390 N. Bumby Ave : Carver Park

OSAE
Observation: Before Carver Park:
I’d have to say as we drove on I-4 I had no idea what to expect from Carver Park. I’ve driven around downtown Orlando quite a few times in my life but I have never ventured to the Parramore/OBT area. Of course I had to endure the worried comments of Caroline, Adele and Neyda which let me just say made the whole experience worthwhile. When my father’s car came to a halt, I took the time to glance at a street sign. It read “Orange Blossom trail” and I knew it was time to open my eyes. Twinkling cellophane candy wrappers, big gulp cups, and paper lined the street as if they were decorations. It was a forbidden kingdom that was of no concern to anyone from the outside, dirty and rustic. God forbid anything pervert Orlando’s “happiest place on earth” reputation. As for the businesses that were located within the area I was quite confused. Auto-Shops, Liquor Stores, and Gentlemen’s clubs were abundant and it comforted me to know that if our car broke down there would be no problem getting it fixed. While doing research on the zoning for such businesses I found a quote from the Orlando Sentinel and I quote: “For decades, Orlando's zoning rules have been tough enough to make sure you won't find strippers in the City Beautiful.” Why is it then that we are putting such businesses in an area that already has such a harsh image? Are we choosing to destroy any positive reputation parramore may still hold instead of cleaning it up? Perhaps they make up for this destruction of self image by building several community centers and parks, another aspect of this neighborhood that I find different from my own. I was selfishly jealous of the Children living in poverty who were so blessed as to have community centers and parks on every corner. It only occurred to me when we finally arrived to Carver Park what the intentions were for building these centers. Revitalization is key for these low class neighborhoods, and building these Youth centers raises hope that the progression of the neighborhood will change. Every year about 3, 595 violent crimes alone occur in the area which is a startling number for a Casselberry resident. These community centers were built to lower these crimes by keeping children off the street and playing basketball. A beautiful Idea but is it honestly helping.


During Carver Park: When we arrived at our destination I couldn't help but laugh. On one side of the street was a majestic, cookie cutter development known as Carver Park. On the other side was Parramore, a rough neighborhood with a very high crime rate. My first thoughts were who in their right mind live here? The location seemed absolutely ludicrous. Bright orange, blue, and marigold town homes, a large fountain, and apartments seemed to be out of place.Who were they appealing to? We drove into the development and my Father’s car came to a complete stop. I, Liana Gesundheit being the courageous woman that I am was the first to step out of the car. Camera in hand, I knelt down to get at about eye level with this strange neighborhood. The grass was perfectly mowed and although not green fit in well with the town homes. I couldn’t help but notice that on the other side of the street the houses had unruly weeds rather than grass and leaves rather than lawn gnomes. My mind went crazy trying to put myself in the shoes of the contractors who built Carver Park. Why would one pick such a location? I smiled reassuringly at the girls who remained in the car afraid to step out. As they paraded towards me I directed them in front of the Avalon Style town homes.

During the Interview:
Since Carver Park is inhabited it was rather hard for us to pinpoint the actual location of the Business Manager’s office. We walked into a building that was known as their “Network Center”. This Network Center was constructed with the community in mind, within it is a room filled with computers for the community to use and a study room for the local children to come and receive help on their school work. (Yet another think that caused me to be selfishly jealous of the neighborhood kids). Although we did not locate the business manager we were able to become acquainted with a nice woman who was able to point us in the correct direction. At last we found ourselves at the front door of the Carver Park Apartments for the Elderly. Cathy Thomas was a pleasant woman although I do think she was quite surprised about our visit. She answered all our questions with grace and we were able to truly grasp the reasoning behind Carver Parks Placement.

After Carver Park:
To be honest I felt remorseful leaving Carver Park. The whole visit was very impacting and the marks it left on my heart will stay there forever. As we walked out of the Senior Apartments and into my father’s car I quickly observed the area surrounding Carver Park once more. I was surprised to see that Jones High School was located directly behind it. Jones High School was the very first public school for African Americans in Orlando it was built in 1895. It was one of the “separate but equal” schools during the Martin Luther King Era, and was close to being shut down last year. Although it has a nominal population consisting of about 1, 141 students and a constant failing FCAT score, Jones High School poses as an important part of African American History in Orlando as does Carver Park. When I realized what this area means to its people it was easier to understand why Carver Park had to be placed in Parramore.
We finally pulled out of the Carver Park Development, and back on to OBT. People sat on their porches playing checkers, and crack houses were on every corner. Gang tags covered every building murals as well. It wasn’t until we arrived at the historically known Division Street that the environment changed. Instead of seeing colorful houses and trash along the sidewalk I saw skyscrapers and the new Magic arena. Instead of seeing people riding on their bicycles I saw cars parked next to parking-meters. America claims that everyone is equal and segregation does not exist. Is this hypocrisy? Are we keeping the history of Division Street alive rather than putting it behind us? One thing is for sure Carver Park may just be the change Orlando needs.

Speculation:
I first assumed that Carver Park was placed in the Parramore area to attract more middle class citizens in order to improve the image of the area. Although I soon figured out this speculation was only half true. Carver Court as it was once called was found to have some structural damage and was demolished in 2002. It was reconstructed by the former residence as a way to revitalize the community and a historical residential community as it was one of the oldest Orlando Housing Authority Sites. However instead of attracting middle class residents, Carver Park was intended to be built as a safe community for current members of the community.

Analysis:
Like I stated in my Observation the person we interviewed was Cathy Thomas. She was the Business manager at Carver Park and a very sweet woman at that. I’m sure our sudden presence in her office just moments before she was scheduled to have a meeting annoyed her a bit; she showed no anger towards us and answered all of our questions to the best of her ability.
Q: Why was this development placed in this location?

A: This development was placed here in order to revitalize our old community, which was Carver Court. It was built on top of a landfill, which caused the buildings to experience some problems with their foundations. Also, the environment outside Carver Park is not the best, so it was built to improve that, too.

Q: Why was the neighborhood designed in this manner?

A: I do not know, but I am sure you will find out on the website why the neighborhood is structured in the way it is. I can, however, tell you that it provides affordable housing to those who would otherwise have none.

Q: While planning, what type of people did you aim to attract?

A: Mostly families, but we also built to the senior home to house the elderly, which we classify as 62 and older.

Q: What is the average cost of a house in this community?

A: $70,000-$80,000, though we also have rental homes available.

Q: What is the usual floor plan for a house?

A: The average town home is usually contains two bedrooms and two and one-half bathrooms. Apartments can range anywhere from two to three bedrooms and two bathrooms. These homes are, of course, intended for families.

Evaluation:
The location of 390 N. Bumby Ave is now understandable in my mind for the Carver Park Development. The Surrounding area is in dire need of reconstruction and the fact that this community was built with the well being of the families residing within it close to their heart, puts a smile on my face. Since its main focus was to ensure safety for those who lived within it, Carver Park has done an excellent job in doing so. The property isn’t defaced and there is no hoodlums walking with their swagger in the premises. It definitely was placed in a very deserving and hardworking community and for that reason I believe this was an impeccable location for Carver Park.

Comparison:

Carver Park and My neighborhood Creeks Bend have two very different personalities. The housing located within Carver Park has a "cookie cutter" feel to it. Each house is exactly the same although the colors vary. And let me just point out that if anyone residing in my neighborhood decided to paint their house similar colors as to those of the Carver Park Development you should be expecting a pretty $200 fine in your mailbox. A major difference between Creeks Bend and Carver Park is the type of housing they have. Town Homes and Elderly apartment complexes are lets just say absent when you drive down my street. All that is in view are 1980 style houses and multiple basketball hoops. As for the surrounding area, Casselberry and Parramore have similarities and polar-opposites. Outside my neighborhood Red Bug Park resides right across the street followed by multiple "Suburban down towns". Directly behind Carver Park is a newly built community center and park. Jones High School is the same distance from Carver Park as Lake Howell is to Creeks Bend. Differences outweigh the similarities however. The Neighborhoods to each side of Carver Park are predominately Lower-Class neighborhoods, and the two Neighborhoods to each side of mine are predominately Middle-Class. So in all honestly Creeks Bend and Carver Park are two very different turfs. The loud and obnoxious colors of Carver Park are not present in Creeks Bends blue and white palate nor are the cookie cutter houses.

A brief Observation of : Creeks Bend

Creeks Bend is your average middle-class neighborhood. It is predominately middle-class, white collared workers and their families. Unfortunately the majority the adolescent residents are male which explains the abundance of Basketball hoops (Yes I own a basketball hoop). Our Homeowners association makes it their primary goal to keep every little aspect of the neighborhood just so. Greenery and Trees create an earthy ambiance throughout the neighborhood and believe it or not it you dare cut down any of your trees you will be fined. Each house either maintains a brick mailbox, plastic or wooden. With an exception of 3 houses, My "hood" is mainly one story dwellings with 2 car garages and perfectly mowed grass. Every other house has a light pole right outside of it and a few homes even have street signs in front of them. When we were younger, the neighborhood children enjoyed playing in the creek that is coincidentally located BEHIND our neighborhood. All in all Creeks Bend is a glorious place to live and an amazing place to grow up.