Category: ENG1101 Project #2

New York City is not all city considering Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx aren’t filled with the skyscrapers and busy streets. Some New Yorkers choose to live the luxurious lifestyle the city part has to offer, while others choose to live less frivolously in the lesser known areas of New York where it is more residential. Each person has a collective experience when being in different parts of the city. Although Manhattan and the Bronx hold contrasting reputations, on Fulton street the juxtaposition of Dr.Jay’s and Banana Republic represent the unification of these contrasting elements.   

Manhattan is the borough that is filled with the interpretation of a utopia. Whitehead would avouch the borough of being notorious by the media as he mentions “ The city has spent a considerable amount of time and money putting the brochure together, what with the movies, TV shows and songs”.  With a cluster of tall buildings, bold bright lights filled with ads, many established name brand stores and famous restaurants altogether it’s no wonder Manhattan gets most of the attention. When thinking of Manhattan most people would think extravagant, stylish, and a place for opportunity. Mostly when people hear New York City they think of the borough Manhattan since it has more of the iconic landmarks that New York City is known for such as the Empire State Building, Central Park, and The Statue of Liberty just to name a few. The rest of the boroughs are not really looked at to be as special even though it is the five boroughs that make up the city as a whole.

However the Bronx would be the polar opposite of Manhattan. When thinking of the Bronx most people would think poor, ghetto, and dangerous. The Bronx is filled with many lesser known small business, smaller apartments and not as much opportunity that Manhattan has to offer. The Bronx is the recognized  birthplace of  hip hop and rap music which made the image of hood that The Bronx is mostly known for. In The Bronx you could most likely get away with crimes such as speeding, stealing and hopping the turnstile at the train station. While Manhattan is seen as a place of welcome , The Bronx is seen as you can’t mess with anyone there without getting mugged or shot. Also The Bronx is known as an impoverished, neglected, and otherwise disadvantaged residential area of a city, usually troubled by a disproportionately large amount of crime.  

 In the borough of Brooklyn there lies a location that brings a feeling of juxtaposition of two boroughs that would be considered polar opposites from one another. Right where Fulton Street and Lawrence Street is located we have two stores known as Dr.Jay’s and Banana Republic right next to each other. Banana Republic is a store that is mainly found the borough of Manhattan. While the store Dr.Jay’s would be mainly found in the borough of the Bronx. These stores serve as representations of these boroughs with their contrast in the looks of these stores, atmosphere, fashion and clientele.

Banana Republic has a gleaming presence with shiny windows and posters of gorgeous models. When entering the store the atmosphere is very welcoming with someone always greeting you at the door. The type of music that plays in this store is a mixture of indie, techno and pop songs. It’s easy to browse through all the clothing items since the store is very spacious. Everything is displayed with a great deal of neatness which give a professional feel. The store has its own established name brand clothing and does not sell other brands. The fashion has a sophisticated, elegant vibe to it with having dresses, blazers, pashmina scarves, cardigans and leather shoes. This vibe is incorporated for both men and women. The mannequins themselves have a spotlight that is shine down upon them to lure in the customers. The clientele that this store mainly attracts is mature, high-class shoppers who would pay a great deal of cash for a chic look. With this clientele, Banana Republic is very fitting in Manhattan with the frivolous spenders.

Dr.Jay’s has a more laid back presence with mostly hoodies and sneakers being displayed on the first floor. Dr.Jay’s is made up of two sub stores which is their men’s and women’s sections. When entering the store the atmosphere seems to be more cautious with security asking for your bag. Also their jewelry is locked in a glass container which has to be opened by an employee. The type of music that plays in this store is mainly hip-hop and rap. It’s really hard to browse through the clothing since each section of clothes is cluttered in. The store sells other name brands such as Jordan’s, Nikes, Adidas and Rocawear instead of having its own. The fashion is heavily influenced by the hip-hop and rap industry with items such as hoodies, snapbacks, baggy jeans, big gold chains and t-shirts with imagery. This imagery for men mostly consists of smoking marijuana, dollar signs and women being portrayed as sex symbols. The women’s section mainly consists of jeans that hugs tightly to the body to show their lady curves and tank tops that is really revealing. The clientele that this store mainly attracts is adolescence and young adults who wants to have a hood look which is portrayed as looking low class. With this clientele, Dr.Jay’s is very fitting in the Bronx since it is where hip-hop and rap originated from.

This location shows the diversity of what New York is known for by showing people in business suits going about their day with people dressed in hoodies and sneakers. McGrath expresses his character’s excitement for such a overlap by having him exclaim “There’s the interface!” when coming across a man wearing a yarmulke talking to two colored men. This excitement makes the character feel as though his exploration through the city is more fulfilling for having such an experience. In this location it would feel as though people with their own vision of New York intertwine and make a new vision that could expand both of their views on New York as a whole. Each individual who have visited New York City has their own experience of what New York is to them. New York City is the place to expands one vision on a diverse level.

Works cited

Whitehead, Colson. “City Limits.” The Colossus of New York: A City in Thirteen Parts. New York: Random House, 2004. 1-12. Web.
McGrath, Charles. “A Literary Visitor Strolls in From the Airport.”
The New York Times, December 6, 2006. Web.     

New York City is often considered to be one of the largest and most diverse cities on the planet. Its reputation consists of a luxurious and beautiful city, with opportunities at every corner, as it’s been portrayed through all types of media throughout the world for many many years. However, an actual New Yorker would know that New York is more than that. For every single individual who lives in this grand city, New York is different. Its unique to the eyes of every person who views it. As Colson Whitehead states in City Limits, “The New York City you live in is not my New York City.” Though some bask in the luxury and a higher standard of living, there are also those who work and struggle, and take refuge in the lesser known parts of New York. Any two individuals who are in separate parts of the social ladder would have a different view of the city they live in, and would most definitely see New York different than anyone who does not reside here.  Interestingly enough, there are many neighborhoods and areas where an individual can actually physically see the overlapping of social classes, where there is a distinct juxtaposition of a more lower class and a higher class. Once instance of this can be seen in a particular location by Jay Street, at the corner of Prince Street and Myrtle Avenue.

In this particular location, there are many large buildings surrounding it. These buildings are mostly corporate and business, and are made up of mostly glass and steel. The street and area surrounding these buildings are very clean and well kept. You would hardly be able to find a piece of litter or garbage. Very important people walk up and down these streets, wearing fancy business suits and carrying briefcases and such. There is also lots of construction going on in this area, as there are many projects for even bigger buildings. This gives the area a distinct smell of sawdust and burning materials. It also makes the area very loud, of course. With all kinds of heavy machinery and equipment being utilized, it would be expected. One would notice it instantly upon walking here. However, upon walking across a single street, you would be stepping into a completely different environment. Located in the same area, there is a large community of housing complexes. or Projects as many New Yorkers refer to it as. This area contrasts drastically with its neighboring place. These tenements are run down with age and are not nearly as well kept. There is lots of garbage and residue littering the street up and down, and there are also large dumpsters behind each complex, giving the area an unpleasant smell of waste. This is the “New York” that many never view, and is more a part of a lower class residents vision of the City.

What’s interesting about this particular location is the juxtaposition it holds. Its a very contrasting one, and its very clear to distinguish as well. Literally, one can see both of these areas side by side, by standing at the corner of these two streets. Its an even intersection. Its a perfect example of how New York City is different for everyone. There are individuals who live here who don’t even know that such places even exist, for they have their own view of the city, as they have seen it their entire life sometimes. Then there are those who parts of New York like this one are their entire reality, and is their vision of it. One person might be accustomed to having their morning coffee at a place like Starbucks, while another would go to the bodega at the corner. One might have memories of growing up playing in Central Park during the summer, while others remember playing in the fire hydrant with the other neighborhood kids. These types of contrasts are mostly founded on the grounds of social class. People who reside in the higher class will always have a different vision and reality than those in the lower class, especially when residing in a place like New York City. Same way those who do not live in the New York have a distinct vision of it as well, as they have only seen it through Television or other kinds of media. Though social classes is only one of the endless number of factors that contribute to a persons “personal New York” This is what makes New York City so unique to every single individual. As Colson states in City Limits, “You begin to build your own private New York the minute you lay eyes on her.” If you were to ask anyone what New York was to them, every answer would be different. And for an infinite number of factors. One could even consider this the true definition of being a New Yorker.