I am moving my company's office to the Yonkers waterfront. I think it's because I have some kind of strange desire to be in a "neighborhood." It must stem from my childhood roots on 195th Street in Queens. Everyone on my block (between Union Turnpike and 73rd Avenue) seemed to know who lived in every other house. All the neighborhood kids played out on the street (regardless of age) in the summer. We walked to school in clusters.
I attended and spoke at Yonkers Business Week a couple of weeks ago. I've been doing business in that city for a while now, and even though Yonkers one of the four largest cities in New York State, so many business people know each other. For better or worse, it has a small town feel. The Mayor's office has even said that they would do a "ribbon cutting" for my new offices. My neighbors in the new building are a combination of entrpreneurs and artists. X20 is like my corner luncheonette. I know my community bankers. The railroad is right outside our window.
The human need to "cluster" with other like-minded folk seems to be timeless. Of course, I enjoy anonymity at times (and I don't like the gossip and petty bickering that tends to crop up in some neighborhoods), but the social vibe and collaboration far outweigh the negatives.
In some ways, Facebook has become my new neighborhood too. I hang out with my "friends" at odd hours, have conversations, ask questions, and share humorous tidbits. But there will never be an ice cream truck on the social media block.
Nothing can ever truly replace 195th Street.
My new "neighborhood" (at least for work)
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