Community strengths and weaknesses in Glendale, New York

Org

Community Organization: Glendale, New York

In her textbook, Cities, Change and Conflict: A Political Economy of Urban Life, Nancy Kleniewski discusses the nature of urban life and the possible conflicts that arise when people live very closely together. She approaches the subject with the notion the strategy can used to create harmony within the urban setting. This paper will examine the community of Glendale, New York, which is located within Queens, New York. This paper will look at the strengths and resources the community of Glendale, New York has to offer its inhabitants. This paper will also discuss the possible weaknesses within these public services and look at possible problems being caused by these weaknesses. This will include looking at the needs of the neighborhood and possible ways in which to improve upon services already addressing these needs. This paper will also offer a look at the demographics of the community including discussion of the size and composition of the town's population. Finally this paper will describe a community-organizing project that has been put into action as a means of creating solutions to community problems.

The Community of Glendale, New York

Vincent Seyfried writes, "Glendale is a neighborhood in west central Queens, bounded to the north by railroad tracks, to the east by Woodhaven Boulevard, to the south by a number of cemeteries, and to the west by Fresh Pond Road" (par.1). Early on, the land was sectioned off into lots measuring twenty-five by one hundred feet and mainly consisted of farmland. Later in 1893, development increased especially for Myrtle Avenue with the introduction of the trolley car powered by a steam engine. It was not until the First World War that blocks of row houses and single-family homes started to be built as family shops opened and parks were created for picnicking. The community has long been family-focused even as employment opportunities have changed. Employers before the 1980s ranged from factories producing silk ribbons, matches and airplanes to that of silent films. Glendale was largely a German population until recently when the neighborhood "attracted a number of immigrants from Romania, Yugoslavia and Poland as well as China and the Dominican Republic" (Seyfried par. 2).

Glendale, New York is a community rich in resources available for its citizens. Upon reviewing the literature available, it has become clear that community has taken action to provide programs for its people on many levels of service but also keep in mind levels of service that come expected of a town its size. These programs consist of services addressing social issues such as: housing, mental health, after-school care, employment assistance as well as general public safety services like police and emergency personnel. These are just some of the services available to Glendale's public and do not include community projects specializing in entertainment and volunteer programs. Still as positive as this may sound, it has come to one's attention that the overall population of Queens and Glendale are changing quickly both in size and diversity. As the demographic change to reflect these trends, it is important that the people within the community allow the community to reflect these changes. These would mean the present services available to the public might also need to be augmented to meet these changing needs among the town's citizens. For instance, this would mean providing services in not only English but also Spanish and Chinese.

Community Project

One such project that looks to be creating an environment of diversity and harmony while adhering to their main objective of aiding the Glendale Police Department is the group called G-Cop or Glendale Citizens on Patrol. It is volunteer-based but actively recruits via the Internet for equal representation of the town's demographics. This group acts to create a united front against crime and mobilizes groups to cover not only Glendale but also Maspeth and Middle Village to provide a watchdog for the community. This has led directly to a reduction in certain types of crimes in largely ethic areas. These crimes include burglary, graffiti art, public drunkenness and street racing. The aim is to keep the street safe for the public but to also create a harmony among neighbors. Another facet of their organization is counseling the vandals convicted in Queens Criminal Court and supervising the community service. The organization has remained successful for over twenty-five years and remains so because it does not turn its back on a volunteer. Because of their actions, the police department has been able to free-up four patrol cars better used for emergency purposes.

Conclusion

This paper examined the community of Glendale, New York, which is located within Queens, New York. This paper looked at the strengths and resources the community of Glendale, New York has to offer its inhabitants. This paper also discussed the possible weaknesses within these public services and looked at possible problems being caused by these weaknesses. This included looking at the needs of the neighborhood and possible ways in which to improve upon services already addressing these needs. This paper also offered a look at the demographics of the community including discussion of the size and composition of the town's population. Finally this paper described a community-organizing project that has been put into action as a means of creating solutions for community problems.