Bushwick Goes National
Like Williamsburg before it, the Bushwick brand is spreading beyond New York City’s borders. This weekend, The Philadelphia Inquirer brought news of the gritty but increasingly arty nabe to its readers in the City of Brotherly Love. “Over the last few years, the two-square-mile Brooklyn neighborhood has been attracting visionaries outpriced by neighboring Williamsburg or…
Like Williamsburg before it, the Bushwick brand is spreading beyond New York City’s borders. This weekend, The Philadelphia Inquirer brought news of the gritty but increasingly arty nabe to its readers in the City of Brotherly Love. “Over the last few years, the two-square-mile Brooklyn neighborhood has been attracting visionaries outpriced by neighboring Williamsburg or disillusioned by Chelsea’s artiste scene,” writes the paper. “Studios, galleries and spaces that defy categorization are appearing in former bodegas, 99-cent stores, and other unglamorous structures.” The ‘Wick manages to maintain its street cred with a killer quotation from Laura Braslow of non-profit Arts in Bushwick: “The Bushwick art scene is not about sipping wine and looking at white walls,” she said. A few of the recommended galleries include English Kills, Ad Hoc and Factory Fresh.
Art Grows in Bushwick [Philadelphia Inquirer]
http://pixelmurder.net/wordpress/2009/01/flatrate-the-hipster-move-023365/
benson…I remember many years ago when I moved back to the US from Hong Kong and was talking to someone in California about the current shows on primetime TV. They said “why would we want to watch a bunch of shows about all the crime in NYC (Law and Order) and the lives of those wretched people (Seinfeld).”
Pierre, I didn’t read the article until after I posted my initial remarks, which is not usual for me, I usually get as much information as I can before shooting off my mouth, or fingers, as it were.
That said, it was a fluff piece, and all about the galleries and the artists therein. No mention of anything of substance. I find that bad journalism. You don’t have to go into a history of Bushwick in order to mention its name, but I think even a fluff piece needs to say something to reference in the larger community. “These galleries are adding a new dimension to the eastern portion of this predominantly Hispanic working class neighborhood, which was once the home to New York City’s successful breweries and other manufacturing.” That would have been a start.
Montrose – you are totally out of line. Why does one ethnic group get to live in an inexpensive area, but another doesn’t? WTF? what you are saying is completely racist.
why do hispanics many of whom are illegal, and many of whom are on of gov’t assistance get priority over tax paying, actual americans? are you serious?
these “new Central and South American Latinos” can f*ck off. they are TERRIBLE for our society. they send the majority of their money out of the country, and undercut americans seeking work.
AND, the whole idea of an indigenous population makes no sense anyway! who is that??? from point in time? wasn’t most of Brooklyn white middle class 40 or 50 years ago anyway?
US citizens who pay taxes are entitled to live anywhere they want even if they are white.
“New Yorkers are actually well looked at in most places outside NY and rightfully so.”
“For even more contradictory anecdote when we went to visit family in France of all places everyone treated us like rockstars with all sorts of admiration for NYC including Brooklyn. Tons of folks with NY Yankees caps and “I love NY” t-shirts plus the young kids tried to emulate “that annoying accent”.”
Pierre;
I hate to break this news to you, but in most places in the US the mention of NYC, France and Jerry Lewis does not cause folks to break into song and dance.
Back in 2000 even Brooklyn had an inferiority complex vis a vis Manhattan. Things change. A psychiatrist who writes humor articles on his website (and a crappy one at that)doesn’t carry a lot of credibility.
Secondly he’s basing his findings on the statements made by the crazies who are his patients!!!!!!! I think that’s the best part.
11217 yes interesting, merci.
I think MM posted a dose of realism- not racism, pierre. The fact is that many “up and coming” neighborhoods are a matter pf perception and marketing. People overlook or misunderstand or even ignore the people who are already there and who have made a neighborhood already. Maybe not the neighborhood you want to live in, but nonetheless, a neighborhood. People aren’t waiting to be discovered or saved- and while its nice that artists are moving in, and Bushwick is getting attention for that, we shouldn’t be forgetting that people lived and worked in Bushwick before the artists discovered it. And that was the socio-economic reality MM refers to- not racism.
Interesting:
http://www.lawrenceblum.com/philadelphiainferior.htm