lakotabunnygirl

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Introduction

What better way to start by blog off than introducing myself through an article about where I grew up and my views on how things have changed. Yorkville is located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I was born and raised in Yorkville, and my family resided there for 32 years before we made the big move to The Bronx.

A Mother’s Cry
“How does anyone expect our children to stay out of trouble, when there is nothing for them to do but hang out in the streets of Yorkville?” an angry mother of two told me in a passing conversation. As a young adult living in Yorkville, I can completely agree with how she feels. I myself and my family have lived in Yorkville for over 30 years, and have watched this neighborhood go from a family oriented place to strangers in the mist and trouble on our streets.

Breaking Racial Grounds
As a child growing up I have seen a lot of changes in Yorkville. My father and I were actually one of those changes. We were the first Hispanics to ever live on my street. My mom grew up in Yorkville, but she had no worries; her skin was as pale as everyone else’s. I use to get dirty looks from everyone, kids asking their parents why was I not like them. Through the years my family earned their respect and my life as a child was like any other.

The Sweet Sounds of Golden Oldies
I remember walking down the streets in the summer, hearing the laughter of children and golden oldies being played; while the parents would be singing along and gossiping. You would see the home made sprinklers from the fire hydrants and the hoses from the basements of the buildings. The children of Yorkville were lucky we had parents who cared and who had made it their business for their kids to have the best times possible.

Where Did All The Stores Go?
As the years went by familiar mom and pop stores began to shut down, Yorkville was becoming the highlight of the Upper East Side. Rents became higher, high rise buildings were popping up on every corner, and slowly Yorkville was becoming a memory. The days of walking up the block to get fresh cooked Hungarian food no longer existed, the days of riding down to the park and stopping at Lapampa’s for a cold milk shake after a long game of baseball was no longer a possibility. The beautiful view of the East River has now become a horizon of apartment windows and business offices.

Present Day Yorkville
In November of 2004, myself and family moved from our beloved Yorkville railroad apartment. I think back and remember how sad I was when packing my room into over 34 boxes. Realizing how many memories and relationships I was leaving behind encouraged me to take a good walk around my neighborhood. From 96Th street straight down to 62ND street became my mission for the day, slowly walking down 2ND Avenue I started to realize that my neighborhood really was already a memory. There was nothing left of the neighborhood that I once knew. No more children laughing, no more parents gossiping, no more friendly neighborhood policemen saying hello.
Everyone were strangers, everyone didn’t even know each other existed, people walked by with stone cold faces and cellphones attached to their ears. Welcome to the once named Yorkville newly known as Strangerville.

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