Strolling Through Bushwick
Last Saturday, I had the good fortune to attend the walking tour of Bushwick that Jeremy advertised in an earlier posting. Led by Adam Schwartz, curator of the Up From Flames exhibition at the Brooklyn Historical Society, the tour also featured fascinating commentary by John A. Dereszewski, who was a community leader in Bushwick during the worst of the arson and looting of ‘77.
Some walking tours have the feel of a not-particularly-exciting history dissertation, but this was not one of them. Schwartz and Co. mainly focused on the turbulent history of the neighborhood, from the slow decline of the late 60s and early 70s to the rejuvenation that followed in the wake of the crack epidemic and the inevitable gentrification that seems to be the fate of many a Brooklyn neighborhood.
Though we did not visit some fairly notable sites like St. Barbara’s Church (one of New York’s greatest houses of worship, in my opinion), the tour explored neighborhood stalwarts like the Hope Gardens housing project, described as “highly successful,” and the reorganized Bushwick High School, both of which point to better things for the residents of Bushwick. At the same time, the hideous condo development on Grove St., which was another stop on the tour, suggests that many of these residents won’t be around to enjoy the improving quality of life.
I am not a resident of Bushwick, but I do work here, and I am very curious about what readers think the future holds in store. Will the new residents and those who survived Bushwick’s lowest points find a balance, as has been the case in Fort Greene (where I reside) and Ditmas Park (where I used to teach)? Or will the tide of new development simply erase the past — as it has in Puerto Rican pockets of Park Slope or countless ethnic neighborhoods in Manhattan?
Please note that the photographs below were taken by the excellent photographer, and good friend of mine, J. Murray Fox. Click on each one for a larger view.
Don’t forget the next walking tour, a collaborative tour of Northern Bushwick on August 11th.
July 26th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Alex: Glad you liked it so. Great meeting you, and I hope you can be a part of the 8/11 tour. Tune into the thread for details.
July 26th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
I think this was a very successful tour. Thanks Alexander for taking the pictures and writing the blog. It was interesting to read.
Were you the guy that was in a white t shirt, and maybe green shorts, and your friend had on a striped white and blue/black shirt.
Was that you I saw?
July 26th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
These are really great pictures. I think the area has a long way to go before the spanish could be pushed out of here.
July 26th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
The main picture I think is perfect. It’s archival. Just awesome.
July 26th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
Some amazing architecture in bushwick that people don’t notice. this one was in a remote area, and not a high pedestrian one either.
anyone want to take any guesses if arson or fires are more prone here due to the frame housing?
July 27th, 2007 at 12:52 am
I might be moving to the Bushwick area (currently looking in a lot of areas). Where do I find out more info about the 8/11 walking tour? email is s p s c h a e f e r AT gmail DOT com (those spaces are to discourage any kind of spider programs from sending me loads of junk mail)
July 27th, 2007 at 7:20 am
What’s the point in guessing when I wrote a page about it? Just read up…
http://www.upfromflames.com/uff_path/uff_path_firewar.html
July 27th, 2007 at 8:26 am
Great piece Adam. I enjoyed reading it. Guess you are the official historian for Bushwick?
July 27th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Thanks, but the fellow you are looking for is John Dereszewski, who is much more of a man of Bushwick (and Willamsburg’s) long past.
I am more of a scholar of urban history who gave a year or so to studying Bushwick’s recent history very intently.
Happy to share that with ya’ll.
July 27th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Thanks for giving us that year! I’m sure the history was not as easy to dig up as other parts of brooklyn, and much of it perhaps wasn’t so pretty to find out about.
Mr. Dereszewski is doing great work on behalf of our area, and we’re lucky to have you both.
July 28th, 2007 at 9:05 am
when will the next Bushwick walking tour take place?
July 28th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
8/11 is the date. that is a saturday. i would imagine 1PM would be the time to start. Starting location is not yet determined.
July 29th, 2007 at 12:23 am
I can’t wait. Thanks for quenching our thirst for more Adam! Has anyone discussed where we will go afterwards?
July 30th, 2007 at 11:08 am
Life! Least that’s my vote. They should not be too crowded.
Oh, and I saw English Kills for the first time last week. Its on a railroad trestle east of Knickerbocker. Perhaps some of you would like to head over there…? Its a bit treacherous, but I would imagine we’ll all be experts on this one.
July 30th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Any chance of being able to get inside any buildings, even churchs?
And how do we keep people like Armstrong and his bud from getting tired and dropping off the tour?
July 31st, 2007 at 10:00 pm
This is not an authorized tour, not sponsored, so don’t expect anything like that, except for LIFE!
This is about Bushwickers getting together to share the narratives of a neighborhood linked through time.
But, if you want to walk over a railraod trestle, we can do that!
July 31st, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Also, If you can contribute a suggestion, I’ll be designing a google map for my cartlegger account on google. unfortunately, its not collaborative–yet. But if you send me your ideas of what you might like to speak about, I’ll post them on the map, then display the URL here.
August 1st, 2007 at 6:58 pm
I think there are some of us that can’t contribute that much other than we landed in bushwick and it’s a community of change.
I’d suggest Santa Barbara church, maybe that we can get into. Also maybe the cemetary and unusual grave sites (not to sound creepy!). some people are into food, so maybe good food places, especially spanish food. any chance there are still some signs of when the germans were here, maybe like old street signs, or other german markings. it would be heaven if we found a german restaurant. so odd the way they were all chased out. any idea where they fled to?
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:31 pm
I can’t help but think that the “Up from Flames” exhibit and blogs like this one are part of the gentrification process itslef. As Edward Said argues in “Orientlism”, the imperial colonization projects of Europe first had to catalogue and map the geographies, histories, and cultures of the Middle East before they could go on to politcally control them. Who was interested in the history of Bushwick before the Brooklyn gentrification boom? The process of creating a discrouse around Brooklyn as a “historic” city full of beautiful architecture and landmarks is a prerequisite to its commodification and transformation into a desirable place for middle-clas colonization. The existence of “walking tours”–a bourgeois signifier of order and authenticity–help attract those who would otherwise have no interest in living outside of Manhattan.
August 3rd, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Equating gentrification and imperialism is hyperbolic in the extreme.
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Hyperbolic? Well, I hadn’t thought about it that way. Your well thought out, sentence-long dismissal really throws a whole new light on things!
The economic incentive of untapped markets, along with the accompanying ideological justification of rescuing the uncivilized from their backwardness are the twin engines that drove classical imperialism. Clearly these are the central forces of today’s gentrification epidemic. Only please, today’s internal, urban colonialism is too PC to call long-time Bushwick residents “backward” or “uncivilized”. Let‘s just call them the “bad dog owners” who “wouldn’t be going anyway” to the newly proposed dog park (see Jimmylegs comments at http://bushwickbk.com/archives/115#comments, on this blog. Incidentally, that’s the whole point isn’t it?: that the “bad” people won’t be using or benefiting from any of the new developments in their communities).
Look at all of this potentially valuable land just waiting to be taken up into the ‘right’ hands,” say the imperialist and the gentrifier alike. It may not have diamonds, gold, or oil sitting underneath it, but the resource of urban real estate is just sitting there in Bushwick, untapped by the “natives,” and waiting to turn a profit for outsiders who can afford to buy it up and know how to turn former groceries into “funky” coffee shops and trendy, overpriced shoe stores or specialty pet shops for the ultra-rich pet lover. Although Bushwick, the abstract communal entity, may well be rising from the flames, actual, concrete, long-time Bushwick residents themselves will not benefit from this colonization effort, being forced out of rentals by greedy landlords or, if they are fortunate enough to own a home, will be faced with the dilemma of staying in an increasingly culturally alien environment or selling, in which case they will perhaps make a profit, but only under the condition that they sell-out and leave.
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:57 pm
WOO WOO! big high five to chris for calling that one out!
it’s nice to have another voice in what has been my “chorus of one.” check out my comments under the “bushwick walking tour” thread.
I’m a slightly more conflicted and ambivalent but it’s great to have a mix of opinions on here and I strongly support stronger regulations regarding keeping the amount of rent-stabilized housing in Bushwick.
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Hey Chris, all I could here in your drawn-out EXTREME leftist,class-rant was,”blah,blah,blah…capitalist,scum white people bad. You’re all racist brown-displacers. Shame, feel shame,white overthrowers. You should be ashamed of yourselves,pigs!”
If you feel so strongly about oppression on humans, visit Cuba where there is very little rights for people, and compare and contrast.
What are you doing to make Bushwick livable for all people? Or are you just bitching for the sake of bitching? Do you really feel white people shouldn’t be allowed to live and prosper in an area they can afford,based on the fact that they are white? Are you a segregator? Do you feel that whites should move to Bayridge, and Bushwick should be only Latin and Black? If so, that is kind of fucked up.
August 4th, 2007 at 12:35 am
In response to # 18 Jill you are right there were a number of German restaurants and they are now all gone.. Of course one was Neidersteins ( also gone ) right near the Metropolitan Ave stop of the M train.
The closest decent German restaurant of which I am aware is Zum Stantisch (spelling may not be right) on Myrtle Avenue near Cooper Avenue in Glendale .
for those of you without a vehicle the B55 or Q55 ( not sure what they call it now goes out there from Myrtle and Wyckoff.
August 4th, 2007 at 12:57 am
Mr. Kraayon,
“all I could here in your drawn-out EXTREME leftist,class-rant was,”blah,blah,blah…capitalist,scum white people bad. You’re all racist brown-displacers. Shame, feel shame,white overthrowers. You should be ashamed of yourselves,pigs!”
The word white does not once appear in either of my previous posts (nor does the word race). If all you “here” (sic) is “white people bad” in my “rant”, I would suggest you speak with a psychotherapist of some sort and work out some of the racialized guilt issues that obviously plague you; issues which are clearly causing you to read in quite seriously delusional (albeit, creative) ways; ways in which you transfer your own repressed, self-accusatory superego onto, in this case, me.
“Are you a segregator?” …“Do you really feel white people shouldn’t be allowed to live and prosper in an area they can afford,based on the fact that they are white?”
Look, I’m all for integration. But what I see being represented on blogs like this isn’t a desire to integrate. What I see being expressed is a desire of a relatively affluent, incoming class to take over; to transform Brooklyn in its own image; to eradicate the “uncivilized” barbarians and build an Algiers or Hong Kong in the middle of NYC.
{By the way, perhaps I spoke too soon when I said previously that the urban neo-colonialists were too PC to use words like “uncivilized”. Jeremy, complaining about the lack of doorbells and cellphones in his area writes, “Why don’t these places have some civilized system for someone inside to know they have a visitor without the visitor standing on the curb and howling into every neighbor’s apartment?”(see http://bushwickbk.com/archives/53 ) Bro, has it ever occurred to you that not everyone can afford a fucking cell phone??? The appearance of both “uncivilized” and “howling” in the same sentence really excavates the unconscious and disturbing level of classism that is rampant on this blog.}
But back to my point: this isn’t friendly integration. This is a classist invasion that is set on wiping out the novel forms of urban culture that have developed slowly over the decades in Bushwick. It is an attempt to turn Brooklyn into something more like suburban Connecticut, but with denser housing, better public transit, and coffee shops. (Incidentally, if Bushwick residents wanted to move to suburban Connecticut, they’d be kept out by housing costs. Bushwick is one of the few places poor people have economic access to in the NYC area. Also, people like Jeremy will probably get their way eventually. When enough people like him move to Bushwick, police will begin cracking down on yelling. But what would happen if Bushwick people could move to the suburbs (they CAN’T of course, but what if…)? Would they be allowed to introduce their method of doorbell? Would Milburn, NJ change its ways becsuse some poor people from Bushwick wanted to bring their way of doing things to the suburbs? Of course not. So why should Bushwick change? If people honestly just wanted to unobtrusively live and integrate themselves into Bushwick, respecting what is already there, and the (to some) unusual way of doing things, that would be okay. But I don’t see that happening. Newcomers (not all, but many) seem to want to turn Bushwick into a shopping mall with an urban theme or something.
August 4th, 2007 at 7:35 am
As one who has been involved in the Up From Flaes exhibit and the walking tours, it was certainly not my intent - and certainly not Adam’s - to hatch some sort of Trojan horse of gentrification upon Bushwick. Instead, these activities are, at least to me, celebrations of the hard work of Bushwick’s long term residents who, in collaboration with City government, were able to develop and implement plans that brought Bushwick back to the point where unsubsidized housing can be built and the gentrification question can even be put on the table. A key element of these plans was the development of a substantial number of low income and affordable housing units, which certainly serve the interests of Bushwick’s current poor and working class residents. The exhibit also positively describes the work of current organizations who are fighting to preserve, to the extent possible, Bushwick’s still abundent rent stabilized housing stock. Chris, if you have not seen the exhibit or viewed the web site, you should take a look.
Some of you may be interested on a piece I contributed to the web site that discusses my take on the development of Bushwick from the early 1970’s to the present. You can get it by accessing the web site:
http://www.upfromflames.com
and clicking the Resources tab. I would be very interested in hearing your comments.
One thing that I do find troubling is the apparent lack of positive interaction between the older Bushwick residents and the the newer arrivals. On the one hand, I would have loved it if some - or, for that matter, any - long term residents had participated on the forst two walking tours. Beyond that, in reading this and related blogs, it appears that nearly no contact exists between the bloggers and the more established organizations - including the local community board - in Bushwick. I strongly recommend that you make the effort to get involved with these groups. One thing that you will probably find is that both groups have a lot more in common on a host of issues - quality of life, security, even such issues as tree planting - than you may think. In any event, it’s worth a shot.
See you on the 11th.
August 4th, 2007 at 8:58 am
I appreciate the direction of this thread. Its a powerful thing when starts to theorize on one’s home turf.
I am also pleased that “Up From Flames” was mentioned in all this. I did work to make an impact on gentrification, but not the one you suggest.
Rather, I’ve been in Bushwick for almost 5 years now. Just working, not living. But between my work audience of middle school kids and my Bushwick friends, I saw a odd parallel: neither group was fully aware of the dark past of the neighborhood, or how far it had come (if those does not apply to you, I apologize).
In creating the theme for the show, I wanted to be able to reach out to both groups, and maybe in some way bring them closer together.
For the kids: A sense of historical pride, a local entrée to broader themes in US history, and a great template for critical thinking and debates.
For newer residents: A more nuanced awareness of where they fit into the history of Bushwick, and the process of change (gentrification) in the neighborhood; What came before, and what might come after, based on your actions (ie: the urban shopping mall).
So, rather than inviting more gentrification, my original goal was to make that pattern more informed and thoughtful.
Of course, beyond the grace of intellectual discourse, there is too much money to be made from all of our actions. Your landlord does not care why you are here. He just wants you to keep paying each rent increase. Thus, the “Real Estate Roundup” may be the final word on this issue.
But I recommend that those of you that feel uncomfortable with the potential direction all this is leading reach out to become active members of Make the Road by Walking. They need to hear from ya’ll.
For those of you I did not offend too badly, see you on the 11th!
August 4th, 2007 at 10:22 am
Reading all the above reminds me that Bushwick itself has a long history of change from even prior to 1977. I was one of those people who had interest in its history even before the current changes in the neighborhood . But if you look back it was just a little over 100 years a go when the farms were changed to buildings…at least in north Bushwick.
The neighborhood changed a number of times from farms to all German to German/Italian to Latino to the current gentrification.. This is New York …things change all the time … look at Williamsburg ( I know bad word) Look at Red Hook which was working class and now has million dollar homes.
Not saying change is good or bad but it is a fact of life.
August 4th, 2007 at 10:59 am
Hi Chris, welcome. I’d like to invite you and all of the commenters who haven’t yet done so to head over to the forum and introduce yourselves.
I’d like to reply to a couple of things you said.
“But what I see being represented on blogs like this isn’t a desire to integrate. What I see being expressed is a desire of a relatively affluent, incoming class to take over; to transform Brooklyn in its own image; to eradicate the “uncivilized” barbarians and build an Algiers or Hong Kong in the middle of NYC.”
When my now-husband and I moved in together three years ago, we looked at many different neighborhoods before settling on Bushwick. The reason is because we were getting the most amount of space and the easiest commute (he was still working in the Bronx at the time) for what we could afford. We’re renters, and far from affluent. In fact, we both hold down full time jobs as well as doing freelance work to help us pay the bills. I have no desire to see Broadway turn into the next Bedford Avenue. What I would like is to see more businesses opening in the area which ALL in the neighborhood can use and benefit from. The three best things that have opened up since we’ve lived here, in my opinion, are the Walgreen’s up on Broadway/Flushing, Black Bean Grill around the corner, and the little produce market also around the corner. (Sadly, Black Bean is having some growing pains, and the produce market put a “For Rent” sign in the window this week.) What I don’t think this neighborhood needs is another nail/hair salon, or 99 cent store, but usually when things do open up that’s what we get.
I’d like a better laundromat. Our options right now are a place that, when we last went, sent our laundry home soaking wet and stuffed back into our laundry bag, or a place that sends clothing home with new stains. (Yes, we use drop-off service. I hope you don’t think it’s classist of me to pay someone to wash my fine delicates, but I don’t have the inclination to spend three hours of my weekend washing clothes.)
With respect to the doorbell issue and your statement that not everyone can afford a cell phone, let me say that in my experience the majority of kids and grown-ups on the B46 and B54 buses I ride have them and use them, and the concentration of cell phone/electronics stores in the area leads me to believe the market for them is there. Hell, I’ve often seen guys standing out on the sidewalk yelling for someone cell phone (or two-way radio) in hand.
Change *is* going to happen. I don’t really think that anyone here wants to see Bushwick turn into some sterile, affluent, exclusive playground for privileged white people. If the neighborhood did turn into that, I doubt we’d be able to afford to rent here anymore anyway - and I doubt that we’d want to.
August 4th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I definitely plan on checking out MAKE THE ROAD BY WALKING. Would this be so hard for those with such antagonistic opinions?
I get disgusted with the bad attitudes of some of the locals too but perhaps those attitudes would improve if more newcomers got involved with community based organizations.
This is a better solution, getting involved in helping the entire neighborhood improve. I am already involved, liason-ing between my landlord and neighbors to improve conditions in our building.
I’ve said plenty regarding all of this in the “bushwick walking tour” thread.
So Chris I totally appreciate your very valid opinions. There are several folks with “Archie Bunker” type mindsets trumpeting loudly here; and these views are insensitive at best, devastating and divisive–with real consequences for this neighborhood–at worst.
August 4th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
My original post too closely equates the general agenda of this blog with the Up From Flames exhibit. The exhibit does show a passion for and sensitivity to the past, present and possible futures of the neighborhood and I never thought exclusionary gentrification was the intention of its curators. Its great if middle school students develop a sense of pride via the history of their community (regardless of the opinion of one commentator–again, on the doorbell thread– who has written derogatorily of those who are”taking pride in living in a dirty, backward, crime ridden hood”).
Still, the legitimizing of Bushwick as a “historic neighborhood” inevitably quickens the process by which the further reaches of Brooklyn end up on the radar of the sorts of outsiders that will not be so sensitive to the delicate social ecology of the area. Legitimation of this sort always seems to bring this double consequence, regardless of the good intentions of those who bring it about. The exhibit website is great and I especially like Meryl Meisler’s photos. Gentrification of the sort that leads to rising costs of living, evictions, and mass exodus of poor and blue collar people does seem inevitable unfortunately. However, the level of empathy and sensitivity of the more powerful and relatively more wealthy incoming residents will greatly determine the intensity of the negative effects on older residents.
August 4th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
This has been a REALLY interesting discussion! Seems like there are some valid points coming from all directions.
Chris: I don’t mean this in any condecending way, but I was curious as to how you would like to see Bushwick develop and how that could come about. I understand your point about how gentrification is detrimental to the existing community, etc. I think we all agree that this only results in the increase of a certain economy, thus forcing the present community (the lower income families) out and bringing the more priviledged in. But in terms of the community as it is now: have you seen much effort or change in terms of economic development without the influence of the gentrification factor? In other words, do you see the present community working hard to keep crime out, demanding better infrastructure and moving towards a better quality of life?
I’m aware there are factors that complicate the answer to the question. But, again, it’s also simplistic to equate gentrification as being simply a “bad” thing. So, what would be a better solution? Should the new arrivals not get involved in the present community? Should they not be here at all? And if you feel their presence will not aid or hasten an economic improvement (not that I’m saying it will), then how would the present community do this on their own?
Or do you think Bushwick even needs an “improvement” of any kind? Lower income already exists here. Which is fine. It’s a necessity to this community. But what about crime? Social Services? Education? Do you feel it’s the present community’s responsibility to demand a better environment from our city and government? If so, have they done so already or have they not done enough? What about local businesses… are you satisfied with what currently exists (jenblossom mentions the 99 cent stores, beauty parlors, etc)? Do you think the community should be left alone as is? And if not, how would you like to see the present community change this should you not want the gentrifiers to have any part of it?
Again, I am not trying criticize your posts. But I was curious as to see what your solutions may be. Organizations like Up From The Flames are at least trying something, whether you could consider them outsiders-trying-to-fit-in or not.
The imperialistic gentrifiers are moving in anyway. Its sad or encouraging depending on which way you look at. But if you take that out of the equation, then how would you like to see Bushwick “improved” or perhaps you think no improvement is necessary?
BTW: I’m not trying to be an ignoramous by suggesting that my presence here is suddenly going to “improve” things in a way that’s going to be beneficial to the current community. It may change things to something benefiting my personal taste and needs. But I am curious as to whether there has been a recent history of the present community’s part to protect themselves, improve their economy and value of life or whether it’s really just a non-issue for this community.
August 5th, 2007 at 1:20 am
Chris, sorry I flew off the handle on my last post, but I am sick too death of gentrification arguments that seem to be a common theme everywhere I go. I feel like it’s always the same people standing against gentrification, those who are usually white living in these “desirable” areas.
I’m not going to lie to you, I want to see coffee shops and bars as much as I want authentic latin cuisine and grocers. I’m not affluent, and i don’t feel that many of the “outlanders’ who move are. I’m a renter, and work retail, and not high-end fashion retail. I make just enough to pay rent and bills and have a little fun. Most of my friends in this area are in the same position. I like the working-class grittiness that makes up the area, but I’m not a fan of the actions of the few who give this place a bad vibe. I don’t want my wife and female friends to be harassed walking down the street, I don’t want to be mugged, and I don’t want people to judge me based on the color of my skin. Is that really too much to ask?
I don’t think this area is going to become Connecticut anytime soon.
August 5th, 2007 at 7:07 am
In response to #18 Jill: As far as I know, most of the germans migrated to New Jersey and Florida. There’re still some germans left in Ridgewood though, you may meet them, mostly elderlies, at the Forest Pork Store ( a german butcher)on Fresh Pond Road; there are also some small churches were they worship, one of them is on Madison Street, off Fresh Pond Road. Further, there’s a german-american school still there, also on Freshpond Road, where latino kids learn german. Der Stammtisch is still there (on Myrtle) ,good food but not cheap.
August 5th, 2007 at 10:53 am
I read someone, somewhere, say that they foresaw Bushwick being another Washington Heights where the dominant group (working class latino) will come to coexist with the newcomers. Due to the percentage of stabilized rentals, this is what I expect as well although Bushwick’s closer proximity to Manhattan on the L line will really turn the pressure up in way that Washington Heights, being so far from downtown, hasn’t dealt with.
Also, I don’t think of Harlem being hip the way Williamsburg is, so I can’t imagine that people are moving to Washington Heights after they’re pushed out of Harlem. Know what I mean?
I could never figure out why someone would want to move to Harlem or Washington Heights anyway. Those commutes are horrendous at night without an express train! Is it that important to have a 212 area code?
Then again, as screwed up as service on the L train has been for the last 10 years, they’re probably getting home sooner than I am at times.
August 5th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
Like Washington Heights, there is also a matter of population density. There are huge concentrations of Latinos in both areas, far too many to be pushed out in any simple manner, as has happened in some communities on the wane, where people are leaving anyway, or already gone. There are some Latinos leaving, mainly for eastern PA, but many more are staying. I agree with Armstrong that Bushwick will stay Latino for a long time yet to come.
August 5th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
So what if chirs a.k.a. chris thinks I’m an imperialist just waiting to enslave my Latino neighbors and bulldoze their homes for glassy condos?
I know that my income, at the lower end of the middle class, ain’t gonna ever let me do that, whether I want to or not.
Chirs thinks people like me want Bushwick to look like Connecticut. Why? I left the Midwest to avoid suburbs, malls, and car cultures. Wanting a bar in the neighborhood isn’t the same as wanting Claire’s and Starbucks and Chase.
And yet, chirs offers no solutions, as EricJC implies. If my presence here is such a blight on my neighbors, where am I to go? We chose a neighborhood we could afford. If we can’t afford Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, or Williamsburg, do we really have no place in New York City?
Does chirs really mean to imply that no one who is middle class can move to New York? Where else can middle class “invaders” move but to middle-class neighborhoods?
Finally, chirs himself is being classist, without even realizing. Our Puerto Rican neighbor owns three houses and two cars. He maintains one house in part for his parents, who live in PR and come up to visit two or three times a year. Their level sits empty much of the year. The upper level is a rental. House #2 is for his own family–him and his wife and kids. The third house is rental.
And yet chirs refers to people like me as the affluent, incoming class that’s taking over, as if to say that the property owners in Bushwick haven’t achieved any net worth of their own. I think he underestimates the achievements of Bushwick families–the home owners and business owners of the neighborhood.
I personally might not want nail salons or party-supply places three per block, but talking to people who’ve known Bushwick for far longer than I have, I know that a Broadway with hair extensions is preferable to a Broadway with burnt-out storefronts.
I see a community that’s bootstrapped itself into the middle class. Chris might choose to believe that I, personally, want to eradicate that community, but I find that insinuation insulting.
August 5th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
In response to EricJC:
“But in terms of the community as it is now: have you seen much effort or change in terms of economic development without the influence of the gentrification factor? In other words, do you see the present community working hard to keep crime out, demanding better infrastructure and moving towards a better quality of life?”
Problems that have been systematically reinforced need to be systematically addressed by conscious city policies that reverse the disasterous effects of past policy. Resources need to be allocated, housing needs to be built, sources of income need to be created specifically for the working-class and poor. As the Up In Flames exhibit points out, under the policy of “planned shrinkage,” there was deliberate attempt by NYC’s mostly white, ruling-class political establishment to deprive many poor, mostly minority areas of NYC (including Bushwick) of essential services. According to NYC’s 1969 Master Plan for NYC: “Bushwick urgently needs every type of community facility and service…Assistance must be provided quickly.” But, as Up from Flames rightly notes, “rather than step in to provide the necessary aid, the city actually pulled out more vital services. City policy was that “continued investment in poor neighborhoods was a wasted effort.
Under Mayor Beame, Starr enforced shifting priorities: increase services in the communities that could be ‘saved’ and remove services from the communities that ‘could not’ .This policy of planned shrinkage had a devastating effect on Bushwick and other minority communities across the city.”
I can’t lay out the goddamned history of modern NYC here, but this disinvestment in the poor continued on up through Guiliani’s tenure. Just one example off the top of my head: During his administration, 25,000 paying city jobs were cut. Many of the work that once was done by wage-earning, blue-collar, city employees were reintroduced as wageless “workfare” tasks to people on the city’s welfare roles. So, for example, many formerly paying, low-skill jobs at McCarren Park were essentially being done for free by indentured servants who were not being trained for real workforce positions, thus making these laborers dependent on these so-called “workfare” positions, while at the same time, eradicating real jobs with benefits and at least close to living-wage for low-skilled workers. Thus, poverty in NYC has been systematically reinforced by policy. Guilliani policy was also intended to drive the poor out of Manhattan (and out of the sight of tourists), pushing the number of homeless and poor people in the outer-boroughs to an all-time high (see Kevin Keating’s documentary “Giuliani Time). To reverse some of this mess, resources need to be allocated (not taken away, as has been policy), housing needs to be built, sources of income need to be created specifically for the working-class and poor. Obviously gentrification brings housing (like that shit on Grove St.) and coffee shop jobs, and perhaps skilled, middle-class work. But none of this is going to benefit the low-income, long-time residents of Bushwick. So as I’ve said previously, wile the abstract entity “Bushwick” may “improve” the long term residents that have suffered through the most trying days will not be recipients of the wealth this “improvement” creates. They will slowly be forced out to into areas that are much like Bushwick was 10 years ago.
Clealry, the haphazard changes of gentrification that are not even intended to help long time Bushwick residents won’t help them. They aren’t even supposed to. What these changes are about is offering newcomers who are accustomed to a certain amount of comfort (good laundry services, bars, cafes, quiet streets etc.) an ability to bring that comfort with them (and FOR them) into there new homes. When no middle American middle-class people lived in Bushwick, no one was talking about bringing these things to the neighborhood. Now, all of a sudden, people want to see a higher “quality of life” in the area. But when the area was almost exclusively poor, no one gave a damn.
The problem with gentrification is that it is private and self-serving. Its wealth generation does not benefit the community it effects as a whole, but only those members of the community that were comparatively well-off to being with. This model of economic growth does next to nothing to help those most in need of economic opportunities. John’s comment that there is an “apparent lack of positive interaction between the older Bushwick residents and the newer arrivals…[and that] “it appears that nearly no contact exists between the bloggers and the more established organizations - including the local community board - in Bushwick” is quite telling of the lack of interest that the incomers have in the community as a whole.
Dietsch asks: “If my presence here is such a blight on my neighbors, where am I to go?” As I already mentioned, I’m for integration as long as its not self-serving. Why not try “going” and getting involved with the community board and other long-term community organizations in Bushwick (if that’s where you’ve chosen to live) and try, as I said, to show a little empathy and respect for the long-term residents and finding out what changes they want to see in the area. Other than this, Dietsch, the logic of your positions are so weak that they’re not even worth the time it would take to respond.
August 6th, 2007 at 12:11 am
“Other than this, Dietsch, the logic of your positions are so weak that they’re not even worth the time it would take to respond.”
Based on this opinion, my first reaction is to refer to you as an asshole. What I really want to know is,Mr. Morally-Superior, is where do you live and what do you do for your community? You have such a strong opinion against us new residents of Bushwick and the threat that we represent. What gives you the right to ride the high-horse vs. those of us that are regular contributors to this site?
Seriously,your wordplay use and rhetoric reminds me of the overly-opinionated far-left union of intellectually-annoying individuals who wave the “Crimethinc.” banner.
August 6th, 2007 at 12:28 am
“chris thinks I’m an imperialist just waiting to enslave my Latino neighbors and bulldoze their homes”
“Does chirs really mean to imply that no one who is middle class can move to New York?”
“chirs himself is being classist[…]as if to say that the property owners in Bushwick haven’t achieved any net worth of their own.”
Anyone who has carefully read any of my posts can’t seriously think this is what I’m saying. If anyone seriously wants to engage in dialogue with me, they’ll have to take some time and put forth statements and questions that have some logical connection to the positions I’ve taken. Clearly dietsch has not done this.
As for your question Mr. Kraayon:
“What gives you the right to ride the high-horse vs. those of us that are regular contributors to this site?”
The fact that you posit my “right” to have opinions in opposition to the right of “regular contributors” to have theirs is absurd. Have I said that only I have the “right” to an opinion. I have as much right to express my opinions as anyone else. I’ve never once even remotely hinted that the “regular contributors” don’t also have that right. I’m afraid if you want to be taken seriously, you’ll have to point to where in my comments I’ve suggested that I have a right to opinion that others do not. Really, if this is the heart of what you are getting out of my comments, then I suppose I’ve been wasting my time here.
Best to you all.
August 6th, 2007 at 12:41 am
Just one more thing: The desire to gear this discussion into one of the “politics of personality” is symptomatic of a serious problem with contemporary political debate. What does it matter if I live in Bushwick or Alaska?; If I work on Wall Street or for Al Sharpton? My personal situation will not strengthen nor weaken the structural socio-economic positions I’ve put forward here, and in fact is irrelevant to them. Its precisely this way of thinking about politics that has given us a president with zero credentials for running a nation but who has a marketable personality.
August 6th, 2007 at 12:47 am
The heart of where i am getting at with my questioning is here:
“What I really want to know is,Mr. Morally-Superior, is where do you live and what do you do for your community?”
A question, I believe,might have been asked more than once, but you still fail to answer. I don’t believe the opinions of us contributors are any more valid than yours. But you refuse to come up with solutions to your side of the argument.
if you are so passionate about this subject,please shine down upon us lowly gentrifiers your idea of a peaceful coexistance with the old residents of Bushwick. an opinion I hope you have lived by example.
August 6th, 2007 at 6:40 am
“The economic incentive of untapped markets, along with the accompanying ideological justification of rescuing the uncivilized from their backwardness are the twin engines that drove classical imperialism. Clearly these are the central forces of today’s gentrification epidemic.”
Lampooning that with “imperialist just waiting to enslave my Latino neighbors and bulldoze their homes” doesn’t seem terribly unreasonable to me. Sorry Chris.
August 6th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Make the Road by Walking:
http://www.maketheroad.org/
August 6th, 2007 at 11:34 am
Well, Chris, you did offer a “solution” in some part by suggesting that we should get involved in the community more and try to understand what kind of change this community is actually looking for. Which is valid point to make, I think.
However… what you haven’t responded to is my question of whether you think the present community as it stands has done enough or is doing enough for themselves. I mean, if you’re saying they have — or they’ve done about the best that they can do at this point — then you’re suggesting that there is nothing they can do beyond blaming the city government (I am not quoting you or paraphrasing you. I am aware that you’ve said nothing that indicates this. However, by inferring one thing it might unintentionally beget another response or implication) You write well, got that “rhetoric” thing that sounds all academic and everything, but I’m still interested in hearing your view on this aspect of the issue.
Look, you can blame the civic government for a lot that’s wrong with this city, specifically with how it effects not only the lower income families, but the middle class as well. But if you take the really cynical, liberal side on this then you have to question how the civic government was able to take advantage and push the lower incomes/middle class out in the first place. In other words, some burden of the blame has to fall on the community itself. May be they didn’t fight hard enough. May be some turned a blind eye to their own weakened infrastructure at the time, thus enabling such a change to take effect.
You seem to be pretty familiar with Bushwick and its residents. Just setting aside the text book, academic pov take for a moment, do you see a community that actively fights for change? If, for example, you see an empty lot filled with all sorts of trash do you see anyone actively making an attempt to clean that up? While I am sure there are plenty of active members of this community who strive for civic improvements in the neighborhood (just like in any community whether it be lower income, middle class or upper class), there are plenty who couldn’t care less as well so a certain amount of blame for this problem should rest on those who often times are the victim in this whole gentrification thing.
Yes, you can blame others for not supplying the necessary funds, resources, etc that requires educating and improving the quality of life for the community. But it’s also up to that community to be vocal enough, demanding enough, and show a true desire to want that result and, ultimately, earn it.
August 6th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
I would love to know the name of the Church in the “Strolling Brooklyn” section. Hope someone responds. Thank you!
August 6th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Sorry, I meant to write “Strolling Bushwick”. They mention St. Barbara’s Church but it looks so much like “St. Martin of Tours”. Thanks. I lived in Ridgwood from 1948-61. How I loved that neighborhood. My father owned a grocery store on Knickerbocker and Eldert St. I plan on visiting in October and can’t wait to see the changes. I am happy they are building and people want to live there again.
August 6th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Linda, yeah that’s St. Barbara’s.
August 6th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
For those who want to talk about gentrification, instead of mucking up blog comments, take it to the forum.
August 6th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
“what you haven’t responded to is my question of whether you think the present community as it stands has done enough or is doing enough for themselves.”
I’ve offered community involvement and city reinvestment of resources, including the reinstatement of blue collar city jobs that were cut from when Guiliani took office. While residents of Bushwick do need to take responsibility for their situations , just like residents of any neighborhood anywhere do, I don’t think the question can be so simply put. Racism has been so systemic and widespread in NYC government that many people of color are cynical (with very good reason) about what can be gained by getting politically involved. Young males especially, in my experience, in order to survive in this climate, feel they need to stay as far away from the visibility of power as possible. There is a widespread sense that displaying any dissatisfaction (let alone anger) will be either ignored, or worse, cause violent police outbursts (which history shows, is not an unreasonable position to hold–no one wants to be the next Amadou Diallo, and its not unreasonable to believe that being a vocal opponent of city power will secure one just such a status).
Despite all of this, many poor New Yorkers are very politically involved, going to rallies, joining community groups, etc. It is hard to make a blanket statement about the efforts of the “community” on this issue because there are so many different positions within it.
“you have to question how the civic government was able to take advantage and push the lower incomes/middle class out in the first place. In other words, some burden of the blame has to fall on the community itself. May be they didn’t fight hard enough.”
One thing to remember is that when Bushwick underwent its demographic shift in the 50s-70s, the vast majority of its new residents were blacks fleeing virtual slavery in the rural south and rural Puerto Ricans hard hit by the island’s agricultural collapse. The situation of being a newcomer with little or no resources, in a strange and hostile place where the established local government (esp. the particularly racist Bushwick government at that time) could give a damn about the plight of poor new arrivals of color set the stage for how the community would interact with the mainstream of middle class NYC.
August 6th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
And despite the lack of resources new arrivals had, many of them were still able to find descent sources of income and buy homes (or even several homes, becoming landlords themselves). But there simply have not been enough opportunities for everyone, or even most people in the area, and many of the opportunities that did exist have systematically been removed.
August 7th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Is the Bushwick walking tour still on 8/11? If so what time and where does it start? Thanks.
August 7th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Lori, here’s the info.
August 9th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
hi jeremy - when I go to that link you provided, I still cannot see what time this walking tour starts and exactly where it starts other than the author saying “we would like to start at Central Avenue station on the M line”.
Sorry to be such a nudge but I don’t want to miss it. I was also not able to respond to the author of that link for some reason and just ask him the question myself so that is why I am bugging you again-apologies.
August 9th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Here, Lori, try this link. Reading down the thread it looks like the start time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
August 9th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
While I enjoy his string of posts, I don’t have a clue what underlying point Chris is trying to make.
Yup, agreed on most points. And?
August 9th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
To make that clear:
1PM Saturday August 8th (2007)
Corner Irving and Starr, NE corner of Maria Hernandez (knickerbocker) park.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
thanks for the clarification Adam - looking forward to it
August 10th, 2007 at 9:34 am
Adam, I believe you meant Sat 8/11?
August 10th, 2007 at 10:42 am
yep…11th
August 11th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Hey! We just saw you strollers a bit ago! Corner of Central/Jeffy. I almost stopped the car in the middle of the street to yell at you but dind’t want to cause an accident
Sidebar: we were drivng back from the farmer’s market at McCarren park. The farmer’s market at Maria has been a dissapointment so far, but woah Nelly the W’burg market is of the charts right now. amazing!
August 12th, 2007 at 11:34 am
It was a great tour. Small enough for almost everyone to have a say in it and for people to meet each other! Seeing English Kills was really a trip. Learning about the different types of architecture and the backstory to some areas was interesting.
August 12th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Glad you could be a part of it, Armstrong. It succeeded in the participatory aspect, I agree. Also, to leave the northern part of Bushwick out of the tours would be a shame, since that is where the community’s future lies.
August 13th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Just a note that I really enjoyed the walking tour and learning about my new neighborhood last Saturday. Really fantastic you guys are doing this.
August 14th, 2007 at 3:28 am
chris you are a publically funded racist. why not quit you publiccally funded job and open a factory in Bushwick that will employ and bring money into the community, ignorant and educated. I nknow whny you wont same reason no one else will. Do you know why?
August 6th, 2008 at 4:08 am
i just wanted to know if there were any good german restaurants in the area and googled “bushwick german restaurants” and this blog came up. I couldn’t find the post that had to do with the german restaurant.
However, I am currently experiencing something that may be of interest to some who posted here. although, it seems the last post was just about a year ago and no one will probably even read this.
But first I will share some of my personal history
My grandparents grew up here, on farms. Then they were pushed out and they moved further out into Long Island. A LOT of the Germans who left Bushwick settled out in Yaphank, Suffolk County, Long Island not just Florida or whatever the hell someone here wrote. Look a little closer to home why dont ya for christ sake and you might find some great historical accounts of this area back when it was german; my grandmother and all her knitting pals for effin instance! theres this huge illusion amongst nyc residents in general that Long Island is completely 100 percent rich white people and that its history is somehow magically completely seperate from that of nyc proper. I’m here to dispel these myths first. I am from a poor white family from Long Island, I grew up in a nieghborhood of blue collar working class people. The Hamptons do not consititute all of Long Island AT ALL AT ALL AT ALL AT ALL!!!!! I am so sick of that perception first of all you have no freakin clue, jesus christ goddamn it!
anyway. in terms of white working class people being accepted into the current community I have to share my experience since I am a white working class (of german-bushwick descent even) person who has recently moved back to where his grandparents first lived after immigrating from Bavaria, Germany. There will be people here who will be fine with you and not care really as long as you dont bother them or interfere in how they put food in their stomachs. Then there are people who think that driving you out is their manifest destiny and that they will be hailed as a legendary hero of ages for doing so (I actually think “hipsters” and affluent white people who want so desperately to run away from their priveleged backgrounds (which I also do not comprehend) have a lot to do with the creation of these peculiar personalities); these people CANNOT be reasoned with and will not comprehend any type of rational thought for they are comeplete and utter racist psychopaths. For them white=rich automatically and they are likely true racists as well.
May I remind people that 1 in 100 is a verifiable actual psychopath as defined by the american psychological association or whatever that org is called. And crazy people (not trying to be facetious here) will more likely be found in economically depressed areas, for such areas can literally drive people insane under the right conditions.
Where was I? I think I got a little sidetracked. Theres just SO much to unpack here and So much that I can speak directly to from my life experience its ridiculous. lol
Yes. Ok. So I have found that, as I’ve noted, there are people who wont care as long you as leave them alone. There are rational sane people capable of logical thought who will be friendly and welcoming. Then there are the literally crazy racists who think it their divine duty to drive all the white devils out. Do not fool yourself into thinking these people do not exist. Dont be naive; its not becoming of a new yorker frankly. The trick really is distinguishing between these personality types and then avoiding the people who have unfortunately succumbed to mental illness for various reasons. What you have to watch out for are con-artist types who will pretend they are friendly, but who really worship farakhan or some other similiar racist/homophobic/mysogynic(sp)leader. This can be difficult depending on the given con-artist’s acting and lying abilities (sometimes I muse and think hollywood should come to the ghetto if it wants some really astoundingly talented actors and actresses lol)
anyway I am currently being subjected to the abuse of racists who are want me out to the area because I am white. I dont like to do this to a whole group of people, but frankly the truth should and needs to be told. In my experience, the Jamaicans and people of carribean descent in the area are most likely to be racist and will most likely not be willing to entertain rational thought. A lot of these people have truly bizarre beliefs measaured by the standards of your average nyc resident. Many of them will not even speak to you if you are white. They will not listen to anything you have to say. There is truly NO TALKING to a lot of these people. I dont know why this is and I dont care, but its true. So in my estimation, and from my experience, if you are a white working class person, you should avoid areas heavily populated by people from Jamacia and the Carribbean, for many of them are complete and utter racists who will have no respect for you AT ALL, will try and make your life hell and drive you from the area simply because you are white.
so are there any german restaurants left here? lmao