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 88^th 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 86^th 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 86^th Street.