Murders, Binge Drinking Up in Park Slope Last Year
While overall crime was down in Brooklyn South last year, murders were up more than 35 percent to 92 from 68 a year earlier. Such was the case in Park Slope where the number of homicides rose from one in 2007 to three in 2008. Meanwhile, says The Post, binge drinking was higher than other…
While overall crime was down in Brooklyn South last year, murders were up more than 35 percent to 92 from 68 a year earlier. Such was the case in Park Slope where the number of homicides rose from one in 2007 to three in 2008. Meanwhile, says The Post, binge drinking was higher than other neighborhoods around the city: 20 percent of Slopers ranked binge drinking as their favorite activity. “It’s the real people, and you feel like you are on ‘Cheers,'” said Samantha Stewart. “I can just go to the bar and see 10 people that I know.” The preference ties in with another borough-wide stat for 2008: Drunk driving violations were up 1.6 percent in Brooklyn last year, reports The Daily News, while they were down 3.4 percent around the city as a whole.
Murder Rate Skyrockets in 2008 [NY Post]
Home Is Where the Health Is [NY Post]
Increase in Brooklyn Drunk Driving [NYDN]
What’s there to be confused about dirty hipster…it’s a typical day at brownstoner.com!
Biff, can we do it on your stoop? We’ll all anty up if you get fined.
Brownstoners:
Although I “signed off” a while ago, now that I’ve checked back I see that the Giuliana/Dinkins debate spools on.
After more than half a century of living in and out of New York (it’s my “tertiary” residence now), I’ve seen a lot:
the post-war boom, suburbanization, urban renewal, “white flight,” riots (or rebellions, according to one’s political persuasion), fiscal crises, rampant crime, historic preservation, gentrification, 9/11, a new boom and — now –the most frightening recession I can recall.
Through it, New York’s endured, as it has since enslaved Africans and indentured Irish in the 1700s together fought against their English “masters” (not once, but twice!) and were drawn, quartered and set ablaze in the public square and later, during the Revolutionary War, when the Brits burned the town down.
Dinkins, Giuliani and -even!- LaGuardia are part of an historical parade. More important is what ordinary people do when confronted by the realities of their time, generally unacknowledged except as the background in history books but setting the context for leadership that can accelerate us in any direction, bad or good.
We’re facing the Big Bang. How New Yorkers respond as a community will determine the city’s next decade, or more.
I’m cautiously optimistic, given my vantage point. But the next few years are going to be hard. Today’s Times announced cut backs in unemployment insurance. These are our neighbors who’ll be hit! And they have kids (some at Catholic schools, a number of which are soon to be closed, also announced in the Times). Those “Neediest Cases” in the back pages? They’ll soon be widespread, and may very well include people who’ve considered themselves “comfortable” most of their lives.
So, agitate, whether it’s Bloomberg or Weiner or Quinn. (I don’t vote in New York, to my regret, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pick up the phone, write my neighborhood association’s newsletter, or squawk here on Brownstoner.)
And don’t let Obama off the hook, either.
NOP
I’m confused how a post about Park Slope binge drinking turned into a racially charged debate about Mayor Dinkins’ policies.
Yeah, Biff…get drunk!
And type away.
God, I hate alcohol!
benson, 100% on board with your posts, but also didnt see the racism comment. racially oriented maybe, but not racist.
breathe, move on, dont leave.
“I can say a lot of binge drinking is going on in Ditmas Park these days! [Begin shameless neighborhood promotion]”
I would if I could, but the only thing shameful about the drinking situation in Brooklyn Heights is there are way too few places to go to engage in binge drinking! 🙁
“Who would have thought that a post that has a picture of a man drinking from a funnel would somehow devolve into, yet again, race.”
THL, certainly not I, unless we were talking about the beer drinker’s race against the clock.
Benson, I also didn’t think Denton was actually accusing you of being a racist. I thought his line was very funny as a stand alone statement and not meant to be accusatory in the way you took it. In fact, at that time I hadn’t even read your reference to tennis in your post. I’ve read enough of your comments by now to believe you aren’t a racist and, although we don’t always agree on things, like THL, I would be very disappointed to see you leave.
Benson, don’t go!! In all sincerity.
You were starting to grow on me. I started to like some of your posts and views and funny comments.
Don’t take any comment from anyone (including myself) personally. At the end of the day, just turn off your computer and get on with your life.
Believe me, I have no interest in defending anyone, I’m just saying I don’t see racism in this one.
I wish other people would speak up on this matter.
Should we take a poll. Mr. B?
Do you think Denton’s comment was racist?
o Yes
o No