Share how you see the Slope

onetothe23orq

Hi, my name is Chelsea and I’m a student at Barnard College taking an anthropology course entitled “Ethnoarchaeology of Cities.” I’m working on a project for the class that entails researching a specific city neighborhood. After choosing Park Slope I began researching by studying old maps and exploring the neighborhood. Now I am hoping to gain a little more insight on Park Slope by talking with residents of the neighborhood. While I can only speak with a few people during my time in the neighborhood, this message board seems like a great opportunity to gain insight from other members of the community.

Feel free to answer as many or as few of the questions as you feel comfortable and share any additional Park Slope insight you may have! I greatly appreciate any and all feedback!

1. Do you consider yourself a Park Slope resident?

2. What do you consider to be the boundaries of your neighborhood? Are there any specific landmarks that affect what you consider to be those boundaries?

3. What attracted you to the Slope?

4. Do you see the neighborhood as one large community? If not, what do you feel the major communities are?

5. Do you find it to be a friendly neighborhood?

6. Is it easy to meet people? Are most of your friends from Park Slope?

7. How well do you know your neighbors?

8. Do you do the majority of your shopping in Park Slope? What do you not buy in the neighborhood? Where do you shop other than Park Slope?

Thank you,
Chelsea

raw

# 1 is dumb, no offense. You either are or are not a resident of a specific place. It's not what you "consider." It's your mailing address. If your zip code is 10011, it would be stupid to consider yourself a resident of Park Slope.

As for shopping, I buy a lot of food in Park Slope. I buy most Asian foods -- Korean and Chinese -- in Flusing, Sunset Park, and Manhattan's Chinatown and Korea Town. I would love a Trader Joe's.

carnivore

raw wrote: # 1 is dumb, no offense. You either are or are not a resident of a specific place. It's not what you "consider." It's your mailing address. If your zip code is 10011, it would be stupid to consider yourself a resident of Park Slope.

Cut her a little slack, will ya'?

livetotravel

Chelsea - although I wish I had read that a Barnard student was concentrating on the LES or Bed-Sty instead of Park Slope I'll try to answer your questions - although, since your area of research attempts to study material remains created and discarded by societies and on how these material remains vary with differences in how a society is organized, you might be better off looking at our garbage and our stoop sales.

1. Do you consider yourself a Park Slope resident?
Yes, both technically and as a "state-of-mind." But I completely understand that in today's realtor-defined geography, it's as much where you are told you are living as where you actually live.

2. What do you consider to be the boundaries of your neighborhood? Are there any specific landmarks that affect what you consider to be those boundaries? I live in an area demarcated as the "historic district" - I know this because all the brown metal signs tell me that and give me a little history of the area. I believe Park Slope is bordered on the north by Flatbush Ave, on the South by 15th Street, on the east by Prospect Park and on the west by 5th Ave.

3. What attracted you to the Slope? I was living in Manhattan 14 years ago when I visited a friend who was staying with a friend of his in PS. I was completely blown away by the architecture and beauty of the area as well as the vibrant neighborhood feeling and the local businesses.

4. Do you see the neighborhood as one large community? If not, what do you feel the major communities are? I no longer think that. My frame of reference is longer-term residents, people now in their 40's to 60's - largely politically progressive, employed as writers, free-lancers, teachers, academics, non-profit professionals, etc. I know no one personally who works for corporate America. It's wealthier corporate employees that I now see inhabiting the "historic district." When I moved here there was more diversity of all ilks. Author Paul Auster once called PS "one of the most democratic and tolerant places on earth." I think that is becoming more myth than reality.

5. Do you find it to be a friendly neighborhood? In general, yes.

6. Is it easy to meet people? Are most of your friends from Park Slope?
By age and inclination I'm no longer in the "meet new people" phase of my life. My life is rich with friends, family and "acquaintances." Most of my friends live in Manhattan.

7. How well do you know your neighbors? I've lived in my building for 14 years - I know a few faces and a few last names - we nod to each other or exchange pleasantries. I do not socialize with anyone ion the building. I do not know the majority of occupants. I also "know" my dog-owning neighbors on about the same level.

8. Do you do the majority of your shopping in Park Slope? What do you not buy in the neighborhood? Where do you shop other than Park Slope?
We only dine out in Park Slope, or buy consumable incidentals. Clothing is purchased in Manhattan, groceries in Red Hook.

dracomom

1. Do you consider yourself a Park Slope resident?
Yes, of course. Although not a long time resident, I have lived in PS for 4 years now, and just recently bought an apartment in the Slope.

2. What do you consider to be the boundaries of your neighborhood? Are there any specific landmarks that affect what you consider to be those boundaries?
I believe the boundaries is from Flatbush to 16th Street, and from Park West to 4th Ave.

3. What attracted you to the Slope?
Few years ago I was looking to move into a new neighborhood from Queens. Original thought was to move into Manhattan, because that seems to be "the place". Then I visited a friend who lived in the Slope, and immediately fell in love with the neighborhood - the vibrant activities on the streets, and brownstones, and the restaurants and boutiques.

4. Do you see the neighborhood as one large community? If not, what do you feel the major communities are?
Yes, Park Slope is defnitely a community of its own. There are lots of PS lovers and haters out there, but any neighborhood that can cause such strong emotions should be able to claim itself a community.

5. Do you find it to be a friendly neighborhood?
Generally, yes.

6. Is it easy to meet people? Are most of your friends from Park Slope?
I am rather a home-bound person, so I don't usually "meet" people. I did have friends in the Slope (because that's why I moved here), but now they are moving away. Most of my friends are from Manhattan.

7. How well do you know your neighbors?
Not that well. We say hi when seeing each other, but that's about it.

8. Do you do the majority of your shopping in Park Slope? What do you not buy in the neighborhood? Where do you shop other than Park Slope?
I mostly go to the local restaurants, and some groceries in the local stores if needed. Buy most all the other items online.

raw

Subject: Apologies on me.

Carnivore wrote: [quote=raw]# 1 is dumb, no offense. You either are or are not a resident of a specific place. It's not what you "consider." It's your mailing address. If your zip code is 10011, it would be stupid to consider yourself a resident of Park Slope.

Cut her a little slack, will ya'?

I blame such comments on beer.

raw

2. What do you consider to be the boundaries of your neighborhood? Are there any specific landmarks that affect what you consider to be those boundaries?

I go by the slope of Prospect Park. I tend to think of 10th through 15th streets on 5th Avenue as not being Park Slope. I consider anything between Flatbush Avenue and 9th Street and Prospect Park and 5th Avenue to be Park Slope. Yet, if I'm on 7th Avenue and 11th Street, right or wrong, I still have the impression that I am in the neighborhood of Park Slope. If you live on 4th Avenue and the corner of Union Street on the slope side, I believe that you are clinging to the edge of Park Slope, but knee deep in Gowanus.

onetothe23orq

Raw...I think your first comment is constructive. Defining the boundaries in Park Slope has been an interesting aspect, and for a lot of people it is all zip code (though I'm more familiar with 11215 than the use of 10011). Reading your elaborations on boundaries is also very interesting. I haven't heard anyone describe it that way before.

Livetotravel...While few people in my class are willing to venture outside of Manhattan, there is definitely someone working on the LES which I'm looking forward to hearing about. Thank you so much for the responses. You hit the idea I was going with for the first question, even though I do see from other responses that it's more of an applicable question in person. It's interesting to mention though that I also asked a realtor the boundary question and he gave me the exact answer you did. While they seem to be honest about the specific boundaries of PS, they're pretty generous with the "Park Slope area" label. Also, I like the food answer. From what I can gather, grocery shopping in PS appears to be a controversial issue.

Dracomom...I especially enjoyed your responses to 3 and 4. It's a perspective I was expecting to see more from the beginning, but that hasn't been as highly represented as I would have thought.

gags2008

1. Do you consider yourself a Park Slope resident?
yes
2. What do you consider to be the boundaries of your neighborhood? Are there any specific landmarks that affect what you consider to be those boundaries?

To me I feel like my neighborhood starts at Atlantic and ends at 9th although technically PS ends down by 15th street I feel like the character of the neighborhood changes around 9th street. Where I live is more "touristy" - or "cute" for lack of a better word - gentrified doesn't really quite capture it, as beyond 9th is probably "gentrified" but it doesn't attract people from Manhattan or elsewhere to the same extent as where I live. That'll probably change in due course.

I have to admit though that, in addition to a certain scruffiness and lack of pretnetion that abounds here, "keepin' it real"-ness, I appreciate a certain level of "cuteness" - ie. "yuppification" - but I suppose there is a tipping point where it becomes oppressive and predictable. For example; I love that there are great places to have brunch, good bars with good beers on tap, but when the Starbucks, Gaps and the Jamba-Juice places start to pop up, you've lost me. Or if it becomes like Soho, where everyone wears Prada and speaks with a French accent. We're probably 5 months to a year from scenario 1. Of course 7th avenue is already there, but in my mental map of PS 7th is like Time Square in Manhattan - ok it's not nearly as bad - but I just mostly avoid it. Yes I'm aware how hypocritical that is.

Also I mentally extend Park Slope up into Prospect Heights a bit, past Flatbush. I feel like that is part of PS cause it gets narrow where I am and I feel up to Vanderbilt kind of shares the same general vibe although a little quieter, and that Flatbush making Frannies and Freddies part of Prospect Heights is somewhat arbitrary and unfair (I claimed Frannies as Park Slope once before, and I hereby restate that claim, and also claim Freddies). The Flatbush diagonal messes with my head. How is 6th ave over there NOT part of Park Slope???

Also, I have no idea where Borum Hill starts and stops. Nor do I care. There's no hill. That's Park Slope to me. I claim it. I'm like friggin' Columbus or Vasqual Degama. As someone on here said I'm like an unneutered terrier . . . very territorial. Look out "Gowanus"!

3. What attracted you to the Slope?

Oy! I was living in and going broke on the Upper West Side and a friend offered me a room for $800. I was paying more than twice that for a closet. Once here I really liked it. Since then I have convinced at least 5 people to move here. It's "viral marketing". Now I split the same apartment but my share is $1250 with utilities, which is way too much, but . . . not many options right?

4. Do you see the neighborhood as one large community? If not, what do you feel the major communities are?

I do feel like it is one community. In general I feel that everyone here kind of "gets" that you have to be tolerant and courteous, and even though I commented on it being "touristy" the "tourists" are not as numerous as on the Upper West Side - they are most likely some lesbian-couples parents from Ohio coming to see their new adopted granddaughter - and they seem to mostly be here to visit people they know. Or they are some kids from Queens going to Union Hall maybe. But they seem respectful and not the type to wear Statue of Liberty hats and draw attention to themselves like all bad tourists do.

But back to the community aspect, I feel that many of the people who own shops and restaurants are people who live here and want to make this area a good place to live, and their restaurants reflect not only what they want and expect but what the people of the neighborhood want and expect. I feel those things generally merge, which is a definition of a community. There is sort of a tacit agreement, if you will, that the business support the area, and the areas support the businesses . . . people are very involved in the community and they feel strongly vested in what happens. Like the local paper announces that the co-op is no longer selling bottled water. You sort of may agree, but if not, you sort of respect that even if it seems sort of futile. I mean the whole idea of a co-op . . . sort of indicates that there is a strong communitee to support that.

I'm not a church-goer so I can speak to that whole "church community" thing, but there are a bazillion churches (I'm looking out my window at two of them right now) so that alone could be a whole socialogical topic.

I mean it's sort of hard in New York NOT to be community conscious in general. Everyone lives together and you pay a ton of taxes to support what is happening in your neighborhood, so you feel like you should pay attention.

5. Do you find it to be a friendly neighborhood? - Yes! There is a very strong feeling, to me, that this part of Brooklyn, beyond the slope, is sort of like this island where everyone who is here sort of gets why Brooklyn is a great place to be. I think people automatically assume that you are someone decent if you made the choice to live here and that it pays to be friendly to people because you're going to see them over and over again.

6. Is it easy to meet people? Are most of your friends from Park Slope?

Easy to meet people is a hard question; I know people who never meet anyone cause of who they are - but all things being equal - I think it is an excellent place to meet people. I have met a lot of people since living here - a lot of really interesting people.

7. How well do you know your neighbors?

I know a few of them - enough to say hello to many, some are friends. You know when to give people space and when not to.

8. Do you do the majority of your shopping in Park Slope? What do you not buy in the neighborhood? Where do you shop other than Park Slope?

Mostly I buy everything except clothing here. The clothing shops are very geared to the hipster style and they are very expensive even compared to Manhattan. I have occasional bought clothing but only some choice items. I buy clothing occasionally at the mall at Atlantic but that isn't really Park Slope technically.

ilovecarbs

1. Do you consider yourself a Park Slope resident?
Yes. i think it boils down to your zipcode.

2. What do you consider to be the boundaries of your neighborhood? Are there any specific landmarks that affect what you consider to be those boundaries?
I'd say flatbush to 15th street and PPW to 5th avenue.

3. What attracted you to the Slope?
The fact that it's by a park without sirens and honking and I can still get to work in 20 minutes. it keeps me sane

4. Do you see the neighborhood as one large community? If not, what do you feel the major communities are? Not really..i think it's a smattering of various groups who live pretty well with one another.

5. Do you find it to be a friendly neighborhood?
Yes. I've never met a mean person here.

6. Is it easy to meet people? Are most of your friends from Park Slope?
Most of my friends live in manhattan. I've met people who happen to live near me, but our acquaintance didn't begin in the neighborhood.

7. How well do you know your neighbors? We're cordial and chat but nothing anything beyond that.

8. Do you do the majority of your shopping in Park Slope? What do you not buy in the neighborhood? Where do you shop other than Park Slope?
I buy my groceries and basic essentials here, sometimes a dress or boots at the smaller boutique stores but some of the things I've found are a bit too weird for me- some were mumu looking! I usually shop for stuff in soho and midtown.

landlord

Wow. I was surprised to hear how few of you really know your neighbors. I wonder if my park slope tenants feel the same. Maybe I should throw a dinner party for all the tenants so they would get to know each other better.

----pk slope landlord.

longtimesloper

1. Do you consider yourself a Park Slope resident?
I certainly do!

2. What do you consider to be the boundaries of your neighborhood? Are there any specific landmarks that affect what you consider to be those boundaries?
Flatbush to 19th Street (I used to say 9th Street, but, I feel differently now)

3. What attracted you to the Slope?
My husband-LOL! Seriously, I came here when I was first dating him because he lived here-but, I loved the whole feel of the neighborhood and the brownstones of course

4. Do you see the neighborhood as one large community? If not, what do you feel the major communities are?
yes, i do

5. Do you find it to be a friendly neighborhood?
relatively-not as friendly as it once was. but, still friendly.

6. Is it easy to meet people? Are most of your friends from Park Slope?
I meet people now through my kids-but, no, my friends actually live in other states.

7. How well do you know your neighbors?
I know the people in my building very well. We are a small building and most of us have lived here for a long time-we are all quite friendly. I am also pretty friendly with a good amount of people on my block.

8. Do you do the majority of your shopping in Park Slope? What do you not buy in the neighborhood? Where do you shop other than Park Slope?

I do grocery shopping and some specialty shopping here. i don't buy clothes here-most are not my style (I am in my early 40s most of the clothes around here are not geared for me) and most are WAY out of my price range. I have bought jewelry here and pet supplies. Oh, we also frequent th various restaurants and movie theater quite often.

agitpunkt

1.Do you consider yourself a Park Slope resident?

No, but since real estate agents keep advertising my area as “South Slope” or, insanely, “Park Slope” I figure I can fill this thing out.

2. What do you consider to be the boundaries of your neighborhood? Are there any specific landmarks that affect what you consider to be those boundaries?

My neighborhood is Greenwood Heights, so I feel that we’re bordered by the cemetery, the expressway, 4th Ave, and 8th Ave. When I was a kid, I lived much farther into Brooklyn, and my conception of Park Slope was that it extended from Atlantic to the beginning of the number streets, South Slope was up to the expressway, and the rest was Sunset Park (I seem to remember the area around the cemetery being referred to as simply “Greenwood”, no Heights attached.) Above 8th was Windsor Terrace (where I was born) and below 4th was Gowanus. Clearly, that’s changed.

3. What attracted you to the Slope?

I’ll admit to having no interest in the Slope for most of my life. I grew up in a more middle class area of Brooklyn and Park Slope was for “weirdoes” according to my family (despite my mother having been born there). Once I became a weirdo, I spent most of my time in Manhattan. Now that I’m so close to Park Slope, I’ve come to enjoy the hell out of it.

4. Do you see the neighborhood as one large community? If not, what do you feel the major communities are?

No, I think that Park Slope (and all of its “maybe it is, maybe it’s not” areas) is too huge to be a community. I think that there are several communities spread throughout.

5. Do you find it to be a friendly neighborhood?

Yes I do. In fact, I think I’ve found it to be friendlier than any of the so-called “real” neighborhoods I’ve lived in.

6. Is it easy to meet people? Are most of your friends from Park Slope?

I’ve never been good at meeting people in the context of being a neighbor or frequenting the same bar/restaurant/café, but I imagine it would be easy to meet people if you’re not slightly misanthropic. I have a couple of friends who live in Park Slope, but obviously, they were my friends before any of us moved here.

7. How well do you know your neighbors?

Not very well, but certainly well enough to stop and chat.

8. Do you do the majority of your shopping in Park Slope? What do you not buy in the neighborhood? Where do you shop other than Park Slope?

I try to. I do most of my restaurant dining and bar hopping in the slope. I try to pick up groceries here from time to time, but more often than not, I’m at Fairway in Red Hook. I frequent the Record store on 5th Ave and 9th st and Music Matters on 7th often.

onetothe23orq

I'm so excited that so many people have replied, thank you so much for your responses!

gags2008...I liked hearing someone mention Co-op. I took a tour there during one of my first time in the Slope, and I'll admit I was ready to up and join right away (perhaps it's because I'm used to Upper West Side grocery store prices)! Reading the newsletter that I picked up there, though revealed a lot more conflict in the Co-op than I would have ever thought.

armchair_warrior

Subject: Re: Share how you see the Slope

Hi ya i'm armchair warrior.


1. Do you consider yourself a Park Slope resident?

nope, i don't live here, i'm a resident of many online blogs and message boards.

but i do own a place in park slope.

2. What do you consider to be the boundaries of your neighborhood? Are there any specific landmarks that affect what you consider to be those boundaries?

i don't see boundaries at all. not online, not in life.

3. What attracted you to the Slope?

milfs? haha not really . but the nice restaurants and the park. other wise its pretty safe area to walk around.

4. Do you see the neighborhood as one large community? If not, what do you feel the major communities are?

i see it as one large community.

5. Do you find it to be a friendly neighborhood?

mostly yes

6. Is it easy to meet people? Are most of your friends from Park Slope?

too shy to approach people unless i know them from some where else. hmm park slope friend i think i have 1 or 2 haven't talk to them in a year or two.

7. How well do you know your neighbors?

i try not to know my neighbors, i prefer it that way. or i be living in the burbs.

8. Do you do the majority of your shopping in Park Slope? What do you not buy in the neighborhood? Where do you shop other than Park Slope?

nope mostly on the net and if i'm force to go outside to buy, anywhere i can buy cheap!!!

smallbiz475

Subject: Re: Share how you see the Slope

Hi Chelsea.

1. Do you consider yourself a Park Slope resident?

Yes.

2. What do you consider to be the boundaries of your neighborhood? Are there any specific landmarks that affect what you consider to be those boundaries?

Basically west of the park down to 5th Ave.

3. What attracted you to the Slope?

Affordable rents. Reasonable parking. Lots of mom and pop type stores. Lack of national chain stores. Access to a very large park. easy subway access to Manhattan. Like-minded residents. Sanctuary from Manhattan.

4. Do you see the neighborhood as one large community? If not, what do you feel the major communities are?

It is hard to see Park Slope or any other neighborhood as one large community. There are far too many diverse folks living here. Not too much in common with your neighbors.

5. Do you find it to be a friendly neighborhood?

Yes, very much so.

6. Is it easy to meet people? Are most of your friends from Park Slope?

Yes, it is very easy to meet folks here. I have some close friends here and some close friends scattered across the world/us.

7. How well do you know your neighbors?

Very well. We are friends with everyone in the building (4 units). We also regularly chat with neighbors during the alternate-side of the street parking hour.

8. Do you do the majority of your shopping in Park Slope? What do you not buy in the neighborhood? Where do you shop other than Park Slope?

We do most of our food shopping at Fairway (Red Hook) and merchandise shopping on the internet.

Hope this helps.

pitu

6. Is it easy to meet people? Are most of your friends from Park Slope?
I moved here because of friends, and helped a few other friends move here, so I have pals here and elsewhere...I suppose *most* are elsewhere.

7. How well do you know your neighbors?
I know a few people on my block - nodding acquaintance with many, conversational with about five. Very close with two others, one of whom I knew before I moved here. I've noticed it takes one - three years for people to get the idea that someone is sticking around long enough for ties to be made.

8. Do you do the majority of your shopping in Park Slope? What do you not buy in the neighborhood? Where do you shop other than Park Slope?
I primarily grocery shop at the Coop and the GAP Greenmarket saturdays. (about whatever drama you read about in the Coop paper, remember that was X number of people in a cast of 13,000. One guy is a loon who writes in to the paper all the time about wbai and is tolerated by the other 12,999.)
We mostly buy clothes outside of PS, with the exception of running and swimming gear which is good here. Books + booze, some here but mostly in Manhattan.

filmlover44

1. Do you consider yourself a Park Slope resident?

Yes and No. I live on the border between Greenwood Heights and the South Slope (Prospect Ave between 16th and the Prospect Expressway). Some say South Slope ends at 15th and some say that it ends at the Expressway. See below for which category I fall into!

2. What do you consider to be the boundaries of your neighborhood? Are there any specific landmarks that affect what you consider to be those boundaries?

Flatbush Avenue to 9th Street for "Park Slope", 9th to Prospect Expressway for "South Slope", Prospect Park West to 5th Ave

3. What attracted you to the Slope?

Originally, rent and diversity.

4. Do you see the neighborhood as one large community? If not, what do you feel the major communities are?

Sort of. For people with small kids, it is one large community. For the rest of us, it's pretty much a place to sleep.

5. Do you find it to be a friendly neighborhood?

Yes. Very friendly.

6. Is it easy to meet people? Are most of your friends from Park Slope?

When I was homebound with small kids, YES - very easy. Now, not so much, but needs change.

7. How well do you know your neighbors?

Barely.

8. Do you do the majority of your shopping in Park Slope? What do you not buy in the neighborhood? Where do you shop other than Park Slope?

I buy what I can locally and go to Fairway or Whole Foods or Trader Joes for what I can't get.

malingerer

Subject: How do you see the Slope?

. Do you consider yourself a Park Slope resident?

Yes.

2. What do you consider to be the boundaries of your neighborhood? Are there any specific landmarks that affect what you consider to be those boundaries?

Flatbush Avenue to 9th Street for "Park Slope", 9th to Prospect Expressway for "South Slope", Prospect Park West to 5th Ave

3. What attracted you to the Slope?

My boyfriend (now husband) lived here. When I first started coming out from the East Village I couldn't believe how mellow and green and beautiful it was.

4. Do you see the neighborhood as one large community? If not, what do you feel the major communities are?

No. There are still some old Slopers around, from before the neighborhood got trendy, a few of us from 15 or so years ago and then the new folks. But I do agree that for people with kids it is one big community - and it's not that bad, as I can attest, having recently joined that particular population.

5. Do you find it to be a friendly neighborhood?

Incredibly but getting less so.

6. Is it easy to meet people? Are most of your friends from Park Slope?

Yes - very easy. I do have some very good friends whom I met through living in the Slope but I'd say it's about half and half. Still have a lot of old friends who won't leave Manhattan.

7. How well do you know your neighbors?

Extremely well. It's like a dorm.

8. Do you do the majority of your shopping in Park Slope? What do you not buy in the neighborhood? Where do you shop other than Park Slope?

I buy what I can locally. I go to Target a lot, at the Atlantic Mall. I'm buying more and more in the Slope, though. Even clothes, etc. if I can afford.