Comments on: Bed-Stuy in the News

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:15:36 +0000

amy – totally. I think it was bad (and tasteless) journalism for the Times to put this article in the NY/Region section, in stead of real estate, since it exclusively uses real estate framing, perspective and language.

By: amy

amy — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:47:27 +0000

I think what troubles me about the article is that it is written almost exclusively from the perspective of ‘newcomers’(I am a newcomer too), with only a couple of token quotes from longtime residents buried at the end of the article. And even more problematically, there is a focus on newcomers who have moved here specifically in anticipation of ‘changes’ – which seems to mean that they were hoping to replicate their east-village lifestyle with cheaper rent, and taking no interest whatsoever in the actual community. And the article implicitly endorses this perspective by representing this agenda as normal/appropriate and inviting the reader to identify with this kind of resident. And while i definitely do not include Petra in that category, it seems to me that they managed to selectively quote you in a way that reinforces that particular narrative.

I’m not in any way suggesting that only newcomers want change, and longtime residents don’t, or any other simplisitic dichotomy; I’m just seeing a really problematic view presented by the Times, according to which a neighborhood is little or no more than an investment or a chance to get a bargain on housing before it’s “discovered.” I’ve even heard acquaintances of mine say things like, “oh, i hear it’s already too late to buy in bed-stuy,” or refer to it using terms like “frontier” or “pioneer,” which I find really offensive. I would like to see an article that deals sensitively with the complexities of what they so euphemistically call “change.”

By: Kate

Kate — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:43:32 +0000

Alabama –

“Instead of running away from the discomfort, we ought to sit with it and ask ourselves why the feeling is so unusual.

That I was never made to feel unwelcome or told I didn’t belong somewhere until I was in my mid-30s? That’s not a statement about Bed-Stuy, that’s a statement about white privilege.”

Well said!

By: Alabama

Alabama — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:06:43 +0000

Kate,

Both the issues I had with the NYT article and the many wonderful things I value about the Bed-Stuy community were eloquently noted in your post. Thank you.

One thing I would add — Sure, white people in Bed-Stuy sometimes get Othered (http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~ulrich/rww03/othering.htm), something most people accustomed to being in the majority haven’t experienced. Instead of running away from the discomfort, we ought to sit with it and ask ourselves why the feeling is so unusual.

That I was never made to feel unwelcome or told I didn’t belong somewhere until I was in my mid-30s? That’s not a statement about Bed-Stuy, that’s a statement about white privilege. At the end of the day, someone calling me snowflake or vanilla or telling me to go back where I came from hardly compares to the Othering people of color experience throughout their lives.

As you so aptly put it, “If difference makes you afraid… then Bed-Stuy is not for you.”

By: The Changeling

The Changeling — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:57:34 +0000

Hey thanks Jen! I hope that I’ll get a chance to see you and Mike at the BBQ at the end of Aug. Will you be back for it?

By: Jennifer Hess

Jennifer Hess — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:22:57 +0000

What a nice surprise to see your lovely face in the paper. Though we left BK it’s still nice to keep up with the the old nabe (well, in the case of Bed-Stuy, the neighboring nabe…) greetings from Providence!

By: Morgan

Morgan — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:51:36 +0000

You know I had a chance to buy in Bedford Stuyvesant 7 years ago but I chose a condo in Park Slope. Well I finally had my mother hit me on the head last year when I wanted to sell and move to another condo. She told me to look in the “hood” you can get a big grand brownstone for less than this condo you are looking for and that is what I did. I was fortunate to buy a house on MacDonough St between Tompkins and Throop. I love my block the people are wonderful and can’t do enough for me… In North Park Slope I never knew my neighbors and lest than a year of living here I know about 80% of the residents on my block. It feels good to say good morning to everyone in the mornings. I get so MAD when I see lies printed about my area. I am sure things happen in Bedford Stuyvesant but it is not around me. I have small problems with the neighborhood but they are things that can be fixed very easy. I hate to see people throw trash on the street when a trash can is 5 feet away and cars that blast music late at night. I hate seeing so many teens with nothing to do during the summer but hang out on the corner. I wish there was a way to create jobs for them… Hey maybe picking up the trash? Overall the positives outweigh the negatives big time. I have friends from PS that what to buy in the area but the US economy scares them right now. One of my friends is jumping in head first on his first home on Macon, I hope that I did not hype this area up too much but he did not even consider looking over here 3 months ago and now he is in contract on a fixer upper.

By: Kate

Kate — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:14:14 +0000

Native, I think you’re right that Bed-Stuy’s reputation (and the accompanying racism) has served as a kind of cloaking device for the community, shielding it from gentrified interests (until now?). It’s also true that because so many of the original residents own their homes, increased rent rates are benefiting some members of the community (or at least not causing a mass exodus, the way housing costs did in places like Alphabet City). It’s great that there is good, healthy food available, and the occasional cafe – as long as those businesses exist proportionately and in the service of community needs, rather than anticipating a “surge” of moneyed newcomers. I feel like Bread Stuy does this particularly well, offering reasonably priced goods, a welcoming and inclusive hang-out spot, free events like game nights, and a forum for holding and publicizing community events and issues.

By: BedStuyNative

BedStuyNative — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:57:41 +0000

I don’t think I’m suprised at all by the undertones of negativity in the article. I’ve lived in this neighborhood since I was three and I’ve never heard anything but negativity about “Do or Die”. When I met my husband (we were dating at the time) and told him I lived in Bed Stuy, he looked at me like I was crazy. He was literally afraid to come to my house or come pick me up. Bed Stuy has always been categorized as this seedy den of drug slinging and murder. Honestly, I think its one of the reasons why it was such a “secret” for so many years. No one would have believed the beauty, the architecture, the wonderful people who lived here. Friends of mine have been literally shocked to see how lovely many of the streets and homes are when they have come to visit for the first time.

I think sensationalism is a large part of reporting, it has to be. We were said to be in a “heat wave” on a 86 degree day last week.

Now the question is, will this be a detriment to the community? I like many of the changes the neighborhood has undergone. I like that I don’t have to go to Manhattan to have a devent meal anymore. I’m glad that I have a nice coffee shop in my neighborhood where I can shoot the breeze. Will this article or others like it keep prospective businesses or new home owners out of the neighborhood?

By: Kate

Kate — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:35:20 +0000

Changeling, absolutely. As another commenter mentioned on BedStuy Banana, making generalizations about one of the biggest neighborhoods in New York based on a small area is, at best, lazy journalism – and at worst, sensationalist exploitation of an easy target (the Mynt and the surrounding area). In the past couple of years I have lived on both Decatur Street and Putnam Avenue (six blocks apart), and neither of those streets nor the area between them fits Fernandez’ description.

Thanks for spurring an interesting conversation!