assignment 3 Danielle Nicolosi

I take the express bus and get off at 57th and Lex and walk to Hunter everyday. However, on this particular day, Tuesday, February 22nd, i decided to take notice of what spaces, in this 11 block walk, that i consider private, public or a mix of private and public.

I pass up Bloomingdale's, Levi's, Louis Vuitton, Aldo (all stores i can't afford), and i notice on these weekday mornings they don't tend to be too busy with customers. Although, i have decided that these stores are a mix of public and private. My reasoning is that since someone owns them they are privately owned by that owner, but they're store is open to whoever is welcome to come in ( the public ). They also have the right to kick out whoever they want for whatever reasons. This logic also goes for the deli's, Subway's, Starbucks, and other stores along my walk to school.

There are also few office buildings. In my opinion, these are also a mix of pubic and private areas. It is mainly for people who work there but the public can walk into the lobby, or if they are visiting someone, or have a meeting, they could probably come in. So for the majority, these office buildings are private, although they can be public for certain circumstances.

The other thing I'd like to point out in my daily walk to school are the sidewalks. Yes, you can argue that whoever owns the business that the sidewalk is in front of owns that piece of the sidewalk, but i must say sidewalks are extremely public. They are filled with all types of people: businessmen and women, shoppers, tourists, homeless people, concession workers, and people like me going to school. So whoever owns their share of the sidewalk has some rights to who sits there (like homeless people) but there is people everywhere so I would definitely have to say sidewalks are more public then private.

The street is public. You do have to obey the traffic regulations of the law, but anyone could drive there as long as you have your license and you are obeying those traffic laws. Taxi's and Buses are public because anyone could ride them as long as you pay, which also goes for subways and subway stations. The only thing i consider private about the street is when you are in your own car, then you have some privacy.


As for Hunter College, my destination, i would consider it to be public, for now. I say for now because there is no way of really telling who's a student and who's not. There is suppose to be some id swipers coming which definitely make it more of a hassle and cause traffic but it will also make it more private, even thought it's a public school...? This is still, in-fact, a mix public and private, once this method of identification is taken into effect.


Visiting this span of 11 blocks on Lexington Avenue on a Sunday, doesn't change how i feel about how public or private each space I articulated is. The only difference i noticed was less Business workers and more shoppers and tourists.

This assignment was interesting to try to notice something I've never really thought about before. The underlying meaning of public to me is a place where anyone can go. The underlying meaning to private to me is a place where only you could be, for example your house or your room. But i have an understanding that public and private mean different things to different people, depending on who it is.