Grand and Lexington (formerlyGates and Lexington)

kevin_on_putnam

There were news reporters and satellite news vans on the corner of Gates and Lexington last night. Is that where the Pratt student was assaulted? I noticed a small shrine on the corner also. How is that kid doing?

chickpea

Gates and Lex don't intersect. I assume you mean Grand and Lex? If so, yes, that's where the student was assaulted. There's a ton of coverage on The Local as well as Gothamist now. Word is the victim's condition has been upgraded to "serious" from 'critical". Small steps, I guess. Sad.

rosweed

Why is the Pratt area so prone to this type of thing? Are there campus patrols? Does anybody ask the NYPD to step up patrols?

kevin_on_putnam

Yes, thank you I meant Grand and Lex. If you turn right on lex as you're walking down Grand it becomes sort of a no-man's land. There are small groups of young teens smoking pot and drinking later at night. I occasionally walk my dog there and have been increasingly leery of going there after dark. I've lived in this area for over 10 years now and I've lived in Brooklyn all my life. I know that my situational awareness is such that i frequently have to change my habits for safety's sake. I think maybe the Pratt students might not have the same "street smarts" and it might mark them as targets, like when they walk down a "safe" block during the day and not realize that it's not a "safe" block at night. I am not in any way blaming the victim in this attack, this "wolf pack" aggression must be stopped surely and quickly by neighborhood cooperation with the police. But I think the Pratt students need a neighborhood orientation, maybe from the Pratt Area Council about how to behave in an unpredictable urban environment. -- my 2 cents about a horrible incident--

homeowner

The Pratt area has always been prone to this type of violence. Its a town vs. gown mentality on a lot smaller scale. Years ago when the neighborhood was "unsafe" (clearly majority minority) parents would warn kids not to walk around alone at night. Now that its become this beautiful mosaic of a neighborhood, folks tend to forget that there may be folks out who mean to do them harm.

When I was a kid, the gates to the campus were closed and Pratt students were more likely to be commuters that lived in other parts of NYC and came to school on the subway like everyone else. Now, it seems like most kids live within walking distance and the school has encouraged kids to think of Ft. Green as their campus, not unlike other urban schools. Students definitely need to be reminded that this is a big city and bad things can happen to folks who let their guard down.

classonian

Kevin_on_Putnam wrote: Yes, thank you I meant Grand and Lex. If you turn right on lex as you're walking down Grand it becomes sort of a no-man's land. There are small groups of young teens smoking pot and drinking later at night. I occasionally walk my dog there and have been increasingly leery of going there after dark. I've lived in this area for over 10 years now and I've lived in Brooklyn all my life. I know that my situational awareness is such that i frequently have to change my habits for safety's sake. I think maybe the Pratt students might not have the same "street smarts" and it might mark them as targets, like when they walk down a "safe" block during the day and not realize that it's not a "safe" block at night. I am not in any way blaming the victim in this attack, this "wolf pack" aggression must be stopped surely and quickly by neighborhood cooperation with the police. But I think the Pratt students need a neighborhood orientation, maybe from the Pratt Area Council about how to behave in an unpredictable urban environment. -- my 2 cents about a horrible incident--

I'm with you. I live around the corner from where this happened and am quite familiar with that stretch of Lexington. It's also a major spot for prostitution, in case you can't tell by all the used condoms!

It's sad, really, because apparently this guy tried to fight back when he was surrounded by 5 (maybe even more) teenagers. Your wallet and phone are NEVER worth it. I agree, too, with the fact that I think alot of Pratt kids are ill-equipped to deal with/spot potentially threatening situations. I myself would never have turned the corner onto Lexington alone at 10pm, especially not if I saw a group of kids hanging out. Poor guy- I hope he recovers soon.

boygabriel

Thoughtful posts, thanks!

vanilla

http://gothamist.com/2009/08/11/pratt_student_in_coma_after_attack.php

vanilla

recognize any of the teens?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/08/10/2009-08-10_student_still_in_coma_vic_lies_in_hosp_a_week_after_beating_near_pratt_as_cops_h.html

homeowner

The Local is reporting an arrest in the case.

tennisfan

Fantastic news! I hope the other attackers will also be arrested.

kevin_on_putnam

Is there an echo in here?