THE NEW VIETNAM

Since the 1990's sweeping cultural and economic changes brought by the reintroduction of capitalism in Vietnam have transformed the landscape of the country along with the society. Where traditional low rise tube houses (as in Hoi An), French colonial mansions, and some depressing Socialist block architecture was once the norm, the prosperity brought by reform has added an interesting new architectural feature to the mix: the rocket building.

Original land lease plots, defined by the traditional limited street front to cut down on tax assessments, which was measured by linear feet of retail frontage, continue to be long and narrow. As buildings are renovated and expanded, families and businesses are building up instead of out. Impossibly narrow structures 4-5 stories tall dot the outskirts of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and even the main streets of formerly sleepy villages.
In what I can only describe as "LED-wedding-cake-faux-French-colonial" style, these teetering expressions of the new econonmy are often festooned with every over-the-top pilaster and decorative balustrade the owners can seem to get their hands on, then painted in sickly pastels and shocking neon colors. At first, driving by building after building like this, I started to feel a little ill. After 10 days in Vietnam, however, I grew to appreciate these structures. There seems to be an infinite variety of personal expression and really unbridled optimism in so many of them, even if they are kind of ugly. Someday they might carry the charm those old tube houses, traditional narrow-laned villages, and French colonial "masterpieces" do. Maybe.

HISTORICAL MAPS

Most people who know me know I am obsessed with both history and geography.  I have found a site that combines these two special things: The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.  The site allows you to zoom in on each map and see an impressive level of detail.  I have spent, and will no doubt spend many more, hours pouring over the 18th and 19th century maps of California and New York.  One of the most interesting finds was viewing this 1844 map of New York Harbor and comparing it with a very similar harbor map from 1866.  You can see how quickly Manhattan grew, and Brooklyn too, in just 22 years.  

The natural features of the harbor and shoreline are detailed beautifully in both maps.  There were so many creeks and swamps and estuaries before it was all paved over and industrialized! A fascinating exhibit currently showing at MoMA outlines urban planning and design solutions for returning a level of natural interface between land and sea here in New York.  I highly recommend seeing it before it closes in the fall.

First map image via Swaen.com

EAGLE STREET FARM

The days are long and warm now, and a friend and I spent a few hours last weekend volunteering at the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Greenpoint.  We prepped beds, planted seeds, painted bee hives and hauled rubble.  The farm is a 6000 square foot roof garden with a fantastic view of the city.  They have great workshops and education programs, and are on the cutting edge of organic urban farming.

The farm sells its produce to several local restaurants including Eat, where we ate breakfast before going up to the farm.  Check out New York Magazine's review here.

Here are the seedbeds.  We planted a mixed lettuce and arugula.  I can't wait to come back in May for chicken day to see how things have grown (and to learn about the use of chickens as pest control and fertilizer!)

With a newly legalized rooftop beekeeping ordinance passed, the farm is expanding their hive count.  I am fascinated by beekeeping.

Afterwards we rewarded ourselves with some tacos from El Diablo Tacos at Union Pool along with some "American" micheladas.

Some of the best tacos in Brooklyn if you ask me.

OPEN HOUSE NEW YORK

Open House New York is a fun annual event that opens the doors of the city's most interesting places to the public for tours and educational events. This year, I went inside the nation's largest waste water treatment plant, and one of 14 in New York. The Newtown Creek Water Pollution Control Plant was designed by the Polshek Partnership and is undergoing the finishing stages of a $4.5 billion upgrade project to increase capacity and effectiveness to meet Federal Clean Water Act standards.

The design of the plant is interesting. The architects color coded the different functions of the facility: orange for administrative, blue for water treatment, green for crew access. The entire project was designed to actually stand out in the neighborhood instead of hide from it. It actually harks back to the days when civic architecture was meant to educate the public, inspire trust in government, and foster interest in the technical workings of one's city.

These are the huge "digester eggs" that are actually modeled on the human stomach and detoxify the waste water. Kind of gross, but also totally fascinating.

The view from the top of the eggs down at the facility and Greenpoint beyond.

The original treatment plant was built in 1967 in what was then a declining industrial neighborhood on the shores of Newtown Creek. Since mid 19th century glue factories, oil refineries, ship builders, rope manufacturers, and tons of other industries also worked on the banks of the creek, making it one of the most polluted waterways in the entire country. There is an effort to clean it up, and part of raising awareness of the creek's plight (or just its existence) is the natively planted park along the shores of the treatment plant.

Here is a sculpture of the outline of the creek and surrounding watershed before it was developed. Today all of these inlets and creeks are channelized, filled with 80 year old toxic sludge and seeping oil, and can often be smelled from miles away. The good news is it is moving toward being cleaned up, slowly. Someday more parks like this one will exist along the forgotten, abused waterways of New York and people will marvel that we ever treated our own city, our home, with such disrespect.

Access for kayaking, which I someday hope to do to explore further up the creek, like these guys. No swimming yet though.