A word of advice to all the NEW bedstuy'ers

queencallipygos

Aw, I missed all the drama. Ah well.

no name face

This thread (although it annoys me) has made me think:

I'm black, I'm from bumblefuck, New York (where I was one of the only black people), and now I live on the CH/BS border and it's fine. I work full time and I'm currently looking to rent a room in my 2 bedroom apartment.

Be that as it may, don't generalize people.
Although I'm black, I should be just as detached from the community as you white hipsters (based on your blanket generalizations). But I don't feel that way nor do I want it to be that way. No one bothers me and if people talk to me, I talk back. I don't try to impose myself and at least on MY block, the majority of people are hard working middle-ish class people. I think what you'll find is that if you have a certain body language you're going to be picked on. I've been here for almost two months and things have been fine for me. Is that simply because I'm black? I'd like to think not but even so, I feel like this is the first time racial demographics have been in my favor so I'm going to run with it.

Just a thought. Plus, I mean...I'm black and I like being black, so...maybe the whole lack of self-hating thing might work too? I don't know. I walk home late all the time...no problems.

Discuss?

putnam-denizen

I notice we haven't heard from the original poster since her acquaintence called her out. I have found that sometimes a (white) person want to be the only (white) person in a people of color environment. S/he resents other white people honing in on his/her authentic experience. New commercial establishments ruining the authentic Bed-stuy experience? I am only guessing the original ppst was once part of another thread? Otherwise it really makes no sense. Why all the (self) hate? Someone was clearly having a bad hair day... (not as in "good" hair versus "Bad" hair" ,but rather, oh you know what I mean...)

whyfi

Putnam-denizen wrote: I have found that sometimes a (white) person want to be the only (white) person in a people of color environment. S/he resents other white people honing in on his/her authentic experience.

Sounds like a former board poster, devincf.

daver

treehugger16 wrote: As long as NYC remains such a hot commodity and people are dying to live here as much as they are, this will be the issue. Many people move to Bed Stuy because it IS the only place they can afford to live and still work and live in the city. What is so wrong with that? And, living here, these people want things in the neighborhood that would be resourceful to them, things that may fall under the umbrella of a 'hipster coffee shop' or perhaps a 'decent supermarket'. I don't think many people move into a neighborhood and intentionally want to make it what it is not, or change it into something entirely different. Most people just want to make their neighborhood 'better' ( even though whats better for some may not be better for all ). And, may I remind everyone that this is New York, and as much as a city of neighborhoods and ethnic enclaves as this is, communities are always changing. East New York was once Italian, and before that, Dutch. Harlem was once all African American. The LES was once mainly Jewish. So, unless you are a Native American robbed of your territory, I would say that no one really 'owns' a neighborhood. People change, neighborhoods change, and while it's important to hang on to our cultures and traditions that make us unique, if we are not open to sharing this with others and the possibility of newcomers, we're not doing much good for anybody.

I agree. People are people. Race doesn't matter. Neighborhoods are going to change. With or without "white hipsters". Guaranteed. Look at the neighborhood you live in twenty years ago. Thirty years ago. Fifty years ago. The only thing you can know for certain is that it will change. We can try to emphasize the positive changes and minimize the negative ones. We could also elect symbols of our outrage and deride them, be they whites, blacks, queers, youths, whatever, but it won't prevent anything. They are not causes, they are symptoms. Nobody wakes up after a long night of Southpark and suddenly wants to _be_ Token. Forces beyond their control are forcing them into "your" neighborhoods. Just like forces beyond your control likely forced you there a year ago. Two years ago. Four years ago. Just like the progenitors of the current denizens were put there by forces beyond their own control further back than that. The circle repeats.

anonymous

what exactly is a hipster?
anyone aged 22-29.9?
does riding a bike or wearing sneakers make you a hipster?
are Pratt kids hipsters or are they just students?

daver

guesty guest wrote: what exactly is a hipster?
anyone aged 22-29.9?
does riding a bike or wearing sneakers make you a hipster?
are Pratt kids hipsters or are they just students?

Start here: http://brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=34828

windowbox

no name face wrote: Although I'm black, I should be just as detached from the community as you white hipsters (based on your blanket generalizations).

I'm a white latina woman who you might consider a "white hipster" if you saw me on the street, but I grew up here in a racially diverse part of NYC that was totally ruined by gentrification (Loisaida, R.I.P.). I also live on the CH/BS border and I like it. I have no problem walking home at night. I say hi to people; people say hi to me. I don't try to impose myself either.

It's hard not to generalize, and I know you are just reacting to what you see on the boards, but being from here myself and living in W-burg "before" it all changed, I can say that the people who look like "white hipsters" who are here now might not all be so skittish and disconnected. I can see how that impression might be made though.

ilikesausage

LMAO @ this thread. Seriously, The only lame person is the OP. If I saw you, I'd call you a cracker bitch too, and I'm a total Ritz :P .

Seriously, nobody owns this neighborhood, therefore your post is blow out of the water. It was once Jewish and may find itself a little lighter once more. Why don't you go back to whereever you came from?

[/b]

anonymous

Putnam / Thoop? I hope you're not talking about me.

Also, keep in mind that there's a youth / travellers' hostel on Jefferson between Throop and Thompkins. The vast majority of freaked-out looking white kids I see are clearly in the neighborhood for a temporary stay. Instead of faulting these people (or other new residents of the neighborhood) for looking skittish, say "hello," introduce yourself, and personally suggest they take part in the community of Bed-Stuy, instead of exercising petty exclusion.

anonymous

danadaisys - you've lived in bed stuy for three years. don't you think there are longer-term residents who have much more justified gripes than your own? sounds like a mere three years ago you were in a similar boat to those you're now attacking. you may, for the moment, feel like you're the only white girl participating in the community - though I can guarantee you're not - give these "newbies" a minute to meet their neighbors and become part of the community. And I agree with Pinkie

Also, keep in mind that there's a youth / travellers' hostel on Jefferson between Throop and Thompkins. The vast majority of freaked-out looking white kids I see are clearly in the neighborhood for a temporary stay. Instead of faulting these people (or other new residents of the neighborhood) for looking skittish, say "hello," introduce yourself, and personally suggest they take part in the community of Bed-Stuy, instead of exercising petty exclusion.

anonymous

There is a place for us now on Nostrand and Clifton!

queencallipygos

pinkie wrote: Also, keep in mind that there's a youth / travellers' hostel on Jefferson between Throop and Thompkins.

Seriously? Wow. Do you know who operates it and how long it's been running?

armchair_warrior

you know what i learn over the years. the biggest group of whiners about gentrification is white people, who move to the area slightly earlier than the other group of whites or gentrifiers.

they some how think, they aren't gentrifiers or white for that matter. they want to bubble wrap a place and keep it "authentic".


along time ago bedstuy was a white hood :O. places and times change. get used to it.

anonymous

queencallipygos wrote:
Seriously? Wow. Do you know who operates it and how long it's been running?

It's at 397 Jefferson, and it's a Loftstel property (http://www.lofstel.com). Their main property is on Greene right across from Tompkins park. I believe they have several other properties as well, but those are no longer appearing on their website. No, I don't work for them. (But I do work in international student exchange, so I have a good understanding of most of the hostel options in the NYC area.) [/url]

queencallipygos

pinkie wrote: [quote=queencallipygos]
Seriously? Wow. Do you know who operates it and how long it's been running?

It's at 397 Jefferson, and it's a Loftstel property (http://www.lofstel.com). Their main property is on Greene right across from Tompkins park. I believe they have several other properties as well, but those are no longer appearing on their website. No, I don't work for them. (But I do work in international student exchange, so I have a good understanding of most of the hostel options in the NYC area.) [/url]

I'm just curious because I often stay in the IYH network hostels elsewhere, and hadn't heard of there being one in Brooklyn.

Too bad that the Lofstel group doesn't have a better web site; I'm curious to know more about them.

bassplaya

Do you any of you people know what bed stuy was like 40 years ago? Probably not, because you probably weren't born yet and that's not a dig but an attempt to get you think about the real history of the place. I'm 51 and I moved into bed-stuy when I was 5 and at that time which really wasn't all that long ago things were vastly different than they are now. The neighborhood had a large black population, with some puerto ricans and some whites and many white owned businesses. That was 1961, at time where there was no homelessness, you could leave your door unlocked without fear of getting robbed and they made change on the bus i.e. bus drivers actually carried cash and banks weren't even all glassed in despite the likes of Bonnie and Clyde years and years before. The question I think you folks need to ask yourself is this; "What really happened to this neighborhood to transform if from what it was into what it is now?"

ilikesausage

BassPlaya wrote: Do you any of you people know what bed stuy was like 40 years ago? Probably not, because you probably weren't born yet and that's not a dig but an attempt to get you think about the real history of the place. I'm 51 and I moved into bed-stuy when I was 5 and at that time which really wasn't all that long ago things were vastly different than they are now. The neighborhood had a large black population, with some puerto ricans and some whites and many white owned businesses. That was 1961, at time where there was no homelessness, you could leave your door unlocked without fear of getting robbed and they made change on the bus i.e. bus drivers actually carried cash and banks weren't even all glassed in despite the likes of Bonnie and Clyde years and years before. The question I think you folks need to ask yourself is this; "What really happened to this neighborhood to transform if from what it was into what it is now?"

A combination of the decline of the family unit, redlining, heroin trade, welfare discouraging entrepenureship, Muslim Brotherhood and other antagonistic groups infiltrating the civil rights movement, NYPD shortfalls in the early 70s as city finances deteriorated, Gangs, Crack cocaine and the increasing availibilty of guns as well as the influence of rap groups such as B.I.G, Public Enemy, Busta Rhymes who made our area out to be a war zone and encouraged local youth to engage in crime and disrespect authorites.

bassplaya

Here your ignorance and racist notions shows big time.

Welfare discouraging entrepenureship?

Are all whites entrepenures? Are there any whites on welfare? What about whites that got loans that blacks couldn't get simply because they were black?

Amongst your antagonistic groups you left out the FBI. Why is that?

NYPD short falls? Oh, I see you think the answer to reducing crime is locking everyone up. They tried that which is why this country has the highest incarceration rate of any society on the planet.

Rap groups??? Who runs the record labels and controls the air waves, certainly not Black People. Ask yourself why the promotion of certain imagery advances the agenda of certain white people.

What's sad here is that there are a lot of people that think the same way that you do, notions and ideas that have no historical perspective nor any sort of critical thinking.

ilikesausage

BassPlaya wrote: Here your ignorance and racist notions shows big time.

Welfare discouraging entrepenureship?

Are all whites entrepenures? Are there any whites on welfare?

Meaning it discourages average means of entrenpenureship. Also, there are many whites on welfare who are guilty of the same thing. But this is a conversation about Bed-Stuy, if you want to talk more about my feelings about white people, PM me

What about whites that got loans that blacks couldn't get simply because they were black?

That's called "Redlining" and I believe I listed "Redlining"

Amongst your antagonistic groups you left out the FBI. Why is that?

The FBI wasn't the good guys, that's true. But they've always been like that. The convo is about what's changed since 1961, and I think my point about antagonistic groups is importaint

NYPD short falls? Oh, I see you think the answer to reducing crime is locking everyone up.

Personally, I am not a backer of the so-called "War on Drugs" becuase it does unfairly target low-income minorites and is a big drain on government resources. However, if you commit a crime, you should go to jail. Period.

They tried that which is why this country has the highest incarceration rate of any society on the planet.

We commit more crime than any other industrialized nation. As far as the world, I doubt that.

Rap groups??? Who runs the record labels and controls the air waves, certainly not Black People. Ask yourself why the promotion of certain imagery advances the agenda of certain white people.

Really? I guess Suge Knight is white then. As is P Diddy and Def Jam. Next.

What's sad here is that there are a lot of people that think the same way that you do, notions and ideas that have no historical perspective nor any sort of critical thinking.

What lacks critical thinking is your openly racial and lopsided view. I have castgated Whites in their role in racism many a time. But to think the African-American community has no role in the day to day successes and failings in it's community is just as racist.

bassplaya

This country is racial, to this day you can send a white candidate and a black candidate equal in every way except for skin color and that white candidate will still get the job or the apartment or the loan at prime rates.

ilikesausage

BassPlaya wrote: This country is racial, to this day you can send a white candidate and a black candidate equal in every way except for skin color and that white candidate will still get the job or the apartment or the loan at prime rates.

we have a ways to go, there's zero doubt about that, but maybe you might want to give pause to something:

Every time a Black man shoots someone, Every time a Black man deals drugs, Every time a Black man doesn't clean up after his property, all the racists in the world point to that and say "see, we were right all along!!!".


Maybe some of the stereotype is coming from the fact that many young men are living the stereotype. Hmmmm.....

homeowner

Really? I guess Suge Knight is white then. As is P Diddy and Def Jam. Next.

You're right about Suge and Diddy, but Def Jam is Rick Rubin who is as white as the driven snow. Def Jam hasn't been black owned or controlled in many, many, many years.

Also, just as an FYI, most of these guys with labels (Death Row and Bad Boy included) own a piece of the label only, or own the label but have distribution deals through majors. So, a good deal of the decision making process is out of their hands. They are as much image as their artist (just ask the folks who do their banking) and are not the captains of industry that MTV makes them out to be. Instead think upper-middle management in a much bigger machine.

queencallipygos

Oi! BassPlaya and ILikeSausage!

This is the second thread I've run into where the two of you were engaged in a debate that was taking things over. Perhaps you could take it into Private Messaging?

jackson

homeowner wrote:

Really? I guess Suge Knight is white then. As is P Diddy and Def Jam. Next.

You're right about Suge and Diddy, but Def Jam is Rick Rubin who is as white as the driven snow. Def Jam hasn't been black owned or controlled in many, many, many years.

Jay-Z is the Pres/CEO of Def Jam, Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons founded the label, but are no longer in charge there. Just an FYI!

guvna

:shock:

homeowner

Def Jam was purchased by PolyGram who was subsequently acquired by Segrams which merged the label into its Universal Music Group Segrams subsequently became Vivaldi. Jay-Z may be president, but he has no ownership interest. He was appointed President after selling his interest in Roccafeller to Universal as well.

Vivaldi's Board of Directors

Nary a black person among them.

windowbox

not to get toooo far into this debate, but rick rubin has produced a wide range of music (he was responsible for the recent resurgance in popularity of Johnny Cash - b4 the movie), and is a well-respected hip hop producer, as are the other names mentioned here.

ilikesausage

Look, no one here denies African-Americans face struggles in the quest to imporve their lives and communites. But times are getting tough for everybody.

Maybe we should focus less on what divides us and more on the fact that there is plenty of room for all of us. Bed-Stuy is a big fucking hood, It's crazy to think we all can't share. :shock:

Word of advice to New Bed-Stuyers: Head over to Bread Stuy and have a coffee and biscotti and ignore the fools who debate endlessly on message boards about weither people have a right to live somewhere based on the color of their skin.

anonymous

I wanna support the TC post, but its just hard to. The true fear comes from the fact that the African American community in Bedstuy are scared to lose the culture and roots of bedstuy from gentrification. I'm all for it, but the roots, the essence, the feeling of bedstuy maybe lost. The fact that the crime rate has plunged compared to the bedstuy i knew by in the 90's is definitely a plus, though.

anyway TC, if you wanna get serious about things. bedstuy once belong to white people, till us blacks moved in. This was during the 1900's, so bedstuy doesn't truly belong to black people.