In here essay titled “The Use of Sidewalks: Safety,” Jacobs offers an interesting analysis on the role of sidewalks in a community. As what is often expected of her, Jacobs offers a rather contrarian view of sidewalks. I find it once again interesting to hear her out on her unconventional viewpoint

When one attempts to associate crime with a public space, often one will draw a negative image of people congregated in large amounts on the so called “streets.” In fact, the expression “to take someone of the streets” generally connotes jailing a known felon. Jacobs argues that streets, and specifically sidewalks, should be encouraging to people that venture into their walkways. Moreover, this does not inducing crime but rather hinders it.

A cohesive neighborhood is often a safe neighborhood. When people feel threatened or detached from their neighbors, inevitably crime will follow. These few points are crucial to Jacob’s overall thesis.

I am a strong believer that people generally good, and that more than not they do not take advantage of other people’s good faith. Yet, I find it hard to argue that less police officers on the streets lead to more crime. There has to be a middle ground between the two differing perspectives.

Streets and sidewalks should be designed in a fashion which encourages community inclusion and cohesion. It should also be harmonious in that is helps to identify that which is public and that which is private. Yet, there has to be an additional security layer which takes the form of police officers. Many crimes are committed by people who do not call the place in which the crime was committed home. Sidewalks and other public spaces are limited to who they can unite and what they can achieve. Thus, I am inclined to believe that sidewalks must both integrate a neighborhood yet yield to the authority of police.

I’m going to start off by saying that I don’t usually completely agree or disagree with something. However, in the case of ‘Here is New York’ I was able to agree with most of what White said. There were five main points in the writing that I agreed with and they are the division of New York, the analogy of New York as a poem, calling New york a city within a city, the difficulty of how New York functions and the fact that it was called the capital of the world.

The first thing mentioned that I agree with is the division of New York amongst the different kind of ‘New Yorkers’. But, I wouldn’t exactly use the same words that were used in the passage. The passage said, “There are roughly three New Yorks.” (Page 25) Rather, I would’ve said that there are three different perspectives by which New York is seen in the eyes of its inhabitants. I agree with the way he describes the distinctions though, that there is the native who basically grew up with New York so they feel it will be omnipresent. Then there is the commuter who was described as locust which is a good metaphor because they use the resources of the city and leave. Lastly, the third type of New Yorker is one that is described of coming as if out of a greater calling or following their heart and these descriptions although sounded a little cliche really fit the stereotype of New York.

One other part of the passage which really stuck out to me was on page 31 where it pretty much said that it is a wonder that New York functions at all. The example given by the passage was that, “Every time the residents brush their teeth millions of gallons of water must be drawn from the Catskills and the hills of Westchester.” I feel the reason this stuck out to me so much is because I don’t think I ever truly thought about how much water is being used in one moment at New York and it was astounding to me to actually picture millions of people trying to draw water all at the same time. When I actually pictured it I realized the truth behind the passage and how difficult it actually it is for the city to function.

Furthermore I agree with the part of the passage that called New York a city within a city and neighborhoods within neighborhoods. In fact I feel like this also ties into what was mentioned earlier about New York being a type of poem where life is compressed into one small Island. Back to the neighborhood point however, although life in New York is not like life in rural areas where one speaks to their neighbors in an ‘over the fence’ type manner neighbors are different where the whole building is your neighbor and even the people you go see on your way to work also become your neighbors. The example given in the passage was his friend moved two blocks away from her “old neighborhood” (two blocks away) and her grocer was happy she still went to that grocery shop. Similarly a friendly neighbor would be happy to their old neighbor who had just moved away.

Lastly, my favorite point brought up in the passage was how New York is on way of “becoming the capital of the world”. I don’t just agree to this statement because I’m from New York. I also agree because of the attributes New York has. One important attribute New York has is the money. New York is a city where a lot of money is handled at all times of the day given places like Wall Street/the New York Stock Exchange. Furthermore, another way New York is becoming capital of the world is because of the reason given in the passage, in other words the UN. New York hosts the United Nations which hosts diplomats from all if not most of the countries in the world, which shows it has significance in the Global scale and not just the United States.

So, although I don’t always fully agree with passages, in this case I truly have to say that I agree with most of the points in the passage and it was very well written and presented.

While reading Jane Jacobs’ comprehensive discussion of how city sidewalks should ideally be constructed to promote safety, I found myself agreeing with many of the author’s contentions and observations. In particular, I was struck by the idea that the way to make cities safer is not, to make them quieter, but noisier. Ms. Jacobs writes that there is a widespread notion among city planners that the sight of “obvious order and quite” attracts people to a neighborhood and makes them feel safe in that area. This is true – when we think of safe places within cities, we often tend to use phrases such as “quiet, residential area” or “peaceful, family neighborhood.” Ms. Jacobs argues that this idea is, in fact, inaccurate. Instead, she theorizes, people feel safe in areas that bustle with crowds and activities. After a moment of reflection, I realized that she was right – in reality, it may be that the safest sidewalks we can find are the ones that are noisy and crowded and populated by shops.

I have to admit that this was a jarring idea for me to imagine. When we, as urbanites, are out in the commercial districts of the city, we tend to be extremely careful about our personal belongings. However, we almost never exercise such caution in our own neighborhoods. This behavior has something to do with our level of familiarity with our own community in comparison to the busy shopping districts that we might visit once every few months. Curiously, we never think about the safety of our neighborhoods to strangers. It occurs to me that in the giant consortium of apartment buildings that I live in, hearing a loud noise at night is usually considered a nuisance, not a warning. Since we are all so convinced that our neighborhoods are safe places, we tend to lack vigilance.

According to Jacobs, vigilance is key to a safe city. Crimes on the sidewalks are not prevented by constant presence of the police but instead by the careful watchfulness of the community’s residents. She states that this is achieved by making the sidewalks “busy.” For example, having stores in a neighborhood would attract customers who would then provide a steady stream of observers on any sidewalk. With so many people in an area who are engaged with their surroundings as they shop, it would be hard for any criminal to get away with crimes. Also, I was particularly convinced by the argument that any neighborhood with small business will be safe simply because stores, have a vested interest in maintaining order.

Unfortunately, there is one problem that I see with this idea. If a community is populated by a substantial number of small business and tends to be filled with busy activity during the day, it is highly unlikely that it is a place that would attract permanent residents. Commercial districts may be the safest areas, but they are also the noisiest. Additionally, an inherent danger in having a predominance of stores in an area is that as busy as they are during the day, they are just as quite during the night, a time when most stores tend to shut down. The solution to this would be, as I understand from Ms. Jacobs’ writing, to have an ideal mix of stores and residences on every street.

Like Ms. Jacobs shows with the example of crime rates in Los Angeles, making cities less dense and spreading the population over larger areas is the wrong strategy to use for city planners who wish to make their cities safer. There is always safety in numbers, despite and especially because of the fact that in a city, one is surrounded entirely by strangers. By being engaged with our communities and making sure that our streets and sidewalks are well used and well observed, we may be able to make our great cities safe for pedestrians.

I would like to ask Ms. Jacobs what she would do about neighborhoods that “have a reputation.” Attracting small business and/or new and engaged residents to neighborhoods that have already been deemed in the conscious of the city as unfit for occupation due to high rates of crime will be a tough challenge for any city planner. I wonder what Jane Jacobs would do to revitalize such communities?

Governor’s Island was a lot more fascinating than I thought it would be. According to the speaker, Leslie Koch, she said that riding bikes on Governor’s island was actually a weird idea to people when first introduced. The idea of bringing your bike on the ferry was actually considered weird. Nowadays biking is one of features that a lot, if not most, people go to Governor’s Island for. I was quite shocked to find this out as one who had always rented a bike when visiting the island.

I like how open Governor’s Island is to businesses. Instead of creating a specific area to hold only a few types of events, the island can be used for any idea as long as it can be approved. In the Macaulay seminar, various events and places described there were very diverse such as a puppet show and the hammock grove. I don’t remember seeing the hammocks the last time I went but the next time I will definitely make it a pit stop to go to after biking on the island.

Aside from the businesses and events held there, I thought the most interesting fact was the permanent residents residing on the island. I was not aware a marine school came here to study the water in the area or that their main stuffy were natural barriers. There was also a dance studio mentioned there and I am very surprised there is one on the island. Usually, the city is the area for dance since New York City is known for its art centers. I would have never thought a school or a dance studio would inhabit such an island.

A concern I thought about were the houses being torn down. I thought the houses would have historical value along with the other big landmarks on the island. Even though I know that they are doing this to create more spaces, I would think there would be an issue with the houses being torn down. It was not mentioned during the seminar so I am not sure if anyone actually cares about whether the buildings are torn down or not.

Some questions and issues I have are include are there dissenting opinions on whether the houses should be torn down? Is renovation on the island more important than preservation of the buildings to the board in charge of the island? Since no one talked about it I have no clear thought on what I consider an issue.

E.B. White writes about New York as a person who is visiting New York, but is not a tourist. The way White describes New York as a traveler is intriguing, as he is able to vividly compare and paint New York’s key aspects that make it the city of diversity and adventure. White captures the daily activities that make New York the city it is; for instance, the three types of New Yorks, such as the commuter, and the durability of its existence. Also, his comparison to New York and a poem made me realize how New York is not just a city, but is like an art. White enlightened me about the city I grew up and lived in my whole life.

When White mentions the three types of New Yorkers, I especially agree with him on “the New York of the commuter.” After commuting to and from Baruch College, I saw a lot of “the commuter.” Growing up I rarely took the trains and did not realize how many people come from New Jersey or upstate New York, but after entering college and becoming a commuter I am amazed that there are so many people who wake up extremely early to work in Manhattan. White hits the mark with his description of commuters: “tidal restlessness.” My first time in Penn station was during rush hour at night; there were swarms of people waiting for their train constantly looking at their watch or time schedule, or people rushing about to catch their train. Thinking back, as I loitered in the station, it really did feel like the commuter of New York was “spat out each night,” especially since people waiting for the trains, looking rather impatient, did not bother to walk around the station and take a look at their surroundings. Even though White is a visiting traveler, I completely agree with his portrayal of commuters.

Learning about the important events in history, some which took place in New York, I never really thought much about how strong New York is until White mentions that “by rights New York should have destroyed itself long ago.” (32) He mentions all the dangers that could have brought New York down, such as plagues and starvation, yet here we are today standing tall and bustling about the streets. Although I did not see for myself the moments where New York could have fallen and break, the moments in my life where I witnessed New York’s potential destruction made me realize now that the city and its people are strong. We were able to withstand 9/11 by moving forward, as well as restart our lives after hurricane Sandy. Being part of the city that overcame so many hazards, I can understand the “sense of belonging to something unique” as White describes.

Growing up and living in New York, I knew that there were many different race and kinds of people. When I read White’s comparison of New York to a poem, his words really struck me: “the poem whose magic is comprehensible to millions of permanent residents but whose full meaning will always remain elusive.” (29) If I were asked to describe New York, my response would probably be ‘a city full of diversity.’ White’s description delves deeper. He not only describes the diversity, but the lives of the people in New York. He summarizes the perspectives of the people living in New York, which is that even though we know why people come to this city as tourists, we as New Yorkers do not know everything about other New Yorkers. White mentions different places, which leads me to believe that he is implying New Yorkers could be living in a neighborhood for many years and not know much about a place three blocks down from where they live. Thus, I was able to soak in his ingenious simile.

After reading E.B. White’s “Here Is New York,” I feel enlightened about the place I thought I knew and understood. His style of writing makes it feel like I was being told a tale of the city I grew up in. The commuter that makes New York the busy city it is. The strength to overcome that made the city survive so long and iconic. The poem it is that holds many definitions. His illustrations of New York made me feel guilty when I realized White did not live in New York and could describe the city better than myself.

While reading through E.B. White’s “Here is New York,” I found myself agreeing to many of the points in which he discusses. Furthermore, as I read through it I noticed that I tended to compare many of his discussions to my everyday life as a New York resident. For instance, in the beginning of this excerpt, when he discusses the three different types of New York, I imagined myself standing in midtown Manhattan, watching all of the people passing by. On one hand you have the commuter, who as he mentions is the “queerest bird of all.” To them, New York is a place where they get it, take care of their business and get out. They don’t care about all of the extracurricular activities that New York has to offer. All he cares about is the bus and train schedule and has never roamed around New York adventurously trying to discover what’s hidden under the next rock.

However, on the other hand I thought about myself, the resident, who takes the “city for granted.” As a resident, I don’t get amazed by the sight of the Empire State Building and have never been to the Statue of Liberty. In my eyes, these are just everyday, natural things that are routine in my life. I don’t take the time to be fascinated by the things that are not common in the lives of people who don’t live in such an amazing city as New York. Although I am so fortunate to live in this city, by reading this essay I noticed that being a resident of New York has, in a sense, spoiled me in the fact that I fail to notice beauty in its very essence.

Another one of White’s points that fascinated me was when he mentioned that although Irving Berlin’s journey from the lower east side to his uptown apartment may have been a couple of miles long “it was like going three times around the world.” When I read this line, I immediately understood what White was trying to say. I began to picture the lower east side and all of the diversity it has to offer. I imagined myself accompanying Irving Berlin on his journey “around the world.” It was almost as if I could see myself walking through Chinatown, Little Italy and many other neighborhoods that were occupied by such diverse yet amazing people nonetheless. I could imagine myself having discussions with them and hearing about the stories as they and their families entered this city. And although their stories may be different, they are all citizens of New York.

Lastly, I was fascinated White’s discussion of New York being a city that is a “composite of tens of thousands of tiny neighborhood units.” I never thought about New York in that light and like the people who live in small towns and villages,in my eyes, New York was this one great, big giant city, where everyone is on his own. However, I soon came to realize that, like many other New Yorkers, live in an area that in itself can be considered its own unique neighborhood. As E.B. White stated, the area that I reside in can be considered to be self-sufficient. All around my building there are stores that sell goods and services that make my life easier. For instance, within a a 2-block radius you can find a supermarket, dry-cleaner, restaurants and many other stores that are found in the hearts of small towns and villages. This is what makes New York such an amazing place, the fact that there are neighborhoods within neighborhoods within neighborhoods, each with a diverse and unique group of people.

Although this essay has changed the way I view New York and the people that inhabit this amazing city, I still had a few questions that remained to be unanswered. First I felt that he contradicted himself when he mentions that New Yorkers escape hazards due to their “sense of belonging,” however, later he mentions that they feel uncomfortable and like strangers when they leave the boundaries of their neighborhoods. Lastly, I wanted to know more about his background and how he stumbled upon these observations.

Jane Jacobs made many good points about the importance of streets and sidewalks as well as factors that impact their safety. Her work really got me thinking about how valuable the streets and sidewalks are to me personally and how important it is that they are safe. There were, however, some points that Jacobs made that I did not agree with.

I agree with the tree qualities that Jacobs encourages for streets. These are a “clear demarcation of what is public space and what is private space,” “eyes upon the street,” and users on the sidewalk “fairly continuously.”

Walking is often my main form of transportation in New York City. I tend to take the subway if the weather is bad or I am traveling a longer distances but, as long as walking is a reasonable choice, I choose it instead. Because I live in a fairly central part of Manhattan, walking is reasonable for most destinations. I enjoy being out in the city, taking in the buildings, people, and experience that make New York such a great and desirable city. Because I make such frequent use of the streets and sidewalks, I can understand how important it is that they are safe for people.

If an area of the city has streets that are not safe, in addition to the direct issues relating to crimes that can or do take place, there will be other indirect negative impacts for the people of the community. For example, if the people who live in the area don’t feel safe enough to walk the streets, they likely will not go out as much. This means they would miss out on some of the great experiences that New York has to offer. Jacobs touches on a subject that is similar to this idea, which is the Turf system, in which housing projects are isolated from outsiders. Agree with Jacobs that this attempt at a solution comes with its own problems.

There are some topics about which I disagree with Jacobs. For example, she criticizes the safety method of residential Park Avenue. She states that crime in the area is prevented by hired street watchers. She criticizes this method due to its cost, stating that if the rents decreased to the point that could no longer support these positions, the area would quickly become dangerous. Although I do understand the point Jacobs is making, I believe that it is important for neighborhoods to differentiate themselves in order to support the different desires of the diverse people of New York City. While her ideas relating to busy streets with strangers walking on the sidewalks at all times have their benefits, I don’t believe that the entire city should be similar to the neighborhood that Jacobs lives in. There are many people who would want to live on a quiet street within the city and. I believe that, as long as the community has found a way to keep the area safe, having an area like that is a positive.

For the most part, I believe that Jane Jacobs brings up very good points about the safety of streets and sidewalks.

E.B. White stated that New York is composed of three groups of people who make New York what it truly is. There are the native New Yorkers, immigrant New Yorkers, and commuter New Yorkers. According to White, commuters are the “queerest” and I agree with his reasoning. As a commuter from Queens myself, I can certainly relate to the point that I “discover[ed] nothing much about the city except the time of arrival and departure of trains and buses, and the path to a quick lunch” (White 27). As a city characterized by so much energy, New York is home to many people who are always rushing and working. We do not slow down and appreciate the activities we can do without scurrying around like subway rats. Sometimes, it is best for us to be unhurried and venture to explore other regions of New York.

I have never thought about this, but I find it so true when White states how well New Yorkers deal with overcrowding issues. It happens on subways, where people are packed like sardines without getting claustrophobic. It also happens on highways and bridges, where cars are clogged. Yet, we find ways to deal with these problems and proceed on with our daily lives. In return, White says that we are given a “supplementary vitamin – the sense of belonging to something unique, cosmopolitan, mighty and unparalleled” (33).

One thing I did not know was that some people prefer to live in villages and small towns compared to the city. I always thought that the majority of people would rather live in the city. However, these individuals think New York is just hustle and bustle, where life did not include close knit communities and neighborhoods. White pointed out that these individuals have the wrong concept, and I agree. New York is actually composed of “tens of thousands of tiny neighborhood units” (34). In fact, most of these neighborhoods are self-sufficient, an area where particular ethnicities cluster. There is a sense of community in certain residential areas such as Flushing, Queens and Jackson Heights, Elmhurst. These places act like cities within the actual city.

White also discussed how despite their busy lives, New Yorkers live with the fear of annihilation. Because of the population density and attractiveness, New York is a made target. Although this work was written way before, E.B. White paints 9/11 in my mind. “A single flight of planes no bigger than a wedge of geese can quickly end this island fantasy, burn the towers, crumble the bridges…” (54). I believe that New Yorkers today certainly have that fear in the back of their minds.

He also mentioned the willow tree, which he described as a symbol of life in New York. I would like to know how he came upon this willow tree and if it has any personal significance to him. I would also like to know if that same willow tree is still alive and present.