Can Ditmas Park Save The Middle Class?
Despite tremendous quality-of-life gains, more residents left New York City in 2006 than in 1993. (Brooklyn was the one borough that bucked that trend.) The main reason, says an article from the American Enterprise Institute, is the the rising cost of living for middle-class families. In fact, New York now has the lowest rate of…
Despite tremendous quality-of-life gains, more residents left New York City in 2006 than in 1993. (Brooklyn was the one borough that bucked that trend.) The main reason, says an article from the American Enterprise Institute, is the the rising cost of living for middle-class families. In fact, New York now has the lowest rate of middle-income families of any city; and, except for Los Angeles, it also has the smallest percentage of middle-income neighborhoods. One exception—and a model for the future—is Ditmas Park:
The ‘place’ Ellen and Joe looked for was not just a physical location but something less tangible: a sense of community and a neighborhood to raise their hoped-for children. Although they considered suburban locations, as most families do, ultimately they chose the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, where Joe had grown up. At first, this seemed a risky choice. While Joe was growing up in the 1980s, the neighborhood—a mixture of Victorian homes and modest apartments—had become crime-infested. The old families were moving out, and newer ones were not replacing them. Yet Joe’s Mom still lived there, and they liked the idea of having grandma around for their planned-for family.
Politicians genuflect to the idea of maintaining a middle class, yet their actions suggest otherwise. In a city that has been losing middle-class families for generations, the resurgence of places like Ditmas Park represents a welcome change. In recent years, child-friendly restaurants and shops have started up along once-decayed Cortelyou Road. More important, some local elementary schools have shown marked improvement, with an increase in parental involvement and new facilities. Even in hard economic times, the area has become a beacon to New York families, as well as singles seeking a community where they will put down long-term roots. There’s an attempt in this neighborhood to break down the city feel and to see this more as a kind of a small town, notes Ellen. It may be in the city, but it’s a community unto itself, a place where you can stay and raise your children.
If cities like New York want to nurture their middle-class populations, the article suggests, they will need to shift their priorities away from “subsidizing developers for luxury mega-developments, new museums, or performing arts centers” and instead focus on “those things critical to the middle class such as maintaining relatively low density work areas and shopping streets, new schools, and parks.” In our opinion, at the end of the day, it’s all about the schools.
The Luxury City vs. the Middle Class [The American]
MM – nurses usually make 70k and that nurse could be married to an office worker making 80k – putting them right at 150k, that is not so ‘well off’ to me. usually both indiviuals do not make over 6 figures but combined with income, bonus or side hustle, many, many folks fit into ‘middle class’. i fit the ‘numbers’ but based on my life style and struggles, i would definetly say that i am lower middle class, not working poor and not upper middle class. i can’t afford a home in DP. i am trying to save for my children’s future so i can’t spend all of my discretionary funds ‘brunching’. 6 figures is pretty easy to come by for 2 people, 2 parents making 50k-60k each. these are not folks that can afford these homes. that’s why i say middle class in nyc is easily 150k-250k, not that i’m entitled at all. it just is what it is.
I was educated in NYC schools, and according to the standard mentioned here would be considered “rich,” although I certainly don’t feel wealthy, particularly in comparison with the TRULY wealthy folks (CEOs, celebrities, high-level sales professionals) I’ve encountered as a journalist. I would call myself middle class, but that’s such a abroad and subjective term that it’s almost meaningless.
The quality of an education depends primarily on the student’s personal interest in learning and parental involvement. One can acquire a good education at almost any school if the person is determined to learn and receives the appropriate support.
bkny, if we are having a discussion about what constitutes middle class, and someone is complaining that they can barely make ends meet at over 6 figures, then the situation of someone who used to be considered “middle class” at $39K is as relevant as anything else here. Your dismissal of “poor folks” to this discussion is part of the problem with this entitled bunch. While many here may make well over 6 figures, there is a sizable portion who do not, including myself. We also share in caring about our brownstone and historic communities, our schools, and quality of life, etc, etc. Our problems and concerns are the same as those making more money. If you have a discussion of middle class concerns, and can’t include teachers, office workers, nurses, and others who don’t top off over 6 figures, what kind of “middle class” is that?
Chaka, I’m sure you are correct, as you live there and I don’t. My remarks are based on the newer folks moving into those large homes, most of which sell for upwards of a million. I’m glad the majority of Ditmas is still the old “middle class”.
You can get a great education in NYC public schools – I’m not saying it’s impossible by any stretch of the imagination, but you need your stars to align: bright kid, motivated kid, tests well, gets into the best selective schools… My child cleared all these hurdles… And she’s the one telling me that the education she’s receiving in the suburbs is more rigorous… As for street smarts, cultural opportunities, these are things that are compromised once you leave the city, no doubt. My child makes it very clear that she misses the freedoms, the excitement, the diversity, not to mention the good eats.
But what if your kid isn’t the brightest? The most motivated? Doesn’t have any earth shattering talents? Is intimidated by public transportation when he or she is only eleven years old and has to commute 45 minutes to MS? And you can’t drive them there because you have a job to get to? Or you don’t have a car? What if your kid has a cold the day they have to audition for that coveted MS place in the drama dept at Mark Twain or whatever? Or if they’re having an off day and miss the cut off for a G&T program by one point? What if they don’t qualify to take the test for a G&T program? What about these kids? What sort of education do they really get? Even PS 321 spent an inordinate amount of time prepping for State tests. Time that could be used for more creative/rewarding learning. Time I bet most teachers wish they could get back.
I’m not griping about my experience with the system. My kid was smart, not to mention lucky, and I made getting her into (and getting her to) great public schools a part-time career… We didn’t choose to leave Brooklyn in search of better schools or better anything… We had no choice. Perhaps this is why I shake my head and am so dismayed to hear my child say that, from an academic perspective, things were not as wonderful as I thought they were.
Now who’s putting words in who’s mouth, benson? I’m certainly not arguing that such things happen, ust the way you made it into a generality. You’re the one who brought up Mussolini- not I.
BTW – The Ramones are from Forest Hill Queens.
(for those that did not know the Bowery comment was also being sarcastic)
“You’re 100% wrong. Rap music, break dancing and MC’ing – the primne elements of hip hop – were born in the BRONX, not “midtown.””
I think you misunderstood. The point was that many out of towners and transplants have this preconception that every cultural thing happen in Manhattan. It was a sarcastic question.
RF: “she’d probably get a moderately better book-learning education in Scarsdale than she will at Brooklyn Tech or Edward R. Murrow High School”
As a teacher at one of the aforementioned schools, I respectfully take issue with this! Our students can take on Scarsdale’s kids any day of the week. So too can our teachers take on Scarsdale’s teachers. Your daughter will do just fine at almost any school, especially if she’s independent and motivated and you stay involved.
Rf, you do mention the well-roundedness and diversity of Brooklyn’s schools compared to suburban schools. I agree with you on that. The non-book learning that takes place in high school is in many ways more important, and more lasting, than the content learned in homework, exams, and so on.
I wish I had time to read the rest of this, but I’m on my lunch break. Will comment later, as it’s about my neighborhood.
benson – i understand, get what you’re saying and agree. i am middle class and that doesn’t mean i should live ‘anywhere’. i grew up in bk and it is very sad that the very areas that my friends grew up in are so unaffordable. we want to live in brownstone brooklyn b/c it is where we have roots and where our family ties are – not b/c it’s ‘trendy’.