Analyze This: New York Puts Brownstoner on the Couch
Considering the tone of what New York Magazine has written about some other blogs, we thought that this week’s cover story about Brownstoner, and its culture of commenting in particular, was reasonably thoughtful. Sure, it had some the magazine’s signature sensationalism, but underneath that were some interesting thoughts about what the commenting culture on the…
Considering the tone of what New York Magazine has written about some other blogs, we thought that this week’s cover story about Brownstoner, and its culture of commenting in particular, was reasonably thoughtful. Sure, it had some the magazine’s signature sensationalism, but underneath that were some interesting thoughts about what the commenting culture on the blog says about the collective psyche of Brownstone Brooklyn. Our only major gripe was that it played up the importance of one egomaniacal commenter over some of the more constructive aspects of the community. In the end, though, it did include one belief of ours that we’ve clung to from the beginning: That as messy as many of the threads get, the tough issues that underlie much of the change that Brooklyn has experienced in recent years—class, race, gentrification—are at least getting discussed, and often among people who wouldn’t otherwise be mingling offline. The conversations could be a lot more polite, but at least they are happening.
The Brooklyn Wars [New York Magazine]
Illustration by Zohar Lazar
i disagree, thanks for the laugh!
2:42 is close but i think this might be closer to the recipe for a ny mag “article”:
take 1 part inability to write about anything that can’t be reduced to a personality profile
add 1 part “total financial moron”/clueless renter (see http://nymag.com/news/features/45323/)
sprinkle of beavis-like fascination with potty-mouths
whip into a frothy, fear-mongering mess, spoon into one bowl of, like, a bajillion words and serve.
2:42 – Sternbergh got paid for the article which makes him a writer. I don’t see much in the way of credentials from an anonymous commenter like you to be trashing his work.
2:38 – I think what’s damning (of the author) is his assumption that both these posters are women. I see nothing in these comments that implies female over male.
Shahn —
11.18 am here. Not neverland, but the suburbs. Twenty years ago, many (most?) young professionals in the city thinking about a family would naturally move to the suburbs. Those of us (myself included) who have moved to NYC since the mid- to late-nineties have rediscovered the city and planned to live here for so long as we remained in the NYC area — and never really gave the suburbs a second thought. However, as prices in Manhattan and Brooklyn have surged, the cost/benefit analysis changes — I’ve lived in Brooklyn for years, but unfortunately the appreciation on the apt. I purchased as a single person (which works for a couple) isn’t enough to afford the transition to a family-sized apartment. So the choices are: (1) overleverage myself with a mortgage that will capture a very significant portion of my take-home salary, (2) squeeze into an apartment that is much smaller than I ever thought I would live in as a family or (3) abandon Brooklyn and move to the ‘burbs. I’ve always hated the ‘burbs out of principal, but faced with those choices, I am starting to see how they might be attractive — the price point is so much lower, some places seem interesting and ultimately there are benefits (space, schools, etc.) that for me pushes the balance in their favor.
I know that I’m not the only young professional thinking this, and as more folks starting thinking like this — and acting on it — the less pressure they’ll be on the BK housing market. Doesn’t mean it will crash by any means, but does mean that there comes a point of equilibrium.
Sternbergh is a complete hack, and no one should be taking any stock in what he writes.
Here’s his writing process:
–come up with an unoriginal “trendy” idea
–interview as few people as possible, preferably no one who really knows the issue
–throw in a series of sensational and unsubstantiated claims
–voila! an article about absolutely NOTHING.
“…Gentrifier’s Dilemma: that the people most likely to be acutely aware of the ethical complexities and itchy racial politics of gentrification are also, ironically, the exact same people (white, moneyed, liberal) most likely to be gentrifiers themselves.She is exactly the kind of person who, when stumbling onto an item on Brownstoner headlined “StreetLevel: Bodega Goes Up in Smoke,†about a deli shut down for selling untaxed cigarettes, might find herself posting in the comments: “I live around the corner from this place and can say it will not be missed. There are always a bunch of sketchy-types hanging out in front.†Or maybe she was the one who wrote, “I live on this block a few houses down and all I can say is good riddance. There are always people hanging around outside that are obviously up to something illegal. No one will miss this place! 
”
Pretty interesting and damning observation on “liberal whites”.
ProfRobert- there’s still a great deal of value on the blog although as a long time reader I have the same issues with it. the obscenities bother me but the stuff that really gets my back up are the racist comments and insults thrown at every group. I’ve also read the blog long enough to know that most of it is our very own troll who loves to start trouble and I think you will find his ilk pretty much everywhere in cyber space. But the best way to know Brooklyn is just to get out there and meet people, walk the neighborhoods, go to the classic Brooklyn places like Coney Island, the museums, etc. We’ve got good and bad and in-between but we got life.
1:39- unlike you, if I posted those links I would take responsibility for it. that’s how I was raised. I can’t imagine what you were taught growing up but you certainly have that “odor of mendacity” about you.
bxgrl
ps- look up the big words if you have to.