-For youth, Christopher St. Pier is place of peace

BNAMES: Mark Wright (above right) and Jazmine Pridgen (left)

Ages: Both 15

Live: Brooklyn; South Bronx

Occupations: Students

Villager: How do you like the Christopher St. Pier?

Mark: Christopher St. Pier is very nice, I like it. It’s a very nice community to be in.

Jazmine: It’s just…peaceful.

Villager: How long have you been coming here?

Mark: I have been coming here for about six years. My friend Ricky, he came to the pier and he told me about it and brought me down here one day, and I liked it, so…. I liked that it was people of my own kind, who I could get along with and could get along with me.

Villager: Have you heard about The Door on Broome St.? Have you gone to it?

Mark: Yes, it’s an outreach program, right? The lady was telling me she was getting people together for it. No, I’ve never done anything with it.

Villager: What do you think about the relationship between the pier kids and the neighborhood as a whole?

Mark: The pier is just less violence. In your own neighborhood…it’s kind of crazy.

Villager: Have you had any particularly good or bad experiences with people from the neighborhood?

Mark: It’s just meeting people for the first time….

Jazmine: And love.

Mark: Yes, love, but then you get people fighting. You always meet new people. It’s definitely a medium, it’s in between.

Jazmine: It’s in the middle, it’s good and bad.

Villager: You’ve found love on the pier?

Jazmine: Yes, yes, yes…. [Smiles.]

Mark: I did, but…we’re debating on whether we should be boyfriends or just good friends. But, yes, I have found love.

Villager: Would you say that the pier is a very important place for you?

Mark: Mmmm, not really. I mean the important place for me is school.

Villager: How about after school?

Mark: Yeah, it’s a place for peace. I guess it is important, because at home there’s not too much peace.

Villager: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen happen on the pier?

Jazmine: Ha ha, oh God.

Mark: Um, that dog jumping in the water was pretty crazy. The police came and got it in police boats.

Villager: How do you feel about the park police?

Mark: I mean, they’re doing good on their jobs, but they’re taking it a little overboard. People not being able to ride their bikes?…. It’s a park. What do you do in a park? You ride your bike, sit down, get to know people and just enjoy yourself.

If you could change one thing about the pier, what would it be?

Mark: Hmm, that’s a difficult question. I would say nothing really. Yeah, it’s perfect.

Names: Nigel Parentine, Paris Seleste, James Carl

Ages: 17, 18 and 18

Live: Brooklyn

Occupations: Students

Villager: How do you guys like the pier?

Nigel: It’s cool. It’s like a local hangout

Villager: How long have you been coming here?

Paris: Eh-hevery day. [Everyone laughs.] I’ve been coming here since I was like 12. I come here for the people, they’re so crazy. I come for a laugh. Eh-hevery day. [More laughs.]

Villager: How is the relationship between the kids hanging out on the pier and the neighborhood around here?

Paris: I mean, this neighborhood is really gay, so all the gays come here. Yeah, it’s a good thing because I guess everybody just feels safer.

Villager: How important is the pier in your lives?

Nigel: It’s not that important.

Paris: I mean, without the pier I would be dying. What? Yeah, it’s that serious.

James: I haven’t been coming here that long, so I don’t know. I may hang out more. It’s O.K.

Villager: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen here?

Nigel: Butts.

Paris: Sex.

James: You seen sex here?

Paris: No, I haven’t seen it, I’ve done it. [Lots of laughs.]

Villager: What’s the best thing that’s happened to you out here?

Paris: You know…I hooked up with someone. I went to a good party….

Villager: Do you feel a connection with the gay community in Greenwich Village?

Nigel: Kind of.

Paris: Yeah, I do, it’s like a family.

James: Shut up, stupid, it’s not a family.

Nigel: It’s like, because we’re out here so much, there’s a connection that we all have.

Villager: How do you feel about the park police?

All: Oh, they’re cool.

Nigel: I feel secure.

Paris: Yeah, they don’t bother me.

Villager: If you could change anything about the pier, what would it be?

Nigel: Every Friday, have a party, like an organized party.

Paris: Oh yeah! That s–t would be hot. I would come to that. Right here on the pier, you would make so much cash.

Nigel: Charge $5 a head to get in….

Paris: Oh, I would be up in that like swimwear.

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