Tamding Sherpa
I have been living in the Queens for the past two years. I do not know my community that well enough to actually compare it with other communities. However, I do try to play an effective role in my community by trying to spend my money within Queens so the shops here can prosper and have my tax.
Yesterday, April 19, 2010, my class went for a walk around Baruch campus. Within a walking distance of Baruch, I came across a huge public library, a post office, two clean, well looked after parks, countless restaurants, a middle school with a large playground and a lot of people on the streets. However, if I walk around the same amount in my community, the most things I encounter are houses. Unlike the tall buildings of Manhattan, the area I live in is occupied with smaller residential houses. I have also never come across any library of any sort or a post office, and the only park is in a terrible condition. The middle school in Manhattan had a big playground even in the middle of a very busy street, while the one in Queens had a very small one. This could also show how the teaching level varies within the two schools. It is evident that the people living in the Manhattan area are provided with more and better opportunities.
However, I have only come to live in the Queens, and I am happy with where I am, though I do not mind moving. Life is much calmer and relaxing in Queens. The traffic is a thousand times lighter and with the subway two blocks away, it drops me to the city in less than 20 minutes.
These are good observations. I often felt the same way when I lived in Queens.