Allow me to reintroduce myself

I am a Crazy Community Enthusiast doing what feels right. I believe that everyone wants to belong to someone, something, and or somewhere. It all begins and ends with community. Community is what shapes us and what helps make us. I'm just trying to save the world one community at a time. Now who's going to save me once I finish saving the world.

99 cents and UP

So many neighborhoods of Southeast Jamaica Queens is being plagued by what I would like to call the .99 cent affect. Cambria Heights one neighborhood in particular that has suddenly become saturated with .99 cent stores just about one on every block. These stores are not owned by people that are vested in the community. Instead these stores are owned by individuals who have decided that the worth of the neighborhood is .99 cents. These stores have become BIG business and some how managed to make us believe that we are getting such a great deal at .99 cents when we're not! .99cent stores are a nuisance they bring down neighborhoods. They are ascetically displeasing and carry cheap knockoff versions of your favorite item. Don't get me wrong if you're planning a summer BBQ they are great. Cambria cannot revitalize itself if a good time in the neighborhood is going shopping at Family Dollar. Is it really necessary to have one on each corner?

Tactical Urbanism

So the question is always who, what, where, when, and why?? While on my quest to find more ways to inspire a community and motivate individuals, I came across this term coined "Tactical Urbanism" tada.... This term speaks to the grassroots of community revitalization. It's when the community or groups of individuals come together and present festivals, art exhibits, etc in hopes of drawing more people to the community. This type of behavior is what is needed. Of course the Jamaica Arts festival takes place on Jamaica Avenue let's take that idea and introduce it on a smaller scale. A Festival would welcome people into the community it would help introduce outsiders to the culture of the neighborhood. There could be food carts and small tables exibiting all the community has to offer. It's essential that this festival be held in the community on a side street not a far off location making people not want to attend. It has to take place right in the heart of Cambria Heights. Creating the right kind of foot traffic is essential in revitalization. The good thing about tactical urbanism is that it does not require much involvement from community leaders. This is a small start in a big direction.

A Holistic approach to community revitilization

While New York communities are becoming younger, hipper, and cooler the Cambria Heights community remains unchanged. A large reason stems from the lack of community involvement from the younger population. Cambria Heights once known as a beautiful suburban community for African American families looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Harlem has now become the retirement village of southeast Jamaica Queens. Cambria Heights an aging community that is ran largely by seniors caters more towards a senior community rather than a young community for young families. There is a quiet rather muted initiative to revitalize Cambria Heights not only to make it younger, hipper, and cooler, but to continue that legacy of top places for young African American families to raise their children in New York City. So the question becomes how? How can we revitalize this community? What will it take to attract a much younger demographic? What attracts younger families some ideas would be better parks, community service centers, recreation programs, and access to better health care facilities. Finding the advocacy for these requirements would have to come from those same seniors that have been advocating for the community all along. The argument needs to be that in order for this community to keep thriving certain demands need to be made of our local officials. Land usage has to be greater than dollar stores and liquor stores. Greater development needs to be solicited. This once self-contained community now lacks sustainable jobs and normal amenities needed to be considered a community such as a bakery, a butcher, or nice family dining, and the local schools has declined significatly. Everything begins and ends with our community represenatives such as our Assemblyman, congressman, and councilman. These elected officials need to operate in the interest of people they are representing. If we do not act to revitalize our community it will be retivilizaed for us negating everything that the seniors of the community fought so hard against.