What's it Like in Crown Heights?
That’s what Brooklyn Based has been asking, and two Crown Heights residents—a relative long-timer and a newcomer—are answering. The 12-year resident pays $864.72 for a fourth-floor walk-up, likes the transportation options and the West Indian Day Parade, and doesn’t like the violence, not surprisingly. Still she feels safe. The three-year resident moved to a one-bedroom…
That’s what Brooklyn Based has been asking, and two Crown Heights residents—a relative long-timer and a newcomer—are answering. The 12-year resident pays $864.72 for a fourth-floor walk-up, likes the transportation options and the West Indian Day Parade, and doesn’t like the violence, not surprisingly. Still she feels safe. The three-year resident moved to a one-bedroom for $1,100. She finds the lack of big box commerce—dry cleaners and fruit stands but few big chains—a reprieve from mall-ized Manhattan, and like the longtime resident, appreciates the new upscale restaurants moving in. But she makes a point: new residents, and the businesses that accommodate them, seem to have little to do with longtime residents. Crown Heights has long been known as a neighborhood of duality, with African-Americans and Orthodox Jews sometimes in conflict, sometimes in harmony, but now there seems to be another Crown Heights emerging. Thoughts?
Photo by sahadeva.
Chaka, the contributions of black folks to the history of New York is a worthy book. So much is not known, especially from the Colonial through Victorian ages.
Too many people think we came here unasked for, poor and unwanted, and have been in that same position for the last 300 years. Our history is part of the fascinating history of this great city.
More, please!
FYI I have been a reader/poster on this site for far longer than bxgrl has been my username. “it’s not worth my time to even scroll back up” So in other words you’d simply rather be wrong. And your moniker seems very new- you can certainly accuse me of anything you want – divisive, confrontational, etc. Sounds like nearly everyone on this blog -going after me the way you did doesn’t make you out to be all warm and fuzzy either. Dare I say it takes one to know one?
Have a nice weekend.
NOP,
I know the book well. It is called Brown Girl, Brownstones.
She tells the story of trying to fit in with the already established middle class Blacks and dealing with racism from the White community.
The history of Brooklyn is fascinating and much of it as far as the contributions of people of color remains unknown. I only knew about Weeksville because I have family ties there. Similarly very few people know about the large community of African Americans who began to settle in Bensonhurst in the early 1900’s and whose descendants are still there today althought there numbers are dwindling or the African American Holmes famliy of Canarsie for whom Holmes Lane is named. They sold a large tract of land to Harry Waxman who developed the part of Canarsie now referred to as Seaview Village. The homes there are called Waxman splits (ranch.)
Again, I would not have known about any of this if it were not because of family ties.
And what are you contributing, jingle mail, other than more divisiveness? Bxgrl is as entitled to her opinions, and her way of expressing them, as anyone else here, many of whom are certainly more confrontational and downright nasty.
While you may not agree with her opinions, I hardly think that her use of an often used exaggeration like “the dawn of time” is worthy of this amount of discussion. If you didn’t get it when she said it, her explanation following, done in good humor, certainly should have cleared it up. Seems to me that you are being overly confrontational on a very minor point in an otherwise decent conversation here.
I’ve been reading this site as long as you have, and disagree with people, both named and anonymous over the years, right and left. Most people here do. Bxgrl is passionate about her causes, and questions everything, as is her right. I have never seen her attack unless she is attacked first, and then she takes no prisoners. How is that different, or less full of facts, focus or logic, than anyone else? 90% of her posts are as innoculous and non- confrontational as anyone elses. Perhaps she needs to be thicker skinned about all this, but I think she is unfairly been chosen as the bad guy here, and it is totally unwarranted.
I’ve been wanting to say this for a while, so here’s as good a place as any.
This post clearly illustrates the framework of covert race/class warfare. You suckers bit the bait and the hits prove it.
This photo was chosen by choice, not by “accident”.
But people time is very short in this Mutant Real Estate Bubble and discussions like this will be moot very soon.
You can not stop “The What”, you only hope to contain him…..
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…
it’s not worth my time to even scroll back up. i have been a reader of this site since before the “bxgirl” moniker came into existence, so i have seen your posts from the beginning. they are usually divisive, confrontational and light on facts/logic/focus. hyperbole. yes.
and to you too 1842.
I don’t agree with Bxgl that often but I have to stand by her on this one. Although Blacks were not in Crown Heights since the dawn of time, they were in Crown Heights since at least colonial times and although the vast majority of Victorian Crown Heights homeowners were wealthy white men, there were a significant number of Black homeowners, as well.
Many of the groups who came later and also added to the beautiful mosaic that is Crown Heights, often forget this fact. This fact doesn’t give any one group greater claim to the neighborhood than any other, but it is just a matter of acknowledgement.
I know you thanked me bxgrl, I appreciate it. Let’s all just agree to be nice. I’m sorry if I’m coming down hard on anyone. This is why I don’t post much! Not sure why I appointed myself the passive aggressive mediator here?! 😛
Have a good weekend.