As much as I’d like to be generous about this and say “But the homeless need a place too” I’d like to point out the difference in day to day quality of life which occcurred in Fort Greene as SOON as the previous residential hotel for homeless men opposite BAM (the parking lot adjacent to Mark Morris is there now) was closed and then demolished. Before – when there were hundreds of beds there – Fort Greene had our garbage cans stolen almost weekly, plants stolen, other petty crime, agressive squeegee guys and radios stolen. In a famous rant Garrison Keillor – who briefly broadcast from BAM back then – talked about walking up Flatbush Ave. to BAM and noting all of the “No Radio” signs in the windows of almost every car asked “When I’m recording a radio show, it kind of makes me wonder ‘why bother?’.” In those days I’d have my battery stolen then I’d walk down to Park Ave. to a place that sold re-habbed batteries and buy back the one they’d stolen the week before. As soon as the building was demolished and services moved elsewhere, this constant background of petty crime stopped. Given the current financial turmoil, I’d want homeless New Yorkers to be given the best treatment possible. I think they deserve Manhattan condos.

— by Stonergut in Shelter Woes Spread From Crown Heights to Bed Stuy