Every day since this semester began, I have taken an LIRR train from Long Island to Jamaica station, and walked from that train station to the Queens College shuttle stop to get to school and back.. It is a relatively short walk, barely a block and a half, but every day it is a new experience. Whether there’s a new vendor on the block, or blaring sirens from a squad of firetrucks breaking through the heavy traffic, something always makes my head turn when I walk the 2 minute walk from one destination to the next. I don’t have much other experience in Jamaica, it was always a neighborhood that existed just outside the peripheral vision of the places in Queens I grew up in. I figured that it would be a perfect place to do neighborhood observations in, since the small section of Jamaica that I did grow to know over this past semester intrigued me.

I started walking down the main road, Archer Ave, on a Monday afternoon (4 pm) just to really take in all the activity going on that I would typically miss when I’m running to catch the bus. It is a very busy road, both in the terms of pedestrians and vehicles. It is never quiet, there’s loud music playing on the sidewalks, high school students (I presume from their appearances) yelling across the block, and cars honking constantly. There were so many MTA buses that it seemed like they made the bulk of traffic.

The area of Jamaica I focused on is a very commercial area, connected to a residential one from the roads branching out from Archer Avenue.

Since I was more used to the commercial area, I decided to take a walk through a few blocks branching out from the main road, just to see how the residential area compared. I found that it was a stark contrast from the Avenue, with almost no sounds coming from anywhere except the birds chirping, and the sounds of traffic a distant noise. The sidewalks were relatively empty, and the houses were built very close to each other, and there seemed to be a mix of homes that were seemed older and brand new houses on blocks right next to each other.

After a short walk through the residential streets, I ventured back out to the main road because most of the activity seemed to be focused there. Majority of the people frequenting the area looked like they were Asian, Latinx, or Black. It was very diverse in ages, with people as young as babies being wheeled by their mothers and those old enough to need assistance while walking. There was a great amount of high schoolers, which made sense as it was around the time school would get dismissed.

I also noticed a considerable amount of construction happening on the main road, with the most obvious being a massive building being built across from Jamaica station.

A quick google search told me that the project was going to be a large residential building, bringing “a total of 669 apartments to the neighborhood, which is up from the previously reported 580 apartments.” This confused me, because the apartment building was being built across from a very busy train station, and on an even busier commercial road. Building a huge residential building smack dab in the center of a shopping hub felt out of place, but maybe it will contribute positively to the neighborhood. Additionally, there were smaller construction projects taking place all over, with one even happening inside the train station itself.

Jamaica Avenue, namesake of the neighborhood itself, turned out to be a lot quieter than Archer Avenue. I went down this road the next day, around 2 pm, and it felt like a completely different place from the neighborhood from the day before. The roads were all lined with small shops, with each block organized by type. Electronic stores were all on the same block, flower shops were all on the same block, etc. The streets were a lot less busy, and it was much easier to walk down the sidewalk without getting shoved or stuck being a group of people.

I could make the assumption that this change in environment was because of the difference in time, with 4 pm being rush hour and 2 pm being the time when everyone’s at school or work. It was interesting how different the area felt without the loud hubbub that I had grown accustomed to.

Walking through Jamaica reminded me of Jane Jacobs, who was adamant about having a mix of quality of homes in the same neighborhood, and the endorsement of pedestrian activity on the streets.I wondered what she would’ve thought of the neighborhood. I think she would’ve liked it, since it contained lots of civilian engagement, and a great variety of zoning areas all within the same neighborhood. It was an interesting experience overall, because now I had a deeper idea of the neighborhood that – to me – had only existed as a crossways from one place to another. This was a learning experience, and I only took a small glance at what I know now to be a very rich and fascinating community.

Sources:

https://ny.curbed.com/2016/10/5/13177374/jamaica-airtain-residential-towers-fxfowle

Amna Siddiqi

In choosing a neighborhood to explore, I wanted to pick a place in Queens with which most people are all unfamiliar with, so I ended up choosing go out of my way to really figure this forgotten place out. The Rockaways in Queens County appealed to me because the area is known for its proximity to the beach, but I wanted to find out what other aspects make this specific community unique, as well as the fact I have a friend who works in the vicinity so I wouldn’t be adventuring alone. The area has a rich history in conjunction with Manhattan as well, serving as a frequent summer destination for city dwellers before the area underwent a more residential renovation during the 1980s. Additionally, a factor that influenced my decision to see Rockaway was the incredible impact that Hurricane Sandy in 2012 had on the area both physically, socially, and economically. Efforts to rebuild after the devastation took a major toll on the community as I’ve heard and the repercussions are still felt by each and every member of the community today. Furthermore, the interest was confined in the current status of Rockaway in the wake of such a dramatic event and how the community reorganized itself to be what it is today.

It was a foggy Saturday morning, as I started the 35 minute drive down to the Rockaways. As you drive past JFK, you can feel the diversity of the landscape changing, you feel the drop in road structure and a closer feel to sea level, as it’s a feeling you’re lower to the ground. The pot increase, as of course with any NYC road, and you start seeing boats harbored near the little lakes and streams that pass along the roads leading to Rockaway. You have to pay a toll for the bridge as you cross into the peninsula, even though there is a non toll route which drags you far around the bend to get into the isolated peninsula. When you get into the neighborhood, the first thing that pops at you is the old run down elevated A train lines, as it’s almost the the only elevated thing in the surroundings. You see the flat landscape mostly, sandy and dusty streets due to beach conditions and prevailing winds. Most of the the buildings and housing seem to be un-complex as well, but they are new high rise developments being built near Rockaway beach. I stopped by the Channel View School of Research first, as their football field compelled me, which overlooked the water as the fog covered the horizon, whilst the field also looking very clean and maintained. Some kids were around on the side playing while a lacrosse game was happening, where me and my friend approached them to find out more about the life here. We asked many questions and figured out what students do often and how Hurricane Sandy affected them. Parts of many students homes were damaged by Sandy, where they then had to live in state provided housing, and as the schools were flooded, many students were relocated to schools in Ozone Park – leading them to be separated from classmates. Students usually relax on the beach during the summer while during the school year, they tend to stay indoors. They did mention that the schools were very caring and a place with open arms, as staff genuinely cared about one another.

Walking and driving around, I noticed that the roads are mostly narrow, single lane spacing. Going in, I was expecting a much more African American native population but the area was gentrified, and now theres much more Irish and Whites prevalent post Sandy, Rockaway Blvd was a narrow strip, but a packed strip, ranging from groceries to bars to loads of restaurants, which we had the opportunity to visit because of a local food festival going on, which the owner of a local Italian ice cream shop (Uncle Louie G), Mara Valentino, was kind enough to hand us free tickets. She stated that during the storm, the ocean and the bay met on the Blvd, and just looking out the door and imagining that, it was a scary sight to see. She gave a run down of the history of what happened, mentioning that the Amish came in to rebuild a lot of the community. Many individuals from Brooklyn came to the Rockaways post Sandy and gentrified the housing and businesses. She mentioned the 108th street ferry, which is new, was new way for many to commute into Manhattan and Brooklyn. For local businesses, summer tourism was great because it kept businesses alive and running, even through off seasons. We then went to Witz Pizza and had the opportunity to chat with a local couple about the experiences living there. They mentioned several things:

• • Gateway Park – Was a Military base – now a reserve base
  • Rockaway used to be a vacation spot
  • A-train used to connect to the LIRR – They cut the train after WWII so Rockaway was the last stop, which caused the “decline” of the neighborhood
  • A lot of good came out of the rebuilding post-Sandy
  • The government provided food, water, volunteers: a lot of support and money
  • Interviewee lived in Rockaway Beach his whole life, about 45 years, and drove buses for about 22 years in the area
  • After stormwater from Sandy receded, the sand remained and ruined everything
  • Residents were forced to evacuate before Sandy – everyone had to find somewhere to relocate for a while
  • The boardwalk was ripped apart, entire blocks were burned down
  • Insurance paid out to cover a lot of the damage to houses, cars, etc. but not for everyone across the board
  • Rockaway has its own sanitation department
  • Real estate is apparently through the roof in some areas due to gentrification (people moving in from Brooklyn)

I guess it was a good thing being an extrovert, because I was able to bring about good conversation with many on the street and in stores. People were very friendly in a sense that I approached them wanting to learn more about the community, and nobody was hesitant to start speaking. I went it to the police precent on the corner of the block as I was just curious, and officer Farrell approached me to wonder what I needed. I explained to him what i was doing and he was very keen on telling me more about the effects of the past but also the current status. These are the notes that I’ve took on what he stated:

• • He does not reside in Rockaway Beach but has worked as an officer there for the past 10 years. He was on duty when Sandy hit (which is why we specifically chose him to interview)
  • Did 12- hour tours during and after Sandy – officers were virtually stranded, thankfully unions got food and supplies to them
  • No power, no phones, only sewage and running water for months after the storm
  • Mennonites from Ohio as well as local youth groups came to help clean debris
  • Small groups came to help collect displaced and abandoned animals/pets
  • Crime rates increased after Sandy, especially lootings and robberies
  • Residential displacement was an issue, but wasn’t too bad of an issue because most people had vacation homes in the Bell Harbor and Breezy Point areas so they had their year-round homes elsewhere to stay in
  • Regulations for apartments and high-rise buildings changed after Sandy
  • Any house that is being built had to be to the “100 year level” standards, meaning that the foundation must be 8ft above the highest recorded sea level (for new houses only, not those that are grandfathered in)
  • Many groups are working to raise homes all over the area to prevent the extent of future destruction from storms like or worse than Sandy
  • General crimes in the Rockaway Beach area are similar to that all over New York; homicides, sexual assaults, robberies (similar but not as exclusive, no single crime stands out)
  • If any, most common is petty theft and robberies of unattended property belonging to beachgoers or residents who leave their cars or front doors unlocked during the tourism season
  • There are only 2 precincts covering the Rockaway peninsula; the 100th, which spans B-59th to the end of the jetty (basically JFK to Sheepshead) and the 101th, which borders Nassau County
  • Suggestions for Rockaway from Officer Farrell – toll gates for residents is a huge issue, there needs to be better agreements between residents and the port authority. Also, he would love if beach-goers had more common sense and didn’t leave their shit on the beach unattended 🙂

Personally, I feel like people forget and leave behind the Rockaways. It’s not heard much, and the lack of accessibility to the region also hinders people from aiming to speaking about heading there. I wouldn’t say there is a lot to do there, but it’s a good experience to see the change and the beach in the summertime. Supporting local businesses also is a great deal because that’s what makes NYC what it is, and the Rockaways is flooded with small, locally owned shops.

So in further overview and research, these are general ideas I can point to:

• Infrastructure – Most underground infrastructure in the area is generally new. This concerns things like underground sewage systems and road drainage systems. This was part of a 25 million dollar update to the area that took place in 2017. Hurricane Sandy really highlighted the infrastructure issue in Rockaway concerning its water supply. This has given great benefits to its residents as well. Many housing projects have also gone into the neighborhood, leading to many new apartment complexes and beach houses either being renovated or made from scratch. This has all been done by NYC to make the area more appealing to homebuyers. Mayor de Blasio has passed a bill promising to rezone Far Rockaway in order to build more commercial and residential areas, all the work totals to about 288 million dollars roughly. 3 Bridges lead into Rockaway, Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge, Atlantic Beach Bridge, and Marine Parkway Bridge which connects Rockaway to Brooklyn.. Far Rockaway houses its own gas and petroleum powered gas station. Major road is Rockaway Blvd, very highly populated and used. There is also a Rockaway subway line, took place of the old LIRR branch stationed in Rockaway.

• Demographics – Enough Irish had moved to Far Rockaway by the 1850s that it became known as “the Irish Saratoga”. A century later, after World War II, Far Rockaway was still 90 percent white. Like many areas along New York City’s southern periphery, however, it would soon become subject to a demographic shift. Because the Rockaway Peninsula had a lot of unused space compared with the rest of Queens, about half of the borough’s public housing was built there. That housing was originally intended for veterans returning from the war; requirements were soon loosened, however, and the projects in the Rockaways became a haven for those displaced by Robert Moses’s slum clearance program. The arrival of the subway in 1956, on the other hand, convinced many people that Far Rockaway was feasible as a year-round home. Many white families moved in as a result, and today Far Rockaway is much more diverse than other neighborhoods that experienced so-called “white flight”: about a third each white, black, and other minorities.

• History – The Rockaways have long been viewed as New York City’s playground since it is so close to Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and parts of Long Island. From the turn of the century it became a hotspot for many city dwellers to spend their summers. Far Rockaway was established in 1888, and Rockaway Beach in 1897.There used to be a very large amusement park “Rockaway’s Playland”, brought a lot of business to the area, was shut down in 1982. Jacob Riis Beach Park is a very large beach attraction for tourists to this day, features an eclectic beach bazaar. Absorbed a lot of New York City culture. Was at first apart of the Town of North Hempstead, then merged into Queens. Robert Moses really helped the area grow with his creation of bridges, but when he tried building an intrusive parkway in the middle of the Rockaways, it turned out to cause more harm than good, many people lost their homes. Area fell into economic decline during the 1950s because many New Yorkers started to frequent to different hotspots (New York Aquarium, Jones Beach State Park). Turned into a full-time residential area, this really hurt the community, which led to a direct increase in crime. Area had to now be redeveloped.

Sources:

https://levysuniqueny.com/blog/history-rockaways-queens-past-present/

https://ny.curbed.com/2017/10/30/16570228/hurricane-sandy-rockaways-funds-de-blasio

https://therealdeal.com/2018/01/26/why-investors-are-flocking-to-far-rockaway/

www.nytimes.com/2017/06/21/nyregion/rockaway-beach-queens-ferry.html

May 7, 2019

5:00-6:00pm

Sunny, 64 degrees F

To be honest, when I decided to observe Fresh Meadows, I didn’t know what to expect. It’s a place I pass through all the time to get back to my house in Long Island from school, but I’ve only ever spent time in the area to get takeout at the Qdoba in the commercial center. Since I’m someone who almost always goes through Fresh Meadows just to get to somewhere else, I wanted to take time to see what the daily experience of a typical resident is like. Here is a map showing my trip around  the neighborhood.

The name Fresh Meadows alone invokes the feeling of open space with lots of greenery, which (to no one’s surprise) is exactly what I found during my visit. What I did find surprising is that this amount of open space could actually be preserved in a borough as densely populated as Queens. The layout of the neighborhood has clearly been well thought out, with the Q17 and Q88 bus lines running through the main commercial area of the neighborhood and trees running through the middle of many of the main roads. Having green spaces in the middle of the roads is actually one of my favorite features to find in any neighborhood, not only because of their aesthetic value but also because of their environmental significance. They aid in capturing the carbon dioxide emitted from all of the cars on the busy roads in addition to soaking up rainwater, which reduces flooding. I also find them interesting because they aren’t meant to be enjoyed by humans in the same way other green spaces like parks are. During my visit, I didn’t see anyone physically on the land, but just driving by it was enough for me to appreciate it. They aren’t quite big enough to do much on anyway, and besides I don’t think people want to spend their time watching cars zoom past them. I would say that these spaces are meant to be experienced only from a car, since they’re literally in the middle of the roads and there are no crosswalks for pedestrians to access them. This whole thought process reminded me of how Robert Moses was so adamant about having green spaces along his parkways for people in cars to enjoy. 

Speaking of cars, I think that Fresh Meadows does a great job of balancing automobile activity with pedestrian activity. On my walk, I saw plenty of parked cars and parking lots specifically for cars, but also equally as many walking paths through parks and other green spaces, complete with benches and shaded areas. Because of this, it’s hard to say definitively whether Fresh Meadows is structured primarily to accommodate pedestrians, residents with cars, or people in cars passing through. The whole neighborhood felt like a happy medium between New York City’s constant buzzing and the calmness of suburbia, which probably plays a role in why real estate is really expensive here.  In addition, since I saw so many cars and almost no small businesses, I think it’s safe to say that most residents work somewhere outside of Fresh Meadows and bring in capital from jobs in other neighborhoods so they can afford to live in this one.

As pretty as Fresh Meadows is, I couldn’t stop myself from considering the ugly truth of environmental gentrification. Having trees in the middle of the roads and a million parks is environmentally advantageous and green space is good for mental health, but that doesn’t benefit you if you can’t afford to live there. Environmental gentrification happens when green space is incorporated into a neighborhood and the consequential increase in rent drives residents out and richer people fill that gap. Since I study environmental science, every now and again I have check my bias because I’ll see a green space (like a tree in the middle of the road) and think “oh, that’s great!” without considering the very real social consequences faced by former residents of the area.

I want to point out that even though Fresh Meadows is generally an affluent neighborhood, there are different types of housing available, which definitely reflects Jacobian ideals. As I was walking down 73rd Avenue I immediately noticed that one side of the street had apartment complexes available to rent while the other had single family homes with backyards and garages for sale. I couldn’t have looked at this without thinking of Jane Jacobs, who supported having different kinds of housing close to each other to have some economic diversity in the neighborhood. Though Jacobs never explicitly mentioned this, economic diversity implies racial diversity, which I also saw during my walk. In the residential area with single family homes I saw mostly white people, but as I went up 197th Street I saw the demographic change to Asian and Hispanic communities near the apartments. I even heard Spanish music being played out loud in one of the many parks I passed. There were a lot of families outside, probably because it was such a nice afternoon and parents were starting to get home from work, but there was still plenty of space to accommodate more people.

I felt pretty comfortable walking through the residential areas of Fresh Meadows, with the exception of some catcalls directed my way when I was walking around the single family homes. At first I felt like kind of an outsider because I’ve never spent this much time in Fresh Meadows and I’m pretty sure I looked like a creepy tourist taking pictures of people’s houses, but that started to wear off as I ventured into the Hispanic part of the neighborhood. Even though I didn’t speak to anyone, the merengue playing on the radio in the park, the bunch of kids running around, and the kind smiles from the Hispanic women I walked by made me feel the sense of community that doesn’t need to be articulated with words.

Overall my walkthrough of Fresh Meadows was very pleasant. Going on this tour of the neighborhood with a critical eye made this experience way more fulfilling than if I had just gone for a walk in the park. I’m still thinking about the interplay between the different ethnic communities and how that dictates the social dynamics of the neighborhood. I’m also puzzled still on how such a comparatively suburban neighborhood got carved out in Queens. Maybe I’ll find some more answers on my next trip to Qdoba.

Climate change — YES or NO? Outside of the scientific community, there is a wealth of misinformation surrounding climate change. As it is reported, it always seems to take one of two extremes: “THE WORLD IS ENDING” or “IT’S A GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY.” Those that believe the former think that science has objectively proven humans to be behind climate change, while those of the latter belief argue that it’s all part of the Earth’s Milankovitch cycles of warming and freezing over its life. It is important to keep in mind that science is made up of individual studies, which are compiled and published in journals. So, when that article on realscienceblog.net says “Scientists agree…” for either argument, that is inherently misleading. There isn’t one group of scientists, nor do they all have the same credentials and experience. Instead, we use consensus to agree upon scientific findings. Trial after trial and each data set a time, we see trends that repeat until we can call them “statistically significant.” All it takes is one biased reporter picking out a single article to spread fake news about climate change being real or not. Even within those arguments, there is often misinformation. A key example is how terms like “global warming,” “climate change,” and “weather patterns” are used interchangeably. They are not all the same thing. Climate refers to global averages over time. Global warming falls under that. Weather is atmospheric phenomena that changes often. A cold winter doesn’t mean that climate change isn’t happening. And yet, misinformation seems to persist. All of that being said, there are certain things that we do know to be true. Global warming is real. Several international studies have created models of climate change. Arguments that climate change is natural can be refuted by the number of models that plot the natural cycle against anthropogenic sources.

Needless to say, there is a recurring pattern here. Still, there are those among my social circles that dismiss climate change. Environmentally-friendly reform never seems to be a high-priority on the agendas of our politicians. Perhaps some of them are too comfortable being sponsored by one or more of the 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions. Naturally, I lost hope that the very rock we build our lives on would ever be represented in government. It seemed that the biggest anthropogenic players behind climate change and greenhouse gas emissions would never be held responsible for outgassing all the natural sources of it [combined]. Time is ticking, and 2030 is the new deadline for us as humans to make a change before it’s too late.

In April, City Councilmember Costantinides, Dr. Bernal, Leslie Kagan, and Annel Hernandez — four people engaged in climate change policy and activism — spoke on a panel about their work and the Green New Deal proposal in Kiely Hall, which I attended.

One of the things said by Councilmember Costantinides that stuck with me is that climate change is the fight of our generation. As he said, “[Ours is] the first generation to feel the effects of climate change, and the last generation to be able to do anything about it.” I thought it was interesting that he spoke about the socioeconomic implications of climate change. It’s not something often considered, but low-income individuals that can’t afford to move out are at the most immediate risk of becoming climate change refugees. His own contributions to combat climate change included writing into law that the ill effects of climate change must be considered, the Climate Mobilization Act to reduce emissions 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, and a new bill to take the 50,000 largest buildings and forcing them to reduce their output. Interestingly, these largest buildings accounted for 30% of NYC’s emissions.

Dr. Bernal, advisor to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, mentioned the feeling that the most urgent issues weren’t being addressed. Now, climate change is one of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s highest priorities. The Green New Deal is a resolution to combat climate change by bringing in organizations experienced in climate change policy and activism and ultimately pressuring politicians to reduce emissions to 0 by 2030, and creating ways to aid individuals that might be affected in the process. It was also mentioned that our economic approach needs to be different now (e.g., there’s no more gold standard), and a change in our economic approach will ultimately help us pay for these changes as long as we don’t increase inflation.

Leslie Cagan described climate change as a global crisis that isn’t isolated to any one region or country. She emphasized the need to mobilize from the bottom-up and scientifically address the problem. As for the financing, it comes down to priorities. Our government has no problem subsidizing fossil fuel companies, and these are some of the biggest players we’re facing in the transition to renewable energy and a green society. Annel spoke about her community work and the importance of addressing the public health issues among low-income individuals affected by climate change.

A major critique of the Green New Deal is how much it tries to address at once. But, as said in the beginning of this post, we are running out of time to address these issues. The narrative about the “point of no return” has been going for years. While the “point of no return” varies from places to place, but the truth is that we are approaching that point as a planet much sooner that we originally anticipated. Why is it even a question that we’re “doing too much at once?” Of course we are! These are problems that have been caused by a generation of politicians that would rather deny responsibility and place the blame on others rather than effecting change — one that views attempts at social change as communist. Change needs to start now, and it starts with addressing the damage we have done. Just as Ms. Cagan said, we need bottom-up mobilization to support a Green Future, and this is where we have failed in the past. As I reflect on the panel, I realize that while it may be daunting to realize we are facing such huge opposition from those in power, we cannot let our futures go [underwater] without a political fight! And of course, I hope that our efforts to create a green US are reciprocated by our planetary community (sooner rather than later).

But, just in case, you can find swimming lessons here. Not sure if they also do Scuba.

Picture this: I’m in AP Biology as a naïve sophomore in high school. We’re halfway through our ecology unit, having just learned the terms to describe the inner workings of ecosystems, words like niche, gene flow, anthropogenic etc. As we close off the unit we discuss one more piece of the puzzle, the human impact, climate change and the big G: global warming. Mr. Weber then puts on a video of the senate floor where an elected official proceeded to “debunk” global warming using a cup of ice water: Brace yourself because his argument was very moving. This man argued that because the water level in the cup would not change when the ice melted, which is what we science kids call displacement, then the same logic must follow for the giant glaciers steadily melting into the oceans. But there was one simple flaw in his logic and when Mr. Weber asked the class what we thought that flaw was, 15-year-old me raised her hand and answered. “Displacement only works because the ice is in the water, glaciers are on the water, so melting means they add to sea levels not even out.” I remember thinking it was really sad that a high schooler understood that simple concept far better than grown adults elected to lead.

Now fast-forward four years, I am now a slightly less naïve sophomore in college and have decided to spend my free hour on a Wednesday in April attending The Green New Deal and New York City event in Kiely Hall. A panel of four speakers each took about 10 minutes to talk a little about themselves and what they do. The first was Councilman Costa Constantinides of the 22^nd district. He talked about the recently passed, at the time upcoming, Climate Protection Act which aims to cut 40% of gas emissions by 2030, mostly by forcing the bigger buildings in our city to adopt greener approaches to energy. He also describes a plan of action for homeowners and business owners to make necessary renovations by borrowing against the equity in their property. But his conclusion is what resonated with me the most: his reiteration that the Green New Deal was a “down payment for your generation.” The “your” there being me, of course.

Next up was Andres Bernal, advisor to Representation Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who described the Green New Deal not as a bill but as a resolution. He talked of a federal job guarantee and a “just transition” imbedded in all the change proposed, a way to help those who have been most harmed by rising threats of climate change. After him was Leslie Cagan of the People’s Climate Movement, who described the self-inflicted growing threats to our world as a “global crisis and not a public phenomenon.” She urged for real change to start quickly and from the “bottom up” because we only have about 12 years to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. And last but not least, was Annel Hernandez who represents 11 community based organizations across the city who have suffered public health crises due to environmental burden. She brought up issues face by these communities, such as poor air quality, lack of preparedness, and effects of extreme heat.

I will bring up one point, specifically regarding “just transition.” There are many problems attached to emergency preparedness, the first of which is the stark disparity in who has the privilege of being prepared. In a city prone to coastal flooding, minority communities living in the floodplain are overlooked and not included in preparedness efforts. Whatever efforts will be made to fortify these areas must first and foremost take into consideration the lower and moderate-income residents that will require more time and even more support in implementing necessary changes to the infrastructure. Any transition to renewal energy in such communities should be awarded the right resources and support to do so.

So now that I’ve summed up the panel, let’s dive a little into what the Green New Deal is. The word that’s been circulating around the media to describe this resolution is “ambitious.” This “ambitious” congressional resolution maps out a vast plan that aims to tackle climate change. It urges for a shift from finite fossil fuels to the endless world of renewable energy, curbing greenhouse emissions and guaranteeing new stable jobs in clean energy. But why is it ambitious you ask? Mostly because it seeks to tackle a multitude of issues; climate change, greenhouse emissions, unemployment, and societal issues such as economic inequality and injustice. A major critique is that this plan is doing too much, why don’t we pick one issue at a time and work our way down the endless list of issues. But we no longer have the luxury of time on our side. Our planet is dying and as a result it might kill us. “The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 ºC” by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that if the planet heats up by 2 ºC or more, the results could be catastrophic and irreversible. The Resolution details that the effects of such warming include $500 billion lost in annual economic input lost by 2100, the doubling of wildfires in the western US by 2050, 350 million susceptible to deathly heat exposure by 2050, and a risk of $1 trillion dollars in damages to public infrastructure. Kind of puts the whole “why should we pay for it” question into perspective? And then there’s the point of Modern Monetary Theory, which I don’t entirely understand but from what I have read it seems like the US has been heading towards a system like MMT, which deemphasizes the Gold Standard that we haven’t used in decades. One economy seems stronger than the endless debt we’ve acquired. It’s also worth noting that economics isn’t really a hard science, so there is definitely room for discussion.

So, what’s the point of all of this? (Other than to sound a bit existential) The point is that we will never get anywhere with a solution if people can’t even admit to the problem. The Green New Deal is hailed as a radical, socialist piece of legislation mostly by people who deny the very existence of the problems the Resolution is trying to fix (see flashback above).

The Resolution seems to paint a bleak future for humanity, one that resembles a sci-fi dystopia. I don’t know about you but personally I don’t think I would fare well in a dystopia. But sadly, this dismal future could soon be our present. Remember Hurricane Sandy, the storm that immobilized our city for almost a week, closing schools and business. Our future may be full of things far worse and far more frequent than Sandy. And yes, the Green New Deal packs a lot of change, and I will be the first to admit that I hate change, but there are times when change is necessary. There is not enough time left to argue about which small start we should, or to ask how we’ll pay for when not once that question been asked when it funded a war. Our sea levels are projected to rise in the next few decades, and our beloved city is destined to sink. Now is the time to do something about it because soon we will be out of time. It is easy to become disillusioned, to think that a problem this big is out of our control but on the contrary, “real change starts from the bottom-up.”

I do think the Green New Deal is ambitious, I think it casts a wide net. I think it aims to solve too much. I think that success will be difficult. But I also know that ambitious, and too much is just what we need. There are too many problems to solve and not enough time. If anything, this effort needs to cast a wider net. The United States only accounts for 15% of the world’s gas emissions. Doing our part to reduce that is all well and good, but it means little if the world does not follow suit. Other nations who contribute even more to global emissions than us, would bode well to implement their own version of a plan that emphasizes renewable energy. The Green New Deal is not nearly big enough. This was all very rambly. And of course, these are all opinions of a naïve 19-year-old, what do I know? I have maybe 60-70 good years left on this planet, and I would rather not spend them underwater or on Mars. (I’m being a bit hyperbolic of course, or am I?)

I think every time I encounter an article about climate change, my reaction has been akin to what one might expect in response a train crash: horrified and yet I just can’t look away. Growing up, we’ve been confronted with “The world is going to end!” scares so many times. In 2012 thE MAyANs PReDIcTeD we’RE ALL GoING tO DiE!!! Which caused panic to spread across the nation and Hollywood to capitalize on the impending doom by producing a remarkably shitty movie (you know the one). My point is, it feels like my generation has been desensitized to the idea of the destruction of the Earth as evidenced by the amount of fatalism that saturates Gen X humor. I’ll admit that though I try to do my part to address the issue of environmental damage by not taking eco bags when grocery shopping and turning off lights when I’m not using them, I was also feeling particularly hopeless about the whole situation and thus resolved myself to not think about it too often to escape the copious amounts of existential dread it invokes in me. Of course, then Amazon pulled out of Long Island City (which, yay!) But thereby created a vacuum in place of the Long Island City assignment. So, when the new assignment came about I decided to get it out of the way as soon as possible by attending the Green New Deal Panel, which you can tell by the date of this post that I did not accomplish. My poor time management aside, I will say the I am incredibly glad I did decide to attend the panel because it’s such an imperative discussion to be had, especially now more than ever.

The first of the speakers on the panel was councilman Costa Constantinides. The councilman spoke about the new initiative to reduce emissions produced by the cities’ buildings by 80% by 2050. The 50,000 largest buildings in the city are responsible for 30% of the city’s emissions and will have to reduce their emissions by 40% by 2030. Buildings that don’t comply with these standards will be fined. He also speaks about the plan to make the switch over to renewable energy, pushing solar and geothermal energy alternatives to fossil fuels That means it is time to cut tie with the oil companies that hold the world in the palm of its metaphorical hands. One of the greatest pushbacks against the Green New Deal comes from the real estate industry because of the large upfront costs associated with implementing the new legislation. However, the long-term benefits definitely outweigh these shot-term sacrifices, especially with the promised low-interest loans helping to finance the initiative. Not to mention, making a building more energy efficient will pay for itself in the amount you save in energy bills.

In terms of the effect on the greater New York economy, there are many raised eyebrows at the GND. The next panelist, Andres Bernal, who worked closely with AOC on her campaign addresses this next. He says that the current concerns are a product of approaching the issue as though we were still operating on the gold standard, which is not true. Using Modern Monetary Theory to understand the GND is more appropriate. This was something I had never heard of being a STEM major. In the simplest terms Modern Monetary Theory says that the government can spend as much as it wants as long as it doesn’t create inflation. According to Bernal, the only way inflation would be created under MMT is if the government was operating at full spending capacity, which we are nowhere near currently. For an example of Modern Monetary Theory practices at work, a look at Japan shows that it does in fact work.

The next two panelists, Leslie Cogan, who is the president of the People’s Climate Movement, and Annel Hernandez, who works for the NYC Environmental Justice Agenda, both covered the part of the Green New Deal that stresses “environmental justice”. As per our discussion in class and some of the other blog posts about the Green New Deal panel, it seems that this is a part of the Green New Deal that is not attractive to all. However, to the criticism of the GND that says it should be focused on only addressing the issue of climate change rather than packaging it together with the jobs guarantee and other provisions, I say that is a narrow perspective. Climate change disproportionately effects the poor and disabled. If you take a look at the NYC flood map, most of the coastal regions in danger of flooding are low-income and won’t be able to afford repairs. Take the Rockaways which still hasn’t recovered from the damage Hurricane Sandy dealt. I took part in a couple of the Macaulay Service Initiative’s projects to help rebuild the area because there are still people displaced by Sandy whose homes are still not in livable conditions.

I think this holistic approach that the Green New Deal has undertaken is important and a step in the right direction. In the past, we’ve seen countless amounts of legislation be passed without any consideration and low-income people have always been the ones to bear the brunt of the suffering as a consequence. Not to mention, with the housing crisis permeating NYC, a jobs guarantee could definitely be helpful in addressing that simultaneously.

I came away from that panel feeling like now is the time to act. It is too late to be passive or cautious in attacking the problem of climate change. Something needs to be done, and it needs to be done in a big way. The Green New Deal had a predecessor known as the Green Jobs Green New York Act which was intended to create energy efficient jobs and though it was passed, it did not fulfill the promises it made. The reason it failed was due to a lack of mobilization on the ground. Grassroots activism was highly stressed at the panel by all the panelists. It’s time for us to become active in determining what happens to our Earth. https://www.sunrisemovement.org/gnd This is the link to the Sunrise Movement’s page on the Green New Deal, the group that is supporting the legislation. Also, consider trying this carbon footprint calculator to see how you can reduce your own emissions.

Friday, May 3^rd

Perhaps my identity exists solely in relation to my community. To my siblings I am an older sister, to my teachers I am a student, and to the broader world I am often defined by my religion. To some I am a woman, to others, white, and to some, an abstract logician, and all of these are pieces of a fuller picture of who I am. Change my community, and you change my identity. Flushing in Queens or, as it is more commonly known, Chinatown, defines its people by an ethnicity, and it is home to a foreign country on American soil. Generalizations perforce lead to neglecting the amalgam of unique character traits belonging to an individual, and I wanted to visit Chinatown and see the people themselves. How has Chinatown remained so seperate from broader American culture, and is this what the residents of Chinatown want? Is this the identity they chose?

My trip to Chinatown began as most do, namely, by stepping off the seven. When I immerged from the subway station, I found the directions and advertisements written in both English and Mandarin. The outside platform brought passengers out into a different world. Chinatown is a hustling blend of produce markets, department stores, malls, and small specialized stores such as candy shops and nail salons. The busiest areas are found at the major intersections between streets such as Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street. The roads are crowded with shoppers, most visibly of Asian descent. Many small stands lined the sidewalks and promote political dogma or nearby yoga and meditation centers for passerby to peruse. People were constantly moving, whether older married couples or young children with markedly exhausted parents following hurriedly behind.

What was especially apparent to the American ear was the conversations on the street being conducted completely in Asian dialects. The street peddlers did not speak or seem to understand English. This was the first marker of a neighborhood formally defined by its culture. While in some immigrant neighborhoods, diversification happens naturally when national natives slowly move in, here, the language barrier would prevent any such migration. There were many advertisements for real estate and job openings that were only in Cantonese or Mandarin, and directions were not even available in English as I moved farther from the subway.

While the bigger streets had large stores and businesses, such as Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, numerous banks, and clothing stores, the side streets (38^th– 41^st) had many smaller shops, such as bookstores, a driving school, bakeries, and a hair salon. On the side streets, I struggled to find any English. I walked around for two hours roughly between 11:00-1:00 on a Friday, and all of the streets were bustling in this highly commercial area. There was one grassy expanse right near the end of Kissena Boulevard that children could play on, though I didn’t see any when I was there. Additionally, in the ten block radius that I surveyed, I saw about four different churches.

My first stop on my journey was the New World Mall, a popular Asian themed mall in the heart of Chinatown. Inside, I traveled through a lively market that smelled strongly of fish and had eerily inexpensive prices for fruits and vegetables. I traveled to the top floor which primarily sold clothing and accessories. Here, all of the models and mannequins were Asian and had Asian body types. The shoes sizes were smaller and dress sizes more petite as classified by the average Asian body. The storeowners here were unable to answers questions I posed in English.  I was personally surprised, because while I have visited different neighborhoods classified by a single ethnicity, I have never seen a community in the United States that did not speak any English. I was particularly fascinated by some older employees in the stores who still did not know what I was saying. After having similar outcomes when trying to speak with employees on this floor and the next, I ventured to the food court on the bottom floor. Here, I was able to see authentic Asian cuisine and the culture surrounding it. People ate on wooden serving plates with forks, knives, and chopsticks. Families, friends, and coworkers seemed to be enjoying lunchtime in the New World Mall cafeteria whilst conversing in various Asian dialects. Nearly all of the stores had both Chinese and English restaurant signs, yet the all of the employees with whom I spoke could barely speak English, if at all. Only one store had a sign exclusively in English. Furthermore, there were only two non-Asian groups, one of which was a food tour guide who brought couples from the Midwest and Scandinavia to experience Asian food. I felt my minority status like a sign, and I also could not eat anything as there were no kosher options.

I visited a few more markets on the smaller streets, but I could barely get anyone to speak with me. Even though I was still in America, speaking the national language served to isolate me. I was fortunate that some people, even with broken English, tried answering some of my questions. The store workers told me their stories of immigration. Some had moved to the states to escape a life of poverty back home, while others simply believed America was a better place to build a family. There were a number of people who came without any family and hoped that after some years of working, they could support their families in making a move to the states. Due to Chinatown’s heavy isolation, it is an ideal place for new immigrant, but also hamper to learning and integrating into American culture.

I searched the streets of Chinatown for answers. The reason I chose to investigate this societal microcosm was due to what I believe is an ambiguous American perspective on cultural isolationism. On the one hand, America is a place which values and empowers different peoples from different places to celebrate their culture and not lose their history. However, our country also preaches assimilation and believes that what eventually emerges from a mixed pot is our greatest model for success. The message I’ve received is: be different, but not too different. Ultimately, when the values of personal identity and American nationality conflict, which one reigns supreme? Is Chinatown right to provide a haven for new immigrants that guarantees a community similar what existed in Asia, or, as indicated by so many people who move to the States and never learn English or move out of Chinatown, does is build a blockade too strong to dissolve?

Chinese immigrants have long been recipients of claims that immigrants steal American jobs, and this resulted in numerous immigration limitations and banns stemming back to the 19^th century. While these laws are no longer in place, many anti-immigrant groups still propagate this canard. It is dangerous to label any group by one identity, as it is unlikely to be a true representation of all the individuals in that group. I found the stories of these immigrants inspiring, as so many of them abandoned their native country in hopes of attaining something greater for themselves and for their families. It seemed to me that many of the people I spoke to in Chinatown didn’t feel like they needed to choose between being Asian and being American. They wanted to achieve the American dream with their Asian culture in stride. They wanted to take from this country as much as they want to give to it. And while this too is a generalization, for me it clarified the purpose of what seems to be an isolated neighborhood in Flushing. Chinatown offers the comfort of one’s native country while providing initial resources needed for immigrants to thrive in the States. Most immigrants view Chinatown as a temporary residence until they are wealthy enough to move their family and move out. It is for this reason that new immigrants do not invest in Chinatown as a point of integration, as their goal is to eventually assimilate into mainstream American culture.

I often analyze my own identities relative to my many communities. Do I identify more with being a Jew than with being a woman? If I had to fight for one, which would I chose? The generalizations I am handed along with the traits I believe are special to me often do not coincide. Chinatown reinforces that these ideas are much more complex when looked at deeply. Though I was a noticeable minority walking the streets of Flushing, the love of one identity was as strong as the desire to acquire a new identify, namely, to flourish in America. I think it was very valuable for me to hear the stories of new immigrants firsthand to better understand the issues facing our country today. My grandparents immigrated to this country after the Holocaust and I grew up with a deep sympathy for the immigrant plight. However, seeing immigration in its modern context is extremely important in order to develop informed opinions on how immigration laws should be thought about, and how we as a country respond to cultures completely different than out own. Chinatown taught me that personal culture and Americanism do not need to conflict, and that perhaps each individual is strongest when she honors all her different identities, and thrives with that unique perspective.

Tuesday May 7, 2019

6:15 – 7:15 PM

62 degrees and sunny

My neighborhood tour took place in Rosedale, Queens. I began my observation on Brookville Boulevard and walked from 133rd Avenue up until 138th Avenue. I also took some time and drove around other streets, mainly 241–250 Street, to get a better picture of the neighborhood. The blocks I walked around on were primarily residential, but there were some scattered commercial buildings on a couple of the streets. Most of the houses I saw were single-family homes, and they were all roughly the same size. However, I was able to identify that some blocks contained nicer and recently-renovated homes while other blocks had smaller, older, and more run-down homes. I also noticed a lot of construction and road work taking place on Hook Creek Boulevard. In general, the streets I drove around on weren’t so smooth and could definitely use repaving, which it seems they have already began doing. I also saw that in many of the public areas the grass was  super high and overgrowing.

Over the course of my time walking through the neighborhood, I heard multiple planes overhead., due to the neighborhood being near multiple airports. Additionally, I saw a lot public transportation availabilities for the residents in Rosedale. For example, I passed an LIRR station, city bus stations, and some subway entrances and stops. However, the longer I drove around for, the more I saw that even though there were many opportunities for commute via public transportation, the primary method of transportation seemed to be cars. I noticed an abundant number of cars parked on the street, causing difficulty for people coming down certain blocks in both directions at the same time. I specifically noticed an abnormal of Hondas. Another reason why I assume that cars are used most commonly for travel is because of the amount of traffic I encountered while driving through the streets. Part of the reason for this is because the neighborhood is right off the Belt Parkway.

As I continued my tour both walking and driving, I saw a lot of gas stations and delis, as well as some small supermarkets and laundromats. Aside from a single Dunkin’ Donuts and a Walgreens, I didn’t see many brand-name or chain stores.

Something interesting that I noticed was a couple of signs signifying the presence of official NYPD security cameras in mostly public areas. This could possibly signify that this neighborhood has a high crime rate

A majority of the people I saw around the neighborhood were kids walking home from school, people walking around enjoying the weather, and people eating at restaurants. From what I saw, the neighborhood seems to be mainly inhabited by African American and Hispanic families. I saw people of all ages, and didn’t notice a specific significant amount of one gender over the other.

Overall, the neighborhood I observed seemed like a nice middle-class neighborhood and a good place to live. The streets were not packed in the slightest and everyone seemed to be doing their own thing and minding their own business. I did speak to a couple of people around and most were friendly and welcoming, although I did get some confused looks and people curious as to what I was doing there.

I didn’t think that the streets had a particularly bad smell but I also didn’t think it was particularly good. I noticed an interesting mix of smells, which kind of reminded me of how it smells in Penn Station in New York City. Thank god though it was not as chaotic!

Walking through the neighborhood I did feel a little out of place. This was mostly because I was starving and I couldn’t find a Kosher restaurant. Also, I am terrible with directions and Google Maps kept confusing me, so I definitely walked a little bit more than I probably had to and felt a little lost.

I chose Rosedale for my neighborhood observation tour for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it was definitely appealing to me that it was just a convenient 20-minute drive from my house. Primarily though, I chose Rosedale because I have some friends who live near that area who told me it would be good for this project. I also hear about Rosedale often when taking the LIRR to Penn Station and the train conductor announces the stop for Rosedale. During all my commutes passed Rosedale I wondered what the neighborhood looked like and felt unsatisfied by the small glimpse of it I was getting from my seat on the train. So, I used this project to fulfill the objective that I’ve always had in my head to explore Rosedale. I am curious who is responsible for the maintenance, because someone needs to be on top of the grass and the rough streets. Those things aside, I came away impressed with Rosedale as a successful, comfortable, middle-class community. I would definitely be interested in going deeper and further exploring Rosedale’s different areas of successes and other issues in the future.

Beechhurst

Sunday, May 5th, 2019

5:29 pm – 7:09pm

Light Rain (turned to regular rain), windy, humid, high 55

Streets walked on

I started on 150th Street (I thought that this was part of Beechhurst at first, but then looking at Google Maps, it was actually part of Whitestone). I turned right on 14th Ave and walked until 157th St. I continued to walk straight until 11th Ave and walked a block to 154th St, where I finally reached the border of Whitestone and Beechhurst. I walked straight on 154th until the end (Powells Cove Blvd) and turned inside to 158th St (a dead end). I turned back and continued to walk on Powells Cove Blvd until 166th St (the first and last stop of the Q15/Q15A, a QM2 and QM32 bus).

Description of Location

On my way to Beechhurst (and walking through Beechhurst), I’ve only seen one school (PS 193Q), but it was still in Whitestone and at the end of the school block (10th ave), you see the end of Whitestone and the start of Beechhurst. While walking towards Beechhurst, you could see a lot of stores in Whitestone, but on the border of Whitestone and Beechhurst, there were two plazas (on Whitestone border) and only around four stores on the Beechhurst border.

Walking around, I could tell this was a residential area only and the majority of the houses were single-family houses that were detached, but there were still a lot of houses that are attached units (but each attached house was still a single-family). Each house had a lawn, but the detached house had a huge yard and backyard. Each of the detached houses also had either two garages, or just at least two cars parked inside their gated property. According to City Data, we can see that the majority of the residents drive their car alone to work.

The sidewalks were pretty narrow (trees on the sidewalks), but they were intact (not broken or cracked) and in the middle of the roads, you could see that each yellow line perfectly fine (if present because on most roads, the yellow line was nonexistent). There were also no cracks or potholes on the road. Even the FDNY stand was visibly recently painted as you could see its bright red paint barely chipped. There were no traffic lights whatsoever (only STOP) and since there were barely any cars on the road, I was even able to stand in the middle of the road without worrying about a car coming. Overall, you could tell that this area was very well maintained (my friend actually lives in Beechhurst and guided me around and told me that they redo the roads about every 6 months).

As I walked down Powells Cove Blvd, I saw a “beach” at the end of 158th St, a dead end. When I decided to turn and walk to look, these houses were HUGE and when walking to the “beach”, it was gated and stated “Beechhurst Property Owners-Assn.” which meant that the “beach” was owned by the people who lived in the Beechhurst Property Owners houses. This was the only time I smelled something other than rain, it smelled the beach with very salty water.

Walking back to Powells Cove Blvd, I even saw a car improperly parked, but since it is such a quiet and wealthy neighborhood, I guess it does not even bother anyone living there, but I know if someone were to park like that in Flushing, they would automatically get a ticket. (There were no police cars or even police stations od fire departments around the area I walked).

Walking closer to the end of my destination, you could see Cryder’s Point Apartment (2 buildings), Le Havre (around 32 buildings: Le Havre Facts), and another apartment (I couldn’t see the name of the apartment, but its address is 7-02 160th St). Le Havre apartments also had parking lots for each building. Overall, during my whole walk, there was no particular smell in the neighborhood (except rain), but that was about it.  Near the Le Havre apartments (after walking down the stairs to get shelter from the rain), I noticed huge puddles forming, but only one small sewage drain.

Description of People

During my observation, I only saw three other people. One was short (I was not able to see the face, only the back), but she was picking recyclables from a person’s garbage (I assume it is an Asian grandma — not to be stereotypical, but I see them do this the most) and the other two I saw were white older males. Both were getting out of their car (I saw them at different times) and one looked like he was maybe in his mid-70s-80s while the other one looked like he was in his mid-40s-50s. The elder didn’t notice me at all and simply went indoors. On the other hand, the middle-aged man continuously stared at me (I am not sure if it was because I was the only other person on the street and I may have looked suspicious because it was the area of the Beechhurst Property Owners or if it simply looked like I did not belong in the neighborhood at all). And once again, according to City Data, the majority of the residents are white.

Reflexity: Description of Yourself

During my walk, I did not physically feel out of place (because I was literally the only one outside) except when that middle-aged old man continuously stared at me walking away from the “beach”; it felt like he was staring at me to see if I was going to commit a crime. From the overall neighborhood, I definitely felt out of place in terms of race and social class, guessing that the majority of the people living there were white and of the upper-class. I also felt like I did not belong there just because of how nice and luxurious-looking most of the houses were as I am used to seeing my neighborhood with attached units and somewhat run-down apartment buildings. However, this neighborhood felt safe to walk around and it was very quiet.

Critical Reflections: Moving from Description to Analysis

I chose this neighborhood because, in class, we have spoken about zoning and how Moses’ plan of separating them (industrial, commercial, residential) and I thought that Beechhurst was a great example of this, especially after finding out that the plazas and shops and (one, singular) school were all bordering the end of Whitestone while Beechhurst was only a residential area. In addition to this, we also spoke about public housing and how people were struggling to find places to live, but I wanted to see the other side of that — the side where families make more money than the median income, do not have to worry about paying rent and have their own mode of transportation.

From this visit, I learned that their main mode of transportation was a car (as they had very limited buses and that most of the houses had at least two cars parked in their gated property. A fact that was just reinforced from my visit was that wealthier areas (in comparison to the parks in wealthy areas) tend to be more well-maintained to keep up an aesthetically pleasing picture (big houses, no potholes, no cracks on the sidewalk or road). It also reinforced the fact that wealthier areas are safer as there were no police cars or policing happening anywhere.

A topic that I would like to know more about is: who is in charge of the maintenance of the area and if the people have a say in what they want to be repaired (if there would ever be a need to repair something)? For example, the grass on the sidewalk is so pleasing to the eye with its full-of-life bright green color and is kept relatively short (in comparison to my neighborhood, where some of my neighbors let it grow out and never tend to them); does the city maintain that look or does the person who owns the property in front of that sidewalk grass tend to it? On a somewhat different note, something that I am very curious about is if people in this neighborhood usually go outside and walk around to enjoy the view and breeze because I have “visited” this area once or twice before, but only by riding on the bus to the last stop. If I recall correctly, similar to my walk on this rainy day, there weren’t many people outside either way or any children playing in their big yards and backyards. My question is: why do residents of this area decide to not explore and enjoy their neighborhood (compared to an area deemed “unsafe” such a Pomonok, where you see children playing in the parks and running around on the grass or just walking with their parents)? I could always ask my friend who lives in this area or if I ever go back to the neighborhood and see another person outside, just greet them and ask!

My observational tour took place in Queens Community District 13, specifically from 213^th street to Francis Lewis Boulevard on Jamaica Avenue. I chose this location because there has been construction on Francis Lewis Blvd. since the beginning of the semester. This construction has led to disturbances in the N6 and N1 Nassau Inter-County Express busses. On the way to school one morning, actually multiple mornings, instead of turning on Francis Lewis Boulevard to get to Hillside Avenue from Jamaica Avenue my bus turned down 212^th street. I did my observations on the bus over multiple days and times but took my walk down Jamaica on April 19^th at around 8:00 am as if I was on my way to school.

Jamaica Avenue, on the blocks I walked, were for the most part commercial. Almost every entrance I passed was to a business, my favorite two stores being the bridal shop with pretty prom and wedding dresses in the window and the bakery where my grandmother and uncle would always buy me Haitian soup, Haitian bread, and Haitian patties (which are superior to Jamaican patties). The doors I passed that weren’t commercial were residential leading to an apartment that was situated on the second floor of the buildings where the businesses are run. Most of the residential buildings, which are all houses, were down the side streets, streets like 212^th, Hollis Court Boulevard, or Francis Lewis Boulevard. As I kept walking, I noticed a funny pattern of a lot of bakeries and delis on one side of the street and a lot of businesses pertaining to cars on the other. Seriously if you need to buy a car, get it detailed, and pick up a sandwich and a cake go anywhere on Jamaica between 212^th and 209^th. There were also a good number of places of worship so if you want to strengthen your relationship with God while waiting for your car and eating your sandwich, this was the place for you.

All of the businesses and houses are very close together, sometimes literally right on top of each other, but it’s nothing atypical of a regular New York City street. It reminded me of Kissena Boulevard, near the Dunkin Donuts, businesses on the main road, close together, and houses down the side streets, also somewhat close together. Competition between businesses seems to be pretty alive, with a deli/convince store on almost every block (sometimes just across the street from each other). Not to mention the three beauty supply stores within two minutes of each other between two different roti shops, the consumer has their choice of places to go. Businesses along the street varied as well, I remember seeing a bank next to a motorcycle shop next to a doctor, all across the street from a Dunkin Donuts and a car dealership.

I would say my walk was fun but not relaxing. Jamaica is a busy street and drivers have no problem letting other people know when they think you’ve done something wrong.  I’m not going to lie, I was on the phone with my mom the whole time so I really didn’t pay attention to what I was hearing, but that’s only because I have an anxiety disorder and I didn’t want to be “alone” while I was walking up and down Jamaica Ave.. That being said, I did hear a lot of English being spoken…it was by me… but I still heard it. As for the smells it was pleasant to walk by the outside of the bakeries, restaurants, and delis. I never smelled anything really bad, but I live by Belmont Racetrack which often smells like literal horse poop so I’m kind of desensitized to bad odors anyway, if something were really foul, I might not have even noticed it.

While I was walking, I saw an even mix of boys and girls, but I do think there were more men than women. I did see some babies and young kids because I passed a daycare center and there were older children who looked to be walking going to school. Farther down Jamaica I saw more adults who I presume were just trying to get to work. I also saw people at work, bus operators driving down the streets, delivery people going to the bakeries and restaurants and of course the people who work in those bakeries and restaurants. I think everyone I saw was either black and/or Hispanic and they were just people trying to do their jobs or get to work.

I felt good during my walk, I was comfortable, despite needing to be on the phone with my mom because of my anxiety I was still relatively comfortable. I think I stood out a bit among the other people I saw because I am a very light skinned black person whereas most other people I saw were not. I also have very big hair which was very noticeable that contributed to me standing out, I don’t think I saw any other woman with hair as big as mine but there was one guy with a nice afro. I felt like an insider in this area because of the fact that I pass through it most days to get to school and I live close by but for the same reasons I felt like an outsider. I only ever pass through the neighborhood and it was nice to walk down the street slowly instead of zooming through on the bus. I don’t live in the neighborhood either, coupled with being so much lighter than all the other black people I saw made me feel like an outsider; I never felt like I was unwelcomed though.

I chose this neighborhood because, as I said, there has been construction on Francis Lewis Blvd. since the beginning of the semester which caused the N6 and N1 Nassau Inter-County Express buses to change their routes. I originally wanted to see if I could observe a pattern in when or why the bus would take 212^th street instead of Francis Lewis Blvd. to Hillside from Jamaica but there really was no pattern. It felt pretty random if either the bus would turn up 212^th or keep going to Francis Lewis. During my bus ride observations, I saw some disturbance because of the route change. People had to get off the bus before it turned up 212^th but never knew to ring the bell due to there being no pattern in when it changed its route. They would have to scream for the driver to stop and then they were 7 blocks away from Francis Lewis which is where the bus usually stops between Jamaica and Hillside. Having the bus turn on 212^th also facilitated congestion on that street. There is already a bus that turns that way and having two extra bus routes go that way created more traffic than usually is there. I wanted to ask a bus driver when and why they turn on 212^th instead of Francis Lewis but they get mad when you try to talk to them so I couldn’t. Anything I found mentioning the construction on Francis Lewis would only mention what the project was (they’re installing a new water main) and not how it affected surrounding areas and traffic. I do know it hurt traffic very much on Francis Lewis in the mornings though, never before have I had to sit unmoving for three traffic lights in a row but for this construction project.

From my observations, I saw what kind of job the NICE busses do to tell you your bus route has changed due to construction, which is minimal. More than once has the bus turned on 212^th instead of Francis Lewis and you could feel the tension on the bus change because half of us aren’t sure what’s going on. I still want to know who decided if the bus route will be what it normally is or if it will change but I think I would have to ask a driver but as I said before, they don’t like that. I do think to change the bus route was a good idea considering the circumstances, but the bus system needs to get better at telling people when that’s going to happen as it is an inconvenience to riders not know where exactly their bus is going.

Works Cited

NYC Planning | Community Profiles, communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov/queens/13#indicators.

“Capital Projects Dashboard.” Project, www1.nyc.gov/site/capitalprojects/dashboard/project.page?pid=394.