The Criticism against New York City - Essay Example

17 December 2006 The Criticism against New York New York is without doubt one of the greatest cities in the world. It is considered a land of opportunity and serves as a beacon of hope for people from all over the world. The city has a unique personality, acute business sense, a social fabric that has incorporated people from practically every corner of the globe and a rich as well as diverse culture. Despite the wonderful things that can be said about it, the city has been lambasted over the ages and has come under virulent criticism from travelers, journalists and the like for a number of reasons. When the charges leveled against it are subjected to a careful examination it is revealed that there are common threads linking the criticisms. These include hygiene and health issues, overcrowding, crime, poverty, ethnic conflict, and abysmal housing conditions, particularly in the tenements. A study of the criticisms about the city and the grounds on which it is based is very illuminating. The problem of cleanliness has plagued New York City throughout its history and its association with filth remains to this day. Steinbeck said "New York is an ugly city, a dirty city".1 At one time, it was so dirty, pigs made the city their home and roamed the streets freely. Charles Dickens in his American Notes (1842), 2 gives a humorous account of the "gentlemen hogs" as the city's self - appointed scavengers and contributors of filth and disease. In addition to the disgraceful lack of cleanliness, the city did not have an adequate garbage disposal or sewer system. Therefore the city was susceptible to the attack of infectious diseases. New York has found itself in the grip of epidemic disease more often than it would care to remember. In the words of Lankevich, "Yellow fever visited the city five times between 1795 and 1822, and in 1832, a new strain of cholera swept into New York. Cholera reappeared in 1834, 1849, and 1855, typhoid fever ravaged the immigrants in 1837, and typhus erupted in 1842".3 Frances Trollope in her Domestic Manners of the Americans remarked on the queer practice New Yorkers had of fleeing the city in particular seasons in order to escape the dreaded plague. Over the years as the situation became increasingly serious and disease continued to ravage the city and its populace, public officials and the citizens themselves did everything they could to improve living conditions. Consequently there was considerable improvement in cleanliness levels and killer diseases were kept at bay. It is the general opinion that New York has failed to resolve its hygiene issues to this very day. Most critics insist that the city has not risen to the challenge of sanitation. They point to the slums which remain cesspools of dirt and disease, as evidence to support their claim. Moreover the city continues to wrestle with health issues, particularly the problem of communicable diseases. While diseases like cholera and typhoid have been effectively controlled thanks to the intervention of modern medical science, more threatening diseases like Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) have emerged to plague the populace. At one time it was considered to be hardly a cause for alarm as it was believed to be restricted exclusively to the homosexual community. Statistics however tell a different story of the rapid spread of AIDS in epidemic proportions. Greenfield and Reid state, "New York City ranks number one in the country when it comes to its rate of AIDS cases per population - and has more cases than the four runner - up cities combined".4 Truly a shocking state of affairs! From hordes of swine to deadly viruses the city continues to struggle with hygiene and disease. In the face of things, hygiene and disease seem miniscule issues when compared to the problems that have stemmed from the city's rapidly increasing population. New York City has thrown open its gates to immigrants of various ethnic backgrounds. Russians, Germans, Irish, Jews and Asians have thronged to its shores in the hope of living the great American Dream. These immigrants have played an important role in the economic and cultural development of the city. But as hundreds of thousands of immigrants flocked to the city, it became increasingly difficult to provide them with adequate housings facilities, job opportunities and medical supplies. In order to keep up with the housing demands, tenement houses5 sprang up by the dozen and they have received scathing criticism for the miserable living conditions they offer. The tenements are the direct result of an insatiable greed for profit and a corrupt and flawed system. These buildings were hastily thrown together constructions that paid scant attention to housing requirements or comfort. They were dark, dingy and disgusting. Immigrants and the impoverished were packed into these buildings like so many sardines in a can and were forced to pay exorbitant rates to the greedy proprietors. They could not afford to protest as there was always someone to pay the required rates and take their place. The alternative was even worse - homelessness. William Dean Howells in his Impressions and Experiences gives a chilling description of the conditions in the tenements - the foul odor pervading the atmosphere in the tenements, the stale, unfiltered air, the lack of fresh water and the undiluted misery of the people who live there. He draws attention to the heartlessness of the landlords who squeeze the tenants for all they are worth, in exchange for the miserable lodgings offered. According to Howells, life on the streets is superior to life in the tenements. His predictions for the future are dire and he says the poor will always be crammed into such places. One hears the frightening ring of truth in these words. 1902 saw the triumphant rise of New York's first skyscraper, the Flatiron Building. These magnificent buildings sprang up all over New York, making the best of the limited space available. They were believed to be the answer to overcrowding and poor housing conditions, but unfortunately it was not to be. In New York, according to Riis, "To - day three - fourths of its people live in the tenements, and the nineteenth century drift of the population to the cities is sending ever - increasing multitudes to crowd them".6 As foreseen by Howells and other critics, it is the poor immigrants and other indigents who continue to live in tenements and suffer from its resident evils. New York City has attracted immigrants from all over the world. Industrial development boomed thanks to the steady supply of cheap labor. However while the city itself appeared more than willing to have a symbiotic relationship with the immigrants, the sad truth is that life was hard for most of them and they were exploited mercilessly. As early as 1860, Lankevich says that foreigners landing on the shores of New York harbor, "were met by an unscrupulous army of 'immigrant runners' who while sometimes providing them with assistance, often robbed them as well".7 Immigrants had no choice but to live in the tenements, which have been called the "nurseries of crime, and of the vices and disorderly courses which lead to crime".8 People here live in abject misery and poverty and their lives are an endless struggle for survival. Many resort to petty crimes, drug - peddling and in extreme situations they turn to murder in order to survive. The tenements and slums symbolize moral decay as well. Prostitution is rampant on the streets of New York City and unfortunately children of both sexes are plying their trade in increasingly large numbers. Young men living under these circumstances often join gangs, acquire the reputation of "tough hoods" and terrorize the community with their delinquent ways. Immigrants were often blamed for the increasing crime rates and moral contamination that had the city in its grip. Sometime in the 1980s, the trials of organized - crime groups that included big names like the Genovese, Bonanno and Gambino families were highly publicized and further perpetuated the belief that immigrants were responsible for the criminal activities that were going on in the city. These families were pulled up on charges of murder, extortion and the like and New York City suddenly took on a menacing and unsafe air for visitors. This was partly responsible for the ethnic conflicts that were to afflict the city and which made it the subject of much criticism. While New York has been lauded for its tolerance towards foreigners and minorities, it has also been said that once the veneer of benevolence is stripped away, the city reveals unsavory elements that include prejudice and racial intolerance. Even after the emancipation of slaves, visitors to the city noted that segregation was prevalent in almost all aspects of city life. The situation was further complicated by the prevalence of violence between warring minority groups. In contemporary New York the problem of ethnic conflicts and racial intolerance continues to persist. The case of Abner Louima (1997), who was tortured by the police and the cases of Amadou Diallo (1999) and Patrick Darismond (2000), led to protests against the cops for excessive brutality and violence against the minorities. Today New York boasts of a drastic decline in crime rates but conversely the problems of poverty and homelessness has mushroomed and reminds one of Trollope's criticism of New York, which he said "began and ended with money, not civic responsibility".9 Poverty spawns violence and crime, therefore the vicious circle remains unbroken. Thus throughout its history the threads of criticism against New York City appear unbroken and unvaried. Charges leveled at it in the days gone by, hold true to this day. The city must find answers to its persistent troubles if the critics are to be silenced. Flatiron Building The image of the Flatiron building in black and white is beautiful and strangely compelling. It is an imposing construction and towers majestically against the skyline over the other diminutive structures. Old - world charm spills out of this charming image. The dated modes of transport and the cobbled streets evoke memories of the days gone by. More than a century later, we find the building has endured and stands tall to this very day. It has borne witness to the tumultuous events that have shaped the destiny of New York City, and has seen the vagaries of fate and fortune first hand. Nothing seems to disturb it, as it continues to watch with serene nonchalance while the present takes small, infinitesimal steps towards the inexorable future and history charts its course under its concrete gaze. The viewer feels fanciful and contemplative and wonders about the marvelous stories the building could relate if only it could talk. Man's defiance of his mortality, the fragility and transience of his very existence is symbolized by the Flatiron Building. The image brings to mind little nuggets of information pertaining to the Flatiron building. It was constructed in 1902, designed by Daniel Burnham and is located in the borough of Manhattan. As the city's first skyscraper, the building marks New York's glorious foray into the realms of architectural splendor. Flatiron Building represents the bold strides New York was destined to take in the fields of architecture, commerce and the fine arts. It is one of the city's tallest buildings at 21 stories. The unique triangular shape heightens its beauty. It is also known as the Fuller Building, named after George Fuller who played an important role in its construction. The building is a source of immense national pride and is a prominent landmark in New York City. It is also a tourist spot and visitors throng to the building in order to photograph it. The building arose out of necessity. The city's population was becoming larger and more ethnically diverse by the minute. It was a challenge to accommodate the masses in the space available, and the city was becoming dangerously overcrowded. The skyscraper was of course the city's solution to the problem of an increasing scarcity of available land. With its novel steel skeleton the building was designed to make use of space as efficiently and effectively as possible and in a manner that was unprecedented, thereby increasing its historical significance. The brilliance of this concept was soon recognized and these magnificent buildings sprang up in all the big cities. The Flatiron building and others like it served to ease the problem of congestion. Flatiron building is representative of New York City in a lot of ways. For example the image of Flatiron building accentuates its triangular shape which gives it the appearance of the prow of a ship as it ploughs through the headstrong waves. The building, likewise gives the impression of bearing down on anything that dares to stand in its path. This captures the essential spirit of New York City and its inhabitants. The city has faced more than its fair share of hardships. It was under the repressive regimes of the Dutch and the British before securing its freedom and establishing itself as one of the foremost cities in the world. It has grappled with issues of hygiene, health, and unrelenting waves of crime, poverty, economic and social collapse. The city was also the victim of horrifying terrorist attacks. On September 11, 2001 two hijacked planes slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, unleashing untold terror and destruction on the hapless residents of New York City. New Yorkers rose to the occasion with heroism and undiminished courage and became a source of inspiration for people all over the world. The city has survived despite all the obstacles that stood in its path and hindered its development and prosperity. It continues to grow in leaps and bounds. Like the tenacity with which Flatiron Building has weathered the ravages of time, New York City is destined to endure and achieve great things in the ages to come. Bandit's Roost Bandit's Roost is a famous photo by Jacob Riis who was a reformer and a journalist. He exposed the deplorable living conditions in his groundbreaking work, How the Other Half Lives and called out for reform. When viewed in this context, it is almost as if the photo is trying to depict the conditions under which the breeding grounds of evil may be established. Like the labyrinth that housed the mythical Minotaur, the alley has its own monster in the form of the evil that resides in its shadowy depths. It reminds one of the ugly elements that underlie human existence. Riis, through the Bandit's Roost has brought to life the dark underbelly of New York City. This photo has a menacing and haunting quality to it. The two grim looking men at the entrance to the alley have a threatening appearance and fill the viewer with a sense of deep foreboding. It is as if they have seen and committed acts of such unspeakable horror that it would be inconceivable, for those who remain safely ensconced within the comforting confines of civilization. In contrast, the men in the background have a relaxed air to them. Some are leaning casually against the wall, one is perched on the railing and the rest are merely lounging. None of them has the countenance of villains hardened by vice and a life of crime. Yet they give the impression of danger and barely contained force. All the people in the photo seem to inhabit an alien world that is far removed from our own, where there is no room for the laws enforced by our society. Here, the language of violence is spoken and might makes right, except there is no right or wrong, only life or death. In the extreme background, we see a clothesline, where freshly laundered clothes are hanging out to dry. This image appears incongruous in the picture. However, following a close examination we see that it lends itself to symbolic interpretation. The clothes represent cleanliness, honesty, virtue and innocence which when juxtaposed against the darkness and filth of the alleys highlights the treachery and criminal tendencies of the people who inhabit them. The fact that all good things are rooted out and left to die in the toxic environs of the Bandit's Roost is further accentuated. The innate goodness in human nature does not survive, while all that is rotten thrives. New York City has housed some of the most notorious organized - crime families. This had the result of unleashing every imaginable form of vice and depravity on the city. Later investigations revealed that the crime syndicates had promoted and supervised the drug - trade, prostitution, gambling, and all forms of racketeering. They used a combination of bribery, force, intimidation, extortion, and outright murder to increase their influence and extend their reigns of terror. The reign of the mobsters had far reaching consequences, as fear pervaded the city. New Yorkers and visitors were loath to leave the sanctuaries of their home and lodgings and expose themselves to the terror that had taken control of their streets. Paranoia took hold of the people of New York and cast a gloomy pall over the previously thriving metropolis. It took the heavy hand of the law to clamp down on all criminal activities and restore peace and order to the city. The timely intervention of law enforcement agencies resulted in a marked decrease in crime rates. The citizens were relieved, as the era of the gangsters ended. But there is a touch of anxiety remaining as evil has not been destroyed completely. It has merely been subdued for the time - being and what the future holds; only time will tell. Bandit's Roost keeps alive the anxiety as it reminds the viewer that particular conditions facilitate the growth of evil and as long as these conditions remain, there is little hope for virtue and goodness. It is layered with intense meaning. The photo captures the essence of evil that seems to lurk just beneath the surface, marshalling its resources, feeding on vice, biding its time and waiting for the right time to strike When the significance of Bandit's Roost sinks in, the viewer is richer for the experience. Notes 1 Qtd. in Lankevich p. 1. 2 See Dickens' American Notes for an insight into the darker side of New York City. 3 See Lankevich p. 73. 4 See Greenfield and Reid, p. 8. 5 For a description of the origin and living condition in the tenements see Lankevich, pp. 71 - 73. 6 See Riis, p. 3. 7 For an account of the "immigrant runners" see Lankevich, p. 71. 8 See how increasing crime rates can be traced directly to the tenements in the testimony of the Secretary of Prison Association, found in Riis p. 3. 9 Qtd in O'Connell p. 13. Works Cited Greenfield, Beth and Robert Reid. New York City. New York: Lonely Planet, 2004. Lankevich, George. New York City: A Short History. New York: New York University Press, 1998. O'Connell, Shaun. Remarkable, Unspeakable New York. Boston: Beacon Press, 1995. Riis, Jacob. How the Other Half Lives. Whitefish: Kessinger Publishing, 2004. "1986: New York". Encarta Reference Library. Microsoft: 2003. Read More