The People of Wall Street
“I’ve seen two major changes on Wall Street. Lately I’ve seen an increase in food places (you know, coffee, food, bars, restaurants) as well as an increase in family residences. Wall Street used to be predominantly business-oriented, however it seems a lot more residential now, even with more families walking around.” – Ariel
“I have definitely seen the area go from more business-oriented to family friendly. There is definitely more nightlife and more shops in the area than there were a few years ago. I like the changes and I’m glad it’s becoming a very friendly and welcoming place.” – Sarina
“I’ve been living here for 12 or 13 years now and I must say the area has changed a bit. There’s been a greater focus on residential areas within Wall Street, whcih is unusual for me considering how many businesses in the area. I guess I’m so used to them that anything is a change really. More families are coming in as well, although they’re usually wealthier individuals.” – Max
“Because you have this daily grind of Wall Street, the most recognized street name on earth, there are people who barely have time to cook their own food. If you walk around the neighborhood, you’ll notice more restaurants and food outlets are opening to accommodate the workers.” – Alex
During our interviews, we noticed a trend of people commenting on how they are seeing more families in the area. Luis Vasquez, a man mentioned in Toy’s article, commented that “the neighborhood still [has] plenty of bar-hopping 20-somethings, ‘but now there’s a quiet, family side, too.’” Interestingly, one young woman expressed this same idea:
Wall Street used to be primarily business men and women, however now there seem to be more families, couples, and tourists….I think there is finally beginning to be a balance of the population of people in that area, as opposed to when it was strictly business.” – Ariel
This idea of balance is relatively new. In fact, even with the changes we’re seeing in Wall Street, many people still have preconceived notions about Wall Street and immediately disregard it as an area of business.
“At first I wasn’t so sure about moving. We came from a very rural area and I didn’t want to move somewhere that was just a bunch of offices. Once I got here and got over the initial shock, I found that it was actually a decent area to be in. More and more convenient places to shop are popping up and it’s nice to see people out walking their dogs and playing with their kids in the park. I feel like this is a place I could raise a little family.” – Marissa
We also had a ton of couple of people comment on the increase in nightlife. In addition to the newfound restaurants and outlets, the bars are livelier than ever.
“I have this one bar I go to a lot. I guess I would say it’s special because I got to know everybody. It used to be just me and a bunch of guys who just got off work but now there are more people that actually live nearby coming in to get a drink. It’s a lot more social now than it was.” – Jonas
“There’s Mad Dog and Beans or Ulysses Folk House on Pearl Street… Oh, and there’s Capriani’s or Bar Seven Five on Wall Street itself. Honestly, you’re bound to find investors and even celebrities at some of these places….The idea behind some of these places is there is a sense of exclusivity. There’s knowing you work on Wall Street but there’s also living it up on Wall Street, and that’s what really amps it up for the people who work like a bull here.” – Alex
Over all, the people of Wall Street are definitely noticing a change and, with the changes receiving such positive feedback, we can only expect to see similar ones in the future.
