CUNY Interactive Journalism

By Stuart White

People say Sunset Park is changing.  Long the home of working-class immigrants—first Scandinavian, then Hispanic and now Chinese—the neighborhood has seen a serious spike in the price of homes in the last four years, leading residents to believe that gentrification is around the corner.  Some people, like bar owner Miguel Cintron, have already been forced out of apartments because of rising rent.

While the cost of multi-family homes in the neighborhood has gone up by about 12%, single-family home prices have shot up by nearly 40% according to the NYC Department of Finance, an amazing spike considering the fact that the national average has declined by about 19% over roughly the same period.  The map below shows the locations of a few homes for sale in the area and some price comparisons between 2005 and the present.

After the jump, a tour of Flushing, NY.
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Reporting a crime story with google map allows to have the big picture of it. It is easier to understand what happened where, and also helpful to circumscribe the field of research for the reporter.

With the map, we see that in this case, the shooting, the hospital where the first victim was transported and the place of the arrest are very close to each other. Thus, the field of research was not too wide for the reporter.

In order to have a better understanding of the map, view it in larger

View crime story in a larger map

In tracking this week’s crime with a map, the majority of assaults, thefts and robberies were concentrated in a densely populated section of Fort Greene, several of which targeted strap hangars emerging from the subway.

The spate of criminal activity here is nothing new to this area and comes less than a month after the 88th Precinct acknowledged the trend at its community council meeting. The precinct has pledged to disperse more cops on the ground in response.

The crime map is curated from complainant reports of the 88th Precinct’s crime blotter, which gets published each week by  The Local, a NYTimes.com hyperlocal blog covering Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. The descriptions were written by esteemed crime reporter An Phung.

There’s something in the contagious in Maspeth Creek.

Bushwick is at the center of a rising tide of punk and hardcore bands. On any given night, you can catch live acts by locals like Nomos, Pollution or Crazy Spirit in one of nearly a dozen warehouse and storefront venues dotting North Brooklyn’s industrial landscape. In a scene built by fans, the sheer volume of punk-friendly venues in one neighborhood (or a quick ride on the L train away) is a telling sign that New York punk is, once again, on the rise.

View Punk Venues in a larger map

In Brooklyn’s Community District 12, which includes the neighborhoods of Borough Park, Kensington and Midwood, the food is just as diverse as the residents who reside there. In Kensington alone, the diversity of cultures range from Bangladeshi to Mexican to Polish. If you’re feeling adventurous (and very hungry!), it might be worth exploring the different foods available in these neighborhoods. Bon apetit!

View BK Community District 12 in a larger map

Tribeca is a .6 square mile area part of Community District 1 in Manhattan. Tribeca stands for the Triangle Below Canal and is an area rich with old buildings and cobble stone streets, great restaurants, luxury buildings and a bumpin’ night life. There is a ton to do and see in the area but below, find some noteworthy places when visiting, moving to or just walking around Tribeca.

View TriBeCa POI in a larger map

It was a tough week for women in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, as they were the victims of four different muggings in the 88th Precinct’s ongoing battle against subway robberies. There were seven teenagers arrested for robberies and teen-on-teen violence. A number of the robberies, burglaries, purse theft and auto break-ins were concentrated in a crime-heavy area with a border that includes Willoughby Avenue to the north, Vanderbilt Avenue to the east, Green Avenue to the south and Flatbush Avenue to the west. Several incidents resulted in violence and one left a woman hospitalized for her injuries.

Click on the icons below to see a detailed description of the time, location, crime and charges for incidents that resulted in arrests.

View The Local Crime Blotter in a larger map

The senior citizen population of the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn saw the closure of two local senior centers this past summer. They were part of the 50 senior centers ordered to close their doors by the city during budget cuts in July. A total of 11 centers were mandated to close in the borough of Brooklyn.

However, the seniors of Bed-Stuy can still count on six local senior centers for social, economic, and health services. If you are a senior citizen in search of help, or you know of a senior who wants to access services in Bed-Stuy, this map will help you find the six available centers in the area.

View Senior Centers in Bed-Stuy in a larger map

by Tuan Nguyen

As a movie buff, I have a special penchant for classic and foreign films, which usually offer new perspectives and are much better than Hollywood types of instant-noodle-film you may see week in, week out at AMC cinemas.  The map below shows the locations of my most favorite cinemas in the city:

View NYC Cinema Map in a larger map

+ The Houston Trio: On Houston Street, there are three cinemas famous for showing foreign films: Landmark Sunshine Cinema, Angelika Film Center, Film Forum cinema.

+ Lincoln Plaza Cinemas: the multiplex on 63^rd St. is right near my living place. I can easily reach the cinema within 10 minutes of walking.

+ Cinema Village: a 3-screen cinema on East 12^th Street specializing in foreign and independent films.

+ IFC Center: on Avenue of the Americas (between West 3 and 4 St.), a center for independent film and classic movies.

View NYC Cinema Map in a larger map