The neighborhood chosen for the
skate park is Mott Haven, West Bronx, New York. This area was chosen because it
was the former site for the Skate Key Skate and Dance Family Center that is
more commonly known to the generations of regulars as the “The Key” which was
permanently closed in March of 2006 due to public nuisance problems. The building is now unoccupied for years, and
those who did go the Key now have to look for alternative locations for
recreation. Due to the families having to look for other alternatives, they now
have to travel to other boroughs. Many times the families do not want to
travel, so the children are not as active as they were in the past. In order
for a family to keep their children active, the other available recreation
opportunities are:
- Pelham Bay Park, which is located in the Pelham Bay
section of the Bronx, the park is the city’s largest park covering over, 2,700
acres of woodland and is 20 minutes and 11.50 miles from the area.
- Orchard Beach is the only beach in the Bronx, with
115 acre fronting the Long Island Sound, in Pelham Bay Park featuring a 13
section sandy beach, a hexagonal block promenade and a play ground for the
children to play; it is 21 minutes and 12.18 miles from the Mott Haven area in
the Bronx.
- The New
York Botanical Garden is an advocate for the plant kingdom, and they provide
educational programs for the community; it is 12 minutes and 4.34 miles from
the Mott Haven area in the Bronx.
My belief for the skate park to be
placed at this location would be a wise decision for several reasons; the prior
owners are already knowledgeable with the process of getting grants based on
them being in business before it was closed down. They would more than likely
use the same grounds for the new skate park, with some repairs and building
that would be needed. This is a good location for the following reasons:
- The population size in this area is 46,472, which
incorporates mostly a Hispanic and African American population as well as other
ethnic backgrounds.
- The area is surrounded by social problems with
poverty plagued for years. However, crime has fallen significantly mirroring
the declines in crime and the rest of the city, for example robbery, murder and
burglary.
- The education dropout rate is higher and incidents
of violence in its schools are above the national average. In some schools,
students must pass through metal detectors to enter the buildings, which is a
practice criticized for being reminiscent of a prison environment and
encourages bad behavior.
- The family situations in this area attribute the
high rate of usage to peer pressure on young people who come from broken homes.
A high proportion of households in the area are headed by single mothers many
of whom had their children at a young age and struggle to provide for them,
which contributes to the high rate of poverty. In addition the rate of a family
member being incarcerated is also very high.
Some positive aspects is that Mott
Haven has experienced, a rise in the housing values, as many buildings
including some which had been abandoned, renovated and sold and a number of new
apartment projects were built. The newly constructed subsidized attached
multi-unit row houses and apartment buildings have been constructed on most
vacant lots in this area. The neighborhood contains the highest concentration
of NYCHA projects in the Bronx. The total land area is about one square mile
and the terrain is hilly. There are 18 public schools and 4 parochial schools
in the area. The location is rich with many ways of transportation; there are 7
buses and 3 different trains, which are the 4, 5 and 6 lines. The grant money
for the skate park will provide another venue for children to exercise and have
fun, besides the programs provided at their schools. The skate park can provide
positive memories for children to enjoy sports.
The median income per household is
$20,307 and persons per household are 2.66.
http://homes.point2.com/Neighborhood/US/New-York/New-York-City/Bronx/Mott-Haven-Demographics.aspx
http://www.city-data.com/city/Bronx-New-York.html
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