Quality of Life--Or Lack Thereof
We’re sure we’ll get accused of being a heartless elitist and some wise-ass will tell us to move to the suburbs, but there are some quality of life issues that can make you question whether living in the big city is really worth it. In our temporary perch in South Williamsburg, for example, noise is…
We’re sure we’ll get accused of being a heartless elitist and some wise-ass will tell us to move to the suburbs, but there are some quality of life issues that can make you question whether living in the big city is really worth it. In our temporary perch in South Williamsburg, for example, noise is the biggest problem for sure. The one-in-the-morning commercial garbage pick-ups outside our bedroom window three nights a week, the next door neighbor with the mufferless motorcycle and the constant drilling and banging from neighboring construction sites are enough to drive anyone crazy. Even though we’re not living in the Clinton Hill house yet, homelessness has been by far the biggest problem there: During the past several months, we’ve had to dislodge three different people who decided our stoop was an ideal spot to sleep, eat, shoot up and relieve themselves–without even the decency to clean up after any of those activities. When asked to move on by us, initially quite non-confrontationally, we were often met with an indignant sense of entitlement, as though they had a right to be there. It’s mighty hard not to let one’s liberal values lapse when your 2-year-old has to navigate her way through crack pipes and pools of urine to make it in your front door.
But enough about us. Here are the top five complaints of Brooklynites from the recent straw poll conducted by Citizens for NYC and Baruch College and reported in today’s NY Post:
1. Dirty Streets
2. Potholes
3. Drug Dealing
4. Vandalism/Graffiti
5. Dangerous Intersections
Top City Gripes [NY Post]
To say that Bstoner’s complaints reflect a class issue is insulting to long time residents to the neighborhood and lower income people generally. No one, regardless of class, would like to have people dealing drugs, littering or using the bathroom on their stoop. It is a question of common decency and criminal behavior, not class.
“but unlike most of them I actually grew up in NY not the mid-west or some liberal but homogeneous european country” —- David, and this makes you… what exactly?
Nah my neighbors arent smoking street herb, despite their liberal rhetoric, they’d be way too scared to actually speak to their non-white and non-liberal drug dealing neighbors.
It is definetly class-guilt, and I know they must hate me for complaining and calling the police, but unlike most of them I actually grew up in NY not the mid-west or some liberal but homogeneous european country
Someone wrote:
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This is such a crock of shit. I have lived one block from Brownstoner and 3 blocks from Pratt since 1989 and I didn’t have a Kevlar vest, nor did I need it. It was certainly tougher then than it is now, but I have always wanted to do bodily harm to people who tell me how dangerous my neighborhood is and how you take your life into your hands using the Clinton/Washington stop on the C train–not so!
I agree with those who wrote that once Bstoner is actually living in his house, the problem of unauthorized, disgusting use of his property will greatly diminish.
NIMBY!
David, ever occur to you that your neighbors are customers of said MJ dealer – hence the reluctance to report.
I once had a similar situation and then the light bulb went off….. ohhhh… now I get it.
To a lesser extent, we had some of the same issues when we were renovating, but not yet living in the building. I didn’t have the homeless issue, but I certainly had issues with people dumping their garbage in our dumpsters. Disposal of construction debris seems to be a universal problem in Bklyn. It’s expensive and other contractors are on the prowl for “free” garbage disposal – at your expense. Plus, if anything happens on your block – say for example a vagrant drags some debris from your yard over to a neighbors, you’re going to get a real earful from that neighbor. Right now you’re victim and pariah. Your house is easy pickins and communal property and your neighbors don’t especially appreciate all the noise and trouble your construction is causing either.
One thing we did immediately, was attempt to hang out at the building (even before moving in), sit on the stoop, try to meet all the neighbors, give them our phone number, etc. Once people feel like they know you, they are more inclined to look out for the building, call you when there’s trouble, give you a bit of symphathy when your reno imposes on them, etc.
Also, installing good lighting helps and generally trying to keep the yard clear of debris, and the stoop clean and neat looking helps too – it shows you respect them and makes the place look more lived in, which helps ward off vagrants too.
FYI, even after you move in, the dept of sanitation makes life pretty difficult for the homeowner under renovation. You’d think they suspected us of putting radioactive waste in the garbage – when sanitation workers see any work being done on the house, they automatically assume you are trying to break the rules. They’d routinely slice open our garbage bags inspecting to see if we were putting renovation debris in with regular garbage or skirting recycle regs. And they’d get pretty nasty about it too, when we’d report missed pick-ups (when they were in the wrong) going so far as doing threatening things like tossing garbage bags into our front garden.
Nothing is made easy during renovation. All I can tell you is keep your pantry stocked with mass quantities of beer, wine, ice cream, or whatever your pleasure.
Class guilt. Ridiculous! Again, such activity should not be tolerated in any neighborhood, poor or affluent, and until peopel stop worrying about some “class guilt” issue and report it, it will continue to be a problem for everyone, the well of and the hard working lower income people still in the neighborhood.
Compassion and understanding? Why should Bstoner have compassion and understanding for someone dumping garbage, deficating, urinating and doing drugs on his stoop. Give me a break.
And if some neighbors are using his front garden as a place to get rid of bulk garbage, then there’s a real problem.