Friday Links

Regarding Restoration and 3:47’s comments – all of those 6 figure earners don’t mean squat if they don’t reinvest in the community. You are correct, that means commerce. Said commerce would be a lot easier if organizations such as Restoration, the Small Business Administration, and the city, would sponsor programs that would give tax and start up incentives to people looking to open retail and service businesses on Fulton St., such as bakeries, coffee shops, restaurants, book shops, and other businesses that would draw in the new money, as well as many members of the old community. As it is, the rents on Fulton Street are very high, and only those chain stores selling schlock seem to survive. (this argument could be carried to Fulton St. downtown, too)

Some of the great new businesses, such as Ibo Landing, Bread Stuy, etc are great models for success, but I doubt they could have started and succeeded on Fulton, because as ratty as it is, it justs costs too much to rent and do business there. Until Fulton St is a better retail destination, most of the new and old money in BS will be spent elsewhere.

Tag482- I have taken responsibility- and may i point out to you that it was a “homeowner” who made the first comments about people who rent. I am refuting those assertions.

Only an arrogant money-driven twerp such as yourself would assume anything about my life simply based on whether or not I own a house. And I certainly understand far, far better than you the ups and downs of renting. But obviously you, like some of your fellows on this thread seem to think money entitles you to everything.

In point of fact it is “gentrifiers” who feel entitled to do whatever they please no matter who gets hurt. Homeowners are only one part of a neighborhood- where would you people be without us? After all, you make money off of us.Rent out your top or basement floor so we can pay your mortgage, fill up your investment properties, etc. But people who have lived in a neighborhood for years, especially through its bad times and kept perservering- they’ve got sweat equity. If anyone is not taking responsibility for what they do, it those of you who think money gives you more rights than other people. In this you are confused- money buys you stuff. It obviously hasn’t bought you wisdom or ethics or empathy.

You simply don’t have the intellect to get the big picture about communities, neighborhoods or urban life. And I can’t enlighten you because people like you don’t care as long as they can buy what they want.

And do I detect an inferiority complex when you said,”just because you chose to use your money to help people & I chose to save for a down payment doesn’t mean and either one of us is better than the other,” ? No- it just means one of us is a hell of a lot more selfish and self-centered. And that would be you.

“…and made a decision not to buy a house because I simply didn’t want to.”

Good for you. Would you agree that therefore, if you had to move because rents went up sharply in your neighborhood, you should accept the consequences of your own choice rather than claim an entitlement to stay there?

(I’m not anon 3:59, by the way.)

3:19,

So nice that mommy and daddy handed you your down payment. I’m a social worker and probably earn less than you do as a teacher, but I acquired a home the old-fashioned way: I worked hard and sacrificed and did it on my own. That’s the central point of these posts criticizing renters.

I was prpared to dis the Restoration-Bed/Stuy story until I read this:

“The neighborhood’s brownstones are now drawing six-figure wage earners, the fastest-growing segment of the community’s population.”

This is astonishing and speaks to what the neighborhood needs–money,which I hope will spark the depest need of all–commerce. Restoration would have to place folks in jobs if the Avenues were bustling.