Urban Studies: Astoria, Queens - Case Study Example

Urban Studies Astoria, Queens Introduction Astoria is a commercial and middle neighborhood in Queens, one of the several boroughs of New York City. The neighborhood has distinctive features and embodies the country’s development in a number of sectors to become the world’s leading democracy and economy. The neighborhood is home to more than 154, 000 Americans who live and work in the locality. As a middle class neighborhood, Astoria boasts of its clean and sparsely populated roads, schools and hospitals among other social amenities. The history of Astoria dates back to 1659 when the first settlers occupied the land. The neighborhood has changed with time to become the ideal neighborhood it is today. Residents of Astoria perceive the change differently as interviews of three residents of the neighborhood revealed in the discussion below. Christopher Martin is a white lawyer and a resident of Astoria. Martin is a grandson to some of the wealthy landowners in Astoria. As such, he has lived in Astoria for his entire life and has experienced the change in the neighborhood. Martin is a jovial individual and a neighbor to my sister. I met Martin while visiting my sister who lives in Astoria. Jack Daniels is an African American police officer who has worked in Astoria with the New York Police Department for the last twenty years. He moved to Astoria following a transfer from Bliss vile, Long Island. Alison Church is an African-American woman married to a white doctor. She has lived in Astoria for the last ten years. The three were respondents in an interview in which they narrated their view of the neighborhood and how it has changed over the last decade. Alison Church is a neighbor to my sister too and so is Daniels. I met and interacted with the three interviewees during my three months stay in Astoria while visiting my sister. The three provided relative understanding of the growth and change they have experienced in Astoria over the years. Among the important aspects of the change, the three discussed include changes in population, trends in crime, land use and infrastructural development among many others. The three contend that Astoria is a better place today than it has ever been. The quality of life in the neighborhood has improved owing to a number of infrastructural improvements coupled with the subsequent improvement in the quality of service delivery, especially by government facilities. Changes in the population of the neighborhood have been tremendous. Astoria was cut out to be for the wealthy most of whom were whites. Dutch and Germans were among the earliest settlers in the area thereby marking Astoria a reserve for the whites. The number of other ethnicities including the blacks, Asians and Hispanic among other ethnicities living in the neighborhood has increased within the last fifteen years. Currently, 47% of the population in the neighborhood is whites followed by the Hispanic at 27%, Asians at 14% and blacks at 4%. The change in the ethnic composition is essential since it typifies the socio-economic development not only in New York but also across the country. Despite the upsurge in the number of people from other ethnicities, Astoria remains a middle-class locality. The interviewees explain the trend by alluding to the fact that people who come to Astoria are either government employees and established business people who have the money to afford homes in the neighborhood besides sustaining the expensive life in the region. Jack Daniels, for example, is a police officer. Thousands of other citizens living in the neighborhood are civil servants and businesspeople. The residents of the neighborhood love the increase in racial integration in Astoria. The interviewees, for example, explain that the changing demographic feature is admirable and continues to represent the future of the country. Alison Church is an African-American woman whose first impression of Astoria was that of racial discrimination. She explains that she spent most of her time indoors since she did not feel comfortable interacting with the residents. She explains that Astoria is currently differently since most of the people have changed their mindset and are embracing racial integration. She explains that the number of African Americans has since increased. Furthermore, she has white and Asian friends in the neighborhood. She observes that such changes are admirable and will foster the development of not only the neighborhood but that of the entire country. The other interviewees share similar opinions thereby contending that the future of Astoria is admirable since subsequent generations have systematically integrated with others thereby enhancing the influx of people of various origins provided they have the ability to afford to live in the neighborhood. Jack Daniels, a police officer, observes that Astoria has remained an ideal neighborhood in the country given the low prevalence of crime. The neighborhood boasts of an elite population with about 40% of the residents having a bachelor’s degree. The neighborhood, therefore, boasts of a large number of employable citizens most of whom are either in government jobs or in businesses. The neighborhood records low crime rates and has safe streets and collaborative residents. The residents of Astoria cooperate with the police among other law enforcers. Such has remained the trend in the neighborhood given its prestigious status. The interviewees admit that Astoria is increasingly becoming safer. The police have a number of installments in the region from where they carry out their operations. The elite squad of the police service including the FBI operates in the region as they do in other regions throughout the country (Rural Preservation Program (N.Y.), Neighborhood Preservation Program (N.Y.), & New York, 1996). Within the last fifteen years, Astoria has experienced an economic boom, especially in the real estate’s industry. A number of modern structures and apartments have come up in the neighborhood thereby changing its landscape. The boom in the real estate’s industry has caused a tremendous change in land use. The interviewees expressed mixed reactions to the changing landscape in Astoria. They admit that change is always inevitable since it introduces modernity to a place. Furthermore, the fact that the local government controls the development of houses among other structures in the region ensures a holistic development of a modern day Astoria. Astoria Cove and Hallets Points are two ongoing developments that promise the face of the neighborhood. The two projects promise modern townhouses and shopping malls among other amenities. The interviewees admitted that the changing infrastructure in the neighborhood portrays the economic development that continues to improve the quality of life in Astoria (Neill, 2004). Transportation, communication and recreation are some of the most important features in the neighborhood. The three have undergone a number of changes within the last fifteen years resulting in the creation of the efficient modern day Astoria. The neighborhood currently has M, N, Q and R trains that run through Astoria thus making the travel to Midtown a fifteen minutes shuttle. Additionally, the neighborhood has numerous roads and residential streets that offer parking and bike lanes thereby making life in the neighborhood efficient for the residents (Hamby, 2013). The interviewees acknowledge the effective utilization of land in the systematic development of the region. The city planners consider a number of factors in their evaluation of every new project thereby ensuring that they have minimal negative effects on the environment. Through effective city planning, the residents of Astoria enjoy a number of public facilities such as public pools and parks. Astoria Park runs along the East River and offers the residents of Astoria luxurious and safe Public Park with numerous pools. The neighborhood has a number of iconic features that preserve its culture. The three interviewee identify Astoria with a number of iconic features including the Socrates Sculpture Park, the Hell Gate Bridge and the Museum of the Moving image among many others. The local authorities in the neighborhoods have made deliberate attempts to preserve some of the iconic features of the town (Neill, 2004). The interviewees appreciate the efforts made by the local authorities to preserve the iconic structures since they typify the history of the neighborhood. The iconic structures provide a blend of culture, tradition and modernity thereby creating a holistic neighborhood that boasts a rich history. Health care and education have developed in Astoria alongside the massive infrastructural development experienced in other sectors not only in Astoria but also in the entire country. Nearby hospitals in the neighborhood, include Mount Sinai Hospital, Forest Hill Hospital and Elmhurst Hospital Center. The health facility offer effective health care services. Furthermore, the city enjoys the reliable services of the New York Fire Department. The construction guidelines require structures to integrate effective disaster preparedness to save lives in case of such eventualities. The fire department in New York has revamped its operations in Astoria thereby cushioning the city from any major disaster. The neighborhood has tens of both private and public schools that offer the much-desired quality education to the residents of the neighborhood. The same is the case with the number of public libraries that have increased their capacities with the view to accommodating the rising number of residents in Astoria. In retrospect, the development in Astoria has been systematic thereby succeeding in safeguarding the reputation of the middle-class neighborhood. The three interviewees admit that the neighborhood has undergone a number of positive changes all of which contribute to the improvement the quality of life of residents. Effective urban planning that developers exhibit in Astoria continues to preserve the culture of the neighborhood while pioneering its development thereby safeguarding its place in the future of the United States. Effective city planning considers a number of factors including the implications that the developments would have on the environment (Burayidi, 2000). Such has been the case in Astoria with the local authorities ensuring that the residents enjoy a number of vital services and liberties while safeguarding the culture and history of the neighborhood. References Burayidi, M. A. (2000). Urban planning in a multicultural society. London [u.a.: Praeger. Hamby, A. S. (2013). Adventures in Brooklyn and Queens Of Alfred Hambie and Wife, Theresa, Book 4. New York: Xlibris Corporation. Neill, W. (2004). Urban Planning and Cultural Identity. New York: Psychology Press. Rural Preservation Program (N.Y.), Neighborhood Preservation Program (N.Y.), & New York (State). (1996). Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Programs ... annual reports. Albany, N.Y: New York State, Division of Housing and Community Renewal. Read More