In my opinion, this appears to be a very one sided view of what is happening in Downtown Brooklyn. I wouldn't be surprised if FUREE funded it themselves. They forget to tell you that an unusually small amount of people have been displaced from there homes because the rezoning that happened in 2004 which was manly targeted at using under utilized commercial spaces and turning them into luxury rentals and condos. I was born and raised in Brooklyn and come from humble beginnings. Am I now supposed to feel guilty because I'm in a better place financially and am very interested in Downtown Brooklyn becoming more diverse? I think not. Neighborhoods in Brooklyn have gone through many changes over the last 30-40 years. It took all this time for people to realize that Downtown is a prime location to live and commute into the city.
The truth of it all is Fulton Mall is changing to accommodate some of the new residential arrivals. It won't be exactly the way it was before. You can't freeze time because you liked the olden days. It just doesn't work that way. Does anyone remember what Park Slope looked like in the mid 1980's? Unfortunately, I do. Not a fun place to live or drive through. I welcome the new and improved Downtown with open arms.
On another note, the vibe I was picking up on in this video clip lead me to believe that the title should read "why are all of these OTHER people walking where I shop with my people".
I'm calling it like I see it.
Change is constant.
Economic bullying is a constant so for some nothing changes.
ReplyDeleteThe shopping on Fulton Mall should cater to all the residents of Brooklyn including the African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Hasids, Russians as well as the mostly white residents of the surrounding neighborhoods (most of them don't even know there is a Macy's down here).
ReplyDeleteAs the only central shopping district accessible to all via public transportation, Downtown Brooklyn has the potential to be the one place where all the residents of Brooklyn can mix easily and equitably without it being the exclusive domain of one group or another. You go to the Atlantic Center or 34th Street and you see a mix of people shopping at stores that provide goods and services desirable to all. I suspect Fulton Mall will continue changing in that direction, but will still retain some of the character that makes it unique to Brooklyn.
One possible upside, is that some of the storeowners that are currently downtown may end up moving to the neighborhoods where their customers are, providing needed goods, services and jobs to neighborhoods which are presently underserved.
The only constant in New York is that neighborhoods are constantly changing.
Anon
ReplyDeleteI agree completely.