Future of Fulton Mall Crystalizes Race Issues
NY Observer writer Matthew Schuerman, who also contributes much of The Real Estate, had a piece in the paper last week that spoke with unusual frankness about the issue of race in the borough’s process of gentrification and commercial revitalization. The future of the Fulton Mall, he points out, is forcing these issues out on…
NY Observer writer Matthew Schuerman, who also contributes much of The Real Estate, had a piece in the paper last week that spoke with unusual frankness about the issue of race in the borough’s process of gentrification and commercial revitalization. The future of the Fulton Mall, he points out, is forcing these issues out on the table. There is a lot of pressure from business leaders and residents of neighboring Brownstone Brooklyn to “improve” the mall–despite the fact that it commands some of the highest retail rents in the city and draws heavy foot traffic in its current state. At the same time, however, side streets are deserted and the upper floors of many of the historic buildings are underutilized as well. Community planners and landlords are confronting the reality that it’s going to be hard to attract cute cafes to those side streets and young professionals to buy lofts in an area whose anchor tenants include a “forlorn Macy’s, a Conway, three Payless Shoe Sources, two Foot Lockers and a Kids Foot Locker.” And forget about Class A office tenants: “It’s hard to lure Fortune 500 companies to downtown Brooklyn with people selling penis-engraved tooth caps next door,” writes Schuerman. Indeed. What to do?
Fulton Mall Fights for Existence [NY Observer]
Upscale Lofts in Mall’s Future [Brownstoner]
And BTW according to recent newspaper articles the shoe stores on 8th St may well soon go the way of the bookstores they replaced…
Chinatown is a tourist attraction; the city likes to keep it that way. But beyond that, Chinatown and Boro Park are both self-sustaining residential enclaves. Very few people live in the Fulton Mall area, and part of the problem is you couldn’t if you wanted to, because as pointed out earlier there’s a lack of diversity in the shopping district (where would you buy groceries, for example? Or do your laundry? Or take your clothes to be cleaned?) and nothing open after 9 pm. Fulton Mall is just that – a shopping mall, and like most suburban shopping malls, it closes at 9 pm.
As a white Boerum Hill resident who bought in 1988,I obviously have no problem living in a racialy and economicly mixed nieghborhood.In fact the mix of people is a point of Brooklyn pride for me and I would guess most “gentrifiers”.
The problem with the Fulton Mall is not that it is too black,but that is too shitty to to ocupy this prime location in the heart of the downtown in a city as great as Brooklyn.
The signage and window displays in Fulton Mall arent going to win any design awards.
Compare fulton mall to fulton street in the South Street Seaport. One is very restriced in appearance and one is completely free to be loud and in your face.
No one is trying to make Chinatown more diverse. I haven’t heard for any call to improve boro park’s diversity.
Exactly, malymis, and any imporvement in the Mall is likely to improve diversity — if, for examply, the service at Macy’s weren’t so poor more people from surrounding areas would shop there. Unfortunately I fear than Macy’s long ago targeted this store to be closed (maybe even at the time they acquired A&S) and therefore devote as little as possible to it by way of resources.
It’s a vicious circle: The area sucks, so we don’t invest, so we don’t attract a diverse element, so the area sucks.
And by diverse element there I mean just that and apply it to everywhere — the thought of a city full of Frasiers scares the daylights out of me (especially since he’s SUPPOSED to be a stereotype (seemingly progressive, well-educated yuppie type, yet really a bundle of neuroses and ignorance), NOT someone to be emulated — that was the point of the show)! People who agree with and want to be like Frasier & co are as bad as the people who admired Archie Bunker.
Frasier Crane is a fictitious character from a sitcom! Why must he be brought into this conversation? And if I recall, Frasier was a kind man who opened his heart to all races, colors and creeds. He had principals. He stood up for the common man, while not being a part of them. He was too intelligent to be racist.
Malymis,
I think fulton street is self-segregated not segregated.
Why does evrything need to be diverse? What is wrong with a ditinct district?
8th Street in Manhattan has a high concentration of shoe stores. It is basically a shoe district.
Chinatown is almost entirely asian owned/operated and patroned.
Would it be nice, if there would be more ethnic diversity in Fulton mall? (Less segregation)