The Tourist

Looking at European vacations a major  theme in many tours is that they allow you  to travel to multiple countries. European vacations are distinct in the ability to travel to an array of different countries all in close proximity. You can explore the cultural delights of bustling cities and all with their unique architecture and momuments.  Because European cities were built long before American even came in existence there's  the emphasis in the advertisemnts of old world structures and buildings that you cannot find in American cities. European cities have been built over layers and layers throughout centuries.The train system in europe links all the major cities, making it easy to travel to Paris from london then continue on to Amsterdam and so on across the continent. There are cheap lodging in cities making it very affordable to spend a few days in each city.  It's  very typical for european vacations to last 2-3 weeks because many people choose to explore the different counrties. There are many things to discover in Europe the classical architecture and multiple languages in each city shape the ideas of what american expect to see in Europe.
When researching American vacations I decided to use my language skills and check out Spainard American travel guides online. What I saw were much larger list of cities and destinations in America to visit in different climates as well.  I noticed that recommendations were made depending on what season you were vacation in as well. If your travel to Ameirca in December you'll enjoy the warm breeze in Miami or if you visit colorodo you'll find great ski weather. Also theres a big emphasis on Amusements parks throughout America like Disney world, Universal Studios and sea world etc. American is also known for having beautiful national parks and beautiful scenery that you cannot find in Europe. To Europeans America offers a variety of destinations and many different attractions.
For Europeans I feel that represnts american to them are the beautiful beaches, variety of amusements parks and impressive architecture.

Paris Vs. New York Vernacular landscape

View of Paris from a top a hill outside the city limits

View of midtown manhattan from atop the rocks inside      central park 

. The  picture of downtown Paris looks distinctively different from the pic of  midtown Manhattan.The essential difference in overlook of Paris and New York is grounded in each city's history.

 In the picture of Paris the streets seem to built on maze like street patterns. Some of the building look as if the were built haphazardly, they stick out of streets. The very narrow streets and multistory buildings create a sort of street wall that gives the streets intimate and cozy look on the streets

The streets of New York can be defined by their  grid pattern, the streets in this picture have a uniform design, you can see perfectly symmetrical long streets.  

What defines the character of Paris is centuries of  layered development. Paris is very old city and has gone through many transformations. The present city built over many times, and ancient structures are infused with modern structures throughout the city.

Construction in Paris date back to medieval times, before their was a notion of urban planning. when the city was originally built notions about control and order in urban spaces did not exist. Construction was not regulated therefore people built houses and streets crooked. Many streets in central Paris are narrow because they are very old.  The metropolis still retains a sense of this unplanned element.

New York's infrastructure was built in the 19th century, as the city expanded uptown the city designed very carefully planned streets and very wide and open streets to facilitate traffic. 

Ecletic landscape in Buffalo's west side

When I started thinking of examples of an ethnic landscape,images of  buffalo's west side immediately poped into my head.  The new energy and development combined with the neighborhood's history, is a perfect example of ethnic identity having transforming a  landscape. It the most diverse part of buffalo, with many multiple ethnicities residing side by side. It's landscape refelcts the bridging of multiple cultural backgrounds in place that has long been divided along racial lines.

Buffalo's west side landscape has largely been transformed for what it looked like  at the turn of tweinth century.  At that time Buffalo's west side was largely an italian neighborhood, the residents  worked in manufacturing industries in the area. Yet post world war II era brought great change to this area. As buffalo's largest  manufactores and industries left so did the residents in the city. And for the next few decades after the war, buffalo' s west side experinced declining populations. Yet the imprints of an old italian neighbored are still there, many commercial spaces along grant street still havedecorated  italian flags on them and you can see italian names on the store fronts. The legacy of the italian neighborhood is still prevalent, places like guericos market is popular west side attraction and the buisness has been a staple of the westside for over 30 years. Chi Chi hardware store also on grant, is still run by chi chi himself who is of italian desecent. There are also traces of italian landscape on grant street, like the restaurant sasteria on breckenridge and niagara. everywhere in there mostly italian and its popular get together spot for italian families. There are always big italian families eating in the dining room. And there a few other restaurants like still open  as you go down niagara street towards the peace bridge.

The 1990s brought a new in flux  immgrients to the area. Large amounts of puerto ricans now reside in the west side. Also in the last ten years, the west side has become home to large community of refugees from somalia and burmese. making this multiethnic landscape. 

Right near lafeyette and grant you can see many puerto rican buisnesses. Many of them have puerto rican bright puerto rican decor signs hanging from the barborshops and hair salons.You can see signs in Spanish and community centers also carry spanish titles.  This serves as a ethnic marker of homeland identity, creating a  visible appreance of unified puerto rican community.  As you pass through the houses youll see houses decorated with catholic saints on the front lawns as well as family members sitting on the porches and outside of buisness,of the open aired gatherings in  homes and buisnesses is common in  latin america. here is a recreation of  their homeland's landscape in a new landscape.
The multicultural backgrounds of residents in this neighborhood is really what creates its unique landscape. There are several mosque one is on forest ave and their are other islamic centers in the neighborhood that cater to large msulim population. Grant street is also home to Somali Star, a somilan restaurant. You can see food markets with signs that say halal food. These are some of the most socially  revealing landscapes of change in the cultural values neighborhood.

The west side's ethinic landscape is symbolic of a "hybridzation of past and present cultural values". Its a celebration of what the buffalo was and what it could be in the future.