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.