According to Hayden, “A good neighborhood is usually defined in terms of conventional shopping, school and perhaps public transit, rather than additional social services for the working parent, such as day care or evening clinics.” However I think that a good neighborhood that offers conventional shopping, schools, public transit and social services for the working class. My neighborhood of New Rochelle in Westchester County offers all of these things. As I walk down main st. I noticed a lot of 24 hr Laundromats. I noticed three in a ten-block radius. This 24 hr service is essential for a neighborhood because some parents work late hours or are restricted as to what time they can go do their laundry. Another thing I noticed were signs for day cares. I noticed four daycares in this same ten block radius. I was curious and entered one to ask for prices and hours of operation. Inside a lady that looked around her mid 40’s was carrying a baby around 9 months old greeted me. I asked her what was the ratio of adults to children and she answered that there was about five children per adult. I found this number to be high but their price was rational. They said that they were flexible and would adjust to the parents work hours. That they evaluate each child and the parents income and based on that is how they come up with the price.
Another important element of my neighborhood is the hospital. New Rochelle Medical Center is about 3 blocks away from my house. The Hospital has an Emergency room that is open 24 hours. Even though there are no evening clinics in my neighborhood the Emergency Room gives most of the people in my neighborhood some comfort in knowing that if there are any emergencies the hospital is at a walking distance. My neighborhood has a lot of mom and popshops. In the ten block in walked through, there is also a train station, and 35 bus stops. These busses travel through out New Rochelle, others go to nearby towns like White Plains, Yonkers, and the Bronx.
New Rochelle is home to four elementary schools: Columbus Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, Trinity Elementary, and Davis Elementary. Two Middle schools: Issac E. Young Middle School, and Albert Leonard Middle School. And one High school, New Rochlle High School or better know as “The High.” These schools are filled with after school programs that make sure students stay out of trouble, and get them involved in the community. Some of these programs include cleaning the high school lake, which is littered with trash from students that attend IONA College. The schools also have a lot of sports. The sports are important because they keep students of the streets where they can possible get involved with drugs and crime. Having good after school programs and a wide variety of sports available for students is important because it reduces crimes, and improves the quality of people that live in the community.
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