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The Brooklyn Children’s Museum is getting pushback from employees and pols over growth plans they say are cutting out longtime local, black supporters — in particular, its plan to open an outpost in One John Street, one of the very swanky new condo buildings going up in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Higher admission fees (they have nearly doubled, from $5 to $9) are also unpopular, reported The New York Times, and the racial diversity of the staff has declined dramatically, among other things. Here’s a sample snippet:

“How are you going to service there when you can barely staff your own building?” said Anne Smith, a former public relations manager at the museum. “Why has there never been a satellite office for black communities, Hispanic communities?” Ms. Smith complained that an administrator had lamented that events at the museum had too much of a “local feel,” and asserted that managers wanted to market to predominantly white, upscale Brooklyn neighborhoods like Park Slope and Carroll Gardens.

The Crown Heights museum, over 100 years old, was hard hit by the downturn in 2008 and is trying to fix its balance sheet. Meanwhile, the demographics in the area are changing, according to census data: From 2000 to 2010, the last year it’s available, whites increased 89 percent while blacks decreased 15 percent, the story said. What do you think the museum should do?

With Expansion, Brooklyn Children’s Museum Is Accused of Forsaking Its Community [NY Times]

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  1. The main Crown Heights location just needs parking! and they will come from all corners of the City.
    But people these days cannot and will not walk more than 2 or 3 blocks from a subway; especially with children in tow.

  2. Hey Randolph – way to let the comment go above your head. The point is the kids LOVE it. And a child below the age of 1 can express him or herself non-verbally. Or do you just not have children and can’t figure that out?

  3. yeah? who appointed you the policeman of the brownstoner blog comments?

    p.s. if anyone’s an asshole here, it’s you. making commentary about people’s opinion but can’t come up with anything original yourself.

  4. No one cares about YOUR opinion. Ask any kid 0-5 who has been there. They love it. From the water play area, to the structures you can climb and hide in to the sand play areas, not to mention the cork (sand) box and the pretend beach display. It can be very magical for a kid. You are seriously bizarre and so are your friends, if none of you can manage to return a second time.

  5. “Disgusting” was the wrong word, but I hit post and couldn’t edit. The new building is cheaply made and was falling apart 3 years ago when I was there. It’s poorly maintained and the wet areas had mold growing everywhere. The displays were bizarre at best and the most constructive thing we came away with was imagining what it would be like to work in a deli. Or a pizza shop. Don’t think we ever made it to an older part.