Writing New York: Posts from the Boroughs and Beyond — 2008-2011

With General Elections for New York City approaching in November of this year, issues surrounding Soundview neighborhood have been brought to light particularly through Walt Nestler’s campaign. Nestler is a current member of Bronx Community Board 9, servicing the neighborhood under research. The issues he proposes to address include jobs, small businesses, transportation, education and housing in the area, all of which affect the neighborhood directly as research shows.

Demographics:
According to the United States Census Bureau, there are 64,867 living in Soundview. The population of males is 30,316 and the remaining 34,551 female. Majority of the population is between the ages of 18 and 65, totaling 44,223. The community is predominantly made up of Black/African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos. With a total of 23,112 housing units, the majority of 18,421 are renter-occupied while only 3,319 are owned. The average household size is 2.97.

Examining the demographics, particularly age and home ownership, it is fairly easy to see why Nestler proposes to make sure rent is stabilized. Why Continue reading →

Crown Heights is a small neighborhood located in the center of Brooklyn, NY. The neighborhood is known for its aesthetic row houses and tree-lined avenues. The neighborhood seems to be next on the inevitable list of neighborhoods being gentrified in Brooklyn. The gentrification appears to be spilling over from Manhattan and eastward into Brooklyn, Crown Heights is next on the map after recently gentrified neighborhoods seem to be running out of options.

Demographics:

According to the US Census Bureau there are a total of 55,775 people in Crown Heights. There are 25,299 males and 30,476 females. Crown Heights is predominately Black or African American Populated as the US Census Bureau lists them accounting for a little over 89% of the population. Other ethnicities making up the total population include Hispanic and Latino races with approximately 4,436 residents and there are about 1,221 accounting for the White population.

The Median household income in Crown Heights is 25,135$ leaving 3,365 families below the poverty level. 35,109 residents of Crown Heights are 35 years or older, 23,531 of which have High School degrees or higher. Of that same group, only 4,454 have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. 26.9% of families in Crown Heights make less than $10,000 a year, leaving that group as the highest percentage possible.

Local Schools:

According to the Crow Hill Community Association Website, there are 8 schools in Crown Heights. The main public school is PS 138 located on 760 Prospect Place. Being that Crown Heights is a heavily populated Hasidic Jewish Community, there are several schools for the Jewish Children. The Beis Chaya Mushkah School located on 1492 Saint. Johns Place serves children from Pre-Kindegarten to 8th Grade. For grades 8 to 12, the children can attend Chanoch Lenaar School on 876 Eastern Parkway. Other schools in the area are; Carmel Christian School; David Grayson Christian School; Epiphany Lutheran School; Hebron SDA Bilingual School and the Crown Heights Youth Center.

Local Businesses:

In recent years, Crown Heights has seen a flood of new cafes and restaurants opening up in the area. These shops have welcomed both longtime and newly acquainted Crown Heights residents into their small shops. Four coffee shops all within 3 blocks of each other have created Crown Heights and more specifically Franklin Avenue as a place to get a really good cup of coffee. The four shops are; The Pulp and The Bean (my favorite), Bristens (which also has a full lunch menu) unlike the other 3 shops, Breukelen Coffee House which specializes in organic and fair trade coffees and then Lily & Fig which boasts its fancy treats and baked goods more than their coffee.

Crown Heights doesn’t just have coffee shops, obviously after you have all of these people caffeinated, they’re going to need places to hang out at night, right? Which is why Crown Heights has many different places to have dinner or go out for a drink. My personal favorite restaurants include; Chavellas, which is an amazing Mexican Restaurant with the most amazing torta’s I’ve ever had. There is Mikes Pizza on Nostrand Avenue which for 10$ you can get an amazing pie delivered right to your doorstep. The most populated establishment in Crown Heights is probably Franklin Park, which is a fantastic beer garden. Franklin park is an intriguing establishment as it contains 2 full bars, connected by a large garden with tables and chairs, and then attached to the street side of the one bar is a newly renovated burger joint called Dutch Boy Burger. Delicious Burgers, shakes and fries until about 1 AM, it is needless to say that this place doesn’t disappoint no matter what your needs are.

Issues:

Crown Heights has had it’s fair share of issues in its day. Most notably the Crown Heights Riot in the summer of 1991. On August 19, 1991 a Guyanese child was hit by a car and killed while playing in the street, the person driving the vehicle was a Hasidic Rabbi. When an ambulance arrived at the scene to try to rescue the child, it was ordered off by police who were already feeling the tension from the black community. Even today it seems like the tension between these two communities still exists.

While much of Flushing is associated and identified with Main Street, there is much more to the neighborhood than a single Asian district. Flushing is the largest urban area in Queens, stretching all the way from Flushing Meadows Park to Utopia Parkway of Auburndale, and is extremely diverse in its population. As part of Community Board #7, the fifth largest and most populous community board in the city, Flushing faces issues such as continued population growth, housing, parking, traffic, and land development.

The total population of Flushing is estimated to be 245,749. Most of the population is adults, with an estimated 81.6% aged 18 and over. There is also a sizable number of the elderly, an estimated 17.3%. In terms of race, the dominant population is white, with 45.9%. Asians are a close second at 43.6%. Of this percentage, 25.1% are Chinese and 10.6% are Korean. Other Asian races such as Japanese, Filipino, and Vietnamese have numbers at or below 1%. Hispanics and blacks are in the minority, with 16.7% and 2.7%, respectively.

These numbers are revealing, especially of the neighborhood demographics beyond Main Street. There are a wide variety of peoples living in Flushing and it is important to keep in mind that there is no single race or culture that is representative of all who live there. It is necessary to be aware of the different cultures that are present when reporting on a neighborhood so that underlying sensitivities can be explored, and local conflicts can be placed in the proper context.

The educational statistics for Flushing show that 30.9% of residents have a high school diploma, while 21.3% have a bachelor’s degree and 10.9% have a graduate or professional degree. There are 37 public schools in Flushing, under District 25. There are a large number of elementary and middle schools, but only five high schools, which includes Flushing High School and Townsend Harris. In terms of high education there is CUNY Queens College and CUNY School of Law.

Although there is an increased number of college graduates nationwide, the statistics for Flushing show that a sizable portion of its residents only go up to high school. Taken in conjunction with the large number of foreign-born residents and immigrants, a number of reasons such as cultural barriers, lack of assimilation, low income, and pressure to work may be possible causes for the low number of college graduates.

An economic perspective reveals that 14.9% of households earn a combined income of $100,000 to $149,999, putting a decent part of Flushing in the middle class bracket. However in areas such as downtown Flushing where there is a concentration of foreign-born residents the income bracket tends to be lower. Local businesses consist mostly of service and retail outlets. There are a large number of Chinese and Korean restaurants in downtown Flushing, as well as several small clothing and specialty stores.

There are an estimated 93,271 housing units in Flushing, 23.6% of which were built during the 1950s. Real estate prices have risen since the late 1990s. According to Community Board Needs research, there has been an increase in illegal apartments and housing. One-bedroom apartments are being used to house entire families. Basements and cellars are also illegally rented out frequently.

Many of the issues in Flushing can be related to its ever-burgeoning population. There is only so much housing, jobs, and transportation that Flushing can adequately provide. Even with rising real estate prices, the increasing amount of immigrants moving into Flushing leads to a demand for more housing that cannot be readily met, leading to the occurrence of illegal housing. Traffic and parking is a perpetual problem, especially in downtown Flushing. The intersection of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue is the third busiest in all of New York City, behind Times Square and Herald Square. Although Flushing has a large number of bus lines, it has only one subway line: the 7, which starts and ends on Main Street. An estimated 85,000 commuters use the 7 line daily since there is little other alternative to travel into the city. Congestion is a serious problem in Flushing and like other related problems such as pollution, can most directly be linked to the population surge.

Few people know the history of the town of Merrick, located in Long Island. It was not always known as Merrick. In fact, when Europeans first arrived in the mid 1600’s, it was called “Meroke” and it included the entire South Shore of what is now Nassau County. Throughout the years, the inhabitants of Merrick included Puritans, Methodists and even Pirates. However, the major turning point for the town occurred in the late 1880’s, when the South Shore Railroad was built, which passed through Merrick. It began a period of development for the town. Today, that railroad still exists, but is now known as the Long Island Railroad.

Over the years I have become familiar with the Long Island Railroad, but more specifically, with Merrick Station. Taking the train has raised my awareness to some of the issues occurring in the town. For example, the N53 bus, which used to stop at the Merrick Station, was discontinued this summer.  For local residents, this is a major issue. Many people feel that driving to the station has become almost impossible since, after 8am, the parking lot is full. Without the convenience of the bus, people are out of options. I think it would be interesting to explore how residents are getting around without the bus, or if any plans for expanding the station parking lots are in effect. I would also like to investigate if the cab company located at the train station has had an increase in business lately due to the discontinuation of the bus.

Another topic of interest among residents seems to be the weekend car shows held at the Merrick Station. This event is popular not only among local residents, but among people from other towns as well. It might be a good idea to compare the Merrick car shows to car shows from other towns on the island.

Williamsburg is a Brooklyn neighborhood that borders Greenpoint, Bedford Stuyvesant, and Bushwick. It is home to the Brooklyn brewery, Domino Sugar factory, and the Williamsburg Bridge, which extends to Lower East Side in Manhattan. On Driggs and Broadway, you will find Peter Luger’s Steakhouse, established in 1887 and which boosts to be “Rated New York No. 1 Steakhouse for 26 years in a Row.”

The South side consists primarily of Hispanic and Hasidic Jews, and is comprised of a few synagogues and Jewish businesses juxtaposed with multi-family buildings and Hispanic operated businesses. The North side is primarily white and is where many “hipsters” have made their home. NY Bits describes Williamsburg as “Once an inexpensive artists area, full of illegal lofts and warehouse spaces…[which] has become the artist/hipster mecca – and much more expensive than its former “starving artist” residents could possibly afford.”

The gentrification which has given the polished look to certain areas in Williamsburg, has also distressed many of the residents. Governor Paterson, keeping residents in mind, signed legislation that would, “require illegally converted loft buildings to get up to code,” according to the Brooklyn Paper. Although the “Loft Law” was signed with good intentions, this legislation might result in higher rents for those that live in the neighborhood. It is said to give loft tenants “peace of mind” and protection but many believe this will further the gentrification process.

Residents should know how the “Loft Law” came into effect and its potential aftermath. It would also be interesting to look into how gentrification has and still is effecting Williamsburg residents; how it has caused higher rents and is continuing to put mom-and-pops out of business. But most significantly, as the area continues to see the construction of high rises, how do residents feel about possibly losing what has maintained the barely lingering sense of community?

On any sunny afternoon Jackson Heights is a bustling, busy, beautiful neighborhood. Located towards the North-western area of Queens, It is a melting pot of different nationalities, cultures and religions. The size of the neighborhood is deceptively small and cozy. The neighborhood attractions and commercial streets are located in a close enough proximity to provide a sense of community. The residential areas however, make up the majority of neighborhood.

Jackson Heights was declared a historic neighborhood by a community board decree set in 1993. The community board continues a persistent campaign to maintaining beautiful gardens, parks and landmarks. The value of such effort is a neighborhood that still remains similar as it did in 1916. Standing out in comparison to the neighboring districts of Woodside to the west, Corona to the east and Elmhurst to the south, Jackson Heights maintains a blend of commercial and residential style.

The ethnic groups that make up the majority of the population are a wide variety. Caucasians are becoming fewer to find in the competitive influx of South Asians and Latinos moving in. The variety of nationalities congregated in one small area also provide for wonderful dining experiences and cultural immersions. Indian cuisines, Thai restaurants and Authentic Spanish meals can be enjoyed, while shopping can be done on the commercialized 82nd street. A bowling alley and movie movie theater compliment the little neighborhood’s self sufficiency. The Queens Halloween parade ends down the major street of 37th avenue and is also where the Gay and Lesbian festival is held.

Transportation is a big issue in this neighborhood. Many major public transportation lines seems to intersect here. Subways include the E,F,M,R,G,7 lines while the Q33 bus to LaGuardia Airport runs the length of the town on road. Highways include the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Grand Central Station running along the borders of Jackson Heights.

Jackson Heights seems to fit E.B. White’s claim that New York is composed of small self sufficient neighborhood. This neighborhood that has been frozen in time by maintaining its original physical beauty, has also changed with a gentrification movement and massive reception of foreign settlers. Jackson Heights is essentially New York City compressed into a 20 city block radius.

Not many residents can truthfully say that there are more deceased in their town than there are living, except for the residents of Glendale. An area usually clumped in with neighboring Ridgewood, even by some of its own residents; Glendale has a rich history of German immigrants who flocked to this area in the late 1800’s. Originally a farming community, Glendale became the home to textile factories after World War One, which once again brought another influx of German immigrants to the area. Though it still has the largest German-American population of the five boroughs, Glendale is now becoming the new haven to Eastern European immigrants, mainly Polish and Albanian families. Just walk down Fresh Pond Road and you will see four Polish delis within a three block span. The new wave of immigrants is slowly driving out life long residents, but at the same time it is also adding to the character of the neighborhood.
With only one subway stop, and a handful of bus lines, Glendale is as isolated as it gets. Yet there are many hidden gems nestled in this quiet area of western Queens, including the house used as the exterior shot for the 1970’s hit show All in the Family. It also holds the dubious distinction of being the home of the 104th Precinct of the New York Police Department, one of the largest, and worst, precincts in the city.
All of this is why I love living in Glendale. The isolation from the city, the German restaurants, the fact that Jackie Robinson and Harry Houdini are buried here, and because of the rich history associated with the only place I have ever called home.