Sometimes when a world event happens, I will hop on Google Street View to examine the circumstances, or at least the landscape, around that event. Today, I've decided to start sharing what I find on my blog. This is the first of what may become a regular posting: GSV World Glimpses.
Today's topic: the murder of NYC officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. On the surface, this appears to be caused by the police/black youth deaths making headlines, but closer examination shows it really was just the work of a mentally unstable person who used that as cover.
To those of us not from the area where the event took place, it is easy to conjure up dark pictures in our mind of the neighborhood. I won't pass judgement on whether or not the neighborhood is desireable, but will show a few glimpses into it.
Here is the corner where the officers were murdered. The Durango behind the red SUV is the rough location where the police car sat.
A close shot of that same location.
A typical street scene about two blocks away.
It should be noted that virtually everyone - including residents in this neighborhood - where shocked and condemn the actions of the mentally unstable gunman.
Also about two blocks away, local kids playing in water on a hot summer day. This must be a fairly typical occurrence in NYC because I've run across scenes like this in NYC with GSV though I don't look at NYC that often.
Also about two blocks away. A father holding the hand of his son while checking traffic to cross the street mid-block. Families in urban areas are no different that families in rural or suburban areas.
A closer look. Note the store in the background. Many signs in the windows say "I heart
big cans.". Classy.
In the other direction about a block from the original corner. The shiny metal fence drew my attention. Why was it placed there? Across the street to the right is a housing project. Could the owner have grown tired of loiterers?
Man is that fence shiny and ornate!
Another view yields a potential other explanation. Note that is neighbor to the left may use the curb drop in front of the rightmost home to drive up to their unit, since there is not a curb drop in front of their house. Perhaps the rightmost unit grew tired of cars angled over onto their property. Just a guess.
Another interesting thing: the far left unit appears to be in progress building their own fence!
Up it goes!
Could it be a similar situation? The curb drop is in front of his house, possibly used by his neighbor and causing cars to angle into his area? Or perhaps that basketball goal was drifting onto his property?
Working away.
Turning the camera to the left and looking up the street. The building on the left side of this shot is a school.
Again, I'm not making any judgements good or bad about the area. Just giving the rest of America a glimpse into the spot where a major event took place.
