Tag Archives: c.vaccarelli

Alphabet City Will Never Be the Same

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From East 14th Street to East Houston lies Alphabet City and all of its residents. Most of New York’s residents look at neighborhoods with convenient stores, close transportation and lower rent prices when deciding where to live. About 66,000 people live in this neighborhood. 66,000 people have chosen to live in a neighborhood that lacks what people find most convenient about this city.

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A busy entrance to the L train on East 14th and 1st Avenue

The nearest subway line to this entire neighborhood is the L train on 1st Avenue and East 14th Street. “It takes me 25 minutes to walk to the subway every day and then I have to always transfer to another station” said resident Gina Cappola rather frustrated. She moved here because the rent was slightly cheaper than the other apartments in the area. It seemed like a good idea at first, but now she can’t wait to move on to a different neighborhood when her lease ends.

“I moved into the city because I was a commuter and now I am still a commuter” said Gina Cappola laughing. It takes her over an hour to get to where she works which is just about as long as it took her when she lived near Rockland County.

You can see the look of frustration at the Subway entrance for the L train. There are lines at each turnstile during busy hours and each person looks like a zombie waiting to get in as if they do this everyday.

“Its truly unbelievable what I need to go through to get on this subway” Daniel McDonald said while waiting for his train. Most days this 50 year old man does not mind, but others when he’s tired the train seems further away then ever.

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The Pheonix, a small bar/ restaurant in the neigborhood

Alphabet City is not your typical neighborhood. As you walk up and down the streets there is no Starbucks. Duane Reade is only on the border streets. There is no chain grocery store favorites such as whole foods and no chain restaurants. “I can always find something similar to what I need but it isn’t always what I want. Sometimes walking twenty minutes to get my favorite brand of coffee just isn’t an option” said long time resident Billie Hudzik.

New York is known for its convenient means of transportation. Usually we think of subways at almost every corner and a McDonalds or a Starbucks every other block. Alphabet City denies its residents both.

Manhattan Community Board 3 has addressed issues of transportation saying they have been working on plans for decades now. There was talk of extending the subway line under Avenue B.

Residents of this neighborhood laugh when asked about it. They feel that this is never going to happen. “If it does happen maybe my grandchildren’s grandchildren can get to work faster than I ever did” Billie Hudzik said jokingly.

The lack of transportation and commercial shops and restaurants to draw residents in, are issues not being ignored any more. Gentrification is now being seen in Alphabet City. There are plans for new Walgreens to be brought into the neighborhood as well as talk of other chain establishments.

IMG_1857There are all new upscale restaurants and trendy spots that have emerged over the past few years with the intention of changing Alphabet City for the better. “They won’t ever do anything about the Subway system so they are trying to make it more appealing in other ways” Billie Hudzik said when asked about future changes. The new crowd that these trendy spots are bringing in has changed Alphabet City and is beginning to give it a new reputation.

According to DNAinfo.com this gentrification brought a dramatic 71 percent drop in major crimes in the area over 17 years since 1993, led by a 91 percent plunge in car thefts, an 81 percent drop in robberies, and 77 percent declines for murders and burglaries. “This neighborhood used to have a bad reputation but now its becoming a hot spot for young crowds. I used to just see the same people walking around everyday now I see a new face every night” Billie Hudzik said after living here for 35 years.

East Village Cafe on East 13th

East Village Cafe on East 13th

Crime rates have dropped and rent prices have gone up. The new developments to Alphabet City have caused a significant increase in building costs. Buildings that have been vacant for years are now getting swooped off the market, remodeled and sold. According to StreetEasy tallies the median increased for asking prices rose 2.79 percent to $699,000 by the end of 2014, but today this has jumped to $865,000.

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Residential area of Alphabet City displaying the artsy vibe of the neighborhood

Some new residents were drawn to this area because of the changes and the style of living. New resident Aliyah Sullivan says, “It was one neighborhood that reminded me of how New York is supposed to be.” Each street you walk up and down has businesses and restaurants that created by people hoping to find a place to thrive in the city. Here in Alphabet City they find a way to mesh creating a vibe that draws people in to live here and an authentic New York feel.

Alphabet City is changing, but not everybody is happy about it. Julia Bennet who has lived in Alphabet City for 10 years said, “I have to leave this neighborhood after this year. My rent keeps going up and I can’t afford to stay here anymore.” The unavoidable increases in rent that are due to gentrification is pushing out many long time residents.

“This neighborhood used to be original but now they want to take that away from us” Markus Reynolds another long time resident said angrily.

Artwork dedicated to Robin Williams on Avenue B

Artwork dedicated to Robin Williams on Avenue B

Despite the lack of subways and a quickly changing neighborhood, many residents are in favor of this. “Its always good cardio for me to walk to the subway I have never minded!” said Richard Brenner who currently lives all the way on Avenue C.

“The changes are making this neighborhood safer and more original then it ever has been before. Alphabet City is really coming into its own” said Sophia Watts of Avenue B. This is why many people are leaving, but why more are coming. The changes coming to Alphabet City are unavoidable. Almost as unavoidable as the walk all of its residents put of with to get to work each day.

This neighborhood has become something beautiful. While some residents are frustrated with its lack of similarities to the city, majority are being drawn closer due to its differences.

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Black and White

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In both Fox’s and Bagli’s pieces we see how the Stuyvesant town housing is inaccessible to different people.

In Bagli’s piece we are explained more about the prices of the apartments rising and how this forced out groups of people. These are the groups of people that the housing was meant for in the first place. It was originally a place where lower social class found themselves comfortable but due to the rent rising above an average of 4,000 an apartment, many of these original groups were forced out.

Fox’s piece touches on how Stuy town was originally meant for lower income families and war-veterans, but excluded black families. This was even though many war-veterans included blacks.

Both are about a social and economic struggle in the complex but Bagli focuses more on the current issues forcing out certain groups whereas Fox looks more into the past.

I live in Stuy town currently and notice that it is prevalently whites living there. The rent is high and theres no way I could have lived there if my parents did not have decent paying salaries.

American Girl

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What is the theme of Ta Nehisi-Coates’s profile?

Growing up black in her neighborhood and how it affected her. It shows how it shaped and made the person she is today. There also includes a history of the neighborhood.

Is there an overarching narrative?

Though the article speaks largely of Michelle Obama, it is also about all black residents of south side that grew up like Obama. It takes the idea that all black people grew up impoverished with both parents working and struggling and presents us with an alternative truth, black people growing up in “normal” homes, with a working father and stay at home mother. It presents us with a break in the stereotype.

What surprises Coates about Michelle Obama?

Coates says that “The first time I saw Michelle Obama in the flesh, I almost took her for white”.

How does Coates contextualize Michelle in the context of his own background growing up in Baltimore?

Michelle grew up not knowing what “blackness” was whereas Coates compares himself and knew very much of his “blackness”. He knew his “blackness” as his culture and to her i was not a culture she was familiar with or viewed it as. They had different perspective on life in their early upbringing.

 

Alphabet City Conflict Story Proposal

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Alphabet City is a tiny neighborhood in New York that is full of tiny boutique shops and cafes. As I walk around I do not recognize the names of any of the shops as chain restaurants. The only Starbucks coffee shops are on both the far ends of the boundaries of this neighborhood. Many young people move here and I would like to investigate if they feel like this neighborhood is lacking things that the city has to offer. The subway is very far out of the way, large grocery stores are not nearby and the basic shops most of these people are used to going to are not a few steps away.

I talked to a few people who think it is a big issue and they said they were considering leaving because it can be so inconvenient sometimes to live there. They also knew people who were considering leaving. On top of not having these conveniences to offer, they are shooting up the rent prices. So what is truly making alphabet city a desirable place to live anymore? Some people were saying this is the reason they love it there so much its different and unique compared to other parts of the city.

Either way I would love to look into it, go into a board meeting and see if there is any discussion about this. Are they purposely keeping the chain business’ out of the area ? Do the chain business’ think they cannot find business there? Is Alphabet City going to become to inconvenient and an undesirable place for city residents? These are all things I would like to explore.

Back Where I Came From

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I agree that Liebling’s, “Back Where I Came From” is like a love letter. Through his description of New York and the people here, you can tell it is a place he truly loves. He talks about growing up here and says there is nothing better than New York and the people here. To him the women in New York are the most beautiful, and he can not compare New York to anywhere else including his friends travels. He truly made me feel as a reader that there is no place like New York. This is a very opinionated statement to make which is why I agree that this is very much like a love letter.