The Times of London Singing Bed Stuy's Praises
It sounds like London Times writer James Doran got quite a deal on his Bedford Stuyvesant brownstone. Given how well-preserved all the details were, $600,000 sounds undermarket to us. And what a great provenance! The story he tells of the former owner, a brewery heiress, is great stuff. The Heath Ledger angle might be a…
It sounds like London Times writer James Doran got quite a deal on his Bedford Stuyvesant brownstone. Given how well-preserved all the details were, $600,000 sounds undermarket to us. And what a great provenance! The story he tells of the former owner, a brewery heiress, is great stuff. The Heath Ledger angle might be a bit of a stretch but, hey, Doran’s at least setting the newspaper-reading public straight about the neighborhood which has caught more than its share of bad press over the years:
Bed-Stuy is more than just an incredible investment opportunity for an adventurous property speculator: it is one of the most fascinating neighbourhoods of New York, steeped in history and close to Manhattan’s sleepless streets, yet no tourist ever sets foot here.
Local blog Bed Stuy Gateway had this to say about the article: Is The Times doing a Lenten penance for the smackdown of an article it published on June 25, 2005 in which reporter Dominic Rushe called Bed-Stuy “a horrible and inconvenient area of Brooklyn with some lovely buildings and a nasty crack habit”?
Big Apple’s Core Appeal [London Times]
The Brits Are Coming [Bed Stuy Gateway]
So what do you propose CHP, if you want the dealers and prostitutes off of the stoops and corners but don’t want to push “them into the sea”. Jail/rehab sounds good to me.
Explanations are easy to come by when discussing criminal behavior of an individual. Explanations, however, do not excuse such behavior in most instances.
For all the nice black neighbors who are welcoming non-black people into their neighborhood there are also people like Alyndea/BrooklynProud who want it to be:
“chocolate only” = For Black Only
Whitey not welcome
Bomber, I agree with you in principle that prices in BS, CH, etc are artificially inflated, however, I think the only way to change that in a free market is for the consumer to refuse to buy at that price. I would hate to see some kind of special program aimed at these neighborhoods, it smacks of the kind of affirmative action that no one wants. I would rather programs that allowed any person of certain means to be eligible for lower interest down payment loans. I know from personal experience that saving for, or having a large amount of money for the downpayment is the hardest part of first time homeownership. Most of us could carry a mortgage, the monthly payments aren’t usually more that what we were paying for rent, especially if you have tenants to help. This kind of wide spread program would significantly add to the number of people who could buy a home.
I’m having a bit of trouble with your opening statement about drug addicts and criminals. While I do agree that for the most part, people are entirely responsible for their own actions, and the consequences thereof, I do think that the outside factors in their lives: poverty, racism, homelessness, sexual and/or parental abuse, lack of education, generations of drug and/or alchohol abuse, and generations of dependency on public assistance have given rise to a significant population that cannot or will not help itself. Until the factors in preventing these people from becoming what they are can be more fairly implemented, or even implemented at all, in many cases, they will always be with us. We can’t keep pushing them to the sea, and hope they eventually go over the edge and disappear. Each one of them is someone’s child, someone’s relative, and a fellow human being. In our abhorrance of what they do, or if they are keeping the property values down, let’s maintain our humanity and do all we can to save those we can. Get the dealers off the corners, the junkies off the stoops, and the muggers off the streets, I’m all for that, and personally need to do more to make that happen. But let’s not demonize them, or just step over them on our way home. Some things are more important than property. Improving the human condition is one of them.
David- I actually didn’t remember who said it, just that it was said several times, and I didn’t think James particularly appreciated it, although he was very polite about it. I also wasn’t thinking about your posts when I wrote what I did- in fact I agree with you about accuracy and discussion. But we’re well aware there are people who have used the forum to vent some very nasty ideas.
I simply wonder why James’ experience in Bed-Stuy was not allowed to stand on its own- some people took such issue with it that they practically called him a liar. He wrote on his experiences only- so what he wrote is true.Yet some people wouldn’t let it go.
As far as brownbomber’s comments- no one likes or condones drug dealers, prostitutes and criminals. But years of being ignored or worse has made many long-time residents simply give up. There is nothing worse than feeling powerless and unfortunately many people in poorer neighborhoods have been made to feel exactly that. From do-nothing politicians to greedy companies to money hungry contractors- they have gotten years of neglect. So while money gets funnelled to those who already have it, the working class gets to pay their taxes and watch it go elsewhere. I look around and see all the people in my neighborhood who have worked so hard for years, made lives for themselves and their families, bought homes and kept food on the table- in spite of the short shrift given them and against all odds.
Great post Bx2Bklyn.
Bx2Brklyn – I called it a puff piece and JD said “It is a puff piece if you like — I love it here. If someone who hates it wants to write a piece (as I believe my collegue Dominic Rushe chose to do in the Sunday Times last year) Then feel free.”
So where is the insult – and to settle something else that people love to bring up –
The ARTICLE brought up the crime problem (and IMHO minimized it) – crime was not ‘brought up’ by detractors to throw dirt in the face of Bed-Stuyers.
Again (and for the last time)
Bed Stuy has some beautiful sections and amazing atributes, and if someone writes about them I am not going to bring up crime just to knock the nabe, but if in writing about the nabe you focus on crime then I feel free (and justified) to mention the statistically high rate. Not for bashing but accuracy and discussion.
As I have stated on previous posts, I have utter disdain for criminals, prostitutes and drug addicts – absolutely no sympathy or compassion for their plights. They are a cancer and should be removed from our communities at all cost. These people are morally bankrupt degenerates and the public shouldn’t pity nor tolerate their anti-social pathological behavior for one second. Everyone has free will and these people made their choices, albeit wrong ones (unlike the vast majority of folks living in BS who are law abiding and good honest citizens). Making excuses or accepting their behavior as simply a cost of living in a certain area only serves to further entrench and prolong the cycle of crime, poverty and despair.
I’m not advocating that people should avoid Bed-Stuy. To the contrary, I encourage folks to buy smart at discounted levels in the nabe and then work their butts off to improve the community and make it a better place to live for themselves and their families. The paradigm worked in FG/CH and it will prove successful again in BS too.
The thing about BS is that prices should in fact be held lower, at least for the time being, due to the quality of life issues. Over zealous real estate brokers are doing the community more harm then good by hyping prices so high that they end up pricing out the very same people needed to take the community to the next level. Price gouging is preventing or retarding the long term growth and development of the community in a very real way.
Too many, not all, long term residents are simply too complacent and tolerant of crime and poor quality of life issues. In my opinion, the community needs an influx of new families who are energized and optimistic about creating positive change in the community. The ground work has already been laid out and these families can work hand and hand with their neighbors and grass root organizations that are already involved in improving the community. But without affordable housing, the “next level” families will simply not move to the neighborhood.
Well I realize I sound like a cheering section for CHP but what she (he?) writes is true and to the point.(for the record I am White). I never got the impression that post was a defense, I read it as a great description of life in a real NYC neighborhood. I disagree though with the poster who said it seems like those who want to talk about crime in these areas are not allowed. That is definitely not true- the issue is that whenever anyone says something positive, the same group will always bring up the subject and always about the same neighborhoods. Look at how some of you have insulted James for writing a pro article. Several people labelled it a “puff” piece- damn insulting if you ask me. People questioned his right to say anything positive- c’mon folks! The elephant is in the room. And for those people who totally misinterpreted CHP’s description of her block- my first question is: How long have YOU lived in Bed-Stuy, or do you rely on stats to simply reinforce your preformed opinions? There is no replacement for experience and to ebomb- what makes you think no one else worries about being out at night in NYC? In any neighborhood? If you haven’t lived in a neighborhood like Bed-Stuy or Crown Hgts, you have no idea how great these neighborhoods are. Sure they have problems- what neighborhood doesn’t? But compared to what I have here, from a great place, to wonderful, friendly neighbors- I’d never go back to Bklyn Hgts. These neighborhoods are alive in a way that the Hgts, Cobble Hill, Park Slope etc. have long ago lost as they became more homogenic. When I was mugged in Brooklyn Heights the one person who came to help me was an Arab cab driver- not a single white person. The majority of white people will never get to know their Black neighbors or co-workers, etc in the same way they do their own.I have heard white people who have never been to a Black home say how filthy they are. I’ve been in Black homes where you could eat off the floor (and I can’t say that about mine!) I have a feeling most White people would be shocked to learn just how similar all of our interests, needs, fears and hopes actually are.
Wow what a great thread. I was actually working and sleeping and missed most of the fun.