Notorious Crackhouse at 474 Greene Avenue Up In Flames
Sad and disturbing news this morning from Bedford Stuyvesant. The beautiful brownstone at 474 Greene Avenue between Bedford and Nostrand was gutted by a fire in the early morning hours today, the result of a raucous all-night party gone terribly wrong. According to an email we received from a block resident, who fell asleep finally…
Sad and disturbing news this morning from Bedford Stuyvesant. The beautiful brownstone at 474 Greene Avenue between Bedford and Nostrand was gutted by a fire in the early morning hours today, the result of a raucous all-night party gone terribly wrong. According to an email we received from a block resident, who fell asleep finally at 4:30 a.m. only to be awakened by the sound of shattering glass at 6:15 am., the building “is a well known crack house that has been in operation for at least 3 years.” A group of neighbors has been trying to work with community leaders, the NYPD and DA Charles Hynes for much of that time to no avail. There have been daily calls to the NYPD but concerned residents “have been told repeatedly that it is near impossible to shut down.” The photo, at right, from Property Shark, shows the house pre-fire with windows and doors covered in sheets to keep out unwanted eyes. “Clearly we are all in immediate danger when people are living without electricity, using candles and making crack and NO ONE in the NYC system can close down the house,” writes the tipster. “That fire was big and we were all in danger this morning.” We’ve seen the same thing on the corner of Grand and Putnam where law enforcement officials know what’s going on but are hamstrung by laws that make it close to impossible to arrest and successfully convict members of the drug trade. GMAP P*Shark
Update: Here are a couple of photos from a few minutes ago. Send more photos or comments to brownstoner@brownstoner.com.
Heather:
“As I have learned from this blog, all you slopers smoke pot, which is conveniently delivered to your doorsteps. I think it’s wrong to assume you can separate the elements of the drug trade you find convenient, while condemning the ones you do not.”
Ridiculous argument. Believe me, if pot culture went hand in hand with gun culture, I’d have a huge issue with it. Guns and violence are not “elements” I can tolerate. I could give a crap if my neighbors smoke crack, meth or infant harp seals. Bring guns and ghetto bullshit to my block I have a problem.
As I have learned from this blog, all you slopers smoke pot, which is conveniently delivered to your doorsteps. I think it’s wrong to assume you can separate the elements of the drug trade you find convenient, while condemning the ones you do not.
Actually Susan, I have to disagree. Most cops that I know, and I know quite a few, agree. Lazy, slacker cops go to good areas. The ones who want to really be cops gravitate towards the tougher areas, which tend to have less money. The cops in the tougher areas tend to really care, but it’s not a profession that you wear your heart on your sleeve, so they mask it with a shell of cynicism. But as far as working harder, any cop will tell you that you work a lot more in the 75 than you do in the 19th.
Thank you greenaveguy. Additionally, What, your perspective is extremely elitest for a guy who generally seems to be pro normal-Brooklynite-non-“asshats”. Don’t people who can’t afford to live in more affluent areas deserve the protection of the law? It’s not a secret that police work harder for whiter, more moneyed areas.
Even so I wonder about the entire criminalization of drug-usage and selling. Legalization would add control to the equation and reduce the violence. I don’t mean to say that this is a simple problem. I imagine studies have been done on places where this is legal, but I’d love to see the discussion happen in this country.
when I lived in raleigh there was a house a block from the college campus that was a well know crack house. I had some friends that lived next door and a crazy guy with a screwdriver broke into all their cars.
as far as I know nothing was done about it.
I’m ready to buy it! $699K?
You gotta be kidding me. As if there are no attendant benefits in living in a community that wrestles with real struggle as opposed to financial assets.
Let’s start another thread, What, and place head-to-head the affective benefits of living among people who are earning a check for a living (or an hourly). Can’t imagine what you do to spend so much time forecasting doom and gloom that’s rather predictable in the first place.
And then these endless cuts & pastes about cognitive dissonance. Why don’t you save them for your Park Slope shrink and all the other fortuitous hunter-and-gatherers in your prime neck of the woods.
I actually lived there in the eightees, seems like you have a rather short-termed real estate philosophy. The granola set had to do their share of holding the local cops accountable before enfant terribles like yourself could prosper.
Let us do the work you weren’t made to do.
This is the thesis of why I rant!!!!
Cognitive dissonance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously. The “ideas” or “cognitions” in question may include attitudes and beliefs, and also the awareness of one’s behavior. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, or by justifying or rationalizing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.[1] Cognitive dissonance theory is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology
Dissonance normally occurs when a person perceives a logical inconsistency among his or her cognitions. This happens when one idea implies the opposite of another. For example, a belief in animal rights could be interpreted as inconsistent with eating meat or wearing fur. Noticing the contradiction would lead to dissonance, which could be experienced as anxiety, guilt, shame, anger, embarrassment, stress, and other negative emotional states. When people’s ideas are consistent with each other, they are in a state of harmony or consonance. If cognitions are unrelated, they are categorized as irrelevant to each other and do not lead to dissonance.
A powerful cause of dissonance is when an idea conflicts with a fundamental element of the self-concept, such as “I am a good person” or “I made the right decision.” This can lead to rationalization when a person is presented with evidence of a bad choice. It can also lead to confirmation bias, the denial of disconfirming evidence, and other ego defense mechanisms.
If you want a nice and safe neighborhood then move to one. Pay the expense of that neighborhood instead on moving to the Ghetto and whining why they are selling drugs and doing crime!
Bed Stuy is not Park Slope……
The What (Next Week The Piper Kills everyone in the room..)
Someday this war is gonna end….
You all don’t really think that there aren’t drug operations in tonier areas, do you? The drig trade continues unabted in all neighborhoods, with varying degrees of obviousness dependent on the wallets of the users. Although I join my neighbors in trying to move drug sales from my block (and recently I have had to ask a number of people to “move it along”), the drug trade will never be ended. Never. Trying to end it through police action is futile. Futile. Hasn’t two generations of the failed “war on drugs” shown that? All we can do is move its most obvious vending places from one location to another.
Millions have been lost, both lives and dollars. Can we try something else, please? This ain’t working.