Riverdale? No, thanks

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Whenever I tell people that I live in Riverdale, I always get a wide range of reactions such as, “Isn’t that so far from everything?” “I couldn’t wait to get out of there,” and “Why don’t you just move to Brooklyn, already.” Some of these comments are warranted, while others obviously are blatantly false. 

There are a lot of misconceptions about Riverdale, the charming, sprawling, affluent neighborhood in the north Bronx. I grew up in Riverdale and lived here for the first 18 years of my life. Afterwards, I moved away for college, and then law school. During the first 18 years as a Riverdale resident and Horace Mann student, I had a specific impression of Riverdale: quiet, spectacular in the summer with its pools and tennis courts, and very family oriented.

My impression of Riverdale has changed after all these years. It’s still as idyllic as ever, but I’m just not sure it’s for me. I moved back to Riverdale with my husband after law school in 2013. I am a practicing attorney and he is a law student. All of our friends live in Brooklyn or Manhattan. In the middle of my latest Riverdale stint, I find myself constantly scrolling Trulia for apartments in Manhattan in an attempt to figure out what we can afford. We love our weekends in Manhattan eating brunch at sidewalk cafes, shopping and going out with our friends. We feel like it caters to us. It really gets us, in a way that Riverdale simply doesn’t. The question is, does it want to?

While we have seen some of the attractions that we love in Manhattan come to Riverdale, it isn’t enough to satiate us. Partially, I blame the politicians in Riverdale. After becoming familiar with their platforms, it has become clear to me that I am not their target demographic, and while I accept that, they should know that those who are catering mostly to the middle-aged and elderly population in Riverdale are pushing out an entirely new generation of young professionals. My husband and I do not have children, we are not interested in religiously driven activities and at this juncture in our lives, we are not particularly interested in educational reform. 

We are looking for activities and surroundings that make Riverdale fun, lively, free-spirited and active. We want food trucks parked outside for our enjoyment, we want movie nights and concerts in Seton Park to occur all summer. We want 5K races for charitable causes, round robin tennis tournaments, silly dog parades on Halloween to participate in and outdoor cafes for brunches. 

I recognize that some of my ideas are idealistic, and most likely will never come to Riverdale. Nonetheless, I would love to see walking tours of historic Fieldston, a bed and breakfast overlooking the Hudson River for my in-laws from Maine to stay in, a movie theater that I don’t have to drive to, a bookstore back on Riverdale Avenue, an art walk once a month where all Riverdale artists can display their work for the public and a waterfront down by the Riverdale Yacht club that brings the entire Riverdale community together. 

 

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hy can’t we have it all in Riverdale? And why, in 28 years, have none of these ideas ever been fully implemented for residents to enjoy? Blame can be placed all around — on politicians, real estate agents and even those like myself who are oftentimes so consumed in their own careers that they do not take enough time to focus on their community. However, as a community, we need to reflect on what Riverdale was, is, and what it should be in the future. We need to constantly question officials running for office in our district and ask them what their plans are for the 20- and 30-somethings who may be interested in a life outside Manhattan. We need to plan, and dream and think big for our cherished neighborhood.

Hopefully, these changes I speak of will begin to occur in Riverdale. Hopefully my husband and I will not constantly feel that we have to leave Riverdale to enjoy ourselves on the weekends. But, until that happens, you can find me on Trulia’s website hoping that an Upper West Side apartment drops just a little bit more into my price range.

Julianna Orgel is a Riverdale resident... for now.

Riverdale, quality of life, Julianna Orgel

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