The neighborhood I chose to focus on is Gramercy Park.  Attending Baruch and working at a local restaurant/bar, I am in the neighborhood almost more than my own.  I know a lot of different people who live, work, and own businesses in the area so I don’t see myself having too much trouble finding a story. 

The stereotype of Gramercy Park and surrounding neighborhoods is that it has a very young population.  This is confirmed by the nyc.gov website where it’s listed that 44 percent of the population is between the ages of 25 and 44. It is also seen as a fairly well-educated area, with almost three-quarters of residents being college graduates, which is a higher percentage than Manhattan residents overall.

The neighborhood also has an extremely low crime rate, accounting for one murder per year in the last six.  There is however, a very high rate of alcohol abuse among residents in Gramercy Park. 

Working in the neighborhood I frequent a number of small businesses, and also know the landlord that owns my restauraunt’s building, so I think I will be able to get some good ideas.