Bed Stuy's Star Continues to Rise
According to The Sun, things got so bad in Bed Stuy back in the 1980s that one local precinct spray-painted (officers tagging?) the words “The Alamo” on the wall of the station house. Two decades later, crime is down and property values are up, though not everyone–including long-time renters and property owners who resent newcomers…
According to The Sun, things got so bad in Bed Stuy back in the 1980s that one local precinct spray-painted (officers tagging?) the words “The Alamo” on the wall of the station house. Two decades later, crime is down and property values are up, though not everyone–including long-time renters and property owners who resent newcomers benefiting from what they see as the fruits of their labors–think the trade is worth it. Crime’s down 70 percent or so since 1990, roughly in line with city-wide trends, while brownstone values have just about doubled since 2003. “People don’t feel quite as safe as the police reports, but they feel a lot safer than five, ten or fifteen years ago,” said Colvin Grannum, head of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Project. Change is coming from out as well as within: In addition to the Home Depot that opened last year, spots like Bushbaby, a gourmet coffee shop started by a Bed Stuy native, are starting to replace the nail salons and bodegas.
Renaissance Comes to ‘The Alamo’ [NY Sun]
CHP, I wish you’d recognize that what you just said simply reinforcing the argument that those black residents who you allege think as you describe above are being racist. They are presupposing that if someone is white and does not go out of their way to speak to them an cow tow to them that they are racists who want the blacks to move out.
Great, didn’t know that, and will check it out. Thanks!
Linus, in answer to your question, I am of the impression that most black people don’t see gentrifying black folks as such. Especially those of the generation to see most of the black newcomers as being the same age as their own children. To them, black newcomers are just “coming home”, and they are proud of those who have made good and want to invest in the black community by buying homes, renovating, and raising their famililies in Bed Stuy (or wherever).
Race does make it harder for white and other racial and ethnic groups to “fit in” in the same way, but as many have stated in many other threads here, it happens all the time, and it can and does work out fine. I think it all comes down to what Drew and Oh Lord! said earlier – if you come into the community with an entitled attitude that says basically,” Glad I got this great house cheap from you stupid black people who don’t know what you’ve got, and now let’s turn this place into Park Slope. You lot will have to leave, unless you went to Yale like I did, because your standards are not as high as mine are, and frankly, I don’t understand you or your culture. My kids go to Friends School, and when we get FreshDirect, Whole Foods, a Banana Republic, a trendy bar, and all of my friends moving here, the place will be just fine. Isn’t it liberal and hip of me to move into the black community? Pass the shiraz, please.”
That, of course is a gross exaggeration, but parts of that have been heard by many. Because gentrification in BS is still in its infancy,as it were, most of the people who are moving in seem to still be the shock troops – young students and artist types, who are mostly renters. Many of the new buyers seem to be childless or have infants. In a few years, when these kids start playing with others, and going to play groups, daycare and school, we’ll see if this grand experiment is working. Where your kids are and who they play with really is the true test. I hope it works out, I really do. We all gain from living in truly integrated neighborhoods.
Do they say where their stats are from? Maybe from brokers in the area?
Glad you made up, but I think y’all have effectively killed anyone’s desire to actually have a discussion about this. Too bad.
Bx2B,
Appreciated. It was actually weirder than the PLG troll attack — I had posted some (partly critical) anon remarks that got mixed uo with some other (really insulting and rude) anon remarks. I assume it was an honest mistake on Mr. B’s part… I just say enough obnoxious things on my own without getting credit for other people’s.
And, I can see how you would have come back with the Klan thing if you thought the anon was making some kind of skeevy slavery allusion. That didn’t occur to me. When I think self-flagellation, I think monks, but that’s me.
So, back to my original question: is the NY Sun article correct — that most of the “gentrifiers” in Bed Stuy are not actually white?
for the record I don’t think you are a liar and never did. And I had enough personal experience with the infamous troll to know he especially delights in using other people’s handles. Sorry that happened to you too.
Bx2B,
In the garden thread, I posted a couple of comments about my own garden as anon, because I prefer to post anon while discussing details about my home.
Mr. B “outed” me for some other rude comments in the thread that I did not make. I don’t know why or how — maybe he was reading his referrer logs wrong, not having run a blog I couldn’t tell you. I didn’t “apologize” for the posts, because I didn’t make them. You can read the thread, if you, like me, have nothing better to do, here:
http://brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2006/05/
brownstoner_gar.html#comments
I was annoyed then, and still am, because (1) Mr. B outed me, in a fit of pique, when I was trying to keep details about my own home private, and (2) that he did it over something I didn’t write.
But again, I don’t have the referrer logs and I can’t prove it, so thanks to Mr. B’s temper and misattributing the post to me, anyone else who read that thread probably thinks I was lying then and am lying now. So thanks again for that, Mr. B! It’s been a pleasure!
OK, back on topic, I hope.
I don’t want this conversation to disintegrate into name calling, but to be factual, anon 3:25 set the bar. B2B’s experiences and observations did not warrant anon’s snarky reply, which added nothing to the overall high tone of the conversation.
There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with someone’s opinion, but why does the disagreement have to be accompanied by the stated or implied assertation that said person is somehow lacking worth. Sheesh, just say “I disagree, I think you are wrong, and here’s why…”
Back to the original discussion…