Soy frailty
I read this quote in an oh so long post on the Prospect Heights Board about the girl muggers. It's priceless:
Have you seen the new people walking Brooklyn these days? 5'9 140 lbs of soy frailty. I'm not condoning those kids actions but you have to realize that the new brooklynites are like fresh meat in a shark tank.Soy frailty. Brilliant.
Comments
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Yeah . . . that is pretty funny. Though, I have to say I'm not a hipsta hater or a playa hater either (though sometimes the hipsters are annoying).
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Soy is a hippie, maybe yuppie thing. Hipsters are young kids probably livin' off burgers and cheap booze. My 2 cents, you'll pay more for jeans and skip the expensive 'whole foods' crap
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Yeah, really funny. People all upset because their neighborhood is being invaded by yuppies, or hippies, or hipsters, or crackers, or whatever the hell people are taking a piss on this week.
When I got mugged this past weekend on the way back from the G train down Classon street for all of 20 dollars in my wallet (the only money I had for the week), those two kids probably thought I had money because I dress decently (even though I haven't bought new clothes for almost two years), and because I'm white. The thought probably never occurred to them that if I could afford to live anywhere else, I would. They can have their precious neighborhood, if they're so fucking offended by my presence.
But it's not really about that, is it? It's about the simmering class/race resentments that have existed for years, and which have precisely nothing to do with me. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. In much the same way that I get heated, being a vegetarian, about the "soy frailty" thing, even though I'm 6'4" and 200 pounds. It's nothing personal, and has nothing to do with me, and yet I still get heated. Ah well.
Mostly, what I do right now is try to ease the lingering rage I'm still carrying around and try not to wish screaming, fiery death on every young black man in a hoodie I see. I smile at my neighbors and breathe, and try to be respectful, knowing that nobody really wants me here, knowing that right now I can't afford to go anywhere else. -
6'4"/200lbs- please tell me they got your 20 cause they had a gun....
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Subject: Re: "Soy frailty"
Anonymous wrote: I read this quote in an oh so long post on the Prospect Heights Board about the girl muggers. It's priceless:
Yeah, it's so much fun to hate on hippies and yuppies, but you know what? Soy in one form or another is in just about everything--read the ingredients. You don't have to specifically buy soy products to consume soy. We're all eating it, old and new brooklynites alike.Have you seen the new people walking Brooklyn these days? 5'9 140 lbs of soy frailty. I'm not condoning those kids actions but you have to realize that the new brooklynites are like fresh meat in a shark tank.
Soy frailty. Brilliant. -
My teenage son was mugged on the corner of Nostrand and Park Place at 6:30 in the morning. Rather than take it lying down, he ran home, a 100 yards away, got a baseball bat and comes out swinging. The freaking perp then cries that he has a gun. My son, not be outdone, calls 911. Shortly a cop car shows up and my son rides around with the cops until they collar the dude. He spends the night in the pokey but is released the next day because they didn't find a gun and had drop the charges. My son gets an order of protection. Haven't seen the perp around lately........
Another story in the Grand Manzanna. -
Anonymous wrote: Yeah, really funny. People all upset because their neighborhood is being invaded by yuppies, or hippies, or hipsters, or crackers, or whatever the hell people are taking a piss on this week.
I understand your anger at getting mugged but you're feelings about the neighborhood and its people are a bit extreme. I really doubt that nobody wants you there. I'm a young white guy in the neighborhood and felt out of place when I first moved here too, and imagine I still look out of place as well. I've never felt like no one wanted me here though and my neighbors, mostly long-term residents of CH, have been great.
When I got mugged this past weekend on the way back from the G train down Classon street for all of 20 dollars in my wallet (the only money I had for the week), those two kids probably thought I had money because I dress decently (even though I haven't bought new clothes for almost two years), and because I'm white. The thought probably never occurred to them that if I could afford to live anywhere else, I would. They can have their precious neighborhood, if they're so fucking offended by my presence.
But it's not really about that, is it? It's about the simmering class/race resentments that have existed for years, and which have precisely nothing to do with me. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. In much the same way that I get heated, being a vegetarian, about the "soy frailty" thing, even though I'm 6'4" and 200 pounds. It's nothing personal, and has nothing to do with me, and yet I still get heated. Ah well.
Mostly, what I do right now is try to ease the lingering rage I'm still carrying around and try not to wish screaming, fiery death on every young black man in a hoodie I see. I smile at my neighbors and breathe, and try to be respectful, knowing that nobody really wants me here, knowing that right now I can't afford to go anywhere else.
I'd say more than anything there is sometimes a wariness about young outsiders moving in as not having respect for the community that can arise. Given the image, sometimes justified, that is associated with American college and post-college types its not hard to understand where this perception of lack of respect comes from. Getting to know people in the community goes a long ways in resolving this though.
As for the mugging, I'm sorry this happened to you. If you haven't already please file a police report. It may seem pointless but its a proactive step in making changes for the better. And I know this is easy for me to say not being in your position too but don't take this as a personal assault either. Muggings happen in this city and can happen no matter where you are. Sometimes you just end up at the wrong place, at the wrong time. -
"you're feelings about the neighborhood and its people are a bit extreme."
My feelings are just fine, thanks. The expression might be a bit extreme, however, and I get your point. The last line was somewhat melodramatic on my part, expressing an alienation that is difficult to communicate to someone not going through it. It isn't that "nobody" wants me here, but there are definitely those who would prefer me somewhere else. I'm routinely pan-handled by an older woman who lives in my building and who is convinced that I am hugely wealthy. It's gotten to the point now where it's a bit of a joke between us. Except she's only partly joking, in that smilingly hostile way that some older black people have of dealing with the poisonous anger they still feel at the years of discrimination they've faced. The sullen stares, the barely concealed resentment as I walk around. Seriously, it's kind of strange... I started out just thinking I was being paranoid, but hey, you know "just because you're paranoid..." as the saying goes.
"Please tell me they... had a gun"
Yeah, they claimed to, but wouldn't show it to me. I started beating on one of them and was informed I was about to be shot, so I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and didn't push it.
Thanks for everyone's thoughts. "This too, shall pass." -
Anonymous wrote: " I started beating on one of them and was informed I was about to be shot, so I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and didn't push it.
Ummm, that's hot.
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You know, as a new resident of the neighborhood (I just moved here from other parts of Brooklyn) I can identify with Guest's sentiments. Being a college student, my living options in this city are fairly slim, narrowed down to the less-than-desirable neighborhoods in every borough within reasonable distance to my campus. But I feel the eyes burning holes in me everytime I exit my building. I grew up very, very poor and moved to New York to play music and hopefully finish college (which I am working my own way through, thank you). Getting hard looks from the guys on the corner because they think I have money is infuriating. I wouldn't live here if I didn't have to. It's a very frustrating feeling knowing that wherever you live in this city people are going to hate you for moving into their neighborhood and will therefore target you because of their ignorant misconceptions. It's a distinct problem for young, (mostly) white, college and post-college aged New Yorkers without a significant income, and not at all fun or comfortable.
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i am sorry you guys are getting such hostile "looks" from your neighbors. I have been living in this neighborhood for the past five years just a few blocks from Sneaky Flutes and have not once felt unwelcome. I look White and I am definitely not rich. Would I live somewhere else if i had more money?...probably. Having two small children it would make my life easier to live in Park Slope or Carrol Gardens, but i love living here in spite of some inconveniences. I wouldn't be raising my kids here if I didn't feel safe and welcome.
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yeah i live at the same intersection as sneaky flutes, and fit into a similar demographic, but don't experience that at all...i really think having a nasty attitude about the neighborhood and feeling paranoid is more of your issue than the people "staring" at you. sure guys stare at me or holler from time to time but that happens in any neighborhood in ny. i just ignore it.
i actually find that people are MORE friendly in crown heights than in other neighborhoods i've live in, especially people in the shops/delis/restaurants. -
other neighborhoods i've livED in...sorry typo.
i'm not trying to be mean, but if you really hate the neighborhood and feel uncomfortable, nobody is forcing you to live here...leases can be broken. i'm sure you can find a place that is as cheap somewhere else if you are willing to compromise space and # of roomates. -
I've lived at New York and Bergen for nearly a year now. I'm 23, white and recently out of college. While I did feel a bit out of place at first I've never felt any kind of outright hostility towards my existence or fact that I live in the neighborhood. sneakyflutes, not to single you out as well but it sounds like you carrying around a bit of paranoia. I know moving to this neighborhood can be a culture shock but try not to let fear get the best of you and try getting to know a few people. From personal experience, I can tell you its a two-way street and that you need show that you respect the neighborhood and want to be a part of it.
lindsay6, I like your talking cat-loaf avatar. -
You have a valid point, it does have a lot to do with my attitude and I may be projecting much of it, and I think that it also has a lot to do with the fact that I have been mugged/beaten and otherwise targeted in other neighborhoods with similar tensions. I'm just tired of both sides of the gentrification drama. I guess I just want to live wherever I want/can and be left alone.
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"i'm sure you can find a place that is as cheap somewhere else if you are willing to compromise space and # of roomates"
Thanks for your input. The fact that I am living where I am may be enough to indicate to those who are capable of reading closely that perhaps my situation precludes such obvious solutions.
"you need show that you respect the neighborhood and want to be a part of it."
Now this is an interesting point. What does respect for the neighborhood entail? Is it in the trash everywhere on my street? Is it inherent in the several abandoned buildings on my block with overgrown yards and car parts piling up on the lot? Is it embodied in the kids who run around at all hours (some of whom may even mug you if you look vulnerable)? Is it in the family one floor up from me that throws their garbage in the backyard? Is it in the filthy bodegas? Seems to me that the folks who live in my neck of the neighborhood are as lacking in respect for the neighborhood (and themselves) as anyone else.
Having said that, I'm trying. I'm really trying. I greet the people in my building, I help the family a floor up from me carry their groceries upstairs. I sit and chat with the old folks hanging out on the front stoop. I try to remember that a black kid in a hoodie with a hard look on his face is not necessarily a threat. And I stopped carrying a knife, for fear I might use it if mugged again.
So please think twice before thinking you can tell me how to cope. Most people know that you can walk half a block and be in a bad area, especially in somewhere as much in flux as Crown Heights. Your area, while perfectly decent, may be a world away from my area, even though it's only the next block over -
Anonymous wrote: Now this is an interesting point. What does respect for the neighborhood entail? Is it in the trash everywhere on my street? Is it inherent in the several abandoned buildings on my block with overgrown yards and car parts piling up on the lot? Is it embodied in the kids who run around at all hours (some of whom may even mug you if you look vulnerable)? Is it in the family one floor up from me that throws their garbage in the backyard? Is it in the filthy bodegas? Seems to me that the folks who live in my neck of the neighborhood are as lacking in respect for the neighborhood (and themselves) as anyone else.
Don't worry, I'm sure their shit stinks _WAY_ worse than your...</sarchasm>Anonymous wrote: Having said that, I'm trying. I'm really trying. I greet the people in my building, I help the family a floor up from me carry their groceries upstairs. I sit and chat with the old folks hanging out on the front stoop. I try to remember that a black kid in a hoodie with a hard look on his face is not necessarily a threat. And I stopped carrying a knife, for fear I might use it if mugged again.
So what's wrong with using a knife on a mugger? But yah, talking to people like they are humans and remembering that all black kids in hoodies aren't muggers would be a step in a good direction.Anonymous wrote: So please think twice before thinking you can tell me how to cope. Most people know that you can walk half a block and be in a bad area, especially in somewhere as much in flux as Crown Heights. Your area, while perfectly decent, may be a world away from my area, even though it's only the next block over
Yah, and it might twice as bad as where you are at too. If you aren't interested in getting suggestions from people then perhaps you shouldn't bother posting. This is a discussion board. Things are discussed. If you just want to tell your sob story to a captive audience that will sigh and weep at all the correct parts without anything to offer, then go Woe Is Me elsewhere. -
thanks dapearl9 my avatar is based on a true story about a cat that likes to pretend she is a loaf of bread.
i'm sorry if i offended anyone, but you should understand that a lot of us DO choose to live here and are not forced...i love being close to the museum, botanic garden, restaurants (including my favorite sushi place), and a train that takes me to my job.
crown heights may not be as quiet or safe as some other places, but the alternative doesn't really appeal to me either...living in carroll gardens with 4 roomates and a neighbor that calls the cops to make a noise complaint because you are talking on your cell phone outside at 11 pm isn't my cup of tea. -
"Don't worry, I'm sure their shit stinks _WAY_ worse than your...</sarchasm>"
First, spell check is your friend.
Second, I pick up after myself, and even though I'm poor, I don't live like a bear in a cave. The point I was making (and you may have missed it in your rush to judgment) is that the neighborhood I am supposed to respect is disrespected by the people who have lived here long before I got here. I'm reminded of the guy who beats his wife, but who'd be more than happy to knock someone else's teeth down their throat if they dared to disrespect his "property". Many people who live in CH treat the place like a dump, but woe betide any who dare to suggest that the place could use a little cleaning up.
And for the record, my shit smells about the same as anyone's, but I don't use mine to write on the walls.
"If you aren't interested in getting suggestions from people then perhaps you shouldn't bother posting. "
I don't believe it was the suggestions I was objecting to, as much as the tone. Both posters I was responding to (of which, interestingly enough, you were not one) had adopted a tone which I didn't care much for, and which I didn't think I deserved. One basically said, "well, just move!" (as if it was easy) while the other said, "you need to be more respectful of the neighborhood" (as if I wasn't).
But thanks anyway for your input. -
I live in the community and as a black male I do notice the stares that my white brothers receive. Me being who I am, I ask them, "Why are they so hostile?", and they simply have no real answer. "Fuck that cracker" is what they say, I reply, "You know, you two are about the same age, I don't think he/she owns any slaves." They are just miserable young black kids who like to blame everyone else for their failures. I also get upset when I see a kid walk past the trash to drop their chinese food container on the floor, and again me being who I am I tell them to throw it in the trash. I'm quite sure there are a few that hate to see me coming.
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"i'm sorry if i offended anyone"
Actually, don't worry about it. I've been over to your part of CH, and it's really quite lovely. Trees and brownstones, clean sidewalks, friendly people. I can completely understand why one would want to live here. I just happened to (foolishly and in desperation for a place to live) move into a part that wasn't quite so pleasant. No one to blame for that but myself. I've only been about 4 months, and they've been rough ones, so I hope you will excuse my grumpiness.
I hope to come to love the neighborhood as I did my old one in Queens. There are a lot of things to love here. -
Anonymous wrote: "Don't worry, I'm sure their shit stinks _WAY_ worse than your...</sarchasm>"
Ack! You fell in!
First, spell check is your friend.
And FYI, 'cause I'm like in a generous mood and all:
sar·chasm ('sär-"ka-z&m) : The giant gulf (chasm) between what is said and the person who doesn't get it. -
re: sar-"chasm"
My bad for not giving you enough credit... -
Anyway, I think I can relate to what you are feeling. I've only been here a year or so. I've had a few nasty run-ins during that time, but I've found that 99% of the people are cool and nice and although some people harbor some prejudices based on skin color, they typically get over it when talking to "real" person. Or at least ignore yo honkey ass!
Enjoy the neighborhood while you can, because it is changing fast and soon it will be all Starbucks and banks but it won't matter because po folk like us will have to move somewhere cheaper anyhow. -
"enjoy... while you can...."
I know! As a white man, isn't gentrification supposed to work in my favor? </jk> -
Subject: These white folks is crazy
Speaking of not feeling welcome, the other day as I left the laundromat on Franklin, I heard a man, black, probably in his mid-thirties and dressed in semi-casual businness attire, say, "I don't know what these white folks are thinking" to his companion, who replied, "They crazy." His companion seemed a little younger, but was also black and well-dressed and was probably coming home from work. Now, they might have waited until I was a little further away from them to make their comment, but I imagine their point was to make sure I heard them. I have to say, I didn't exactly feel the love from those two.
FYI, I am not that new to the neighborhood. Have been living here for most of the decade. And personally, I do think that the number of times where I hear comments about my being white has escalated in the last two years and my feeling is that this is directly related to the number of new white people who have moved into the neighborhood. I'm not going to say that this is representative of the neighborhood as a whole, because I can't read everyone's mind, but the feeling is out there.
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