Bay Ridge Becoming McCondo Central?
As the battle to save Bay Ridge’s Green Church from being razed and reborn as condos winds down, the Observer finds the neighborhood is becoming a haven for such “McCondos.” Despite a three-year-old rezoning preventing “‘out-of-character development’ in the low-rise neighborhood,” they write, “tensions between nostalgic residents and developers who continue to squeeze three- and…
As the battle to save Bay Ridge’s Green Church from being razed and reborn as condos winds down, the Observer finds the neighborhood is becoming a haven for such “McCondos.” Despite a three-year-old rezoning preventing “‘out-of-character development’ in the low-rise neighborhood,” they write, “tensions between nostalgic residents and developers who continue to squeeze three- and four-story apartment buildings into plots once occupied by single-family homes show no signs of abating.” Residents fear the area will become another “mini Manhattan,” or transform at the pace and scale of downtown Brooklyn. Perhaps as offensive to some as the onslaught of “Feders” buildings are the demolition of century-old limestone townhouses and single-family Victorian homes, the old preservation-versus-progress paradigm, that inevitably recalls nostalgia for an earlier time and extends beyond an attempt to rescue buildings. As one resident said, “We were just telling my brother’s kids about how all the kids in the neighborhood used to play stickball in the street when we were young. Now all the kids are inside playing those electronic games. The whole neighborhood thing is really changing.”
McCondos in Bay Ridge [NY Observer]
Bay Ridge Row Houses. Photo by bondidwhat.
– Civil rights movement
Yet, average income and literacy have declined amongst the descendants of slaves. Conversely, incarceration rates, antisocial behavior, and substance abuse are all much greater. We champion civil rights, but ignore how the average black man is much worse off today than he was 40 years ago.
– Roe Vs. Wade
Well, it certainly worked wonders to reduce the population of said descendants of slaves. It also did wonders to kill our birth rate so we had to import tens of millions of foreigners. There is also the minor issue that tens of millions of your fellow citizens consider it to be murder.
– Women’s rights movement
Yet women are unhappier than ever with over 1/4 of all women taking an antidepressant at some time in their lives. I’m still a bit fuzzy about what “rights” women have secured since the right to vote – something that happened before the Greatest Generation was born. Maybe you can enlighten me.
– Gay rights movement
Ok, so sodomy is no longer illegal, but brothels are. Sex is still quite the battleground.
– Interstate highway system
You mean, the very same system that will soon become useless as the price of fuel skyrockets? The very same system that created suburbs that will become economically unfeasible when people can no longer afford to drive to work?
– Development of lower Manhattan
Umm, the stuff down there seems pretty old to me.
– First black people and women on U.S. Supreme Court
A lot of good that has done us.
– Landing a man on the moon
Werner Von Braun would be proud. Oh wait, he wasn’t from this country.
– Fall of the Berlin Wall
And how precisely did Communists take over half of Europe? I thought the British Empire, an empire that controlled 1/4 of the world’s population and land mass, went to war against Germany, a country the size of Texas with 60 million people to save Poland. Whatever happened to that, anyway? I’m glad the Berlin wall fell, but we’re neglecting to mention that the only thing World War II did was wipe our competitors for a few decades.
– End of colonial rule in India under Ghandi
I am no fan of the British Empire, but is India really such a great place now? Last time I checked, they were still operating 19th century steam engines given to them by the British. I think they renamed Victoria Station in Bombay, or whatever they call it now.
Many of the things you mention, I do support and I am happy they have happened. My point is merely that while on paper they sound great, they haven’t helped the average person all that much.
Pole, it was more like 3000 soldiers died at the Battle of Brooklyn to the 30,000 British.
They died fighting for their rights to live in a society that eventually allowed asshats like yourself be born and roam the internet (nice addition Lurker).
Since you’re blaming past generations for your current woes, why don’t we go back to August 27, 1776. Those dudes we’re total losers, right?
apologies to everyone but polemicist for losing my temper on that one. (But he’s still an asshole.)
Adding to that, with a little more of an extended timeline:
The artificial Heart
transplant surgery
Peace Corp.
The ecology movement
the internet
Thanks ENY, we won’t even mention music. P, you still listening to the Andrews Sisters?
P, also, you should look up S/S taxes. You’ll find that the Boomer generation is paying far more than previous generations. I remember when I paid like nothing.
“4,000 people is nothing.” Really. polemicist. Funny- I would bet those 4000 young, strong people would far prefer to have died defending the elderly than defending the young jerk who posted that. (And dare I mention the tens of thousands of war wounded?)
You are really an ignorant, shallow, self-centered asshole. You have absolutely no redeeming qualities that could ever make anyone mistake you for a human being. Well, as they say, you can put lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig. Try Revlon, poley- they might have just your shade.
“4,000 people is nothing.”
You commented that Lurker will require God’s help if and when America faced a protracted war. I thnk five years qualifies as “protracted.”
Despite your opinion that “4,000 people is nothing,” (a view apparently shared by the current administration), I believe the statistic appropriately answers your qestion to Lurker: “Why on earth would the youth of American [sic] defend someone like you?” Obviously 4,000 people – for a variety of reasons – have seen fit to give their lives on behalf of people like Lurker, myself, and even you, a person who is indifferent to the senseless deaths of thousands of young people and to the contributions of those who came before him.
“What precisely has your generation contributed?”
– Civil rights movement
– Roe Vs. Wade
– Women’s rights movement
– Gay rights movement
– Interstate highway system
– Development of lower Manhattan
– First black people and women on U.S. Supreme Court
– Landing a man on the moon
– Fall of the Berlin Wall
– End of colonial rule in India under Ghandi
That’s just a few of the things positive, forward-thinking people have accomplishedin the last 60-80 years. What exactly have you accomplished in a fraction of that time?
I loved the old people in Bay Ridge. They are walking history books and I find their inability to hold their tounges charming and shocking all at the same time. I find that Brooklyn seniors have more energy and more vigor. For example when I was preggers with my second child, my 85 year old neighbor asked me to come get her if I ever needed anything from the supermarket and she’ll go get it for me. She also took in my garbage pails because I couldn’t get out to take them in before lunch time.
She also drinks a gin and tonic every day at five. I just love her and hope that when I’m that age I have that kind of energy.
omigod- now the truth comes out. Polemicist, whatever mistakes earlier generations may have made, they also made great contributions. But who can argue with someone like you who feels so entitled to everything in life that the fact the only thing he can afford is a 110 year old slum makes him angry. Have to blame someone for your problems? blames yourself and all the rest like you who feel everyone owes them something.
“Past generations have given me nothing but high taxes and inferior public services. At least I can afford a 110-year old slum. Thanks.”
The world is what it is. Every generation inherited from the past. Do you really think baby boomers had it so much easier? Or the generation before? Let’s see: WW II, the Korean war, The Vietnam War- gee, yeah- those guys were really having a ball in life. Everything is built on the past. The bad and the good. Until you understnad the concept of history you’ll just remain the whiny little guy on the blog complaining that “old” people cramp his style.. You think you’re the only one paying taxes? You blame the elderly for higher health care? How about blaming your group- the corporate greed types for that. Greed knows no age.
I dread to think the kind of society we would be again if we went back to the every man for himself idea. first up- you won’t get my taxes. I need the money myself. Don’t drive, so screw your roads (and your bike lanes.), you’re sick? Awwwww. Too bad. You’re homeless? Gee- you should been rich. Yeah- we could go back to being a heartless, soul less, society run by the number crunchers and the young whippersnappers who think life’s all about them. But then- what’ll you do when you get old poley? Don’t come knocking on my door for help. Call me you’ve contributed something to society rather than trying to suck it dry.
“I have far more important things in my life to deal with than you. You ascribe far too much importance to this minor distraction.” So why keep answering? In fact, why did you bother to bring it up?
Over development is not the answer to affordability.”
You obviously know nothing of economics. Supply and demand. Read up on it.
Poley, I damn well understand supply and demand…I also understand, constructing a crappy, ugly building doesn’t necessarily fill a demand. Nor does development necessarily fill a demand for affordable housing (as you had requested in an earlier post).
I’d love to comment some more and hate to do it in drips and draps, but I have work to do unlike you who is probably trolling the streets to see which senior you’re going to push over.