six and MM, I’d love to talk New Haven with you. Big fan, notwithstanding that I grew up there. And my grandmother lived in Westville, and when we were kids we used to park cars in her yard for people going to the Yale football games. As I think about, parts of Brooklyn (Ditmas Park, Midwood, Flatbush) remind me a lot of New Haven.
I used to frequently meet a friend who worked as a social worker out in East New York. Can’t say I really got any bad vibes from anyone walking around. The mentality of people is funny sometimes – like in ‘ghetto’ areas, people are just standing around waiting for scared white people to miss their subway stop and rob them as they walk off the train. Please.
I did, however, get bad vibes when I found myself in Brownsville once. Not sure if that means anything, but I didn’t feel comfortable.
“If anything, the ENY people will think you’re an undercover cop.”
– ENY, my typical scruffy weekend look will definitely give them that impression. Thankfully I got rid of the Serpico haircut a couple of decades ago.
“I think the people who would tend to arouse the interest of the “wrong element” are people who creep up the street with the unmistakable “OMG, I am in the ghetto!” look of fear and panic stricken across their faces.”
– I already survived my walking tours of BedStuy and Crown Heights (the very first ones I did as I was most interested in them thanks to DIBS, MM, bxgrl et.al. on this blog), so I have learned to suppress the panic-stricken OMG-I’m-in-the-ghetto look that the typical Canadian / Brooklyn Heightian would have.
“I did once tell Rob I thought ENY was not for him. However, that’s because by his own admission, he falls down a lot and walks around in a Hannah Montana hat.”
– that is hilarious! He doesn’t belong there because he falls down a lot. I can’t stop laughing.
MM, that could work! I’ll let you know when I’m doing that one. I have a bunch of neighbourhoods still to cover and it’s so hard to choose which ones to do.
ENY, thank you so much for the sincere and very helpful insight. You’ve confirmed to me that I need to go check it out.
And I just spoke to a Trinidadian colleague of mine who has lived in Mill Basin (yes, the Mill Basin!) for years and she told me it’s fine as well.
Rob,
You should claim the standard deduction if you are not claiming other deductions – that will reduce the amount you owe. I just looked it up, it was $3000 last year, not sure what 2003-04 levels were.
Not sure on the others. You probably won’t have them but I don’t know.
“an Asshat like me (meaning a white guy with a backpack and tour book) should probably not be walking through East New York by myself.”
You’ll be fine. If anything, the ENY people will think you’re an undercover cop. HA HA!
Seriously, I would say it’s OK to walk around the area – it’s not like there aren’t already white people in ENY. All I would say is keep you wits about you, as you would in any public place. The most important advice I can give you is to ACT LIKE YOU BELONG THERE. I think the people who would tend to arouse the interest of the “wrong element” are people who creep up the street with the unmistakable “OMG, I am in the ghetto!” look of fear and panic stricken across their faces.
Certainly there are people in ENY up to no good. But normally these guys hassle EACH OTHER, not random strangers. No one in particular will care that you’re walking around with a backpack and book if you don’t act like you’re doing anything other than walking around with a backpack and book.
I did once tell Rob I thought ENY was not for him. However, that’s because by his own admission, he falls down a lot and walks around in a Hannah Montana hat. These things might attract attention from the wrong element. The other thing is ENY is HIKE from almost every other part of Brooklyn (one of the reasons I no longer live there, although my Mom still does). I didn’t think that would work for Rob.
haha dibs – yeah, but not with me.
six and MM, I’d love to talk New Haven with you. Big fan, notwithstanding that I grew up there. And my grandmother lived in Westville, and when we were kids we used to park cars in her yard for people going to the Yale football games. As I think about, parts of Brooklyn (Ditmas Park, Midwood, Flatbush) remind me a lot of New Haven.
“I used to frequently meet a friend who worked as a social worker out in East New York”
Was she one of the ones who made bad decisions???
I used to frequently meet a friend who worked as a social worker out in East New York. Can’t say I really got any bad vibes from anyone walking around. The mentality of people is funny sometimes – like in ‘ghetto’ areas, people are just standing around waiting for scared white people to miss their subway stop and rob them as they walk off the train. Please.
I did, however, get bad vibes when I found myself in Brownsville once. Not sure if that means anything, but I didn’t feel comfortable.
“If anything, the ENY people will think you’re an undercover cop.”
– ENY, my typical scruffy weekend look will definitely give them that impression. Thankfully I got rid of the Serpico haircut a couple of decades ago.
“I think the people who would tend to arouse the interest of the “wrong element” are people who creep up the street with the unmistakable “OMG, I am in the ghetto!” look of fear and panic stricken across their faces.”
– I already survived my walking tours of BedStuy and Crown Heights (the very first ones I did as I was most interested in them thanks to DIBS, MM, bxgrl et.al. on this blog), so I have learned to suppress the panic-stricken OMG-I’m-in-the-ghetto look that the typical Canadian / Brooklyn Heightian would have.
“I did once tell Rob I thought ENY was not for him. However, that’s because by his own admission, he falls down a lot and walks around in a Hannah Montana hat.”
– that is hilarious! He doesn’t belong there because he falls down a lot. I can’t stop laughing.
“There was a tall dark and handsome man . . .”
My type of scenery, DH
MM, that could work! I’ll let you know when I’m doing that one. I have a bunch of neighbourhoods still to cover and it’s so hard to choose which ones to do.
ENY, thank you so much for the sincere and very helpful insight. You’ve confirmed to me that I need to go check it out.
And I just spoke to a Trinidadian colleague of mine who has lived in Mill Basin (yes, the Mill Basin!) for years and she told me it’s fine as well.
Rob,
You should claim the standard deduction if you are not claiming other deductions – that will reduce the amount you owe. I just looked it up, it was $3000 last year, not sure what 2003-04 levels were.
Not sure on the others. You probably won’t have them but I don’t know.
“an Asshat like me (meaning a white guy with a backpack and tour book) should probably not be walking through East New York by myself.”
You’ll be fine. If anything, the ENY people will think you’re an undercover cop. HA HA!
Seriously, I would say it’s OK to walk around the area – it’s not like there aren’t already white people in ENY. All I would say is keep you wits about you, as you would in any public place. The most important advice I can give you is to ACT LIKE YOU BELONG THERE. I think the people who would tend to arouse the interest of the “wrong element” are people who creep up the street with the unmistakable “OMG, I am in the ghetto!” look of fear and panic stricken across their faces.
Certainly there are people in ENY up to no good. But normally these guys hassle EACH OTHER, not random strangers. No one in particular will care that you’re walking around with a backpack and book if you don’t act like you’re doing anything other than walking around with a backpack and book.
I did once tell Rob I thought ENY was not for him. However, that’s because by his own admission, he falls down a lot and walks around in a Hannah Montana hat. These things might attract attention from the wrong element. The other thing is ENY is HIKE from almost every other part of Brooklyn (one of the reasons I no longer live there, although my Mom still does). I didn’t think that would work for Rob.