For this assignment we were asked to interview 3 people from our selected neighbourhood. Our questions were to revolve around the positive aspect of the neighbourhood and tap into what the interviewee liked about where he/she stayed. I kept my questions mostly open ended in order to understand the interviewee’s opinion, thoughts and experiences. I documented their answers by jotting down key words and phrases and taking notes as they spoke.
Person 1- (16 year old girl American studying at The Birch Within Lenox School)
Person 2- (54 year old American man, owner of a dry cleaning shop)
Person 3- (33 year old Pakistani woman working at a beauty parlour)
I chose three different set of people-both the male and female gender, different age groups, varied occupations such as shop owner, worker and student (thus having different or no income). The reason for doing so was so that I could get a holistic point of view and not one that is bias to a particular class or sex.
Interview 1
The question I began by asking the teenage girl was what she liked the best about her neighbourhood. She responded by saying that she had her close group of friends living at a 2km radius from her. She has been living in the same house since she was born and she has the roads memorised by heart. She liked the familiarity between her and her neighbours.
Going off that question I asked her about her relationship between her neighbours and people living around her. She said that she has been walking her neighbours dog for 7 months now. She is so attached to the little children that live below her. She spent New Years Eve with them as both the families got together and decided to celebrate it together.
Another aspect of her neighbourhood she could never live without was the proximity between her house and the church. Since her family goes to the church every Sunday, and being in the 10th grade now she often rushes back in order to complete her school work. All in all she said that the closeness of her school, house, church and friend’s houses is what she loves the most.
Interview 2
The second interview was slightly different. The middle aged man explained how he lived alone and both his daughters had been married off and were settled in California. He enjoyed his business and he said that it kept him busy and preoccupied. He didn’t leave the house much and mostly socialised either with his workers or clients that have been coming to him for years. He likes the sense of loyalty in the neighbourhood as even though many more businesses have come up his is still successful and he profit gain is increasing every year.
Another aspect that he pointed out was that even though he wasn’t disturbed by the construction of the Second Avenue Subway it only benefited him as his rental amount for his shop reduced. When I asked him about his daily life and routine schedule he said that he is a man of habit and has been going to the same grocery store for 20 years now. He knows exactly what he wants and brings back exactly that.
Interview 3
Lastly I interviewed a recently married, green card holder living in Lenox Hill with her husband, and parent in laws. She is new to the neighbourhood, however she finds it safe to walk back home at night after she is done with her job. Due to the ethnic South Asian restaurants around the parlour she has already made friends and gets along with her colleagues very well.
When I asked her to describe her neighbourhood in 3 words she said it was posh, intimate and relaxed. She said on her days off her husband and her go for a jog around the neighbourhood. She enjoys living on the Upper East Side due to the amenities it provides. She earns on the tips she’s given too and she feels clients are extremely generous.
When I asked her is she plans on raising a family and if the neighbourhood is suitable for it she was ecstatic. She said it is everything she imagined for her future family. Thus, she is extremely pleased with her work life and home life in Lenox Hill.
