I grew up in the northern portion of manhattan, my neighborhood is known as Washington Heights in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is named after Fort Washington. It is a fortification constructed at the highest natural point on Manhattan Island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the British forces. Washington Heights is bordered by Inwood to the north along Dyckman Street, Harlem to the south along 155th Street, the Harlem River to the east, and the Hudson River to the west. As of 2016, it has a population of 201,590.
Washington Heights map is part of Manhattan Community District 12, and its primary ZIP Codes are 10032, 10033, and 10040.[3] It is patrolled by the 33rd and 34th Precincts of the New York City Police Department. This area is mostly populated by Hispanic and Latino Americans dominated by Dominicans. To us it is know as a smaller version of Santo Domingo in which we refer to it as ‘little Dominican Republic’. Dominicans began leaving their country in large numbers in the 1960s, seeking political and economic stability after the death of dictator Rafael Trujillo.
My parents were part of that movement, We settled in Washington Heights because of its large and inexpensive apartments, access to our native language; spanish and many job opportunities. My mother worked in the dry cleaning business and my father worked as a private black car driver. When you speak to anyone, anywhere, automatically if you are Dominican, you live in Manhattan, and Manhattan means Washington Heights in my case; this is absolutely true. My parents, being both Dominican makes me 100 percent Dominican knowing all too well a DNA test will prove we are all one hundred percent of everything. In the past few years I have lived in different districts, however this is my current neighborhood once again. I am so grateful to my parents for their courage and the steps they took to provide my siblings and I with such amazing opportunities. I have the greatest city on earth as my backyard and a perplexing multitude of cultures-individuals in this melting pot I get to call home.
New York City (NYC), often called simply New York, is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2019 population of 8,336,817 distributed over about 302.6 square miles (784 km2), New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the United States.[11] Located at the southern tip of the U.S. state of New York, the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass.[12] With almost 20 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and approximately 23 million in its combined statistical area, it is one of the world’s most populous megacities. New York City has been described as the cultural, financial, and media capital of the world, significantly influencing commerce,[13] entertainment, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, fashion, and sports. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations,[14] New York is an important center for international diplomacy.
The large influx of Dominicans helped to turn around Washington Heights. In the process, the Dominican community became a major force in the city, both culturally and politically; Washington Heights is now represented in Washington by the first Dominican-American in Congress, Adriano Espaillat.
The reality is rent is on the rise and those that can’t afford it are losing their place of residence. There are many layers to this problem, one being gentrification: it is difficult to see certain establishments closing due to the times. In response to this the community definitely feels but one can only stay optimistic.