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4 Jackson Heights, New York RESIDENT NARRATIVE: JOHN NICHOLSON Prior to moving to Jackson Heights I lived in various NY neighborhoods .1 I lived in Brooklyn’s Park Slope from 1980 to ’82, then the Upper West Side (103rd Street and West End Avenue) from 1982 to ’84, and finally Riverside Drive from 1984 to ’86. During most of this time, I worked during the day and went to graduate school at night. I and most people I knew were forced to live in “emerging” or gentrifying neighborhoods. These neighborhoods were in beautiful old sections that had fallen out of favor and into disarray/disrepair in the 1960s and 1970s. These neighborhoods were “cool” and with more upwardly mobile folks came a better image, and better stores, restaurants, et cetera. Despite the pretensions of trendiness, it was an economic reality to choose these neighborhoods, as prices for both rentals and for cooperatives/condominiums were increasing at an alarming rate. In the mid-1980s, when I finished my MBA and found a decent job with potential, I wanted a place of my own. Prices in the cool neighborhoods were out of reach, except for small studios. So given the choice between a studio in a trendy neighborhood, and more space in a less trendy neighborhood, I opted for space and started to search. I had friends throughout the metropolitan region and began visiting a variety of neighborhoods. In 1986 I purchased a co-op apartment in Jackson Heights. I opted for Jackson Heights because of location. It is close to midtown, twenty minutes via a number of subway lines. It also had great prewar apartments, which meant more space, better detailing in each apartment, and reasonable prices. I bought my large one bedroom for $75,000 in early 1986. I was offered $85,000 at the beginning of 1987, and a real estate broker suggested I list the apartment for $95,000 (with the intention of settling at $90,000). I had no intention of selling but wanted to see what was out there. However in the fall of 1987, the real estate picture changed dramatically. Within a few years the same apartment was valued at $35,000. Neighborhoods like Jackson Heights or Sunnyside suffered the largest decrease in values. Even today, ten years later, the apartment is only worth $40,000 to $45,000. The slack in the real estate market was disappointing, but compared to other neighborhoods , the cost of living in Jackson Heights was low. In the spring of 1990 I met my partner, Carlos, and settled into domestic bliss. As a Colombian immigrant, he chose Jackson Heights because he had a cousin, married to an American, living there. When he first came to the United States he stayed with them for a few months, and then rented his own apartment a few blocks away. Family and the rather large South American community , especially the Colombian community, including restaurants, ethnic food, and music stores, were appealing and comforting. Most of the Colombian stores and restaurants are in the Seventy-ninth Street to Ninetieth Street area, between Roosevelt Avenue and Northern Boulevard. Although not influential in my decision to move to the community, I came to appreciate some of Jackson Heights’ unique amenities. For example, the spirit of community was strong in Jackson Heights, especially among new arrivals. I found it easy to meet new neighbors. In developing neighborhoods like Jackson Heights, people are not as reluctant to talk with strangers. The sense of community became increasingly important as I lived there. I became involved in the co-op board and feel we were able to improve the building’s gardens via landscaping. We also opened the backyard to tenants, further offering a bond between neighbors. I also liked the freedom of being in a very diverse atmosphere. And although I had heard there was a gay community, I didn’t realize it was as large or as active as it was until after moving in. The gay community was a less important factor in my life, being settled down and all, although it was nice not to be the only gay couple in the building. There are a number of gay bars in the community . They tend to cater to a bit older, blue-collar, and immigrant crowd. For many cultures where homosexuality is more repressed than in the United States, moving here is a way of escaping repression and exploring one’s sexuality . The trendy bars in...

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