Thursday Links

Actually, 3.51, depending on where you were in Park Slope before it “gentrified” it could be African-American, Italian-American, Irish-American and (even!) WASP-y. (Twenty-five years ago a lady proudly told me her building on Prospect Park West was “restricted,” meaning it didn’t rent to Jewish tenants!) Members of my family have lived in the Slope for four generations, so all the mythologizing about it is pretty amusing. Some ironies: As my mother grew up in the family brownstone on Carroll Street, Crown Heights was considered more prestigious. And a contemporary of my parents preferred living on the Washington Avenue side of the park, which was considered safer than Prospect Park West!

Nostalgic on Park Avenue

rehab – regardless of whether the story is well written, these are dangerous neighborhoods.

i have listened to first hand blow by blow accounts of burglaries and violence from friends in bed stuy.

my black nanny said that during her year stay in a rental in bed stuy that she was very afraid the whole time.

i lived in prospect heights a few years back, and even there there was violence and crime. there was a murder (not my imagination) a couple of blocks away.

crowds of male teens stood on street corners forcing anyone to cross the street as they made threatening remarks.

i went nowhere without my dogs.

there are scary insecure violent people and these neighborhoods do have gangs and a culture of violence.

there is a reason that the highest psf in brooklyn are from gentrified white (especially italian) neighborhoods like carroll gardens, cobble hill, ps, williamsburg, etc… because even 10+ years ago, the italian neighborhoods were relatively safe making it easy for the yuppies to come in and gentrify.

any yuppies heading in to scary black neighborhoods -you are in for a battle, and you may never feel safe or comfortable.

Love the story about the house in the Bronx, If only I can get my hands on something like that. How do people find these things.

Read the damned story, people– Drew and Montrose are right. This was an absolutely PATHETIC piece of non-journalism; all anecdote and stereotype, totally unfair to CH and BS:

“On the streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights, nearly everyone has a crime story to tell.”

Really? You share about three stories, all anecdotes, no facts–that = “nearly everyone”?

“Jasmine Williams, a 20-year-old mom, heard shots ring out two nights ago.”

You verified this? She “heard” them? That’s all you need to run this POS story?

“Last month, retiree Doug Ruckle, 73, saw someone gunned down a few feet away from him.”

Where? When, exactly? Who was the victim, the shooter?

“And baby-sitter Marcia Gordon recalls bullets flying outside a Jamaican restaurant where she dined a couple of months ago.”

She “recalls”? Are you kidding me?

Do you Brownstoner readers have any idea how much money a reporter at the News makes? It’s a lot. Especially when the guy phones it in this lazily. God, the press sucks.

Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy are being rejuvenated by a young, diverse, energetic population like nothing we’ve seen here in decades, and it’s exciting as hell. Mock these nabes if it gets your rocks off, but where, exactly, do you plan to buy into the NYC market? See you in Ozone Park.

On the positive side, I agree with Montrose–that story about the young couple in the Bronx and their incredible find in that mansion is truly cool. While I worry about their future travails–that is a lotttttt of house to renovate–I’m inspired by their guts and the house’s beauty.

We’re at the beginning of a recession. Crime will only get worse as many ex-con construction workers are laid off due to this collapsing building boom and will switch their careers to hustling/robbing. Caveat Emptor when buying or signing leases anywhere near Bed Stuy or Crown Heights (that includes Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights). Someone was killed in BROAD DAYLIGHT on Clifton Street this summer with many witnesses and didn’t get caught (update me if I’m wrong). I could have gotten hit while walking to Choices. Now, Lefferts Place. I used to drive down there all the time during that time of night. Then there were the seperate murders at Gates/Grand and Putnam/Grand over the last couple of years. A friend of mine just moved his family of four out of Crown Heights and into Long Island because of regular gunshots outside their bedroom window like every weekend (so called nice part, Prospect Place between Nostrand/New York). Another friend in Crown Heights is desperately trying to sell and move.

Something has GOT to give. Either prices or violent crime. And like I said before, as recession gets worse, crime is will only get worse. Even at lower prices, you’re still taking a huge risk.