Our Borough, Ourselves
For the past month the Observer’s been running a weekly column called “Brooklyn, the Borough.” Each installment is a first-person account written by Nicole Brydson, who grew up in Manhattan and did some time in Greenpoint and Hell’s Kitchen before recently settling in Prospect Heights. In grand old Observer fashion, the column sorta reads like…
For the past month the Observer’s been running a weekly column called “Brooklyn, the Borough.” Each installment is a first-person account written by Nicole Brydson, who grew up in Manhattan and did some time in Greenpoint and Hell’s Kitchen before recently settling in Prospect Heights. In grand old Observer fashion, the column sorta reads like “Sex and the City,” but instead of bed-hopping and social climbing the focus is one woman’s quest to identify herself via her new borough. Here’s what Brydson’s learned so far:
Lesson 1: Finding the right neighborhood is tough. Williamsburg=”hupsters.” Park Slope=”pretentious mommy-daddy colony.” Fort Greene=”just about perfect,” but a little too pricey. Prospect Heights=True love, at the right price.
Lesson 2: It’s possible to decorate on the cheap. Getting gear from Lowe’s and IKEA is all well and good, but how ’bout that beige carpet from the sidewalk? “So far, no bed bugs!”
Lesson 3: Gentrification is a bitch. “I feel destined to simultaneously be gentrified and gentrifying, but to most people I just look like the new white girl on the block.”
Lesson 4: Don’t expect sanity from a real estate agent who asks you to sign a lease on the hood of her Jag.
Looking forward to more!
Escaping Hupsters for New Prospects [Observer]
An Electric Boyfriend Works the New Apartment [Observer]
Destined to Be Gentrified and Gentrifying [Observer]
My Angel Gave Me Hell [Observer]
True that every “character” in her columns is described by race/ethnicity first. Lame.
“Typical snarky for the sake of being snarky, around here. No real thoughts or opinions to share.”
Perfect description of the NY Observer articles.
No, not really, 11:19. These Observer columns on Brooklyn are hackneyed and incredibly annoying. The snark and arrogant judgment come from the reporter, not the commenters. These pieces are more about the reporter and her self-love and prejudices than about Brooklyn–that’s the main problem. And FYI, I live in Manhattan and I still find these articles obnoxious.
“Typical snarky for the sake of being snarky, around here. No real thoughts or opinions to share.”
While I agree that there are many occassions on Brownstoner to be snarky for the sake of snarkey, I absolutely do not believe this is one of them.
The article was not only poorly written, but written by someone who doesn’t seem to know her ass from her elbow. It’s sad that anyone who actually lives, or knows anything about Brooklyn would find any of this person’s comments interesting at all.
It was quite amateurish and your defense of it reminds me of the way the majority of Americans are able to settle for mediocrity.
Or better yet…you will be one of those parents who tells their kid they are a winner and give them a trophy when they come in dead last, instead of telling them to try harder next time.
Not helpful at all.
flatbush farm is in park slope.
The column manages to be both narcissistic and poorly written. She used the word “amenities” five times in one of them. Embarrassing that the Observer has sunk so low. Their good writers keep getting poached.
Me again at 11:19. Because it’s so utterly predictable to accuse me of being the writer or knowing her, nope! Not true. I’m just getting sick of the idiots around here ruining what once was a blog that actually had decent information and debate.
I work in media and if someone pitched this idea to me, I’d think “good concept”. I’d go for it. I know you all think everyone in Manhattan has already moved to Brooklyn but there is still definitely a breed of Manhattanite who really have not thought about moving to Brooklyn until very recently. And yeah, I guess you can make fun of them if you think that’s entertaining. Me, that’s what I find boring.
As for neighborhood bashing, Prospect Heights is on the rise for renters and buyers who can’t afford Park Slope and Ft. Greene which are plenty and growing. It has good transportation and IMO one of the best restaurants in the PS/PH area, Flatbush Farm and more amenities coming.
Typical snarky for the sake of being snarky, around here. No real thoughts or opinions to share.
Watched the video clip of Nicole. Just one thing I didn’t understand: every word out of her mouth!