10 Comments

1. AmyB July 2nd, 2007 at 1:07 pm

   Welcome Back Jeremy. We look forward to you continuing the site, and would love to hear about what you’ve been up to even away from Bushwick. We all call this place home, but would love to know where the jet-setters of this area do in their leisure time.

   If someone from Bushwick had a summer home where would it be?

2. Jeremy July 2nd, 2007 at 1:15 pm

   I went home to South Florida for a few days for vacation but also to go to my grandma’s 70th birthday party. Nothing that exciting, though it was a welcome escape.

3. Armstrong July 2nd, 2007 at 2:23 pm

   There’s a huge article in the Village Voice about Bushwick. http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0726,robbins,77040,2.html

4. Bob July 2nd, 2007 at 9:18 pm

   Yes, it’s quite an article. Too bad some students had to write it and then submit it to voice for publication. Amazing how we have the most neglected homes with the most violations. But condos are moving in.

   South FLA is quite a change from Bushwick. They have nice homes there, peace and quiet, and civic pride. I love how the streets there are so clean.

   It’s great to have you back.
   Nothing exciting my foot – 70th years is something. I hope she sees your new home one day especially after you renovate the outside. I bet she’d be proud of your home ownership.

5. Applebottom Angel July 2nd, 2007 at 9:21 pm

   Since most bushwick residents are spanish. I’d say most have summer homes in Puerto Rico. However after reading that article, seems like most may have on residency and it’s in shambles and they are trying to avoid eviction.

6. Jeremy July 2nd, 2007 at 9:24 pm

   I was interviewed by one of those students for the article, but she said it ended up being heavily edited. She had some really cockamamie ideas about Bushwick. I haven’t read the article yet but expect commentary from these parts.

7. Jeremy July 2nd, 2007 at 9:29 pm

   Bob, I don’t know what South Florida you have been to, but civic pride is not what comes to mind when I think of home. It’s extremely transient, more than most places in the country, and plenty of it is unbelievably filthy, though in recent years it is much cleaner and yes of course the rich areas are always clean…South Florida has some of the worst, most violent ghettoes in the country. I suppose it’s all about where you’ve been.

   It’s still home to me, though. I guess if you’re from Iowa, some crime is a small price to pay for palm trees and gorgeous winters. And I suppose I agree.

8. BklynGirl July 3rd, 2007 at 1:34 am

   I’m glad they wrote the article, and that’s great that you were interviewed Jeremy. Could we ask how you were approached, and your connection? You’re doing a great job helping Bushwick thrust forward. I wish the article talked a little more about how the residents were making a change, and the young people moving in.

   What town in FLA are you from Jeremy. I think NY has some pretty rough parts, and FLA seems mild. Maybe it’s me.

   My view of the article is there’s a lot of slum lords here, not taking care of the buildings. But I think Bushwick is one of the poorest areas in Brooklyn, no?

9. Armstrong July 3rd, 2007 at 9:26 am

   It is one of the poorest areas and it is in the path of gentrification. As the article says, 50% of the housing stock is rent-stabilized so things are gonna get very interesting, especially in light of the recent passing of the Safe Housing Act: http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=5&id=13735
   Bushwick’s transition over the next ten years will be unique in many ways I imagine. I foresee a much nicer, mixed-income neighborhood, with improved city services and housing stock – both new and rehabilitated.

10. Jeremy July 3rd, 2007 at 10:24 am

    I was approached by email from someone who saw this blog. I’m not sure yet if anything I said was used, but I haven’t read it yet.

    I grew up in West Boca Raton, which is now inexplicably crammed with rich ass people (mansions in the Everglades? wtf?) but when I was growing up was middle class. Our neighborhood, my mom assures me from a visit a few weeks ago, is still “pretty ghetto.” But that’s in a middle class kind of way. But South Florida has several dangerous, crumbling, drug-infested neighborhoods, especially Miami — poorest city in the country, even with what seems to be mile after mile of luxury condos and millionaires’ mansions. It’s the parts visitors don’t see that drag those statistics down to the pits.