UPTOWN REVISITED

Photo by: Saundi Wilson

The other day I was at an event that the Sound of Art threw for artist, Don Rimx. An event where the main organizers were from right around the area, but the crowd consisted of a gumbo of races and ethnicities from the rest of the boroughs and out of state.

A crowd of people who drove or took the train all the way to what the New York Times likes to call ‘Upstate Manhattan,’ but we prefer to call it ‘El Alto.’

This event (as have our others) not only gave us the oppurtunity to profile this young, talented artists’ work, but it also allowed us to show the people how cool, vibrant and creative our neighborhood is.

How we have all these restaurants that give us a United Nations cafeteria feel; How we have groups on Meetup and Facebook where new residents can get together with people who were born and raised here; How we have our own neighborhood internet series; How we profile our neighborhood news on a daily basis through a blogging community as deep and as rich as in any part of this city.

When I was growing up, I never thought I’d see what I am witnessing now. I also never thought I’d be a part of it because I was either too scared to create it or thought no one else would. But what I learned in the past few years is that there are so many people out here looking for that connection. Looking for those people they can not only meet, but learn from including me.

Every time I go to or hold an event, I meet someone new. In the past few months, I’ve met people who lived a few blocks away from me my whole life and are doing fabulous work. People I see every day going to work, taking the train and yet we’ve never said a word to each other. People whose occupations show a rainbow of sorts of our neighborhood.

Everything from photographers, writers, actors, singers, business owners; they all live and love it up here.

To this day, when I’m riding on the 1 train, I’ll people watch. I’ll look at the residents I think are new to this neighborhood and those who look familiar to me. I see the young professionals. I see the older professionals. Sometimes I wonder if they just live up here. If they just wake up, shower, and go to work. If they come back from work, eat dinner and go to sleep. If there’s nothing in between. And for many the answer was yes.

Many people don’t have anyone to go to a local restaurant with or have a drink with. Many don’t know how much fun you can have up here. There are far too many people in our communities who feel that way, but I now know there are plenty of outlets popping up daily where they can get in touch with our community.

Whether it’s a tweet-up with Inwood/Wash Heights Twitter users; Whether its an impromptu ‘bum rush’ of a local restaurant by 10-15 residents; Whether it’s Hula Hoopin’ in the park or an art show being thrown at a local establishment. There’s so much that’s been created by the people of this neighborhood for anyone from anywhere to partake in.

Usually, when people mention the hot new neighborhoods in our city, affordability (mainly rent) is usually at the top of the list to qualify. Downtown Manhattanites either make the move to the South Bronx, Brooklyn, Astoria or other parts of the city when they are priced out of Murray Hill, Midtown, or Chelsea.

When you think of Washington Heights and Inwood, you think lower rents (though that’s changing), parks, and buildings with huge apartments. But I truly believe when people start thinking of our ‘hood in the future, the advantages to their wallets will no longer be the only reason they move up here. The shot at having an extended family will be.

Because as I mentioned earlier, we aren’t a community, we are a family; and like all families we have disagreements whether its from our bedroom window or at a community meeting.

*take the broom and hit the top of the ceiling*

‘Turn the music down’

*open the window*

‘Stop speaking so loud’

*stands up at a community meeting*

‘I cant live here anymore. I cant afford it.’

And whether we know it or not, that same weekend we are probably having dinner or brunch at Mamajuana or Garden Cafe with the people we randomly screamed out the window to or told to keep it down.

Things are changing dramatically out here and there are ; new Thai restaurants, Middle Eastern and healthy ones as well. When I was younger, we gave these stores a life of 1 year. Most of these establishments have already passed that mark.

But, with all the burgeoning entrepreneurship and different faces come effects that many confront at the end of every month and that’s a four letter word called rent.

Affordable housing is an issue that
continues to plague our community and no relief seems to be on the horizon.

With a median income of nearly $30,000, our neighborhoods need a substantial amount of affordable housing units because while our community may be changing for the better, let’s hope it doesn’t change to the point where the overall culture of the neighborhood is lost.

Because despite all the gains we’ve made, there would be nothing that could match the loss of that.

Without it, we are nothing.