Tuesday Links
More Concrete Testers Said to Be Under Investigation [NY Times] Paterson To Make MTA Chair Nomination [NY Post] Grandma Gets Porno Video from Brooklyn Library [NY Post] Study: Poor Neighborhoods Underserved by Banks [NY Daily News] TA: Cops Not Enforcing Traffic Laws [NY Daily News] Photo by wallyg.
More Concrete Testers Said to Be Under Investigation [NY Times]
Paterson To Make MTA Chair Nomination [NY Post]
Grandma Gets Porno Video from Brooklyn Library [NY Post]
Study: Poor Neighborhoods Underserved by Banks [NY Daily News]
TA: Cops Not Enforcing Traffic Laws [NY Daily News]
Photo by wallyg.
I never said I wanted banks on every corner, Denton. However, in the poorer areas of town, I don’t think it’s too much for residents to want a couple of banks within walking distance, and I mean walking distance easily done by people who are not in the peak of fitness, or have all day to hike to the bank.
Banks like Carver don’t get a lot of press or attention, but for a long time they were the ONLY bank in many minority neighborhoods, as was Banco Popular. Citibank, Chase, Manufacturer’s Hanover (now also Chase) didn’t come back to the Bed Stuy until there was great pressure and incentive to do so, and space was delegated at Restoration Plaza for them. As such, we in BS were in better shape than places like Clinton Hill, which has no banks on Fulton St, which makes no sense at all, and only recently got other banks besides Citibank on Myrtle.
I certainly don’t want a bank on every corner, I don’t think any one does, but it behooves local businesses and customers to be able to form relationships with their banks and bankers. That was how things got done in the past, and that is still valuable. That’s hard to do, especially when one is not rich, and you are one of a gazillion customers at your megabank in Manhattan, somewhere.
“Crown Heights is actually worse, unless one is near Restoration, like I am, or near Eastern Parkway, where there is at least Banco Popular and a Bank of America, which is still not much choice, really.”
MM, I hear ya, but why do I think you’d be one of the complainers if and when banks were to spring up on every corner 🙂
Anyway, this whole story is old news. imo poor nabes have more banks in them than they did twenty years ago.
That’s very interesting, Noki. It’s funny- I have heard from non New Yorkers how amazed they are at how NYers walk everywhere. My brother came up from FLA and he and his wife couldn’t deal with it. Maybe I’m thinking the suburbs, rahter than rural.
Thing is, ‘walking distance’ is a relative concept.
Everything, in major neighborhoods in NYC, is within walking distance, really. The whole of Manhattan is only 12 miles tip to toe. As someone who grew up in a relatively rural part of Southern Indiana, and watched people walk miles as a matter of routine (especially poor people who often had no option), I think saying there are no banks within walking distance in Brooklyn nabes might be a stretch.
That said, I do agree that more banks should be setting up shop in poorer neighborhoods, and wish there were fewer in ‘Tony’ nabes, which often have a damn Chase on every single street corner on every single block for miles. Or so it seems.
I also think a reason why many poor folks don’t have bank accounts is due to “Chexsystems”
anyone who at one time had an account they left to go into arrears or let it go to a negative balance(even if it was for $30) gets reported into something called “Chexsystems” – so when this person turns around and tries to open an account with a major bank, the bank turns them down b/c their name is within the system has having a bad account at another bank
it’s really awful if you ask me!
There’s an Apple bank on Eastern Parkway and Albany, as well as a Washington Mutual on Eastern Parkway/Utica.
Bedstuy11216, I was thinking of the far reaches of Stuyvesant Hts, actually. A doable walk for many, but a bit much for the elderly, or those with small children or disabilities. Crown Heights is actually worse, unless one is near Restoration, like I am, or near Eastern Parkway, where there is at least Banco Popular and a Bank of America, which is still not much choice, really.
also a lot of poor people dont have bank accounts because they literally live paycheck to paycheck, and many borrow on their NEXT upcoming paycheck, it’s a vicious cycle. i was in it for many years. i didnt have a bank account from the year 2000 until about 2006. how sad is that? all those fees i paid at check cashing places. totally ridiculous. now i just cash my check (since all my bills except for student loans are paid in cash. weird i know, but it’s how it is in my current situation since i dont have any bills under my name and i prefer to pay my rent in cash to my roommate.) cash my check at the bank and leave like a dollar in it as a balance. which will not work in my favor if i ever have to get an apartment on my own and they ask for my bank records. they are going to look at it and be like um whaaaa?
*rob*
The overall sentiment that Vehicles operate as the wish, while Peds and Cyclists (wild or not) have to be on alert to preserve their own lives is ridiculous.
Slowing down and understanding that driving is the most dangerous thing you will do on any given day might be a start.
Just another example:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/07/08/2009-07-08_cop_in_dwi_trouble_nypd_mum_as_15yr_veteran_charged_with_mowing_down_e_side_pede.html