Sixuan He
Research Paper [The Characteristic of Upper East Side People]
Integrated seminar Fashion
05/08/15
Rough Drafts
Upper East Side of New York City is a special neighborhood. The Upper East Side of
Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River, 59th Street to 96th Street.
Upper East Side of Manhattan is a shopping center, cultural center, as well as New York City's
wealthiest residential area. The most luxurious apartments and houses were built here; luxury
stores and big malls are also can be found here. Ragged people and others who are dressed to kill
walk on the same street. It might because the most expensive apartments are here, the
high-income people may got used to be rude and rushed. In addition, the residents who live here
are always careless and cold. Most of them had so many targets to complete, overwhelming
phone calls and burdens from children. The residents who live in Upper East Side of New York
City always have huge income gap, unfriendly manner, and indifferent attitude.
The income gap is a controversial topic, particularly in New York City. Although Upper
East Side wealthy area, from Lexington Avenue to the First Avenue is the blue-collar residential
area. Farther east residential area prices are cheaper, because there is farther from Metro and the
main public schools. Single employee and young couples mainly inhabit this area. Their
apartments are much smaller than luxurious apartment which nearby central park. The apartment
of blue-collar residential area primarily is one or two bedroom apartment. The gap between rich
and poor is one of the reasons that people who live in the Upper East Side are indifferent. There
are two completely different world in Upper East Side. In the article, “Living on the Upper East
Side reminds one of suburbia without the lawn, the commute or the driveway.” The author states
the rich history influences the lifestyle of the residents in Upper East Side. “Most of the
neighborhood’s housing was built from the 1950s to the 1970s, and consists mainly of luxurious
high-rises with doormen, except for some lovely walkups in the East 90s. More than one third of
residents own their units, and at least 15% of buildings are condos. Mostly all residents take
great pride in and care of their community environment.” The Upper East Side is an area with
wealth. However, people should admit that the low-income group still exists here. From the CNN
article, “All of these unspoken lines have shaped American consciousness. This is increasingly
true in the age of income inequality.” The difference between Upper East Side and the other
neighborhoods is invisible. While crossed the line at 96th Street, the environment is suddenly
changed. According to the article, “We're not helped by the fact that, as Harvard's Michael
Norton put it to me, the ends of the income spectrum are mostly invisible. We do not see
billionaires picking up their morning papers. The extremely poor are among the most stigmatized
groups in the United States. We see past them, as one man who works in Chelsea, the ritzy-poor
Manhattan neighborhood, told me recently. We pretend they're not there, that these divisions
don't exist in the richest country in the world.” It shows an opinion and a fact that the residents in
Upper East Side have a huge income gap. The gap is invisible, the billionaires would not pick up
the morning papers, and hard-working people are everywhere. The income gap in Upper East
Side is serious.
Unfriendly manners always appear in New York City. The people who live in Upper East
Side move through the shadow of huge skyscrapers and relaxing and confusing foreign tourists
every day. They usually threw out of a few breathtaking "Excuse Me,” and then sped away.
Please do not give translated that "Excuse Me" as courtesy "sorry." People who live in Upper
East Side said. 'Excuse Me' in different tone which implies a rich subtext. You can understand
that, "Do not get in the way, out of the way as soon as possible." or "Let me in the past, you
really get in the way," or "Look at where you stand." This may be many people think people who
live in the Upper East Side are unfriendly and indifferent. However, those actions should not
regard as rude. The movement happens by the influence from lifestyle and habits. Most of the
residents in Upper East Side are white-collar worker. They have regular and constant schedule,
less conversation with other people, and great nightlife. These lifestyles make most residents of
Upper East Side become more individual and aloof. A famous TV show, Gossip Girls, This play
tells the story of Manhattan Upper East Side high society class, showing wealthy life. And one of
the most mysterious characters of Gossip Girl in Manhattan's upper east side, who knew the high
nobles' gossip. The wealthy life can make people rude sometimes. The residents who live in
Upper East Side has less care about others than elsewhere.
Some residents in Upper East Side has indifferent attitude. Once I was on the way to
subway station, I saw an old man with a broken leg who was walking up the stairs slowly. The
people from behind were hurry and impatient, they frowned and try to get through from the old
man. Nobody helped. I was shocked and this thing is not the only time I saw. The careless things
happened frequently. The Upper East Side of New York City is a place where you cannot feel
friendly. Everyone is working on their own. I have been living here for a year and I do not even
know a single person in the building besides the property owner. Walkers pass fast with phones
or silence. The Upper East Side also called New Amsterdam. Even when the city was taken over
by the British, the citizens of New York still maintained their usual tradition that only interested
in money. Today, in the depths of this super metropolis of New York, the tiny, noisy New
Amsterdam with residents is still busy doing business everywhere. As everyone who could
vaguely see his childhood. This region is an individual and careless neighborhood.
The Upper East Side of New York is distinguish. Many residents who live in here are in
different income-level. In addition, they are aloof and careless. The Upper East Side is divided
into two groups of people: white collar and blue collar. The gap between them is huge and
obvious. Unfriendly actions always happen here because people always concentrate on their own
things. They do not like to concern about other’s feelings. Because of the tight and constant
schedule, the residents who live here have less conversation and interaction. Most of the
residents in Upper East Side are workers, which are individual and cold. The New York City is
the place where is super modern. Modern society must bring less friendship and enthusiasm. The
old social atmosphere is vanishing. The laughter and smile are disappearing, which get replaced
by phone call and “excuse me”. Hopefully, with the development of the society, Upper East Side
could get the old happiness back.
Reference
“Living on the Upper East Side reminds one of suburbia without the lawn, the commute
or the driveway.”. (2007). In Upper East Side. Citi Habitats.
D. Sutter, J. (2013, October 29). Cross the gap' on income inequality. Retrieved May 11,
2015, from http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/29/opinion/sutter-gap-ireport-income-inequality/