Clarkson Ave PLG

Bedstuytownhouse, I’m impressed that you’ve ever gotten useful information from a precinct. Especially in Bed Stuy!

TQAP, is there a way to plug in to Clarkson FlatBed Block Association?

Hi. I’m the loudmouthed guy who writes The Q at Parkside. Here’s my “If You’re Thinking of Living on Clarkson Avenue” with the caveat that, of course, mine is but one opinion.

Clarkson Avenue, as pleasant and relatively safe as it is, is clearly not for everyone. If you compare it to a block in Brooklyn Heights or the most expensive blocks of Park Slope and Ft. Greene, you might describe our block as rough around the edges. There are no fancy stores or restaurants, though you’ll be steps from just about everything you could possibly “need.” The Q & B are awesome trains; the half-dozen buses get you all over Brooklyn. The Park, the Garden, the Parade Ground, the playgrounds – all great and toddler-ific. Plenty of decent daycare and fantastic neighbors from all over the world. You will never, ever, ever find your neighborhood boring.

I don’t personally think that safety should concern you in the least. Our crime numbers are pretty standard for Brooklyn generally (low by national urban standards), and we don’t tolerate aberrant behavior anymore than other neighborhoods. If you’re even the least bit savvy, you’ll navigate the realities of the occasional screaming teenagers, late night party or sad drugged-out stumbler. Since we’re a bus route, it gets more traffic and trash than the tonier blocks to the north (PLG proper). I would say without a doubt that trash is the single worst aspect of Clarkson between Flatbush and Bedford – and its why we started a block association – to clean things up a bit and meet our neighbors. We got some street trees, and we try to keep graffiti and street trash at bay. The buses are annoying, and we look forward to the day when the whole fleet consists of the newer greener quieter vehicles.

If you’re looking for a bourgeois block, this ain’t it. It’s gritty, and it’s City. There is no obvious public school choice (though if public school is your aim you will make it work like so many before you). The reason that “people from good homes” move to a block like this is to get more space for the buck, be near the park, and not move to the ‘burbs. Newcomers universally admit that this was not their first choice of neighborhood. But then, if this was your first choice you probably wouldn’t have asked for advice about it!

Lastly, and with love, I’ll just say this. It’s a predominantly black neighborhood. If you’re as whitebread and white-bred as I was moving to this City, that’s a big departure from what you’re used to. But guess what, MLK was right! Character doesn’t come with color attached. With people from the Islands, the Continent, Alabama, Chicago and Brooklyn; with people from unhappy welfare backgrounds to hard-working moms and dads; with people of minimal education to master’s programs; with long-time Clarkson residents and nervous newbies; we ARE the Brooklyn of today and proud of it. And at the risk of offending my race, there are some super-white parts of Brooklyn that make me very, very uncomfortable. To be that white in very black borough feels really wrong to me. I’d rather be in the minority than in the super-majority, but maybe I’m weird that way. And by the way, no one has ever made me feel uncomfortable about being who I am here. The discomfort, when it occurs, is entirely of my own making.

Write me anytime offline via theQatParkside, and I could even give you the names of people in the particular building you’re thinking of. Good luck!

We have never moved anywhere either questionable or up and coming without calling the local police precinct to inquire about safety. Sometimes you get a cop that won’t tell you anything and other times you get someone really helpful. If you get the former, just call back12 hours later – their shift will definitely be over. Also, my husband will sometimes ask people on the block what the vibe is – look for someone like yourself, a youngish looking professional or someone pushing a stroller. They will tell you the real deal.