Category Archives: Neighborhoods
Protected: Skateboarding around Union Square.
Neighborhood Faces Final: Pastor Thompson Allerton-Pelham Gardens
Plaques emblazoned “Man of the Year” among other accolades cover the walls of the office, and photographs of his family sit on his desk. Besides the faint noise of a fan in the distance and the occasional ringing of a telephone, the office seems calm and peaceful. His royal purple suit with gold accents clashed with the calm atmosphere of the room. His vibrant attire and the awards adorning the walls only scratch the surface of this man, best known as Reverend Keith Elijah Thompson.
Reverend Thompson is currently the presiding pastor of Bronx Miracle Gospel Tabernacle Word of Faith Ministries in the Allerton-Pelham gardens community. This September was a milestone for Pastor Thompson, marking 32 years of service in the neighborhood.
A native from the island of Jamaica, Reverend Thompson made his way to The United States in the late 1960’s. The Reverend was not always sure if being a pastor was his calling. “I tried running away from it,” he said. His initial hope was to become a tailor and designer in America after graduating from a design school in Brooklyn in the 1970’s. In addition to wanting to be a tailor, Pastor Thompson said he also aspired to open a grocery store, “The spirit of entrepreneurship was always in me,” said the Reverend.
Upon moving to the neighborhood 32 years ago, Pastor Thompson noticed that there was a scarcity of churches in the area. Within any community he felt it was necessary to have a church as the foundation. “The church serves the community in various areas. In weddings, funerals or just for individuals seeking counsel. My heart is to serve the people of the community.” His hopes were to begin with his church and immediate community and then spread his vision across the Bronx.
He began seeking out like-minded individuals in the community, business men/women that were looking to make a positive change in the area. He proceeded to show love and extend himself the best way he could throughout the neighborhood. His work was effective within the community leading him to become the Vice President of the Burke Avenue Merchant Association. This led to his later involvement with the Clergy Coalition of The 47th police precinct. Reverend Thompson worked his way up through the ranks as a clergy member “ when the 47th precinct was established, I joined in as just a member, then I became assistant treasurer, then the treasurer, and then one of the vice presidents.” He has served about 12 years in the organization and is still apart of the clergy coalition, serving as a liaison for community affairs.
With 12 years of service to the clergy coalition under his belt, Reverend Thompson decided to further extend himself out to the community. Pastor Thompson opened a resource center right next door to his church. “If you desire to serve your community, education is one of the most essential things to achieve your goals and be successful.” The resource center provides classes for individuals preparing to take their G.E.D. (general equivalency diploma) free of charge. The resource center became his opportunity to spread his vision past his own neighborhood, “I am now able to not only serve my community but people from all over seeking to better themselves.” He wanted to extend the services of the resource center; however funding was limited. The Reverend said, “Even thou the heart is willing, sometimes the flesh is not so strong.” Few individuals have tried to reach out, but overall the funding to keep the resource center up and running was lacking. “When you have the bills rolling in and teachers to pay, it becomes hard without the support and I was doing this for many years without any income from it.” The center now provides job training and job placement programs, however, the G.E.D. classes are now administered by someone else.
The Reverend’s work with youth and education does not stop there. He is the dean of El Shaddai Preschool and has been since its opening in 2001. To Pastor Thompson, the youth is the start and end of it all. If you can start children on the right path, you give them a chance to become better adults that will later serve their community. Pastor Thompson said, “ The reverence of God has been removed from the public schools. The youth today are growing up without any reverence for humanity or God, and it becomes a danger zone.” A father of four, Pastor Thompson believes these core values should not be kept from the youth, “It’s the same respect they have for God, that they will have for their teachers, parents and fellow man.”
One of his last entrepreneurial ventures was the renting out of an apartment building in the neighborhood. His hopes were to provide housing for people at a reasonable cost. However, many people took his title as a Reverend and his giving heart for granted and began defaulting on their rent. He said, “It is not easy dealing with people when they don’t pay their rent; it’s hard for you to survive. As a pastor they know my merciful nature and will live in the apartment and not pay any rent.” Even with the discussion of tenants taking advantage of his good will Pastor Thompson still manages a bright smile.
Overall, Reverend Thompson has seen the neighborhood change. He’s seen people come and go, businesses open and close, but yet his church remains at 821 Burke Avenue. When asked what would be his next venture he said, “The lord is the true visionary. My hope is to get a bigger church for the lord, and to continue to spread my message of love.” His daughter, Sharice Thompson, summed it up, “No matter what my dad does, or what ever you may ask him, he will bring it back to God, that is the foundation for all of his beliefs.”
Pastor Thompson has left a great mark on this community, and his work is not yet finished. “He is unique and he knows who is. He is not intimidated by rank or authority– respecting their positions, but still he knows who he is, and that’s a powerful thing,” said Jeanette Brown, secretary of the church.
Pastor Thompson is a man of many faces, a husband, father, entrepreneur, and a community activist. If you see him out and about, you may hear people address him as Rabbi, Chief Apostle, Reverend, and even Mr. Burke Avenue, but to the countless people he has helped, he is just Pastor Thompson.
Podcast: Reverend Thompson discusses future goals and Jeanette Brown commends his style.
Protected: Working as a Mid-19th Century Carpenter in 2012
Protected: Neighborhood Faces Draft 1
Protected: Neighborhood Profile Draft 1
Backgrounder: Greenport
Greenport is an interesting place to break down statistically. A seasonal village which thrives on tourism in the summer months, this vacation spot is still plagued with its financial troubles for local residents.
As of 2010, there are 2197 residents in the town, split nearly equally between men and women (50.2% to 49.8%, respectively). Population is heavily dominated with nearly 2/3 of residents (66.45%) being white. African Americans still hold a large part of the community, albeit their statistical representation of the population only bearing 10.4%. A trip here, and that 10% would confuse a first-time visitor because the village at times seems nearly split between white and black population. This is because a large majority of the black community resides in the heart of Greenport village, closer to places of work and in affordable rental housings. Other races–including Hispanics, Latinos, and people of mixed backgrounds–make up the rest of the population, although it is of interest to note that less than 1% of the population is Asian American. Given such large numbers of Asian immigration throughout the rest of New York City and State, and an increasing amount of Asian American tourists in the village, it will be curious to see if this number will dramatically rise over the next decade.
The most important number to note when scanning the facts of Greenport is its median household value. As of 2010, this number sits at a whopping $442,374, making market penetration for medium-income families increasingly difficult. In correspondence, median household income is at a comfortable $57,717 ,despite a 10% unemployment rate. The median household value rate is of particular interest to me because I have been tailing along with my mother (who sells real estate and has an undying passion for the village) over the past decade and I have witnessed the vast fluctuation of real estate prices. From the year 2000 to present day, the median home value has increased by nearly 200%, from $156,400 to the $442,374 that it is today. Due to the increase of tourism, many new houses of astronomical worth are being constructed, but largely this shift resemble the increase of an already established market. Homeowners of ten or twenty years are reaping the benefits as their houses double and triple in worth, while renters are suffering to afford the climbing rates. When looked at through the right eyes, these numbers can explain the shift that is bearing over Greenport. More and more wealth is moving in while the povertous are being pushed out due to a demanding, rapid increase in the village’s cost of living.
A town or city’s cost of living index is a complicated rate which is calculated by a large number of varying factors. As of this past March, Greenport’s index was 158. While not of immediate alarm when one is not familiar with the cost of living index, when Greenport’s 158 is paired next to the U.S. national average of 100, suddenly the picture is painted more clearly. This alarming cost of living is felt throughout a typical day, whether shopping in the local supermarket, filling a car with gasoline, or enjoying an evening out for dinner. Where many see this influx as troubling, others see it as opportunity.
The big moves taking place in this small village are overseen by Greenport’s mayor, David Nyce, and his five-member board team. Given Greenport’s respected status, Mayor Nyce has done an excellent job in enforcing the aesthetic maintenance of the village in order to cater to Manhattan elites and Hampton hoppers via the new direct ferry. A standard of safety, cleanliness, and natural beauty has been developed over the past few years and his intentions are only to continue improving in all aspects. Friendly policemen patrol the few bars and restaurants that thrive deep into the night, while increased receptacles and daily garbage pickup keep the streets clean for tomorrow. His creation and demand in preservation of the town’s glorified Mitchell Park has secured his positive image in the public eye, and if possible I am still hoping to secure an interview with him so that I can dissect the changes of this growing village from a higher, governmental level.
Protected: Reporting Notes: Upper West Side
Protected: Backgrounder: FiDi
Backgrounder: Lower East Side
The Lower East Side is defined as the area below Houston, above Delancey, and east of Bowery (NYbits). Less than a decade ago, the area was considered to be a “seedy” part of New York; gritty, and far from glamorous. While it still does not have the completely polished look of Soho, it has definitely shaped up. The Lower East Side is now the home of countless artsy boutiques, bars, restaurants and galleries (NYbits). These changes may be due to the significant shifts in the area’s demographics during the last 12 years. According to the online magazine Bowery Boogie, “On the Lower East Side, whites now make up more than a quarter of the population. Hispanics accounted for 44.4% of the population in 2000. Now, they account for a little more than a third.” The picture along with the article is of a stop sign, with the word ‘gentrification’ under ‘stop.’ I think the collision of these two groups is a definite conflict story, especially considering the booming night life found in this area (more on that in my Reporter’s Notes).
The male to female ratio in the area is 1:1, and the percent of married couples are 50% (Areavibes). Based on the place of birth by citizenship, 47% of the people in the L.E.S are considered foreign. 37% are in state residents, 8% are out of state residents, and the other 8% are out of the United States residents. The median household income is around $46,000, most people gathering this money directly from their salary, as opposed to social security which comes in 2nd as a source of income. These incomes directly correlate with the price of rent, which is an average of $1,600. The apartments in the Lower East Side vary. Some are brownstones, but most do not have the most glamorous outer appearance. However, as explained on NYBits, the outside of apartments are among the last things to get renovated. So, while many apartments in the Lower East Side are undergoing renovations and becoming more refined and modern, this fact is not always reflected on street-level.