The Times Gives It Up For Alterna-Slopes
The Times had a case of Brooklyn fever this weekend, taking some precious column inchage to profile two neighborhoods that most readers of The Gray Lady probably hadn’t heard of until recently, Windsor Terrace and Prospect Lefferts Gardens. The subjects of the Windsor Terrace article, a couple who were pleased as punch to land a…
The Times had a case of Brooklyn fever this weekend, taking some precious column inchage to profile two neighborhoods that most readers of The Gray Lady probably hadn’t heard of until recently, Windsor Terrace and Prospect Lefferts Gardens. The subjects of the Windsor Terrace article, a couple who were pleased as punch to land a four-bedroom house in the nabe last year for $999,000, had this to say about how their new home stacked up versus the Slope: It’s a little less precious over here, and a little more real. We kind of like that.” (The director of the Jack Nicholson flick As Good As It Gets thought it was unprecious enough to cast one of the houses above on Fuller Place as Helen Hunt’s working-class digs. The idea that these places are now within reach of people with working-class incomes is, of course, laughable.) Despite initial concern about the “clusters of young men hanging out on some of the street corners,” the star of the PLG article ultimately was won over by the area’s racial diversity and proximity to Prospect Park, snapping up a small Victorian house just outside the historic district for $240,000 back in 2002. She now shares the house with her 11-year-old daughter, her brother and his wife.
Less ‘Precious’ Than the Slope? Certainly Cheaper [NY Times]
A Wished-For House With a Hideaway Nook [NY Times]
Photo by redxdress
“But even if I wasn’t so lucky, I actually liked living in Fort Greene”
Sorry, but this comment sums it all up. I don’t think I’d want to be “lucky” when it comes to the safety of my family and friends and our living environment.
I prefer to be a little more solid about my choice and it would be a sad story if I happened to be one of the unlucky ones because I hoped to turn my 1 million dollar house into 2 a few years down the road.
“still think he[eryximachus]’s so intelligent, bob???”
Yes
Also IMO wrong headed and somthing of a PITA, but NOT stupid.
YRMV
I don’t think there was anything wrong with what the poster with a family of six said about PLG houses being two small. My own three story house has two floors of living and entertainment space, with only one floor of bedrooms. There are four bedrooms, but two ARE tiny. Could a family of six, or larger, live in a house like mine? Yes,of course–people had LARGE families when our houses were built, but it would be tight. A four story in PLG might work for a very large family. So would one of the three story limestones,or brick colonial revivals, with two floors of bedrooms. There even are a handful of frame houses similar to those in other parts of Flatbush further south. Nevertheless, I agree that Victorian Flatbush has far more homes suitable for really large families than most any brownstone neighborhood.
Brooklyn Heights hit rock bottom too, don’t kid yourself. by 1960 conditions in the Heights were very bad, it was a semi-slum. Other neighborhoods like Carrol Gardens and Park Slope, fared much better in my estimation.
i also think a lot of people SAY they’re happy in their respective hoods, because a. it’s good for their bottom line b. it encourages others to move into the hood thus adding to a.
i really don’t believe for a second that anyone truly LOVES living in PLG if they have a family. it’s simply not that safe…or safe feeling, i should say. although prices may be lower, the satisfaction of knowing my kids could go play out front without me going out with them far exceeds saving a few bucks in my mind (if you’ve got it, of course) and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with “diversity.”
in a huge city like new york with a stressful life, you are really underestimating the feeling of a safe neighborhood and the thoughts that go along with “if i were walking home from the subway drunk at 4am, would i be” 1. terrified 2. super alert 3. alert 4. make sure to have ipod off and eyes open.
I prefer to live in number 4.
And I do believe PLG would be considered a very strong 2/1.
To each his/her own, but lots of us like knowing that we can walk around at any hour without groups of people hanging around on the corner, which by the way from the few times i’ve been down to plg, they were not JUST hanging around. they were selling drugs, they were calling people names as they walked by and they were harassing women.
of course this happens everywhere, but it happens too often for my taste in plg.
well the eryximachus on this board is a whiney self proclaimed 20-something who makes in the 6 figures and complains non stop about how he can’t afford anything in brooklyn.
still think he’s so intelligent, bob???
not only is he everything wrong with the entitled youth being brought up these days, but then comes on here and posts bitter rants as if we should all feel sorry for him because he hasn’t been able to buy property on his meager salary and bashes every neighborhood in the process.
i guess we’ve got differing opinions on what quantifies intelligence.
2:37, nothing you said contradicts my point. I have friends who are happy in Bed Stuy–I wouldn’t be. I have friends who are happy on the UES–I wouldn’t be. I have friends who are happy in the suburbs–I wouldn’t be. You are happy in PLG–I wouldn’t be. Why do you think that the fact that you’re happy there means that everyone should be?
Eryximachus is a doctor and a guest at Plato’s Symposium. He is presented throughout as rather pompous, confident in his medical skills, and insistent on maintaining order.
Hey – if you don’t feel right about raising your family in PLG, you really shouldn’t live there (although I’m not sure why you think anyone cares).
Frankly, I have no problem raising my family here, just like I had no problem starting a family in Fort Greene in the 1990s. When I moved to Fort Greene, I heard the exact same complaint (over and over again) from the Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill crowd – “I wouldn’t want to raise a family OVER THERE…” Well, I sold my townhouse in Fort Greene in 2005 for nearly $2M and relocated my family to Prospect Lefferts Gardens (to a house by the Park w/ parking) and had enough money left over to buy a country home in Woodstock. Now I have two homes, $0 in mortgage and zero regrets.
But even if I wasn’t so lucky, I actually liked living in Fort Greene. And I like living in PLG. What’s up with all the negativity? No one’s forcing anyone to live there.