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September 22, 2007
Gentrification means ???
27 years ago my mother invested in Fort Greene and was one the pioneers investing money time and energy into recreating the beautiful neighborhood we now know today. Back then I remember never feeling safe to play or walk in the park and it was insane to even think of entering it at night. In college I thought of moving to the upper westside and living the NYC life. Whenever I invited my Manhattan friends to come hang in Brooklyn I always got a polite no from them. Imagine my surprise when those very same friends moved to Fort Greene and as the secrete was shared, the Upper Westside and some of the Eastside moved to me, in Fort Greene. Why go to the city when the city has come to me. The sad thing is that although I feel safe and feel that the I finally have the neighborhood my mother worked so hard to gentrify, I and my mother apparently don't belong here according to some new comers.
Yesterday as my mother drove home and had a near miss accident with a newcomer who was trying to park his car on Washington Park, she was informed by the newcomer to get out of his neighborhood. Has Fort Greene become rascist as it got gentrified? The balance between the number of blacks who reside in Fort Greene has now between out numbered by the number of whites that now reside here. But apparently with the balanced diversity that once existed some of the newer residents seem to think that the black residents don't belong here. I see it in the arrogance of newcomers who refuse to say hello to neighbors, even if they live in the same building. Fort Greene is a beautiful neighborhood lets keep it beautiful for both new and old residents, both the black and white ones. Say no to the arrogance and rascist behaviors. For those who choose to move in thinking that FG is a White neighborhood, think again, it is a diverse neighborhood that belongs to everyone who lives here. I am black and I'm here to stay.
Comments
I agree some new residents come from a type of background (i.e. suburban) that didn't teach them to participate in their community fully, and interact with neighbors of all kinds.
Frankly I don't think it's a race thing. I've seen newly arrived black people behave the same way. It's about the place somebody came from as children. It's during childhood that people become socialized. Or not, in the cases where they grew up never talking to their neighbors.
Posted by: guest at September 22, 2007 2:58 PM
I'm glad you're staying. Unfortunately, there are alot of ignorant people in this city, in every borough, young and old. And unfortunately, noone can get away from it fully.
Keep on trucking.
Posted by: guest at September 22, 2007 3:13 PM
Me again from 2:58 pm. Another social difference is the region from which people of all races originally came, when they arrived in NYC. Many African Americans in NYC came from the South. The South is a place more interconnected and social, where neighbors talk over the fence. Even if someone is 3rd generation from that migration from the South, the social habits were passed along to the young. Ft. Greene is going from being inhabited by people mostly from this socially tight and friendly background, to being inhabited by people from all over the country and the world. Some of whom are standoffish to strangers even if strangers are neighbors. So the allover culture changes. Yes stay and hang in there! Keep smiling and you can keep influencing the culture of Ft. Greene just like your mother did. Most people if treated in a friendly manner, will respond in kind. If they don't, don't let it bother you.
Posted by: guest at September 22, 2007 3:20 PM
FWIW, I think an appropriate response from your mother might have been to look the rude POS in the eye and say something like "kid--I was here before you were born."
Posted by: Bob Marvin at September 22, 2007 3:36 PM
Loving it Bob Marvin! Because that's EXACTLY what that rude POS needed to hear!
OP, sorry to hear that your mom was treated so rudely... unfortunately, some, not all of the new arrivals, think that the world started spinning when they unpacked their bags in their NEW neighborhood.
Posted by: bren at September 22, 2007 5:12 PM
Thanks for the feedback, it is true that there are rude newcomers of every race. Maybe as a neighbohood we need to teach everyone to be neighbors. Share a smile or hello, the last thing people need is to come home from work and be told that they don't belong to their own neighborhood.
Bob, her response was"excuse me, I guess you must be a renter" : )
Posted by: 27yrsinFG at September 22, 2007 5:29 PM
This isnt a racsist or suburban thing. Its well known around the country that new yorkers are rude and unfriendly.
that stereotype has been around for decades.
also everyones a newcomer at some point so lets stop using it like a bad word.
Posted by: guest at September 22, 2007 6:44 PM
WOW THESE THREE WHITE GUYS WALKING DOWN MACDONOUGH ST AND LEWIS AV IN BED-STUY TOLD ME THE SAME THING ABOUT A WEEK AGO.
Posted by: guest at September 22, 2007 7:34 PM
"her response was'excuse me, I guess you must be a renter' : )"
Wow--MUCH better than my suggestion--what a gutsy lady!
Posted by: Bob Marvin at September 22, 2007 8:23 PM
Um, let's see you bought a brownstone in Fort Green back when they were $19.95.
I think a better response would be, "Fuck you; I'm a millionare!"
Posted by: slick at September 22, 2007 9:14 PM
May God bless your Mother. Take care of her. She is one beautiful, and smart woman.
Posted by: guest at September 22, 2007 10:06 PM
Well 27 yrs in fg you are right .
i get the same treatment and i live in parkslope .i am a young latin male hip &
cool i sometimes get this look like what are you doin here .and i dont like it,like there
sayin how could he be payin a rent in this neighborhood.well first of all i make a very good livin in enviromental construction.
and 2 of all.i've been livin here in park slope all of my life.i've seen when there were gangs in 3rd st park.they were called the f.m.d's filty mad dogs.in the late 70's
and i remember there were none of THOSE PEOPLE around here then.then there were the 80's
oh the REAL NEW YORKERS know about those days.
and btw when i say REAL NEW YORKERS i mean the ones that grew up in new york.
not the ones that were raised in akron,ohio
JUST moved to neighborhoods like ours.
AND THEN CALL THEMSELVES NEW YORKERS.
AH OH MAN they got me going now.LOL
you people are not NEW YORKERS YET YOU HAVE TO PAY DUES.
here is my version of a true new yorker and this is my opinion.SORRY IF I OFFEND YOU.I GUESS YOUR NOT A TRUE NEW YORKER.HAHA LOL
US.PARKING=we dont take two spots unless were savin it for someone .
THEM=just dont know how to park LOL it's true but really funny.
US=we just want to get to where we gotta get to.
THEM=they want to slow everybody down,and lolly gag when people have places they have to be at.
US=are cautious when parking in a spot as careful not to hit or touch the cars in front or behind.
THEM=they bang there way in messing up peoples bumpers.remember they dont parallel
park in akron,ohio they have driveways.LOL
well i could go on and on .but i am tired
so with that said, to all the new yorkers
god bless and have a great weekend.
to all the NEW new yorkers.be nice to all the REAL NEW YORKERS. because we've been living it,when you all were hearing it on the news in akron,ohio.HAHAHA that was funny
LMFAO.PEACE
Posted by: johnrodriguez at September 22, 2007 10:37 PM
Jerks are jerks. Your mom at least seems like she got a good response in (most of are reduced to prfanity or aonly think of something later on). John Rodriguez - I always thought the mark of a New Yorker was that s/he would "tap" a bumper in parking. Isn't that what they are for? I think you got that one wrong. But then again I am too old to write things like LOL and LMFAO!
Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 23, 2007 12:35 AM
i don't think it's racial, it's a "class" thing.
it's funny, i never realized how selfish, elitist, and generally full of sh*t people that lived in manhattan were until they started moving out to other neighborhoods.
they move to a neighborhood b/c they think they are getting a "deal" but then they turn their nose up at everything and everyone that isn't "upscale".
Posted by: guest at September 23, 2007 12:08 PM
Depending on what kind of car your mother was driving they may have thought SHE was the newcomer who is taking over the neighborhood.
Posted by: dt at September 23, 2007 1:51 PM
The funny thing is that when he needs to rent an apartment next year, he might just being looking at one of her many buildings and the joke will be on him. :)
I still wonder what factors made him assume tht she didn't belong to his "neighborhood", the car was a company car and not her own car which he might not be able to afford. So the only possibilities were Race, type of car, or gender......: )
Posted by: 27yrsinFG at September 23, 2007 2:46 PM
Or perhaps the guy was a miserable or angry person in general, who will be mean to people whenever the opportunity arises. I think that's the root of such behavior, honestly. Truly good, happy, contented people are neither racist or elitist.
But it's heartening to read the comments here and see like-minded people. I'm white and relatively new to Brooklyn. But I always relate more to the community-oriented attitudes of the older, original Brooklynites. Changes should improve everything for everybody. It should not be exclusionary.
Posted by: guest at September 23, 2007 4:56 PM
john, you have to parallel park as a part of the drivers test in ohio. you seem as ignorant as the person who insulted the OP's mother.
Posted by: guest at September 23, 2007 5:57 PM
oooh, burned!!!
Posted by: guest at September 23, 2007 7:41 PM
Yeah, but outside of many cities they get used to the pull-in parking of the malls etc. My boyfriend, who I am very happy just moved from Atlanta, is not very comforable parallel parking. otherwise he seems rather coordinated...
Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 23, 2007 8:30 PM
Gentrification and Assholization are different phenomena.
These guys were assholes.
Gentrification just means that you have much more equity than they do. Your mom rules for having such a great comeback. Very classy.
Posted by: guest at September 23, 2007 9:42 PM
We moved from California. Does that count as Manhattan?
We got a nice rock through our window. Does that count as Racist? Or the neighborhood's version of a warm welcome?
I say hi to people on my block if they make eye contact. But if they don't, I don't stalk them down and force them into a greeting just because I'm trying to prove my non-racism/non-manhattanism.
I'm sorry your mom was offended. But really, are you for real?
Posted by: guest at September 23, 2007 9:57 PM
I must ask the OP.. did the man say something racist to your mom in addition to "get out of my neighborhood?" I'm assuming your leaving out the racist insult, correct? Otherwise, it sounds like he was either a jerk or having a very bad moment. Maybe one of his family members had been hit by a car recently - it happens all the time - I fear for my life when car services come zipping up these little streets - and it makes me mad. I want to yell things at them.
Also, did you know the person? How are you so sure they're a "newcomer"? Perhaps they were the son of a long-time Ft. Greene resident just like you?
I'm a white person living in Ft. Greene. I love the neighborhood so much because of it's diversity but although I try to be a positive part of the community I know I'm still a symbol of gentrification and therefore a negative to many people and sometimes I can feel that sentiment coming off of people that I pass in the street. I don't know the answer but I imagine the only thing that can help is mutual respect and not making assumptions about people. I'm sorry this happened to you and I really hope it was an isolated event but, unless he said something racist, I choose to believe it was a "new york" moment and not a racist one.
Posted by: guest at September 24, 2007 9:58 AM
Don't feel like you are surrounded by jerks because you ran in to one jerk in the neighborhood! There's lots of great things to get involved with in the community: the Parks Conservency, the Fort Greene Association, PUPS (for dog owners), the Photography Association, and so on. So it's silly to judge one bad exchange as if it's representative of all the new residents of Fort Greene. For the most part one of the things that makes FG so great is that the newcomers do tend to get involved and really care about their new neighborhood and the old-timers (like myself) appreciate that concern and are not put out by their involvement. Jerks just can use any old excuse to be rude to other people. Don't let it get you down. I agree it's funny that people who wouldn't come visit me either 20 years ago when I lived in the neighborhood are now living here and bragging about it as well. But things do change. I'm old enough to remember when it was dangerous in the late 70's to be out on the UWS after dark. That wasn't so long ago either.
Posted by: guest at September 24, 2007 10:23 AM
On September 8 there was a concert in Fort Green Park. I wandered in after brownstoner's salvage fest and hung out for 30 minutes. Very mellow crowd scene and some cool West African jazz coming from the stage. Then I noticed a 40-something white guy talking to two parks dept employees like he was Gordon Gecko on steroids. Going on and on in the most obnoxious, hectoring tones, about how he lived across the street and why couldn't they just ask the musicians to turn down the bass? As if that was their job. As if the musicians would ever concede to such a crazy request. As if this guy had any right in the first place to restrict a public event in a public place being enjoyed by several hundred people. I mean, it was the middle of a weekend day in a park -- not 4am in your neighbor's backyard. Some homeowners really do need to adjust their attitudes!
Posted by: guest at September 24, 2007 1:25 PM
Yes, I guess the best thing to do here is to use this forum to make fun of white people you disagree with 1:25pm. What exactly does this situation have to do with the OP? The concerns that Washington Park residents (I mean the street that turns in to Cumberland, not people who literally live in the park) are actually real concerns to them. I don't always agree with their concerns, and I don't live on their street, but to them they are very real. And they are not all white, not that this matters to anybody but you I'm sure. Stereotyping is way too easy.
Posted by: guest at September 24, 2007 1:53 PM
Dear California,
The rock thing through the window also happened to us this summer and I surely don't think of it as warm anything, since we have a buy a new window.
Am I for real yes, Cali... unfortunately his assumption of her not being from his neighborhood was either based on the car she was driving, her gender or her race and seeing that our wonderful counrty seems to have a distinct history of subtle racism I choose to believe it was race. But then again that might just be the paranoid delusion that the entire Black race seems to suffer from : (.
Cali the question is are you for real? I also believe the guy is also just not a nice person to begin with. as for saying hello to everyone on the street not a total NY thing but a look or smile of acknowledgment if you the person all the time and don't know their name, "NY".
Posted by: 27yrsinFG at September 24, 2007 4:59 PM
Also this piece was not meant divide, but to create an awareness of how I felt about what happened and to note that everyone needs to learn how to be a good neighbor. I my home color doesn't matter since I'm black and my husband is white.
Posted by: 27yrsinFG at September 24, 2007 5:02 PM
1:25, I live on the park and I am totally supportive of concerts in the park, but I have to agree with the crazy white guy: that afternoon, I was LITERALLY driven from my house and into manhattan by the bass. Not by the music or the crowds, but by the literal shaking of my windows and walls by a frequency that should not be legal for a public event in New York City.
I think there was somethign really wrong with their amps or speakers. It was a normal bass. Anyway, good for the crazy white guy for standing up for himself. It really sucks to be pushed out of your home on a nice saturday afternoon when all you want to do is relax.
Posted by: guest at September 25, 2007 2:00 PM
i am white and lived in fg since the early 90's, but we've decided to move on because fg just feels like another park slope these days, and we are not the only people who feel this way. we loved it because there was always a nice diversity, but now the scales have clearly tipped. i can barely bring myself to hang out in fg park playground with my kids because the new moms are completely suburban and clueless, not to mention extremely uptight...although they love to think that they're so cool and hip. eeew.
also, 2:00 is a clear example of what i'm talking about. the concert was amazing, and respectful, and a true example of why we choose to live in brooklyn, not nj.
Posted by: guest at September 26, 2007 1:08 PM
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