Tag Archives: Julissa Soriano

Backgrounder on Your Neighborhood—South Slope District 7

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Population

District 7 had a total population of 148,990 in 2012, according to the ACS Demographic and housing estimates. Out of the total population 61,387 are Hispanic or Latino and 57,945 are White.

 Rezoning

According to the New York City Department of City Planning official website, South Park Slope was approved for rezoning in August of 2005 and is considered to be in District 7. South Park Slope’s area boundary is between 15th Street and 24th Street and between Fourth Avenue and Prospect Park West. District 7 also includes Windsor Terrace, Greenwood cemetery and Sunset Park.

Real Estate

In District 7 there are 18 public schools and 11,653 residential real estate properties. Including 1-2 family, multi-family, and mixed/ commercial residential space.

South Slope’s transformation started after 911. Manhattan residents quickly turned into Brooklyn residents. Park Slope became a desirable place with a higher price tag when the Barclay Center was built in 2012. The median household income in District 7 is $41,912. In Park Slope a two bedroom one-bathroom apartment costs $4,490 (289 13th Street) versus $2,500 (717 5th avenue) in South Slope. Real estate agents do not recognize South Slope as a neighborhood; instead they recognize the area as Greenwood.

Demographics

What was once a neighborhood filled with Italian senior citizens in the 80’s, is now becoming hip to South Slope residents. In district 7 there are 17,895 people over 60 years old and 44,028 people between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four.

South Slope continues to have a large population of senior citizens, however, young single professionals and students are making their way in and they are here to stay. Local businesses are making the necessary changes to accommodate the younger crowd. Now there are macaroon shops, wineries, sports bars, thrift stores, bike shops and plenty of restaurants.

Transformation

South Slope is definitely making a name for itself. Within the past year, for the first time, South Slope has received Christmas avenue lights up until 18th street. Park Slope Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District, a organization dedicated to promoting business development and improving the area’s quality of life, is looking to extend the annual 5th avenue fair into South Slope. Locals hope that the fair that was originally between Sterling and 12th street will be extended into 21st Street.

Crime

The closest precinct to South Slope is the 72nd precinct. According to the NYPD precinct crime data sheet the highest crime in 2015 were 547 petit larceny, 349 misdemeanor assaults and 257 grand larceny crimes. The lowest were two shooting incidents, two shooting victims, and 16 rape crimes.

Transit

 Local Transit includes the D, N, R train and the 63 bus.

REFERENCES:

Demographics 

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/southparkslope/index.shtml

http://nyc.pediacities.com/Resource/Neighborhood/South_Slope

Crime 

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs-en-us-072pct.pdf

Real Estate 

http://realestate.nytimes.com/rentals/detail/44-3496306/289-13th-Street-BROOKLYN-NY-11215

http://streeteasy.com/rental/1636426

Transportation

http://web.mta.info/nyct/maps/busbkln.pdf

Neighborhood Faces Query Pitch

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My Profile is going to be on a neighborhood Grocery store owner. For now, I am not sure if he wants to be named so we’ll call him Steve. Steve was born in Palestine and came to the United States at 10 months old. He was raised in what used to be considered Guwanas and is know known as South Slope. He lived on 24th street between 3rd and 4th avenue with his parents and five brothers. His father was a storeowner and starting investing in Park Slope property before it was a nice neighborhood. Steve told me with his eyes watered that his dad raised him and his brothers to be kind to neighbors. He then told me about the time his dad was diagnosed with cancer and decided to retire and close his deli that was located on 12th street and 8th avenue. “When my dad retired, the neighborhood threw him a black party and gave him a plaque that said nicest deli guy.”

Steve’s dad told his son’s that a person has two feet and can decide to walk to any grocery store they want. Kindness is what makes people walk to their deli’s instead. As I interviewed Steve, he began to tell me about neighbors, businesses and why they shut down and the principle he went to high school with in the neighborhood charter school. Everyone in the neighborhood from construction worker, to high school student knows Steve and his family. While visiting his shop, a pregnant woman ordered two bacon egg and cheese sandwiches and a Snapple. She didn’t have enough money, so he said she could pay him back next time. That is the kind of guy Steve is.

This profile on Steve is going to describe the neighborhoods transformation from his perspective. He has been living in South Slope for such a long time, he know details about the neighborhood most people don’t.

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

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

Yee’s feature story slightly includes more than Robert Shelton’s personal history. Although the story focuses mainly on Shelton and his story as a worker in the Domino refinery, it does include a short background on sugar and its transition from raw crystals to high fructose corn syrup.

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

The narrative of this profile is very one sided. There are parts in the story that include other workers and people but it really focuses more on Shelton. The profile included a lot of description revolving around Shelton’s senses. We read this piece and we know how hot Shelton was while working, we know his socks were wet and we know that  the smell of heated bone char made him sick to his stomach. The arc of the story is the quote of him saying “Outside, that was your world…Now, this is my world.” This quote to me really shifts things and makes us feel his sorrow. Then the writer takes us into his working world and adds vivid images and description.

What do you think of the lead?

I like the lede. Yee described the nostalgia of Shelton stepping into a empty sugar house.

Where is the nut graf?

The nut graf is the second paragraph on the second page.

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

Yee seems to have a level of respect for Shelton. Yee remained objective about Shelton’s story, drawing in on his opinion and his side of the story, rather than hers.

South Slope

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Many can argue about the margins between Park Slope and South Slope. I decided to focus on South Slope because the lack of attention it receives. Only people who live here, like myself, know South Slope and can testify about it’s transformation.

For the profile feature I would write about the owner of Luigis Pizza, famously known for their feature in the movie Big Daddy with Adam Sandler. The pizzeria is interesting to me because it one of the only mom and pop shops still around since 1973, with it’s old school Italian pizzeria charm.

The business feature idea would be on a new bakeshop called Woops. Woops is located on 5th Avenue between 17th and 18th Street, which is the block receiving the most transformation in the entire neighborhood. I would like to interview the owner on why they decided to choose the street with the most renovations. Just recently on the same street a polish grocery store shut down since it’s opening in 1939.

The neighborhoods Prospect Avenue R train stop and its surrounding blocks is a crime hot spot. The train stop is also extremely small and becomes overpopulated when exiting from the Northbound side. My story can either be on the subway station and opinions from MTA customers or on the crimes taking place in the surrounding area. The street on the Prospect Avenue station (17th Street between 4th and 5th avenue) is extremely dark at night, most of the cameras on houses and stores are only for show and there is a sketchy Brooklyn Expressway entrance midway into the block. The block is completely residential, besides the deli’s and a bagel shop on three of its corners. The street is either filled with people walking home from the station or completely empty, which in my opinion makes it a target for crime.

 

 

Another possible feature

E.B White, Here in New York Answers

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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?

My impression of the opening line of White’s book is that it is intentional. A gift is described as something that is given to you with honor. To me a gift shows reverence to someone. So when I read New York bestows gifts of loneliness and gifts of privacy I took it as both positive statements. People may disagree with loneliness and privacy being a gift, however, I must disagree. I think breakthroughs happen in solitary moments.

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

List provide an umbrella or bridge of words that may not necessary seem natural together. E.B White keeps us on our toes with his lists, providing thought provoking comparisons in a provocative tone.