Soundview forever (Watson, Morris, Stratford: house, high school, living in)

[DITC]

thats right. back in the day it was just classic NY street crews who were TOUGH. this blood stuff is a corny little fraternity of guys packing heat and holding each others hands.

Originally Posted by DjRey

Thanks to all the new skool rappers glorifying the Blood gangs(The Game) in particular.A West Coast cultural street thing,has now become a nationwide phenomenon.I Remember being in the East Coast in like 92-93', and cats would laugh at the dudes that were in to gangs in NY. Funny how the tables turn.The style they used to mock,is now the style they choose to jock.

[TunaBoy]

Well its been a national thing for a while now, but it didnt pop up here until the early to mid 90's at rikers. But the fact that ny hopped on the badwagon was extra corny since ny has always been known as a creative and trendsetting city.

[Shizzles]

Originally Posted by Guywithacause

You saw some men "who were probably gangmembers" based on what exactly? They were standing outside and were people of color? Your experience watching CSI, Real World and Eyewitness News? Way to go! With that attitude..I would second the recommendation of not returning back to the Soundview area, or most areas of the city in general..as there are LOTS of people of color who are around, standing, talking with friends, wearing baggy clothes, and...according to you..must be gangmembers.

Your post went from interesting to accusations of gangmembers to legalizing drugs.

LOL. What is it with white chicks and the ghetto? It's hilarious to watch midwest blue-eyed hipster chicks both squrm and marvel at the site of a Black/Spainish man in their subway car. Seriously, I thought "Jungle Fever" was 20 years ago. Didn't you get the memo, inter-racial isn't taboo anymore....

[NYCwoman]

Originally Posted by Shizzles

LOL. What is it with white chicks and the ghetto? It's hilarious to watch midwest blue-eyed hipster chicks both squrm and marvel at the site of a Black/Spainish man in their subway car. Seriously, I thought "Jungle Fever" was 20 years ago. Didn't you get the memo, inter-racial isn't taboo anymore....

Sorry, maybe I am missing something...how does interracial attraction or relationships have anything to do with this thread. The particular poster who started this thread (and whom you seem to be including in your mocking remarks) happens to be (according to her OP) a student studying the Bronx. Now, I don't happen to be overly politically correct - or else I would ponder whether or not there was more than a tinge of sexism in your observations about "white chicks and the ghetto".

[FDNYmedic23]

Watson ave. was no joke back in the day of the crack epidemic. I remember living with my grandmother in the late 80's (Metcalf/Watson) and seein the "crack lines" build up at all hours of the day. They would just line up and apporach literally a hole in the wall and you would see a hand poke out from within the hole. Boynton ave..Colgate ave..Stratford ave..Evergreen ave.. just to name a few were legendary!

[MikefromCT]

Question: This area of Soundview that people say it's decent with detached houses, is that the same neighborhood known as Soundview or is it actually Harding Park or Clason Point? Or are those two areas considered part of Soundview? Because whenever I mention this neighborhood to anyone, it seems the first thing that comes to mind are the PJ's here. (I don't know this area personally, but I was working at a news station at the time the cops were on trail for shooting Amadou Diallo, who was from Soundview. We used to send reporters down here all the time, and they would tell me that as rough as it was they were never hastled.)

[rlrl]

Clason Pt and Harding Prk are kind of the same area, both can be considered the general Soundview area. Soundview starts immediately east of the Bronx River from the Cr Bronx Expy down to the mouth of the E River/Bronx River

On the # 6 train the Hunts Pt/Whitlock stations are in the Longwood/West Farms area, whereas Elder, Morrison, St Lawrence Stations are in Soundview

But I have often seen Soundview addresses referred to as WestFarms(possibly by reporters who don't know where the areas begin and end)

[rlrl]

I drove thru Watson Ave from Bx River Ave to the Bx River Pkwy about 15 years ago and there was a row of abandoned buildings and lots. One or two bldgs had boards on one or two apt windows on otherwise intact structures. Those small brick houses looked flimsy like they were ready to crumble. I wonder if it's any better today

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by rlrl

I drove thru Watson Ave from Bx River Ave to the Bx River Pkwy about 15 years ago and there was a row of abandoned buildings and lots. One or two bldgs had boards on one or two apt windows on otherwise intact structures. Those small brick houses looked flimsy like they were ready to crumble. I wonder if it's any better today

If anything, those buildings were probably rehabbed for more low-income housing. I think that's what they did with the Sack Wern PJs. Some of these buildings were abandoned at one point, I believe.

[Blackcatpeace]

THE CITY WOULD WANT THEIR TAX CUTS FROM THE REAL "DRUG STORE", MAYBE THE STATE WOULD RUN THE DRUG SPOTS.

Originally Posted by leatherdragoness

I checked out the lovely area by Rosedale and Randall Avenue, near the Soundview projects. I traveled there by car in the afternoon with a friend and stopped briefly.

It looked very rough, very "ghetto". I saw many young men, who were probably gang-members, standing around trying to look all tough, on the Randall/Rosedale corner, as well as many other people standing around, and maybe even a few crackheads. I did not see drug activity, however, I'm sure I would have if I hanged around there long enough. I didn't stick around for very long, we fled after only a couple of minutes. Some people looked at us funny, perhaps thinking it strange that a couple of white girls would be in that area. It is disturbing to think of how dangerous that area must have been at the height of the crack epidemic, especially at night.

Maybe I'm biased, having already read about it, but this particular area of Soundview does seem to live up to its bad reputation. I don't think I could ever venture near the Soundview Houses at night or alone.

I often wonder what would become of neighborhoods like this if drugs were legalized. I'm all for legalizing marijuana. I don't think selling marijuana like tobacco cigarettes would cause pandemonium or bring about the end of civilization. I'm also for legalizing cocaine and heroin, except when it comes to children, and there should be various other restrictions. At least legalization of narcotics should be tried like a "legal experiment"; if the situation deteriorates further with drug legalization, they can make simply make them illegal again. Why is it that cocaine and heroin are illegal, while alcohol, which is just as dangerous, is legal? Drug addicts should be treated in detox centers, not thrown in prison. I believe we should continue anti-drug education programs in the schools, but they have to be reformed, as many studies indicate(as well as the reality of widespread drug use) these programs all too often do not work. So what would the drug gangs do if hard drugs were legalized, and what would become of all the drug-infested neighborhoods?