Windshield Survey-ASSESSMENT ESSAY

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Windshield Survey-ASSESSMENT ESSAY

Windshield Survey-ASSESSMENT ESSAY

Description and Overview

My survey of Little Havana began in the neighborhood around SW 25^th avenue and it ended down Calle Ocho and SW 12^th court. I chose this community because I’ve been visiting it since I was a child and I’ve had the opportunity to see it change, and this gave me an opportunity to see it from a more in depth lens. The community is one that has been there since the 1960s, and I’m referring to the major Cuban and latin community. It is known as a cultural landmark that is constantly visited by many.

Physical:

Deep in the neighborhoods I saw many older one story homes, all mostly built around the 1930s. These homes had well kept lawns and I could see some with efficiencies indicating the need the find a cheaper way to live in Miami. There were also many working class cars parked in front of the homes such as pick up trucks, food trucks, vans, and Hondas. These homes look as if they have stayed true to when they were originally built with no major renovations possibly indicating that they have been lived in by the same original families. As I drove closer to the main streets I saw more apartment buildings with fading colors, close proximity balconies, and many for rent signs. Heading towards the more popular streets such as 8^th street, one can see new luxury high rises along the street and different ones being built. These high rises have luxury cars (Lexus, BMW, Mercedes) parked in the garage and attract people of high socioeconomic status. In the neighborhood I saw a few empty lot areas with kids playing, or saw kids playing on the street. When I drove down 8^th street I could see the Cuban memorial park which is more of a scenic walk through for tourists or locals walking their dogs. I saw very few buses or bus stops. There were many sidewalks and all of them filled with pedestrians, therefore walking is Little Havana’s primary form of transportation. Generally the area is a mix of both feeling safe and being more alert of one’s surroundings.

Economic: Windshield Survey

Around the main shopping areas and the famous Calle Ocho the community does look like it is thriving in its own way. The streets are filled with tourists walking around, taking pictures, admiring the art, shopping in the local stores, and dining in the many restaurants. This indicates a large revenue coming in from tourism, and in turn those areas that are prone to visitors are more well-kept and clean. There are many shopping areas to explore and available to the community. I didn’t see many major grocery stores but the area had Latin-based food stores such as El Presidente and Navarro. This makes sense for the community because it is a heavy Latin populated area and so these grocery stores provide the typical fruits, vegetables, and food products needed to make traditional dishes. The area is filled with small businesses that appear to have been there for awhile. Small clothing stores, souvenir shops, alteration businesses, pawn shops, and small tech shops fill the area. It looks like there is potential for job opportunities but a lot of these businesses look to be small and family owned. There is some evidence of poverty- the outskirts of the area has a higher homeless population, one can see more people sleeping on the ground, walking around with grocery carts filled with stuff, and loitering around by some people. It is evident that more of the opportunities are centered around the heart of Little Havana.

Services:

Around the city center there are some pharmacies around such as CVS, Walgreens, and Navarro. I didn’t see any major clinics but I do know that Jackson Memorial hospital is only 2.6 miles away from Little Havana and Convina Care Center is around the corner. The good thing about pharmacies like CVS is that they can provide healthcare services such as vaccines, medication recommendations, and checkups with ARNPs. There are many adult day care centers around as well as small preschools. Many of the schools nearby seem to be religious based. The nearest major library is the Hispanic Branch library which I didn’t get the chance of seeing on my survey. There are a variety of services around for the community including Job agencies, Refugee Health Assessment program, and activity centers.

Social:

Little Havana community used to be heavily populated by Cubans but now it has shifted to more people from central American countries. Overall it still has the highest concentration of Hispanics in Miami with 85% being of the Hispanic ethnicity. This area is heavily visited by tourists and so the heart of Little Havana is always bustling. As I drove down the streets I saw crowds of tourists in popular landmarks, mixed in with locals trying to get to their destinations. Many of the older local population spends time at the Famous Domino Park. What I saw is that the community really thrives and comes together at the many “Ventanitas” that are spread throughout the area. These are walk up windows to cafes that serve sandwiches, pastries, and the ever popluar- Cuban coffee. Here the community catches up with one another, spreads news and gossip, and hang out to people watch. This is such an important part of the community because one can see what the major eating and social habits are of the latin community. Often times healthcare providers warn against too much sugar for diabetics, coffee for those with blood pressure or arrhythmia problems, and fried foods to prevent cholesterol/heart disease problems. The Hispanic community tends to ignore these warnings because everything mentioned is also tied into their social and cultural habits, and so being able to actually see everything in person helps give a perspective and try to find a way to discuss health habits options with this community.

• Final Impression:

This is a beautiful community that has art, food, music, and history so very imbedded in it. The area has the strength of having many low cost food areas, being very pedestrian friendly, and having a strong social aspect. I spoke to a woman that was waiting at the bus and she did express concerns about the gentrification that seems to be rising up in the area and spoke about being worried that the “poorer” people will be forced out of their community because of rising costs. Another thing she mentioned when I asked about social services was that there are many areas for that, but they are poorly funded. Because of the low funds the activity areas and such tend to be more dirty and old in need of restorations.

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