Since I was born, New York City has been my life, my blood, and bones; I have grown and lived with many different people with different backgrounds. My neighborhoods have shaped me into who I am today, I am flexible and open, like raw clay, enough to be changed and formed. Then there is the Bronx, a borough of New York, where you have to be strong, or you will not survive, a place where all races are together, and everyone is noisy. I live in a community where there are mostly Hispanics, and where there are always car passing by and honking, during the day it is the only sound you can here, and ear-piercing bird calls, but during the night there is always some kind of party, either that or just really loud music. I have grown to get use…
My childhood in New York City was very difficult for me. I grow up in a predominantly Hispanic Dominican decent neighborhood in the upper Manhattan area called Washington Heights. Washington Heights in the early 1990’s was the heart of the drug trade. At one point in the 1990’s it was considered one of the worst neighborhoods to raise a child. I remember in the news, the news anchor reported that New York City was recognized as the crime capital in the 1950's through the early 1990's.…
States. It was all I could think about since the outdoor track season commenced. Qualifying for the Pennsylvania State Meet had been my ultimate goal for as long as I could remember. Just imagining myself in the ranks with such elite athletes was enough to get me excited. There was just one final hurdle to jump: placing in the District 1 meet.…
It was hot and humid. I was a stranger from the other side of the Earth. I had never been in Atlanta before. The only thing that I knew about Atlanta was 1996 Olympic Games through TV. I was not sure how long I was going to stay here and what to do for living.…
Philadelphia Flyers Road Trip Starts. The Philadelphia Flyers are entering their biggest road trip of this season, starting off in Buffalo Tuesday night followed by a trip into Canada Thursday facing a young Toronto Maple Leafs squad before heading to the Boston Gardens. If ever a road trip offered the Flyers a unique opportunity to make up ground in the wild card standings, it's this upcoming three-game road trip to Buffalo, Toronto and Boston which begins Tuesday night at the Sabres. All three opponents are in the wild card mix.…
For two weeks, I stayed in Charleston, South Carolina. I didn’t know much about the place, except that I referred to it as an army town because that’s where my sister and her husband, who was in the military, stayed. I was reluctant to go, but Charleston had a lot to offer me; a new change of pace and some new scenery was much more satisfying than spending the two weeks stuck in Iowa doing the same old routine. The weather was mystical in Charleston.…
Growing up in Brooklyn, in the early 90’s was one of the best experiences in my life. I remember the ice cream trucks, corner stores, fire hydrates being opened for the kids especially when there was a block party but most of all, the unity of families and neighbors. Many people will say “Brooklyn, only the strong survive” and I have lived by that phrase my entire life. It showed me the beauty of living in one of the boroughs that makes up New York City and has taught me to be a strong person. It’s not made for the weak.…
There was an experience I had before I moved from Philadelphia to Reading. When I was younger, I got locked out of my home, and instead of being scared, I thought of many ways to deal with this situation. From this moment, I learned that I don’t have a normal thinking process, with this knowledge I begin using this for my advantage starting from elementary school. When I was young I had gotten locked out of my house by accident, but I was not scared I just started thinking of ways to get back.…
Philadelphia I’m sure you’ve smelled it, that heavenly smell of steak onions and green peppers sizzling on an open grill. Philadelphia is a wonderful place with tons of culture, history, and even people. They bring a lot of things to this wonderful melting pot, but 3 things that first come to my mind is sights, smells, and tastes. Remember that steak from above? Yeah, that’s a phili cheese steak, and no if you haven’t gotten one from Philadelphia…
Second day in Boston, because we woke up very late so after a while to dress up, we went to a hot pot restaurant name “Hot Pot Buffet” in the China Town in downtown Boston to have lunch with our friends. It was a cold and rainy day so hot pot is the best choice for us to have for lunch. After we finished the lunch, I and my cousin walked to the “Boston Harbor”, it is the most famous place in Boston. My cousin spent a little bit of time to talk about this. Then, we go to a Starbucks Coffee store and spent the rest of the afternoon in there until we have dinner.…
I am not a very interesting person. I may not be that descriptive, but a place that I could never forget has to be my hometown Brooklyn, NY. I miss the big apple so much. It has been 5 years and I still haven’t adapted to the lifestyle here. Like they say “New York never sleeps”.…
The one where I saw my favorite person in the world In 2014 my family took a trip to New Jersey. We went there because the head saint my religion who was 92 years old was going there all the way from a small village in India. As everyone got there to see him it was really crowded, so you do not always get a good spot to see. Also the saints are not allowed to see girls so we always sit behind the boys. I remember on the second of my trip the other saints said he will not come out to see everyone as he was feeling sick.…
During the end of my senior year in High School, an opportunity arose to travel to New York City, with my friend Zach. My school’s basketball team was participating in a National tournament at Yeshiva University, where my friend Zach’s brother had an apartment nearby in Washington Heights. Hearing about the safety issues in the Heights, my parents didn’t want me roaming around the city without any adult supervision. With the backing of my Uncle Richard, who live in the Upper East Side, I began to plan my trip.…
When walking around the city of Philadelphia, the majority of advertisements focus around one word: Phillyosophy. A popular way of describing the comprehensive personality of Philly residents, Phillyosophy is often interpreted by locals as the unique attitude Philadelphians have due to the city’s defining characteristics like it’s rich history, welcoming cultural perspective, and passion for sports. Growing up in the shadow of this city, I’ve developed my own Phillyosophy over the years. Since Philly could possibly be considered one of the “most American” cities in our country due to its infamous role in American history, I equate my Phillyosophy to what makes me American, although it doesn’t prove a holistic representation of “Americanness” altogether.…
Being in New York City itself was all too surreal, like a dream come true. Buildings raced each other in a quest to touch the soft blue sky and people littered the streets and sidewalks. Life there was upbeat and fast-paced and everyone and everything was moving, but then you crossed into Central Park. Crossing the sidewalk into the large park was like crossing the border into another world.…