Open House Picks

Ghetto in my book equals high crime; run-down, abandoned buildings; drugs on the block; poverty. The people there don’t have to be black, but I guess the word “ghetto” has come to mean a black neighborhood. So obviously that was the wrong word to use. But all the posts about “maybe they just don’t like your friend, and that’s why they aren’t nice”. Whatever. It’s funny how ruffled feathers get when someone says there’s racial tension — that things aren’t always nice between blacks and whites. It’s sad but it’s true. Especially in neighborhoods where white people are coming into a black (or other color) enclave as gentrifiers. Why is it so hard to accept that the people who were there first might not accept them with open arms and smiles?

I’m one of the biggest BS boosters out there,too, and I know that block is not all that great. I basically agree with 12:19.

I also agree that just because someone isn’t nice, or doesn’t speak to you, it does not mean they are racist. It only means they aren’t nice and don’t speak to people. Where is it written that people have to be nice? I certainly don’t expect black people, or white people, or anyone else, to feel the urge to speak to me in the street. If they do (and not just hey, baby) that’s great, but if they don’t, who cares? This is New York, ya know. I don’t usually feel like talking to people either.

Bed Stuy has great blocks, so-so blocks and awful blocks. This is one of the so-so ones. It may work for some, not for others. That has to do with each individual’s own sets of parameters. I do think you do it and the neigborhood a great disservice by dismissing it as a dangerous ghetto, however.

Re: all the posts about not cleaning up for the house photos, I totally agree.

And if you want see a RE agent that understands that styling a house/apartment for photos is important, check http://www.burrtibbs.com/properties.html (it’s one of the Brownstoner links).

Who ever is styling and/or taking their website photos is making every property look like it stepped out the pages of a gloss interior magazine. You don’t get caught up with looking at all the stuff that is wrong/messy in the photo, and can look at the actual space.

And disclaimer, I’m not with the RE agency, or know them. I’m just impressed with the job they do on the website and photos.

Anon 11:25

how do you define “ghetto”?
Seems you’ve got some issues yourself. Black doesn’t equal “ghetto” any more than White equals “affluent” To say the house is not worth the asking price is one thing, but to say Bed-Stuy is still a Ghetto is rediculous.