Line Spkr StTime Content EnTime 1 LES_int_01 0.6003 Okay, great. So, we're recording and it's January sixth, two thousand nine. 5.1140 2 LES_int_01 5.1140 (pause 0.34) 5.4497 3 LES_int_01 5.4497 And I'm /RD-NAME-4/, and I'm talking to /RD-NAME-7/. 8.6804 4 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 8.6804 [Yes. ] 9.2627 5 LES_int_01 8.8430 [Alright?] 9.2906 6 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 9.3979 Yes. 9.8182 7 LES_int_01 10.0029 Hi /RD-NAME-3/. 10.6382 8 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 10.7350 Hi. 11.1780 9 LES_int_01 11.2021 Um. So, I- I think I told you I normally just ask people to start- if we could start at the beginning, um, and just get an idea of 17.7555 10 LES_int_01 17.7555 (pause 0.21) 17.9688 11 LES_int_01 17.9688 your kind of, life story. 19.4143 12 LES_int_01 19.4143 (pause 0.36) 19.7780 13 LES_int_01 19.7780 Um, would you mind kind of telling me when and where you were born? 22.6352 14 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 23.1554 I was born in Queens, New [York.] 24.9867 15 LES_int_01 24.8552 [Mm-hm.] 25.0977 16 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 25.0940 in September of sixty-nine. 27.2249 17 LES_int_01 27.4254 Okay. 27.7192 18 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 27.9244 And, um, 29.0528 19 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 29.0528 (pause 0.15) 29.2067 20 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 29.2067 born to a 30.4477 21 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 30.4477 (pause 0.17) 30.6202 22 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 30.6202 teenage mom and a 31.9362 23 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 31.9362 (pause 0.21) 32.1507 24 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 32.1507 teenage dad. 32.9228 25 LES_int_01 32.9834 Really? 33.4578 26 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 33.6684 And, um. 34.7502 27 LES_int_01 34.7502 [What are their stories,] how- how did they end up living in Queens? 37.1271 28 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 34.8500 [M- m-] 35.0959 29 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 35.0959 (pause 2.03) 37.1271 30 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 37.1271 Uh, 37.7659 31 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 37.9618 my mom, by the way of her family, South Carolina, and my dad by the way of his family, Florida. 42.8392 32 LES_int_01 43.1271 [Okay.] 43.4986 33 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 43.2856 [They] moved to, uh, New York [and,] um, they both settled in Queens. 47.7620 34 LES_int_01 45.2207 [Yeah.] 45.6264 35 LES_int_01 47.8180 As- did they move as a- 48.9075 36 LES_int_01 48.9075 (pause 0.21) 49.1127 37 LES_int_01 49.1127 kids, or as [adults?] 50.3245 38 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 50.2178 [Um,] they were both teenagers when they moved to Queens, the borough of [Queens.] And um, 54.8935 39 LES_int_01 53.7791 [Okay.] 54.1600 40 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 55.2339 my mom lived with her aunt, and her mom lived in the South, so she kind of came to the city 59.9851 41 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 59.9851 (pause 0.39) 60.3768 42 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 60.3768 at the age of about a- twelve, I [believe] it was. [And] she went to the school systems there in Queens. 66.1296 43 LES_int_01 62.3900 [Okay.] 62.6185 44 LES_int_01 62.6185 (pause 0.48) 63.0970 45 LES_int_01 63.0970 [Okay.] 63.4350 46 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 66.5694 And my dad also. He came to the city, I think he was a little younger than my mom when his family left, uh, 71.8299 47 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 71.8299 (pause 0.28) 72.1086 48 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 72.1086 Florida and moved to New [York.] 73.7966 49 LES_int_01 73.7080 [Okay.] 74.0298 50 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 74.5322 And um, 75.2738 51 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 75.2738 (pause 0.18) 75.4510 52 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 75.4510 so I guess my parents kind of met up as teenagers or [whatever and-] 78.7894 53 LES_int_01 78.1273 [They met at school.] 79.0412 54 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 79.6511 Not even at school. [I don't think] they went to the same school, cause my dad was four years older than my mom. 83.6006 55 LES_int_01 80.4857 [Just at-] 81.0593 56 LES_int_01 81.0593 (pause 2.52) 83.5786 57 LES_int_01 83.5786 [Oh, okay.] 84.1632 58 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 84.1632 So, [um.] 85.1522 59 LES_int_01 84.7465 [So they just] met? 85.5248 60 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 86.0051 They met, I- I really can't remember exactly the whole story behind them meeting or [whatever, but] 91.0305 61 LES_int_01 90.5973 [Yeah.] 90.9079 62 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 91.3756 I do know that they got married when my mom was sixteen. 94.2655 63 LES_int_01 94.3369 [Wow.] 94.8061 64 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 94.5887 [And] my aunt signed for her to get married, um, and 97.8871 65 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 98.3394 my dad went off to war. 99.6684 66 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 99.6684 (pause 0.20) 99.8642 67 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 99.8642 And he went [to Vietnam, and] um, my mom was pregnant with me. 103.7154 68 LES_int_01 100.3921 [Oh.] 101.8143 69 LES_int_01 103.8167 [Oh.] 104.4089 70 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 104.2796 [And] 104.8899 71 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 105.2303 she had me in Queens, um, I think my dad came home for leave when she had me. 109.9286 72 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 109.9286 (pause 0.35) 110.2737 73 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 110.2737 And then he went back. And I w- I went to live with my grandma in the South, while my mom was 115.0603 74 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 115.0603 (pause 0.37) 115.4312 75 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 115.4312 here trying to work and make some money or whatever. 117.6167 76 LES_int_01 117.6167 [Mm-hm.] 118.0037 77 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 117.9478 [And] then, um, I believe my dad came back from Vietnam when I was about two. 122.2375 78 LES_int_01 122.3323 Yeah. 122.6960 79 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 122.9478 And, we lived here, we moved to Lower East Side 125.6461 80 LES_int_01 125.6927 When you were two? 126.3642 81 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 126.3642 when I was about two years old. 127.5209 82 LES_int_01 127.5209 So, you've been- and- 128.6494 83 LES_int_01 128.6494 (pause 0.39) 129.0410 84 LES_int_01 129.0410 and have you left and lived in [other places?] 131.8624 85 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 131.0778 [Well, yeah. We] left Quee- we left Manhattan, the Lower East Side, when I- I guess I was about 136.0785 86 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 136.5727 maybe 137.1976 87 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 137.1976 (pause 0.41) 137.6038 88 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 137.6038 four, I think we moved, um, to Queens, back to [Queens.] 141.1662 89 LES_int_01 140.9281 [Mm-hm.] 141.2732 90 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 141.6761 And um, 142.7444 91 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 142.7444 (pause 0.49) 143.2339 92 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 143.2339 then to South Carolina for about 145.0825 93 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 145.0825 (pause 0.17) 145.2515 94 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 145.2515 a year or two. 146.0036 95 LES_int_01 146.1109 Uh-huh. 146.5166 96 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 146.5974 And then back to- 148.5418 97 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 148.5418 (pause 0.26) 148.8029 98 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 148.8029 back to New York [from South] Carolina. 150.7893 99 LES_int_01 149.7098 [Okay.] 149.9722 100 LES_int_01 149.9722 (pause 0.74) 150.7124 101 LES_int_01 150.7124 [Okay.] 151.0807 102 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 151.1530 And back to Queens. [And] um, because that's the base of where my- my mom's and my dad's family [was living at the time.] 157.9862 103 LES_int_01 152.4682 [Uh-huh.] 152.8479 104 LES_int_01 152.8479 (pause 4.08) 156.9323 105 LES_int_01 156.9323 [Your family.] 157.7119 106 LES_int_01 157.7119 (pause 0.26) 157.9679 107 LES_int_01 157.9679 Yeah. 158.3265 108 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 158.4851 And, um, 159.5552 109 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 159.5552 (pause 0.08) 159.6391 110 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 159.6391 I don't think we ended up back on the Lower East Side until my mom and dad separated and that was in the year of uh, 165.6250 111 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 165.6250 (pause 0.35) 165.9741 112 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 165.9741 I wanna say, nineteen seventy-nine. We moved back to New [York.] 170.2727 113 LES_int_01 169.9069 [Okay.] So, you were about ten. 171.2838 114 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 171.3664 Yeah, I was about ten years old. 172.7341 115 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 172.7341 (pause 0.12) 172.8507 116 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 172.8507 And we lived, um, we actually lived in a women's shelter, um, located on Avenue 177.3593 117 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 177.3593 (pause 0.46) 177.8174 118 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 177.8174 B, at the time, and Ninth Street, there was a women's shelter there. Now- now it's this 181.5976 119 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 181.5976 (pause 0.11) 181.7040 120 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 181.7040 big fancy, 182.7703 121 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 182.7703 (pause 1.07) 183.8447 122 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 183.8447 I wanna say, 184.5115 123 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 184.5115 (pause 0.18) 184.6945 124 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 184.6945 co-op, it's not even a co-op it's probably privatized h- [apartments now.] 189.1301 125 LES_int_01 188.4773 [I know] where you're [talking about.] 190.2725 126 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 189.6010 [Yeah. It's] gated in, it was really, [really nice.] And I believe it was run by the Catholic Church at that particular [time.] 196.3797 127 LES_int_01 191.9266 [Yeah.] 192.3185 128 LES_int_01 192.3185 (pause 3.92) 196.2352 129 LES_int_01 196.2352 [Mm-hm.] 196.6129 130 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 196.7201 Or some private organizations. 198.2112 131 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 198.2112 (pause 0.08) 198.2939 132 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 198.2939 But, um, 199.0551 133 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 199.0551 (pause 0.61) 199.6612 134 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 199.6612 anyway, I remember being there for 201.5348 135 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 201.5348 (pause 0.28) 201.8189 136 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 201.8189 about two or three months and 203.4602 137 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 203.4602 (pause 0.35) 203.8099 138 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 203.8099 it was over the summer that we had to stay there and, um, til we got an apartment on Thirteenth Street. 209.0676 139 LES_int_01 209.3893 Oh. 209.7251 140 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 209.7251 Between, um, First and Avenue A. 211.8735 141 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 212.2232 And we lived on [Thirteenth Street.] 213.6780 142 LES_int_01 213.0115 [Is that] 213.4311 143 LES_int_01 213.8879 Compost Plaza? 214.8065 144 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 215.0862 Nope. 215.3940 145 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 215.3940 (pause 0.40) 215.7974 146 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 215.7974 First and A. 216.6554 147 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 216.6554 (pause 0.43) 217.0823 148 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 217.0823 [First and A, is private] 219.0034 149 LES_int_01 217.3257 [That's Compost Plaza's A and] B or [something.] 219.7401 150 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 219.6982 [Compost] Plaza is C and D. 221.1285 151 LES_int_01 221.0824 [Oh,] it is, [okay.] 221.7953 152 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 221.7445 [Yeah.] And um, we lived on Thirteenth Street 224.6117 153 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 224.8542 from like nineteen-ei- nineteen 227.6135 154 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 227.6135 (pause 0.70) 228.3129 155 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 228.3129 eighty to maybe eighty-five. We moved here in nineteen eighty-five to [/RD-ADDRESS-4/] in [eighty-five.] 233.8964 156 LES_int_01 232.3307 [Oh.] 232.8837 157 LES_int_01 232.8837 (pause 0.48) 233.3629 158 LES_int_01 233.3629 [Okay.] 233.7359 159 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 234.2601 Yeah, my mom was actually trying to be a um, 237.2167 160 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 237.2167 (pause 0.66) 237.8788 161 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 237.8788 238.0467 162 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 238.0467 (pause 0.28) 238.3264 163 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 238.3264 a homesteader. 239.0995 164 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 239.0995 (pause 0.79) 239.8852 165 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 239.8852 And at t- and at that time, um 241.6805 166 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 241.6805 (pause 0.78) 242.4580 167 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 242.4580 the 243.0129 168 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 243.0129 (pause 0.16) 243.1714 169 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 243.1714 President Carter, he had a program, 245.4609 170 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 245.4609 (pause 0.33) 245.7873 171 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 245.7873 Project Appleseed, I believe it was, and they were helping 248.4761 172 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 248.4761 (pause 0.26) 248.7328 173 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 248.7328 low income families, um, that wanted to take over these abandoned buildings down on the Lower East [Side.] 254.0768 174 LES_int_01 254.0346 [Yeah.] 254.3470 175 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 254.3470 And they were converting them into apartments, which the family did sweat equity 258.2860 176 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 258.5471 and actually would own their own apartment. 260.4729 177 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 260.4729 (pause 0.41) 260.8833 178 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 260.8833 Well, 261.2470 179 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 261.2470 (pause 0.16) 261.4102 180 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 261.4102 my mom 262.0864 181 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 262.0864 (pause 0.31) 262.3980 182 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 262.3980 f- she fell through the flooring of- of the apartment that she was working [on.] 266.9210 183 LES_int_01 266.6066 [Oh, no.] 267.3434 184 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 267.3201 [And] she just 268.3125 185 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 268.4244 kind of gave up because she s- she got injured. So [she gave up.] 271.6677 186 LES_int_01 270.9742 [Oh, no.] 271.9207 187 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 271.9848 Cause it was- it was a lot for her, you know, she was doing it by herself, single mom, three kids. 276.2037 188 LES_int_01 276.3294 [Yeah.] 276.9593 189 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 276.7025 [Really,] really hard at the time for her to, you know, to do that by herself. [And,] 281.1089 190 LES_int_01 280.7639 [Right.] 281.2395 191 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 281.4943 you know, and for her to get hurt. She hurt her back really bad, and, um, 284.8609 192 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 284.8609 (pause 0.33) 285.1920 193 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 285.1920 I remember from then on it- it just got really- 288.0488 194 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 288.0488 (pause 0.21) 288.2633 195 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 288.2633 it got really bad. And so 289.9979 196 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 289.9979 (pause 0.44) 290.4408 197 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 290.4408 um, you know, living on Thirteenth Street was rough for her. She applied for these apartments here, I think she originally applied for, 296.5057 198 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 296.5057 (pause 0.41) 296.9207 199 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 296.9207 uh, 297.2471 200 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 297.2471 (pause 0.12) 297.3667 201 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 297.3667 t- two ten Stanton Street. Which was 299.4417 202 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 299.4417 (pause 0.28) 299.7261 203 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 299.7261 Pueblo Nuevo, [at the time.] 301.3535 204 LES_int_01 300.6867 [Yes], yeah. 301.7237 205 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 301.7965 And 302.2870 206 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 302.2870 (pause 0.15) 302.4399 207 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 302.4399 she didn't get in 303.2357 208 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 303.2357 (pause 0.22) 303.4548 209 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 303.4548 to Pueblo [Nuevo, but] 304.9283 210 LES_int_01 304.4667 [Ah.] 305.3153 211 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 305.2221 [she] did 306.0145 212 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 306.5269 get in here. So we were like, [the foundation] family for this [building.] 310.0478 213 LES_int_01 308.1356 [That's-] 308.5233 214 LES_int_01 308.5233 (pause 1.35) 309.8749 215 LES_int_01 309.8749 [Oh,] okay. And Pueblo Nuevo, that's section eight. 312.6811 216 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 312.7075 That's also [section eight, which is the sister] building to that 315.6684 217 LES_int_01 313.6354 [Is this section eight?] 314.6219 218 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 315.8034 building. 316.1394 219 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 316.1394 (pause 0.12) 316.2560 220 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 316.2560 [Right.] 316.5217 221 LES_int_01 316.2560 [Oh,] okay. [Okay,] so this is not NYCHA this is section [eight?] 319.2301 222 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 317.2398 [Right.] 317.5802 223 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 317.5802 (pause 1.46) 319.0436 224 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 319.0436 [ This] is section [eight housing. Right.] 320.8613 225 LES_int_01 319.8541 [Sorry, I'm- I'm] learning more about the 322.0270 226 LES_int_01 322.2330 distinctions. 323.0210 227 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 323.1313 Yeah. 323.4484 228 LES_int_01 323.4531 Um, 324.2411 229 LES_int_01 324.2411 (pause 0.27) 324.5069 230 LES_int_01 324.5069 wow and so then you've been here [in the- in the same apartment?] 327.3310 231 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 326.0067 [So we've been here,] 327.1997 232 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 327.6481 same [apartment.] 328.6646 233 LES_int_01 328.5705 [Wow.] 329.1021 234 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 328.9117 [Since] eighty-five my family has been in this apartment. Well, you know, my brothers left and 333.3547 235 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 333.6422 I left, I got married. I came back when [my mom] deceased in [ninety-two.] 337.9367 236 LES_int_01 335.9223 [Yeah.] 336.2301 237 LES_int_01 336.2301 (pause 1.65) 337.8773 238 LES_int_01 337.8773 [Oh.] 338.5985 239 LES_int_01 338.7201 [Yeah, I'm sorry.] 339.7583 240 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 339.0635 [Um, no actually] ninety-four. My mom passed in ninety-four. So I came back here in the 343.7078 241 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 344.1974 summer of ninety-four. 345.6980 242 LES_int_01 345.7400 Mm-hm. 346.0897 243 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 346.1858 So, um, and I been here since. 348.3263 244 LES_int_01 348.6900 [Amazing.] 349.5361 245 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 349.3848 [Yeah.] 349.7438 246 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 349.8930 With my two sons, my two boys. 351.6360 247 LES_int_01 351.8125 How old are they? 352.4607 248 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 352.5120 Um, I have a sixteen year old and a twelve year old. 355.0189 249 LES_int_01 355.0189 Okay. The one I [met.] 355.9998 250 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 355.9579 [Yeah.] 356.3216 251 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 356.9138 [Yeah.] 357.1966 252 LES_int_01 356.9448 [That's] great. 357.5370 253 LES_int_01 358.1572 Um, 358.7214 254 LES_int_01 358.7214 (pause 0.27) 358.9881 255 LES_int_01 358.9881 okay, so I'm interested in kind of your memories as a kid of the neighborhood. It sounds like you 364.0541 256 LES_int_01 364.0541 (pause 0.33) 364.3805 257 LES_int_01 364.3805 were here and you left and you came back, and so you probably have a really interesting perspective. 368.2911 258 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 368.4217 [Well,] 369.1164 259 LES_int_01 368.6175 [What do you remember?] What are some of your first memories about being here, living here? 372.2592 260 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 372.8841 I know that, um, 374.6170 261 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 374.6170 (pause 0.79) 375.4051 262 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 375.4051 I remember being a kid- well I can remember Thirteenth Street very well. Thirteenth Street was that kind of block where everybody kind of 381.3012 263 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 381.3012 (pause 0.26) 381.5639 264 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 381.5639 knew everyone. We were like, 382.7328 265 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 382.7328 (pause 0.23) 382.9659 266 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 382.9659 wasn't very many black families that lived on Thirteenth Street. In fact, I don't there were 387.2037 267 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 387.2037 (pause 0.74) 387.9404 268 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 387.9404 any black families that lived on Thirteenth [Street. We were] like, one of the few 391.5378 269 LES_int_01 389.8794 [Yeah.] 390.3714 270 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 392.0087 that lived 392.5675 271 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 392.5675 (pause 0.18) 392.7501 272 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 392.7501 in that ratio. In that one block ratio [that we] lived on. [So it was kind of different.] 397.0998 273 LES_int_01 394.8523 [Right.] 395.3232 274 LES_int_01 395.3232 (pause 0.53) 395.8502 275 LES_int_01 395.8502 [What- what was the rest] of the make up, 397.8878 276 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 398.1303 [It was all] Puerto Rican. 399.5890 277 LES_int_01 398.1761 [at the time?] 398.8147 278 LES_int_01 399.8641 [It was?] 400.4470 279 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 399.9154 [It was] all Puerto Rican. (laughing) 401.5699 280 LES_int_01 401.7005 Uh-huh. 401.9709 281 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 401.9709 And I don't even remember a Dominican family at all. At that time it was just predominantly 406.6330 282 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 407.0604 Puerto Rican and Caucasian. 408.8370 283 LES_int_01 409.0841 Wow. 409.5645 284 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 409.6763 And that was it. And it was, you know, very mixed, very 411.9323 285 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 411.9323 (pause 0.30) 412.2308 286 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 412.2308 blended. Um, people very free-will. People very kind 416.0629 287 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 416.0629 (pause 0.34) 416.4033 288 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 416.4033 to one another. [Um.] 417.7679 289 LES_int_01 417.2130 [They weren't,] and now even if there- you were one of the only black [families /you didn't feel any/.] 421.2837 290 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 420.1786 [They couldn't care less.] 421.5635 291 LES_int_01 421.4656 [Didn't care?] 422.0655 292 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 421.8883 [We] all just kind of blended and fitted in. 423.7301 293 LES_int_01 423.9247 [That's great.] 424.3503 294 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 424.0426 [And,] um, 424.9472 295 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 425.3202 we- I remember 426.1828 296 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 426.1828 (pause 0.22) 426.4078 297 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 426.4078 like, playing on the fire escape as a kid. [And going] up and down the fire escape, not even being fearful that we were on a fire escape and we lived on the fourth floor. 434.1400 298 LES_int_01 429.0119 [Yeah.] 429.4305 299 LES_int_01 434.2931 [Yeah.] 434.7546 300 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 434.5122 [We would] just go to each other apartments, knocking on each other's windows. Hey, you know, what's going on. 438.9225 301 LES_int_01 439.0438 [Yeah.] 439.4371 302 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 439.3235 [And,] um, I remember my neighbors- learning how to speak Spanish with my neighbors. 443.2994 303 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 443.6361 And picking up the accent 444.8615 304 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 444.8615 (pause 0.14) 445.0060 305 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 445.0060 of the community. 445.9603 306 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 445.9603 (pause 0.30) 446.2587 307 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 446.2587 And really, you know, 447.4245 308 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 447.4245 (pause 0.54) 447.9607 309 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 447.9607 not really identifying with being a Southerner or 451.3071 310 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 451.3071 (pause 0.25) 451.5542 311 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 451.5542 someone from Queens, but really knowing that, you know, I was a Lower East Sider at that point. 455.5689 312 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 455.5689 (pause 0.33) 455.8953 313 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 455.8953 [They couldn't] cared less where you came from. Once you're on the Lower East Side, you're from the Lower East Side, [pretty much.] 460.5745 314 LES_int_01 455.8953 [Yeah.] 456.2909 315 LES_int_01 456.2909 (pause 3.55) 459.8397 316 LES_int_01 459.8397 [Right.] 460.3973 317 LES_int_01 460.8317 [Right.] 461.3352 318 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 460.9895 [And,] um, especially if you 462.7754 319 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 462.9992 make roots there and you go to school there, or whatever. 465.4689 320 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 465.4689 (pause 0.42) 465.8886 321 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 465.8886 So that's- that's what I remember. And just playing stick ball on the street, [Johnny on a pony.] 471.1794 322 LES_int_01 470.0650 [Yeah, so where did you] play it? [Yeah,] you played [on- on the block?] 473.3570 323 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 471.6410 [] 472.1112 324 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 472.1112 (pause 0.29) 472.4057 325 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 472.4057 [Played on a block.] When the cars came, everybody [moved. And when the cars left,] everybody went back. 477.8924 326 LES_int_01 475.2718 [] 476.5494 327 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 478.2871 I remember summertime, [um.] 480.3621 328 LES_int_01 480.3155 [Wait,] is Johnny on the Pony the one where everybody jumps 482.9687 329 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 483.0293 [On person's back. ] Yeah, and the last [person-] 486.9352 330 LES_int_01 483.2383 [On s- a person's back.] (laughing) 485.1781 331 LES_int_01 485.1781 (pause 1.19) 486.3637 332 LES_int_01 486.3637 [I've heard of] this. I'm like, this sounds not fun [for people on the bottom. (laughing)] 491.4201 333 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 489.0747 [It's a very rough game.] 490.6181 334 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 490.6181 (pause 0.41) 491.0237 335 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 491.0237 [] It's a very [rough game.] 492.6923 336 LES_int_01 492.1187 [] 493.6388 337 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 493.1492 [Very] rough game. [And Booties Up.] Booties Up was that game where you got hit with the ball on your [backside.] 499.1255 338 LES_int_01 494.5714 [That's /inaudible./] 495.4511 339 LES_int_01 495.4511 (pause 3.23) 498.6778 340 LES_int_01 498.6778 [What?] I've never [heard that one.] 500.0703 341 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 499.6694 [Yeah.] It was crazy. [] 501.7677 342 LES_int_01 501.3994 [Now were] boys and girls, 502.5091 343 LES_int_01 502.6397 were you playing [together as a kid?] 504.0805 344 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 503.3811 [Yeah, we played] together. The boys and girls played [together. Um,] didn't matter what your family's economic situation was, cause 509.4040 345 LES_int_01 506.0856 [That's cool.] 506.6444 346 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 509.6464 if you lived in the tenements, everybody was pretty much the same, [you know. Everybody] was working families [or] 514.2238 347 LES_int_01 512.4752 [Right.] 512.9041 348 LES_int_01 512.9041 (pause 1.08) 513.9813 349 LES_int_01 513.9813 [Yeah.] 514.3637 350 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 514.4896 you know, uh, lower income families, or [whatever.] 516.8389 351 LES_int_01 516.6244 [Yeah.] 517.0293 352 LES_int_01 517.1922 [Yeah.] 517.6333 353 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 517.2539 [Lot of single mothers.] I remember, um, in the neighborhood like, the super's kids 521.0945 354 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 521.4116 that lived in the building next door from us. They were like, the largest family, cause they had like, six kids. 526.8554 355 LES_int_01 526.8694 Wow. 527.3890 356 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 527.4057 And they were like, the largest family. Everybody else, um, 530.8887 357 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 530.8887 (pause 0.83) 531.7219 358 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 531.7219 you know, were not, not too big. Like my neighbor that lived below us, 535.3499 359 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 535.3499 (pause 0.41) 535.7600 360 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 535.7600 who 536.1936 361 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 536.1936 (pause 0.22) 536.4167 362 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 536.4167 still lives in the community and still recognizes me and my brothers all the time. 540.0855 363 LES_int_01 540.1042 [Yeah.] 540.5565 364 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 540.4866 [Um,] 540.9855 365 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 541.2046 she had a big 542.2149 366 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 542.2149 (pause 0.19) 542.4014 367 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 542.4014 blended family, also. Her kids were all together and they had, like, two apartments 546.4814 368 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 546.4814 (pause 0.29) 546.7752 369 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 546.7752 together. Like, the walls were broken 548.7460 370 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 548.7460 (pause 0.24) 548.9838 371 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 548.9838 [through] 549.3615 372 LES_int_01 549.0398 [Yeah.] 549.4911 373 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 549.5760 to make the- the one- the two bedrooms into a four [bedroom.] 553.0118 374 LES_int_01 552.6434 [Right, right.] 553.4268 375 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 553.3288 [So] she had the biggest apartment, downstairs from us. 555.8413 376 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 556.2201 And then, you know, I remember my neighbors that lived upstairs, you know. So I mean, you know. 560.0503 377 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 560.0503 (pause 0.34) 560.3907 378 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 560.3907 Pretty- pretty close. 561.4912 379 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 561.4912 (pause 0.26) 561.7495 380 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 561.7495 The tenement was rough, because it was owned by a Jewish family and 565.4717 381 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 565.4717 (pause 0.30) 565.7701 382 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 565.7701 they didn't take care of the tenement very well. Not at all. The guy was just like a slumlord. 570.3242 383 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 570.3242 (pause 0.37) 570.6972 384 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 570.6972 And that much I remember cause my mom was always fighting about 574.0257 385 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 574.0257 (pause 0.40) 574.4277 386 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 574.4277 the ceilings being broken. My uncle would come in and make some basic repairs, trying to fix stuff. 579.3398 387 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 579.3398 (pause 0.33) 579.6709 388 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 579.6709 We had the- 580.6827 389 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 580.6827 (pause 0.31) 580.9935 390 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 580.9935 the bathtub in the kitchen and the toilet [had the-] 584.1363 391 LES_int_01 583.4927 [Right.] 584.0805 392 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 584.3415 the t- the tank was on the top and there was a long string you had to pull it. 588.2389 393 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 588.2389 (pause 0.47) 588.7129 394 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 588.7129 And I- I remember that- that bathroom 591.4537 395 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 591.4537 (pause 0.12) 591.5759 396 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 591.5759 [o well.] 592.4805 397 LES_int_01 591.9256 [Oh my God.] 593.1512 398 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 592.7035 [My uncle came] and he built a- a wall so we could have some privacy 596.3445 399 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 596.6009 in the kitchen. 597.3796 400 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 597.3796 (pause 0.33) 597.7134 401 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 597.7134 And, um, 598.6479 402 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 598.6479 (pause 0.44) 599.0891 403 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 599.0891 you know. So it was- it was- it was really interesting. 601.5513 404 LES_int_01 602.6937 Do you have good memories of a, kind of 604.8231 405 LES_int_01 604.8231 (pause 0.31) 605.1355 406 LES_int_01 605.1355 being a kid and playing and 606.4038 407 LES_int_01 606.4038 (pause 0.22) 606.6273 408 LES_int_01 606.6273 friends and things like that? 607.9892 409 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 608.0871 I remember all my friends from when I was younger. Like, I went to elementary school at /RD-SCHOOL-4/ on /RD-ADDRESS-4/. The /RD-SCHOOL-4/ school. [And] 615.8570 410 LES_int_01 615.4560 [Okay.] 615.9102 411 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 616.1177 I went there for two years. And 618.1756 412 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 618.1756 (pause 0.25) 618.4216 413 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 618.4216 all of my friends /re-/ they pretty much, we all recognize each other when we see each other in the street. Like, hey how are you, [whatever.] 624.5371 414 LES_int_01 624.0763 [Yeah.] 624.4681 415 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 624.8671 And even the kids that lived down on the other side of- of First Avenue, you know, we were pretty cool with them. 629.4974 416 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 629.4974 (pause 0.23) 629.7238 417 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 629.7238 Cause they all went to /RD-SCHOOL-4/. 631.4356 418 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 631.4356 (pause 0.35) 631.7897 419 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 631.7897 And, um, all my brothers went to the boy's club on Tenth Street. 634.9751 420 LES_int_01 635.0858 [Yeah.] 635.5879 421 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 635.4169 [So,] you know, I kind of grew up in the boy's club. 637.9387 422 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 638.0226 Cause I, you know, I had no place to go. 640.0767 423 LES_int_01 640.1901 [Yeah.] 640.7300 424 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 640.3067 [Girls] back then didn't have a club. 642.1536 425 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 642.4936 Before they did, uh, the BGR Club, which is now 645.3249 426 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 645.3249 (pause 0.19) 645.5182 427 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 645.5182 the Henry Street owns that. 647.0663 428 LES_int_01 647.0849 [Right.] 647.5605 429 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 647.4626 [So] before that came about, 649.0977 430 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 649.2329 you know, we all kind of just hung out 651.6884 431 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 651.6884 (pause 0.20) 651.8861 432 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 651.8861 wherever. [You know, wherever you could get in.] 653.7543 433 LES_int_01 652.6352 [Right. As you got older,] you- 654.4071 434 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 654.7102 I- I volunteered at the boy's club and then they essentially gave me a summer job. (laughing) 658.8780 435 LES_int_01 658.8780 Oh, that's [good.] 660.2350 436 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 660.1613 [Yeah.] 660.5380 437 LES_int_01 660.4588 [That's nice.] 661.2837 438 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 660.8691 [Yeah.] 661.2413 439 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 661.3532 Yeah. I remember, um. 662.8986 440 LES_int_01 662.9153 So as you got older, 664.1828 441 LES_int_01 664.1828 (pause 0.09) 664.2743 442 LES_int_01 664.2743 I- 664.5500 443 LES_int_01 664.5500 (pause 0.22) 664.7704 444 LES_int_01 664.7704 now at this point you were- 666.7005 445 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 667.0582 I was in junior- once I went to junior high school, I went to the school that was directly around the corner. Which [was, uh,] 672.7442 446 LES_int_01 672.0679 [Oh, that's convenient.] 673.0586 447 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 673.1752 /RD-SCHOOL-6/. 674.9408 448 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 674.9408 (pause 0.37) 675.3138 449 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 675.3138 Which was one of the- not such a great school in the [community.] 678.4333 450 LES_int_01 678.2794 [Oh,] really? 679.0768 451 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 679.1218 Yeah. Wasn't- it didn't have such a [great reputation.] 681.7190 452 LES_int_01 680.7865 [Didn't have a good rep?] 682.1760 453 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 682.9034 Not such a good reputation [at all.] 685.0382 454 LES_int_01 684.3714 [Was it- was] it true? 685.7417 455 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 685.8542 It was [true, cause] l- lot- a lot of the kids [that went-] uh, that lived in the- the projects down on Avenue D, 691.5833 456 LES_int_01 686.5123 [Okay.] 686.9446 457 LES_int_01 686.9446 (pause 0.84) 687.7805 458 LES_int_01 687.7805 [Okay.] 688.2015 459 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 691.7139 they came up to First Avenue to go to school there. 694.4774 460 LES_int_01 694.4774 [Okay.] 694.8598 461 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 694.7012 [Cause] their parents didn't want them going to 696.4685 462 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 696.8089 n- whatever /RD-SCHOOL-6/ that was right there on Houston Street. Their parents didn't send them to [/RD-SCHOOL-3/.] 703.0216 463 LES_int_01 702.9335 [Right.] 703.4501 464 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 703.3625 [Or] /RD-SCHOOL-3/ was too far, so they had to go to /RD-SCHOOL-2/. 706.2705 465 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 706.4897 Cause /RD-SCHOOL-2/ was directly up. 708.2243 466 LES_int_01 708.5973 [I get it.] 709.0582 467 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 708.7325 [From] like, Tenth Street and Twelfth Street, so all those kids just came on up. 712.0789 468 LES_int_01 712.0789 Okay. 712.5545 469 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 712.5872 I learned how to play hooky. 714.2798 470 LES_int_01 714.6808 [] 715.8694 471 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 714.8712 [I learned about marijuana] use. I didn't know anything about all that stuff until like, I really started like, getting known with the [kids.] 721.1497 472 LES_int_01 721.0658 [Yeah.] 721.6440 473 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 721.4155 [Then my mother's] like, I don't want you hanging out with those kids from Avenue [D.] 724.2878 474 LES_int_01 724.1447 [S-] yeah. So was your mom a strict mom? Was she [lenient? Like, were you allowed to explore and-] 729.3595 475 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 727.1772 [] 727.2612 476 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 727.2612 (pause 0.13) 727.3918 477 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 727.3918 [Nah, she was-] 728.1891 478 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 728.1891 (pause 0.37) 728.5621 479 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 728.5621 [nope.] 729.2849 480 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 729.4387 My mother was really like, very [strict.] 731.7321 481 LES_int_01 731.5114 [she was strict.] 732.3149 482 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 732.0445 [Yeah.] 732.5321 483 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 732.7533 And she was a young mom, but she was a strict [mom.] 734.9067 484 LES_int_01 734.7577 [So] you kind of had to stay close to [home.] 736.4680 485 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 736.3095 [Stay] close to home. We couldn't go past Avenue A. 738.9160 486 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 739.5812 Could not. 740.1153 487 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 740.1153 (pause 0.45) 740.5604 488 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 740.5604 [And we couldn't] go any further than Tenth Street without her. 743.3004 489 LES_int_01 740.5604 [Wow.] 741.1061 490 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 743.7732 She [would never send] us, like, beyond Tenth Street. 745.9402 491 LES_int_01 743.9534 [Wow.] 744.4323 492 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 746.0517 Not at all. 746.7651 493 LES_int_01 747.3060 No past Avenue A, you mean east? So not to Avenue [D?] 749.9958 494 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 749.9258 [No.] 750.3641 495 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 750.8071 [Never.] 751.3353 496 LES_int_01 751.1319 [Couldn't] do it. 751.6180 497 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 751.6401 Couldn't do it. 752.2105 498 LES_int_01 752.4561 [Wow.] 752.9249 499 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 752.5494 [If I did] it, it was defying my mother. 754.3026 500 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 754.7503 Yeah, it was [really d-] 755.5937 501 LES_int_01 755.3605 [Did you] ever do [that? Or were you- /You were that rebellious./] 757.9482 502 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 756.1297 [of course I did. I was a kid. Of course.] 758.4285 503 LES_int_01 758.3661 [] 759.1730 504 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 759.0254 [Of] course. Especially like those middle school years, when I, you know, started feeling myself, hanging out with the- the crew. 764.4830 505 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 764.7225 That's when I got to know the black kids in the community. [Cause I didn't] even know they existed. 768.7256 506 LES_int_01 767.1006 [Right.] 767.5287 507 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 768.9821 Up until- like, there was only one black girl in my- 771.2838 508 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 771.2838 (pause 0.28) 771.5599 509 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 771.5599 my, um, 772.3945 510 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 772.3945 (pause 0.76) 773.1577 511 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 773.1577 elementary school with me. Her name was [/RD-NAME-3/ and I never forget] her. And she still lives here on the Lower East Side, so when we see each other. Hey. 779.7028 512 LES_int_01 775.4192 [Wow.] 776.1695 513 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 779.9359 You remember being the only black kids in the school? Like, [yeah.] (laughing) 782.8790 514 LES_int_01 782.6497 [That's so funny.] 783.9022 515 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 783.2590 [We would laugh] and joke about it all the time. We still do. 786.1571 516 LES_int_01 786.5463 Because the black kids lived on [Avenue D?] 788.5246 517 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 788.0788 [Avenue D.] 788.9414 518 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 789.4031 [They all lived on] the Ave. [ As we called it.] 792.1488 519 LES_int_01 789.4357 [So once-] 790.1631 520 LES_int_01 790.1631 (pause 0.84) 791.0071 521 LES_int_01 791.0071 [so once- yeah. Yeah,] yeah. So once you went to junior high then 794.4802 522 LES_int_01 794.6434 you 795.1190 523 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 795.4455 Then I [got exposed to the black kids] in [the neighborhood. That] was like, 798.2788 524 LES_int_01 795.8910 [realized.] 796.9639 525 LES_int_01 796.9639 (pause 0.24) 797.2017 526 LES_int_01 797.2017 [Yeah.] 797.8910 527 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 798.5073 oh. There's black [kids. ] 801.1372 528 LES_int_01 799.3291 [You're like, look at that.] 800.4471 529 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 801.8040 [Yep.] 802.1242 530 LES_int_01 802.0391 [So] that was a different experience, [then, I bet.] 803.9380 531 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 803.4064 [Different experience.] Um, I met new people, new m- made new friends. Um, 808.5433 532 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 809.0842 you know, not- not that I neglected the old friends that I had, but I think I picked a- a little bit of a- a swagger, you know, of the- 815.7692 533 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 815.7692 (pause 0.32) 816.0910 534 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 816.0910 what the- the other Lower East Siders were like, [you know.] 818.8903 535 LES_int_01 818.4925 [On the Ave.] 819.1902 536 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 819.4280 Yeah, the Ave [kids.] 820.9761 537 LES_int_01 820.6590 [Had a attitude?] 821.6273 538 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 821.4174 [And] they had major [attitude.] They talked back and, 824.8260 539 LES_int_01 822.7370 [Yeah.] 823.1942 540 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 825.0871 you know, whereas the Spanish kids were a little bit more respectful. They were like, you know, like mm-mm. No, we're not gonna do some of those thing. 830.9880 541 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 830.9880 (pause 0.24) 831.2245 542 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 831.2245 When you knew 831.8226 543 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 831.8226 (pause 0.18) 831.9998 544 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 831.9998 the Spanish kids that came from Avenue D, 834.4495 545 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 834.4495 (pause 0.35) 834.8022 546 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 834.8022 were like the black kids that came from Avenue D. 837.0342 547 LES_int_01 837.1647 [Okay.] 837.5537 548 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 837.4119 [And] they all kind of blended in together, you know. Um, 840.4792 549 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 840.8709 pretty cool. 841.6415 550 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 841.6415 (pause 0.23) 841.8734 551 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 841.8734 That's when, um, 842.9816 552 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 842.9816 (pause 0.28) 843.2573 553 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 843.2573 Compost Plaza was just being built. Around that time, [when I got] into, like, middle school. 847.5652 554 LES_int_01 845.6700 [Okay.] 846.1151 555 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 847.8031 And the kids that lived in Compost Plaza were like the new families that lived in there. 851.5131 556 LES_int_01 851.6204 [Yeah.] 851.9320 557 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 851.8760 [There] were a few black families that lived there, and we all thought they were like, really rich kids. 855.7183 558 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 855.9432 Cause Compost was this really fancy 858.1027 559 LES_int_01 858.2673 [Yeah.] 858.6589 560 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 858.5797 [place.] 859.1672 561 LES_int_01 859.0366 [It was] nice [when it was built. Yeah.] 860.4775 562 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 859.6941 [It was so] nice when it was put up. 861.8895 563 LES_int_01 861.8895 Yeah. 862.3185 564 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 862.5936 Really, really [nice.] 863.7298 565 LES_int_01 863.5810 [Yeah.] 863.9119 566 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 864.2334 And everybody was like, you live in Compost? Wow, your family must have money, you know. 868.2954 567 LES_int_01 868.3957 [Yeah.] 868.7364 568 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 868.5310 [And all] those kids dressed nice and their families had good jobs, so. 872.5411 569 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 873.0353 You know, we just thought that they were like, 874.3440 570 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 874.3440 (pause 0.16) 874.5072 571 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 874.5072 the best. Yeah, [yeah.] (laughing) 877.2536 572 LES_int_01 875.1367 [That's] 875.4211 573 LES_int_01 875.4211 (pause 0.19) 875.6123 574 LES_int_01 875.6123 [funny.] 876.3272 575 LES_int_01 876.3272 (pause 0.51) 876.8340 576 LES_int_01 876.8340 [Well, what about] high school? Were you still in [the neighborhood?] 879.6595 577 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 878.9222 [High school,] I didn't go too far. I went to school on Fourteenth Street, at that time it was /RD-SCHOOL-5/ which was a all girls school. 886.2460 578 LES_int_01 886.3765 [Okay.] 886.7263 579 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 886.6750 [And] it was like, I think it was one of the m- 888.6273 580 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 888.8603 only all girls school that was left besides, um, 891.8445 581 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 891.8445 (pause 0.20) 892.0491 582 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 892.0491 892.1849 583 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 892.1849 (pause 0.42) 892.6087 584 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 892.6087 what was the other one? On, um, 894.6546 585 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 894.6546 (pause 1.25) 895.9043 586 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 895.9043 uh, Fourteenth Street and Union Square. The other one that was there. 899.3254 587 LES_int_01 899.6405 [Oh.] 900.3884 588 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 899.7309 [Washington Irving] was a all [girls school, too, at that time.] 903.0175 589 LES_int_01 901.1850 [Oh. Was it? Oh,] I didn't [know that.] 903.9888 590 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 903.4418 [Yeah, and] then they integrated boys into the school, like I believe it wasn't 907.7962 591 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 908.0510 about eighty-four. 909.1468 592 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 909.1468 (pause 0.31) 909.4592 593 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 909.4592 They s- they got boys. The year that I [was-] 911.9865 594 LES_int_01 911.5245 [These were public] schools? [But they were just all girls?] 913.9946 595 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 912.6750 [yeah.] 913.0061 596 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 913.0061 (pause 0.18) 913.1833 597 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 913.1833 [Mm-hm.] 913.5780 598 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 913.5780 (pause 0.16) 913.7391 599 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 913.7391 [They were] all girls. And they were vocational high schools. 916.2309 600 LES_int_01 916.2701 Mm-hm. 916.5965 601 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 916.6058 So /RD-SCHOOL-3/ was the school, you know, like- you know, you wanted to go to /RD-SCHOOL-3/. At first 920.6423 602 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 920.6423 (pause 0.34) 920.9827 603 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 920.9827 I wanted- I auditioned to go to the School of Performing Arts, cause I was very big on the arts. And 926.2354 604 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 926.2354 (pause 0.28) 926.5198 605 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 926.5198 I didn't make it in there, [so.] 928.1960 606 LES_int_01 927.9254 [Oh.] 928.4319 607 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 928.5062 I [ended up-] 929.0471 608 LES_int_01 928.6368 [Which- which] arts were your 930.2361 609 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 930.3154 I was [into theater.] And singing. Yeah. 932.6406 610 LES_int_01 930.6915 [passion?] 931.1182 611 LES_int_01 932.6453 Cool, [cool.] 933.3680 612 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 933.2375 [And,] um 934.0861 613 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 934.7798 I didn't realize how intense it was [to audition to] get into those schools, so 939.3769 614 LES_int_01 937.2034 [I bet.] 938.0433 615 LES_int_01 939.4608 [/??/.] 940.2314 616 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 939.6567 [I didn't make it. Cause I was-] (laughing) 941.2218 617 LES_int_01 940.8534 [/unintelligible/] 942.3264 618 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 941.4467 [I guess I didn't take it serious.] 942.9004 619 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 943.2315 And, [um,] 944.0895 620 LES_int_01 944.0335 [How] could you [know? /??/ yeah.] 946.1307 621 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 944.9195 [I] didn't know. And my music teacher didn't know either. She was just like, yeah you can go try. Go try. Go [see.] 949.6787 622 LES_int_01 949.5974 [Right.] 950.0331 623 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 950.1123 You know, I had no clue. Um, what I was up against (laughing). [Like,] 953.1370 624 LES_int_01 953.0511 [/Seriously./] 953.6452 625 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 953.3468 [These were] the best of the city kids, you know. 955.4591 626 LES_int_01 955.7466 [Wow.] 956.2763 627 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 956.1166 [Um,] 956.5932 628 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 956.6681 so I ended up going to /RD-SCHOOL-5/. And I met my current husband [there. We,] um- 962.1208 629 LES_int_01 961.1882 [Uh-huh.] 961.5344 630 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 962.3290 but he was on his way out, I was on my way in. 963.8538 631 LES_int_01 964.0543 [Okay.] 964.3793 632 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 964.2361 [And,] um, and boys were there. 965.6910 633 LES_int_01 966.0436 Okay. 966.4864 634 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 966.5396 And, um, I believe eighty-four was the first years boys 969.3777 635 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 969.3777 (pause 0.13) 969.5083 636 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 969.5083 got into the school, so. 971.3548 637 LES_int_01 971.4760 Got it. 971.8838 638 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 971.9050 You know, it was- it was still pre- predominantly girls. [] It was a g- [it was a-] 975.6114 639 LES_int_01 974.2678 [Yeah.] 974.6219 640 LES_int_01 974.6219 (pause 0.70) 975.3180 641 LES_int_01 975.3180 [/Fun nights/] for the [guys.] 976.6176 642 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 976.1746 [ye-] yeah, I [guess. I guess] it was great for [them.] 979.5956 643 LES_int_01 977.4320 [] 978.5103 644 LES_int_01 978.5103 (pause 0.95) 979.4604 645 LES_int_01 979.4604 [And] how'd you like the school? 980.6213 646 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 980.6447 I loved /RD-SCHOOL-5/. I grew a lot, I learned a lot. Um, I had great friends. I still have friends that, 986.6629 647 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 986.6629 (pause 0.14) 986.8028 648 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 986.8028 you know, uh- 987.4556 649 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 987.4556 (pause 0.17) 987.6235 650 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 987.6235 attended the school. 988.6850 651 LES_int_01 988.7643 [Yeah.] 989.1518 652 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 989.0161 [It-] that life long friends. And, um, 991.5574 653 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 991.7672 you know. So I mean, 992.8910 654 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 992.8910 (pause 0.34) 993.2314 655 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 993.2314 It was- it was fabulous, you know. And it- [and it-] 995.1928 656 LES_int_01 994.8524 [Yeah.] 995.1412 657 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 995.4306 and it- I guess I had a sense of pride cause I'm like, I live on the Lower East Side. Lot of these kids came from Brooklyn, the Bronx, 1001.0067 658 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1001.0067 (pause 0.27) 1001.2725 659 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1001.2725 Harlem. [I was like, nah.] 1003.0194 660 LES_int_01 1002.0356 [They're commuting. ] 1003.4200 661 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1003.3085 [I'm] like, I can walk to school. 1004.7820 662 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1005.0198 I don't know anything about what you're going [through,] 1007.1678 663 LES_int_01 1006.9766 [Yeah.] 1007.4559 664 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1007.3963 [riding] a train. 1008.3149 665 LES_int_01 1008.4734 That's [so] 1009.1137 666 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1008.9257 [And, um,] yeah it was. It wasn't until my second year at /RD-SCHOOL-3/ that I had to go up to the, um, main building, which was 1015.5827 667 LES_int_01 1009.2894 [nice.] 1009.6485 668 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1015.8765 on /RD-ADDRESS-5/. 1017.3597 669 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1017.3597 (pause 0.16) 1017.5163 670 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1017.5163 I believe it [is, yeah.] 1018.7774 671 LES_int_01 1018.0432 [Oh, they had like, another campus?] 1020.1555 672 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1019.1669 [Yeah. There's the main] building. 1020.8317 673 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1020.9660 It was in [/RD-ADDRESS-4/.] 1022.3789 674 LES_int_01 1022.1597 [Got] it. [Got it.] 1023.2656 675 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1022.8591 [So,] you know, it felt good to get on the train like, I can ride the train [now. Like everybody else, you know.] 1027.3217 676 LES_int_01 1025.9444 [] 1027.5843 677 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1027.8356 And, uh, you know. So my mother's like, oh you don't need to ride the train. 1030.7700 678 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1030.7700 (pause 0.17) 1030.9375 679 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1030.9375 Get off the train. [ Take the bus. Take the] bus. 1033.4259 680 LES_int_01 1031.5229 [ She's like,] 1033.0715 681 LES_int_01 1033.6824 she [was like, /??/.] 1034.5245 682 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1033.9062 [I was like, nobody] takes the bus, mom. Everybody rides the train. 1037.5572 683 LES_int_01 1037.5976 [That's funny.] 1038.7307 684 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1037.9473 [So.] 1038.5017 685 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1039.2296 [It was really] cool. 1040.2182 686 LES_int_01 1039.4255 [Then s-] 1039.7767 687 LES_int_01 1040.2228 and so then what did you do after high school? 1041.9788 688 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1042.4191 After high school I went on to college. I went to /RD-SCHOOL-8/ way out in Bayside, Queens (laughing). Cause I wanted to get out of the neighborhood. I [was like,] 1051.1681 689 LES_int_01 1050.8913 [Yeah.] 1051.3453 690 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1051.5458 I don't wanna be in the Lower East Side. I don't wanna go to BMCC. You know, I didn't wanna- 1055.4704 691 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1055.4704 (pause 0.32) 1055.7921 692 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1055.7921 I wanted to actually go away to school, but my mom was fearful, um, 1059.8904 693 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1059.8904 (pause 0.33) 1060.2164 694 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1060.2164 you know, because of my health and everything. She really didn't want me going too far 1063.5310 695 LES_int_01 1063.5674 [Okay.] 1064.1000 696 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1063.8425 [away] from her. Um, 1065.3113 697 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1065.7217 And you [know, she-] 1066.3123 698 LES_int_01 1066.0099 [So you commuted?] 1066.8821 699 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1066.8392 [yes. I commuted] to Bayside everyday, which was crazy. 1070.0939 700 LES_int_01 1067.3191 [Yeah.] 1067.5643 701 LES_int_01 1070.2804 [That's- that's] far. 1071.6077 702 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1070.4653 [] 1070.9456 703 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1071.6683 Yeah. I- I left home, I ended up leaving home at twenty-one. 1074.9137 704 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1074.9137 (pause 0.21) 1075.1282 705 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1075.1282 Like I- I left home and got my own apartment. 1077.4254 706 LES_int_01 1077.5280 [Okay.] 1077.9155 707 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1077.7592 [I think] it was a lot of my mom's fears of me growing up. A lot of, um, 1082.3207 708 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1082.9061 the 1083.4315 709 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1083.4315 (pause 0.11) 1083.5423 710 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1083.5423 not knowing how the rent was going to be for her once I started working full [time.] 1087.7047 711 LES_int_01 1087.6068 [Oh.] 1088.4414 712 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1088.1757 [Um,] I- I- I got my first full time job at, like, twenty. 1091.7280 713 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1092.0171 And like, I, you know, I started earning a income. And it was more than what 1096.7064 714 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1096.7064 (pause 0.37) 1097.0794 715 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1097.0794 she felt was 1098.0757 716 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1098.0757 (pause 0.12) 1098.1969 717 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1098.1969 affordable for her. 1099.4745 718 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1099.4745 (pause 0.45) 1099.9268 719 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1099.9268 And she didn't wanna go through the complications of living in section eight 1102.9756 720 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1102.9756 (pause 0.24) 1103.2180 721 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1103.2180 and giving them my income. And saying, you know, [now her rent is gonna be high.] 1106.8776 722 LES_int_01 1105.3995 [Right, cause that would've-] 1106.3134 723 LES_int_01 1106.3134 (pause 0.33) 1106.6398 724 LES_int_01 1106.6398 [yeah.] That [affects your rent.] 1108.4101 725 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1107.4465 [And, it] affected big time. So she was like, you know, not that she pushed me out. She really didn't, but 1113.4128 726 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1113.7157 it was just- we just kept getting into these tug-o-war, these battles over money. [And-] 1117.9606 727 LES_int_01 1117.6729 [Yeah.] 1118.1068 728 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1118.4189 and it just became 1119.4868 729 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1119.4868 (pause 0.09) 1119.5800 730 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1119.5800 a little bit more than what I could handle, so I- I ventured up to Harlem. 1122.9310 731 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1122.9310 (pause 0.08) 1123.0150 732 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1123.0150 I got my first apartment up in [Harlem.] 1124.8568 733 LES_int_01 1124.7729 [Cool.] 1125.4472 734 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1125.3511 [] 1126.0816 735 LES_int_01 1125.9370 [How] was that? 1126.6085 736 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1126.6691 [Scary as hell.] 1129.1173 737 LES_int_01 1127.9234 [] 1129.8445 738 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1129.6572 [Scary] as hell. I was- I was petrified to leave my apartment. 1133.6525 739 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1133.9929 I lived up on a Hundred and Thirty-Eighth Street and Lenox Avenue, which was like, in the- in the heart of central Harlem. 1139.8516 740 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1139.8516 (pause 0.33) 1140.1836 741 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1140.1836 Drug central. 1141.5482 742 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1141.5482 (pause 0.30) 1141.8467 743 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1141.8467 Prostitution. I didn't know nobody up there (laughing). I don't even know what took me up to [Harlem.] 1148.0374 744 LES_int_01 1147.7203 [Yeah, now] why did you not- [/is/- you] did not wanna stay in the [neighborhood] at the [time?] 1151.6372 745 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1149.0912 [Actually,] 1149.5998 746 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1149.5998 (pause 1.26) 1150.8585 747 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1150.8585 [] 1150.9673 748 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1150.9673 (pause 0.21) 1151.1792 749 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1151.1792 [I could-] 1151.5905 750 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1151.7429 I didn't know that I could afford to live on the Lower East Side. And I don't think I even- 1156.1492 751 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1156.1492 (pause 0.24) 1156.3931 752 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1156.3931 I don't even think I looked for apartments on the Lower East Side. 1159.0386 753 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1159.0386 (pause 0.22) 1159.2625 754 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1159.2625 I think all the places I looked for apartments 1161.4960 755 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1161.4960 (pause 0.47) 1161.9623 756 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1161.9623 they started off in Harlem. Just because I worked in Harlem. I [worked at] 1165.4718 757 LES_int_01 1164.8015 [Oh, you were] working in [Harlem.] 1166.1153 758 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1165.8729 [Presbyterian] Hospital, which was up like, a Hundred and Sixty-eighth Street. 1169.1178 759 LES_int_01 1169.4905 So now, at this point, did you s- you stopped going to 1172.1429 760 LES_int_01 1172.1429 (pause 0.17) 1172.3154 761 LES_int_01 1172.3154 [school? You're working- 1173.3273 762 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1172.4956 [I stopped going to college, I- I started working] full time. I worked actually as a research assistant. 1177.8432 763 LES_int_01 1173.6194 [you were working full time.] 1174.5700 764 LES_int_01 1177.8712 Mm-hm. 1178.3428 765 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1178.4027 Um, for the psychiatric institute. 1180.3845 766 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1180.3845 (pause 0.36) 1180.7466 767 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1180.7466 So I- I did [pretty good for myself.] I [made a] decent [salary.] 1183.6888 768 LES_int_01 1181.4732 [That's great.] 1182.1524 769 LES_int_01 1182.1524 (pause 0.19) 1182.3413 770 LES_int_01 1182.3413 [Yeah.] 1182.7516 771 LES_int_01 1182.7516 (pause 0.86) 1183.6142 772 LES_int_01 1183.6142 [Yeah.] 1184.0246 773 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1184.1691 I stayed with them for about six years. 1186.1920 774 LES_int_01 1186.1920 Wow. 1186.7096 775 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1186.7096 [Yeah.] 1187.2132 776 LES_int_01 1187.1435 [That's] great. 1187.7646 777 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1187.8893 Until I ventured out. 1189.0301 778 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1189.0301 (pause 0.22) 1189.2540 779 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1189.2540 [] 1189.9114 780 LES_int_01 1189.7249 [] 1190.6295 781 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1190.3777 [ I] got married. 1191.4642 782 LES_int_01 1191.6274 [Okay.] 1192.0032 783 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1191.7812 [I had] a baby. 1192.7698 784 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1193.1568 And I ventured out, and I moved to Queens. I got a s- uh, two bedroom apartment. 1197.4171 785 LES_int_01 1197.4824 Okay. 1197.9160 786 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1198.0373 And, um, 1198.9822 787 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1198.9822 (pause 0.13) 1199.1114 788 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1199.1114 in Maspeth. 1200.0733 789 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1200.0733 (pause 0.40) 1200.4697 790 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1200.4697 [Very quiet] 1201.3976 791 LES_int_01 1200.5234 [Yeah.] 1200.8456 792 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1201.5328 neighborhood. Didn't know anything about that either. 1203.8308 793 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1203.8308 (pause 0.24) 1204.0686 794 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1204.0686 But my uncle, 1204.9089 795 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1204.9089 (pause 0.24) 1205.1504 796 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1205.1504 he worked at a shop downstairs and, um, the landlord owned the- a building 1209.5553 797 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1209.5553 (pause 0.22) 1209.7744 798 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1209.7744 next door to his shop. 1210.8702 799 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1210.8702 (pause 0.38) 1211.2479 800 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1211.2479 So he got me an apartment there. Really, you know, the rent wasn't 1213.8295 801 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1213.8295 (pause 0.24) 1214.0720 802 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1214.0720 all that affordable. It was like 1215.6621 803 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1215.6621 (pause 0.11) 1215.7693 804 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1215.7693 six hundred dollars a month. 1217.1860 805 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1217.1860 (pause 0.65) 1217.8342 806 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1217.8342 I went from paying three [fifty-eight or] three twenty-eight or something like that. I was paying like, 1222.2297 807 LES_int_01 1219.2217 [/How was that?/] 1220.0568 808 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1222.3416 [] 1222.8236 809 LES_int_01 1222.3882 [Wow.] 1223.0413 810 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1223.0364 dirt rent cheap [for] 1224.1881 811 LES_int_01 1223.9783 [That] is really [something.] 1225.1191 812 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1224.6668 [a one bedroom] apartment to paying 1227.2733 813 LES_int_01 1227.9215 That's [/un-/] 1228.5059 814 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1228.3590 [double] the price for a two [bedroom.] 1230.3806 815 LES_int_01 1230.2102 [Right.] 1230.7747 816 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1230.8537 In a two-fare zone, at the time. 1232.7872 817 LES_int_01 1232.7872 Right. 1233.3840 818 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1233.8177 Which there was no free transfer, at that time. 1236.2890 819 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1236.2890 (pause 0.49) 1236.7786 820 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1236.7786 So i- it got [to be.] 1238.2717 821 LES_int_01 1237.6432 [So you spent] like a total of 1239.8778 822 LES_int_01 1240.2116 eight, ten years away from the neighborhood? 1242.2093 823 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1242.2932 [] 1242.4144 824 LES_int_01 1242.3492 [Cause you were in Harlem- Harlem, and then] 1243.8956 825 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1243.8956 [Queens, yep.] 1244.9728 826 LES_int_01 1244.3619 [Queens.] 1245.0940 827 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1245.2432 [Mm-hm.] 1245.7282 828 LES_int_01 1245.4194 [And then you came] back [when your mom passed away.] 1247.4454 829 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1246.0864 [And then I came back when my mom] passed away. 1248.1884 830 LES_int_01 1248.3407 [Got it. Got it.] 1249.0473 831 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1248.4878 [Yeah.] 1248.8201 832 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1249.3038 So like th- the bulk of the 1251.4470 833 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1251.4470 (pause 1.33) 1252.7807 834 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1252.7807 early l- late eighties, early nineties. 1255.1627 835 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1255.1627 (pause 0.29) 1255.4515 836 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1255.4515 Actually, I don't even think I was away for that long. 1257.5641 837 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1257.5641 (pause 0.34) 1257.9045 838 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1257.9045 I w- I- I don't think it was a whole six years that I was gone from the [neighborhood.] 1261.4979 839 LES_int_01 1261.3767 [Oh,] okay. 1262.0095 840 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1262.1135 Yeah. And then, um, I came back here, 1264.9943 841 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1264.9943 (pause 0.73) 1265.7264 842 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1265.7264 back to this building. 1266.7934 843 LES_int_01 1267.0032 [Yeah.] 1267.4042 844 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1267.2354 [Back] to the craziness [and landlord.] 1269.0813 845 LES_int_01 1268.3772 [How did that feel?] Did it- did you wanna come back? 1270.5781 846 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1270.6713 I 1271.5433 847 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1271.5433 (pause 0.31) 1271.8557 848 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1271.8557 didn't really wanna come back, but I think I needed to come for the sake of my brother. 1276.0787 849 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1276.0787 (pause 0.35) 1276.4284 850 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1276.4284 Who, um, is autistic and [he needed someone] to be here. He was 1280.5636 851 LES_int_01 1278.5499 [Oh.] 1279.3093 852 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1280.8061 fifteen at the time, and 1282.6052 853 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1282.6052 (pause 0.49) 1283.0994 854 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1283.0994 it was- he needed to be in the neighborhood where he was familiar with. And I think his therapist and I discussed that. 1288.8425 855 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1288.8425 (pause 0.33) 1289.1689 856 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1289.1689 And it was really a lot for him 1290.6537 857 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1290.6537 (pause 0.30) 1290.9532 858 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1290.9532 making the- the move for him to come to Queens every day and, 1294.7433 859 LES_int_01 1294.8459 [Yeah.] 1295.3234 860 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1295.0464 [you know,] I tried to 1296.3287 861 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1296.5508 have family members stay here with him. It didn't work. 1299.3953 862 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1299.3953 (pause 0.49) 1299.8896 863 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1299.8896 Um, 1300.4818 864 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1300.4818 (pause 0.12) 1300.6030 865 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1300.6030 then the landlord started 1302.2202 866 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1302.2202 (pause 0.20) 1302.4161 867 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1302.4161 inquiring, like, who are these 1303.8476 868 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1303.8476 (pause 0.10) 1303.9502 869 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1303.9502 people m- staying in and out of your mom's apartment. 1306.5979 870 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1306.5979 (pause 0.29) 1306.8870 871 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1306.8870 You know, somebody has to be in care of your brother. 1309.6225 872 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1309.6225 (pause 0.28) 1309.9069 873 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1309.9069 And so that's when I discovered I had to get custody of my brother and all these [other things that came into play.] 1314.8644 874 LES_int_01 1313.4228 [Oh, wow.] 1314.6623 875 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1315.2778 And, um, 1316.0502 876 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1316.0502 (pause 0.49) 1316.5364 877 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1316.5364 essentially find my biological father, and 1319.2343 878 LES_int_01 1319.2435 Oh my [gosh.] 1320.3494 879 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1319.5839 [file for custody] of my brother. So it- [it was- it was a- it was a] big learning experience at the age of [twenty-five. ] 1325.9099 880 LES_int_01 1321.9244 [Oh, wow.] 1322.9896 881 LES_int_01 1322.9896 (pause 2.19) 1325.1836 882 LES_int_01 1325.1836 [Yeah.] That's a lot [of responsibility.] 1327.7284 883 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1326.3625 [ It was a lot.] It was a lot. 1328.4232 884 LES_int_01 1328.7480 Oh [my gosh.] 1329.7692 885 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1328.8925 [And] 1329.4515 886 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1329.4515 (pause 0.21) 1329.6619 887 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1329.6619 [that's] when I learned about landlord tenant court. 1332.2498 888 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1332.4037 [] 1334.4025 889 LES_int_01 1332.7471 [] 1335.6288 890 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1334.8128 [All that] stuff. Um, I learned that my income was too high for this building at the time. 1340.1596 891 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1340.5233 They jacked my rent up to like, nine hundred dollars a [month. And my brother was on] a fixed income, and 1345.8335 892 LES_int_01 1343.3901 [Oh no.] 1344.4133 893 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1346.2290 I was, you know, trying to make ends meet with a husband and a kid and. 1349.5482 894 LES_int_01 1349.8187 [Yeah.] 1350.8244 895 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1350.4109 [] It was- [it was a lot.] 1351.8144 896 LES_int_01 1351.1476 [What were you working-] doing for work at the [time?] 1353.1213 897 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1352.6288 [I was still] working up at the hospital. 1354.5966 898 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1355.1701 So my- my i- my income was pretty good. I mean, you know. 1357.9344 899 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1357.9344 (pause 0.36) 1358.2934 900 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1358.2934 Wasn't, you know, the greatest but it was like twenty-one thousand at that time, in the [nineties and the early- it was pretty good. Yeah. Yeah, for that] time it was decent salary. 1365.7983 901 LES_int_01 1362.0913 [That's pretty good for that time. Yeah, yeah.] 1364.2082 902 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1366.2086 And, um, so they- 1367.4614 903 LES_int_01 1367.5360 [Mm-hm.] 1367.8157 904 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1367.6199 [they] jacked my rent [up.] 1368.9675 905 LES_int_01 1368.7063 [Oh] my gosh. 1370.0632 906 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1370.1052 And then when I left the hospital I started working 1372.3248 907 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1372.3248 (pause 0.37) 1372.6962 908 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1372.6962 as a case manager in Brooklyn, so my- my income went up even higher. 1376.5711 909 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1376.5711 (pause 0.34) 1376.9136 910 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1376.9136 And they raised my rent even higher. (laughing) 1378.8636 911 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1378.8636 (pause 0.27) 1379.1340 912 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1379.1340 I was almost paying about a thousand dollars a month for rent in here. 1381.5821 913 LES_int_01 1381.7499 [Oh my gosh.] 1383.1286 914 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1381.9395 [And- and- and it- it was] the same conditions. 1384.4668 915 LES_int_01 1384.6673 And you- and did you end up 1385.8443 916 LES_int_01 1385.8443 (pause 0.22) 1386.0662 917 LES_int_01 1386.0662 taking the landlord to 1387.4417 918 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1387.7402 Oh I- [they] took me to court. They actually tried to sue me for all the back rent after my mom passed away. 1392.9936 919 LES_int_01 1388.1536 [court?] 1388.4846 920 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1393.2175 [They did sue me for all the back] rent. Um, 1395.6359 921 LES_int_01 1393.2308 [Oh] 1393.4871 922 LES_int_01 1393.4871 (pause 0.20) 1393.6824 923 LES_int_01 1393.6824 [god.] 1394.5611 924 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1395.9483 they said that I never claimed my income. 1398.0653 925 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1398.0653 (pause 0.37) 1398.4336 926 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1398.4336 And they sued me for the back rent. I ended up paying all the stuff, yeah. 1402.1484 927 LES_int_01 1402.5401 [That's terrible.] 1403.9684 928 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1402.5707 [Yep.] 1402.8152 929 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1402.8152 (pause 0.42) 1403.2332 930 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1403.2332 [Yep.] 1403.5503 931 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1403.5503 (pause 0.37) 1403.9187 932 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1403.9187 [And] I owed them, like, 1405.1730 933 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1405.2756 a- 1405.5927 934 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1405.5927 (pause 0.15) 1405.7419 935 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1405.7419 I- I guess it was something like ten thousand dollars. 1408.1619 936 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1408.1619 (pause 0.39) 1408.5489 937 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1408.5489 They made me pay them [back] 1409.7550 938 LES_int_01 1409.6105 [Oh my gosh.] 1411.2705 939 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1409.9369 [in order to live here. Yeah.] 1411.3124 940 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1411.5969 So I had to take out a loan. Had to pay the loan [back. Ah, it was crazy.] 1415.8207 941 LES_int_01 1414.4451 [Oh, no.] 1415.9326 942 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1416.1051 Just to stay here. 1417.2037 943 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1417.2037 (pause 0.31) 1417.5172 944 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1417.5172 1418.1513 945 LES_int_01 1418.2772 So you're working as a case worker, you said, how long did you do [that?] 1421.3248 946 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1421.0741 [ I] stayed there for about two years doing case management. 1423.6791 947 LES_int_01 1423.6791 Mm-hm. 1424.0661 948 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1424.1687 And I 1425.4269 949 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1425.4269 (pause 0.08) 1425.5108 950 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1425.5108 lost my job in, um, believe it was ninety-five- 1431.0962 951 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1431.0962 (pause 1.11) 1432.2043 952 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1432.2043 was my youngest son. Yeah, about ninety-five, I lost my job. 1435.5930 953 LES_int_01 1435.7248 Mm-hm. 1436.0514 954 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1436.1492 And, um, 1437.0771 955 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1437.0771 (pause 0.37) 1437.4454 956 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1437.4454 I 1437.9334 957 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1437.9334 (pause 0.39) 1438.3205 958 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1438.3205 got pregnant with my youngest son [and] I believe at that time, um, 1442.4658 959 LES_int_01 1440.2309 [Uh-huh.] 1440.5353 960 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1442.8007 you know, I just went to school. 1443.8126 961 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1443.8126 (pause 0.10) 1443.9151 962 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1443.9151 I was going to school. I took up, um, medical assistant. I just decided to just go back to school. 1448.9945 963 LES_int_01 1449.1323 Yeah. 1449.4531 964 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1449.5510 And, um, 1450.5752 965 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1450.5752 (pause 0.13) 1450.7011 966 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1450.7011 did that for about a year. And after the birth of my youngest son in ninety-six, 1454.4221 967 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1454.4221 (pause 0.29) 1454.7080 968 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1454.7080 I got really, really sick. 1455.8520 969 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1455.8520 (pause 0.60) 1456.4489 970 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1456.4489 [So,] 1456.9991 971 LES_int_01 1456.5794 [Oh you did?] 1457.3488 972 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1457.5307 I got really sick and I ended up being a- 1459.7782 973 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1459.7782 (pause 0.11) 1459.8854 974 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1459.8854 out 1460.2352 975 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1460.2352 (pause 0.18) 1460.4166 976 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1460.4166 from work completely, and um, being on disability. 1463.8329 977 LES_int_01 1463.9925 Oh, [no.] 1464.6529 978 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1464.3462 [And I stayed] on disability for about 1466.3916 979 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1466.5409 ten years of my [life.] 1467.6511 980 LES_int_01 1467.5341 [Oh] my gosh. I'm so sorry. 1469.6892 981 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1470.2385 [Yep.] 1470.7468 982 LES_int_01 1470.5601 [Wow.] 1471.1944 983 LES_int_01 1471.5425 Are you 1472.2979 984 LES_int_01 1472.2979 (pause 0.10) 1472.3952 985 LES_int_01 1472.3952 feeling- doing better [now?] 1473.7901 986 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1473.5849 [Doing] better now, still have a health [condition.] 1476.2373 987 LES_int_01 1476.0787 [You look] 1476.4611 988 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1476.3399 [] 1476.6383 989 LES_int_01 1476.6383 picture of [health.] 1477.5289 990 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1477.3237 [] 1478.2990 991 LES_int_01 1478.0232 [I'm] surprised to hear [that.] 1479.4570 992 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1479.3093 [Doing better.] 1480.1380 993 LES_int_01 1480.0930 [Oh.] 1480.7494 994 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1480.2364 [Um,] I'm living, you know, life with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, [so.] 1484.3530 995 LES_int_01 1484.1711 [Oh, I'm sorry.] 1485.4013 996 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1484.6646 [I'll be living with that.] 1485.6449 997 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1485.7697 But it's okay, you know, it comes and it goes. You get symptoms, it [goes and it comes.] 1489.6811 998 LES_int_01 1489.1910 [Yeah.] 1489.8443 999 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1490.1331 And, [um, had a home attendant.] I went through that whole process 1493.9693 1000 LES_int_01 1490.7122 [Oh my gosh.] 1491.6939 1001 LES_int_01 1494.1145 Oh my [gosh.] 1494.9780 1002 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1494.4729 [And now I'm back] at work full time. 1495.9924 1003 LES_int_01 1496.5060 Now you're back at [working.] And you- what are you doing now? 1498.5560 1004 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1497.0919 [/?/] 1497.3950 1005 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1498.5654 I am a site coordinator at an after school program in Brooklyn. I work for one of the 1503.2368 1006 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1503.2368 (pause 0.39) 1503.6238 1007 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1503.6238 oldest organizations on the Lower East Side, um, /RD-WORK-8/. 1507.0121 1008 LES_int_01 1507.0774 Oh, right. Right. 1507.9634 1009 LES_int_01 1507.9634 (pause 0.11) 1508.0753 1010 LES_int_01 1508.0753 When I call [you,] that- I n- I knew- I knew you worked for them. But you 1511.7387 1011 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1508.9426 [Yep.] 1509.2503 1012 LES_int_01 1511.8413 are on site somewhere else [in Brooklyn?] 1513.5060 1013 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1513.0537 [I'm out] in Brooklyn now, so I went from working at /RD-WORK-5/ on Third Street 1517.7857 1014 LES_int_01 1517.9333 Yeah. 1518.2830 1015 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1518.3063 and, um, 1519.2809 1016 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1519.2809 (pause 0.13) 1519.4068 1017 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1519.4068 they moved me out to Brooklyn when we opened up our first site in Brooklyn. 1523.1017 1018 LES_int_01 1523.1635 That's great. [How do you like] it? 1524.5654 1019 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1523.7930 [Yeah.] 1524.1572 1020 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1524.6323 I love it. I love the kids. I love the- the families that I work with, they're awesome people. 1528.8561 1021 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1528.8561 (pause 0.42) 1529.2757 1022 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1529.2757 Um, different- very much the same because we're all kind of like, in the same boat. Everybody's 1534.2207 1023 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1534.2207 (pause 0.52) 1534.7429 1024 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1534.7429 low-income, working [class] families [just trying to make it.] 1537.7458 1025 LES_int_01 1535.7874 [S-] 1536.0066 1026 LES_int_01 1536.0066 (pause 0.63) 1536.6376 1027 LES_int_01 1536.6376 [working them all.] 1537.6767 1028 LES_int_01 1537.8577 [Yeah.] 1538.2293 1029 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1538.1422 [Yeah.] 1538.6138 1030 LES_int_01 1538.7950 That's [nice.] 1539.7010 1031 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1539.0740 [Yeah.] 1539.4283 1032 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1539.4283 (pause 0.13) 1539.5610 1033 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1539.5610 [Yeah.] 1539.9644 1034 LES_int_01 1540.2902 That's great. 1540.8518 1035 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1540.9943 Yeah. 1541.3906 1036 LES_int_01 1542.0197 Good life history. 1543.1336 1037 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1543.1571 [] 1544.1816 1038 LES_int_01 1543.5176 [I think we've hit everything], I think. Um, 1545.5961 1039 LES_int_01 1545.9459 so let me ask you some of your opinions about the neighborhood. I mean, you've- 1548.7556 1040 LES_int_01 1548.7556 (pause 0.40) 1549.1519 1041 LES_int_01 1549.1519 you've come and gone so many times in your life. 1552.1913 1042 LES_int_01 1552.1913 (pause 0.59) 1552.7781 1043 LES_int_01 1552.7781 How do you see 1553.9485 1044 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1554.0604 [] 1554.1518 1045 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1554.1518 (pause 0.34) 1554.4894 1046 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1554.4894 [I don't-] 1554.8997 1047 LES_int_01 1554.4894 [these great] changes that [have happened?] 1556.6459 1048 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1555.7094 [it's-] 1556.3389 1049 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1556.3389 (pause 0.11) 1556.4508 1050 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1556.4508 [it's] so interesting. The Lower East Side is just one of those places that I just- 1560.5542 1051 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1560.8480 I guess I just gravitated back to it because it's such a strong sense 1564.7539 1052 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1564.7539 (pause 0.27) 1565.0243 1053 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1565.0243 of community here. 1566.0035 1054 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1566.0035 (pause 0.31) 1566.3113 1055 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1566.3113 People know you, people remember you, people recognize you from your childhood [years.] 1570.9988 1056 LES_int_01 1570.9399 [Yeah.] 1571.3922 1057 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1571.4435 People that I grew up with, 1572.6403 1058 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1572.6403 (pause 0.12) 1572.7569 1059 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1572.7569 um, 1573.2418 1060 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1573.2418 (pause 0.11) 1573.3537 1061 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1573.3537 they never forget your face. They always ask about my brothers, they ask about my, 1577.6867 1062 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1577.6867 (pause 0.32) 1578.0103 1063 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1578.0103 you know, how I was doing with, you know, without my mom. [And] 1580.8454 1064 LES_int_01 1580.7241 [Yeah.] 1581.1811 1065 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1581.2371 you know, they remember me. 1582.4012 1066 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1582.4012 (pause 0.10) 1582.4991 1067 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1582.4991 And people that knew me from when I was two 1585.4943 1068 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1585.4943 (pause 0.45) 1585.9404 1069 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1585.9404 still remember my family, you know. Like if I see them in the street, oh, I remember you when you were two years old. 1590.7135 1070 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1590.7135 (pause 0.26) 1590.9747 1071 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1590.9747 And you used to hang out in the [window.] 1592.6067 1072 LES_int_01 1592.5274 [Wow.] 1593.2893 1073 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1593.0362 [And you would] talk to me in the window, and, you know. 1595.3982 1074 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1595.8498 People like that, you know, people never forget you. 1598.1912 1075 LES_int_01 1598.3257 And you [still] feel that? That that exists [today?] 1600.7262 1076 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1598.5356 [M-] 1598.6474 1077 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1598.6474 (pause 2.01) 1600.6618 1078 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1600.6618 [It's] a strong sense of community here. I think [that] 1603.1463 1079 LES_int_01 1602.8619 [That's great.] 1603.5570 1080 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1603.5100 [once] you live on the Lower East Side, and once you know who your neighbors are, 1606.9335 1081 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1607.5558 they- 1608.1464 1082 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1608.1464 (pause 0.09) 1608.2396 1083 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1608.2396 you're really connected to you neighbors. Like, the new people that move in, I don't think they feel the same sense that we feel. 1613.9517 1084 LES_int_01 1614.1786 [Right.] 1614.6270 1085 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1614.4817 [Um,] the true Lower East Siders that have been here like, my neighbors that have been here when we first moved in. 1619.4608 1086 LES_int_01 1619.4608 Yeah. 1619.8832 1087 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1620.1043 They 1620.6137 1088 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1620.6137 (pause 0.38) 1620.9903 1089 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1620.9903 always ask about how you doing, how's your kids doing, [how's you family.] 1624.9148 1090 LES_int_01 1623.9916 [Yeah.] 1624.3879 1091 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1625.2219 And it's genuine, it's not just being nosy, you know. 1627.7134 1092 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1627.7134 (pause 0.10) 1627.8136 1093 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1627.8136 some people, you know, you know they're just being [nosy.] 1630.0836 1094 LES_int_01 1629.6080 [Right.] (laughing) 1630.3060 1095 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1630.5079 But even in their nosiness, I know that there's a genuine concern. 1633.4002 1096 LES_int_01 1633.4409 [Yeah.] 1633.9749 1097 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1633.7626 [You know,] like, um, 1634.7372 1098 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1634.8257 so a lot of them know you family history 1636.8945 1099 LES_int_01 1636.9411 [Okay.] 1637.3421 1100 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1637.2908 [and] they can remember when, 1638.7969 1101 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1639.0394 you know, they- they know all the good, the bad, and the [ugly.] 1642.2739 1102 LES_int_01 1642.2226 [Right.] 1642.6422 1103 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1642.7681 Um, and we all just kind of came up together, so you know each other. [You know, you can't] run away from it. 1648.4040 1104 LES_int_01 1646.7300 [Yeah.] 1647.2243 1105 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1648.9495 And they know that you're connected to them in some kind of way. 1651.9333 1106 LES_int_01 1651.9415 Yeah. 1652.4031 1107 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1652.5018 Um, 1652.9953 1108 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1652.9953 (pause 0.57) 1653.5689 1109 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1653.5689 I think the neighborhood has changed in a way where there's a lot of upper income 1657.4684 1110 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1657.4684 (pause 0.16) 1657.6286 1111 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1657.6286 families that have moved into the community, 1659.8342 1112 LES_int_01 1659.8575 Yeah. 1660.2352 1113 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1660.2352 that can afford to go back and forth. 1662.1967 1114 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1662.6354 If they wanted to, they can leave the Lower East Side at any given time. 1666.1306 1115 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1666.1306 (pause 0.10) 1666.2285 1116 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1666.2285 [And- and] they can afford to leave. 1667.8419 1117 LES_int_01 1666.2938 [Yeah.] 1666.6715 1118 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1668.1076 Whereas the people that really live here 1670.2207 1119 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1670.2207 (pause 0.44) 1670.6629 1120 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1670.6629 they can't afford to leave. 1672.0835 1121 LES_int_01 1672.0835 [Yeah.] 1672.5000 1122 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1672.2280 [It's like,] they don't 1672.9881 1123 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1673.1047 know any other community. They don't know how to, 1675.3150 1124 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1675.3150 (pause 0.43) 1675.7485 1125 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1675.7485 you know, like I know I could walk to Fourteenth Street. 1678.1250 1126 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1678.1250 (pause 0.69) 1678.8105 1127 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1678.8105 I know [that.] 1679.4893 1128 LES_int_01 1679.4260 [Yeah.] 1679.9482 1129 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1679.9774 I know I could get to the doctor's office, whether it's East Side, West Side, or wherever. I know 1685.3862 1130 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1685.3862 (pause 0.31) 1685.6960 1131 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1685.6960 where I could get to, 1686.7125 1132 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1686.7125 (pause 0.11) 1686.8197 1133 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1686.8197 you know. 1687.2564 1134 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1687.2564 (pause 0.10) 1687.3543 1135 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1687.3543 [And I] have a strong sense of where I'm at. 1689.7511 1136 LES_int_01 1687.3543 [Yeah.] 1687.8623 1137 LES_int_01 1689.8630 [Right.] 1690.3216 1138 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1690.0402 [So] even with my eyes closed, I know where I am at all times. If you tell me 1693.7269 1139 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1693.9787 oh, you're on 1694.8600 1140 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1694.8600 (pause 0.26) 1695.1211 1141 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1695.1211 Avenue A 1696.1423 1142 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1696.1423 (pause 0.19) 1696.3335 1143 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1696.3335 and Second Street. Oh, okay. I know exactly where I am, I know the stores that are on that block, you know, 1700.8362 1144 LES_int_01 1700.8362 In your [mind.] 1701.3285 1145 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1701.1487 [I] know that. 1701.8248 1146 LES_int_01 1701.8574 Yeah. 1702.4620 1147 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1702.7871 Whereas, 1703.3124 1148 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1703.3124 (pause 0.49) 1703.8049 1149 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1703.8049 the transient people that come here, I call them transient because they d- they- they- they really don't know. 1708.3738 1150 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1708.3738 (pause 0.40) 1708.7748 1151 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1708.7748 You know, [they're-] 1709.3607 1152 LES_int_01 1709.2555 [Planning not to stay.] 1710.5224 1153 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1709.5029 [they're trying to find-] they- yeah that- they- 1711.4170 1154 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1711.5616 they're not gonna stay long. 1712.8579 1155 LES_int_01 1712.9884 [Yeah.] 1713.3988 1156 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1713.1470 [If they] stay it's because they don't wanna lose that low, 1715.7755 1157 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1715.8819 uh, income or affordable apartment that they have. 1718.4098 1158 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1718.4098 (pause 0.23) 1718.6429 1159 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1718.6429 That somebody had to 1719.7247 1160 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1719.7247 (pause 0.34) 1720.0687 1161 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1720.0687 sweat 1720.6137 1162 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1720.6137 (pause 0.31) 1720.9228 1163 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1720.9228 and earn to get. 1722.2173 1164 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1722.2173 (pause 0.39) 1722.6106 1165 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1722.6106 Or somebody put their blood, sweat, and tears into. 1724.9456 1166 LES_int_01 1725.1485 [Yeah.] 1725.5272 1167 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1725.2152 [You know,] they fixed up their apartments like it's their homes, you know. 1728.4178 1168 LES_int_01 1728.4598 [Yeah.] 1728.9721 1169 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1728.6556 [Like, they] painted all these nice colors and they put fancy tiles and, 1732.6742 1170 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1732.9494 you know, they do all these things because this is where they assume they gonna be for the rest of their [lives.] 1737.4875 1171 LES_int_01 1737.3355 [Right, right.] 1738.1889 1172 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1738.0800 [People] don't really see themselves as leaving here. 1740.6446 1173 LES_int_01 1740.7891 [Yeah.] 1741.2855 1174 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1741.1435 [You know.] 1741.6798 1175 LES_int_01 1741.6378 [Yeah.] 1742.1225 1176 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1742.2300 Um, 1742.7616 1177 LES_int_01 1743.3677 [Now there's] a couple of periods that a lot of people talk about, I'm just curious if you see these as periods or experience that, but you know, the seventies and eighties as being kind of a 1752.8395 1178 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1743.4322 [m-] 1743.5948 1179 LES_int_01 1753.0392 period where there was 1753.8218 1180 LES_int_01 1753.8218 (pause 0.15) 1753.9710 1181 LES_int_01 1753.9710 a lot more crime. And there was- 1755.9248 1182 LES_int_01 1755.9248 (pause 0.10) 1756.0274 1183 LES_int_01 1756.0274 there were drugs in the neighborhood. 1757.6267 1184 LES_int_01 1757.6267 (pause 0.37) 1757.9983 1185 LES_int_01 1757.9983 Is that something that 1759.0303 1186 LES_int_01 1759.0303 (pause 0.37) 1759.4017 1187 LES_int_01 1759.4017 you experienced yourself or saw, you feel is still the same or different? 1763.3605 1188 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1763.5144 Well, I can tell you on Thirteenth Street 1766.1427 1189 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1766.1427 (pause 0.51) 1766.6508 1190 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1766.6508 we didn't really have a lot of- of drugs 1768.7958 1191 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1768.7958 (pause 0.39) 1769.1833 1192 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1769.1833 at that time, in the eighties. I think, like, 1771.3413 1193 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1771.3413 (pause 0.39) 1771.7319 1194 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1771.7319 it- it wasn't a lot of, like, 1773.2053 1195 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1773.2053 (pause 0.10) 1773.3079 1196 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1773.3079 on that particular block where we [lived, it was pretty] decent. 1776.2354 1197 LES_int_01 1775.0604 [Yeah.] 1775.4660 1198 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1776.5525 But if you went the block down, 1778.4067 1199 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1778.4067 (pause 0.14) 1778.5420 1200 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1778.5420 to between, like, B and C, 1780.2999 1201 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1780.2999 (pause 0.28) 1780.5843 1202 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1780.5843 and then D, 1781.4797 1203 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1781.4797 (pause 0.29) 1781.7687 1204 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1781.7687 it- [it got-] 1782.3236 1205 LES_int_01 1781.9832 /[If,] uh,/ you went to the Ave. 1783.4457 1206 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1783.4830 yeah. It got progressively [worse. And you] know there was a lot of drug use. And that's the reason why my mom 1788.2664 1207 LES_int_01 1785.1337 [Yeah.] 1785.5767 1208 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1788.5275 didn't let us go beyond a certain point. 1790.3087 1209 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1790.3087 (pause 0.32) 1790.6258 1210 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1790.6258 That's why we couldn't go 1791.7526 1211 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1791.7526 (pause 0.18) 1791.9298 1212 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1791.9298 beyond Tenth Street without my mom. [Because] 1794.0841 1213 LES_int_01 1793.7437 [Right.] 1794.1979 1214 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1794.2986 then it was avid drug use going on. 1796.3673 1215 LES_int_01 1796.3673 [Okay.] 1796.6890 1216 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1796.6471 [And] 1797.0527 1217 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1797.4164 you know, um, even on this block when we first moved here on /RD-ADDRESS-3/, it was rough. 1803.1463 1218 LES_int_01 1803.2193 Really? 1803.6204 1219 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1803.6204 Really, really [rough.] 1804.9715 1220 LES_int_01 1804.8467 [This] was [you said, nineteen eighty-five?] 1807.4859 1221 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1805.3643 [All of Forsyth Street.] 1807.1960 1222 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1807.1960 (pause 0.15) 1807.3499 1223 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1807.3499 [Yeah,] eighty-five. It was really bad. It was a lot of prostitution on Forsyth. 1811.5280 1224 LES_int_01 1811.5280 Really? 1812.0127 1225 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1812.1006 Forsyth was over w- overrun with [prostitution and] 1815.6474 1226 LES_int_01 1815.1112 [Oh.] 1815.3816 1227 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1815.9505 heavy drug use. 1817.0276 1228 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1817.0276 (pause 0.32) 1817.3447 1229 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1817.3447 That park across the street was 1819.1631 1230 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1819.1631 (pause 0.17) 1819.3318 1231 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1819.3318 extremely dangerous 1821.3159 1232 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1821.3159 (pause 0.31) 1821.6268 1233 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1821.6268 at night. Lot of drug use, a lot of crack and [cocaine going on.] 1825.3905 1234 LES_int_01 1824.5798 [Oh, yeah.] 1825.5910 1235 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1825.9090 Um, a lot of IV drug use going on, [at that] particular time. 1829.7534 1236 LES_int_01 1828.4757 [Yeah.] 1828.8284 1237 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1830.0611 The Bowery was overrun, this- this, um, 1832.9645 1238 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1832.9645 (pause 0.42) 1833.3842 1239 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1833.3842 Sunshine Hotel that was right here- that's still here on the [corner.] 1836.6088 1240 LES_int_01 1836.4197 [Yeah.] 1836.7694 1241 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1837.0445 It- it's a- a little SRO. A- it's- it- it was incredibly overwhelmed with- with a lot of drug use. 1843.9665 1242 LES_int_01 1843.9665 [Wow.] 1844.5180 1243 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1844.3489 [So] at night, we- you know, we didn't go outside at [night.] 1847.4528 1244 LES_int_01 1847.0658 [Did you ever] have any bad experiences, um, muggings [or, you know.] 1851.1815 1245 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1850.6266 [No, but] it was a [lot of-] 1852.1514 1246 LES_int_01 1851.8623 [Did you ever] feel scared? 1852.9899 1247 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1853.2676 Of course. 1854.0119 1248 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1854.0119 (pause 0.14) 1854.1471 1249 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1854.1471 Cause like, my mom made friends with all the alcoholics b- she made her business 1858.2302 1250 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1858.2302 (pause 0.30) 1858.5333 1251 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1858.5333 to let the alcoholics in the neighborhood, the homeless men, know who her kids were. 1862.4252 1252 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1862.4252 (pause 0.37) 1862.7936 1253 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1862.7936 So they knew to look out for [us. And my] mom would feed them on Sunday so 1866.9296 1254 LES_int_01 1864.6206 [Right.] 1865.0734 1255 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1867.1712 she knew that we would be okay 1868.9928 1256 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1868.9928 (pause 0.23) 1869.2260 1257 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1869.2260 coming home. Like, oh I knew your mother. Your mother's /RD-NAME-2/, right? Yeah, okay. 1872.8491 1258 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1872.8491 (pause 0.27) 1873.1148 1259 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1873.1148 And like, oh, your mother's from South Carolina. And she knew. 1875.9361 1260 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1875.9361 (pause 0.35) 1876.2840 1261 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1876.2840 She knew 1876.9508 1262 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1876.9508 (pause 0.49) 1877.4404 1263 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1877.4404 how to blend in and make friends with the people 1880.5723 1264 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1880.5723 (pause 0.20) 1880.7681 1265 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1880.7681 so that we would be okay. 1882.0364 1266 LES_int_01 1882.0364 Yeah. 1882.5574 1267 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1882.8564 Um, 1883.3077 1268 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1883.3077 (pause 0.68) 1883.9902 1269 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1883.9902 excuse me. In this building, 1885.8631 1270 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1885.8631 (pause 0.76) 1886.6231 1271 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1886.6231 actually there's only six black families, and maybe like 1889.3874 1272 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1889.3874 (pause 0.30) 1889.6858 1273 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1889.6858 three that came in- 1890.8469 1274 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1890.8469 (pause 0.99) 1891.8354 1275 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1891.8354 [excuse me.] 1892.7897 1276 LES_int_01 1892.5006 [Really,] that few? 1893.3726 1277 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1893.3959 When we came in [here.] 1894.4357 1278 LES_int_01 1894.2166 [I'm surprised.] 1895.0627 1279 LES_int_01 1895.2611 Oh, [okay.] 1895.8996 1280 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1895.7639 [ Excuse me.] 1896.7291 1281 LES_int_01 1896.3607 [Are you okay?] Yeah, d- don't worry about it. 1897.7456 1282 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1899.6325 I'm sorry, [my mouth got really dry.] 1901.6424 1283 LES_int_01 1900.4298 [Do you- No, that's okay.] Do you want me to get you some water?] 1902.5375 1284 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1902.9804 Get some water.] 1903.5819 1285 LES_int_01 1904.3124 Feel free to, um, yeah. 1905.0025 1286 LES_int_01 1905.0025 (pause 0.35) 1905.3569 1287 LES_int_01 1905.3569 The clip, no worries. 1906.0703 1288 LES_int_01 1906.0703 (pause 0.25) 1906.3221 1289 LES_int_01 1906.3221 I'll just pause it. 1906.9607 1290 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1909.3794 Would you care for some [water?] 1910.6188 1291 LES_int_01 1910.5498 [No,] I'm fine. Thank you so much. 1912.3263 1292 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1915.6782 Yeah, it's very few black families that live here. 1917.8168 1293 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1917.8168 (pause 0.42) 1918.2412 1294 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1918.2412 He refuses to take more. 1919.4582 1295 LES_int_01 1920.6006 Is that r- true? 1921.4111 1296 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1921.4997 Yeah. 1921.8215 1297 LES_int_01 1922.1432 S- 1922.4183 1298 LES_int_01 1922.4183 (pause 0.55) 1922.9685 1299 LES_int_01 1922.9685 is that, [I mean-] 1924.1818 1300 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1923.7659 [He doesn't want] m- more black families in this building. 1925.8579 1301 LES_int_01 1926.0445 That's so funny. 1926.9024 1302 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1926.9024 [Yeah.] 1927.3081 1303 LES_int_01 1927.0610 [And so] what's the make up here then? 1928.6230 1304 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1928.9121 Asian. 1929.3998 1305 LES_int_01 1929.9520 Huh. 1930.2843 1306 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1930.5628 Asian and Dominican. 1931.5451 1307 LES_int_01 1932.1495 Oh. 1932.6921 1308 LES_int_01 1932.6921 (pause 1.96) 1934.6552 1309 LES_int_01 1934.6552 Is that- I mean, that- 1935.4658 1310 LES_int_01 1935.4658 (pause 0.33) 1935.7922 1311 LES_int_01 1935.7922 that 1935.9837 1312 LES_int_01 1935.9837 (pause 0.51) 1936.4916 1313 LES_int_01 1936.4916 doesn't seem right. 1937.1192 1314 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1938.0143 He refuses to take more. 1939.3437 1315 LES_int_01 1940.1457 [That's-] 1940.6326 1316 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1940.5607 [Yeah.] 1941.0130 1317 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1941.1482 [Thank you.] 1941.5866 1318 LES_int_01 1941.2555 [that's terrible.] 1941.8476 1319 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1942.7663 Yep. 1943.1113 1320 LES_int_01 1943.8185 Um, okay so- so you did sort of see some of the 1947.7389 1321 LES_int_01 1947.7389 (pause 0.46) 1948.1997 1322 LES_int_01 1948.1997 sort of quote unquote bad period. I mean, did- has it seemed to get better as [you've noticed?] 1953.0863 1323 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1952.2987 [ Well,] my brother fell victim of the neighborhood. Um, 1955.8222 1324 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1956.2745 he began, you know, smoking marijuana at the age of ten. Hanging out 1960.4649 1325 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1960.4649 (pause 0.39) 1960.8553 1326 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1960.8553 in the neighborhood, you know, where my mom didn't want him to go on the Ave, he hung out there. And 1965.8583 1327 LES_int_01 1966.0351 [Yeah.] 1966.4505 1328 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1966.4038 [then] when we moved over to this side of town, 1968.5954 1329 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1969.3321 he still 1970.0673 1330 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1970.0673 (pause 0.11) 1970.1792 1331 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1970.1792 hung out with those kids, even though she 1971.9791 1332 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1971.9791 (pause 0.38) 1972.3614 1333 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1972.3614 kept us in organization. She- we belonged to different things. We belonged to a church 1976.6030 1334 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1976.6030 (pause 0.48) 1977.0787 1335 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1977.0787 um, in the community. [So] like, we did everything here on the Lower East Side except, you know, visit relatives that all lived in Queens. 1983.5997 1336 LES_int_01 1978.4268 [Yeah.] 1978.6924 1337 LES_int_01 1983.7302 Yeah. 1984.1545 1338 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1984.7001 But, um, 1985.4135 1339 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1985.4135 (pause 0.93) 1986.3414 1340 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1986.3414 my brother fell 1987.4403 1341 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1987.4403 (pause 0.10) 1987.5429 1342 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1987.5429 into the trap of- of the 1990.0049 1343 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1990.0049 (pause 0.35) 1990.3499 1344 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1990.3499 hanging out and party scene. [And] 1992.5928 1345 LES_int_01 1992.4203 [Yeah.] 1992.8586 1346 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1992.9129 you know, and he's five years younger than me. 1994.6895 1347 LES_int_01 1994.7501 Okay. 1995.1884 1348 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1995.3236 And, um, 1995.9904 1349 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1995.9904 (pause 0.81) 1996.7971 1350 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1996.7971 he was far more exposed to things that 1998.8938 1351 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1998.8938 (pause 0.40) 1999.2948 1352 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 1999.2948 I wasn't. Like, 2000.1854 1353 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2000.1854 (pause 0.11) 2000.2974 1354 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2000.2974 I just came and went, like I had friends from school, but my brother had friends 2003.9328 1355 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2003.9328 (pause 0.25) 2004.1846 1356 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2004.1846 like, real true friends from the community. And 2006.6823 1357 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2006.6823 (pause 0.28) 2006.9659 1358 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2006.9659 he was very much connected to them. 2008.5335 1359 LES_int_01 2008.6221 Okay. 2009.0630 1360 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2009.3728 Yeah. [So he started] using drugs and hanging out and got a part of the party scene. [And] 2014.1274 1361 LES_int_01 2009.7552 [Yeah.] 2010.1375 1362 LES_int_01 2010.1375 (pause 3.88) 2014.0201 1363 LES_int_01 2014.0201 [Yeah.] 2014.4305 1364 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2014.4538 essentially went to jail, and 2016.4262 1365 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2016.4262 (pause 0.38) 2016.8085 1366 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2016.8085 you know. [So] he fell. He fell into the [trap.] 2019.0646 1367 LES_int_01 2017.1239 [Yeah.] 2017.4475 1368 LES_int_01 2017.4475 (pause 1.57) 2019.0180 1369 LES_int_01 2019.0180 [Yeah.] 2019.3817 1370 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2019.3817 Yeah. 2019.7733 1371 LES_int_01 2019.7904 Yeah, so you've experience first hand that 2021.9307 1372 LES_int_01 2021.9307 (pause 0.62) 2022.5555 1373 LES_int_01 2022.5555 influence [that the drug scene had.] 2025.1994 1374 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2023.1710 [ Very much so.] 2024.3554 1375 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2024.3554 (pause 0.64) 2024.9989 1376 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2024.9989 [Yep.] 2025.3439 1377 LES_int_01 2026.4194 And- and has it decreased? I mean, 2028.5038 1378 LES_int_01 2028.5038 (pause 0.14) 2028.6436 1379 LES_int_01 2028.6436 do [you-] 2029.0946 1380 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2028.8255 [I think] 2029.7954 1381 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2029.9259 it hasn't really decreased. I think it's become more indoors, and I think it's gotten [into now] 2034.9929 1382 LES_int_01 2034.4269 [oh.] 2034.7941 1383 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2035.2960 the bar scene. 2036.3830 1384 LES_int_01 2036.7415 [Huh.] 2037.2335 1385 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2037.1223 [So] the alcohol 2038.6954 1386 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2039.3465 has progressed and all of the drugs have gone inside these little night lounges and 2044.0431 1387 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2044.0431 (pause 0.31) 2044.3481 1388 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2044.3481 clubs and stuff like that. [So I think that's] what's going on now. 2047.3929 1389 LES_int_01 2045.4066 [Right.] 2046.0641 1390 LES_int_01 2047.5686 [Okay.] 2048.0909 1391 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2047.8157 [We have] 2048.3701 1392 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2048.4592 way too many bars in the community. Just way too many. I think [that] 2052.8602 1393 LES_int_01 2052.8089 [So many.] 2053.7580 1394 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2053.2705 [the Lower East] Side has become 2054.9399 1395 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2055.0844 over 2055.7962 1396 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2055.7962 (pause 0.16) 2055.9554 1397 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2055.9554 run 2056.5701 1398 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2056.5701 (pause 0.27) 2056.8407 1399 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2056.8407 with 2057.1485 1400 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2057.1485 (pause 0.10) 2057.2510 1401 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2057.2510 bars and lounges. 2058.9390 1402 LES_int_01 2059.0136 [Yes.] 2059.4799 1403 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2059.4457 [And] the people that spill out into the streets at night is ridiculous. 2063.5237 1404 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2064.0659 I don't remember being a kid, having so many bars in this neighborhood. In fact, we didn't. 2067.9664 1405 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2067.9664 (pause 0.56) 2068.5262 1406 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2068.5262 In this community, at the time when I was a kid, it was penny candy stores and the local 2072.9470 1407 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2072.9470 (pause 0.34) 2073.2886 1408 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2073.2886 grocery store. Everybody had a bodega on every corner, there was a [bodega. And, you know,] 2077.3472 1409 LES_int_01 2076.7504 [Yeah.] 2077.1611 1410 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2077.7016 um, 2078.2238 1411 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2078.2238 (pause 1.03) 2079.2574 1412 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2079.2574 everybody's family owned a little stand or a sandwich shop [or something] like that. 2083.6498 1413 LES_int_01 2082.7406 [Yeah.] 2083.1469 1414 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2084.0679 There wasn't these bars that you see now. The bars were not really 2087.9661 1415 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2087.9661 (pause 0.10) 2088.0640 1416 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2088.0640 in our community. Like, 2089.4333 1417 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2089.4333 (pause 0.71) 2090.1467 1418 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2090.1467 now on every block there's like, two and three [bars.] 2093.3249 1419 LES_int_01 2093.0704 [I know.] 2093.7978 1420 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2093.9138 [And it's ridiculous.] Not even restaurants, but a bar. 2096.7804 1421 LES_int_01 2093.9138 [I know.] 2094.4174 1422 LES_int_01 2096.9576 Right. 2097.3306 1423 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2097.3306 And 2097.6850 1424 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2097.7643 everybody has to have a liquor license because if you're on the Lower East Side, of course you have to have alcohol. 2102.4955 1425 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2102.4955 (pause 0.31) 2102.8033 1426 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2102.8033 You can't be 2103.7872 1427 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2103.7872 (pause 0.30) 2104.0903 1428 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2104.0903 a- a restaurant on the Lower East Side and not serve [alcohol.] 2107.2133 1429 LES_int_01 2107.1522 [Yeah.] 2107.5905 1430 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2107.6231 So it is really [ridiculous.] 2110.4612 1431 LES_int_01 2110.3633 [Yeah.] 2110.8110 1432 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2111.1234 You know, like, my kids are so over-exposed. Like, they always laugh about the people 2115.3005 1433 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2115.3005 (pause 0.42) 2115.7202 1434 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2115.7202 that are, you know, the neighborhood alcoholics. And they're like, laughing mommy you shoulda heard the fight last night. 2121.7197 1435 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2121.7197 (pause 0.35) 2122.0694 1436 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2122.0694 You know, the- the spill outs into the street at three and four o'clock in the morning. [And stuff that] they 2126.9686 1437 LES_int_01 2126.1292 [Yeah.] 2126.6841 1438 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2127.3183 you know, at three or four in the morning you should be sleeping. 2129.5764 1439 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2129.5764 (pause 0.15) 2129.7274 1440 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2129.7274 Not them, cause they hear everything that goes on. 2131.9656 1441 LES_int_01 2131.9656 [Wow.] 2132.5461 1442 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2132.4738 [You] know. The bar fights. 2133.8431 1443 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2133.9411 [] 2134.8130 1444 LES_int_01 2134.3980 [Now, are] the people that are spilling out onto the street, are these like, 2137.8999 1445 LES_int_01 2138.0055 the working folks that you've been talking [about, or?] 2140.5701 1446 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2139.9313 [] 2140.0837 1447 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2140.0837 (pause 0.22) 2140.2996 1448 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2140.2996 [They don't] live in our community. 2141.6146 1449 LES_int_01 2141.6270 [Yeah.] 2142.3671 1450 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2141.7405 [A lot of these people] are- they're driving in. 2144.2335 1451 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2145.0589 I noticed that. They get in their cars, they drive in, the drive [out.] 2148.0524 1452 LES_int_01 2147.9304 [Oh] they drive out. 2148.7724 1453 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2148.8358 [Yeah.] 2149.2259 1454 LES_int_01 2148.8855 [That's terrible.] 2149.6416 1455 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2149.6875 Yep. 2150.0652 1456 LES_int_01 2150.7273 I mean, you're sort of speaking to the, sort of, other 2152.9209 1457 LES_int_01 2152.9209 (pause 0.34) 2153.2640 1458 LES_int_01 2153.2640 s- 2153.4458 1459 LES_int_01 2153.4458 (pause 0.25) 2153.6930 1460 LES_int_01 2153.6930 period or force that I was gonna ask you about, which is the- 2156.1953 1461 LES_int_01 2156.1953 (pause 0.13) 2156.3259 1462 LES_int_01 2156.3259 the idea of a- the Lower East Side as, 2158.1763 1463 LES_int_01 2158.1763 (pause 0.14) 2158.3161 1464 LES_int_01 2158.3161 you know, getting gentrified. 2159.5472 1465 LES_int_01 2159.5472 (pause 0.46) 2160.0041 1466 LES_int_01 2160.0041 And if there's all these, 2161.2988 1467 LES_int_01 2161.2988 (pause 0.14) 2161.4340 1468 LES_int_01 2161.4340 you know, wealthier folks moving [in, white folks] moving in. 2164.5722 1469 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2162.7210 [] 2163.5696 1470 LES_int_01 2165.0897 I mean, that's a little- 2165.8342 1471 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2165.9088 [It's not even-] 2166.6409 1472 LES_int_01 2166.1000 [a little more reason-] 2167.0652 1473 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2166.8227 [I w- I wouldn't even] say it's the white folks moving in because, I'm'a be honest with you, 2170.8142 1474 LES_int_01 2167.1771 [recent.] 2167.7199 1475 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2171.2136 even as a kid we had a lot of white families that lived on the Lower East [Side. Except,] 2175.6853 1476 LES_int_01 2175.1449 [Yeah.] 2175.5976 1477 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2176.0210 they were more like, hippie-ish. As they would [say.] 2178.7519 1478 LES_int_01 2178.7006 [Right.] 2179.1762 1479 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2179.1855 And 2179.6751 1480 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2179.6751 (pause 0.10) 2179.7777 1481 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2179.7777 my mother befriended a lot of them. 2181.6413 1482 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2181.6413 (pause 0.08) 2181.7252 1483 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2181.7252 [You know, even] some of the Jewish families, my mother was really close friends with a lot of Jewish families 2186.1317 1484 LES_int_01 2181.7252 [Yeah.] 2182.1446 1485 LES_int_01 2186.2995 [Yeah.] 2186.7538 1486 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2186.4534 [that] were, like, 2187.7310 1487 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2188.0416 they weren't, like, 2189.0910 1488 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2189.0910 (pause 0.20) 2189.2915 1489 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2189.2915 reli- super religious Jews. [They were] like, very inti- like, /intimante/ s- 2194.0753 1490 LES_int_01 2191.4546 [Yeah.] 2191.7069 1491 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2194.2335 inter-mixing. 2195.2025 1492 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2195.2025 (pause 0.22) 2195.4216 1493 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2195.4216 A lot of them were inter g- um, inter, um, racial p- [families.] 2199.8078 1494 LES_int_01 2199.6819 [Uh-huh.] 2199.9990 1495 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2200.2088 Um, biracial families and, you know, my mom was biracial so 2203.9095 1496 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2203.9095 (pause 0.15) 2204.0588 1497 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2204.0588 she identified a lot more with them. 2205.9976 1498 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2205.9976 (pause 0.21) 2206.2084 1499 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2206.2084 And that's, I think that was the reason why she felt more comfortable living on the Lower East Side, because she was 2210.7026 1500 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2210.7026 (pause 0.40) 2211.0989 1501 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2211.0989 a blended child. 2212.0365 1502 LES_int_01 2212.1139 [Right.] 2212.5391 1503 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2212.2584 [] Um, 2212.9812 1504 LES_int_01 2213.5352 And it was so [mixed.] 2214.5932 1505 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2214.0901 [] 2214.2352 1506 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2214.2352 (pause 0.24) 2214.4725 1507 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2214.4725 [It] was so mixed and so [diverse. And] even if you didn't have a lot of money, 2218.2261 1508 LES_int_01 2216.2966 [Yeah.] 2216.6551 1509 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2218.7289 um, 2219.2372 1510 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2219.2372 (pause 0.32) 2219.5542 1511 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2219.5542 a lot of the- the white families, they were just like us. I mean, like, they d- they didn't have a lot of money [either,] 2224.2707 1512 LES_int_01 2223.9490 [Yeah.] 2224.3546 1513 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2224.4525 you know, growing up here. 2225.5810 1514 LES_int_01 2226.1405 And- and so the change now then, is just people with- in general, [people with money.] 2230.6907 1515 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2229.8421 [] 2230.3805 1516 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2230.9192 Yeah. People with lots of money. Or people that are, like, upper-middle class families 2236.2930 1517 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2236.2930 (pause 0.37) 2236.6669 1518 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2236.6669 that really don't need to live on the Lower East Side, but they choose to live on the Lower East Side because of 2241.9717 1519 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2241.9717 (pause 0.74) 2242.7069 1520 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2242.7069 public transportation, the schools are there. 2245.0010 1521 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2245.0010 (pause 0.27) 2245.2715 1522 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2245.2715 They have the local parks, they can walk to the local parks and it look so cute and, you know. 2249.8333 1523 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2249.8333 (pause 0.56) 2250.3897 1524 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2250.3897 [You know.] 2250.8149 1525 LES_int_01 2250.4178 [And it's trendy, like the bars and restaurants like you were saying.] 2254.5335 1526 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2251.6378 [It's] 2252.1041 1527 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2252.1041 (pause 0.23) 2252.3325 1528 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2252.3325 [so trendy.] 2253.7407 1529 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2253.7407 (pause 0.65) 2254.3953 1530 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2254.3953 [It's] over trendy. [And] 2256.1654 1531 LES_int_01 2255.6852 [Yeah.] 2256.2261 1532 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2256.4732 to the point where, like, my son and I, you know, my- my kids and I, we always joke around. 2261.1578 1533 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2261.1578 (pause 0.31) 2261.4702 1534 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2261.4702 Um, because they attended the schools here. 2263.4877 1535 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2263.4877 (pause 0.21) 2263.6975 1536 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2263.6975 And, 2264.1311 1537 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2264.1311 (pause 0.43) 2264.5648 1538 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2264.5648 um, 2265.0870 1539 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2265.0870 (pause 0.41) 2265.4974 1540 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2265.4974 my- my youngest son actually went to one of the newer schools here on the Lower East Side, which 2270.4127 1541 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2270.4127 (pause 0.35) 2270.7602 1542 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2270.7602 I feel all of the /re-gentrified/ families 2273.7009 1543 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2273.7009 (pause 0.27) 2273.9713 1544 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2273.9713 decided they wanted to make this school. 2276.2655 1545 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2276.2655 (pause 0.33) 2276.5965 1546 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2276.5965 [And they] made the school. And they- 2278.3435 1547 LES_int_01 2276.5965 [Yeah.] 2276.8273 1548 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2278.5775 all of their kids went there, cause that's where they wanted their kids to be. 2281.5135 1549 LES_int_01 2281.5228 [Uh-huh.] 2281.9378 1550 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2281.7466 [Cause it's] like a Upper 2282.9294 1551 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2283.1587 West Side school at- 2284.4138 1552 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2284.4138 (pause 0.09) 2284.5071 1553 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2284.5071 on the Lower East Side. 2285.6291 1554 LES_int_01 2285.6291 [Okay.] 2286.0195 1555 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2285.8344 [So] they created a whole new 2287.4714 1556 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2287.7928 acronym for the school. [So it's] create- it's l- it's on- in /rojo/ 2292.4129 1557 LES_int_01 2289.4100 [What is it?] 2289.9043 1558 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2292.9025 right off Houston. 2294.0434 1559 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2294.0434 (pause 0.19) 2294.2364 1560 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2294.2364 [It's called /RD-SCHOOL-2/- 2295.8852 1561 LES_int_01 2294.9759 [Oh, no.] 2296.1587 1562 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2296.1230 [/RD-SCHOOL-4/] 2297.4986 1563 LES_int_01 2297.2001 [Oh, I've heard of it.] 2298.4748 1564 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2297.7589 [on Columbia Street. And] 2299.5681 1565 LES_int_01 2299.0645 [Yes.] 2299.5681 1566 LES_int_01 2299.7080 [Yes.] 2300.2290 1567 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2299.8012 [my youngest] sk- son, 2301.1938 1568 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2301.2824 um, he attended that school for five years of his life. And 2304.3087 1569 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2304.3087 (pause 0.53) 2304.8356 1570 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2304.8356 it just was ridiculous. I mean, the families they, you know, the- the principal told the kids don't mix with the kids from the projects. 2312.0055 1571 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2312.0055 (pause 0.40) 2312.4065 1572 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2312.4065 That, [you know, it's] bad, it's- it's not a good place to be. Go straight home after school. 2317.3896 1573 LES_int_01 2312.6474 [What?] 2313.1976 1574 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2317.7393 Um, the kids in the community would actually rob the junior high school kids 2322.0135 1575 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2322.0135 (pause 0.26) 2322.2747 1576 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2322.2747 and the high school kids that attended the school 2324.7142 1577 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2324.7142 (pause 0.24) 2324.9589 1578 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2324.9589 because they were /carrin-/ 2326.5909 1579 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2326.5909 (pause 0.11) 2326.6982 1580 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2326.6982 carrying themselves in this 2328.4918 1581 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2328.4918 (pause 0.38) 2328.8695 1582 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2328.8695 m- y- we don't belong here, you know. Like, we have this air about us because that's the way the principal told the kids to be. 2335.2568 1583 LES_int_01 2335.3874 [Oh.] 2336.1827 1584 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2335.8707 [Instead] of blending with the community and trying to 2338.7471 1585 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2338.9995 integrate and s- you know, bring the kids in from the community, she took kids from out of the community 2343.7634 1586 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2343.7634 (pause 0.57) 2344.3370 1587 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2344.3370 into the school, 2345.3208 1588 LES_int_01 2345.5120 Yeah. 2346.0504 1589 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2346.4057 2346.5782 1590 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2346.5782 (pause 0.27) 2346.8487 1591 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2346.8487 and created a whole nother situation. 2348.8537 1592 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2348.8537 (pause 0.36) 2349.2128 1593 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2349.2128 So it's predominantly a white 2350.6769 1594 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2350.6769 (pause 0.46) 2351.1385 1595 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2351.1385 p- [school.] 2351.8037 1596 LES_int_01 2351.7711 [Yeah.] 2352.2108 1597 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2352.4332 And the families that attend there are very upper income families. 2355.9148 1598 LES_int_01 2355.9148 [Mm-hm.] 2356.3429 1599 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2356.1946 [And they're] like, oh 2357.0189 1600 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2357.2997 we- we have a wonderful school here. And they talk with these airs about them. 2361.5662 1601 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2361.5662 (pause 0.28) 2361.8460 1602 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2361.8460 And you feel like 2362.6456 1603 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2362.6456 (pause 0.50) 2363.1500 1604 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2363.1500 oh 2363.6723 1605 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2363.6723 (pause 0.14) 2363.8075 1606 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2363.8075 [my God.] (laughing) 2365.8256 1607 LES_int_01 2364.7575 [] 2366.1724 1608 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2366.2089 Where did you come from? 2367.5176 1609 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2367.5176 (pause 0.11) 2367.6248 1610 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2367.6248 You are not 2368.5341 1611 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2368.5341 (pause 0.09) 2368.6227 1612 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2368.6227 kidding me. You're on Columbia Street. You're standing on the corner [of Columbia] Street. 2372.3895 1613 LES_int_01 2371.2937 [] 2371.6408 1614 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2372.6599 Are you kidding me? 2373.6811 1615 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2373.6811 (pause 0.21) 2373.8956 1616 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2373.8956 You- [You can't] be serious. 2375.5493 1617 LES_int_01 2374.0479 [Yeah.] 2374.6022 1618 LES_int_01 2375.7452 [Yeah.] 2376.2894 1619 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2375.8105 [You're right] on the corner of Columbia Street and you're talking like you came 2379.0279 1620 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2379.3263 off of Central Park West, 2380.7329 1621 LES_int_01 2380.7329 [Yeah.] 2381.3540 1622 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2381.0779 [] so. 2382.3043 1623 LES_int_01 2382.3183 I mean, that- yeah. How does [that-] 2383.8477 1624 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2383.7917 [] 2384.1574 1625 LES_int_01 2384.1974 what do you think about this 2385.7132 1626 LES_int_01 2385.7132 (pause 0.12) 2385.8336 1627 LES_int_01 2385.8336 change and the big hotels going up [and some of the-] the- [some of this money] coming in? 2390.9134 1628 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2388.2385 [Oh.] 2388.9613 1629 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2388.9613 (pause 0.41) 2389.3670 1630 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2389.3670 [Oh, I hate it.] 2390.0741 1631 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2390.0741 (pause 0.84) 2390.9134 1632 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2390.9134 I hate it. Because 2392.0715 1633 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2392.3216 they're not using the money to make the community better. 2395.1800 1634 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2395.1800 (pause 0.24) 2395.4225 1635 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2395.4225 They're using the money 2396.4980 1636 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2396.4980 (pause 0.22) 2396.7172 1637 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2396.7172 to say, 2397.4119 1638 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2397.4119 (pause 0.28) 2397.6964 1639 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2397.6964 we're here 2398.6103 1640 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2398.6103 (pause 0.10) 2398.7082 1641 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2398.7082 and we're here to stay, because we have the money to stay. 2401.3598 1642 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2401.3598 (pause 0.37) 2401.7328 1643 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2401.7328 And 2402.1012 1644 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2402.1012 (pause 0.18) 2402.2784 1645 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2402.2784 instead of hiring the families or the children that live here on the Lower East Side, 2406.4147 1646 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2406.4147 (pause 0.31) 2406.7252 1647 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2406.7252 they're not hiring the children and the families that live here. 2409.3592 1648 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2409.3592 (pause 0.32) 2409.6815 1649 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2409.6815 They're hiring people from out of the community to come and work at these [hotels,] 2413.8485 1650 LES_int_01 2413.7739 [Yeah.] 2414.2868 1651 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2414.2075 [work] at these, you know, places at- that they're opening up. 2417.4241 1652 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2417.7132 And it's disgusting to me. 2419.0312 1653 LES_int_01 2419.0919 Yeah. 2419.4605 1654 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2419.5069 You know, it- it all started to me, I feel like it started off when they built his Hospice. There's a Hospice here 2424.7531 1655 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2424.7531 (pause 0.39) 2425.1474 1656 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2425.1474 for HIV and AIDS [and cancer patients] 2427.6116 1657 LES_int_01 2426.2291 [Oh.] 2427.1711 1658 LES_int_01 2427.1711 (pause 0.40) 2427.5674 1659 LES_int_01 2427.5674 [Yeah, I've /?/.] 2428.7068 1660 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2427.9723 [here, on-] on Rivington Street. [When] they built the Rivington House 2431.2410 1661 LES_int_01 2429.6300 [Yeah.] 2429.8680 1662 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2431.6467 and I said to them, you know, when they- 2433.3190 1663 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2433.3190 (pause 0.13) 2433.4449 1664 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2433.4449 when they first developed it, 2434.8485 1665 LES_int_01 2434.9588 [Yeah.] 2435.2681 1666 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2435.1414 [they] had to ask the people in the community, 2437.4169 1667 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2437.7293 you know, what they thought about it. And sign petitions to h- 2440.3529 1668 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2440.3529 (pause 0.09) 2440.4462 1669 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2440.4462 to build this thing. 2441.3663 1670 LES_int_01 2441.4068 Yeah. 2441.7658 1671 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2441.7984 And we were like, oh it's great. You gonna hire people that live on the- oh, yeah we're gonna hire people from the Lower East Side. 2446.6284 1672 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2446.6284 (pause 0.35) 2446.9735 1673 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2446.9735 Maybe 2447.4071 1674 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2447.4071 (pause 0.21) 2447.6153 1675 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2447.6153 five percent. 2448.4267 1676 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2448.4267 (pause 0.52) 2448.9443 1677 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2448.9443 Three percent. 2449.5839 1678 LES_int_01 2449.9328 Hm. 2450.2219 1679 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2450.2825 Are from the Lower East Side l- working in that place. 2452.8772 1680 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2452.8772 (pause 0.71) 2453.5840 1681 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2453.5840 So it just, it's the same thing. All these little bars and restaurants that were built. 2457.5970 1682 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2457.5970 (pause 0.27) 2457.8659 1683 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2457.8659 Oh, yeah we're make- we're making a sandwich shop. 2460.1740 1684 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2460.1740 (pause 0.11) 2460.2859 1685 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2460.2859 And then it become a bar and lounge (laughing) 2463.0494 1686 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2463.0494 (pause 0.23) 2463.2779 1687 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2463.2779 the next day. 2464.1125 1688 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2464.1125 (pause 0.24) 2464.3503 1689 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2464.3503 After the ask you to sign this petition to say they want this building 2467.5794 1690 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2467.5794 (pause 0.42) 2468.0014 1691 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2468.0014 or- or this, you know, this establishment. 2470.0898 1692 LES_int_01 2470.1774 Yeah. 2470.8395 1693 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2470.8955 Cause the guy across the street, he did a big- 2472.8256 1694 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2472.8256 (pause 0.61) 2473.4313 1695 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2473.4313 big thing [to us.] Yeah. 2474.8956 1696 LES_int_01 2473.9442 [Did they?] 2474.4318 1697 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2475.7347 Two spots on- o- on this block did the same thing. They came here cause we're, 2479.8458 1698 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2479.8458 (pause 0.32) 2480.1629 1699 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2480.1629 you know, the biggest building on the [block. So of course] they came this tenants association here 2484.1014 1700 LES_int_01 2481.5957 [Yeah.] 2482.1150 1701 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2484.3613 and said, hey. 2485.1255 1702 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2485.1255 (pause 0.62) 2485.7474 1703 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2485.7474 2485.9200 1704 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2485.9200 (pause 0.20) 2486.1158 1705 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2486.1158 We're building this sandwich shop, you know, we need a petition signed and, you know. I- Are you gonna serve alcohol? No, we're not serving alcohol. 2493.1133 1706 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2493.1133 (pause 0.75) 2493.8632 1707 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2493.8632 That was a lie. 2494.6690 1708 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2494.6690 (pause 0.33) 2495.0020 1709 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2495.0020 They a- 2495.2939 1710 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2495.2939 (pause 0.11) 2495.4011 1711 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2495.4011 petitioned for a liquor license. Next thing we knew, 2497.5864 1712 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2497.5864 (pause 0.21) 2497.7962 1713 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2497.7962 they weren't a sandwich shop, they were a bar. 2499.4329 1714 LES_int_01 2499.7859 Oh [my gosh. That's terrible.] 2502.3783 1715 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2500.5753 [Yeah.] 2500.7727 1716 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2500.7727 (pause 1.08) 2501.8481 1717 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2501.8481 [So now we have] three 2503.0291 1718 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2503.6512 bars 2504.7136 1719 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2504.7136 (pause 0.13) 2504.8449 1720 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2504.8449 on the [block.] 2505.7100 1721 LES_int_01 2505.3066 [On the block.] 2506.1086 1722 LES_int_01 2508.3125 That's a lot of [bars. ] 2510.1544 1723 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2509.1099 [Yeah. Yeah. Yeah,] yeah, yeah. 2510.6207 1724 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2510.7606 Yeah. 2511.0823 1725 LES_int_01 2511.3248 Um, I'm curious what, uh, 2513.5287 1726 LES_int_01 2513.5287 (pause 0.28) 2513.8085 1727 LES_int_01 2513.8085 if I asked you, like, define geographically what the Lower East Side is for you? Because a lot of people have different, uh, 2520.5075 1728 LES_int_01 2520.5075 (pause 0.61) 2521.1183 1729 LES_int_01 2521.1183 a different 2521.7898 1730 LES_int_01 2521.7898 (pause 0.15) 2521.9437 1731 LES_int_01 2521.9437 definition of what makes up the neighborhood. 2524.3118 1732 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2525.2993 [Hm.] 2525.9475 1733 LES_int_01 2525.5511 [What is it] for you? 2526.5365 1734 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2526.8521 2527.0060 1735 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2527.0060 (pause 1.27) 2528.2760 1736 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2528.2760 I think 2529.1773 1737 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2529.1773 (pause 0.63) 2529.8068 1738 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2529.8068 what makes up our neighborhood, 2531.9259 1739 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2531.9259 (pause 0.93) 2532.8539 1740 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2532.8539 um, 2533.5959 1741 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2533.5959 (pause 1.33) 2534.9272 1742 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2534.9272 I think hard-working people make up this [neighborhood.] 2537.5223 1743 LES_int_01 2537.3964 [Mm-hm.] 2537.9551 1744 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2538.0707 I think 2539.0454 1745 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2539.0454 (pause 1.37) 2540.4126 1746 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2540.4126 old Lower East Siders make up this neighborhood. I think 2544.0585 1747 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2544.0585 (pause 0.12) 2544.1777 1748 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2544.1777 that they're slowly but surely leaving 2546.3646 1749 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2546.3646 (pause 0.29) 2546.6504 1750 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2546.6504 or dying off. 2547.7633 1751 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2547.7633 (pause 0.46) 2548.2265 1752 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2548.2265 And 2548.8851 1753 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2548.8851 (pause 0.79) 2549.6792 1754 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2549.6792 it's th- it's on the backs of the dinosaurs that were here 2552.8860 1755 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2552.8860 (pause 0.21) 2553.0915 1756 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2553.0915 [in the-] in the early sixties, seventies, and eighties. 2555.9856 1757 LES_int_01 2553.0915 [Yeah.] 2553.5049 1758 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2556.4136 And that now I think what makes up our neighborhood is a lot of 2560.8746 1759 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2560.8746 (pause 0.47) 2561.3439 1760 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2561.3439 upper income families that have came back from the suburbs, or 2566.1346 1761 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2566.1346 (pause 0.31) 2566.4435 1762 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2566.4435 you know, um, moved in from wherever. From out of town and decided they wanted to live on the Lower East Side. 2572.3001 1763 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2572.3001 (pause 0.50) 2572.8037 1764 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2572.8037 Um, maybe from the outer boroughs and decided that, you know, the school systems here are better or they don't have to own a vehicle. 2578.9665 1765 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2578.9665 (pause 0.38) 2579.3442 1766 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2579.3442 It's a, you know, one fare zones. And, um, 2582.5841 1767 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2582.5841 (pause 0.83) 2583.4163 1768 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2583.4163 I think that's what's making up our community now. I think that it's- it's- it's not even a color thing anymore. 2588.8440 1769 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2588.8440 (pause 0.33) 2589.1777 1770 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2589.1777 I- I- I would say before, I thought it was a color thing. Not that I see a lot of black families here, 2593.7299 1771 LES_int_01 2593.8138 Yeah. 2594.1679 1772 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2594.1679 cause you really don't see that [many.] 2595.5235 1773 LES_int_01 2595.4629 [Yeah.] 2595.8732 1774 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2596.0071 Unless you go to the Ave. [] 2598.0690 1775 LES_int_01 2597.0669 [ Yeah.] 2597.9156 1776 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2598.4145 Um, 2598.8715 1777 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2598.8715 (pause 0.43) 2599.3051 1778 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2599.3051 you still don't see a lot of black families here. Now it's mostly Dominican and Asian and 2605.1186 1779 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2605.1186 (pause 0.41) 2605.5288 1780 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2605.5288 upper income Caucasian families. 2607.9431 1781 LES_int_01 2608.1016 Yeah. 2608.6083 1782 LES_int_01 2608.6083 (pause 0.48) 2609.0913 1783 LES_int_01 2609.0913 Now, is that a community to you? I mean, um, I mean I guess to answer that, like, what- what is a community to you? Like, what does it mean for people who live in a place to be a community together? 2620.0571 1784 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2620.1262 I think people that are willing to fight 2622.0668 1785 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2622.0668 (pause 0.71) 2622.7756 1786 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2622.7756 for the better good 2624.0050 1787 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2624.0050 (pause 0.10) 2624.1029 1788 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2624.1029 of the whole, 2624.9562 1789 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2624.9562 (pause 0.24) 2625.1942 1790 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2625.1942 makes up a community to me. 2626.5649 1791 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2626.5649 (pause 0.47) 2627.0344 1792 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2627.0344 If you're willing to stick it out, like, right now this building is about to go through a transformation. 2632.4852 1793 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2632.4852 (pause 0.28) 2632.7650 1794 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2632.7650 Because in two thousand and ten our contract with HUD 2635.4873 1795 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2635.4873 (pause 0.38) 2635.8698 1796 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2635.8698 expires. [And so] we just went through that five years ago, and now we're about to go through it again. 2640.7781 1797 LES_int_01 2636.5841 [Oh.] 2637.0338 1798 LES_int_01 2640.9273 [Wow.] 2641.5382 1799 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2641.0765 [Where we have] to fight for the right to stay here 2643.2945 1800 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2643.6395 and still be a low income [building.] 2646.0614 1801 LES_int_01 2645.9690 [Yeah.] 2646.4280 1802 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2646.4839 And the b- the majority of the families that live here are still low income [families. Like,] 2651.0108 1803 LES_int_01 2650.6882 [Yeah.] 2651.0706 1804 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2651.3737 most of them are either on Social Security, Disability, or they're retired people, 2655.5751 1805 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2655.5751 (pause 0.39) 2655.9609 1806 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2655.9609 or they're low income working class people who don't make any more than about thirty-five thousand a year. 2660.8735 1807 LES_int_01 2660.9434 Yeah. 2661.3672 1808 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2661.4423 You know, um, the ones that make more than that 2663.8608 1809 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2663.8608 (pause 0.19) 2664.0520 1810 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2664.0520 they're paying 2664.8493 1811 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2664.8493 (pause 0.24) 2665.0871 1812 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2665.0871 the top rent, which is- maybe only makes up about five percent of us. 2668.5081 1813 LES_int_01 2668.5268 Mm-hm. 2668.9791 1814 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2669.0524 You know, 2669.5852 1815 LES_int_01 2669.5852 Mm-hm. 2670.0046 1816 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2670.1867 that's not very many. 2671.2126 1817 LES_int_01 2672.2628 So, I mean, is there like a Low- one Lower East Side community? You know, we're talking about [these people coming in.] 2678.8006 1818 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2677.4343 [ I don't think so.] 2678.3902 1819 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2678.3902 (pause 0.24) 2678.6326 1820 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2678.6326 [I don't-] I don't think there's i- i- there's one anymore, because, like, 2682.1129 1821 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2682.4237 people that live on this side of Houston Street think differently than the people that live in Greenwich Village. 2687.3635 1822 LES_int_01 2687.5593 [Right.] 2687.9801 1823 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2687.6258 [And you see] Greenwich Village people are now saying they go all the way over to the West Side. 2692.0074 1824 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2692.3105 You know, [Greenwich Village used-] used to be, like, 2694.5470 1825 LES_int_01 2692.7690 [Yeah.] 2693.3945 1826 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2694.7940 what we call Alphabet City is now Greenwich Village or Lower East Side. 2698.5711 1827 LES_int_01 2698.7064 [Yeah.] 2699.2912 1828 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2698.8276 [You know, so they've] changed name, they've modified it,] 2701.6237 1829 LES_int_01 2700.6305 [East Village, yeah.] 2702.4068 1830 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2701.9734 [they've made] it into what they wanted it to be. Cause I remember it being Alphabet City. 2706.4770 1831 LES_int_01 2706.8780 Yeah. 2707.3598 1832 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2707.4186 And now it's 2708.7237 1833 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2708.7237 (pause 0.58) 2709.3066 1834 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2709.3066 the Lower East Side or, you know, 2711.2261 1835 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2711.2261 (pause 0.11) 2711.3380 1836 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2711.3380 um, 2711.8648 1837 LES_int_01 2711.8648 The [East Village.] 2712.9692 1838 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2712.2892 [East Village. You know,] and you're like, 2714.2990 1839 LES_int_01 2713.2731 [Yeah.] 2713.7114 1840 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2714.4062 East Village? Where'd that [come from?] 2716.1765 1841 LES_int_01 2715.7335 [To you it's] the Lower East [Side?] 2717.0624 1842 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2716.8340 [It's all] Lower East [Side to me.] Anything 2719.1747 1843 LES_int_01 2717.9344 [Yeah.] 2718.4177 1844 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2719.2757 u- beyond Fourteenth Street is Lower East Side. 2721.9112 1845 LES_int_01 2721.9112 [Okay.] 2722.2319 1846 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2722.1387 [Anything,] um, you know, 2724.2557 1847 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2724.8945 u- south of Broadway is Lower East Side. I [believe,] you [know.] 2728.4367 1848 LES_int_01 2727.6650 [Yeah.] 2727.9553 1849 LES_int_01 2727.9553 (pause 0.28) 2728.2362 1850 LES_int_01 2728.2362 [Okay.] 2728.6466 1851 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2729.2014 So [even-] 2729.9793 1852 LES_int_01 2729.5877 [So it's a big] area [for you.] 2731.0052 1853 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2730.5062 [it's a big] area for me. 2731.8678 1854 LES_int_01 2731.8725 And you did talk about, you know, the i- this sense- a sense of community with the people with you still know, that you grew up with and stuff. And so it sounds like maybe what you're saying is 2740.5508 1855 LES_int_01 2740.5508 (pause 0.20) 2740.7474 1856 LES_int_01 2740.7474 the whole- the neighborhood as a whole 2742.7338 1857 LES_int_01 2742.7338 (pause 0.36) 2743.0908 1858 LES_int_01 2743.0908 doesn't feel like a community, but that the people that you know maybe form like a smaller, you know, 2748.2142 1859 LES_int_01 2748.2142 (pause 0.21) 2748.4194 1860 LES_int_01 2748.4194 community within a [community.] 2750.0051 1861 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2749.5944 [Right.] 2749.9693 1862 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2750.2192 A little [nucleus.] 2751.4829 1863 LES_int_01 2750.6268 [That you say you still] feel- 2752.2246 1864 LES_int_01 2752.4388 you d- you- 2753.1086 1865 LES_int_01 2753.1086 (pause 0.14) 2753.2439 1866 LES_int_01 2753.2439 you did say that, right? That you d- d- you do feel a sense of [community, still.] 2756.5382 1867 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2755.7339 [I do.] 2756.4659 1868 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2756.5732 Because I still go to the- the laundromat and see the 2759.7069 1869 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2759.7069 (pause 0.62) 2760.3260 1870 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2760.3260 friends of my mom's from way back when. Or I go to the credit union, which 2764.6236 1871 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2764.6236 (pause 0.32) 2764.9448 1872 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2764.9448 I believe in the credit union because it's one of the older establishments [and banking] establishments here on the Lower East [Side.] 2771.4054 1873 LES_int_01 2768.9865 [Yeah.] 2769.3269 1874 LES_int_01 2769.3269 (pause 1.99) 2771.3181 1875 LES_int_01 2771.3181 [Yeah.] 2771.7512 1876 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2771.8222 So that's one thing I think we all kind of gravitate, the real Lower East Siders, they gravitate to the 2777.1496 1877 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2777.1496 (pause 0.24) 2777.3921 1878 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2777.3921 credit union because it's 2778.9339 1879 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2778.9339 (pause 0.15) 2779.0831 1880 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2779.0831 an establishment that we formed 2780.9063 1881 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2780.9063 (pause 0.28) 2781.1814 1882 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2781.1814 as Lower East Siders. 2782.3518 1883 LES_int_01 2782.3828 Right. 2782.7279 1884 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2782.7279 And, um, 2783.6651 1885 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2784.4252 people still want their kids to go to the community schools 2787.2556 1886 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2787.2556 (pause 0.26) 2787.5120 1887 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2787.5120 because they still believe in them. 2788.9466 1888 LES_int_01 2789.0619 [Yeah.] 2789.5854 1889 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2789.2683 [You know, like,] 2789.8326 1890 LES_int_01 2789.7626 [Yeah.] 2790.1153 1891 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2790.1153 I'm one of those people that 2791.1895 1892 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2791.3060 still wanted my kids to go to the community [schools.] 2793.8923 1893 LES_int_01 2793.8364 [Yeah.] 2794.2607 1894 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2794.3027 And, um, 2795.3244 1895 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2795.3244 (pause 0.48) 2795.8088 1896 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2795.8088 you know. I mean, 2796.7227 1897 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2796.7227 (pause 0.45) 2797.1684 1898 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2797.1684 I guess it's because I- I- I still believe that 2799.8124 1899 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2799.8124 (pause 0.34) 2800.1530 1900 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2800.1530 there's hope for the Lower East Side. I still believe that people just need to understand 2804.1527 1901 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2804.1527 (pause 0.47) 2804.6185 1902 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2804.6185 we, the true Lower East Siders, are the people that have been here for more than ten years of their [life.] 2809.8197 1903 LES_int_01 2809.7605 [Yeah.] 2810.2823 1904 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2810.7588 They understand what it means to be on the Lower East Side. 2813.4764 1905 LES_int_01 2813.6069 Yeah. 2814.0046 1906 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2814.0343 You know, I still believe in going to the supermarket here, even though it's crazy [expensive.] 2818.3055 1907 LES_int_01 2818.2123 [] 2818.7532 1908 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2818.9579 Um, 2819.4584 1909 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2819.4584 (pause 0.24) 2819.7028 1910 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2819.7028 [I still] believe in using local parks because I understand the Parks Department. The library, 2824.4154 1911 LES_int_01 2819.7028 [Yeah.] 2820.0059 1912 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2824.6252 I still believe in the library [system.] 2826.8863 1913 LES_int_01 2826.4531 [Yeah.] 2826.8014 1914 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2827.2131 I still believe in going to the community board meetings, when I h- can get a chance to get there. 2831.2123 1915 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2831.2123 (pause 0.29) 2831.5061 1916 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2831.5061 And going to the precinct meetings. 2833.1567 1917 LES_int_01 2833.2173 [Mm-hm.] 2833.6310 1918 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2833.4085 [Trying,] you know, any way to stay connected and refocus. 2836.9414 1919 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2837.2818 Meeting with my local senators [and congress] people and, you know, um, city councilmen. 2842.4513 1920 LES_int_01 2839.1371 [Yeah.] 2839.5277 1921 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2842.7039 Knowing them by name because 2844.4750 1922 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2844.4750 (pause 0.39) 2844.8698 1923 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2844.8698 this is where I'm from. [And this is] what I want them to understand, that we still have pride in our community. 2849.9282 1924 LES_int_01 2846.0821 [Right.] 2846.4682 1925 LES_int_01 2850.1427 Yeah. 2850.4649 1926 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2850.4649 You know, 2850.8849 1927 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2851.2789 u- give or [take.] 2852.4959 1928 LES_int_01 2851.8338 [Just keeping] up the struggle. 2853.4679 1929 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2853.4938 Yeah. Keeping the struggle alive because they need to understand that 2856.6604 1930 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2856.6604 (pause 0.26) 2856.9163 1931 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2856.9163 okay, yeah. These 2857.7650 1932 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2857.7650 (pause 0.11) 2857.8799 1933 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2857.8799 crazy people can move up in here, and they go to college here for maybe all of four, five years. 2862.2771 1934 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2862.2771 (pause 0.27) 2862.5428 1935 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2862.5428 And then they [leave.] 2863.6883 1936 LES_int_01 2863.5484 [Yeah.] 2863.9490 1937 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2864.1080 They get the money and they leave. Or 2865.7685 1938 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2865.7685 (pause 0.29) 2866.0571 1939 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2866.0571 they purchase something and they decide they wanna stay. 2869.0887 1940 LES_int_01 2869.1151 [Yeah.] 2869.4721 1941 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2869.3669 [And] then that- they think that that becomes a part of ownership. 2872.3923 1942 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2872.6115 And I always say, 2873.4725 1943 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2873.4725 (pause 0.23) 2873.7057 1944 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2873.7057 you don't know what it was like to sh- s- t- s- to sweat here. 2876.9371 1945 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2876.9371 (pause 0.41) 2877.3474 1946 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2877.3474 My mother sweat here. [My mother,] 2879.2902 1947 LES_int_01 2878.7633 [Yeah.] 2879.0757 1948 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2879.4954 she bled here basically. 2881.3279 1949 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2881.3279 (pause 0.26) 2881.5895 1950 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2881.5895 And she died here on the Lower East Side. 2883.8964 1951 LES_int_01 2884.0401 [Yeah.] 2884.2881 1952 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2884.1482 [So I] mean, you know, you can't tell me what it's like to be on the Lower East Side when you didn't do any of those things. You just moved in. 2889.9985 1953 LES_int_01 2890.3902 [Yeah.] 2890.8183 1954 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2890.6606 [One] day, you found an affordable apartment and you just moved in. 2893.9767 1955 LES_int_01 2893.9767 [Yeah.] 2894.4484 1956 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2894.3800 [You] know, or you were lucky enough to, 2896.3828 1957 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2896.5483 you know, come from wherever 2897.8645 1958 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2897.8645 (pause 0.38) 2898.2459 1959 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2898.2459 and you settled here. 2899.5962 1960 LES_int_01 2899.7221 [Yeah.] 2900.2257 1961 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2900.1791 [So] you can't tell me that. You weren't here fighting the drug wars. 2903.2890 1962 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2903.5348 You weren't here when the prostitutes were running. 2905.4780 1963 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2905.4780 (pause 0.54) 2906.0132 1964 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2906.0132 And- and people had to go outside with baseball bats. 2908.5269 1965 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2908.5269 (pause 0.60) 2909.1280 1966 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2909.1280 You weren't here. 2909.8541 1967 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2909.8541 (pause 0.34) 2910.1894 1968 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2910.1894 So you know, you can't- 2911.8248 1969 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2911.8248 (pause 0.34) 2912.1668 1970 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2912.1668 you can't say that, 2913.1401 1971 LES_int_01 2913.2024 [Yeah.] 2913.6683 1972 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2913.6034 [so.] 2914.0884 1973 LES_int_01 2914.7645 Yeah, it's a tough [question.] 2916.0569 1974 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2915.9209 [Yeah.] 2916.2799 1975 LES_int_01 2917.0205 Um, I- a m- more positive question. Uh, what are some 2920.8200 1976 LES_int_01 2920.8200 (pause 0.28) 2921.0991 1977 LES_int_01 2921.0991 places in the neighborhood that are especially important to you? 2924.5021 1978 LES_int_01 2924.5021 (pause 0.52) 2925.0232 1979 LES_int_01 2925.0232 Like, a place could be, you know, ar- a- 2927.2126 1980 LES_int_01 2927.2126 (pause 0.26) 2927.4710 1981 LES_int_01 2927.4710 your house or a park or a restaurant or- or where are places, like, in your life that 2932.2456 1982 LES_int_01 2932.2456 (pause 0.18) 2932.4228 1983 LES_int_01 2932.4228 really stick out as important in the neighborhood? 2934.7883 1984 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2935.0464 I think, um, the credit union sticks out for me. 2938.5567 1985 LES_int_01 2938.5660 Okay. 2938.8708 1986 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2938.9810 I think, um, Tenth Street park which is Tompkins Square Park. [That sticks] out for me. 2943.2273 1987 LES_int_01 2942.2049 [Yeah.] 2942.4617 1988 LES_int_01 2942.4617 (pause 0.69) 2943.1515 1989 LES_int_01 2943.1515 [Yeah,] did- [did you play there a lot?] 2944.6169 1990 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2943.5771 [I remember the good, the bad,] and the [ugly of Tenth Street park.] 2946.6670 1991 LES_int_01 2945.2992 [] 2947.0820 1992 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2947.1845 All the good, all the [bad.] (laughing) 2950.7237 1993 LES_int_01 2949.2322 [/I-/ ] 2950.1035 1994 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2951.6757 The hippy- 2953.0815 1995 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2953.0815 (pause 0.31) 2953.3939 1996 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2953.3939 the- the hippy, uh, [f-] 2955.2341 1997 LES_int_01 2955.0452 [Th-] 2955.1891 1998 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2955.4596 [fire] f- 2956.2243 1999 LES_int_01 2955.5249 [the] 2955.7067 2000 LES_int_01 2956.4652 [/Oh, they'd set up the/ tents and they- the riots and stuff?] 2959.9763 2001 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2956.4666 [fire days. When they used to do the tents and the riots] in Tenth Street park. 2961.4778 2002 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2961.8498 And, you know, um, my mom taking us there every Sunday after church. I remember 2966.3676 2003 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2966.3676 (pause 0.37) 2966.7359 2004 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2966.7359 /Diva Birdy's/, um, on First Avenue, going there as a kid. I remember, 2971.6372 2005 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2971.6372 (pause 0.38) 2972.0158 2006 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2972.0158 um, 2972.5745 2007 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2972.5745 (pause 0.19) 2972.7661 2008 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2972.7661 you know, 2973.1629 2009 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2973.1629 (pause 0.46) 2973.6265 2010 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2973.6265 FDR Park, which is down on the, all the way by the [waterside.] 2977.6983 2011 LES_int_01 2977.5491 [Right, right.] 2978.2298 2012 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2978.2392 Hanging out in FDR Park on a Sunday, listening to the guys playing the- the bongos and the- the percussion 2984.0522 2013 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2984.0522 (pause 0.34) 2984.3926 2014 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2984.3926 instrument. And, um, 2985.9164 2015 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2985.9164 (pause 0.50) 2986.4116 2016 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2986.4116 you know. 2986.9852 2017 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2986.9852 (pause 0.96) 2987.9489 2018 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2987.9489 Watching the baseball game, watching the boats sail by on- on- I- I mean, I- 2992.3552 2019 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2992.3552 (pause 0.18) 2992.5380 2020 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2992.5380 I don't think- 2993.0963 2021 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2993.0963 (pause 0.69) 2993.7851 2022 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2993.7851 I don't think there- there's such a vivid memory for me 2996.7167 2023 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2996.7167 (pause 0.31) 2997.0282 2024 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 2997.0282 in Queens. Although I remember some parts of living in Queens also. 3000.3462 2025 LES_int_01 3000.4528 [Yeah.] 3000.8112 2026 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3000.5929 [But I] think 3001.1419 2027 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3001.5465 all of my- 3002.5070 2028 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3002.5070 (pause 0.08) 3002.5863 2029 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3002.5863 my memories of my foundation years 3005.0880 2030 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3005.0880 (pause 0.29) 3005.3794 2031 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3005.3794 were built here on the Lower East Side. 3007.4155 2032 LES_int_01 3007.4155 [Yeah.] 3007.8204 2033 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3007.9228 Um, 3008.5116 2034 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3008.5116 (pause 1.86) 3010.3764 2035 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3010.3764 I- Just s- seeing the- the local delis and everybody, you know, the mom and pop shops shutting down and 3016.1225 2036 LES_int_01 3016.4433 [Yeah.] 3016.8733 2037 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3016.4863 [people leaving] the community. The doctor's offices that are no longer here anymore and, 3020.8134 2038 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3021.2238 you know, 3021.7477 2039 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3021.7477 (pause 0.21) 3021.9589 2040 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3021.9589 all of that. 3022.7143 2041 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3022.7143 (pause 0.53) 3023.2412 2042 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3023.2412 The churches that shut down, the schools that are no longer. I mean, 3026.8914 2043 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3026.8914 (pause 0.28) 3027.1727 2044 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3027.1727 I remember all of these [things.] 3028.9012 2045 LES_int_01 3028.7100 [Yeah.] 3029.2120 2046 LES_se0_ag3_f_01 3029.3845 [You know.] 3029.9327 2047 LES_int_01 3029.3845 [Yeah.] 3029.7164