Reverse writing nature Essay

Professor: Susanna Schaller

Student Name: Ma Myint Myint ZabaiDate: 02/20/2019

In “Thirteen Ways Of Seeing Nature In L.A,” Jenny Price (2006) states that urban nature of bustling and pollution to convince the readers how there is nature throughout LA. After reading this article, it makes me realize that all cities have the same issues of overcrowded populations that exacerbate the pollution problem. As a person who lives in New York City, compared with L.A, I have the same unpleasant feeling of living in an over populated city.

Price mentions in the article that “Like so many writers who come to Los Angeles-and I moved here seven years ago-I have succumbed —–that L.A. is the American dream or the American nightmare.” Jenny Price(2006)  I believe Jackson Heights is also American dream or nightmare. It is located in Queens Borough, one of New York’s five boroughs, and it is very crowded because it is part of New York City, where I have been living for over a decade since I arrived in United States.

The area includes range from 74th street to 82nd Street between Northern Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue. In addition, 74th street is well known as Little India’s town which is located between 74th streets and 35th Avenue.

As a resident who is long living in that neighborhood, I have to remark that Jackson Heights’ nature is the same as L.A that Price mentions in the article.” L.A is “anti- nature” due to the air pollution, brown ocean water and the infamous LA river that its only function is to be used as a sewer for the city,” Jenny Price(2006)

It disappoints me to say that Jackson Heights is also anti-nature because it literally has personalities that are representative of its inhabitants. The majority of its residents are immigrants, mostly working class and middle class people, particularly Colombians, other Latinos, and South Asians, with its own Little India. Brennan Ortiz (2014) Along with its variety of people, there are also a variety of food places and restaurants. It has a strong spirit of community, great food and a safe place to live. Aside from food, there are a number of shops and clothing stores particularly on 82nd street like Banana-Republic and Old Navy. Northern Blvd also has a lot of new stores opening up. The neighborhood is definitely developing a lot.

Even though diversity is good, if people don’t follow rules and regulation, and just do what they want, it makes communities unorganized and undisciplined. For instance, all the way long from 74th street to 82nd street, then to Junction Boulevard is known as shopping areas with street vendors, retail stores and restaurants. As a result, streets are crowded with people and tons of garbage are scattering on the streets. But, no one even bother to stop and pick up an empty rolling glass bottle on the floor to trash into garbage bins nearby. This is not to say that residents are not proud people because people aren’t certainly concerned with the cleanliness of their neighbors.

Due to business areas, there is a lot of traffic congestion and neighbors are noisy with car horns impatiently waiting in line for traffic, and trying to pass over in opposite lane. In addition, vehicle emissions in crowded areas can cause air pollutants because of producing large amount of carbon dioxide. Therefore, I feel my environment is facing potential dangerous of air pollution that we are unaware in our daily lives. All of this makes the community unorganized.

Furthermore, in Jackson- Heights people are suffering not only from air pollution but also noise pollution. Along the streets on business areas, vendors and retail stores are opening loud music, especially during in world cup time, when one of the Latino teams is playing and win. Large numbers of Latinos come out and celebrate for their team’s triumph which represents their individual country by honking the cars horn, blowing trumpets, and shouting loudly while waving flags that makes noise pollution. Moreover, they leave litters, red newspapers and cigarette butts which are scattered on the floor of the streets that are so dirty.

Because of gentrification, even though there are many new buildings erecting in these areas, especially close the subway areas, the apartment’s rental prices are getting skyrocketing. On the contrary, the standard of apartments’ sizes in new buildings is smaller than old ones. Due to expensive apartment rental prices, many people are sharing in rented apartments. For example, four or five people are living in a studio apartment. It seems that as long as neighbors are booming with business, the quality of life for their neighbors does not matter.

Moreover, there is none sense of pride on green space in my environment. If we want to see green place, there is big Flushing Meadows- Corona park outside of Jackson heights, where people can relax and enjoy the entertainment, which contains Shea Stadium, Citi field, New York Hall of Science and Queens Zoo etc. Brennan Ortiz (2014) Flushing River is flowing nearby its park but that river cannot provide anything to its environment because it is dirty. In fact, unlike L.A’s river we cannot even use it for sewage. The opposite has taken hold in New York City where the attitude of “why should I if nobody else is” has been taken to an entirely new level.

In short, by seeing from environmental health issues, the neighbors are exacerbating the problem. There are dangerous health problem when breathing dirty air from unclean environments, and that residents have not been aware.

References

 Brennan Ortiz (2014), Neighborhoods: Little India in Jackson Heights, Queens

Retrieved from

Price, Jenny. “Thirteen Ways of Seeing Nature in LA: Part I.” Believer Magazine. April 2006. Accessed February 09, 2019.