The Welcome to Washington/Lexington NYCHA Houses Sign. Credit: Erica Fu
On March 8 and March 11, I observed the George Washington NYCHA Houses on 97th-99th streets. March 8 was a warm school day, whereas March 11 was a freezing Saturday. With my observations, I conclude that the site is safe, community-friendly, and spacious; however, in order to utilize the houses’ open spaces in a better way, tables should be installed by the benches and playgrounds.
On March 8, I went to the George Washington NYCHA Houses around 2:00pm. The method I used to observe the site was by standing on each corner of the block for 10 to 15 minutes. Starting from the corner of 97th street and 3rd avenue, there are a lot of Citibikes, as well as a Union Settlement community center inside the superblock, with a large parking space in front. Moreover, UM College, an Islamic Center, and a public school are across the street. Thus, this shows that the apartments are in a very diverse and kid-friendly neighborhood.
Union Settlement Community Center. Credit: Erica Fu
Along 99th street and 3rd, there is a CenterLight Healthcare Center and the Metropolitan Hospital Center on 99th and 2nd, which show that the neighborhood is very senior-friendly and is accessible to medical centers. Moreover, there is a park inside the superblock; and PS 109 and Cherry Tree Park across the street. Since the temperature was around 60 degrees and was around 2pm, it was the optimal after school time and I observed many students coming back from the surrounding elementary and middle schools playing in playgrounds. The demographics of the students and people in the neighborhood are mostly Hispanic and Black.
GreenLight Healthcare Center. Credit: Erica Fu
There are a lot of parking spaces and spacious areas inside the superblock; therefore, it does not create a sense of overcrowding, but rather, a spacious community. No matter where you walked around along the superblock, you can see the spaces between the apartments.
Inside of a parking lot space. Credit: Erica Fu
On March 11, I went to the George Washington Houses around 3:30 pm. The temperature that day was around 20 degrees, so there were not many people outside; however, there were a few residents coming in and out of the parking lot getting their cars or walking into the apartments. A family came out with a stroller to take a walk with their baby near the hospital. Since it was a weekend, there were more people walking in and out of the nearby medical centers; as opposed to the nearby schools and playgrounds.
With all of these observations, I conclude that the George Washington Houses are in a safe, kid-friendly, metro and medical accessible neighborhood. However, a limitation that I noticed is that within the three playgrounds inside the superblock, there are a lot of empty spaces. Therefore, in order for the houses to utilize their spaces in a better way and to create a greater sense of community, I suggest that they install tables by the benches and playgrounds so children can do their homework, adults can sit and watch their children, mingle with other parents, or read the newspaper.
