The Little Community of New York City
Below is a piece from Down to Earth, my weekly Health, Happiness, and Community newsletter. Subscribe and check out the full archive here! 🌍
Earlier this week, I ventured up to New York’s State Capitol alongside thousands of others fighting for housing justice.
Dozens of tenant organizations and advocacy groups mobilized at dawn all across the state — for many, this wasn’t their first rodeo. From young to old, everyone was on board with one common phrase: The Rent Is Too Damn High.
Up in Albany, we assembled in a lofty meeting hall to strategize. We discussed good cause eviction and affordable rent as our chief concerns, rehearsing key points and punchy chants. We wanted to make sure lawmakers heard our pleas. If they felt compelled enough to change laws in New York, millions could be impacted for the better. Since New York often sits at the forefront of housing policy and culture, a move this big could set a precedent for the rest of the country.
I often say, with full arrogant self-awareness, that New York is the center of the universe. It’s The Mecca, always projecting a trendsetting glimpse into the nation’s future.
If it’s happening here, it’s bound to happen elsewhere very soon.
The rest of the country is in for some rough times if their housing crises end up looking anything like New York’s situation.
Combine that with an intensifying migrant crisis, and we’re looking at Babylon of the modern era.
That’s because so many of us in New York rent our homes — 69% of us in fact. That’s 2.21 million people affected by rent policy. Many live in rent-regulated apartments, which helps stabilize rent by limiting annual rent increases. Given the city's high living costs, this is crucial. Imagine if rent were to suddenly increase by 4% — how many people would suddenly be put on the street, unable to keep up with the rising costs of groceries, gas, and other necessities?
If it were up to landlords, this would happen freely every year. Knowing that somebody will pay, rent would climb by absurd rates, quickly putting the poor, elderly, and disabled on the streets. This is already beginning to happen.
Currently, there are 78,000 homeless New Yorkers, many of whom are evicted due to unaffordable rent. This destroys a sense of community, displacing native New Yorkers with a long history of contributing to the city’s vibrant culture. How can a city built by unique, colorful people thrive if the people cannot afford to live in it?
That’s why I’m so passionate about supporting affordable housing. Hell, if we have nothing else, (and hell if we don’t have much these days,) we still have our homes and our neighbors. For now.
Up in Albany, I was happy to speak with tenants of all backgrounds who have witnessed the city’s ups and downs through the years. They know the evils of eviction and displacement on a personal level.
“Most of the people in New York don’t understand that they have rights, or are too scared to demand them,” one longtime activist shared. “I could have been homeless decades ago if these organizations never reached out to me.”
A grand majority of Down to Earth readers are New Yorkers. My dream is for us to realize a broader sense of the community we already enjoy.
We must take every chance to vocalize for the meek of the city, for we’d have no foundation without them. They are our mail carriers; they are our handymen. They drive our cabs and they bag our lunch. They sort our garbage and maintain our streets, saying nary a word about it. They are our family.
New York is so vast that the little things (and people) can feel irrelevant. Our personal problems fog up the big picture. It’s also easy to feel like the city is temporary — a means for work, play, and sleep. But not a home.
It’s upsetting to see the city trivialized like a moving art exhibit, glamorized for content and discovery, only to be discarded for the next hot thing. It comes at the expense of those who only have their memories and identities to cling to.
The truth is that the city is the only home that millions will ever know. As rents skyrocket to all-time highs, these natives are increasingly becoming extinct. And it’s not just the elderly. 104,000 children are without a permanent home in the five boroughs.
Think of the third-generation kid from Harlem without knowledge of the outside world, or the Lower East Side waitress who inherited her mother’s rent-stabilized apartment. Increasing rent rates force them to pack up and go — but where?
If they can’t live here, they simply have nothing.
There are endless amounts of stories and statistics that can overwhelm you concerning gentrification, housing, and homelessness in New York. But that’s just shining a light on the problem, — what’s needed is action. What I want you to take away is a simple task — something you can work on every day.
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Love Thy Neighbor.
Learn the names of the people around you. Ask them what they love to do. Hear their problems. How can you help them?
Get involved with things happening around your building and your block. Host friends and neighbors in your home for wine or game night. Join movements and clubs with existing communities, and come as you are. Do things alone, and don’t be afraid to just say hello. When you step far out of your comfort zone, it never fails to yield something special.
I know — new things and new people are scary as hell. You may even feel incomplete, making it difficult to participate. But that’s the thing — we’re supposed to be incomplete. It’s only when we come together for something larger than ourselves that we find completion and purpose.
Final Thoughts 💭
Though community is built on the foundations of affordable housing and livable wages, the final piece of the puzzle is achieved through connection. A sense of understanding and belonging within a group of familiar faces. In a place like New York, this connection should come easily.
Unfortunately, the isolating effects of social media addiction, political instability, and spillover from COVID restrictions make this a challenge, leaving us more disconnected than ever. But New Yorkers have a knack for overcoming. Perseverance is in our blood.
Ultimately, it is up to you to get us to a place of purpose and trust, building a community one interaction at a time. Do it for the people; they are the ones who make up the broader spirit of New York City, the little town of 8 million people.
What’s NOT In My Shopping Cart This Week ❌ 🛒
I usually share healthy or productive items, but this week, we’ll review the stuff I stay far away from. Many of these items are perceived to be healthy but have a dark side.
🍞 Multigrain Bread
Despite their healthy image, many multigrain items are made with a significant amount of white flour. Similarly, multi-grain bread often lists unbleached enriched wheat flour as the first ingredient, which is a weaker grain profile than whole grain. MULTIGRAIN IS NOT THE SAME AS WHOLE GRAIN 🚨🚨
Whole grain bread, on the other hand, is made from flour that incorporates all parts of the grain kernel: the bran, germ, and endosperm. This means it is richer in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The term "whole grain" ensures that the grains have been minimally processed to retain their nutritional value.
When choosing bread, it's essential to look for "100% whole grain" or "100% whole wheat" labels to ensure you're getting the full benefits.
🌵 Agave Nectar
Agave is the equivalent of a deceptive, sweet-talking politician. Thought to be a healthy sweetener, agave nectar is high in fructose, which is disastrous for diabetics, as it induces blood sugar spikes that are more harmful than regular sugar. Stay away from artificial sweeteners, but opt for Stevia if necessary.
🧃 Sports Drinks (Gatorade, Powerade)
You’d be surprised at how many people still think high-sugar, synthetic-dye sports drinks are healthy. “But it hydrates you!” They implore. Though there are some electrolytes in these drinks, their health effects are zeroed out by the amount of questionable ingredients. Drinking your calories is a slippery slope, and these drinks typically have ~200 calories per 20oz bottle. 25 of those calories are often pure sugar.
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