Definition of the Space
Lying between Hudson River and Central Park is Upper West Side found in Manhattan’s borough neighborhood. Abbreviated as UWS, the area lies between New York City’s West 110th Street and West 59th Street. Similar to the Upper East Side, Upper West Side is primarily a residential place with most of the people living there working in the Lower Manhattan and Midtown commercial areas. It is imperative to note that Upper West Side is considered the home of New York City’s intellectual and cultural hub, something evidenced by the fact that the prestigious Columbia University is found in at the northern end part of the neighborhood. The other famous establishment in the area is the Lincoln Center that is situated at its south end (Susi, 79). To the west of the neighborhood is the Hudson River while the Central Park is located on the east side. Some of the avenues that are found in the area include Broadway, Columbus, and Amsterdam avenues.
People Who Use the Space
Records of the area indicate that as of 2016, the area had a population of over 200,000 residents. Out of the entire population, close to 150,000 of them are the white non-Hispanic with those of the Hispanic origin being a figure just above 30,000 (Susi 82). Only 7 percent of the entire population is African Americans. The Pacific Islander or Asians living in the neighborhood represent only 7% of the total population in the area. It is important to note that there is a small percentage of people from other races that reside in the area. One interesting fact about the people who live in the area is that 13% of them are beneficiaries of public assistance (Susi 76).
Nature of the Relationship That People Have With Upper West Side
People who reside in the area are compelled to do so due to different reasons. There are those who use it as a residential place. Most of the people who use the area as a residential place work in the commercial areas in Lower Manhattan and Midtown (Susi 42). There are those people whose nature of the relationship with the area is purely intellectual as is the case of students who attend the Columbia University. Cultural relationship between the area and the residents is established by the people who are in the area because of the activities that take place at the Lincoln Center.
The History
The fact that the area experienced less periodic ground fires attracted the Native Americans and colonial rulers to the Upper West Side. The 18th and early 19th century saw the rapid constructions of houses. Some of the most ambitious houses to be built by the colonial masters were found in the area (Susi51). The construction of the suburban villas that can be found in the area started in the 19th century first half.
Manhattan Valley neighborhood found between 96th, and 110th streets were previously known as the Bloomingdale District. The Dutch settlers residing at the place are responsible for referring the valley as Bloomingdale District, an adaptation of the Bloemendaal town situated in the tulip region. It is from the settlement at the area that the Dutch Anglicized the area and renamed it the Bloomingdale District, made up of farms and villages situated along a road. The mid-1800s saw the area be renamed as The Boulevard as the villages and farms were divided into the buildings set up. By the end of the 18th century, Upper West Side was made up of numerous county residences and farms (Susi 84).
Before the end of the 19th century, the area was now known as Broadway. It is also important to keep in mind that much of the area’s riverfront was used for transportation, manufacturing, and shipping purposes. The 19th century saw the development of the Central Park, which has been a key cultural component of the area (Susi 102). The building boom at the Upper West Side area occurred from 1885 to 1910, a predicament that arose as a result of the opening of the first subway line in the city. It is the continuous development projects that have made the area grow into the place it is today.
Problems being experienced at the Upper West Side Manhattan
Even though the area has for years enjoyed continued growth, there are threats to its further existence. One of the problems that the people from the Upper West Side in Manhattan face is pollution. The area is densely populated, something that plays a huge role in the pollution that occurs (Earley). Being a constituent member of New York, people who stay in the area contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases that are harmful. A recent study conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency about the national scale toxics in the county revealed that people in Manhattan, (Upper West Side included, are the third ranked people who are prone to getting cancer resulting from the dangerous chemicals released in the air.
The dense population at the place has overwhelmed the in place garbage disposal plan. It is from this that the area has been named as being one of the dirtiest places in the country. However, an interim system where most of the garbage produced by the dwellers would be trucked to landfills in the neighboring states has not helped permanently deal with the garbage disposal issue (Leber).
The other factor that threatens the area’s future is the old nature of most housing stock. Most of the buildings were constructed long ago, something that puts in a position where they are likely to be the most affected if natural phenomena occur. It is imperative to note that with the ever-changing global warming patterns, most of the apartments in the Upper West Side of Manhattan are bound to be affected. The fact that the houses in the area were built a long time ago has played a huge role in the presence of mice in people’s homes. A 2015 estimate of the area that the whole of Manhattan was infested with mice (Leber).
The dense population it the area has made it almost impossible for other people to get houses. Statistics released by the federal government reveals that the number of people seeking housing accommodation in the area on all occasions exceeds that of the houses that are vacant. The dense population also overwhelms the public transport system in place. New York City, where Upper West Side Manhattan is located, leads to public transport use. The high number of people relying on public transport means have on numerous occasions overwhelmed the in place public means.
Measures to Deal With the Problems Faced
In a view of getting rid of the mice problem in the area, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has developed strategies to deal with them. For instance, the department has developed laws that require landlords to ensure that their apartments are free from mice. It is important to keep in mind that the mice problem is to a large extent caused by the old buildings in the area. It with this that New York Department of Buildings is engaging the public in things, such as building inspection (Nytimes.com). The city officials are on a mission of ensuring that the buildings in the area adhere to the in place structural integrity. People are instructed to report any apartment that has shoddy repairs and leakages to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. With such measures, it is easy to assume that the persistent mice problem will be dealt with in a few years’ time.
The other problem that faces Upper West Side Manhattan is that of traffic congestion. With for-hire-vehicles, buses, trucks, pedestrians, and bicyclists all using the same roads, traffic jams are a rare occurrence in the area. Many people in the areas use road transport means, causing the congestion. Statistics released by Borough’s presidential office reveal that traffic jam reduced operations at the area by 9% (Fitzsimmons). One of the ways through which the area officials can help deal with the traffic congestion is expanding the in place Select Bus Service. By so doing, people would stop using their privately owned cars and hence reduce the traffic congestion.
