathered. I found the park a touching tribute to this chequered past because it proves any region can be transformed into something beautiful. I especially loved seeing the children playing because they were breathing new life into this area.

Little Italy also felt like a breath of fresh air. The terraces at the restaurants allowed for a special dining experience that at once felt relaxed while engaging in the pleasure of street watching. Our restaurant played classic jazz tunes that melded the Italian dining experience with a uniquely American style of music. We danced (in the way of all the waiters I might add) to a rendition of “Time after time.” Dinner followed by cannoli from a street vendor made my experience of Little Italy absolute perfection and an absolutely perfect ending to exploring historic New York.