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Category Archives: Backgrounder
Forest Hills Preliminary Backgrounder
Forest Hills is a neighborhood consisting of a little over two square miles. It rests in central Queens and its boundaries approximately run from the intersection of the Jackie Robinson Parkway and Queens Boulevard, northwest to Horace Harding Expressway, southwest to Queens Boulevard, south along Selfridge Street to Woodhaven Boulevard, and then back northeast to the intersection of the Jackie Robinson Parkway and Queens Boulevard.
According to compiled 2010 Census data using tracts approximating the area of Forest Hills, the neighborhood consists of nearly 80,000 residents. Sixty-six percent of residents are white, 24 percent are Asian alone, 3 percent are Black, and 6 percent identifies as two or more races or some other race. In regards to ethnicity, only 12 percent of Forest Hills’ population identifies as Hispanic or Latino. According to the Community District 6, which consists of Forest Hills and Rego Park, there has been an increase in the population of Russians as well as Bukharian Jews, not to mention a steady rise in the Asian population. The median age in Forest Hills is 42.
According to ACS data, the median income is higher in Forest Hills than surrounding areas. The median income, per section of Forest Hills, ranges from $72,000 to over $120,00. All things considered, this indicates Forest Hills is a fairly affluent neighborhood. Furthermore, the homes in this neighborhood average value comes in at around at over $620,000, but in surrounding neighborhoods is over $100,000 less. A little more than 74 percent of the population lives in a family household, while 24 percent of the population lives in non-family households. Despite being categorized as a neighborhood predominated by homeowners, there is a nearly fifty-fifty split between owner occupied homes and renters. Fifty-one percent of dwellings are renter occupied, and 94 percent of all housing units are occupied.
There are a wide-range of business in Forest Hills. Metropolitan Avenue houses many restaurants, antique shops, and “mom and pop” stores. These include Dee’s, La Vigna, and Eddie’s Sweet Shop. Eddie’s is a century old ice cream shop. Meanwhile, Austin Street is home to many new, trendy, and chain businesses. These include Station House, Flying Pig, and Buffalo Wild Wings. The E and F lines run straight through this area.
Community services in Forest Hills include Forest Hills Senior Center, Alcoholic Anonymous, classes at the Bukharian Jewish Center, and a variety of services and classes at the Queens Community House. Schools in the area include PS 101, JHS 190 Russell Sage, Queens Metropolitan High School, Forest Hills High School, and Our Lady of Mercy School. Forest Hills is also littered with parks, including a section of Forest Park within its bounds, and many other small parks within residential areas, including Project Eden, Russell Sage playground, and Remsen Family Cemetary.
Gravesend Backgrounder
In the words of Joe DiFiore, a Century 21 Real Estate broker and long time resident , the neighborhood of Gravesend is a “minestrone soup- a jumbled-up mix of ingredients that somehow fit together.” From when the town was originally founded by a London widow named Lady Deborah Moody in the 1600’s, the southern section of Brooklyn had largely been occupied by Dutch and English settlers tending to huge areas of farmland. Yet, in the beginning of the 20th century the town developed three race tracks, built the central Ocean Parkway, and established electric rail service. From then on and specifically in the 1990’s, a tidal wave of middle class immigrants flooded the area, bringing incredible residential development and ethnic diversity. Within the mile and a half square layout, there exists an expanding Russian, Asian, and Mexican immigrant population, as well as established Italian, Irish, and Middle Eastern Sephardic Jewish communities, hailing from Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq.
Belonging to the Community Board number 11, Gravesend is a dense and rapidly growing area with a population of 71,578 according to the 2012 census. The neighborhood stretches from Shore Parkway in the south to Kings Highway in the north, and from Stillwell Avenue in the west to Coney Island Avenue in the east. The public transportation is conveniently offered in the form of the three local subway lines and various bus routes that blanket the town.
The large majority of the area is family households, totaling 68.4%. Especially in the Sephardic Jewish community, there is a huge emphasis placed on remaining within the tightly-knit neighborhood. Because of this the demand for housing units has skyrocketed, with only 10% of the 22,600 units left unoccupied. The real estate value of the area remains a mixed bag however, where one can find prices ranging from $600,000 or all the way to multi-million dollar single family homes on Ocean Parkway, strategically placed within walking distance of schools, restaurants, and places of worship. The neighborhood is a collection of one and two family brick houses, and seven or eight story condominium buildings.
The area is host to over 10 public schools, including standouts Lafayette and Abraham Lincoln High School. There are also religious private schools, such as Our Lady of Grace School, and about a dozen religious Yeshivahs, a few with enrollment totals just under 100o students. Nearby are two institutions, Touro College and Brooklyn College. The major religions in the neighborhood are accommodated with numerous churches and over 35 Syrian- Lebanese Synagogues.
Within minutes, a local in Gravesend can quench any type of shopping thirst in the main streets of Kings Highway and Coney Island Avenue. On about 14 blocks of Kings Highway, more than 225 stores line both sides of this busily packed street. While searching for an elusive parking spot down the stretch of businesses, a variety of languages can be heard as the great diversity of the neighborhood shines through in the form of specialty stores and small culturally specific shops. The street contains everything a shopping enthusiast might crave, from bargain shoe stores to lavishly expensive Versace gowns with prices in the thousands. On both Kings Highway and Coney Island Avenue, residents have found a niche opening groceries, electronic stores, laundromats, and a huge selection of quality restaurants. The streets also contain larger chain stores including Duane Reade, Rite Aid, and Walgreens.
The neighborhood of Gravesend had faced an enormous influx of immigrants in the 1990’s, and as the population size continues to expand, adequate space for residents to live is continually in need. While some have resorted to moving out of the community to find more modest real estate prices, others have undertaken large condominium construction to fill this need, which is undoubtedly a source of conflict among locals. It is clear that the area is a strong, vibrant, and attractive haven for immigrants of all kinds to flock to, and the progress is expected to continue for years to come.
Queens Village Backgrounder–
Queens Village was founded in 1640. It is currently under the Community board listed as number 13. The population of current residents in 2010 was recorded as 40,432.
It is known for its diversity and community lifestyle which caters to the engagement of solving issues within its community and helping to serve the people with their concerns.
The main goal of Queens is to continue its growth and remain structured for the well being of it’s communities.
In 1977, Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC) came to existence in order to represent the community and business sectors. They stand as a non-profit organization. There goal is to “create and retain jobs in Queens through programming that grows neighborhoods, assists small businesses, and promotes recreational and cultural attractions to residents and visitors alike.” This is probably one of the reasons as to why Queens is so diverse.
There are currently 16 Queens Village elementary schools, 9 middle schools, 2 high schools and 8 preschool schools. The percentage of people in grades k-12 attending school was recorded as 22.0%.
According to the New York State Census, done in 2010; it was recorded that the Queens Village median household income was $73,307 and the average household of people was 3.3.The percentage of people born in this state was 41.7% which has probably increased from then to now.
Queens Village will continue to grow and attract new residents to want to settle in such a diverse surrounding.
Posted in Backgrounder, Neighborhoods
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Poverty Rate Up in City and Income Gap is Wide, Census Data Show
Please read this New York Times story (New York section)and add the info into your BACKGROUNDER folder.
Note the multiple quotes and diverse sources in the story.
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Gowanus Backgrounder
Shaded by Cobble Hills tree-filled blocks, walking pass Brooklyn Heights enchanting brownstones and embracing some of the many cultures displayed on Park Slope streets, somewhere in between them lies a place where it’s smell tells it all.
Surrounded by Brooklyn’s most highly desired neighborhoods to live in, Gowanus tends to be the forgotten area- even amongst Born and raised Brooklynites but not for long.
Many of the residents of Gowanus are 25-34 years old and they continue to flock to the area while its housing is relatively cheap unlike the rest of Brooklyn where they have been gentrified. The median rent in 2010 was $1,389. The number of new vibrant businesses in what used to be known as South Brooklyn has risen by 44 percent since the year 2000. Most opened by young entrepreneurs in technology and media. With current efforts to reinvent themselves, Gowanus historical stench still haunts them but wont deter them.
From its beginnings in the mid-nineteenth century the Gowanus Canal dubbed the area as one of the homes of industry, where factories thrived. However, not only could one see the area’s success, one could catch a whiff of it too. A foul odor entrenched the Gowanus streets due to pollution from sewers and even human remains as rumored to be a dumping ground for the mafia at one point in time.
For the over 7,000 residents of the Gowanus neighborhood that is pre-dominantly Caucasian and Hispanics, re-establishing a name for themselves without it being associated with their slimy polluted canal has been the most important agenda. Efforts to clean up the canal are being done by groups like the Gowanus conservancy but with its extensive contamination, a revived creek may not be finished until the year 2020. Aside from the historic canal, the Carroll Street Bridge is the oldest of the four retractable bridges in the country.
On a more lighter note, Gowanus was once also a place that hosted indoor and outdoor art exhibitions by the non-profit group called Gowanus Memorial Artyard. Now the once factories and plants have been reconstructed and renovated as art and entertainment spaces as well as condominiums. The households generate incomes over $85,000 which is higher than the rates of other Brooklyn neighborhoods.
Their industrial and creative past has come to reflect the neighborhoods present and potential future, focusing on the arts, technology and culture. About 40 percent of the males and females residing in the neighborhood work in either the arts, media or design fields. Soon the homes will be reconstructed and the air much cleaner to breathe in. The neighborhood intends to indulge every one of your senses in a more pleasant and memorable way, hoping to match the status of their very own neighbors.
Washington Heights
Washington Heights is located in the northern area of Manhattan, ranging from around 157th street up to 193rd street. Its population is mostly comprised of Latinos, with many diverse businesses being run by people of Latin origin. As is the case with many other neighborhoods in New York City, it is currently going through a period of gentrification.
I chose Washington Heights because I know the area very well as a result of having grown up there, and I still have ties to the neighborhood that keep me informed of events occurring in the area. It would be interesting to focus on the effects of gentrification, as people that have been living in the area for a long time have to deal with rising rent prices despite some economic instability. Some small businesses also do not last very long in Washington Heights, or sometimes they have to shift their business model to stay afloat.
Crime has been somewhat of a problem in the neighborhood, with an emphasis on gang violence and youth related crimes possibly due to multiple public high schools being located in the area. Getting an opinion word from a police officer out of one of the multiple precincts based in the area would be beneficial to know if the area is progressing in terms of reducing its crime rate, as it fluctuates from year to year.
One thing is certain, people from Washington Heights love to talk about living there, as there is always something happening that people in the neighborhood know about. There is a large sense of community in the area, since so many people spend time outside hanging out or walking around their nearby streets. I’m sure that the people I come across in the neighborhood will have more than enough to say about Washington Heights.
Posted in Backgrounder, Neighborhoods
Tagged Washington Heights, Willie Diaz
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Long Island City, Queens
Positioned in the north western end of Queens, Long Island City is one of the most culturally diverse communities in the world. The tightly condensed ethnic variety leaves little room for prejudice. This is a place where you grab morning coffee from a Korean convience store, order takeout from a Cantonese restaurant, and spend Saturday mornings getting your son’s haircut at a Dominican owned barbershop; all of which are located next door to each other as if the corner of 48th Street and Broadway is some sort of small business united nations. L.I.C. can be viewed as a melting pot within a melting pot; neighbors who migrated from Greece, Jamaica, Ecuador and many other countries spend their week day mornings waiting to board a train that will have them in the big sister melting pot of Manhattan in less than 4 stops.
The Kaufman Astoria Studios stands with a subtle sense of importance on 34th Avenue as Policemen from the 114th Precinct patrol the neighborhood. Long Island City is home to the world renowned Steinway & Sons piano company, an array of family run businesses, Jet Blue Airways, and many entrepreneurial endeavors. The subway lines N, R, Q, M, and 7 make it extremely convenient for residents to access the most efficient public transit system in the world. With hundreds of cultural backgrounds represented in this community, it would be impossible to have the same amount of ethnically themed businesses consume it’s main streets; but with a hopeful economic future, there may be room for a wider range of ethnic businesses that will appease a larger percentage of the diverse 191,000 residents.
Prospect Heights
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn is becoming the hip place to be. Although small, this neighborhood has been experiencing quite a buzz over night. Prospect Heights is known for its long rows of brownstones with tree-lined streets. An area that was once quiet is becoming packed with tourists, music lovers, and anyone looking for a good time.
I have been following the Barclays Center in the news since the start of it’s project. It has brought about community resistance from residents. Many who originally are from the area are not too pleased with it. There has been many lawsuits because of the demolition of residential buildings and businesses. The neighborhood has also experienced popularity since MTV held their Video Music Awards there, this past summer. Many celebrities are also coming to the Barclays Center, especially since rapper Jay-Z owns shares. West of the neighborhood is Brooklyn High School of the Arts, whish is the first academic arts school in Brooklyn. It would be interesting to see if the Barclays Center has given back to the schools in the neighborhood.
Many newcomers are flocking to this area to live. It is becoming crowded and more diverse. Younger people are moving into the area blending the well established with up comers. New condos and lofts are being built in order to house people who are willing to pay top-dollar to live here. Prices are also going up in the area. According to the recent census houses are going for 1.6 million. There are many small business owners, food truck drivers, and long time residents I can profile.
On Atlantic Avenue there are also small businesses, restaurants, and churches. I commute to Atlantic Terminal train station each morning, which has a whopping nine subway lines, and not to mention the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). There is also is the Atlantic Terminal Mall, which has many businesses like Target, Buffalo Wild Wings, Cold Stone Creamery, and they are even building a Uniqlo! As if the area was not already crowded, with the new arena traffic has gone from bad to worse. There are constant traffic jams, and it is a hassle to get around. Prospect Heights is a neighborhood that is flushing with new thing continuing to take place. There is a lot going on, with even more to discover.