ENG 2150 Gimme Shelter: the spaces we live in

I will be writing about Soundview, more specifically Clason Point located in the South East Bronx. The history of this area is quite intriguing because it has gone through a significant transition in the past century. Clason Point was once predominately constituted of wealthy white inhabitants. The area was a summer home and vacationing destination filled with cabarets, theaters, country clubs and trolly’s cars transporting the upscale to and fro. Clason Point then built an amusement park and became known as the “Coney Island of the Bronx”. As the years passed the population became a predominately low to middle class area. I would like to explain how this transition has come about and due to the transition the image of the community has lost its regality and been acquainted with crime. Crime is associated with this area because the outer districts of the Soundview area is filled with. However, the Clason Point section is a very quite and calm area. The point of the essay is to explain that the lowering of the economic setting of an area does not lower the quality of its inhabitants. The Clason Point area maintains the same awe to its new inhabitants as it did as “The Coney Island of the Bronx” to the previous gentry.

The neighborhood I will be writing about will Chinatown, NYC! This is where I lived during my younger years of 1-7. I live in brooklyn now but its kind of like a second home and I’m going to tell you how it changed in the past decade in my view. I will also be going in depth in how exactly did it earn its rightful name of “Chinatown”. From when the history of when the first chinese immigrants came to NY, I want to show how Chinatown is the center of asian immigrant social, cultural, and recreational activity in NYC. Mainly I want to show how present day Chinatown that isnt just a neighborhood thats full of counterfeititems but it is also full of many traditional mom-n-pop restaurants that have their own specialties, you can yelp for years and still miss a tasty spot inthe cracks and crevices of Chinatown; the streets are packed with a tight knit and cultured community, hard-working people just looking for opportunity.

My project, I will be working on the 8 Avenue neighborhood in Brooklyn. While I was searching for a neighborhood for my project, the first thing that came in mind was 8 Avenue. This neighborhood is where I grew up in. I want to know more about 8 avenue because I moved from that place when I was in 5th grade. My memories of that neighborhood is not strong but I still remember some special events such as parades and festivals that had happened. I will interview my grandparents and parents about 8 avenue. I would want to know, when they settled and why they settled in this neighborhood. What made it the right neighborhood for me to grow up in? The interview will consist of facts and opinions dated before I was born to present day. With the details, I will argue that a neighborhood’s environment  greatly impacts a child’s life growing up in that community. Their attitude and their living habits are different because of their surroundings. A neighborhood is an extension of a home and it plays a great role in our early lives.

The City I will be choosing in New Rochelle. New Rochelle is unique for it houses all kinds of people of various racial and socio-economic backgrounds. It’s diversity is reflected in the student composition in it’s high school (New Rochelle High School) which is made up of the extremely rich and the very poor. It’s student body consists of blacks, hispanics, whites and asians. It is diverse even it it’s own neighborhoods. And remember, New Rochelle is in Westchester County, the area highlighted in blue. It is NOT UPSTATE.

This report I plan on writing about the lower east side and its change from poor immigrant and Jewish town to a flourishing trendy neighborhood and how this change affected the city’s image and portrayal as well.  As a New York Jew it isn’t rare, but all of my grandparents came from different countries, homes, and lifestyles yet met during this time period in this area. This essay will be as if it is documenting New York changing through their eyes, specifically the Lower East Side. This essay is not about them particularly more there generation’s span in being a dominant force to an onlooker to change.

For my project there are many points and questions i will and would to like to address.  Willets Point is an extremely interesting neighborhood in Queens that has become and will become a major source of economic growth in New York City.  I hope to address why and how Willets Point has become and will continue to be a substantial source of wealth for the five boroughs and additionally, how it became this central of economic prosperity.  Willets Point once a desolate area now houses the famous Citi Field.  Lastly, another main point i would like to address is how and the process it was for a city that was left neglected for so many years to become a landmark for economic prosperity.

The neighborhood I will be focusing on is Fresh Meadows, which is an area in Queens right above Flushing and below Jamaica/Hillside. I have been living in Fresh Meadows for quite a while now (7 or 8 years). I will be writing about the history/gentrification of Fresh Meadows which started in the early 1600s by the Dutch people. I will also mention how this neighborhood became (from a Dutch neighborhood) a veteran haven, and then finally a neighborhood of diverse culture and ethnic families. In addition, I will be focusing on the reconstruction and construction of new homes and its ties to young/new families moving in.

I think the Meatpacking District is a fascinating neighborhood filled with history and innovation, a perfect blend of the past and present! I believe that the Meatpacking District located in lower Manhattan approximately from 14th Street to Gansevoort Street is a unique place and in my essay I will be analyzing what makes  the area different and special. It is a lively neighborhood filled with upscale boutiques, big businesses, glitzy hotels, and extravagant restaurants. However, in the midst of what has become a luxurious area and popular tourist destination are preserved meat warehouses and factories. It is quite strange to have a high end boutique right next to a building advertising poultry, and yet that is the special element, a feeling of going back in history with all the commodities we are accustomed to. The Meatpacking District has become gentrified however the history is preserved. The questions I am going to be answering include:

• What makes the Meatpacking District unique?
• How has the are been gentrified?
• What is the history of the Meatpacking District?
• What are the future plans for the neighborhood?
• How can an area be both new and old at the same time?
• Will the history last/remain visible or will time erase the unique atmosphere?

I think the Meatpacking district is a great area and I encourage everyone to spend some time exploring the neighborhood!

Thanks for reading!

-Angelika P.

The neighborhood that I am writing my paper on, the neighborhood that I have called home for seventeen years is Astoria, what I consider the cultural crossroads of Queens and quite possibly New York. Settled in the early years of New York’s history Astoria has seen waves of immigrant populations settling on her shores. From the earliest Dutch and German to the latest immigrants from the Middle East, Astoria has been home to many different ethnicities. In my final paper I’d like to examine the history of Astoria and the lasting effects that each one of the individual ethnicities have left upon Astoria’s streets. I would also like to give focus to Astoria as it is today, a quaint and quiet neighborhood keeping up with the modern world of today.

The neighborhood that I am going to do my research paper on is Westchester Square, an area in the East Bronx. I’ve been living in Westchester Square for the last 4 years. My research paper is going to focus on the history of this neighborhood, starting from the early 1900’s. I will talk about the influx of various ethnic groups into the area and how the diversity has affected the neighborhood. Certain things have changed in the last 30 years, like the number of ethnic grocery stores and restaurants. I will interview various people in the area and ask them about their experiences living in Westchester Square. Every person in this neighborhood has their own story and culture. But what’s great about the people of this neighborhood is that despite all the cultural differences, we can all call this neighborhood our home.

Syed Hannan