Alex Montanile                                                                                                                       

Field notes and Observations pertaining to W 130th Harlem

            The environment in which I conducted my field observations would be the area directly around our CCNY campus. This would include St. Nicholas park, St. Nicholas Terrace, W 130th-125th. On these blocks there are two separate basketball courts, two corner deli stores, the park, multiple different apartment complexes, and campus. I decided to leave out 125th, as there would have been too many people to get accurate and detailed observations, and also leaving out downtown for the same reason. The area is historic for many reasons, CCNY being the leader in all public colleges around the nation for Nobel Peace Prize winners. Back in the 1920’s, Harlem was where there was an explosion of African American culture that catapulted many musicians careers, and was known as the Harlem renaissance. These things had a minor effect on the observations made, as most of the people I saw were black, however it really has nothing to do with the conclusions that were reached about each individual person. This would be the cultural significance of the history of the area. 

            During the field observation, a wide variety of things were seen throughout the hour and change I spent people watching. Most people were just moving along with their day, nothing out of the ordinary that I have seen after living here at towers for over a year. The most intriguing part for me was watching guys play basketball, as some people are really good and honing their craft, while others struggle and are there to just get better. I also really enjoy watching others enjoy a sport they like. Everyone seemed to be in their own little world, as they all have their own lives, things to think about, and things to do for the rest of the day. I was intrigued by a man who was wearing a grey overcoat and jeans. It’s not a common everyday fit for most people really anywhere. He noticed me looking at him and stared back at me. Making the situation more interesting to me I stared back at him and gave a head nod, to which he did the same and kept walking. Honestly a very accurate depiction of the area in general, as most people here are nice, and easy to talk to. Over the time living here, I have been approached by many people for a whole assortment of reasons, and pretty much every encounter has been a positive experience, with a couple outliers.

            What I saw most of, were probably people walking their dogs. People of all shapes and sizes, ethnicities and cultures. Another accurate depiction of the area, as yes Harlem is mostly African American, but has an incredible amount of diversity within it. The observations stayed true to these facts about the area’s diversity. I also saw some college students, multiple girls going down to the 125th station, dressing up a little, suggesting they were headed downtown. Multiple guys came from the deli, some in groups and others alone. This is also accurate for the area as CCNY campus is right here. Once again illustrating the different types of people in the area. There was one guy with a Seattle Supersonics outfit that was walking through the park, stopped and spoke on the phone for about 10 minutes, then lit a cigarette and walked away. I found this funny, as phone arguments out in public have me doing the same thing(standing in place). I mention this because I liked the fitted hat he had on, so I took notice of the rest of the outfit. It is quite common for people to dress with the theme of a sports team, as I also do this for teams like the Yankees, Pirates, Nets, etc.  Now back to the dog walkers, which were mostly women walking their dogs. Dogs are really an awesome part of the neighborhood, as it is very animal friendly. There is even a neighborhood cat that has its own little home next to the first deli, and many people take the duty of feeding the cat and giving it shelter in the cold.

Overall my observations proved what I already knew about the area. It showed the community vibe it gives off. People do their own thing, but there is a sense of community. Many often tend to stop and pet peoples dogs, and most without hesitation allow them too and fill them in on the information about said dog. Although there weren’t many interactions between the people I was watching, as many had airpods in, it is not uncommon for people to strike conversation and make acquaintances.