Inwood Pride

In the New York Times City section this past weekend there was a lengthy piece about the proliferation of “Brooklyn” blogs. This was not surprising to me, as many Brooklynites seem to display a passionate love of their borough. I can also buy the theory mentioned in the article that the “high ratio of homeowners to renters…inspires a strong bond beyond resident and neighborhood.” Might I also suggest that residents of Brooklyn are often put on the defensive about their ‘hood by Manhattanites and thus as a species, are compelled to extol Brooklyn’s virtues at every opportunity. I’m here to say that I don’t live in Brooklyn, but I can totally relate. You see, I live in Inwood and I, too, love my ‘hood.

Let’s start with the T-shirts. My husband and I own several T-shirts emblazoned with the name of our neighborhood. When friends have moved close by we have given Inwood T-shirts as gifts (we purchased them from local merchants or ordered them on www.neighborhoodies.com). Rarely does a day by go where I don’t spot someone sporting an Inwood tee around these parts. Now, I have been a New Yorker for over 13 years; I have lived, worked and spent time in many neighborhoods and I have never seen such overt neighborhood pride (with the possible exception of the aforementioned borough of Brooklyn) as I have here in Inwood. I know lots of people who love living on the Upper West Side but would they go so far as to wear it on their chests? Not that I’ve seen, and the idea of an Upper East Side tee is just laughable.

No, I think Inwood-pride is unique and that’s why I am starting this blog. Well, the fact that I have just quit my job and I’m hanging around the house waiting for my son to be born may have something to do with it too! Surely once I become a mom this blog will morph with motherhood, but my intent for now is to talk about Inwood and connect with others who love living here as much as I do (and maybe even encourage skeptics to come North). So the inherent question in this first entry is “Why Inwood pride?”

Well, I think that the two reasons touched on above with regard to Brooklyn certainly apply. While I have no statistics on the matter, I’m pretty certain that we have an ever-growing number of homeowners up here, as Inwood remains one of the last affordable neighborhoods in Manhattan, so the “bonds between resident and neighborhood” seem to be burgeoning and blossoming. We also may have a teensy weensy chip on our shoulders and feel the need to defend ourselves. Sure, we can still (technically) be snobby Manhattanites and look down our noses at the other boroughs, but let’s face it, it’s just as hard to throw a party in Inwood as it is in any of the outer boroughs. In fact, I must sheepishly admit I’ve never tried it. I just assume that the majority of my non-Inwood friends still consider Washington Heights, let alone Inwood to be somewhere VERY FAR away and a HUGE PAIN to get to. And while I know now they are wrong, I remember that feeling and it can be hard to get past it until you actually live here. Hence the chip, the defensiveness, and the need to wear Inwood T-shirts in order to proclaim “No, really! Inwood is a great place to live and it’s worth the trip!”

Of course, there are many, many more reasons for Inwood pride and I plan to discuss them all in upcoming entries. I’ll do my best to blog bi-weekly on all things Inwood, plus whatever else inspires me. In the meantime, I welcome your posts about what YOU love about living here. My name is Amy and I’ll write again soon From the Top of the Island.