Not Everyone Wants Gowanus To Be Soho-ized
Along the Gowanus Canal, progress (in the form of cleaner waters and improvements to the housing stock) is being met with skepticism and, in some cases, resistance by long-time residents. Forming groups like Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus, or Frogg, locals, many of them who’ve spent a lifetime working in the nabe’s factories, have…
Along the Gowanus Canal, progress (in the form of cleaner waters and improvements to the housing stock) is being met with skepticism and, in some cases, resistance by long-time residents. Forming groups like Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus, or Frogg, locals, many of them who’ve spent a lifetime working in the nabe’s factories, have been fighting the encroaching gentrification one project at a time. To date, they have blocked requests for variances to convert a four-story warehouse at 255 Butler Street into a 6-story building with 53 apartments, replace a graffiti-scarred plant at 450 Union Street with a 7-story condo building, and convert an export-import company at 130 Third Street to apartments. (Not every project has been blocked, however: A 100-room Comfort Inn is rising on the edge of Gowanus and Whole Foods has cleared a nearly square-block space at Third Street for a Brooklyn market.) But that’s all just a warm-up for what is sure to be the mother of all battles against Lev Leviev and Shaya Boymelgreen’s plans for Gowanus Village. (Does anyone know where to find schematics of their plan?) We suspect that the majority of people are open to more housing but not at the expense of preserving the neighborhood’s character. But that’s always the way it is, isn’t it? Rarely is it an easy line to walk.
From Open Sewer to Gentrification [NY Times]
combustiblegirl,
I read the article, and I see it as yet more proof of the real definition of gentrification: “when somebody with more money than me moves into the neighborhood I moved into.” Obviously I’m not referring to the people who grew up in the neighborhood. But the artist who belongs to FROGG is kidding herself if she does not consider herself part of the gentrification process, just as artists were in Soho. If people want to oppose zoning changes to keep jobs, or to oppose giant developments, fine, but it is the height of hypocrisy to expect that other people shouldn’t eventually want to move to the neighborhood she moved to, and, thus, drive prices up. I have no sympathy for that pull-up-the-ladder-behind-me mentality.
I especially loved the line that artists are “workers,” just like the factory workers, but not, apparently, like the newcomers — who also work, of course, but apparently at less morally pure jobs.
I’m just curious if anonymous 10:03 who started this whole rant actually read the NYT piece or spent any time trying to understand what the Gowanus residents are fighting for. It seems like a knee-jerk response to reading Brownstoner’s summary of the article, which is unfortunate and kind of ridiculous. There’s a long history in Gowanus of community organizing around trying to maintain a mixed-use neighborhood where people can live and work. Anyone who’s actually interested in beginning to understand the issue would do well by going to the Gowanus Dredgers website, for one. That’s an organization headed by someone who’s a longtime BK resident and does urban planning and actually knows of what he speaks. http://www.gowanuscanal.org/
To Anon at 10.42 — are you joking when you write
“you’d know there are no hookers around the gowanus”
Personally, I have been propositioned (in broad daylight no less) on Third Avenue near Butler. And I have seen what appeared to be working ladies at various locations along Third Avenue at different hours of the day. (OTOH, I doubt that the target clientele are going to be inclined to spring for the $100/night rooms at the new Comfort Inn).
Also, when did it become a Comfort Inn? I thought it was going to be a Holiday Inn.
We’ve also never accused anyone of being a broker, mostly because we’re happy if brokers are visiting the site. The more the merrier.
The more you come to Brownstoner to bitch about it, the more your vilifying actually legitimizes what he is doing. He is one man telling his opinions and asking for commentary about it. That’s what a blog is and does. He doesn’t claim to be unbiased. He isn’t a new agency of thousands of people, he is personality projected into cyberspace and asking for other peoples thoughts. Your negative comments are just as crucial as others positive ones.This is not your first time here, and it definately won’t be the last.
anon 10:22 and anon 10:42 are clearly the same wacko.
Me? I AM a real estate broker. Brownstoner has created one of the most important tools of my business. I refer my customers to his site a lot; they all love it.
Anon 10:22. Instead of becoming a broker to prove Brownstoner wrong, why don’t you create your own blog. I’m sure it would be entertaining…
To Anonymous at 10:22: I don’t see any reason why Brownstoner needs to come up with original content. By scouring the Internet and consolidating content from other sources that is related to life in Brownstone Brooklyn, he provides a valuable service to a fairly large audience. And why would anyone think posters on this site are Brownstoner’s cronies? I’ve never met the fellow, have no idea who he is, and just happened on this site by chance. If you don’t like the site, don’t read it. Simple as that.
I agree with Anon 10:22.
Anon 10:04 is a prime example of what your regurgitation attracts. Absolutely no idea what they’re talking about. Even if you fell out of a plane 10min ago you’d know there are no hookers around the gowanus…what a freekin idiot. This site continues to disappoint and is a waste – READERS BEWARE – NO REAL CONTENT HERE – see everyone’s great pics on flickr.com and stick to curbed for RE entertainment and find yourself a real professional broker if you’re REALLY in the market. this banter is counter productive no matter what your views on Brooklyn and real estate here. And brownstoner, stop trying to label every poster as an angry broker. If I were a broker I would ignore you anyway. You guys are absolutely right though, it’s only a blog…however everyone is responsible for what they spew into the world and this pollution is no exception.
Whatever.