Washington Ave: Organic deli to replace bullet proof Chinese restaurant by The Islands

Umm, most of the bodegas are owned and staffed by Yemenis and other immigrants. They call them "upscale", "organic", blah, blah, blah, but as we've seen with the few on Franklin, they're just fancier versions of regular bodegas with a few organic products thrown. In fact, do we have any fancy, schmancy, bodegas owned by white, wealthy gentrifiers? Not sure how you'd classify Bob and Betty's, but other than that, none come to mind.

Some Caribbeans are really into the whole natural, organic movement. Washington has a few examples already. There's that Caribbean owned natural, organic beauty store and the yummy vegan shop with organic and natural products to purchase. And while not a food shop,
that lovely corner vintage store is also Caribbean owned.

My point is-- gentrification is happening, yes. People and businesses are being unfairly displaced by it, yes. There are greedy people abusing the situation, yes. But let's aim the anger/cynicism at the right targets.

There is still a bullet-proof Chinese restaurant on Underhill, and at this point the neighborhood can't sustain two of them. When demand falls and sales drop while rents are very high, places close. Same thing happened to the Coffee Bites shop down the block that was only open a few years and catered mostly to newcomers. It has also happened to several newer businesses on Washington and Vanderbilt, yet I don't hear any outcry about those families who ran them. It could happen to this new business when it opens. No business is exempt from the forces of supply and demand. If people don't want a product, they don't buy it and the business either adapts to this or it closes. That's how the economy works, whether we like it or not. If this type of food and supporting family businesses are really that important to people, they can head over to Hood Hing on Underhill and help it stay in business. I really am discouraged to see how simple, powerful economic forces lead to the blaming of entire races of people.

Chaiimylife-- just saw your response.

1- you say you didn't say "white" in your comment, but then you used it all over your second.

2- many store owners, especially in the neighborhood, are not wealthy. They are average people who saved up, borrowed, sold, crowd funded, etc. to be able to open their shop. Many of them go out of business for that reason; they don't have a stockpile of wealth to help them weather the early stages of loss.

3- there are a lot more than just one Carribean business on Washington, some of which if you would have assumed were owned by what you would call gentrifiers if you haven't visited. Antique, vegan, juice shop, new restaurant, organic bodega? Oh, must be those damn gentrifiers. Why jump the gun on this deli and go on and on vilifying the owners and potential clientele when you know nothing about either? And that was my point about the Yemeni bodegas. Yemenis are not wealthy either. They are hardworking immigrants who have been fleeing the turmoil in their country who pool money together, hire family members, work crazy hours, to be able to provide for their families.

4- my issue which your original statement and follow is that you're making a lot of assumptions and unfair generalizations, and seeing the world as black and white. You're also taking your anger out of everyday people. When "gentrifiers" move to a neighborhood, they're not doing so for the purpose of gentrifying a neighborhood. Like anyone else, they want a place they can afford, in an area that may be convenient for them, and where they may like the feel of the neighborhood. Most of the "first wave gentrifiers" that live in gentrifying areas are often grad students, social workers, teachers, budding artists, etc who don't have a lot of money. You also made an assumption that I'm wealthy. I'm a public school employee and I'm not white either.

You have a right to be angry in general, but as they say, don't hate the player, hate the game.

I remember when the Times wrote about Islands. I was living in Fort Greene at the time (hence my handle) and made my way over. Though it wasn't crowded the food took about an hour, but the things that came out faster were place in tin foil at the counter and got cold. Now I've been in crown heights for three years and haven't stopped by. I need to visit again.