How observing were you live makes you see it in a different way

Oceane Mercadal

Activity #6

According to Hayden Dolores’ article a “ ‘good’ neighborhood is one usually defined in terms of conventional shopping, schools, and perhaps public transit, rather than additional and social services for the working parent, such as day care or evening clinics.” (p. 145) I believe that my neighborhood is a ‘good’ one according to this statement. I currently live on 85^th and Lexington. The area is great to all types of people even though the upper east side of Manhattan is usually known for it’s high society. The building I live in includes old retired couples, single bachelors and families of small sizes. You can also find younger crowds few avenues east and large families as you go towards Madison Avenue were the penthouses could be found.

The area is located in the center of some major shopping activities such as a Barnes and Nobles, which recently opened on 86^th street between 3^rd and 2^nd avenue, a Sephora right next door to it, Victoria Secret, Foot Locker, Banana republic, Modell’s and a few more across the street. In order for a neighborhood to be a ‘good’ one according to Hayden Dolores it needs to be near an important shopping activity, which mine is as you also have 2 Duane Reads in a 4block radius, a large supermarket, a Best Buy and a Pet Co. with this list of stores which are concentrated between 86^th and 84^th street from Lexington to 2^nd avenue.

What also makes where I live a ‘good’ neighborhood is that you have the 6, 4 and 5 train at the same subway entrance and a bus stop right around the corner. It takes you 10 minutes to go to midtown and to any transfer trains you need. On the other hand besides for the hospital that is around 95th and 2nd Avenue and the synagogue at the bottom of my building, I have never seen any other social services besides the pet hospital on 82^nd street corner west of Lexington Avenue.

Even though I had never noticed it before there are “male” and “female” spaces around where I live. I have always thought that every one went everywhere now a days but when you look at it closely I realized that the Game Stop right behind by building was filled with boys. The age range varied from 12 to probably 40, kids going with their dads and few adults addicted to video games. It was interesting to observe that no mothers or little girls where to be found in the store. The Victoria Secret on the other block is the complete opposite I go their probably once a week just to check if they have anything new and until I was asked to look for “female” secluded spaces I never paid attention to the fact that only woman set foot in this store. A man or two will take the adventure if their taking their girlfriend lingerie shopping and the security guy at the front door otherwise only women can be found.

Another thing, which I have been able to notice due to a class assignment, is that people tend to do ‘private’ things in public areas. Central Park is 3block away from my apartment so as soon as the weather gets nice like all typical New Yorkers do, you go for a walk in the park. I didn’t noticed until I started paying attention that groups of people sitting on the grass enjoying the sun did things which had appropriate areas for besides from the park. I remember these 4adults sitting in a circle on towels spread across the grass eating sandwiches. They were wearing business suits and seemed to be having a reunion. Special offices are available for these kinds of meetings in buildings, they don’t need to go to the park and have every one around them able to hear their business conversation. However the one thing that shocked me the most was a young couple lying down on the grass. The girl had a pair of shorts and bikini top while the guy was shirtless with a pair of shorts. Nothing wrong to the fact that they were enjoying the sun but they kept hugging and making out in front of every one, which I have to admit was a little uncomfortable for my friend and I who were walking by.

What I have been able to observe from the area I live in is that it is available to all kinds of people, weather you have a family or you’re a single working individual. The most interesting thing is that the exercise I was asked to do opened my eyes and taught me how to look at my neighborhood in a different way. Even though you see all kinds of people on the street some stores will attract a certain kind and not another.