An average day for Kyle Blidy consists of rising early at 5:00 A.M. and thrusting himself into the hustle and bustle that is New York. Kyle’s first task of the day is his commute from his neighborhood in Astoria to the the LoMA academy in lower manhattan.
Kyle’s primary occupation is as a teacher at the LoMA academy from 8AM-12PM daily, and additionally works as a teacher’s assistant and after-school tutor at the St. John’s Preparatory High School (which is only a few blocks from his apartment) every other afternoon.
“Teaching is something that I always had a passion for, ever since I had my first chemistry class in High School, and saw my first laboratory explosion. This explosion metaphorically sparked a revolution in my intellectual interests. I have taken on the career of education so that I can share my passion for chemistry with others Kyle is certified to teach chemistry and mathematics at any school in the state of New York, since his graduation from NYU Steinhardt’s prestigious teaching program (ranked third in the nation for pedagogy, according to the Princeton Review). “As much as I’ve made it my goal to try to help every student get an equal education, I must admit that it is easier to teach students at the elite St. John’s Preparatory High School versus the students at the under-served, predominantly-minority student, LoMA academy. It really just has to do with available resources, funding, and student motivation for success. Unfortunately, the school system in New York is greatly disparate in regards to the above, and the struggle I endure at LoMA is enough to drive me out of there. I plan on working to secure a tenured position at St. John’s Preparatory High School in the near future.”
In addition to Kyle’s all around superior experience at St. John’s Preparatory High School, it moreover takes the cake in terms of convenience. Kyle’s commute to St. John’s Preparatory High School is far less than that for LoMA. St. John’s is only a few blocks away from his apartment building, in the comfort of Astoria. In order to get to the LoMA, he must commute by subway, which as Kyle appropriately argues, isn’t exactly free.
“It’s something that’s convenient for me since taking the subway beats driving any day! ” He says when asked about his commute. “ Not only is it cheaper than driving, but I don’t need to engage in that crazy hassle of finding a parking, which by the way is virtually impossible. It really isn’t so bad managing without a car, since the subway is just a block from my house and the trains come like every five minutes. Commuting by trains, believe it or not, may even benefit me at times, since it gives me extra time to look over my notes for my lessons before I begin my day teaching.”
As positive as Kyle’s commuting story seems to be, he does admit that there are some drawbacks to living in Astoria. One of the challenging experiences he has faced is having to deal with large crowds during the prime-time of day. He explains that sometimes rush hour makes it hard for him to even score a tiny corner of space in the train for his travel to the city. Kyle also comments that due to Astoria being quite densely populated, you often smell unwanted scents from people around you, and this includes not only ethnic cuisines, but even lingering marijuana. Kyle complains that the marijuana problem in his building is so bad, that the smell seeps through the walls and ceilings. Fortunately, this is a problem Kyle explains will end soon, as those few tenants who break the illegal-substance laws are currently undergoing an eviction from premises.
Kyle Blidy has lived in Astoria for his entire life with his father, Peter Blidy. More recently, they expanded their nuclear family, and got a cat, Catherine “Cat” Blidy. Peter Blidy has owned his apartment building for roughly 25 years, and has been working to modernize and improve the estate since the day he inherited it. Peter and Kyle’s home is located conveniently off of Astoria’s very busy 30th Avenue, where the many bus lines, parks, bodegas, hair salons, and of course, the N and Q subway lines are located.
“I walk outside my door, and there’s all these different types of people, it’s almost as diverse as Manhattan. And food? I can eat a different type of food every day of the week. Mexican, Italian, Greek, Egyptian. . . you name it!” He adds that he’s grateful for the 24-hr Queenie’s Fried Chicken that’s on the same block as his apartment building. “This place is convenient for those late night ‘snack attacks’,” as he phrases it.
When asked if he would ever consider moving elsewhere, Kyle shakes his head and answers with a simple, “Never.”