http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/27/nyregion/after-east-village-blast-a-familiar-sight-new-yorkers-to-the-rescue.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1409232722000&bicmet=1419773522000&_r=0#

I’m sure most of you have already heard about the large fire in East Village that consumed two buildings earlier today. Among the reports I’ve been reading about it, this one stuck out to me as particularly relevant to our peopling class and discussions.

First, it brings to mind the living conditions in the city. Although the East Village is generally one of the richer and newer parts of the city, I can’t help but wonder how up-to-date and maintained the buildings are. There is no mention of it in the article, just that the fire may have been caused by gas leakage. Outside the context of these two buildings, I can’t help but wonder how NYC does it anyway: keep ALL the densely-packed buildings housing millions of people up to the NYC building code. It definitely is one of those often overlooked issues that illustrates the struggle of keeping a city running. How much does it take to maintain the glamor of New York City?

Secondly, I like how this article brought attention to the community aspect of the fire. When I first saw the pictures and videos, it subconsciously reminded me of the 9/11 events but, of course, to a lesser scale. Reading about how people helped each other out and broke these NYC stereotypes that other regions have of us, reaffirmed the belief that NYC may have its individuals living inside their own little bubbles with vacant stares, but New Yorkers are just as compassionate as people from anywhere else–it just goes unnoticed because there are just too many people to point out every little thing. Ellie said actually that the one thing that surprised her when she first came to New York City was how nice the people are and how willing they are to help, contrary to popular belief. We talk about communities bound together by ethnicity and income level, but we must also remember communities are also bound simply by the fact that we are all human.