Jackson Heights Life

Thanks for the continued discussion everyone.  I've been tied up with midterms the past couple of weeks, but will be attending the 115th Precinct's Community Council meeting this evening.


mkn567 - I had never heard the story of Manuel De dios Unanue before, thanks for bringing it up.  I'd be interested in doing a commemorative piece marking the 20th anniversary of his death come March.  It's hard to believe he isn't mentioned more, considering the gravity of his death.  Has crime decreased enough (over the last 20 odd years) that people aren't talking as much about the presence of cartels, etc.?

I did a quick search and pulled up a couple of old Times articles that mention a heavy cartel presence in the 90s.  It sounds like Jackson Heights was a much different place then: 

http://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/11/nyregion/jackson-heights-streets-familiar-to-drug-cartels.html

http://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/17/nyregion/window-immigrant-crime-jackson-heights-drugs-dirty-money-prostitution.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

Most information that I've found seems to show a significant decrease in crime in Jackson Heights over the last 20 years,  e.g.: http://www.dnainfo.com/crime-safety-report/queens/jackson-heights


I live here too - That's a great story recommendation.  I have gotten a fairly wide range of opinions from locals on crime/safety in the neighborhood.  Some people say that crime (specifically prostitution, drugs, and assault) is a glaring reality, while others seem to feel Jackson Heights is bordering on crime free.  There's also the middle-of-the-road demographic that says it's all about being street smart.


BTW, do you guys recommend any local advocacy groups or community organizations that would be open to talking about crime in the neighborhood?  I'm hoping to discover a few tonight at the Community Council meeting.

Hey all,

I'm Adam Warner from CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in Midtown.  I started my first semester last month and will be at the school for another year and a half or so.

For our Craft of Journalism class, each student had to choose a neighborhood to cover in one of the boroughs.  I picked Jackson Heights and will be covering the neighborhood into 2012.  I wasn't too familiar with the place going in, but have found it to be a fantastic corner of the city.  I've really enjoyed my experience so far.

I was at the community board meeting last Thursday and picked up some helpful info, most notably the problem with overcrowded schools and the issue of little green space in the neighborhood.

In any case, my next assignment is a crime story.  I plan on visiting the precinct tomorrow, but thought I'd ask around as well.  So my question is: have there been any recent incidents or trends in the neighborhood that you feel need covered?

Please feel free to PM me or respond with any ideas.

Also, I'm open to any story suggestions, from social or political issues to profiles pieces or interesting events/places worth reporting on in the neighborhood.

On a side note:  I'm also working on a piece about 75th Street being switched from northbound to southbound and the effects of that change on the community.  If you know of any residents or businesses in the area that have been affected (positively, negatively, or not at all) by the move, let me know.  

Many thanks,

Adam