Fascinating Claim: East New York as the Next Harlem?
Who could’ve predicted this? Some folks—Marty Markowitz, for one—say notoriously downtrodden and crime-ridden East New York is undergoing a renaissance and could become “the new Harlem.” There’s been a lot of demand for home ownership options in the area, most notably at the massive condo conversion MeadowWood at Gateway, where prices range from $110,500 to…
Who could’ve predicted this? Some folks—Marty Markowitz, for one—say notoriously downtrodden and crime-ridden East New York is undergoing a renaissance and could become “the new Harlem.” There’s been a lot of demand for home ownership options in the area, most notably at the massive condo conversion MeadowWood at Gateway, where prices range from $110,500 to $350,000. “There is no question that the neighborhoods with higher rates of home ownership have the greatest stability, schools and community services,” says Markowitz of how ENY is changing. “Brooklynites outside of the ‘Brownstone Belt’ don’t realize that we have an affordability issue in certain neighborhoods and we’re losing families to other areas such as New Jersey. We’re committed to not letting that happen.” Other developments are also boosting the sprawling neighborhood’s profile, including the Related Companies Gateway Center shopping mall, which has a Target, Home Depot, Best Buy, and a supermarket and is going to be expanded in coming years with more big-box retail. Another large ENY home-ownership project, Nehemiah Housing Complex, is also currently being built. The complex will bring more than 2,000 middle-income units to the neighborhoods, with prices starting at $158,000. “Every place has its time,” says Fillmore Real Estate’s John-Paul Ho, who heads the team selling MeadowWood. “Now it’s East New York. It’s like a Cinderella story for the entire area.”
Is East New York the New Harlem? [NY Daily News]
Photo by zachvs.
Hey Zach, I saw some of your photos of Cypress Hills, some of the brick rows are nice but there are some wonderful victorians in that area you forgot to catch. Those pics of ENY however look horrid! Did you purposly go to the worse blocks to take your flicks?
tWhat, 8 PM. Meet you by the bogeda on the souteast corner of Classon and Fulton. Your the crazy one ranting on the corner, right?
No need to invite your prison buddies. You will all be going back soon enough.
And since when is posting as the tWhat considered as being completely transparent as to who you are?
Yeah Mr. B blocked it
Hm, actually, I did, and it got blocked for some reason when I posted the comment. You can check out some of the older housing (mostly in bad shape, but some very nice) here:
http://flickr.com/photos/zachvs/sets/72157602911594648/
I’ve got some Cypress Hills photos here:
http://flickr.com/photos/zachvs/sets/72157603393333899/
Let’s see if this comment sticks.
Zach – please go back and take some more photos of the Victorians and brick row homes by Highland Park and Cypress Hills.
We all would like to see the nice home in ENY.
Thanks.
Markowitz may not be too far off. I took the picture that’s used in this post, and that block and the ones around it feel downright suburban — well-groomed lawns and big cars. It’s bizarre. There’s a fair share of hipsters at the New Lots L stop (I realize this is unbelievable) — not many by any means, but then again ENY is beyond cheap.
Check the other photos in that set if you want to see some devastation, though. It’s very block-by-block out there.
AMEN 12:29
Perhaps Mr. B needs to go back the drawing board and consider capturing the nicer looking blocks of ENY – as 11:28 mentioned above, I would like to see other old homes in this area.
Mr. B it is official, please be brave and take a trip to ENY and take real pics of some of the areas like Cypress Hills, Highland, etc.. and report back in a week.
It is time to see other old structures in BK other than the typical attached cookie cut Brownstone.
While you are out there shake a hand or just say “hello”, remember they are just people. Hard working families do exist in ENY, everyone is not a drug dealer or a thief.
I am eager to see the pics Mr. B.
Do they have a Yogo Monster there yet?
Yes you’re right 12:16, those aren’t the ugliest houses in ENY. Those are cute houses. People here might not choose them but they look to be nicely kept.
However they are not Victorians and there certainly are older structures than these ones in ENY. Also, please keep in mind you find a ton of houses exactly like this in Sunset Park and Bay Ridge and yet those houses are never chosen to represent those neighborhoods.
So I think my point still stands.
By the way, I am not an ENY homeowner or resident. I just truly love old houses, all of them, not only when they’re expensive. That’s usually the case for people who aren’t brand new to owning old houses. I’ve lived in them all my life. I didn’t buy one only recently and only when it seemed cool because everybody else was doing it.