Map of Region Visited
Introduction:
We embarked on our voyage on Broadway at West 145th Street. The first stop on our trip was none other than a McDonald’s restaurant. We walked north along Broadway from W145th Street to W151 Street, taking pictures of each and every storefront we passed. Amidst the stares of local residents who were wondering what was going on, we discovered much about the demographics of the neighborhood of Hamilton Heights. Firstly, we discovered that there are many storefronts boarded up with for rent signs. We concluded that business potential is not so great in this neighborhood that small-business owners can afford to keep their stores open. In addition, we realized that there are many local businesses-from hair salons to convenience stores, you name it. There are also many fast food restaurants in these six blocks. This reflects on the generally impoverished status of the community because these restaurants provide quick and cheap food options that are for the most part unhealthy. In one instance, after we took a picture of a storefront, one gentleman from the hair salon came out and asked us “What you need the pictures for?” We kindly replied “For college.” He said no more. In another instance, another gentleman was elated that we were taking pictures of his store, probably thinking it would help bring in customers.
Overall, we had an enlightening time discovering these 6 City Blocks in Hamilton Heights and we hope you enjoy our local discoveries!
Broadway from W145th Street to W147th Street:
Link to pictures and some small comments:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p30KlzxymYqzZNCETXVqUPSi0QD6cZVudpor3MUE8nY/edit?pli=1
Personal Reflection: Strolling down Broadway from West 145th Street to 151th Street was a very enlightening experience. Whenever I had to pass through that area, I had always done so in a hurry, and as a result, never quite realized how many small Hispanic-owned shops there were in the neighborhood. Being asked to take pictures compels one to observe the surrounding area. The area from 145th Street to 147th Street stood out to me in particular. Normally, when passing through, all the famous brand named stores grab my attention. However, this time, I noticed all the little stores. These stores had Spanish names, and were clearly catering towards the Hispanic population. Some stores didn’t even use English to advertise their service. The small stores spread throughout the streets serve as a healthy reminder that even though America is a big place with big companies, it was built around the “little” people. [Ben]
Broadway from W147 Street to W149th Street:
Link to Drabik12 post with pictures: http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/drabik12/forum/broadway-may-2012/broadway-147-to-149-w/
Personal Reflection: Walking these blocks the true nature of Hamilton Heights. The six blocks we walked were covered in grocery stores, fast-food places, and closed shops. In the two blocks I focused on that last element was alarmingly evident. Roughly half the stores were closed. This terrible economic situation is far more evident here than in the more publicly visited areas of New York. [Gerard]
Broadway from W149th Street to W151st Street: Please click the following Google Docs link to access the document, which includes photographs of businesses along Broadway from 149th Street to 151st Street (two locations are off Broadway, as noted in the document). Captions and comments are also included.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N1unwfUSN_oey1GwztTYC-kX4sq0J6svRajR4V-Tdl8/edit
Personal reflection: It was certainly an enlightening experience walking through these six blocks of Hamilton Heights and learning more about the community that City College occupies a large portion of. What I knew of the neighborhood before this exploration was minimal: I knew that the neighborhood was relatively impoverished and has many Spanish speakers. This voyage into Hamilton Heights made me realize that one can learn much just by taking pictures and analyzing the storefronts of businesses. I learned that many businesses lack creative design when ordering their signs, probably because they are more focused on making money or are not proficient in the English language. One Chinese restaurant has a sign named just that: “Chinese Restaurant.” In addition, from observing that there are several money transfer/transaction businesses along these blocks, I deduced that many of the local residents need to send or receive money from relatives due to their impoverished state. Two unusual business that caught my attention and reflect greatly on the image of the neighborhood were a cash loans business and a room rental business. These stores depict the dire situations some residents are in: a lack of sustainable money and lack of housing. [Parmanand]
