Paley Park Plaza

Oceane Mercadal

Activity #7

After having studied William H. Whyte, The Social Life of Small Urban Places I was asked to go spend some time at a plaza in New York City. I decided to give a visit to Paley Park on 53rd street between 5th and Madison Avenue. The plaza is relatively small with a giant waterfall on the back wall. Is sat at a table alone and put my head phones on pretending I was listening to music even though is wasn’t turned on. The sound coming from the waterfall locked the voices of other people; I couldn’t even hear what the couple next to me was talking about.

Just like the movie of William H. Whyte, which was shown in class I was able to observe people moving chairs as little as an inch just because it gave them the feeling of being in control. What was interesting to observe during my visit to the plaza was that even though there was a similar looking open space right next to Paley Park the concentration of people was inside the park itself. The walls of the park covered buy leaves and the few plants in large pots made you feel like you weren’t in the city any more. The waterfall also emphasizes the feeling of being in the forest as it blocks the noise coming from people surrounding you and the car traffic going on. The movies describes how a concentration of people can be found under trees because they feel protected like if they were sitting under the awning of a café.

The one affect that Paley Park fulfills the best would be the fact that “a busy place seems to be the most congenial kind of place if you want to be alone”. I personally think that the main reason for this feeling is due to the noise coming from the water. As it blocks all other noises around, you can close your eyes and imagine yourself alone near the Niagara Falls. People who were sitting in groups of two’s or three’s seemed to have to shout in order for their friends to be able to hear what they were saying.

I went to the plaza at 4pm, people were still at work, which is probably the reason why I didn’t get to observe as much of what was described in the film. However I saw that people uses edges a lot like this one man who came alone with his coffee. He sat, drank and did things with his phone, got up and left. There were also a few people who started walking up the stairs and then realized something and turned around. On my way home I passed another plaza resembling the one in the film. It was located on 53rd and Park Avenue. This one had a large waterfall, which people were able to approach compared to the on in Paley Park who had a thick metal chain telling you to back off. I think that the plaza on Park was Seagram building plaza and it was nice to see kids playing with the water running around the fountain and adults sitting with there feet in the water.

The plaza observation also allowed me to realize on thing, which is that people’s favorite activity is to observe other people. According to William H. Whyte’s video this is the number one activity of people when they go to a plaza like the girl watchers leaning against an edge and observing women like they weren’t worthy of their talents but without making a move. Going to a plaza was interesting because not only was I able to observe certain patterns but I now found a calm place to go and study during sunny days.

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.

Activity 5:Community Board Meeting

Activity 5:Community Board Meeting
Rosedelle A Chery


For the activity I decided to go the community board meeting that for community board 14 in Queens. I choose to attend this board meeting because it was for my neighborhood and the rest of the Rockaway Peninsula. The community board meeting was held on March 30th at 7pm at the Far Rockaway Church of Christ on beach 19th st and Nameyoke. The meeting hall wasn’t as big as one would expect being that this was supposed to be a community board meeting for the entire Rockaways and Breezy Point. There weren’t many people there either; it was about 45 people including the chair, speaker and other committee members. There were many topics and concerns discussed at the meeting. The meeting was split into two sessions; one was the public session and the other was the business session. I only stayed for the public session, because this was the session where the public was involved and encouraged to speak to the board.
The Meeting started with the speaker Angelina stating couple of decisions taken by the senator. She said that on February 24 the Senator passed the health Care Decision Act and on February 23 the senator legalized marijuana use for medical reasons. I found that very interesting because I didn’t hear about that anywhere else and I’m big supporter of marijuana for medical use. There were people talking behind me about how drug dealers and addicts might take advantage this decision and that it would ultimately hurt the community. Then there were many other speakers talking about issues and concerns that they had. There many different issues that the public had, such as how to make the Rockaways safer, putting a stop to gang violence, and the drug problem that are plaguing the Community. Another issue raised was about having festivals and block parties in the neighborhood as fund raisers and ways to collect money for different types of causes and to bring the community together. One of the festivals that were mentioned was one to raise money in order to restore some parks in Far Rockaway and to build some community centers in some of the vacant lots around Rockaway. The speaker for this festival was Manny Holmes, since there weren’t many people there; he had about 5 minutes to speak without being timed
One speaker that caught my attention was Rebecca Sanchez. Sanchez talked about a local issue that is bothering the neighborhood. Sanchez talked about the multiple complaints of fights that take place outside of Irish bars. This issue caught my attention because I also think that it is a big issue, these fights outside of clubs could affect the neighborhood peace and well as harm people walking by the clubs, especially children. Also I live next to a bar and I know how crazy people can get late at night coming from the bar. There was also a speaker from the 100 and 101 police precincts, Julie Mennon. I think she was there to listen to the concerns of the community about the violence that’s affecting Rockaway. She talked about some of the steps that police were taking to make our streets safer, like more patrols and various operations there were targeting drug and gun dealers. She also talked about how it was important for the community not to see the cops as enemies, put as partners in creating a better Rockaway.
One of the people attending, his name was Roy Myles, proposed as festival for the police officers and the community residents in order to establish some sort of trust between the two. I thought that it sounded like a good idea but I don’t think it will happen because too many people are set in there ways and don’t trust the cops, and I don’t think the cops will trust many people from Southern Rockaway, where most of the violence occurs. Most of the board members, including chair woman Dolores Orr, thought it was a good idea. Though the members said that they thought Mr. Myles suggestion was a good one, I believe that is was a good example of the fourth rung of the ladder of citizen participation, consultation. In this step on the ladder, citizens are allowed a certain degree of participation, in which they can state their concerns or ideas, however “they lack the power to insure that their views would be heated by the powerful…hence no assurance of changing the status quo” (Arnstein). I felt like all the talk of fundraisers was just talk, and I don’t have 100% percent confident that anything will happen. However this was only my first meeting so I will have faith. There were many other issues regarding money, improving neighborhoods, and land mark proposals.
One of the things that concerned me was the fact that the meeting was held is Far Rockaway, which is not really that safest or most welcoming place. I think that was the main reason why there weren’t many people there. Even I was hesitant to go there at night. I think they should find a more neutral place to have the meeting, so that more people might want to go. Overall I found the meeting very exciting. I was interested in the issues and concerns that each speaker brought up. I think these public meetings are very important in informing people about issues or upcoming plans because it helps people take an active part in making the community better. Sherry Arnstein states in the “Ladder of citizen Participation”, “citizen participation is a categorical term for citizen power. It is the redistribution of power that enables the have not citizens, previously excluded from the political and economic processes, t be deliberately included in the future.” When not have any real say on what decisions are made in Washington, but we can play a part in those made for out community. I never knew that community board meeting even existed; much less that there would be one in Rockaway. As soon as the semester is over, I will definitely attend more meetings.

Sexualized/Gendered/Queer Spaces by Patricia Fraser

Checking out El Barrio for spaces that would be considered mainly masculine or feminine was fairly easy, but in terms of spaces that would be considered gay/lesbian/queer spaces, was alot harder to define. The spaces that were predominently female were all the hair and nail salons. The school grounds were also mainly female because more caretakers dropping off and picking up kids were female. During the day, the staff working with the kids in the playground were also predominently female. Laundromats were split evenly between men and women in attendance.

The males spaces that I found turned out to be local stores that on the outside look like small grocery stores, but inside Spanish music is blasting, and chairs and tables are set up. There are no customers inside, only older men sitting at the tables in groups talking, playing cards and Dominoes. There are no women in sight. Also in front of the gates of enclosed community gardens sit groups of men also talking and playing Dominoes. Again, maybe one or two women are in the group, but no more. Even in the garden, which is stereotypically considered a woman's domain, there are only men watering plants and taking care of the garden.

In terms of gay/lesbian/queer spaces in Spanish Harlem, I did not see any openly obvious spaces. However, in observing groups of young people together, it is not uncommon to see gay or lesbian teens, sometimes in couples, among a group. Also many adults, reagrdless of age, walk around singularly, as couples or in small groups together, on their way to someplace else. Being a part of this community, I know that I feel safe in Spanish Harlem walking with my partner and friends in the street. There is no negative talk or behavior directed at us or anyone else I have seen.

Manhattan has several spaces that offer support, advocacy, and social networks for teens, adults and seniors who are part of the gay and lesbian community. Hetrick Martin Institute is a multiservice organization located in the Village for gay and lesbian teenagers. Along with the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center, also in the Village, these places offer a safe space to meet and hang out, and get advice and guidance from adults. Harvey Milk High School is for teens who identify as gay, lesbian or transgender who were bullied and ostracized in other high schools, but still want to continue their education. The Door is also a multiservice agency, but it serves all teens aand young adults, regardless of gender, orientation, disability, race, nationality or socioeconomic status. SAGE is an organization for gay and lesbian senior citizens to find friendship, support, advocacy and social opportunities.

When I typed in a search for "gay New york City", alot of links to bars, restaurants, and social events for residents as well as tourists came up. Besides that bookstores, retail stores and hotels offering discounts to visitors also came up. I could go on because I know of many more places, but the point is that New York is alot more open and tolerant of many different types of people and there is something for everyone in this city.

Activity 7: Plaza Observation

Activity 7: Plaza Observation

Rosedelle A Chery

For this activity, we had to redo the “urban life project” by William H. Whyte. I decided to go to Greenacre Park. It was really beautiful and peaceful. I never knew such a serene place existed in New York. There was giant waterfall in the middle of the park and a pond that it flowed into. Through all the hustle and bustle of the city, Greenacre plaza is used as a quiet getaway from the stresses of the city. It’s a place for people to meet up, socialize with friends and coworkers and it’s a place for people go when they want to be by themselves. Greenacre Park is located on 51^st between 2^nd and 3^rd ave, so the majority of people there were tourist, shoppers and seemingly business people. Most of the people were white, but there was a good mix of other races. There were mothers and nannies there, relaxing with kids, girlfriends probably talking about the latest gossip and men talking about stock numbers and sports(I didn’t want to be to nosy so I’m only assuming that’s what they were talking about). There were people there alone simply enjoying the wonderful scenery.

I believe Greenacre Park is being used today exactly for what it was built. Greenacre Park and parks like this that are built in the middle of the city were created to provide New Yorkers with a place outside of their homes where they can relax. When I visited Greenacre Park, that’s exactly what people were doing. Everyone seemed calm and seemed to be enjoying this oasis. There were some that still looked like they had the world on there shoulders, like this woman who was staring blanking into the rushing water. It seems as though she got lost in her own mind and the mesmerizing waterfall. Also, it is a great tourist attraction for people who simply thing the New York is just the busiest and most hectic city in the world. The park was very welcoming and it didn’t, to me, have any places there that were meant to keep out undesirable. I think that the location of the park and the people there, depending on the time are what keep out undesirables. The fact that it is in the middle of midtown, might keep away low income people that don’t really go to that early of Manhattan, and if it was totally filled with white people or another race, it might keep certain people out. However, the park in itself didn’t have separating effect because it was so peaceful and open.

One of the best aspects of Greenacre Park is the large amounts of sunlight that it allows. There aren’t too many trees there to cast an overbearing shadow; however there are enough to provide necessary shading on sunny days. According to William H. Whyte, “the quality of the experience…is greater when there is sun around (p 42).” I agree with Whyte because there is nothing better feeling the sun’s warmth on you on a cool day. The trees also provides protection when the sun is to hot and the dynamic between the amount trees and sunlight illustrates another thing the Whyte mentions. He states that “the best time to sit under a tree is when there is sunlight to be shaded from (p42).” The best thing about Greenacre was the waterfall. Sitting near it made me feel like I was in the tropics, relishing from the soft mist the splashed on me as the water fell. Whyte mentions that “it is not right to put water in front of people and keep them from it (p 48).” However, I don’t agree with this statement because then people would just go in the water and might cause a lot of ruckus in a calm place. I liked the fact that there were sitting areas near the waterfall so one can feel some water as it splashes. I didn’t see any plaques there that led me to believe that Greenacre Park was private. I enjoyed visiting Greenacre Park and I will definitely go back with my friends during the summer when I need to unwind.

Activity #5

Jennifer Rios

Activity #5

For the community board visit, I decided to take part in a community board meeting that was held in Intermediate School 227. This meeting was held by Community Board 3, which covers the East Elmhurst, North Corona, and Jackson Heights area. In East Elmhurst, one can generally find people of the upper-middle class, which consists of moderate-income residents. This area consists of more houses rather than apartment buildings. On the other hand, the people in North Corona and Jackson Heights are more likely to consist of the lower-middle class, which consists of lower-income residents. In these neighborhoods, apartments are seen more often than houses. In all three areas, the majority of the population is usually Hispanic and Latino. Despite the dominance of this ethnicity, there are several Caucasians and Asians scattered around the area as well.

The goal of Community Boards is to address issues on social, economic, health, and safety issue, issues that I was interested in seeing how the Community Board handled. By having residents attend these meetings, “It is the strategy by which the have-nots join in determining how information is shared, goals and policies are set, tax resources are allocated, programs are operated, and benefits like contracts and patronage are parceled out” (Arnstein). Desptie the power that people may have in these meetings, the community board meeting I went to was the complete opposite of what I had expected it to be. This meeting was held in the small lunchroom of I.S. 227. I thought that this meeting was going to be filled with people who were there to complain about the many things that are wrong in these neighborhoods, since I live in Elmhurst and have been witness to the local residents complaining to their neighbors in front of the corner grocery store about a need for change. Surprisingly, this meeting lacked the people I hear complaining on a daily basis, who should be there to fight for what they believe should be changed in their neighborhood. Unfortunately, the meeting consisted of about thirty people, most who consisted of the community board members.

Some issues that were raised in this meeting consisted of the Department of Health and Sanitation complaining about there being a rat problem in the area and an excess of garbage in the streets. I believe that this was the most interesting issue that was brought up throughout the whole meeting because of the fact that I have noticed garbage bags being left outside on the streets for days. I was never too sure if the problem was that residents were not paying attention to the times that sanitation trucks would pass by the area or if the sanitation workers were not doing their jobs. Despite this personal inquiry, I was glad that this issue was brought up in order to make a possible difference.

Another issue that was discussed in the meeting was the renewal of liquor licenses for a restaurant in Jackson Heights. This restaurant is called Antojitos 37 Corp. and it began to operate on January 1^st, 2010. The current owner was using the previous owner’s liquor license because he did not think it was needed to renew the license just because of a change to the name of the restaurant. The new owner never requested a temporary license after he took over the business, which the community board members seemed to have looked down on. After a heated debate about what should be done in this situation, the community board members decided that he can no longer use the current license he was using and must attempt to get his own, since it is legally a new business in operation and must have its own legal documents.

What intrigued me to this specific community board meeting was the fact that there was a lack of people. I had expected there to be many more people eager to fight for the rights of their community but was shown otherwise. Also, I believe that other issues such as gang violence and endangered youth should have been addressed, since these are issues that are most prevalent in these neighborhoods. “In short, it is the means by which [people] can induce significant social reform which enables them to share in the benefits of the affluent society” (Arnstein), meaning that these communities will be the ones to suffer if they do not decide to take a stance now.

Activity #7

Jennifer Rios
Activity #7

For the plaza observation, I decided to visit Paley Park in order to re-do the “urban life” project. As I looked and analyzed the area and the people around me, I noticed that many people used the area as a place to socialize with others or even spend some time alone by reading the newspaper or a book. Throughout the time that I was there, I did not see anyone sitting down and not engaging I some kind of activity. A majority of the people that were present at Paley Park were Caucasian males and females. A young couple and I seemed to be the only people who were of some kind of a Spanish background. This was a shame for me to see because of the fact that Paley Park is a very beautiful and relaxing area that I wish would be explored by more minorities, instead of it being dominated by whites. I believe that people in this space are in fact using Paley Park the way it was intended to be used because of the fact that I saw people being social with one another and taking advantage of most of the elements that make a plaza.

In terms of sitting space, sun, trees, and food, Paley Park has all of these elements but not an excess of it. In my opinion, Paley Park is a very small area making it hard to have a lot of these elements around, but I believe that the elements present are enough to make it a relaxing and attracting area. This park is usually dark because of the surrounding buildings and trees, adding onto the feeling of comfort and ability to just relax. According to William H. Whyte, he was able to show, “that the sun was important, but [the sun] did not explain the difference in the popularity of plazas” (24). What could also be attracting people to the plaza is the ability to sit down on the chairs, which could be moved around giving the public a choice on where to sit. Also, “when people explain why they find Paley Park so quiet and restful, one thing they always mention is the waterwall” (48). I believe that the waterwall is the main attraction at this park because it is like a waterfall in the middle of the city, which is rare and aims at attracting the public. Paley Park in general is kind of a random resting spot for the busy people of New York to recharge themselves in order to continue their day.

Right in front of the waterwall are steps, which I felt as if were placed there in order to keep “the undesirables” from touching the water. If these steps inclined downward instead of upward, then it would have more of an inviting feeling. In terms of surveillance mechanisms, I did not really see any around unless they were hidden really well. I did not see a guard either or a sign stating when Paley Park closes. I did realize that the buildings around the park were an informal surveillance mechanism because people can look out of the windows of these buildings, which may prevent people in Paley Park from committing any crimes. The only plaque that I saw was one that stated that this space was made in the memory of Samuel Paley, which gave me the idea that this park may be privately owned, but the plaque also stated that it was for the enjoyment of the public. Overall, my experience in Paley Park was one I had never had before. I believe what made this experience a new one for me was the fact that this park seems to have been squeezed in between buildings but is still able to provide relaxation because of its, “satisfying enclosure; people feel cuddled, protected- very much as they do under the awning of a street café (46).