The neighborhood of my choice is The Upper West Side of Manhattan. It is most definitely a place I call home because I grew up here. It is a place defined by its active individuals rushing for their early morning caffeine at Starbucks, the thrilled mothers taking their five-year-olds to Riverside Park on 88th Street and Riverside drive, and the teenagers smoking cigarettes outside of their brownstone apartments. It is a home for the homeless; the poor men sleeping outside of the Church located on 86th street between West-end and Broadway. It is defined by the exquisite architecture of the antique pre-war buildings that surround the Upper West Side. My favorite building is the Apthorp; it mimics a castle or a mansion. It is a place where young love is shared, on pier 84, encircled by the large body of water that is the Hudson River and the countless restaurants old couples go to, to celebrate their fortieth anniversaries. It’s known for its Soldier and Sailor monument and fashionable adolescents that walk the streets of New York. The Upper West Side consists of writers, artists, therapists, teachers, vintage boutiques, cafes, restaurants, schools, and the occasional street fairs that bring excitement to the neighborhood.
One of the major issues on The Upper West Side is that rent is going up and people who have lived in the brownstones for years are being kicked out because they can no longer afford to pay $2,500 a month for a one bedroom apartment. Most of the people that are now moving in to this area are wealthy and rich. The elementary school in the neighborhood has a low rating because of budget cuts and big classrooms and low graduation rates. There are countless homeless people hanging out around the church, begging people for money or building cardboard forts, occupying the corners of 86th Street.
Try to do additional research on the age of the brownstones in the Upper West Side and also on the local elementary school. I was under the impression that one school on West 96th Street has a very high rating. Your post is very descriptive but it could be strengthened by adding in one or two specific story ideas. Also, what new angle can you find on the gentrification story? We know that rents have gone up and that folks who live in brownstones cannot afford the new rent but aren’t many of them living in rent stabilized apartments. Try to see how specifically –legally–the old timers are fighting the new landlords.
I’m probably writing about the Upper West Side too (still debating my angle), but I also definitely appreciate the architecture and atmosphere that makes the UWS unique. It’s amazing how in walking the streets of Manhattan you can feel the difference between one neighborhood and another solely by crossing the street on a specific block. This is very true in the UWS, it has a such a unique atmosphere that you know when you’ve walked into the hustle of Midtown or when you’ve made it more Uptown.
I would also like to recommend a very focus news paper for you to read and find out more thing about the Upper West Side, The Upper West Sider! Go to NYpress.com and you can get all of their content. That should be helpful!