journalist request: (still) hating on the Slope

Subject: it's not a mirage...

I agree with WT girl.

And if the writer thinks it's all misappropriated then she's living a bubble.

In the last seven years, an incredible sense of entitlement has appeared amongst people (new people?) who live in Park Slope. Even on this message board, there's been hatred directed towards old-timers who are being priced out - instead of cherishing diversity, there is an underpinning of nastiness. People have said to them "get a job," "if you can't afford to live here, leave."

That seems to me to be a pretty good reason that there might be a groundswell of feelings of anti-Park Slopism.

WTGirl wrote: The people who hate Park Slope chose to leave Park slope (or were priced out by the influx of Manhattanites). I think asking for contributions from a list serve that serves Park Slope residents is not going to get you much of an article. Why would you stay in an area you hate? Post in WT or Kensington and I think you will get an earful about privilege, self-absorption, indulgent parents, hypocrisy, political correct to the ridiculous degree. Not saying the above is true, just seems to be what I hear over here and nobody is jealous and wants to move back. In fact the fear is that the slope attitude is encroaching here. Whatever that exactly is.

I don't hate Park Slope....I just cannot relate to it anymore (although I like to do my banking there and get my cell phone plans adjusted). I don't live on the Upper East side either because, although it is pretty, just not my kind of people. It is the classic battle of old and new. I am someone who preferred the old and would have kept my coop if I had still loved the neighborhood. So now the new are taking over, and that is fine...there are other neighborhoods: maybe not visually as pretty but from my experience a sense of community that the slope is losing.

doldrums wrote:

I know when posters start referring to people as nazi's, that's it time to hang it up. So much vitriol is not good for the soul, besides being totally inapproriate and offensive.

Amen to that.

Subject: Re: it's not a mirage...

Sorry I didn't follow every last post on this thread. I caught earlier on what WT Girl's sentiments were.

I think there are many great and lovely things about Park Slope. I just also can see why there's a bit of discontent (to use a mild word) directed towards it.

While you reference it's always been this way, the city has not been the way IT is now for all those years. There's a huge change in the pervasiveness of a kind of attitude across the board -- combined with massive gentrification and homogenization of almost all of Manhattan and spreading into Brooklyn -- which, while lurking, I don't believe was there in such force.

Good article a few weeks ago in New York Magazine by a writer who lives in Park Slope who addressed some of this. Basically addressing would New York taking a fall and going downhill a bit (just a bit) be best for the city's soul.

If you think of Carroll Gardens, it just does not have the identity that Park Slope has - and all that comes with that.

Brooklyn Heights has been considered wealthy and out of reach for most for so many years that I guess people aren't talking about it.

filmlover44 wrote: [quote=cat]
In the last seven years, an incredible sense of entitlement has appeared amongst people (new people?) who live in Park Slope.

how long have you lived here...7 years? There have been people like that in Park Slope for as long as I've been here and I moved to the South Slope 22 years ago. So what? Hell, I know people who refuse to rent out their apartments at all due to the "newcomers" (aka white people) and have had empty apartments for 30 years. It's a damned hysterical place and it isn't boring. That's all I'm saying.

"In the last seven years, an incredible sense of entitlement has appeared amongst people (new people?) who live in Park Slope."



so you don't think this exists in any other neighborhood besides park slope??

now who lives inside a bubble...

belzjm wrote: jamzer summed it up perfectly.

thank you.

i think it's refreshing in a city like new york that so many people LOVE where they live. if you have yet to experience it, it's a wonderful thing.

i feel for people pushed to other neighborhoods because of cost and know that many who would have liked to have stayed in park slope are no longer able, so i certainly do feel lucky. i don't take it for granted.

I think this is at least partially responsible for the "hate" of Park Slope.

belzjm, I am with you.

In all seriousness.

This is getting BBOOOORRRINNNGG.

"Journalist" person--please go away. There is NOTHING new to be said on this topic. If you love PS, fine. If you hate PS, fine. If you don't care in the slightest, more power to you!

Oh, and a couple of weeks ago, I had to haul my ass out to Carnarsie on an early Saturday morning to pick up a FedEx package. That place ROCKS and it's just off the L train.

There's got to be a way to trick hipsters and people with money into moving out there. I tell ya, it's an untapped haven of cool. In fact, it's even too cool to have it's own discussion board.

Jamzer wrote: "Definitely an aspect of life in this 'hood"??? Who are these Park Slopers you know that maintain a "smug disaproval" of people who have made other choices? What do you base this on? The real people I know who live in Park Slope are too busy living their lives to worry about what other people are doing. I don't get these broad negative assumptions about the way people think.

I would say that what you are saying here may be very close to a Truth.

The real people I know who live in Park Slope are too busy living their lives to worry about other people.

Period. Word on the streets is that they are Me Me Me yuppified scum.

But ya'll know what listening to words on the street gets you.

Dirty ears, of course. And sometimes gum on your shoes. That is nasty. If I got gum on my ears I'd be _all_ squigged out.

Everyone likes to make broad assumptions. Think about the people of the upper east side. How about the upper west side. Chelsea. The east village. The west village. It is a citywide pastime, and park slope has made the big leagues, I guess.

In direct answer to your question, I can't think of one horrible experience I've had in park slope. The worst I can come up with is parents being a bit arrogant at the park and not having consideration for the other 20 kids there that aren't theirs. And even that ain't much. *shrug* Everyone likes to stereotype. I like to tell people I live in Crown Heights just to see the sheer terror in their eyes. I get a kick out of it. My ex's family literally told her that if she valued her children's lives, she would not allow them to visit me in Crown Heights. It gets around. Park slope doesn't have the market cornered on gross generalization and negative assumption.

belzjm wrote: now this has been picked up on curbed today...

http://curbed.com/archives/2008/02/21/why_do_people_love_to_hate_on_park_slope_so_much.php#more

Goddammit that wasn't a rant. I was just saying all the stuff I hear all the time in response to the folks saying that there was no hate on for park slope.

I hate it when I am misunderestimated. Or something.

the original poster will find some of her answers in the comments section of curbed it looks like.

man, those people who comment on curbed make the comments on brownstoner look BRILLIANT!

never thought i'd say that.

Hey, I'm the one who tried to steer the conversation towards Canarsie. But apparently, Canarsie's getting no love. Why? There's an article worth pursuing.

Daver, I feel you on the Crown Heights fear. I also know a few people that grouse about coming out my way as they think it's totally unsafe.

daver wrote: ...The funniest thing about this is that it was started by a journalist looking to write an article who was immediately told that no article was needed or wanted. Well Goooollleee!!! For something that doesn't exist and nobody cares about there sure is a lot of hits and interest. Just saying.

Actually Daver - I think what a lot of people are trying to say is that it does exist, but it comes from people who seem to have way too much time on their hands and need another outlet for their frustrations. Who cares what they think. Grow up and get a life.

i don't smuggly dissaprove of anyone except for drunks and assholes.

WTGirl wrote:

But of course, that is your experience and perhaps you are in your early 20s and meeting different people then I meet who are in their 30s, 40s etc.

or maybe he/she just hangs out with the kind of people who don't waste their energy hating a neighborhood or a city or calling people nazis. I know which kind of person I would prefer to spend my time with.