We also visited with Zoey, who was covered in tatoos and walking her pug. She told us that when her and her husband moved in, they were the only white people and now that's changed. She said it's still an up and coming neighborhood and not a lot of grocery stores, ect. but that she felt very safe (and had only been mugged in much "nicer" areas!). She also said there was a big West Indian population. I talked to Peyton, and while I think this is sad and partly my own fault, I think I would have a less difficult time assimilating with that sort of culture than one that is entirely African American. I'm not sure why- I know some of it is my own prejudice, just to be honest, which is something I hate.
Peyton: 6/10 for beautiful houses and friendly people; probably where we'd go if we were buying, but not the best neighborhood for kids
SD: 5/10 loved the homes and people, but few restaurants and groceries aren't easily available; also, I was a bit nervous on the main commercial street
After that, we went back to Harlem. Well, first we ate lunch in the Upper West Side. Then Harlem!
We walked around and as much as I love the culture and history of Harlem (and as much as I loved the friends we had met the day before!), I could tell we'd have a hard time fitting in there. In every neigborhood, we'd smile and nod and just gauge people's response. Overall, in some parts of Harlem people were welcoming but in some parts they weren't at all. In fact, Peyton nodded at one momma who had a screaming child and said "Hard day, huh?" and she didn't even acknowledge him. NOW, that could easily happen. In fact it sort of did with the white lady our age in Cobble Hill a few days before. But we got that response repeatedly.
We did have some good interactions, though, but it was pretty much in the areas we had been told were the best (they were the ones I felt most safe in, for sure). We stepped in a foster child advocacy service office and the woman there was so friendly and happy to explain what their orginization did (basically educated foster parents and children of their rights). We also met a guy at a coffee shop and had a great time talking with him about growing up in the area and how it's rapidly changing (improving, by most accounts).
He mixed water, lemon juice and sugar to make "free" lemonade and I could tell it was a daily ritual. There are few things I love more than watching people and hearing their stories.
We noticed that some apartments were having an open house the next day and stopped at the real estate office around the corner to ask if we could see the apartment that afternoon since we were leaving town the next day. We ended up realizing there was one going on then and stopped in. The apartment was AMAZING.
Too bad when we got on the subway we saw a cop. I asked him how he felt about the neigborhood (I always think asking a policeman is helpful) and he said he was there because there "was a robbery going on". One one way I was super disapointed because I had realized we could get some awesome space for our money, but in one way I was glad because it drew me back to where I really felt my heart going.
Peyton: 7/10 for diversity, gorgeous buildings, and rich cultural history; however still not a widespread sense of safety
SD: 6/10 because I love the culture and the history, but (and this varies block to block) I still struggle with feeling uncomfortable, out of place, and unsafe (This one was the hardest to evaluate yet) [P.S. Peyton was upset with me because Harlem has some gorgeous parts and I used a couple of crappy pictures, but to me that's the reality of it.]
After that, we made one more visit to Clinton Hill (the third!). We had some drinks at a bar and visited with the bartender and decided it was definitely our favorite neighborhood.
Favorite drinks in our favorite neighborhood.
Definitely no/hopefully so. The former (Bed Stuy) is getting a lot better but still has a bad reputation for crime, the latter (Clinton Hill) is a relatively safe, awesome neighborhood But they are right next to each other and the vibe changes FAST. I've noticed that a LOT in this city.
A neat thing happened. As we were walking down the street we saw a cop and someone came out of an apartment to check. He told the woman that someone had "called 311 for a blocked driveway". Clearly, a hugely different dynamic. BUT, there's still a lot of diversity and it doesn't feel as safe and comfortable as some of the neighborhoods we visited. There's still a bit of edge, but it's just a tiny bit outside my comfort zone.
We visited with a lady outside her beautiful brownstone and she told us about the area, how here family had been there for years, and how everyone took care of each other. It was a huge confirmation because our neighbor that I adore here in Flowood, Prentiss, told Peyton the exact same thing when he moved in. And he's been true to his word- he's the one who helped me get Graves out of the car when I locked him in it.
That night we went out to a swanky bar in the trendy West Village. It's an area we could never afford right now, but it's fun to hang out there :)
Urban Traveling Proptip: Even if you don't have a fridge, get your leftovers boxed in case you see a homeless person on the way home. You likely will see a homeless person on the way home.
He told me that when he went exploring by himself last night he put $20 between a homeless couple who were asleep and snuggling at the subway stop because he just thought they were so sweet. I cried. I hope I'm tough enough for this city (and good enough for this man).
We came back to the lodge and talked and went to bed super late.
No comments:
Post a Comment