Research Assignment: New York City Neighborhood Profile

Research Assignment: New York City Neighborhood Profile

This paper requires you to a profile a neighborhood in New York City. Sections of the profile will include history, physical geography, demographics, and economic conditions. See details below.

The paper should be 4-6 pages long (1000-1500 words). You should supplement the text with images, diagrams and maps where appropriate, but be sure to follow the suggested word count.

Research:You are expected to use a variety of resources for your research, including field trips, books, historical newspaper articles, and web sites. St. John’sUniversity Libraries have created the Discover New York Research Guide to help guide your research:

Citing Sources:You are required to cite your sources using MLA format. It is highly recommended that you use RefWorks for this purpose, both to keep a record of sources consulted and to quickly and easily format your works cited list. For tutorials on setting up a RefWorks account and using RefWorks, go to

Turnitin: To ensure the integrity of your work and help you cite sources properly, you are required to submit your papers to Turnitin. To gain a quick overview of Turnitin, go to and view the material under “For Students”. You will be given a Class ID and enrollment password by your professor.

History: Provide a brief history of the neighborhood. As an icebreaker, you may wish to consult The Encyclopedia of New York City, ed. by Kenneth T. Jackson, which provides brief overviews of neighborhoods. Ask for this encyclopedia at the reference desk of your library.

For more detailed information on the history of your neighborhood, find books using the St. John’sUniversity Library catalog. You should also use ProQuest Historical Newspapers to find historical newspaper articles on your neighborhood.

Physical geography: Provide a description of the physical layout of the neighborhood, including its boundaries, terrain, parks, housing, and other prominent physical features.

For this portion of the assignment, you are expected to actually visit the neighborhood, make notes and take photographs of its physical features and layout. Where are its commercial areas concentrated? What type(s) of housing is predominant in the neighborhood? Single family dwellings or high rises, or a mixture of both? What type of transportation is available to residents of the neighborhood? Subways? Buses? Freeways? What type of industry is there in the neighborhood, if any? What educational institutions and hospitals are there

To gain a quick overview of the neighborhood, it is helpful to consult the New York City Department of City Planning Web site, which provides detailed information on zoning and land use.

Demographics: In as much detail as possible, describe the characteristics of the neighborhood’s population. What is the average age of people in the neighborhood, compared with people in the city as a whole? What are the largest ethnic groups in the neighborhood? How much has the neighborhood grown in population in recent years, especially compared to neighboring communities?

Economic Characteristics:What is the average income in the neighborhood? What percentage of the population receives income support? What type of work do most people in the neighborhood do? What is the unemployment rate? How do these compare with other neighborhoods in the area or the city as a whole?

What is the average sale price for a home in the area? What percentage of people own their own home? How much have home appreciated or depreciated in recent years?

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