Police Up The Ante At The Lefferts Hotel

Atriss, I read your posts wondering if you’re trying to bait people on this board or whether you actually mean what you say? If this is just a prank, congratulations – you’ve managed to drag a lot of people into an unecessary debate. If these are your honest and heartfelt opinions I’d like to hear more on what you feel is valuable to a neighborhood about prostitution and the dealing of hard drugs. (Let’s be clear here, we’re not talking about weed, we’re discussing crack, and the poverty and desperation that invariably come hand in hand). If you disagree with me, I’d like to hear what you think is valuable about crack, crack dealers and crackheads?

Also, why not tell us a little about yourself so we can gain a bit more perspective. Me, I’m a white homeowner, moved to Clinton Hill two years ago. I’m generally in support of the closure of this hotel and for the life of me struggle to see the downside for anyone, white, black, new to the neighborhood or lifer, renter or owner, childless or parent.

I don’t want to put words in your mouth but I sense in your posts more anger towards those moving into the neighborhood than a genuine desire to see crack dealing and prostitution continue. Am I wrong?

Sassy 03:09 is actually my post, sorry. It can become a little confusing having to enter your name everytime you post.

I live on that block and for all of you fretting that it is about to become Huntington Long Island … really.. let me put your fears to rest.

If you really want to live the fantasy of a truly “authentic” and grungy NY.. why don’t you open your own crack hotel next door to you if you love it so much. There’s a bunch of lovely ho’s and their mild mannered pimps looking for some space now and Prince whatever his name can tell you it’s a fairly profitable business. Believe me this was not the Chelsea Hotel.. this was the Lefferts Place Hotel and it really was not that glamorous.

To become Park Slope you need to increase your owner occupancy and median household income about 100 x over. This would require a massive build out and exodus that is about as likely as an Alien invasion.

Any filing for that kind of building takes on average 4 -5 years from when you file.. so the real estate market would have to hold out for quite a long time (like 10-15 years, otherwise they just get re-rented out). Despite all the building in the city construction costs would have to remain stable or magically go down because it costs 150/ft to buy build able space here and then another $250 to build it and frankly then at $500 a foot you barely turn a profit and honestly that’s about the max you can sell to those “yuppies” for and it’s only marginally possible at the moment (not to mention that it is posed to go down).

Oh.. and that at best.. “flat” market would have to absorb like 5000-10,000 units. Soin mass that might give you the kind of owner occupancy and increased income it takes to make Park Slope (not even really because of the Lafayette Projects.. but it would be closer).

Then.. you will have to shut down 2 more crack hotels, a meth clinic, an enormous homeless shelter on Bedford and Atlantic and about 5 seedy bodegas along Fulton.

Then you would have to get the city to actually run C trains.. and maybe even a G train once in a while.

Then you would have to wait out most of the 12-15-20 year leases on all the dollar stores and bodegas along Fulton.

Starbucks? Who are you kidding.. nationals like that (meaning not fast food) are 50+ years out from coming to Clinton Hill/ Bed Stuy.. we meet exactly 0 of their criteria right now just in case your really worried about a “Whole Foods” invading the neighborhood.

If all of this imaginary stuff happened in 15-20 years.. We might be able to get a smattering of locally owned gifts shops, a better variety of restaurants and cafes, maybe a green grocer.. maybe MET would get a little more Organic Produce.. Really in your life these are the disastrous things you will need to worry about.

Oh.. and so with a bizarre 50% turn over in population that might get our average income up slightly so that maybe after about 15 years of collecting tax dollars on that we might improve our schools. And then “monstrous” families might move in.

Point being.. don’t worry about “all the yuppies”.. Yuppies don’t really move to Bed Stuy (frankly.. Classon and Lefferts is Bed Stuy). At worst you might get some struggling.. wanna-be yuppies (by the way, many of whom are black or mixed couples or of various ethnicities which is exactly what I love about my neighborhood). Maybe their goofy or stupid or annoying.. but you know what.. their not racists.. Racists do not move to Bed Stuy… so don’t worry about them either.

If you really want to take a stand on racism.. why don’t’ you go tell off the Park Slopers.. better yet go find a Huntington Blog.. really if you are looking for racists I commend you.. I just think your really looking in the wrong place.

how about this as a bit of actual fact finding. LP, archiefina, anon who’s on the lefferts pl board, sassy, etc. why dont you list the actual crimes that you believe to have been commited against yourself directly by people associated with the hotel or the dealers on the corner. Im curious.

Wonderful attitude you have there, Sassy. So constructive and progressive.