From the West Village to Fort Greene, With Few Regrets
This weekend’s real estate section in the Times has a story that’s likely to resonate with many ex-Manhattanites who’ve moved to Brooklyn and find the living across the East River a whole lot easier. The article is about Hali Lee and Peter von Ziegesar, a couple with three kids who uprooted from the West Village,…
This weekend’s real estate section in the Times has a story that’s likely to resonate with many ex-Manhattanites who’ve moved to Brooklyn and find the living across the East River a whole lot easier. The article is about Hali Lee and Peter von Ziegesar, a couple with three kids who uprooted from the West Village, where they’d lived for 15 years, to Fort Greene. The pair bought a house (a former crack den, actually) on South Portland Avenue in late ’05 and say that while they miss a few things about the city (chief among them their old proximity to the Village Community School on West 10th Street, which their kids still attend), Brooklyn has presented a number of quality-of-life advantages. The perks, according to Ms. Lee, include an environment that doesn’t feel like a high-end mall, as the Village did; a space where their brood’s noise doesn’t disturb the neighbors; their new borough’s down-to-earth population (There are mixed-race couples, and black people here who aren’t nannies); and the fact that their kids can now go play on the sidewalk and in the backyard.
In a House, You Can Make All the Noise You Want [NY Times]
Photo by lunalaguna.
Peter and Hali are arrogant, trust fund snobs. They don’t have real jobs but can buy a $1.8 mil place?! Please. Their comments are insulting! If they like living in their neighborhood so much, send them to local public schools and play soccer in neighborhood parks. And lloking at the picutres of their place, CLEAN YOUR HOUSE UP before having pictures taken. Hide those boxes.
As a life long black resident of Clinton Hill (40 Years+), I laugh at the comments many of you new people make because you know absolutely nothing about this community or the people who have lived here for 40 or more years. I along with many of my childhood friends (both black and white) went to and graduated from St. Ann’s, Berkley Institute, Packer, St. Angela Hall, Queen of All Saints and Bishop Louglin because our parents could afford to. Our families owned coops in the 1960’s and then decided to buy the beautiful brownstones many of you now covet in Brownstown Brooklyn.
We too had our playdates in Washington Avenue Park. Our Parents fought for the Clinton Hill Library. They started PACC. I hate to tell you that nothing you new people say or do is original because it has already been done by many of the people who have lived here since the 1960s.
What…? This thread had to end at 310 comments?
Oh, well. I had thought something more interesting could have come out of a Fort Greene thread. Brownstoner doesn’t give us one very often.
By the way, anyone interested in buying a 4-story house for 1.5M in prime FG? It’s a 2-family used as a 1-fam. We’re thinking of downsizing considerably and moving our main living situation to places greener (i.e. “the country”…Finger Lakes) with just a two-bedroom in Brownstone Brooklyn…I would find it hard to leave. Plus…if you live elsewhere most of the time, an apartment is a MUCH better idea.
The house needs work for sure, but I think 1.5M is a fair price in our location even if a buyer wants to put in another 300 to 400K.
Any interest out there?
i second miss priss and all the others – y’all are bitter freaks who should stop your whining. you are types who shoot up malls and post offices. eek.
Miss priss my ass please Kiss.
repeat: nice family with values in the right place. what is your problem??? you guys are insane to pull this shit with these people. most of the readers i know are not like you crazies and I can only guess they have decided not to comment to this. i applaud this family for celebrating where we live!
We the management of Brownstoner would like to thank all you fucktards for helping us make it through another year. Our ratings are now as high as “All in The Family”. Oh, that was a television show juniors written by Norman lear in the 70’s that exhibited racism and humor and was a hit. Except it was more artistic than anyone’s writing in here.
As for the family that provided the article in NY Times they have 0 history in this neighb. Except ofcourse now. In fact there is a deal with the Hollywood writters now that the strike is over for a television series. Thanks to Brownstoner of course. It’s called meet the Van Lees. A Dutch, Asian family living in a black ghetto and getting all kinds of awards.
BROWNSTONER IS SO FUCKING OVER.
yowza–I still don’t think this thread has beat the Carroll Gardens threads…
Guest at 3:40
“I saw the homework that my friends in public school got and my homework. I knew that my public school ffriends couldn’t swim but I could because I took it in school. I played an instrument they did not, etc…”
I don’t know how old you are or where you grew up but I always went to public school. ALL of them (elementary, junior and high) offered sports, the arts and other extracurriculars. I now send my child to public school (in Crown Heights where I own a brownstone) where she is exposed to a whole range of topics other than academics. I invest in public schools by sending my child there for a few reasons. 1) The children who go to private are no smarter than mine. 2) If I finance school for my child now, how can my money work for me? I told my daughter, if I paid for school for her and lost my job, she couldn’t quit school and support me. But, going to public means that if I lost my job, I would have even more time to be involved in her school. 3) I find that private schools want money to be thrown at their issues, whereas, public schools usually accept whatever you can give (time, assistance, etc.)
I find it ironic that you went to private school and champion public schools. You made the previous posters’ point for her. Going to public schools affords children a skillset that kids that go the privates don’t get; namely, finding alternate ways to accomplish things that aren’t offered up on a silver platter.
Sandy