Tag Archives: Catherine Ochoa

Invisible Child Commentary

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 I believe it was a good decision to withhold Dasani’s last name as well as that of her family for protection purposes. In the story, Dasani spoke about the rivalry between her family members in the projects and the unexpected fights with people that could occur due to her family’s temper as well as her own. I agree with not including Dasani’s last name because of the potential harm it could’ve caused her or her family.

2) I didn’t mind that the story was long because I was so intrigued. I was able to really learn about Dasani, her family, and get a firsthand experience look into what life at a homeless shelter is long. Yes, it may have run long, but I personally would not criticize it because I genuinely enjoyed everything about this story.   3) Again, I believe the time was not disclosed due to safety reasons. There is a certain boundary that has to be kept with such delicate situations. You’re dealing with someones life, not just another report.

4) I feel like this shed a lot of light on how homeless people are treated in New York City. Yes, this may have been an extreme scenario, but who is to say that other homeless people in the city don’t go through this and more ?

5) Not everyone can really go into depth as to what life is for a homeless family the way Andrea Michelle did. I truly enjoyed her piece, and it left me wanting more. I can only hope we get an update piece soon because I truly opened my eyes to the extreme circumstances homeless people are forced to face.

Please comment on these criticisms and add your own criticism or praise.

Backgrounder: Washington Heights

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Location: Washington Heights begins at 155th street and ends at Inwood (200th St). It is bordered on the East by the Harlem River, and on the West by the Hudson River.

Demographics

Total Population (2010): 190,020, percent change-8.8%

  • White/Non Hispanic: 33,442
  • Black/African American: 13,954
  • Asian/Pacific Islander: 4,814
  • American Indian/ Alaska Native: 228
  • Nonhispanic/other race: 672
  • Hispanic Origin: 134,976

Real Estate/Housing: : 

  • Occupied housing: 69,182
  • Owner-occupied: 6,452
  • Renter occupied: 62,730
  • Multiple Nursing Homes/Hospitals/Hospices and Ambulatory Programs

Schools: 

  • I.S. 218
  • P.S. 152
  • P.S. 173
  • P.S. 18
  • P.S. 48
  • P.S. 5
  • P.S./I.S. 187

Transportation: 

MTA – A, C, 1 trains, Bx7, M100, M101, very accessible in all forms of public transportation.

Conflicts/hot button issues: 

  • Planned traffic improvements: Right turn restriction at Edgecombe Ave coming off the Harlem River Drive, rejected by community board (2014)
  • Rent Hikes- businesses are having to shut down, look for locations elsewhere
  • Changing Demographics (There has been decrease in Hispanic Population that grows greater every year)
  • East New York Rezoning: borders of different communities are constantly changing
  • One of the boroughs quickly changing due to gentrification

 

Resources: 

 

Neighborhood Person Profile – Catherine Ochoa

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The person I’ve chosen to spotlight from my neighborhood- Washington Heights- is Jose Valdez. He is the owner of a prominent multiservices business agency in the heart of the Washington Heights. Located at 161st street and Broadway, he is a great person to interview to know just how much the neighborhood has changed. Since I have decided to focus on Hispanic business owners and what they have to say about the changing demographics in the area, I would love to talk to him about how he started his business, what has changed since then, and how he has had to adapt because of the nearing gentrification process that will eventually occur. He is also involved in the community and is an advocator to more Hispanic local leaders. I am extremely interested in investigating this further, because it seems like the once Hispanic-American population that was so prominent in Washington Heights is constantly dwindling. There have been rent hikes in the area, business closings for more “hipster” places to reopen in those once family owned restaurants, as well as a new population of different races moving into the neighborhood. As a Hispanic-American, I want to investigate this further in order to get down to the real reason this is happening. I would like to get Jose Valdez’s take on this,as he has seen many changes in Washington Heights throughout the years. Some of the multimedia I plan on including will have video footage of our interview as well as the neighborhood,and a podcast/voice over about how Washington Heights is changing and how this is affecting the Hispanic population in this area.

2 Jobs at Sugar Factory, and a Lump in the Throat -Catherine Ochoa

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Does the writer give us more than Robert Shelton’s personal history?

The writer definitely gives insight as to what being a worker at the Domino Plant was like in this article. The writer uses Mr. Shelton’s perspective and own life experiences to create a compelling story about what many people are feeling now that the famous sculpture will be taken down, and the plant itself is changing. I feel like there was a nice balance between Mr. Shelton’s perspective and the history of the Domino Plant as well as how it’s changing.

Describe the narrative of this profile, the arc of the story.

The narrative of this profile is found in Robert Shelton’s story working at the Domino Plant. This article is written so that we can see his experiences at the plant through his eyes. It gives a great timeline and shows the developments that have occurred at the plant. The arc of the story can be found when he begins to talk about the sculpture and how he remembers it, as well as what it means to him that it will now be removed along with the plant that will eventually close as many of the others have done.

What do you think of the lead?

I felt that the lead really set the scene for what we were about to read about the sugar factory. It was interesting to start off with Robert Shelton’s experience working at the plant many years ago, to show just how much has changed. It definitely caught my attention and I was very interested throughout the entire article.

Where is the nut graf?

I believe the nut graf begins in the paragraph with “in a borough convulsed by change…”

What about the author’s point-of-view?

I felt like the author lets this article showcase Robert Shelton’s experience at the Domino Plant, and she agrees with how he feels. Yee understands how Shelton feels since she decides to include the hardships he faced, as well as the positive situations. The author writes about the sugar factory for what it is, something that is changing due to the time that has passed.

Tourists Have Landed in Queens. They’re Staying

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How would you describe the reporting/interviewing in this article?

After reading the article, I felt that Kirk Semple was able to prove his point of view about an increase in tourists in Queens. After Lonely Planet named Queens the number one travel destination in the US for 2015, Semple’s straightforward reporting and his use of statistics from different sources, interviews of important officials and tourists in Queens all helped aid this point. This article definitely let me know as the reader that there are people traveling to Queens and discovering what the borough has to offer. As a Native New Yorker and resident of the Bronx, I was quite surprised to see the increase in popularity in Queens as it isn’t that close to Manhattan. Once I read that there are new hotels being constructed in Queens it did make more sense that people are visiting/staying there since both of the main NYC airports are located in Queens, and hotel rates are cheaper than in Manhattan. Although I enjoyed this article and thought that it was very informative, I did see a hole in the reporting since there were no interviews from Native Queens residents. I feel like Semple could have included more interviews from the locals in order to make this point stronger. For example, the interview with Ms. Sidibe where she asks “where is Queens?” could have been an opportunity to close with a local reacting to the increase in tourists. Even so, this article was certainly a refreshing take and angle on neighborhood reporting, and I walked away with something I didn’t know before I read it!

 

250 Words on Washington Heights

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The area of New York City that I’ve chosen to investigate is Washington Heights. All my life, I either grew up in upper Manhattan or found myself visiting friends and family in the area. Currently, my mom owns her own insurance company in Washington Heights, and the neighborhood is quickly changing. Last month, an entire section of local businesses were shut down within a span of two weeks and signs with new business ideas and the phrase “gentrification in process” were left where the old businesses once stood. I would like to investigate why exactly this is happening, and further understand why Washington Heights is the next target area to undergo gentrification.

Back when I was younger, Washington Heights was full of bodegas, small restaurants, and playgrounds. Now, there are a slew of new cafes, organic juice bars and even barbershops that are extremely different from the Domincan-owned salons I would frequent with my dad when I was younger.

I want to start by interviewing the owner of a local business- Sweet Life Pastry. This bakery just opened up and is not only a cafe, but also a Mexican lunch restaurant. I would like to interview the owner and see how her new business is doing now that more and more local businesses are being shut down in the area.

I would like to also highlight another kind of business that has been in business for over 20 years- Valdez Enterprises. This is a multiservice business agency, and I believe I can get great insight on what Washington Heights used to be from the owner, Mr. Jose Valdez.

I would like to get in touch with one of the local community representatives to see what they foresee for Washington Heights in the future, due to the fact that it has already changed so much in the last couple of years. This project will allow me to further investigate Washington Heights and learn many new things about it.

Here Is New York

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1. What is your impression of the opening line of White’s book: “New York bestows gifts of loneliness and the gifts of privacy.” Do you agree or disagree with White? If so, why? If not, why not? How effective is the opening? What does it accomplish, if anything?

The opening line of E.B White’s book is a bold statement which introduces the reader to what New York is through his perspective. I personally agree with White’s statement since as a native New Yorker, I believe that living in this city has made me appreciative of both the gift of enjoying alone time, as well as the gift of being able to keep certain things to myself. I believe it is an effective way to start this book because it immediately grabs your attention as a reader. Usually, privacy and loneliness can have negative connotations towards them, but in making these things a “gift,” White causes the reader to think outside of the box. Instead of talking about something typical like Madison Square Garden or with the phrase “the city never sleeps,” White chooses to open his book with an unexpected play on words that immerses the reader into the story and leaves them wanting to know more about New York.

2. How and why does the writer use lists in this book?

White uses lists in many instances throughout the book in order to group different categories into a collective statement. For example, when he begins to describe exactly where he is standing, White groups events such as city fights, specific street names, neighborhood businesses, etc… to group all these distinct things and places together. It’s also makes the writing seem more personable, more of a conservation than a formal writing. The lists inform you and keep the writing more casual.