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came into the area on 197th and DeCatur Ave and it looked severely run down, Bainbridge Ave between 199th and bedford park has a beautuful red brick building that is slanted on the sides art deco style but the usually well maintained building had graffiti in several places
Was DeCatur and 197th always run down or it a recent decline? And that beautiful bldg on Bainbridge with graffiti, who does that, the residents or others who live nearby?
Yes...as far as I know...this area was always a **** hole...still is I guess. Haven't been there in a while. I used to get my nails done on Decatur. I never felt uncomfortable. I even took the subway at night. But you never know....
Yes, it the landlord/owner of the building to remove grafitti but he not obligated by law to do so, as far as know. Sometimes, a nieghborhood association will pressure a landlord to clean it or the association will do it with the landlord's approval as part of a nighborhood beautification program. I know that they often use people who are sentenced to community service to clean up grafitti on public property (parks/subways etc.)
I used to live on Kingsbridge/Valentine & 194 St across from Poe Park. I went to school on E 196 St. Many of those buildings are old and required alot of maintainence back then. I can olny imagine what they look like now. That particular area had the dubious claim of having the greatest concentration of ex-convicts, parolees & probationers in the entire city.
Yeah, we grew up there. We used to play in Poe Park all the time. Now it is so dangerous and run down. Dog Sh-- everywhere, burned benches, beer bottles, etc. Was not that way when I was a kid. Let our pal SOBRO know. He thinks people over 40 have faulty rose colored memories.
do you think the Catholic Institution that stretches between Bedford Park and E 198th between Bainbridge and Marion helps in keeping the immediate blocks surrounding the school looking decent? Or no difference? what is it like to live say on E 199th or 200th by the school and go out at night? do people look over their shoulders?
I grew up in Bedford Park and back in the 60's and 70's when that area was mostly Irish it was always lower middle class. It looked a lot cleaner then but there were always people hanging out on corners. Toward the end of the 70's the area become mostly hispanic and now for some reason people look at the neighborhood and think it's unsafe and dirty. Sounds a bit racist to me.
wow...Fancy seeing Decatur mentioned on here. I love this area, for the basic fact that I am who I am now because of everything I've seen in this neighborhood growing up. I am a very knowledgeable of the area since I was born on Decatur, lived for 5 years on 196-197 street & valentine(cross the street from a house ran by Jamaicans who did nothing but sell dope 24-7), then another 10 years on the corner of Fordham and Decatur and also on 198 street and Decatur.
Growing up in the mid 90's early 2000's on Decatur between Fordham and Bedford was harsh. Every other day there seemed to be lights flashing from shoot outs, drive by's, late night and broad day murders in point blank range. I witnessed rumbles, knife fights, huge drug busts all through my window. Won't even mention how frightening it was as a middle schooler at MS. 45 walking past Roosevelt everyday.
As far as I remember, 197th and Decatur was always run down, there were these stone stairs that led up to Marion Avenue that had been destroyed recently to fix the area for the new housing building there. Then there's the roll down gates and garages full of junk I believe, as well as the huge lot that appears to not be used. People don't even curb their dogs.
The amount of graffiti in this area in the 90's was much worse, as Giuliani hadn't ordered the great buff in the city yet so the streets were layered with graffiti(in my opinion it wasnt much of an eyesore back then due to the fact that there were more artists than just vandals, but it still messed with the quality of life) Most of the graffiti in this area is done by graffiti writers in the area, while rival graffiti crews from other neighborhoods run through tagging over things, marking up their 'turf' and fighting as well. Many of them are even in jail for murdering others over it...pretty asinine. Once witnessed people throwing bricks from roofs, also shots fired from roofs...warzones.
You'd have to had been a strong person to have grown up between these blocks (Webster, Decatur, Marion, Bainbridge, Briggs, Valentine, Grand Concourse, Creston, Morris and Jerome Avenues) and come out successful or with a good head on your shoulders. Most people around here are hood boogers, specially this generation of kids(good for nothing).
do you think the Catholic Institution that stretches between Bedford Park and E 198th between Bainbridge and Marion helps in keeping the immediate blocks surrounding the school looking decent? Or no difference? what is it like to live say on E 199th or 200th by the school and go out at night? do people look over their shoulders?
Mt. Saint Ursula now shares its campus with an affordable (green) housing development called Serviam Gardens. It's guarded 24/7 and looks nice, the entrance is over on 198 street. South of the school on Marion is very desolate, there is one building and mostly old houses, on Decatur till Webster is very loud in the Summmers. North of it is kind of quiet, but only between 199 and bedford...I wouldnt even suggest going to 198 at night lol especially if you're not from the area and aren't used to that kind of environment.
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Yup, you are right
