INKED Inc. - a community for the counterculture
there goes the neighborhood
Fort Greene, Brooklyn - i really liked this neighboorhood when I first moved in.
The crime rate had dropped since the 80s and things were beginning to change. I repeat, with emphasis: BEGINNING. The tree-lined brownstone streets, the park at the end of my block... Still, most of the storefronts were boarded up. There was a group of welfare drunks who would set up furniture on the sidewalk every day and drink till sunset (affectionately dubbed by my roommates and I, "Julilus and The All-Stars"). My friend **** hadn't gotten locked up in Riker's yet for Murder 2 and the dealer who sat outside the crackhouse next door always waved and said "good morning" to me. I was definitely in the minority and I liked it (in fact, the nickname "White Boy Brian" had already been given to a friend down the block, so I became known as "Rock And Roll Brian" - later shortened just to "Rock").
It was like the Cosby Show but instead of sweaters and advanced degrees, it was fitted caps street knowledge.
We used joke about how long it was going to take before we became the next Park Slope, a place where the streets were clogged with espresso beverages and baby-carriages that rivaled a Humvee in both size and down payment.
Then... it actually started to happen.
Brownstones started getting refurbished and refinished and resold for millions of dollars.
The crackhouse became "luxury condos."
Bagel shops and organic markets opened up.
Time Out NY voted South Portland St. the best block in NYC.
The breeders arrived and now no one's shins are safe on the sidewalks - those Bugaboo strollers are at just the right height.
Even my brother, who only moved here a few years ago asked one night at the bar, "Where the fuck did all these white people come from?" It was a seemingly valid question until my friend Ebon said, "I love it when you white boys forget you're not black."
He was right, according to What White People Like (amusingly enough, the article's inset photo was taken not too far from my house).
But yesterday I took the crushing weight of a devastating phone call. A friend of mine in the reality TV business called and excitedly mumbled something into the phone. Even after a lengthy rehab, he still slurs intensely, so I had to get him to repeat himself a few times. Then, once I understood what he was saying, I still had to get him to repeat himself. I was flabbergasted, crestfallen, dumbfounded and I thought about reaching for the rentals section of the classifieds almost immediately.
I slammed my phone down on the bar and announced, "It's time to move, kids! Inside sources report that our 'hood is the new location for... THE REAL WORLD!!!"
The crime rate had dropped since the 80s and things were beginning to change. I repeat, with emphasis: BEGINNING. The tree-lined brownstone streets, the park at the end of my block... Still, most of the storefronts were boarded up. There was a group of welfare drunks who would set up furniture on the sidewalk every day and drink till sunset (affectionately dubbed by my roommates and I, "Julilus and The All-Stars"). My friend **** hadn't gotten locked up in Riker's yet for Murder 2 and the dealer who sat outside the crackhouse next door always waved and said "good morning" to me. I was definitely in the minority and I liked it (in fact, the nickname "White Boy Brian" had already been given to a friend down the block, so I became known as "Rock And Roll Brian" - later shortened just to "Rock").
It was like the Cosby Show but instead of sweaters and advanced degrees, it was fitted caps street knowledge.
We used joke about how long it was going to take before we became the next Park Slope, a place where the streets were clogged with espresso beverages and baby-carriages that rivaled a Humvee in both size and down payment.
Then... it actually started to happen.
Brownstones started getting refurbished and refinished and resold for millions of dollars.
The crackhouse became "luxury condos."
Bagel shops and organic markets opened up.
Time Out NY voted South Portland St. the best block in NYC.
The breeders arrived and now no one's shins are safe on the sidewalks - those Bugaboo strollers are at just the right height.
Even my brother, who only moved here a few years ago asked one night at the bar, "Where the fuck did all these white people come from?" It was a seemingly valid question until my friend Ebon said, "I love it when you white boys forget you're not black."
He was right, according to What White People Like (amusingly enough, the article's inset photo was taken not too far from my house).
But yesterday I took the crushing weight of a devastating phone call. A friend of mine in the reality TV business called and excitedly mumbled something into the phone. Even after a lengthy rehab, he still slurs intensely, so I had to get him to repeat himself a few times. Then, once I understood what he was saying, I still had to get him to repeat himself. I was flabbergasted, crestfallen, dumbfounded and I thought about reaching for the rentals section of the classifieds almost immediately.
I slammed my phone down on the bar and announced, "It's time to move, kids! Inside sources report that our 'hood is the new location for... THE REAL WORLD!!!"
6 Comments
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Comment by Dana on May 18, 2008 at 3:00pm
- It happens here in Philly to. I'm torn about it. I don't think it's right to basically push out the poorer black people who have been living in these city areas for decades because they can no longer afford the rent/ property taxes. However, the areas are looking much nicer, a lot less boarded up houses and drug dealers. Philly's got enough drug dealers and boarded up houses...I like seeing change in that regard. I just hate going into an area that was all african american to see a Starbucks and only white people....can't we all just live together?
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Comment by Mary on May 18, 2008 at 10:59pm - Hehe just wait till you have cameras filming the Real World kids inside your bar. I went to possibly the most liberal, hippy, un Greek campus there is and thats where MTV decided the next season of Frat Life should be fimed. It did not go over well.
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Comment by Sarah on May 18, 2008 at 11:55pm - I'm SO SORRY for you. that really does blow. i know someone who lived right near the Chicago real world house, and said the kids were dicks, there was always some sort of hub-bub going on in whatever store they walked into, and they made it a bitch for any guys to pick up chicks at any bar they were in. my condolences....
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Comment by Mary on May 19, 2008 at 12:32am
- gods ignore my scotch induced spelling
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Comment by Grosz on May 21, 2008 at 1:10pm -
i really pray that my "inside source" is just screwing with me at this point... he called yesterday to announce that they'll be taking over a brownstone ON MY BLOCK.
*snarl*
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Comment by Jess on May 22, 2008 at 9:41am - Dang, that does suck man. I guess the good news?? It's only what like 4 months or something?? I can't believe anyone even watches that shit any more, it's so old and played out and it's the same thing over and over and over and over.....
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