The plight of progress and the future of Willets Point
Culture is a celebrated history of the past that shapes us into the people we are to become. It’s what we identify with, it’s how we build community and measure progress against generations. In this day and age, there are very few examples of culture being preserved. Maybe it’s our capitalistic view on the world or our burning desire to always put profits in front of humanity.
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Across the street from Citi Field in Queens, there is a hidden corner of New York known as the Iron Triangle. It’s a shantytown of scrap yards and auto body shops, flanked by three intersecting streets that form a triangle. In the morning hours, as people convene on the dirt roads while sea gulls flock overhead, the neighborhood of Willets Point seems a world away from what many of us think of New York City, with its upswell of luxury apartments and gentrification.
The Soul of a Scrapyard speaks to the history and culture of New York City. It embodies diversity, hustle, and an idea of an American dream that still is alive in so many. As time passes and the future blends into the past who decides what history is celebrated and what history is left to be forgotten?
