The Streets Where We Live

New York Times Tries to Get to Know Inwood

Which is the Inwood you know and love? Could it be both? (Photo credit: Left: G. Paul Burnett, Right: Suzanne DeChillo)

Perhaps it's impossible to truly know a neighborhood if you do not live there. Over the past few years, The New York Times has tried to get to know our dynamic and interesting neighborhood, always getting some parts right and some wrong. The past two larger-scale features about the area have had a slant that some perceive left out a portion of the neighborhood, through East of Broadway/ West of Broadway, Hispanic/ Non-Hispanic or Monied/ Non-Monied myopia.

In February, many complained that Gregory Beyer's Real Estate section article "Northern Zone, South-of-the-Border Flavor" was too "East of Broadway" focused, what I believe is a euphemism for less wealthy and more Hispanic. Although the photo essay that accompanied the article does feature the Inwood community east of Broadway more prominently, a close read of the article highlights Inwood Hill Park and Park Terrace Gardens as well as Inwood's "Dominican restaurants, bodegas and beauty parlors [that] line 10th Avenue beneath the green elevated rails of the No. 1 train." The article also speaks to the Dominican and mulit-national Hispanic communities in the area as well as presumably non-Hispanic people who have chosen to make this area their home.

Today's article by Elisa Mala, "One Foot in the Past," written for the New York Times somewhat new Metropolitan section (used to be the City section) is meant to be less comprehensive in nature and takes readers on a six-hour-tour of the area. And yes, for the most part, Ms. Mala (the significance of the surname's Spanish meaning is not lost on me) stays west of Broadway and not once mentions the Dominican or mulit-national Hispanic communities who call Inwood home.

A lot is lost in that omission.

Granted, most Inwood residents are excited when the Grey Lady casts its eyes north of 155th Street, but one is left to wonder if there is no manner in which our dynamic neighborhood can get its fair coverage in the paper of record.

Out of Honey at Inwood's Farmer's Market

Disturbing news from the Farmer's Market: Dewayne, the beloved and eccentric honey guy, and Tremblay Apiaries will no longer be coming to Inwood on Saturdays. Instead, he will be selling his honey at the Union Square Market from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. No word yet on why they've made the switch, but it most likely had to do with low sales in comparison with potential revenue at the more densely populated and frequented Union Square Market.

Those interested in buying their honey without trekking south can order online, but then you would miss the scintillating conversation about the difference between bamboo (my favorite) and goldenrod honey.

Is the Grass All That Greener Somewhere Else? Or, Wherever You Go, There You Are: Making the Case For Inwood Living

Image from the Park's Department 

After my family came from Argentina to the US during the 70s, we lived in New York for a short time before moving to the suburbs of New Jersey. My parents, although coming from a big city themselves, sought out a place where my brothers and I could ride our bikes, play in a yard and enjoy the outdoors with ease. Within a few years, we moved out of an apartment into a small house with a big yard with a creek down the block. My childhood summers were spent sucking honeysuckle off the bushes in our driveway, exploring in the creek and swatting away mosquitoes at sleepovers in the backyard. 

I loved those summers, but as I grew up, that backyard seemed smaller and smaller, and the creek held no more mysteries. I wanted more, and by the time my mother brought me to Manhattan (anyone who has heard my "why I live in New York story" knows this story well) I knew I wanted to live here. My only concern was where to ride my bike. At 34 years old, I have figured that one out. It may be a little harder to find, but the nature I enjoyed as a child is just as accessible here, especially in Inwood. 

That's why I bristled at the Pew Foundation report mentioned in today's David Brooks' column in the Times. Pew found that nearly half of all respondents in their survey said they would like to live somewhere else, and the majority of those respondents are city dwellers. Out of 30 major US cities, 24 percent of those surveyed said they would want to live in New York City; 75 percent said they would NOT want to live here. 

 

Image from Pew Research Center Publications

Although I understand the need or desire to live somewhere else, I question how hard people work to make the best of their surroundings in the city. Ben and I are committed to staying in the city, so when we began looking for an apartment to buy we knew it had to be somewhere where we could see ourselves living for a long time. Brooklyn is a great place, but all of the apartments we saw and could afford were far from the parks and left me feeling claustrophobic. The section of Northern Inwood we now live in, on the other hand, has lots of parks, proximity to the river and low buildings that show off big blue sky during the day and the moon and sparkling stars at night. 

Brooks writes: "If you jumble together the five most popular American metro areas — Denver, San Diego, Seattle, Orlando and Tampa — you get an image of the American Dream circa 2009. These are places where you can imagine yourself with a stuffed garage — filled with skis, kayaks, soccer equipment, hiking boots and boating equipment. These are places you can imagine yourself leading an active outdoor lifestyle."

Inwood has shown me that it is possible to do a lot of the activities those packed garages imply their owners actually do (although I question how much of the country is doing the things their sport's equipment are meant to do), while living in a place that also offers a variety of cultural centers alongside an equally diverse population. From the looks of a lot of the comments left in response to Brooks' article, a lot of people are with me on this. Manhattan living does not have to mean you have to break from nature and be miserable, but it does take work just like anywhere else. 

My favorite quote came from Michael Belleau who lives in Portland, Maine: 

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EDITORS' SELECTIONS (what's this?)

February 17, 2009 11:12 am

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Although couched in democrats-are-elitist language as usual, Mr. Brooks article nicely summarizes the simple fact that Americans like to live in a safe place with lots of people around and lots of fun stuff to do. We want our own little place with a yard. And, according to his list of popular places to live, we DO want to live in the city. We DO want to be able to walk and bike to things. We want the American version of the British row house with it's small yard in back. Only we want our American garage. Now where's my drum set.....

Michael Belleau Architect

— Michael Belleau, Portland, Maine

I agree, Michael! And as much as I gripe about the A train on occasion and daydream about moving to a small house upstate, I think the reality will be much worse than my romance of such a place. I fear that if I were to move, we would wind up like one of the commenters who left Brooklyn for Michigan, only to return her family smack dab right in Clinton Hill. Seems the grass wasn't greener out there after all. 

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This Pew survey allows you to see how your satisfaction ranks in comparison. Apparently 84 percent of Americans rate their communities lower than I do! How do you rank?