Why "Gritty City"?

I chose the name “Gritty City” because I like how the word “gritty” is used in a contrasting but also complementary way to describe cities, neighborhoods, blocks, buildings, and people. For many, the word “gritty” has a negative connotation – as in seedy, sketchy, dirty, unsafe. This use of the word is often used by outsiders to describe an urban area that is frequently characterized by high vacancy and crime rates and low property value and income. An alternative definition describes a place or people characterized by resilience, courage, resolve, and strength of character, as “to be gritty” or “to have grit”.

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Working in experiential education, I learned what it means to “be gritty” as well as the value of “grit” in a person.  The staff, volunteers, and students that I worked with at Hudson River Community Sailing (HRCS) in New York City all had grit. As an organization, we persevered after our boat house was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. For nearly a year, we had no running water, bathroom facilities, or reliable power. Throughout my ten years at HRCS, the staff and volunteers often worked in extreme temperatures in cramped and wet conditions to deliver a life-changing program to students. Students in the program traveled up to two hours to reach the program and never backed down from a windy, wet, and cold day on the water.

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Living in Amsterdam, I have realized that the residents and the city of Amsterdam are also gritty – it is in their DNA. They have held back, stayed above, and adapted to the waters that have been trying to sink them for hundreds of years. There is an expression in Dutch – “you are not made of sugar”- that expresses the toughness of every Dutch person riding their bicycle through rain, wind, and cold.

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It is with these ideas – resilience, determination, and strength of character – that I started Gritty City and these are the characteristics that I bring to my work and that I hope to celebrate and recognize in cities and city residents.

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