Unfortunately, this week, the worst of school ended up getting the best of me. I slept in and almost missed my ride and in the meantime one of our carpool members had some car trouble. Consequently, we arrived at Bayside Community Center very late. Thankfully, one of my classmates was able to fill me in on the story behind Bayside. I was very touched at the story, considering that the man in charge had the opportunity to make enormous amounts of money selling the lot that was eventually used to help Bayside get out of debt. He chose not to sell the land to developers for the fear of the effects that the new developments would have on the community. Corporate development can cause communities to lose their vibrancy and the tight knit-ness that was found in Bayside. The closeness of the community was reflected in our time there. I’m really happy that an alternative purpose was found for the lot, other than corporate development. The lot is now occupied by a school, if I am not mistaken. It serves a far more connective purpose than box stores or high rise apartments.
Doing zumba with the seniors was so much fun! I loved the energy of the instructor. You can tell that she is also a fan favorite with all the community members. Her sass and her aura were contagious. She made me feel very confident. I really loved the tequila dance too! She picked simple enough moves that everyone could participate, but after a while I even felt the workout. She ended the last song with movements that allowed everyone to stretch and cool down a bit more. Her process reminded me of the process that my Grandma’s old exercise instructor would go through. When training older people, the trainer must take into account the physical limitations of the crowd they are training. The zumba instructor here was particularly attentive to this.
Afterwards, we enjoyed potluck with the seniors. I really wish I would’ve known this was happening, because then I would’ve brought some of my own treats. Everything was delicious and it seemed to make the seniors very happy that we enjoyed the food as well. I was chatting with an older couple and two ladies who are long-time community members at Bayside. They have all been living in the immediate area for at least 10 years. One of the most surprising things I learned from our conversations was the value at which they bought their properties. They claimed that their little houses costed them around $35-45,000 when they purchased them post 1960s. Considering today’s property values, I found this almost impossible to believe.
After we left Bayside, my NAP group and I visited the neighborhood of Barrio Logan. Our initial observations led us to believe that the community does house older people, however, we did not see very many of them. For one of my other classes, I have been able to figure out how to use census data. It will be interesting to see what the average ages are. While walking around, I also pulled up a land use map. It was incredibly clear to see the lines where housing with industry was permitted and where it was not. Opposite sides of the same street appeared to be incredibly different, in terms of the view and the size of the development in the area. One side of the street would have houses with cluttered front yards, bars on the windows, and beware-the-dog signs. The other side of the street had white details with a brightly painted house, a picket fence and a recently paved driveway. When the land use map was analyzed, the areas that permitted industry were consistent with the visible patterns I’ve described. We did not have all our group members present, but I’m excited to go back.
Doing zumba with the seniors was so much fun! I loved the energy of the instructor. You can tell that she is also a fan favorite with all the community members. Her sass and her aura were contagious. She made me feel very confident. I really loved the tequila dance too! She picked simple enough moves that everyone could participate, but after a while I even felt the workout. She ended the last song with movements that allowed everyone to stretch and cool down a bit more. Her process reminded me of the process that my Grandma’s old exercise instructor would go through. When training older people, the trainer must take into account the physical limitations of the crowd they are training. The zumba instructor here was particularly attentive to this.
Afterwards, we enjoyed potluck with the seniors. I really wish I would’ve known this was happening, because then I would’ve brought some of my own treats. Everything was delicious and it seemed to make the seniors very happy that we enjoyed the food as well. I was chatting with an older couple and two ladies who are long-time community members at Bayside. They have all been living in the immediate area for at least 10 years. One of the most surprising things I learned from our conversations was the value at which they bought their properties. They claimed that their little houses costed them around $35-45,000 when they purchased them post 1960s. Considering today’s property values, I found this almost impossible to believe.
After we left Bayside, my NAP group and I visited the neighborhood of Barrio Logan. Our initial observations led us to believe that the community does house older people, however, we did not see very many of them. For one of my other classes, I have been able to figure out how to use census data. It will be interesting to see what the average ages are. While walking around, I also pulled up a land use map. It was incredibly clear to see the lines where housing with industry was permitted and where it was not. Opposite sides of the same street appeared to be incredibly different, in terms of the view and the size of the development in the area. One side of the street would have houses with cluttered front yards, bars on the windows, and beware-the-dog signs. The other side of the street had white details with a brightly painted house, a picket fence and a recently paved driveway. When the land use map was analyzed, the areas that permitted industry were consistent with the visible patterns I’ve described. We did not have all our group members present, but I’m excited to go back.