I grew up in Sunset Park, Brooklyn in the mid-'60s to the '80s, lived in Manhattan from the mid-'80s to late '90s. My neighborhood was predominantly Puerto Rica

I grew up in Sunset Park, Brooklyn in the mid-'60s to the '80s, lived in Manhattan from the mid-'80s to late '90s. My neighborhood was predominantly Puerto Rican and Dominican, so it was full of the sounds of bongo drums and the early hip-hop scene. I skated at Roxy and later in the 90s at the Central Park Skating circle. Central Park Skaters have some die-hards still there, but it sort of was gentrified too in a way. Terms like "yuppy" and "dink" were used in a derogatory manner. I have always thought that class has been the true divider and not race having grown up a white minority in a predominantly Latino neighborhood. My group of friends were a motley crew of good kids and gutter snipes. I came away speaking fluent Spanish and the ability to salsa, so I never saw growing up in poverty as such a bad thing personally. I didn't have the internet or more than 13 channels to tell me otherwise. We didn't get a phone until I was like 11 and a color TV until then too. Shout out to Danceteria and CBGBs! Memories of the Tom Tom Club's hit, "Genius of Love". Mariah Carey used it in her "Fantasy" song in 1995.