Video By Mehroz Baig, Elizabeth Davies, Harriet Riley, Josh Haskell, Jacqueline Quynh and Saskia de Rothschild.
Article By Olivia Damavandi
While giant crowds scrambled for a glimpse of the runners in the New York City marathon Sunday, residents at some of the city’s low-income housing projects enjoyed the view from their front doorsteps.
Residents at low-income housing projects in East Harlem, The Bronx and Brooklyn were privy to front-row seats along the marathon”s 26 mile course. Caroline Wade, a 47-year resident of the Robert F. Wagner Houses in East Harlem said, “I come out here every year. I love the marathon.”
NYC Marathon Runner (Photo credit: Saskia de Rothschild)
The crowds weren’t as large in East Harem, making 1st Avenue an attractive viewing spot. David Reinhart of Woodside brought his three children out to cheer on a friend of the family. The young children had no trouble viewing the runners, because of the smaller crowds. Reinhart said they’re less crowded because “People are frightened, I think. Harlem is dangerous. Something could happen.”
On Monday afternoon as this story went to print, police reported no crimes were reported to have taken place at the site of the marathon course in East Harlem.
During the marathon’s twentieth mile, many at Patterson Houses in The Bronx and at Independence Towers in Brooklyn enjoyed sideline seating at Morris Avenue and 138th Street.
But not all residents were thrilled about the marathon. In fact, a number complained that the event was a huge inconvenience.
Danielle Dent, a 20-year resident of Wagner Houses, said it forced road closures and disabled daily transportation. “Every year, I have to struggle to get across the street, struggle to get to work and back,” Dent said in an interview Sunday. “I can’t catch any buses. It’s hard to get to the train. People who live here, these are people who are struggling versus people who come from Midtown to watch other people run in our neighborhood. It’s not fair.”
Despite disturbances the event has had on residents throughout its 40-year existence, New York City Marathon mania shows no signs of deceleration. Many New Yorkers are already gearing up for the 41st annual marathon, for which runners must submit applications by April 30, 2011.
