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Monthly Archives: September 2013
Amanda Burden
The Amanda Burden profile is a well written depiction of a city planner working in the middle of two New York City worlds that fail to understand each other.
One side for innovation and making the city a “better place.” The opposing side looking to keep Ms.Burden’s side from doing that.
The author of this article Julia Satow did a fine job of keeping her personal viewpoint of this ordeal out of the piece. That’s how a profile should be written; unbiased. She gives both arguments, and allows the reader to make sense of it all, for themselves.
A problem with the article is the lack of substantial representation for the opposing side. While the article is full of quotes that make Ms.Burden seem like a woman who has New York City’s best interest at hand (at least from an economic standpoint), all of the arguments against her work seem emotion filled and to not be saying anything of substance nor logic.
For instance:
“The High Line didn’t create any new affordable housing, only condominiums for the rich, and the park itself has no open spaces for kids, but is more something for tourists to walk through,” said Miguel Acevedo, president of the tenants’ association at the Robert Fulton Houses, an affordable-housing development in the neighborhood.”
Mr.Acevedo conveniently ignored the statement made by Ms.Burden about The High Line creating 12,000 jobs and accounting for 2 billion dollars in revenue. The problem isn’t that he skipped those stats, the problem is that he’s complaining about a promise that was never made—not being fulfilled. He’s complaining about condominiums being built for “the rich,” all while holding the title of “President” for the tenants’ association of an affordable-housing development in the same neighborhood as The High Line. His claim of there being no space for kids can be debunked when there are plenty of kids who don’t seem like the park isn’t up to their standard.
Most of the arguments against Ms.Burden’s work are attempts to vilify the rich, which is fine if you have a substantial argument, but none of the arguments included in the article did. I feel Julia Satow should have dug deeper for a more even keeled, opposing argument. Without a stronger opposition than what was quoted, this article ended with Amanda Burden seeming as if she’s NYC’s developmental savior.
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Amanda Burden
Julie Satow’s profile makes all the journalistic stops in writing a piece that gives the reader the full picture. She has included commentary from people for Ms. Burden’s way of doing things and against it. Arguably, Satow’s seems to sneak in her point of view in the way she structured this article. The reader gets know Ms. Burden through her fashion sense and younger years socializing among society’s elite. This causes a problem because Ms. Burden’s first class status then haunts the story.
At times, her status makes her seem she could care less about the poor in lines such as, “gentrification is merely a pejorative term for necessary growth.” The kicker in this story makes me believe the author’s point of view is that Ms. Burden is out to make the city only for the well to do. The title further solidifies my thoughts on this. This article seems to be more of a pledge against gentrification disguised as a profile about the planning commissioner.
Amanda Burden reading
The Author’s description of Amanda Burden is pretty fair an unbiased, depicting her as somebody who cared about the city through her many rezoning plans. However, while it seems that the author does a good job of describing her accomplishments, she definitely does a good job in sharing her own point of view when it comes to Burden. I say this because when speaking negatively about the things miss Burden has done, she does it with much more impact and emphasis in trying to get the reader to understand her flaws, while lauding her accomplishments in a more passive way which leads me to believe that she has a more negative view of Burden than a positive one. Which in turn leaves us with an image of somebody who wanted to do good for the city, but her methods were at times to harsh and because of it the city suffered from it, whether it was middle class income citizens and lower, or just people trying to find jobs in general. The author leaves you with the idea that no matter what; her actions will shape the city for the next 10 to 20 years, but not necessarily all in a positive way.
-Abel Ramirez
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Neighborhood Face query: Spanish Harlem
In the upper east side of Manhattan along the streets of what is known as Spanish Harlem, there are Puerto Rican and Dominican flags along every corner from 101st to 110th, from First Avenue all the way up to Lexington Avenue. Some of these Latinos have lived here for many years, others have just moved in recently into the area. The area is great for commuters whether they are going uptown or downtown to work or school. It is a pretty short commute either way, with lots of train options from the 4,5,6 to multiple bus lines.
On 105th street between second and third lives a Dominican woman by the name of Carolina Perez who has now been living in the area for about 3 years. She originally lived in the middle of Harlem around 122nd street but decided to move downtown more seeking a more familiar setting among what she calls “my own people”. She is the perfect candidate for a query because it seems living in the area has eased her concerns and worries about perhaps not being able to find a stable home she can call her own as she grows old. She works as a home attendant, in different parts of Manhattan. Miss Perez has traveled back and forth from the Dominican Republic and New York looking for a better living situation 3 times. There is definitely a story here because this is the neighborhood that has finally given miss Perez some optimism, and I would like to find out why.
-Abel Ramirez
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Cristabelle Tumola– Queens Village
Cristabelle Tumola is a Writer, Editor, Translator, Freelance Writer, And Food Editor at Italian Cooking and Living. She is one of the many who has gone through journalism school and has succeeded.
Accomplishing so much as she did in her recent years she started from columbia university graduate school of journalism and is currently working for the Queens courier as a Web Journalist and Social Media Manager.
Besides all the excitement she get to witness on an everyday basis, I think that it will be interesting to see someone in action in a field that I am interested in. She gets to see all the ins and outs of her business and can possibly lead me in the right direction as to where the conflict is in Queens since everything is so secluded.
I’m interested in getting to know more about this writer behind her work and what drives her interest in the story she choses to cover.
Amanda Burden Article Response
The contrasts made within the first few sentences place Amanda Burden as an infiltrator. “…her…sophisticated dress contrasting with the worn-out rug.” This is not merely an observation but Julie Satow’s assumption of what Ms. Burden may feel when she is inside some of New York’s oldest buildings.
The article highlights Burden’s portfolio of revitalization in New York but the writer is fair in that she offers the point of view of the critics, too. However, there seems to be a bias that leaves us with an image of a large construction ball, swinging over New York to cut it down to the status quo. Burden’s own credentials create her defense in this piece.
Amongst details of a fashionable woman of well-to-do stature who has dated socialites and experienced a couple of failed marriages, we still get a glimpse into Ms. Burden’s accomplishments. For these projects Satow does follow with criticisms from various sources. She seems to focus on the impact gentrification has had on the local community. Even in the second to last paragraph she explains Burden’s relocation plans as clustering greater density around transit hubs. It is evident that this cluster-effect is Satow’s view of Burden’s projected developments being consolidated and – expected to take up to 30 years- jammed into 19 months.
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Tagged Amanda Burden, Nirvani Harriram
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Patricia Ann Norris-McDonald (Malverne)
A life long resident, a compassionate individual and the Mayor of Malverne, Patricia Ann Norris-McDonald has been an active member of the community since she can remember. Out of all the residents I decided to select Norris-McDonald because she is known throughout Malverne, in a personal and professional environment and people are interested in talking about her.
Through this interview she will be questioned about what makes Malverne a unique place? Why did she decide to serve as Mayor of the village? Is there anything during her term in office that she would change? What are some of her accomplishment while in office? Through everything she has been through how does she stay positive? Has the village and its resident helped her through the difficult times she has faced? When making decisions that impact the residents what goes through her mind?
Working with her on the Board of Trustees, I would interview Trustee Joseph Hennessey and Trustee Michael Bailey about how they feel she runs the village and how they perceive her personally. However, her tenure as Mayor is only a small portion of her time in Malverne, I would also speak with other life-long residents to discover how McDonald is known. Some of these individuals include Patricia Callahan and Robert Powers, both have known her for years.
As a resident I am familiar with Mayor McDonald and through my knowledge and contacts I aim to see what makes McDonald such devoted resident and what others feel about their mayor and fellow citizen. She has suffered great tragedy in her life, she takes care of her husband that is former NYPD detective and is paralyzed from an incident on the job and still has time to focus on others.
Posted in Profiles
Tagged John Friia, Malverne, Patricia Norris-McDonald
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Profile of Amanda Burden Leaves Me With Questions
By: Kamelia Kilawan
Satow left me with the feeling that Burden has been a influential trendsetter for most of her life. “Ms. Burden, who spends her leisure time walking the city, boating or birding, argues that ‘good design is good economic development, and I know this is true.’”
As a former socialite turned urban planner—Burden seems to have her own vision of the city in mind, complete with powerful connections to push them forth.
Satow was clever in including the details about developers needing to have their projects approved to go along with Burden’s “contextual” city planning, ensuring no buildings are too high.
However as a reader and a young journalist, I was curious about her plan for the outer-boroughs. Towards the end of the piece it states that Burden believes “As the city grows and shifts, her vision is of single-family homes and more suburban spaces outside the center, while allowing for greater density to be clustered around transit hubs throughout the five boroughs — 87 percent of new housing, she notes, is within a 10-minute walk of the subway.”
This troubles me. I would have probed more to find out exactly what she thinks about housing for the outer-boroughs. Not simply creating more affordable housing which is clearly an important issue, but exactly how she would define the argument of gentrification.
What is her perspective and the design she would envision for the city’s outer-boroughs? Redesigning the stylish and hip Brooklyn for young people is one thing, but how much of each borough’s identity is kept the same and why?
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Amanda Burden Post
As Julie Satow begins the extensive profile on Amanda Burden, she depicts a businesswoman ready to start her day as the director of the New York City Planning Department. Satow praises the work that Burden has done through her 12 years of public service with the city and conveys how her dedication to the city allowed her to accomplish many things that New Yorkers have come to love.
“On Ms. Burden’s watch, the Brooklyn waterfront has been transformed from a landscape of derelict industrial structures to one of glossy condominiums and parkland…” Satow writes. She uses a powerful word, transform, to depict to the readers that she pioneered and spearheaded the improvement of many areas throughout the city.
As much as Satow applauds Burden’s success with her career she does inform the readers in a small portion that she does have critics and they feel that she is transforming New York into a place for only the upper class.
While she discusses her career in the public sector, Satow then takes the reader into Burden’s past and explains how her life could have been different because of her family’s connections. Discovering whom she was married to and the different jobs she had that eventually lead up to working with Mayor Mike Bloomberg, she is represented as a very hard working individual.
Satow continues the profile with problems that she was faced with rezoning, and how Burden handled what she thought was right. Satow leaves the reader with a quote from Burden that makes the reader feel that she cares for the average New York citizen. Wanting to create a neighborhood for every part of the city is an ideal thought, but resident can feel appreciative after looking at everything Burden has accomplished thus far.
Faces Query, Hempstead
Between North Franklin Street and Main Street in Hempstead you could do a lot of things. You could buy sneakers from Street Gear; you could grab breakfast at the deli; and if you push past the clear doors of 247 Fulton Avenue, you could go upstairs and find a place of worship.
After the Sunday morning service at Reigning in Life Training Center, I met with Pastor Curtis Riley. He’s been living in Hempstead for 42 years and now at the age of 56 he sat before me clad in an off-white suit and olive dress shoes, beaming. We were going to talk about Hempstead and he knows it well. Looking back to when Hempstead first began to buzz with thoughts of revitalization years ago, he felt that the people of the time were not ready for change. He said they were devastated by malls that rose up and chased stores away, skewing taxes and raising concerns. He mentioned revitalization projects going on today that totaled billions of dollars.
“It’s still taking longer than it should because we should’ve been at a shovel in the ground,” he said.
Looking at the map below with all of its red points- a neighborhood dotted with churches- I thought of the blotch of the recent death of Dante Quinones Wright, a teen recently gunned down in Hempstead. I asked the pastor about the high crime rate that stained the same streets lined with churches.
“Unfortunately…we focus on getting people to heaven but we haven’t taught people how to live on earth,” he said, “I was guilty of that.”
To focus on the latter he founded the Hempstead Rebirth Community Development Corporation. While he said that pastors should not be involved in political structures, he believed that it was a shared responsibility of pastors to educate their people to get involved in what they are called to do. For this to materialize, the churches have to get along.
“Let’s get back to ‘It takes a community to raise a child’,” he said. “Let’s get back to those philosophies instead of just ‘do you’.”
Churches in Hempstead
Posted in Story Queries
Tagged Hempstead, Neighborhood Faces Query, Nirvani Harriram
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