Renaming Harlem
http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2017/05/24/harlem-soha-residents-unhappy-name-change-push.html
Petition to prevent a bar cafe from being created inside WNYC Transmitter Park
https://www.change.org/p/friends-of-wnyc-transmitter-park-prevent-a-bar-cafe-from-being-created-inside-transmitter-park?recruiter=9094127&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
Desegregating our Public Schools
When asked about this issue, Mayor de Blasio responded “We cannot change the basic reality of housing in New York City.” We cannot have a dismissive attitude when communities of color are constantly being denied the right to a proper education. The article points out that segregation in schooling goes beyond housing and is a result of decades old educational policies that ensure low income students remain at a disadvantage. As a New Yorker, I used to be very proud of the fact that we are a part of one of the most diverse cities in the nation. Although I am still proud to be from New York, we have a long way to go before patting ourselves on the back for being a diverse city. It is extremely unfitting for a city like our own, known for being the “Melting Pot” or “Tossed Salad” to have “one of the most deeply segregated school systems in the nation.”
Reference:
Hudson Yards’ New Competitor: Manhattan West
Manhattan West is a new emerging set of towers that rivals Hudson Yards in luxury and scale. The project is located on 9th Av between West 31st and 33rd. The chairman of Brookfield Property Partners, the company behind the project, said that it’s like “creating a new neighborhood.” This hints at what Sharon Zukin discusses in Naked City. She talks about the quest for “authenticity” in neighborhoods. Companies like Brookfield want to create manufactured, corporatized neighborhoods and sell them as authentic lifestyle experiences, not simply places to live.
Greenpoint, Brooklyn: The Hipster’s Perspective
We talked for a bit in class about how Greenpoint was home to a vibrant Polish community. This has changed quickly over the past decade as Natalie was kind enough to share her personal experiences of how Greenpoint became a victim of gentrification.
I stumbled upon this video that looks into Greenpoint. It was the first video that appeared on YouTube so maybe it would really helpful for a person looking into Greenpoint. The title suggests that it is going to present various points of interest and popular restaurants in Greenpoint, so that a person who might be interested in visiting the neighborhood would know where to go. However, it seemed to me more as a McCafe commercial with Greenpoint in the background. Watch the 3-minute video and you’ll see at least 3 references to McCafe.
Sure, they have a quick little scene in front of a Polish bakery, talking about the Polish influence in Greenpoint, but they quickly take away from it by beginning a racist joke about the Polish. They even introduce the video with a hipster in the background and later describe him as a hip, young person who contributes to the culture of Greenpoint.
This purpose of this video is up in the air to me. What is the purpose of making a video that does not give much insight about Greenpoint? Why are there so many promotions of McCafe? Nonetheless, this video seems to put Greenpoint in the light of hipsters and not the Polish immigrants who made Greenpoint the Polish haven.