Let's Talk About the Rushkoffs, Dammit
Since we’re about the only publication in town who hasn’t written about writer Douglas Rushkoff’s Christmas eve mugging outside his Park Slope apartment and subsequent decision to leave (and, along with his wife, to write about leaving) Brooklyn, we might as well throw it out there. His wife now famously wrote that she felt safer…
Since we’re about the only publication in town who hasn’t written about writer Douglas Rushkoff’s Christmas eve mugging outside his Park Slope apartment and subsequent decision to leave (and, along with his wife, to write about leaving) Brooklyn, we might as well throw it out there. His wife now famously wrote that she felt safer in the East Village in the 1980s that she does in Park Slope today, which sounded kind of silly until her hubby clarified that this was only because they knew the drug dealers in the East Village. We got a call from a reporter a couple of days ago asking whether we thought the incident would have a negative effect on real estate prices. In short? No. In long? No, no, no. The Rushkoffs decision to leave was an emotional, albeit understandable, one. Unless the entire city enters a 1970s-like downward spiral, we’re pretty sure Park Slope will be just fine.
Do You Care If the Rushkoffs Leave Brooklyn? [New York Magazine]
On Leaving Brooklyn [Steven Berlin Johnson]
The Rushkoffs’ original blog posts are no longer available online.
i just listened to his interview on the brian lehrer show. he’s obviously upset and beside himself with what happened and rightfully so. he’s trying to digest it.
however, he doesn’t really make sense which is also understandable considering what happened. what he thought park slope was it was not and he feels let down. instead of saying he’s leaving because he got held up he says he’s leaving because of the prices yet he only decides to leave after he gets mugged.
somehow we’re supposed to feel sorry for him because he doesn’t live off the park?? is he for real?
As someone who was originally born and raised in the LaGuardia projects in LES in the 80’s, I can understand why people wouldn’t want to live in or near one. Urine and pot smokers in the elevators/stairwells, next-door neighbors getting arrested for drug dealing, graffiti…it’s all disconcerting. The project brought the neighborhood down.
However, now that all of the yuppies/artists/punks/tourists/young people/bar hoppers moved in, the neighborhood has made a turn around. Why? Because the people who have moved in care more about each other and the world around them. That sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. Those people have turned the neighborhood around in such a way that the “project attitude” has become the unfortunate exception instead of the norm.
Watch each other’s backs and really care about your neighborhood. This is the best way to make sure that muggings and break-ins are prevented.
Mork,
I think you are only describing small parts of Brooklyn. I’m guessing only the parts of Brooklyn you’d venture to being a fan of Soho.
Dear Ms. SmugSoho,
I think it is more that Brooklyn is too city – as inner-city not suburb that is Rushie problem. Soho and many Manhattan nabes are populated by some demographic as the surburbs and that is why you feel more comfie in your sterile hood.
“…the biggest mistakes in life are made when you let your emotions make choices instead of REALLY thinking them out…” – 9:09am
Like paying today’s prices for most of these brownstones rather than waiting out the upcoming recession.
If you’re interested in listening to an absolutely world-class whiner, listen to Rushkoff on WNYC. Okay, that’s not a very good advertisement for the segment, but if you are at all curious as to why this guy has caught so much flack, it’s extremely easy to understand listening to this. What an ass.
Mork, all things being equal – You ARE safer from violent in SOHO, but there is plenty of street activity in Washington Heights but you are NOT safer from Crime there.
And yes technically Brooklyn is a Suburb to most of Manhattan, but when most people refer to the ‘suburbs’ they are talking about a place with subways and busses where you can walk to many great restaurants, bars, parks, museums and retail stores – but I am sure you know that and your just trying to be controversal.
yes, he must have been pampered. No-one successful gets there by their own work. Must have been pampered.
People are seriously retarded when it comes to ‘odds’ and statistics.
No one is saying you cant be a victim of crime in PS – what they are saying is that – ‘all things being equal’ – you are less likely to be the victim in PS then in Bed Stuy, Brownsville etc…
Examples of ‘all things’ NOT being equal – you are a drug dealer in PS vs a Bodybuilder in Bed Stuy; You only walk around after 1AM in PS vs being a ‘shut-in’ in Brownsville; etc, etc, etc
I am not suprised so many people have problems understanding odds considering very few people have any real fear of getting struck by lightning (even when walking in the rain) yet so many people play the lottery b/c – “somebody has got to win – why not me”.