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]
So many times I have gotten that stupid email chain letter that claims illegal aliens are going to get social security funds even though they supposedly don’t pay anything into it. And how many times have I sent around articles stating the truth of the matter only to have someone tell me I am a “stupid, ignorant liberal.” Yeah- I must be, because I don’t see illegal aliens as the huge problem the conservatives make them out to be. In fact, I venture to say that the illegals in this country have contributed a huge amount of money to the system as customers, consumers and workers. Or did we think they eat and drink air, and live outdoors in cardboard boxes?
Hold onto your hats folks, because I’m going to agree with Montrose and Bxgrl on this one. Actually, Montrose and I have agreed on this point before.
I am always bemused when the NYT and other such papers write these fluff pieces on “emerging” areas. It’s one thing to say an area has an emerging arts scene, it’s another to write as if these areas didn’t exist until the artists showed up on the scene.
The NYT does this all the time, and my favorite piece in this regard appeared in their Sunday real estate section about 6 months ago (and I commented about it on Brownstoner at the time). The piece was about how “difficult” it was to find a townhouse in Brooklyn and Manhattan that had a garage. My jaw dropped, as there are 100’s of thousands of 1 and 2 family rowhouses in NYC with garages. Brenda from Flatbush cleared up the mystery, however, when she informed me on the thread that “townhouse” is code for places that NYT reporters would deem worthy of living in, as opposed to the great unwashed.
I don’t see where talking about a neighborhood means you can’t talk about it demographically.The ethnicity of any neighborhood is part of its reality- and I don’t mean in a judgemental way. MM was simply pointing out the make up of the neighborhood and the way that the existing population is overlooked in terms of contribution to the life of a neighborhood.
Truthfully, when did the “fluff” articles ever give a real context to the subject, or the NYTimes talk about a new “edgy” neighborhood by recognizing that the pre-existing population had anything to do with a neighborhood becoming desirable? They don’t and MM is simply pointing that out- that doesn’t make what she says a statement of racism unless you choose to misinterpret it that way.
mopar…my illegal Mexican friends earn well above minimum wage. That is largely because the people who employ them know they are hard workers. No, there are no benefits but the employer probably wouldn’t offer them to legal people here in the US either. All of this is the basis for much serious discussion.
To put it in perspective, remittances last year from the US to Mexico were $25B, from legal and illegal residents.
Agree with Dave, like I’ve said before on this blog, the recent Mexican immigrants are a very positive presence in Bushwick. On the whole, an amazing group of people. I admire them and enjoy living among them.
Also, to another point, if illegals use fake social security numbers, they certainly do pay social security tax, and they never get it back. And to another point: It’s the employers who take advantage of illegals, not the illegals who take advantage of US society. The employers exploit them because they don’t want to pay minimum wage. Law enforcement looks the other way, or, more recently, punishes the illegals instead of the employer. It’s a REALLY sick system that sh**ts on those who least deserve it.
“dave – only in this upside down liberal town that we share would my opinion be considered “psycho.””
Nah, I think your views would be considered “psycho” in any number of places. A statement like “these “new Central and South American Latinos can f*ck off” provides a revealing clue into your mentality.
It’s ok Dave. I realize I do sound “bitchy” sometimes. I don’t mean to, though. Sorry.
And btw, I’ve been trying to “out” winelover as the psycho that he is for months now to no avail. I had no idea he was THIS psycho though.
I mean, not only is he disparaging an entire group of his own neighbors, but then tries to throw in that he thinks the Bushwick art is good too in the same breath. So creepy.
My comments about Williamsburg in the past about how (in my own experience) that some of the people there don’t seem to be a community and that the newcomers want nothing to do with the older residents seem to be highlighted here in his remarks quite well today. I’m not saying it’s Sesame Street in Brownstone Brooklyn (it’s NOT!) but I’ve come across more than my fair share of “winelovers” who live in Williamsburg and have no respect for anyone other than their own “kind”
Maybe it’s a coincidence.
Hey Winelover this is the RACIST comment DIBS is reacting to: “these “new Central and South American Latinos” can f*ck off. they are TERRIBLE for our society”. How can you defend that with a straight face and make it seem as if its about illegal immigration? Psycho is actually a kind description in our opinion. Really pathetic and sick comment don’t ya think?
Thank you 11217. I take back the nastiness from the other thread. Well, maybe.