Making Atlantic Yards a Black-and-White Issue
The map that ran with the Atlantic Yards article in yesterday’s Times was pretty neat. Not that the results were particularly surprising (they were about what you’d expect) but it was particularly interesting for us to see that Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, which get so much press for being so racially mixed are still…
The map that ran with the Atlantic Yards article in yesterday’s Times was pretty neat. Not that the results were particularly surprising (they were about what you’d expect) but it was particularly interesting for us to see that Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, which get so much press for being so racially mixed are still predominantly black on a pure numbers basis. As for the article, it wasn’t much fun being reminded of the appalling amount of race-baiting that’s gone on in battle for the hearts and minds of Brooklyn residents over the Atlantic Yards issue. We thought Brad Lender from PACC summed everything up the best:
If you live nearby, you have a nice home and you have a job, you’re probably not that excited by the benefits, and you’re swamped by the drawbacks. If you live a little farther away, and you don’t have a job and a nice house, then you probably get a lot more of the benefits. None of that is about race per se. But when you layer on that the people who live nearby are more likely to be whiter and wealthier, and the people who live farther out are more likely to be people of color without good jobs or housing, the race elements have become stronger.
We agree. It’s much more about class than race. It just happens to be that economic stratification in the neighborhoods surrounding Atlantic Yards happens to occur along racial lines so it’s a convenient lever for the powers-that-be to try to manipulate.
AY Development Through the Prism of Race [NY Times]
That’s my point, the bs you hear on this blog, from supposed old timers and purported gentrifiers is not what you see or hear on the block. A bit of bluster really, just like your comment about riots. Come on, let’s take it down a notch and ignore the inflammatory crap.
You can delete all the posts that you want. I will be a righteous pimple on your arse.
lp,
I hear you. I’m not sure what your ethnicity is, whether you’re tall or short, fat or slim, or if you have the unfortunate circumstance of falling into one or more of the various categorization that insecure humans use to daily dehumanize their fellow human beings.
It certainly isn’t a walk in the park when people like Eryximachus and ‘just curious’ come along and spout their bullshit, racist ideologies.
I enjoy living in Clinton Hill but if the opinions offered on this blog are representative of the new wave of gentrifiers then I can offer no assistance when the riots of the 60’s and 70’s return with a vengeance. You light a spark and you get a forest wildfire that is out of control.
The antagonsim displayed on this board certainly does not exist in the neighborhood. People are actually friendly and look out for each other. Let’s be nice. 🙂
‘Grand Avenue is to the East of Washinton Avenue.’
you’re correct 11:20, my mistake. But the blocks that were outlined still fit the description. They’re ‘east of Washington Ave and south of Lafayette’.
I believe the block that ‘just curious’ was trying to be coy about doesn’t exist.
He or she was trying to suggest that the blocks within the general vicinity of brownstoner were remarkable for the simple reason that they were majority white owned. Wrong on both accounts; they’re neither pre-dominantly white owned, nor are they tremendously remarkable.
Those blocks are superb but if I had to create my ‘top 30 best blocks in Brooklyn’ they might not even make the list.
Enough with all the ignorance, racism, hating and childish mischievousness already. In the words of the immortal Rodney King, ‘why can’t we all just get along. I’m glad to know that I have neighbors like Crouchback, CHP, Hal, Putnam-Denizen, Clinton Hillster, et. al. but a vast majority of you need to grow up.
I am Anon 10.07am. Again, you map reading skills are in need of a tune up. Grand Avenue is to the East of Washinton Avenue. So 7.43’s description of borders of this supposedly majority white block (which is not the case), should have been described as having Washington Avenue to the West, Grand Avenue to the East. Learn to read a map.
Just as I expected, and as clearly noted by Shahn, there are no ‘2 white blocks’ in Clinton Hill. It’s a remarkably diverse and well maintained section of CH.
So, ‘just curious at November 13, 2006 11:12 AM’, you can shove all that bigoted bullshit up your arse. Go have your juvenile racist fun at some other groups expense.
Good try, 10:07 AM. If you read 7:43’s comment carefully (reading was a pre-requisite of your school, wasn’t it) you’d see that it clearly states that Washington Ave is to the East, Grand Ave is to the West, Lafayette Ave is to the North and Gates Ave is to the South.
Check mapquest, please.
10:44 PM, my sentiments exactly. Which is why I’m curious about the new set of gentrifyers. Are they the ones that are propogating the hate.