Voices issue I had described the areas of Washington Heights and Inwood, the tip of Manhattan, to 'extreme north of the' island. Some metropolitan sapientone told me it was a sort of urban hell, that all crime in South Harlem, eradicated by police management called "Zero Tolerance" on the part of 'ex-mayor Rudolph Giuliani, had moved further north, above North Harlem or Washington Heights and Inwood, and now those neighborhoods were dangerous, especially for a controversial white like me (of course). Other sources epic and a little less agitated, instead I had described these areas as relatively peaceful, surrounded by greenery, and populated by a fauna made up of humans and industrious busybody, no particular criminal ambitions. No way out, the 'only way to understand the true nature of these areas unknown to me is to spend some time to visit and live on my skin the ability of this strip of land manhattaniana, a small peninsula north of' island, to the west 's Hudson River which separates it from the Palisides Jersey, and east and north of the' Harlem River, which divides it from Fordham, respectively, and Riverdale, the Bronx called bad neighborhoods on the mainland. The peninsula is divided into two, Washington Heights extends from 165th Street, the virtual end of Harlem, to 190th Street. Here begins Inwood, which extends north to the 220th Street, physically 'last road in Manhattan. The subway lines that go deep in northern Manhattan are four A and C blue, coming from the distant East and Brooklyn that have their last stop on 207th Street to 168th Street in Inwood and Washington Heights, and 1 and 9 the red, which come from South Ferry in Lower Manhattan and end their run in the Bronx, in Van Cortlandt Park. I go with a red, I get to Penn Station in the direction of deep-north Manhattan. Get off at 181st Street, on the highway are just a few hundred meters to the west becomes the George Washington Bridge, the bridge connecting the northern part of Manhattan to northern New Jersey. L 'intersection is with St. Nicholas Avenue, and part 's high traffic area that distinguishes this particular nerve center, the neighborhood does not seem so degraded. Continue on 181st Street in the direction of the bridge, crossing Broadway and Fort Washington Avenue, and are practically in Riverside Park, huge park which stretches from the Upper West Side (where does the 'Hudson River Park, which in turn reaches south in Battery Park in Lower Manhattan) Inwood to the top of the Hudson River. I set out to 'internal Riverside Park to the north, I let the image of the Washington Bridge to the shoulders and back slightly to the east. The neighborhood is not bad, the population is predominantly Hispanic and Latin America, although the quality of life seems to be much higher to that of the Barrio in East Side. Way, the houses are low and well maintained, plenty of space and green and vibrant young people who hangs out everywhere, but to date I have not seen any concrete basketball court. I enter in another park, well kept, bordering on the maniacal, beautiful flowers in special greenhouses, and an exorbitant number of tourists to see and photograph all that good of God I take some information, and I'm served. I'm in Fort Tryon Park, a place of worship for the fanatics of plants and flowers of high heritage, strong point of all maps of tourism flowers. Because of my littleness of mind, that makes me appreciate these beautiful expressions of nature, I am terribly bored, and I try to leave as soon as possible from that 'hell. I can, and I find myself on 192nd Street to look around like a Boeotian, sounding the 'last of the losers who have the wrong road and in contravention of the basic rule that I invented and almost never renounced, to appear more casual and confident even when you do not have the faintest idea of \u200b\u200bwhere you are. I recomposed, fortunately no argument for me as the quiet streets of Inwood, and then return to walk with the false security that distinguishes me. Within another in a huge park (no doubt the New York area greener than I've ever seen), this time I'm on the west side, I enter in 'Highbridge Park, overlooking large park in the face of the' Harlem River and which takes its name from the district the Bronx from 'the other side of the river, High Bridge in fact. Return south on 10th Avenue, along the 'immense green space. Here, the human landscape of game is slightly different, for there is a higher percentage of people apparently shady and potentially dangerous, again always in the majority Latino. Pure infrastructure speaking the 'ecosystem is a little more dirty and messy in the west, although the average level is certainly higher than the vast majority of the other New York boroughs. Laughing and joking, but this time I have done my fair share of miles on foot, and began to tire, even without having seen the 'shadow of a playground. After nearly twenty blocks Highbridge Park on 10th Avenue (or Amsterdam Avenue, not ever understand when you call in one way or 'more), finally arriving at' the corner of 173rd Street, and here's a pitch for basketball, in the midst of a giant shopping Sports which includes three baseball fields, packed by the children and men of every age and race. The playground basketball is pretty nice, well kept a hard court, on which partiton is playing an all-out, followed by hundreds of spectators. I would add to the bystanders, the game is not tournament, against the red jackets yellow jackets, high intensity, fast transitions and sconquassanti crushed in the open field, highlighted by sound "yeah!" the public, including myself. After a long trek to the viewer is relaxing.
Daniele Vecchi, Playground in New York
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