I live in an area of Queens that many people consider to be quiet, but commercialized. Where I live exactly does not necessarily draw people in, but the major shopping centers located just a few blocks from me do. My community is relatively quiet, and peaceful. There is a low crime rate, most likely due to the fact that my neighborhood is dominantly filled with seniors. I have been living in Elmhurst, Queens for the past 16 years, and can definitely say that my community has its benefits and drawbacks.
The two photos were taken on 85th street, 55th avenue in Elmhurst Queens. What is being shown is some of what is The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). The first photo was taken from a streets point of view, displaying an entrance/exit to a bridge that traverses the railroad. The second photo was taken from the bridge in an effort to highlight the mere fact that the railroad cannot be accessed in my community. The bridge is simply used as an overpass to reach a different street, and is also utilized as a shortcut to get to Queens Boulevard or Grand Avenue. Being only a block away from where I live, the bridge has been useful to me in many situations but has also brought to my attention one very important concept; Where in the world would I be able to access the Long island bound train? I remember attending an elementary school that lied just two blocks from this railroad that almost entirely had teachers from the Long Island region. Teachers attending this school are not able to utilize the railroad in ways that would greatly benefit them. Over the years, I have asked many individuals where the railroad could be accessed - all of which were clueless, including myself. With this said, I believe that my community does not have proper knowledge about the Long Island Railroad, nor easy access to it.
The two photos were taken on 85th street, 55th avenue in Elmhurst Queens. What is being shown is some of what is The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). The first photo was taken from a streets point of view, displaying an entrance/exit to a bridge that traverses the railroad. The second photo was taken from the bridge in an effort to highlight the mere fact that the railroad cannot be accessed in my community. The bridge is simply used as an overpass to reach a different street, and is also utilized as a shortcut to get to Queens Boulevard or Grand Avenue. Being only a block away from where I live, the bridge has been useful to me in many situations but has also brought to my attention one very important concept; Where in the world would I be able to access the Long island bound train? I remember attending an elementary school that lied just two blocks from this railroad that almost entirely had teachers from the Long Island region. Teachers attending this school are not able to utilize the railroad in ways that would greatly benefit them. Over the years, I have asked many individuals where the railroad could be accessed - all of which were clueless, including myself. With this said, I believe that my community does not have proper knowledge about the Long Island Railroad, nor easy access to it.
Before being shut down, St. Johns hospital played an important part in my community. The hospital was closed due to the bankruptcy of its operator; Caritas Healthcare. Because of the hospitals closing, about 2,500 people were left out of work, and most of its patients were transferred out of the hospital. One case of job loss that is known to me is that of Dr. Mohammad Ahsan, an emergency room attendant. The hospitals sudden shutdown left the doctor out of work -leaving him to register for unemployment. The hospitals shutdown has also greatly impacted me, because of its convenience of being only two blocks away from where I live. Prior to its closing, I had severely injured my knee and made appointments at the hospital almost every week. It was about halfway through my recovery process at the hospital when it was shut down. The shutdown forced me to attend different hospitals and doctors offices, which made commutation very difficult. To top off dreadful excursion, the hospitals that I now had to attend were intensely massed with patients not only from their communities, but those outside of them as well (including mine). Although there are other hospitals in Queens, residents from my community as well as others greatly depended on St. Johns. What intrigues me is the fact that the hospital has been closed for almost five years now, and still remains vacant. Taking into account the three month old “Popeyes” that was built right next to the vacant building, I do take into consideration the plans being made for this forsaken structure.
With the Queens Center Mall being a 10 minute walk from my house, access to name brand clothing, and over 20 food retailers has been extremely beneficial to me. Although my community has some of the best access to name brand clothing, shoes, jewelry, and fast food, I believe that it has its disadvantages. Because of the fact that there is a giant mall in my community, there is very little option to where residents can purchase clothing without having to travel long distances. There aren’t family owned, or small business clothing stores in the area, so residents are driven to shop at this particular center. I have become induced into shopping at the Queens Center Mall because of its relatively close location (last minute shopping, and emergency pickups augment the malls convenience). The food that this mall offers can also contribute to the disadvantages of living near a major shopping center. Since the mall offers a number of fast food retailers, there aren’t many eateries that offer healthy food. Living in the same area for sixteen years, has brought to my attention the fact that I haven’t eaten at an eatery that offers organic, healthy food in my community.
Access to transportation has been fairly simple for residents living in my community. My community has access to the Q88 bus, which can only be accessed by the Queens Center mall (in my community). The Q58 and Q59 bus are also available, with routes extending throughout my entire community. These two buses are frequently in use by residents in and out of the Elmhurst area. The buses allow residents to easily access parks, supermarkets, schools, and stores throughout Grand avenue. However, transportation by subway can be somewhat of a hassle. The R and M trains are the only trains available in the Woodhaven, Elmhurst, and Grand Avenue region so access to these trains can be rather difficult for those coming in from outside of the community. Buses in my community are pretty much used as substitutes for the lack of trains. I remember the dread of having to wait for the Q58 bus in the heart of winter to get to school because of not having access to a station that would leave me near it. Buses are my community's dominant source of public transportation.
Access to transportation has been fairly simple for residents living in my community. My community has access to the Q88 bus, which can only be accessed by the Queens Center mall (in my community). The Q58 and Q59 bus are also available, with routes extending throughout my entire community. These two buses are frequently in use by residents in and out of the Elmhurst area. The buses allow residents to easily access parks, supermarkets, schools, and stores throughout Grand avenue. However, transportation by subway can be somewhat of a hassle. The R and M trains are the only trains available in the Woodhaven, Elmhurst, and Grand Avenue region so access to these trains can be rather difficult for those coming in from outside of the community. Buses in my community are pretty much used as substitutes for the lack of trains. I remember the dread of having to wait for the Q58 bus in the heart of winter to get to school because of not having access to a station that would leave me near it. Buses are my community's dominant source of public transportation.