In my neighborhood, homes range from tall apartment buildings to fully-detached houses. Based on a the New York Times poverty map, about 15.3% in the three block radius from my home are living below the poverty line (it is a very specific map). Looking at another map surveyed from 2006-2010, 10.5%-20.8% of people in Gravesend are living below the Federal Poverty Level. The data has supported my understanding of my neighborhood in that although there are many wealthier and middle class families, there is definitely many lower class families as well. It is rare to see a homeless man in the section of Gravesend I tend to walk in, however, when getting closer to Brighton Beach it is more likely to see some homeless on the benches of Ocean Parkway (a boulevard about five miles that runs from prospect park to Brighton Beach) or even at the boardwalk. There are also many more apartment buildings and limited private homes closer to Brighton Beach. This coincides with the data from the poverty map which shows that poverty is denser in that area.
It is pretty easy to get around using public transportation in this area of Brooklyn. Trains such as the Q, B, F, N, and D come to different corners of Brooklyn. Trains arrive about every 10 minutes and sometimes even more often during rush hour. There are also many buses available down main avenues. Despite the many options for public transportation, there is a great amount of street traffic. Brooklyn is a congested city and the amount of cars on the roads has only increased. Streets are noisy, filled with honking, sirens, and the sound of construction here and there. However, at night it gets quiet. Sometimes, I can even hear the subway on its tracks from eight blocks away.
Being that homes are so close together there isn’t a lot of open space and greenery is limited to the front gardens of private homes. However, when the weather is nice, many are found sitting on the benches of Ocean Parkway, or riding bikes down to the Coney Island boardwalk. There are many playgrounds and a few parks not too far, but a personal favorite of mine is Marine Park. Marine Park is an open field not too far from Gravesend. There are always people playing sports, going for a run, or renting bikes. Marine Park is also the name of that neighborhood, which lies between Flatlands and Mil Basin, home to residents whose family members have lived there for generations.
The population of Gravesend is mainly white, but has some diversity. Many Italians, Jews, Irish, and African Americans were the first to reside in Gravesend. Later many Russians, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, and Chinese came to share the neighborhood.
As for education, there are several public schools in the area as well as a few private Jewish schools. For higher degree education, there is Touro College (with its several separate locations) and about three miles away is Brooklyn College. Regarding religion, there are many churches as well as synagogues in the area. There are also some mosques in the area, however, they are not as densely packed as the churches and synagogues.
There are many small local businesses in the neighborhood which include grocery stores, clothing shops, beauty salons, phone carriers, gyms, and restaurants. It is not uncommon for many to commute to Manhattan for business via the MTA subway trains, but the local shops are crucial for the everyday convenience if the local community. Every few blocks have another grocery store or hair salon. Many businesses have been there for a while, but others are constantly changing. There is this one location on the corner of kings’ highway and east 9th where the restaurant changes every year, perhaps from the lack of customers due to the nearby competition. Living in Brooklyn is almost like living in Manhattan on a smaller scale in regards to the bustling streets, everyday competition, and the aggressive New York attitude. However, no matter how busy and loud it may be during the day, when night comes around the chaos dies down.