Research on some New York City neighborhoods (Union, Bedford: low income, fit in)

[homenj]

I am doing some research on New York City neighborhoods since I am an interested in becoming an urban planner when i get older.


The Upper West Side

It seems that the Upper West Side has become another victim of gentrification. Once a middle class neighborhood, the neighborhood is becoming increasingly expensive. A townhouse averages around $1.5 million, Brownstones throughout the neighborhood are becoming renovated to give way to young urban professionals. This influx has already pushed many old time New Yorkers, Only a few artists, actors, and writers remain.

Gentrification has pushed out many long established businesses because they could not compete with trendier stores and restaurants. Westside Supermarket, a local bodega, has gone upscale to serve the young professional newcomers. An Italian wrap costs about $5.85 in a local delicatessen.

Despite the misfortunes of gentrification going on in the neighborhood, the Upper West Side is still an interesting neighborhood to visit.

The Upper West Side is home to the American Museum of Natural History. Children from all over the tri state area come here on field trips. Opened in 1869, the museum features a butterfly conservatory boasting about 500 live butterflies. The American Museum of Natural History also uncovers topics like climate change as well as creatures that roamed around the earth 82 million years ago.

In the neighborhood is also one of the most famous performing arts center in the world, Lincoln Center. In Lincoln Center is also the prestigious arts school of Juiliards. A large Barnes and Noble bookstore and a movie theater are nearby.

The Upper West Side was once a rough tenement neighborhood. But during the 1970's and 80's, actors as well as residents who had just graduated from college were attracted by the low rents found in the Upper West Side. The Upper West Side is well known for its intellectual life. Colombia University is in the neighborhood.

The neighborhood is very diverse. Many of the actors who were allured by the neighborhood's proximity to the Broadway theaters were gay. In fact, the gays (as well as artists) are thought of as being responsible for the gentrification in the vicinity.

The neighborhood also has a significant number of Jews, both Orthodox and non Orthodox. H&H Bagels is a popular eatery here and Zabars, one of the neighborhood's most famous gourmet markets was founded by a Jewish immigrant.

Although primarily residential, the Upper West Side has numerous hotels to choose from. There are over 70 hotels in the neighborhood alone.

There are plenty of restaurants here on Columbus Avenue and other commercial strips in the neighborhood. Two well known markets, Zabars and Fairway offer excellent gourmet foods. Zabars offers bagels, smoked fish, Kalamanta olives, and cheeses.


Soho

One of the best known neighborhoods in the city, Soho borders Tribeca to the southwest and Noho to the north. Soho's name is derived from the fact that the neighborhood is South of Houston Street. Consequently, Noho is north of Houston Street.

Soho has a fascinating history as it turned from an artist enclave to one of the most exclusive sections in the city. In the 1970's, artists moved in and revived neglected warehouses into fashionable lofts.

However as artists were converting these cast iron structures into beautiful homes, they quickly became fresh bait for the real estate market. Soon, well to do New Yorkers moved in attracted by these revived apartments. The average housing price here is about $2 million.

Soho has a vivid nightlife. Nightclubs offer a wide array of themes from Arabic to ski lodge can be found in this elegant quarter of Manhattan. Whether it's a Passion Fruit Flavored Bohemian or Grey Goose vodka, chic clubs in Soho could satisfy your tastes. There are also many haute cuisine restaurants opening up here as well.

Broadway offers many types of stores including high end boutiques and big chain stores. The flagship stores of Bloomingdale's and Staples can found here on this narrow street. This commercial thoroughfare is about six blocks in length.

Although most artists have long vanished, one can still look at some pieces of art in the New Museum of Contemporary of Art on 583 Broadway. The museum features unconventional artwork. The type of art that would not be exhibited in most mainstream art museums.

Washington Heights (one of my favorite neighborhoods)

Washington Heights is located in Uptown Manhattan. It is bound by Inwood to the north and Morningside Heights to the south. In recent years however, the neighborhood has grown larger and its borders have edged past predominately black Harlem.

Today immigrants from the Dominican Republic make up the largest ethnic group in Washington Heights, or as locals call it "The Heights." "The Heights" is home to the largest concentration of Dominicans in the United States. As a result, Washington Heights acts as the national epicenter for Dominican customs, food, and politics. Dominicans in "Quisqueya Heights" can retain many aspects of their heritage here.

A majority of the housing stock in the neighborhood is composed of tenements. Tenements are large multifamily apartment buildings that have been traditionally inhabited by low income immigrant families. The German Jews fleeing the Nazi regime and the Cuban refugees in the 1960's once predominated these rows of ornate architectural beauty.

Although the neighborhood is predominately Dominican American there are other Hispanic communities living in "The Heights" including Cubans, Salvadorans, and Puerto Ricans. African Americans as well as a growing number of artists are also claiming Washington Heights as home.

Although much of the Jewish population is long gone, the Yeshiva University is still located here. In Yeshiva University, secular subjects as well as religious scripts from the Torah are intertwined here.

Broadway, the neighborhood's main commercial strip helps Dominican immigrants feel at home Here they could find limpiabudas, habicheulas con dulce , bizcocho dominicano, and empanadas just like they would in the Dominican Republic. These arrivals can frequent Spanish speaking doctors and lawyers here. Although chain stores like Citibank and Duane Reade exist here, most of these businesses are owned by Dominicans and for Dominicans.

The commercial strips of Broadway and St. Nicholas Avenue are bustling with entrepreneurship from 8 am to 8 pm. The throngs of pedestrians walk past canopies with letterings written in Spanish. Peddlers here sell everything from movies and shirts to coconut ice cream. A taxi company here competes with the yellow cabs found in midtown. The bustle of activity is topped off with bachata and merengue blasting from window sills.

Even though Washington Heights is booming with small business, the community faces many problems. Poverty is a big issue in this neighborhood. 31% of all residents here live in poverty. A high poverty rate affects the health of the citizens in the neighborhood. 26% of all Washington Heights and Inwood residents do not consider themselves in "good health" as opposed to a nationwide 14%.

About 10% of the residents in Washington Heights have AIDS. Mental illness is also a serious problem here. 5% of the inhabitants here were reported to have serious emotional distress.

Asthma is a serious problem in the city including neighborhoods such as Washington Heights and Harlem.

In addition, many residents in the Heights do not have adequate health care. About 20,000 of these residents do not have no health coverage.

In the 1980's, major cities like New York and Miami were beleaguered by the crack cocaine epidemic and neighborhoods like Washington Heights were no exception. A lot of the drugs were distributed off the Hudson River and into the Heights where drug dealers made a lot of profit in the neighborhood. Although the streets are now safer, Washington Heights still remains the region's largest center for the distribution of narcotics. And even though there are very few drugs left, many residents still cannot walk outside without the fear of harassed by drug dealers because of past experiences.

But with the help of the NYPD, crime rates in the neighborhood have decreased substantially. In 1991, there were 155 killings in the area. This year, it's about five. The NYPD reached an agreement with tenement landlords to patrol these buildings at any given time, thus lowering the crime rate.

If anything, residents still hang on to the traumas that they faced in the 1980's and early '90's more so than walking outside today in Washington Heights at night. A low level of trust exists now in The Heights. Many of the drug dealers seemed like nice people. They held block parties, carried groceries for old ladies and did other 'acts of kindness." But as soon as these drug dealers were caught, they turned into beasts. And although crime statistics remain low, many residents still feel it's better "to be safe than sorry" judging past experiences. Residents still take precautions. Children cannot play on the sidewalks and some seven year olds have to carry beepers when they go outside.

New York City Dominicans

Many Dominicans in the city face serious problems Half of all "Neyminicano"(a nickname given to New York City Dominicans) children live in a home headed by a single parent. About 30% are on federal aid.

The two major factors undermining the plight of Dominicans in the city are; one lack of education and two lack of job experience. Most Dominicans that arrive in the United States come here without a high school diploma. In addition, many Dominicans that come here are much younger than most other immigrant groups in the city making it harder for many of them to find work.

As a result, some Dominicans turn to drug dealing and street gangs.

"Neyminicanos" also face the problem of identity.

In the Dominican Republic, there are many labels to describe a dark skinned person, including "indio claro" (light native american) and "indio oscuro (dark native american). In the Dominican Republic, only Haitians are black. But in New York City, many Dominicans overcome their "identity problem" and realize they are of African descent. Some Dominican youth grow their hair to afros, others braid it in cornrows. There is a high intermarriage rate between Dominican Americans and African Americans as well. Rappers Fabolous and AZ are two famous people who are half Dominican and half black.

However these misfortunes do not hinder all Dominicans from becoming successful. A Rod, who leads Major League Baseball in home runs, runs scored, and runs batted in is from "The Heights." Manny Ramirez, who hit .269 with 17 homeruns in his first year in the MLB, also hails from the Heights. Also, over 20% of all second generation Dominican Americans go on to college.

[homenj]

Bedford Stuyvesant

Jeweler shops blast Hot 97 FM from loud speakers, curry billows from Jamaican restaurants, teens sell CDs from their cars, and a mural with an African theme is plastered on a side street; you're in Bedford Stuyvesant.

Bedford Stuyvesant, or as locals call it, "Bed Stuy" is a large neighborhood in the northern section of Brooklyn. Bed Stuy is bounded by Crown Heights to the south, Brownsville to the east, Bushwick to the north, and Fort Greene to the west. The main commercial strips include Fulton Street and Nostrand Avenue.

Bed Stuy is one of the ten most poverty stricken neighborhoods in the nation. Almost 50% of all families in the neighborhood make less than $25,000 a year. Poverty and all the social ills that come along with it such as prostitution "the black market", homelessness, residents making dogs fight for money, addictions, and poor nutrition are commonplace in Bed Stuy. In addition, the unemployment rate is twice the city's average.

Many juveniles unfortunately fall prey to crime. Rappers who feud with other entertainers serve as role models for many neighborhood youth. Rape is very common in Bed Stuy. It is also not uncommon to see a thirteen year old selling drugs while his mother still thinks of him as a "good kid."

Many inhabitants walk around with the "as long as I'm not on the streets, I'm good" attitude. This approach is further exacerbated due to gentrification. Gentrification is sprouting in many areas in what is the nation's largest African American neighborhood. As more affluent residents are making home in Bed Stuy, the issue of poverty deepens. The cost of living however increases leaving many out to the streets. Just recently, a food pantry had to turn away 800 people as a soaring amount of homeless people keeps surmounting.

But gentrification does bring in some good results to the community. The crime rate in the neighborhood dropped 60% since 1983. Today, 25% of all residents make over $50,000 annually and many of them are middle class black Americans. The number of welfare recipients also decreased from 45,483 to 23,029.

Perhaps the best highlights of this Brooklyn neighborhood are its beautiful brownstones and its strong commercial sector..

Bed Stuy was once thriving with peddlers selling bootlegged DVD's, mixed tapes, and other illegal goods until the practice became illegal.

Some argued that this move was a fallacy because this helped small businesses boom in Bed Stuy. Still others claim that these peddlers were making traffic even more burdensome as they were hawking illegal goods on the streets.

Still, the streets of Nostrand and Fulton are still bustling with activity. The neighborhood is still a very inexpensive place to shop. Three notebooks sell for about $3.84. Big chain establishments like Applebees and Avenue are also opening up here thanks to the Business Improvement District incentives.

Bedford Stuyvesant was once a well to do neighborhood. However these residents left and poor Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants moved in. By the 1920's, the neighborhood became more deteriorated and homes became worn out. African Americans, escaping persecution in the South, moved in.

Bed Stuy shares a history of discrimination. How did the slums begin? Black landlords had to pay more for the same piece of land sold to a white person. In order for black landlords to pay for the land, he or she had to lease it to 16 families. It made even more sense for the landlords to lease the homes to more black families, since the neighborhood was one of the only places open to blacks up even as late as the 1950's and 60's.

Blacks were still discriminated against during these time period. A poll at the time uncovered most blacks wanted to live in a multicultural neighborhood. The reason was simple. Blacks knew that the government neglected basic infrastructures such as road improvements and public school in areas with a black majority population.

Robert Kennedy saw these slums and set up the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. The restoration corporation ensures that Bed Stuy residents, and not city planners, get the final word in how to redevelop the community.

In the year of 1967, the cities of Newark, Detroit, and the Watts section of Los Angeles engaged in race riots. Bed Stuy was no exception. Many black juveniles looted the neighborhood stores because they argued that stores would not hire them simply because they were black. 41% of the riot population declared they were doing it for "the need for jobs and employment."

Since then, Bed Stuy has grown diverse. In the 1960's, many Puerto Ricans moved in Bed Stuy. Although lthe neigbhrhood is still mostly black, immigrants from Bangladesh, South America, Muslim countries of West Africa, as well as Jews, and West Indians live here as well.

It has been said impoverished areas often produce many talented people. This has been true for Bed Stuy. Stars such as Chris Rock and Jay Z hail from the neighborhood.

Jay Z, co-founded his own record label while he was still underground. Although he resigned as president of Def Jam records, he owns many real estate and nightclub franchises.

Comedian Chris Rock is a comedian, actor, screenwriter, and director among other titles. His hit show "Everybody hates Chris" is now on its fourth season. They were both raised in the same neighborhood of Bedford Stuyvesant or as locals call "Bed Stuy." Their environment seemed to have shaped their character and creativity.

Bensonhurst

Located in Southern Brooklyn, just five minutes north of Coney Island is the blue collar neighborhood of Bensonhurst.

In the late 19th century as the city of New York continued to expand, Brooklyn became the first modern suburb in the world. As soon as the construction of the subway completed in 1904, many immigrant families from Manhattan moved to Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

Brooklyn experienced a population growth and the neighborhood of Bensonhurst was no exception. Before the explosion of residents, the neighborhood was mostly farmland. Arthur W Benson, for which the neighborhood was named after, divided the area into lots which were converted into residential use.

Who was moving into the neighborhood? Jewish and Italian families who settled here from the overcrowded section like the Lower East Side in Manhattan.

Bensonhurst was mostly Jewish and Italian until the 1950s when the Jewish population went on a decline. The Italian population however increased as immigrants from Italy kept moving in this decade.

By 1980, Bensonhurst was 80% Italian. There are still about 20,000 residents in Bensonhurst who speak Italian.

However the Italian population has been on a decline. Recent arrivals from China, Russsia., and Latin America began replacing the Italians. This phenomenon has been going on in many Italian neighborhoods in the city. In fact, Staten Island is the only borough where the Italian population is not on the decline, whereas the boroughs of the Bronx and Brooklyn are losing their Italian American populations.

Bensonhurst is a blue collar neighborhood where children who educate themselves end up moving out to the suburbs. Those who remain are the working class, newly arrived immigrants, and the elderly.

Most of the commerce is centered on 18th Avenue and 86th Street. 18th Avenue is filled with many family owned businesses whereas 86th Street has plenty of big chain stores.

The food is perhaps one of the highlights the commercial sector has to offer. Still an Italian stronghold, Bensonhurst is known for its authentic Italian cuisine and some consider the neighborhood to have the best salumerias in the world. Salumerias are feminine Italian delis.

There are also many bakeries, coffee shops and butchers scattered along 18th Avenue. Some of them are colored in green, white, and red awnings, bearing the colors of the Italian flag.

The housing ranges from brick two family houses to four story apartment buildings. Some of the homes are built in the Italianate fashion.

Bensonhurst has a strong sense of community. Family members live only a few blocks from each other and many residents have ties to a local church. Local teenagers hang out at Gravesend Park. Every August, Italians in the neighborhood celebrate their saint (or santuzzo in Italian) with a procession, as well as a festival and a soccer match.

In contrast with dirty sidewalks and potholes found in the neighborhood, much of the housing is well kept. Some homes have mini Bonsai trees on the front lawns.


Borough Park


Borough Park is located in the southern part of Brooklyn.

Borough Park is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish communities in the world and the largest in the nation. The neighborhood has a well developed reputation as a strictly "kosher" neighborhood. Women don't leave their homes unless they're sure their elbows and knees are covered. Many families don't own televisions nor do they go out to the movies. Some eateries are under the supervision of a rabbi. There are over 200 synagogues in the neighborhood.

13th Avenue is the main commercial strip. Jews come from all over the city, nation, and even the globe to buy religious articles, foods, and other merchandise that are not sold in mainstream stores. Located on 13th Avenue is a kosher hotel catering to the needs of Hasidic Jews who are visiting the city from other places.

Due to strict religious practices, families breed a lot of children. Some families have up to ten children. There are many children's clothing stores along 13th Avenue. In addition, many children attend yeshivas. As a result, public schools here are dormant. Tuition for the yeshiva ranges from free to $2,000 depending on how much the parent could afford.

Borough Park has a relatively low crime rate.

[NJ Chutzpah]

Washington Heights had lots of cubans really?

I once there were lots of greeks in Washington Heights

they said Union city had lots of cubans, but where are they, I do not see any around me in NJ

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by homenj

About 10% of the residents in Washington Heights have AIDS.

Whoaaaaaah! Where did you find this statistic? If true, this must be one of the highest concentrations in the country.

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by NJ Chutzpah

Washington Heights had lots of cubans really?

I once there were lots of greeks in Washington Heights

they said Union city had lots of cubans, but where are they, I do not see any around me in NJ

Most of the Union City Cubans have moved to middle class NJ suburbs. There aren't really "Cuban neighborhoods" anymore in the Tri-State area. There are several Cuban-owned businesses on Bergenline Avenue, but the remaining Cubans tend to be old; their American-born children are now raising their children in suburban Central/North Jersey in towns with Italians, Portuguese, Jews, and other Euro-American ethnicities.

[NooYowkur81]

Originally Posted by NJ Chutzpah

Washington Heights had lots of cubans really?

I once there were lots of greeks in Washington Heights

they said Union city had lots of cubans, but where are they, I do not see any around me in NJ

Yeah they were one of the communities there. They are still there and in Harlem to a small extent (mostly older folks). They were the predominate Hispanic community there before Dominicans came in large numbers. But they never really "set up shop," there like they did in Union City and Florida.

[Woozle]

Despite the misfortunes of gentrification going on in the neighborhood, the Upper West Side is still an interesting neighborhood to visit.

I drool when I think of how far better UWS will become once the rent-stabilized leeches there that whine about gentrification get evicted. Onward to total yuppification of the Village and UWS! The socialists that nearly destroyed New York City a few decades ago will some day be gone.

[Woozle]

Many Dominicans in the city face serious problems Half of all "Neyminicano"(a nickname given to New York City Dominicans) children live in a home headed by a single parent. About 30% are on federal aid.

Immigration like this will destroy the country. Shame. It was a nice country.

[SuperMario]

Originally Posted by Woozle

Immigration like this will destroy the country. Shame. It was a nice country.

Oh please. African Americans, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans are much worse off than Dominicans.

I don't know why the OP chose to paint Dominicans in such a beagtive light. And I disagree that Dominicans accept that they're "black" here. They really still dont, and I dont agree many are. Especially the mixed ones.

BTW Puerto Rican and Blacks intermingle much more than Dominicans and Blacks. In fact, the relationship between blacks and Dominicans are not good at all. The most common intermarriage occurs between Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. But this really depends on the area you are raised. Most Dominicans stick with Dominicans, but the ones who live in projects become "ghetto" and mix with Blacks and Ricans. It all depends on where you are raised, is the point im trying to make. If everyone in yor neighborhood is black, than chances are your going to be with a black guy/girl.

But the relationship is not good. Trust me. Lots of tension.

And Washington Heights has the third highest recorded homicides in the history of NYC. But this was in 1990, and the number was not 155, but 103. The highest recorded homicides were in the "killing fields" of East NY with 126 in 1993. But many say that Central Harlem and Hunts Point in the 1970's had the most homicides. Those weren't recorded.

[homenj]

Originally Posted by SuperMario

Oh please. African Americans, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans are much worse off than Dominicans.

I don't know why the OP chose to paint Dominicans in such a beagtive light. And I disagree that Dominicans accept that they're "black" here. They really still dont, and I dont agree many are. Especially the mixed ones.

BTW Puerto Rican and Blacks intermingle much more than Dominicans and Blacks. In fact, the relationship between blacks and Dominicans are not good at all. The most common intermarriage occurs between Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. But this really depends on the area you are raised. Most Dominicans stick with Dominicans, but the ones who live in projects become "ghetto" and mix with Blacks and Ricans. It all depends on where you are raised, is the point im trying to make. If everyone in yor neighborhood is black, than chances are your going to be with a black guy/girl.

But the relationship is not good. Trust me. Lots of tension.

And Washington Heights has the third highest recorded homicides in the history of NYC. But this was in 1990, and the number was not 155, but 103. The highest recorded homicides were in the "killing fields" of East NY with 126 in 1993. But many say that Central Harlem and Hunts Point in the 1970's had the most homicides. Those weren't recorded.

Yeah I'm sorry if I came off a little negative on the Dominican community. I was just trying to mention some of the problems they are currently facing while adjusting in the country. And I apologize I mistook the Dominicans living in the projects and getting along with the blacks and thought they were representive of all Dominicans in the city.

However I did mention that over 20% of all Dominicans born here go on to college which I think is very impressive. I should have also mentioned how Dominicans are setting up shop in the Heights and making it bustling although I think I already mentioned that in the WaHi section. Again I apologize if I sound negative towards Dominicans.