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Washington Heights and the Bronx house mostly lower-income Hispanics. Jackson Heights has a LARGE contingent of professional, middle income Hispanics, many of which are young, gay males. Also, Jackson Heights is NOT overwhelmingly Hispanic (and the Hispanics tend to be from a variety of countries, instead of just from Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico), as it is a very diverse neighborhood. These demographic difference are pretty key to understanding why gays/lesbians feel more comfortable in Jackson Heights.
Jackson Heights is probably 70-85% Latino. I'm there every day, but I agree with everything else you said.
BTW Jackson Heights is 57.3% Hispanic.....it doesnt come close.
Wow I'm shocked. Everywhere I go I see mostly Latinos, but maybe because I usually go to places on 80th Street and up, and not in the 70's where more Asians are. The school I teach at is 85% Latino, but the kids are from Corona and East Elmhurst..not just Jackson Heights.
Wow I'm shocked. Everywhere I go I see mostly Latinos, but maybe because I usually go to places on 80th Street and up, and not in the 70's where more Asians are. The school I teach at is 85% Latino, but the kids are from Corona and East Elmhurst..not just Jackson Heights.
Yup.
Census statistics for Community District 3 — which includes Jackson Heights and North Corona — show that 57.3 percent of the population is Hispanic, and Salvo explained, "There is a mix of Hispanic culture in Jackson Heights . . . There are also South Asians from India and Pakistan in Jackson Heights, and large numbers of Caribbean people. You can really find any ethnicity there."
I see lesbian couples here in Bedford Park (BX), and haven't perceived any hostility towards them. As for best neighborhood, that depends on what you can afford. If you can afford Chelsea or Park Slope then go for it.
For your budget, and needing a 3BR, you might consider Riverdale. I have seen non-traditional families in the area, lesbian and gay, and while it's not a traditionally LGBT stronghold, many of the residents are quite progressive. It's a family area, and when you have children, that's more important than the gender of the parents.
There are some conservative religious institutions in Riverdale, but I have never perceived any hostility when I have regularly seen a couple of the non-traditional families in the area, one with two moms and one with two dads. Many of the ultra-traditional religious communities seem to be self-affiliating anyway, so it's rare to encounter them in many parts of the area.
In fact, many of the retired set who live in Riverdale seem to compliment the families and talk to the children much as they would to any family. I remember reading a piece in the NY Times that the YMHA changed their forms, not because of a request, but just because it was mentioned that it did not work for a two dad family. Instead of mother and father, I think they went to parent 1 and parent 2, without any fuss.
So, while not a LGBT stronghold, Riverdale does have progressive attributes that might make it worth consideration, especially when you factor in the schools.
Location: Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
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Long Island wasn't open-minded enough and didn't treat you guys that well? Strange, since my sister is openly gay for the past 10 years on LI and has no problems at all. What area did you live in?
I was going to babysit for this lesbian couple with a son. They lived on the border of Maspeth/Woodside in Queens. That area might be ok.
She wouldn't make it out alive. Dominicans are incredibly religous people (DR is 95% Roman Catholic) who are very family oriented and look down on that lifestyle. Trust me, not just the kids that would ridicule, but alot of the adults would voice their disgust.
Chelsea on the other hand is very gay friendly.
Manhattan as a whole is mostly very gay-friendly. Manhattan is pretty much "live and leave alone." The fact that someone would "look down upon" another because of him/her being gay in Manhattan is an outdated and unpopular mentality.
However, with that being said, I do recognize that the lower income areas of NYC will be more prone to negative comments, looks, etc., than "wealthier" areas. Simply due to lack of education.
I'd like to think people are changing their attitudes and becoming educated about gay people throughout the city.
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The school I teach at is 85% Latino, but the kids are from Corona and East Elmhurst..not just Jackson Heights.
