My Neighborhood
Kyle Fleming
I have lived in the same house all my life. When I was younger, I didn’t like it so much because of all the loud sounds of the ambulances, cop cars, and sometimes airplanes. But as I got a few years older, I started to get used to it.
At the time, my cousins were living with me and I did not like it so much. I had to do a lot of cleaning and working, so I had to learn how to cook at about 12 years old.
My block was crowded. There were always a lot of people outside and my mother wanted me in the house a little after it got dark. Even though I was friends with the people on my block, she didn’t want me to hang out with them.
As I got older, she said I would have to learn from my own mistakes and make my own choices. To me, my friends weren’t as bad as she said. My mom suggested for me to just speak and keep moving, but I liked to know everybody and have older friends.
From 15th St. to 19th St. and from Federal St. to Dickinson St. is my neighborhood. Because of everybody in my neighborhood knowing each other, there isn’t much fighting. From 5 pm to 8 pm, mostly everybody is at the Barrett Beacon Center. They have tournaments for basketball, dance, math, and everything else. They also have ESOL classes, a computer room, studio, art room, health class and a camp for the younger kids.
Sometimes we have neighborhood trips to places such as Six Flags, basketball games, museums and other places like that.
My grandmom was a chef for Aramark, but she also had a catering business. I would help my grandmother buy the food, cook it, and bring it to the banquets. We would set the food up on a big long table and then leave.
My great-grandmom was a retired nurse, so she was home most of the time. My mom worked at the United Savings Bank.
When I was growing up, the schools were just like being outside, because I knew basically everybody and I didn’t feel like a new student at any of my schools. I may not always live in this neighborhood forever, but I will always come back to visit.
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