Ron Howell - 4/21/05

1. How would you describe yourself regarding your age, ethnicity, education, employment, and family status?

I describe myself as an African American of Caribbean descent and I say
I am middle age but getting younger. I guess I'm middle class in most
respects, income and background and values, etc.

2. When and why did you move into the neighborhood?

I moved into the neighborhood because at the time it seemed quiet and,
as much as anything else, I liked the idea that the house had a garage.
That was more than 25 years ago, long time.

3. Please tell me what you feel are the best and worst things about the area?

The community, as maybe you know, is composed of renters and owners and
I own. There is a fair amount of congestion, which is true for many
sections of the city but ours has become especially congested, I think, in
the past 15 years or so, with people doubling or tripling up in
apartments. This is an issue in heavily immigrant neighborhoods throughout the
city, which is to say, I supppose, throughout most of the city.

4. What do you think the future of the neighborhood will be, and why?

The neighborhood, like the rest of New York, will change significantly
in the near future, as immigrants who are climbing the economic ladder
buy homes of their own and want to be in a neighborhood that is
polyglot and interesting.

Continue to Interview 4