Tim Diep
Professor Nancy Aries
IDC 3001H
April 27, 2015
Of Conversations on Park Benches and Restaurant Tables
On a day where the weather couldn’t be better, Mark, Andre and I set off to find the bards of Columbus Circle—those who were willing to share their stories and experiences with a few young souls. At first, we were feeling pretty confident; we weren’t stuck in a neighborhood that was predominantly Spanish or Chinese with no way to communicate with the residents. But over the course of our three-hour visit around the area, we soon learned that Columbus Circle had its own disadvantage. Everyone is busy in the heart of Manhattan; not only was the area swarming with tourists, but out of the rest of the people in the area, there were only a few who had the time to sit down and talk with us. In total, we conducted five different interviews with six different people, ranging from Tom in the food court of Whole Foods, to Jan and Arthur in the park, to Ed sitting on a bench in the area between the opposite lanes of traffic. The interesting thing is not what a certain interviewee said, but rather the overarching similarities among all of the people we spoke to. For the sake of structure I’ll talk about my interview with Jerry in Lenny’s; but keep in mind that his words resonate with everyone else as well.
Twenty years ago, Jerry lived downtown in the Village; but in his old age, he was looking for somewhere aesthetically pleasing, where he could enjoy the view. He settled on a co-op on 55th street, four blocks away from Columbus Circle, on the street that he calls “the block with the trees.” The thing to note here is that like Jerry, the others that we interviewed had also come to the area for this taste of luxury; for example, Bill, Jan and Arthur moved so that they could be closer to the various iconic arts centers, such as the Metropolitan Opera. This reasoning aligned with the demographic data that I looked at before; the decrease in those aged 25-44 is a result of those who cannot afford to live in the area, while the increase in the elderly are a result of those who seek the convenience of being near the things they love. In this case, those things are music and theater. Another reason why more elderly people move into the area is because of the connection to everything else as well. When their children and grandchildren come to visit, they are able to be in the middle of everything and have easy access to the places they want to go. Along with similar reasons for wanting to come to Columbus Circle in the first place, Jerry and the others also noticed the same things when they first arrived.
As our interviews progressed, we realized that it was obvious that change was present in this neighborhood—change exists in every neighborhood in the city. What we then focused on was how this neighborhood changed, and in what way was it different from everywhere else. Just like how these interviews confirmed our ideas on the demographics, these interviews also confirmed our ideas on the socioeconomics. Ten, twenty years ago, there was a wide variety of businesses in the area. Ranging from small theaters and studios to family-owned restaurants, there was an independent, artsy vibe. But as the place became more popular, money became the source of change, and large chains replaced these small businesses. There was a story where a diner’s lease had ended, and the only way for the owners to renew the lease is if they agreed to pay twice the rent they had paid the year before. Of course, the owners of the diner could not afford that, and the space was rented out by a big business. This is no surprise when looking down the streets of Columbus Circle. The storefronts are littered with franchises—Chipotle, Wendy’s, Starbucks, CVS—and the places that aren’t brand names are either office buildings or luxury residences. Furthermore, the transformation highlighted by the introduction of the Time Warner Center led to a huge increase in tourist activity, and by extension, the tourist business as well. What was once a relatively quiet area, with the only action from the plays and musicals that went on every week, became a madhouse where the personal atmosphere is diluted by affluent professionals, clueless tourists, and people offering bike tours every five steps.
Our last interviewee, Bill, said that Columbus Circle’s high status was a result of the “Rockefeller Effect,” which is a reference to the Rockefeller Estate in Westchester. He said that although he did not own the estate, simply being near it made him feel different, and although he couldn’t exactly put into words how the estate made him feel different, he said that the land changed the area around it for the better. Pertaining to Columbus Circle, these residents don’t own the Metropolitan Opera, the Time Warner Center, or the various multimillion-dollar high-rises that border the park. But being around them instills a sense of satisfaction in these people, which further attracts others until the concentration if interest in the area pushes the value even higher. The building of the fine arts centers was the catalyst for the effect, and from then, the area has only gotten richer and richer.
While we think that the neighborhood has become wealthy from the massive buildings on every block, it is important to realize that in the beginning of this area’s recent history, it was a place for the arts. Only then did it attract those who had the means to enjoy the arts, like those from the wealthy elderly generation that we spoke to today. From there, the interest in the area sparked more business, and a vicious cycle was created, where the increase in business led to an increase in interest and vice versa. All the while, the price of everything increased as well.
In the end, having to conduct an oral history was an experience I would do again. It seems intimidating at first to go up to a random person and ask if they could talk to you for a bit, especially if they look busy and you don’t want to bother them. There were times when people were speed walking, eating, or doing something else that kept them occupied, and because we felt as if we shouldn’t disturb them, we didn’t get the interview. But for those who seemed like they would be willing to talk, it was a very rewarding experience. These people seemed so happy to share their experiences with us, and it was definitely worth breaking out of my comfort zone.
But aside from it being a fun experience, I also learned quite a bit from having to talk to these people. I realized the importance of eye contact; as I maintained more eye contact with the interviewees while they spoke, they seemed to become happier overall and were more inclined to continue speaking. I also got more experience acting on the fly. There were multiple times where I had a perfect follow-up to the question I just asked, only for the interviewee to answer that as well. I had to think quickly and ask something else, or else I’ll seem unprepared and novice. On the flip side, one of the things that I wish I could have done better was to utilize the power of silence. In one of the readings there was a section about how creating an awkward atmosphere can push the interviewee to elaborate more on their comments, and I feel like I didn’t take advantage of that enough. But overall, I enjoyed learning about the neighborhood and the perspectives of its residents, and the experience definitely went better than I thought it would go.