I live in a residential community called Stuyvesant Town which is located on the east side (by the East River) between 14th Street and 20th Street. This community provides its residents with various amenities such as laundry facilities, recycling and garbage disposal centers, tennis courts, basketball courts, playgrounds, sprinklers, and many benches located outside in the Stuyvesant Town. The community also provides residents who have a membership with a cinema and a daycare system for those who have children. Although not everyone has access to these amenities, these are great attributes of my community.
I chose to take pictures of the East Village surrounding my community because I tend to spend most of my time there rather than in Stuyvesant Town itself. I like the East Village especially more than Stuyvesant Town because it is extremely diverse in culture and as a neighborhood. There are so many different places to go and so many things to see. I find a new place each time I walk around the neighborhood.
Unlike some neighborhoods in Manhattan, the East Village caters to many kinds of people and cultures. The restaurants are extremely diverse and cultured. One restaurant may serve Polish food while another may serve Mexican or even Australian food. This seems like an ideal neighborhood for a diverse number of people. Rather than the neighborhoods in Manhattan that are separated based on culture, an ideal place would be somewhere that has something for everyone.
A neighborhood “having something for everyone” also related to the idea of Community Access, which is the major theme of this project. Community Access can relate to access to food, green space like parks or gardens, education, transportation, youth programs, or anything in between. This “ideal place” is somewhere that provides the community with all of these things that are available to everyone regardless of class, income, or social status. An ideal place is somewhere where everyone is able to live comfortably without having to struggle for a home, for food, or for education. Many communities are quite isolated, even in New York City, with no access to trains and very limited bus service. This is a problem for many people, because they may not be able to send their children to good schools due to the commute or even shop for healthy food to provide themselves or their family with. Community Access also relates to the idea of wealth distribution and inequality in New York City which is a very important issue that surrounds us.
The Lower East Side Ecology Center and Garden provides the local community with access to composting and recycling if they do not have access to it in their own buildings, as some buildings do not provide these services. This is something in my community that enables people to give back to the environment and reduce their carbon footprint in some way. This is something that not all communities have access to but should. The planet that we live in should be of importance in each community regardless of location. This is not true, however, as many communities do not know about the importance of composting or recycling and are unaware about its benefits to the community and to the environment itself. Many buildings do not have access to recycling even though there may be a recycling program in the neighborhood. A center like this could benefit not just the planet, but the people of the community as well.
This center, although a great part of the community, has odd hours in which many people may not be able to drop off their compost or recyclables. Like many of the other community gardens in the East Village, a volunteer always has to be on duty in order for the garden to be open to the public. This may be because many people have plants or vegetables growing in the garden that need to be taken care of or because of safety issues regarding the property, as these parks and gardens are not protected by the government but directly by the people in the community. However, the garden does let people leave their compost near the fence or by the entrance to be brought in by the person opening the garden at a given time.
The other members of my group do not have access to community gardens or community recycling or composting programs like the one in my community. This means that they may not be able to recycle or compost their waste merely because they do not have access to it. This is true in many communities in New York City alone. I think that everyone should have access to these gardens because, living in New York City, we are not exposed to nature and the outdoors. These gardens give the people of the city the ability and opportunity to interact with nature and to get an experience that they would otherwise have no access to.
I chose to take pictures of the East Village surrounding my community because I tend to spend most of my time there rather than in Stuyvesant Town itself. I like the East Village especially more than Stuyvesant Town because it is extremely diverse in culture and as a neighborhood. There are so many different places to go and so many things to see. I find a new place each time I walk around the neighborhood.
Unlike some neighborhoods in Manhattan, the East Village caters to many kinds of people and cultures. The restaurants are extremely diverse and cultured. One restaurant may serve Polish food while another may serve Mexican or even Australian food. This seems like an ideal neighborhood for a diverse number of people. Rather than the neighborhoods in Manhattan that are separated based on culture, an ideal place would be somewhere that has something for everyone.
A neighborhood “having something for everyone” also related to the idea of Community Access, which is the major theme of this project. Community Access can relate to access to food, green space like parks or gardens, education, transportation, youth programs, or anything in between. This “ideal place” is somewhere that provides the community with all of these things that are available to everyone regardless of class, income, or social status. An ideal place is somewhere where everyone is able to live comfortably without having to struggle for a home, for food, or for education. Many communities are quite isolated, even in New York City, with no access to trains and very limited bus service. This is a problem for many people, because they may not be able to send their children to good schools due to the commute or even shop for healthy food to provide themselves or their family with. Community Access also relates to the idea of wealth distribution and inequality in New York City which is a very important issue that surrounds us.
The Lower East Side Ecology Center and Garden provides the local community with access to composting and recycling if they do not have access to it in their own buildings, as some buildings do not provide these services. This is something in my community that enables people to give back to the environment and reduce their carbon footprint in some way. This is something that not all communities have access to but should. The planet that we live in should be of importance in each community regardless of location. This is not true, however, as many communities do not know about the importance of composting or recycling and are unaware about its benefits to the community and to the environment itself. Many buildings do not have access to recycling even though there may be a recycling program in the neighborhood. A center like this could benefit not just the planet, but the people of the community as well.
This center, although a great part of the community, has odd hours in which many people may not be able to drop off their compost or recyclables. Like many of the other community gardens in the East Village, a volunteer always has to be on duty in order for the garden to be open to the public. This may be because many people have plants or vegetables growing in the garden that need to be taken care of or because of safety issues regarding the property, as these parks and gardens are not protected by the government but directly by the people in the community. However, the garden does let people leave their compost near the fence or by the entrance to be brought in by the person opening the garden at a given time.
The other members of my group do not have access to community gardens or community recycling or composting programs like the one in my community. This means that they may not be able to recycle or compost their waste merely because they do not have access to it. This is true in many communities in New York City alone. I think that everyone should have access to these gardens because, living in New York City, we are not exposed to nature and the outdoors. These gardens give the people of the city the ability and opportunity to interact with nature and to get an experience that they would otherwise have no access to.
Tompkins Square Park in the East Village is somewhere where the community can gather for events or just to spend time in the park. Tompkins Square Park has a playground (shown above), a dog park, basketball courts, grass and benches for sitting, as well as bathroom facilities. This is a place where people can gather or take their dogs for a walk. Since most of the homes in my neighborhood are apartment buildings that do not have their own gardens or backyards, this is a place where people can bring their dogs or can just experience nature in a way that they are unable to in their homes. The community gives the people the access to the outdoors which is difficult to obtain in such an urban environment.
It is difficult to find peaceful places while living in such a busy city like New York City. These city parks, however, do give people the opportunity to have access to a peaceful, calm and quiet place. These parks may be somewhere people go to escape the busy streets or their busy lives. It seems as though time may slow down in such a place, rather than speeding by as it does when in a busy environment like the city.
It is difficult to find peaceful places while living in such a busy city like New York City. These city parks, however, do give people the opportunity to have access to a peaceful, calm and quiet place. These parks may be somewhere people go to escape the busy streets or their busy lives. It seems as though time may slow down in such a place, rather than speeding by as it does when in a busy environment like the city.
Physical Graffiti Tea Shop
Saint Marks Place is somewhere in my neighborhood that gives people access to a diverse variety of stores and restaurants or food. Pictured here, is a tea shop on Saint Marks Place called Physical Graffiti. This tea shop gives the people of the community a place to go to relax, study, and drink some tea. This tea shop also gives the community access to healthy food. There are many other places on this street where people can spend time and learn about new cultures through the many foods that are sold.
This one street gives the people of my community a great range of diversity in regards to culture. I believe each community should have something like this, in order to expose the people of the community to new cultures and new things in general. This could benefit people by opening their eyes and their minds to new things. New York City is a great place to experience different cultures, since many neighborhoods may reflect a certain country with its restaurants, food, and other amenities.
Saint Marks Place has to be my favorite place in the whole city of Manhattan. Although it is not very nature-oriented, it does represent the diversity of New York City. This one street has many restaurants and shops that represent different cultures. The street is always busy, whether it is in the morning when people line up to get their coffee or breakfast, in the middle of the day when people do their grocery shopping or go for lunch, or in the evening time when people meet up to go for dinner or just to walk around. When I go there, I find a place to eat and visit the various shops with friends or family. I enjoy observing the different types of people that come and go. This is one of my favorite places because it has something for everyone.
This one street gives the people of my community a great range of diversity in regards to culture. I believe each community should have something like this, in order to expose the people of the community to new cultures and new things in general. This could benefit people by opening their eyes and their minds to new things. New York City is a great place to experience different cultures, since many neighborhoods may reflect a certain country with its restaurants, food, and other amenities.
Saint Marks Place has to be my favorite place in the whole city of Manhattan. Although it is not very nature-oriented, it does represent the diversity of New York City. This one street has many restaurants and shops that represent different cultures. The street is always busy, whether it is in the morning when people line up to get their coffee or breakfast, in the middle of the day when people do their grocery shopping or go for lunch, or in the evening time when people meet up to go for dinner or just to walk around. When I go there, I find a place to eat and visit the various shops with friends or family. I enjoy observing the different types of people that come and go. This is one of my favorite places because it has something for everyone.
New York Healthy Choice
Shown to the right, is a local health food store that sells fruits, vegetables, herbs, teas and various health supplements. There are many health food stores located around the neighborhood which is a great thing because it gives the people in the community access to healthy foods. I believe that every person should have access to fruits and vegetables which is not always true. In some neighborhoods, there is no place that sells fresh fruits and vegetables. This means that people may have to travel farther to obtain these foods or may not even have access to doing to. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be something that every person is given, because they are necessities and are for the benefit of one’s health and wellness.