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]
Whoops, no one did call me a racist. I didn’t notice someone else has a similar moniker. Thanks 11:37
Whoops, no one did call me a racist. I didn’t notice someone else has a similar moniker. Thanks 11:37
Morning everybody
I couldnt resist one more look at this astonishingly long thread. Thanks so much for making my week as a journalist. Inspiring this kind of debate is as rewarding as getting a front page scoop.
As instigator of this argument though, I think I can act as unoffical moderator and remind everyone that this is a forum for debate not for insult.
And it would be wonderful if all this ferocious neighbourhood pride could be transformed into community action to keep all our streets safe, clean and prosperous.
That would be an achievment indeed.
many thanks to you all, its been a real pleasure to meet you.
JD
CHP, I don’t think anyone called you racist. They were referring to the comment from BrooklynProud who said Bed Stuy should remain a “chocolate city”.
As to anon at 11.07am, I personally would rather see the drug dealers and prostitutes gone rather than view them as a way of experiencing a different walk of life. When I weigh the benefits of a me experiencing people from different walks of life against the violence, addiction and misery that drugs and prostitution bring with them, I side with not having those elements in my neighborhood. I don’t think that is a radical idea. Racial, class and cultural diversity, and the enriching experiences one can have in such an environment is one thing. Accepting that addiction, violence and crime MUST be a part of what it means to be a multicultural, socio-economically diverse community is another, and in my opinion is self defeating.
First of all, to the person who thinks I am defending the criminals in my neighborhood, if you read what I said, I believe that I was trying to present a fuller picture of where I lived. I wanted to show that in addition to the majority of upstanding folk, we had our share of people most people would not want to live with. That’s life on a city block. They live(d)there, we dealt with them in varying ways, including reporting them to the law. Lest I be accused of portraying my block as a perfect utopia, I mentioned them, in the same way someone else mentioned that the drug dealer in their building was actually a nice guy to speak with. They were a fact of life, and my neighbors.
And I also stand by my other comments. Of course Europeans are not perfect, and have their own race issues, especially in the last 20 years, as their past colonial adventures have come home to roost. But race relations in this country are far too ingrained in ALL of us, as Americans, and my purpose in saying that was to point out that we do not speak clearly on this issue, none of us do. W.E.B. DuBois’ comment at the beginning of the twentieth century that race would be the defining question and problem of the twentieth century was certainly true. Of course we have made great strides, and have come a long way, but racism, in which I include anti-Semitism, is still the pre-eminant problem in this country. To the poster who called me a racist who wants to keep Bed Stuy black, I suggest you read where I welcomed Mr. Duran and his fiance. I also recommend you ask both of my white tenants, my white sister-in-law and her family, several former white boyfriends, countless other friends, co-workers, business partners and my Caucasian biological father how racist I am. I’m done now.
To the person who took issue with me lamenting the loss of “colorful characters”….I wasn’t defending criminal activity. CHP mentions some folks on his old block whom weren’t criminals…the sandhog and the 90 year old ex-Madam (ok, well, I guess she WAS a criminal in your eyes). I grew up in a city (that would be Brooklyn) where it took all sorts and you accepted the bad with the good. I live in BS now. No, I wouldn’t be happy if I was mugged or my car was broken into, but I’m not going to pretend these things don’t happen EVERYWHERE in EVERY city. I do my part to make it better, but I still chat with the drug dealers and I’d say hello to the prostitutes also, if I saw any. I certainly don’t approve of what they’re doing and sure, I’d like to see them gone, but there’s part of me that wants to experience people from all walks of life, not just my own. BTW, there are lots of people who believe that drugs and prostitution should be legalized. I honestly don’t know where I stand on the issue. I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone with this.
Brooklyn Proud “alyndea”,
Its always interesting when someone complains about ignorance in one breath and in the other makes a racist pro-segregation statement.
Keep on hating sweetie.
I guess if someone in Brooklyn Heights said they wanted BH to stay a “Vanilla City” you tell them they were an ignorant racist.
Meanwhile, the best thing JD said about Brooklyn (in a post, not the story) has been ignored–his neighbors banging on his door to let him know the cops were writing tickets–so Brooklyn!
Brooklyn Proud, your racist remarks are not helpful and are unappreciated. I’m not sure what your point is other than you don’t want any non-blacks in Bed-Stuy.