Juxtaposition of CH

ar

Ok,
Yesterday out enjoying the day, take the train home and decide to walk up Nostrand to stop and buy a six pack of my favorite adult beverage. Walking towards my house on St. Johns there are a couple of guys talking in the sidewalk. There have been people in front of me and the guys have at least shifted a little to let them pass. I get to them and one of them steps in front of me, his two friends to my left and a tree to my right. I say excuse me but he pretends not to hear me and just laughs, after about a minute he lets me squeeze by him. Then as I get past them he remarks to his friends ( and this made no sense) " What the fucks up with that Ni@#@er, ha ha ha ha?" This was at 7:30pm! I was intimidated and angry until about four houses later I see a gentleman I talk with from the hood. He's sitting on his stoop with four friends, big smiles and hellos from all, about four more houses down the same exchange with one of my neighbors and his friend. So my realization is that CH has some of the nicest people I've met in NY, it does not need the sweeping wave of total gentrification that I once pondered over, WHAT IT NEEDS IS : a portion of the young adult males sent to a "Clockwork Orange" style rehabilitation for some serious violent criminal issues, for the good of all of us here.
And before someone asks, no I was never threatened with any physical violence, it was pure intimidation which is still totally unacceptable.

armchair_warrior

i would say let young adults with nothing better to do play the lottery. if they win sent to say alaska mining colony to grow up or something. someone come up with a better idea hehe.

candicissima

How emo. Maybe you should go write a song about it or something.

anonymous

You have my vote!

You're right - these guys are in the minority, but it's amazing how much trouble a few people can create.

I think that the current criminal justice system does a decent job of weeding out these types. Most eventually wind up in jail or on probation, but there usually comes the day when they realize that they can't live the street life forever and decide to clean up their act. With age, usually comes wisdom (though often not until the late 30s or early 40s). Those that don't turn themselves around usually wind up homeless, dead, or incarcerated for life.

It's all up to the individual. And don't let anyone tell you that the resources are not our there. This city is overflowing with social services. GED programs, drug rehab, job training (which can be subsidized through the State of New York), all of the tools are ready for the taking, but a person has to decide to make the change.

Wait, what am I saying? I totally forgot that these guys have no control over their lives! They have no choice but to hassle some innocent guy walking down the street. It's because they have no rec centers or because politicans like Tish James or Roger Green don't care about them. Silly me!

ar

Candicissima wrote: How emo. Maybe you should go write a song about it or something.

I wrote one for you :
It's called: "Chip on my shoulder, I need to grow older."

candicissima

Anonymous wrote: You have my vote!

You're right - these guys are in the minority, but it's amazing how much trouble a few people can create.

I think that the current criminal justice system does a decent job of weeding out these types. Most eventually wind up in jail or on probation, but there usually comes the day when they realize that they can't live the street life forever and decide to clean up their act. With age, usually comes wisdom (though often not until the late 30s or early 40s). Those that don't turn themselves around usually wind up homeless, dead, or incarcerated for life.

It's all up to the individual. And don't let anyone tell you that the resources are not our there. This city is overflowing with social services. GED programs, drug rehab, job training (which can be subsidized through the State of New York), all of the tools are ready for the taking, but a person has to decide to make the change.

Wait, what am I saying? I totally forgot that these guys have no control over their lives! They have no choice but to hassle some innocent guy walking down the street. It's because they have no rec centers or because politicans like Tish James or Roger Green don't care about them. Silly me!

Nice try, Jack.

And AR, me the one with the chip? Not so much. I'm not convinced half my neighborhood is out to get me.

ar

C.
You don't live in CH, you never have, so are you calling me some sort of liar?
That's more than a bit of an accusation.

ar

By the way,
I think the idea of a "Moderator" being condescending and personally insulting is hypocritical. What is a "mods" purpose then?

alafairnadia

AR - you never met daveb. there is a long tradition of opinionated mods on this board. check out some of his posts if you doubt me.

ar

Maybe so but,
Almost every post I make is targeted by C.
Tired of it.
Why is she a CH mod when she has been to Ch like twice?
Let someone even tempered and well educated like Homeowner or Wrecky718 that ACTUALLY LIVE IN CH Moderate the CH board.
We should put that to a poll.
Seriously, how can someone that does'nt live in CH moderate our board?
PH is far different than CH.
I nominate Homeowner to be a CH " Mod", while she doesn't always agree with me she's a great grounding voice for OUR neighborhood.

alafairnadia

AR wrote: Maybe so but,
Almost every post I make is targeted by C.
Tired of it.
Why is she a CH mod when she has been to Ch like twice?
Let someone even tempered and well educated like Homeowner or Wrecky718 that ACTUALLY LIVE IN CH Moderate the CH board.
We should put that to a poll.

well, no offense, but most of your posts lately have been textually similar. your complaints are the same, your reasons for liking the nabe are the same, and your responses to other posters are the same. thus, other posters will respond the same way to your posts. it's not targeting - it's circular discussion.

and I'm reasonably certain C has been to CH more than twice, considering the whole "grew up in brooklyn" thing.

ar

No,
I have never come out and attacked C., she has done that to me, look at all my posts, I have only responded to her after one of her snide remarks. Look it up, You'll see I'm right.

alafairnadia

AR wrote: No,
I have never come out and attacked C., she has done that to me, look at all my posts, I have only responded to her after one of her snide remarks. Look it up, You'll see I'm right.

and read my post - I never said you attack her. I said you always say the same thing and she always responds in generally the same way. this is typical on boards - there are threads in which the same people will always respond to similar comments the same way. some people are more reactive, some people are more passive. but it's always the same. the day I worry about you and C's interactions is when y'all agree.

ar

Fair Enough,
I just don't like it when this board crosses the personal line and her comment tonight did that to me, and I think that's wrong. That's unfair of a poster and especially a Moderator.

alafairnadia

AR wrote: Fair Enough,
I just don't like it when this board crosses the personal line and her comment tonight did that to me, and I think that's wrong. That's unfair of a poster and especially a Moderator.

eh, I don't read it that way - just a big pile of sarcasm. but hey, you have your opinion and I have mine. and life ain't fair. if it were, I wouldn't have to go to work tomorrow.

homeowner

AR thanks for the kind words, but I'm not as even tempered as you think. I've just made a habit of thinking a LOT before I post responses which usually results in the moderate tone of my post.

Look I understand your frustration, as I feel much of it myself. I don't get as much of the intimidation being a woman, but I've had my share including the brain surgeon who told me to go back to Beverly Hills (which is pretty damn funny considering that Bed-Stuy has been the predominant home since birth).

I've been trying to figure out the thing that's been bugging me about some of the posts on the boards and I think I've been able to finally pinpoint it. Anyone who lived in NYC during the 70's and 80's came of age during a time when neighborhoods were pretty segregated. There were places where people mixed (business areas of all of the boroughs) but most every residential neighborhood was pretty clearly demarcated by race and ethnicity. (As Armchair has noted in most of his posts, he got hassled in white, black and Hispanic neighborhoods) For those of us who moved in and out of various parts of the city, getting grief from the locals was part of the territory. That's just the way it was.

So, many of us are somewhat sanguine about the problems that white folks have today when they move into the hood. Because, AR, during the 80's I was you; getting grief from kids because I was not as down and went to nerdy schools with kids who didn't hang on the block either. It’s nothing more than those of us who grew up here had to deal with on a regular. So when I hear folks complaining, there's a part of me that says "Suck it up and get over it".

That having been said, I'm older. And as someone who is trying to live here and raise a family, I know that the neighborhood is better for AR being here. I'd much rather have someone who is responsible and actually interested in COMMUNITY living with me than these kids whose only interest is in getting their hustle on, developing a rep, and keeping it real. I know that many of these kids are doomed to dead end lives because they are afraid to get off the corner and try to have any other kind of existence. But getting exercised about every bit of ignorance that you get from ignorant people will drive you crazy. Living here is sometimes an exercise in restraint, but in the end I’m convinced that the neighborhood will be better for it.

candicissima

AR wrote: Maybe so but,
Almost every post I make is targeted by C.
Tired of it.
Why is she a CH mod when she has been to Ch like twice?
Let someone even tempered and well educated like Homeowner or Wrecky718 that ACTUALLY LIVE IN CH Moderate the CH board.
We should put that to a poll.
Seriously, how can someone that does'nt live in CH moderate our board?
PH is far different than CH.
I nominate Homeowner to be a CH " Mod", while she doesn't always agree with me she's a great grounding voice for OUR neighborhood.

First of all, way to be a drama queen, AR. (Then again, your posts would already indicate that!) Despite what you may believe, I don't have much of an interest in most of your posts and rarely respond to them, because they tend to all be exactly the same. You feel impotent and powerless in your own neighborhood. That's sad. Oh well. Maybe you can go vent in your journal or something.

And for the record, I grew up in Brooklyn and spent many of those years visiting my aunt and relatives who lived in...wait for it, Crown Heights, so I probably have spent more time in your neighborhood than you in your (what is it) 4 month residency. And in case you haven't noticed, I moderate PH, PS, CH, FG, and BoCoCa also. All places where I've spent more time than you. And another thing, it's now a Brooklyn wide board and I think I'd be more well-versed in most things Brooklyn than you, except how to be a whiny bitch. Thanks for playing.

But if you think one of the people you suggested should be a mod, they can ask Dailyheights just like I did.

candicissima

homeowner wrote: I've been trying to figure out the thing that's been bugging me about some of the posts on the boards and I think I've been able to finally pinpoint it. Anyone who lived in NYC during the 70's and 80's came of age during a time when neighborhoods were pretty segregated. There were places where people mixed (business areas of all of the boroughs) but most every residential neighborhood was pretty clearly demarcated by race and ethnicity. (As Armchair has noted in most of his posts, he got hassled in white, black and Hispanic neighborhoods) For those of us who moved in and out of various parts of the city, getting grief from the locals was part of the territory. That's just the way it was.

So, many of us are somewhat sanguine about the problems that white folks have today when they move into the hood. Because, AR, during the 80's I was you; getting grief from kids because I was not as down and went to nerdy schools with kids who didn't hang on the block either. It’s nothing more than those of us who grew up here had to deal with on a regular. So when I hear folks complaining, there's a part of me that says "Suck it up and get over it".

That having been said, I'm older. And as someone who is trying to live here and raise a family, I know that the neighborhood is better for AR being here. I'd much rather have someone who is responsible and actually interested in COMMUNITY living with me than these kids whose only interest is in getting their hustle on, developing a rep, and keeping it real. I know that many of these kids are doomed to dead end lives because they are afraid to get off the corner and try to have any other kind of existence. But getting exercised about every bit of ignorance that you get from ignorant people will drive you crazy. Living here is sometimes an exercise in restraint, but in the end I’m convinced that the neighborhood will be better for it.

And that was a very OTM post.

*OTM = on the money

ar

I NEVER EVER EVER wanted to be a mod. But to me you just showed what you are made of when you called me a " whiny bitch". I know you're type,,, lte me guess, parents paid for college and know your'e an activist. Do you volunteer for after school programs? Do you spend time setting up a Rec Center programs? Do you? In fact when I first joined this board you had a personal blog about the men / kids on your stoop hassling you and how much you hated it. Whine on, Princess...

armchair_warrior

this post is getting heated. that being said.

those who put roots down and invest in a area generally has the best intrest for the area. they put money where their mouths are. others who give all sorts of excuse for the bad behaviors. generally dont have any vested intrest in the community for long term. anyone saids other wise just are agitators.

candicissima

AR wrote: I know you're type,,, parents paid for college and know your'e an activist. Do you volunteer for after school programs? Do you spend time seeting uo Rec Center programs? Do you? In fact when I first joined this board you had a personal blog about the men / kids on your stoop hassling you and how much you hated it. Whine on, Princess...

AR, your issues are showing. In order for me to be where I am, I had to have had some sort of silver spoon in my mouth? Yeah, you wish.

I went from a working class family without much in East New York to one of the best high schools and then one of the top colleges in this country through sheer hard work and a nice thing called merit scholarships, along with loans that are in my name, thanks. I also have to thank my family, my teachers, the people who ran the local after school programs in my neighborhood, and my neighbors who looked at me as the girl next door, not that scary sullen little kid who might rob them. I'm sure it must confuse you because I'm technically not that far removed from one of those punks on your block, yet I can talk with you and many other people on this board about things like what's hip in Williamsburg and what indie rock band is hot this month. Just because you're confused about where I am came from and what my background is doesn't mean that I am.

I know there are plenty of problems in PH/CH and I don't excuse it. You're the one burning up with insecurities. It's obvious in everything you write.

ar

C.,
I know you are too intelligent for me to ever lower myself to name calling, I only wish you thought the same of me. I did graduate from Georgia Tech about 10 years ago( I think you were 14?). I really respected you and all your comments about me until that stupid emo comment, that was personal, and cheap. You stepped this up a notch, not me... I never took this to a personal level, and because of that I think you took some cheap shots, and that's pretty weak. Why do you stand up for the thugs in CH anyway?

ar

[quote="AR" Do you volunteer for after school programs? Do you spend time setting up Rec Center programs?

They helped you, why aren't you doing the same?

And for the record for anyone who cares, my family didn't pay for any of my college schooling., I did , C.

candicissima

AR wrote: Do you volunteer for after school programs? Do you spend time setting up Rec Center programs?

They helped you, why aren't you doing the same?

And for the record for anyone who cares, my family didn't pay for any of my college schooling., I did , C.

Since I get home at 8 or 9pm every night from my full time job that pays my bills and loans, I do things like attach my debit card to the Wamoola program to help my former elementary school in my old neighborhood and support my block's bake sale that was raising money for the Children's Safety Day party. Glad to see you're so concerned about what I'm doing.

basketball fan

Question to all, When I get off the train @ Nostrand Av and eastern Parkway 2/3 and every undesirable person I encounter am I safe to assume that they all live in crown heights???? when hanging out in Manhattan and walking down 42 st every pervert or homeless person am to assume every one lives there???? I don't know if I am making sense or not. But I really don't understand how someone assumes who are the people in your neighbor if you don't actually know.

Since I am a native newyorker born and raised in brooklyn. oh yeah a black women who grew up in Williamsburg/Bed Stuy, moved to East New york, then Bushiwick, then Clinton Hill and Now Crown heights.
I don't find this neighborhood no different than the others. I kind of like the variety.
In the past 5 years I haved lived on Park Pl between Nos/Ny often times there is a lot of traffic of Nostrand Ave. This Traffic can be intimadating (sp) to some but not to all. I walk down nostrand when I have to there are usually people everywhere. there are supermarkets, barber shops, beauty supplies, restaurants, nail shops etc How do I know these people that hang on Nostrand ave are from Crown heights????? I don't....... What I do know is that I don't discriminate people or turn my nose up to these people.... when I walk down the street if someone is friendly and speaks I speak if they don't I keep on moving........