Sophie Simon

The neighborhood that I identify with isn’t one that I live in but a part of my local community that I feel most tethered to. Beekman Avenue is a major street in the small inconspicuous village of Sleepy Hollow, a hub where people of all ages and backgrounds might brush past one another at any time of day. Something about it is spectacular. From the outside it may seem like a blemish on the otherwise pure homogenous complexion of Westchester County. But this is exactly why I love it. I think of it as a little bubble of authenticity in an area that is defined by the stereotype of its wealthy white “proper” suburban communities. This neighborhood is primarily Hispanic (with a little bit of everything else thrown in) because a GM plant down the street once attracted the movement of Dominican and Ecuadorian immigrants. Today the street is lined with bodegas, hair salons, small restaurants,  various businesses, and an elementary school. Older men might be sitting on a bench talking in mumbled Spanish, while teenagers jaunt down the street yelling out in Dominican slang. At 3 PM the street is flooded with 9 and 10 year olds being picked up from school, waddling down the sidewalk in groups of twos threes and fours. No matter the time of day or night, Beekman is always alive and spirited. Its personality and diversity are a shock in the middle of Westchester. But its genuine character has a charm that always welcomes me and makes me feel right back at home.