St. Marks/Washington neighborhood prognostication

superdave

Visiting the area again after moving out four years ago, I'm gobsmacked by the new condos going up. ARe they for real? ARe they really thinking the North PH/ west CH area is the next big thing? Especially after Crown Chicken got closed, that sounds pretty optimistic. Whaddya say, is St Marks/ Washington Ave the shiznit? Is it Vanderbilt five years ago, just waiting for the next Soda to bring in the hipsters?

gc72

Me and gf are moving into an apt. at those exact cross streets at the beginning of October (though not into one of those new condos), so I certainly hope so! And if we are not examples of the middle-class gentrifyers so many of the people in these changing neighborhoods welcome/fear, I don't know who is. . . .

phil-n-ted

y'all just watch yourselves, okay. i'm sorry, but this area is still wild and wilding. gentrification just isn't taking around here. i know of several folks who were assaulted/threatened on the corner of st. marks/grand this past summer. that one particular block of st. marks between grand and classon remains dodgy. kids with pit bulls, drug dealing - the ghetto holdout is locked down. plus, haven't seen any construction action on the new building on the block in months.

jgregorie

yah the nieghborhood is really changeing. in 5 years or so i think it will be totally different. ive lost count of all the new condo projects going up and non of them are desginated as "afordable houseing"

ive only lived here for 3 years but its definitly been noticeable.

restless native

It's not just there, it's everywhere in Brooklyn. Just in the 5 min drive I just took from the Prospect Expressway to my house I noticed 3 new condos going up at the corner of 10th and Prospect Aves, and the other two on 15th between 7th and 8th. In the 90's you wouldn't see that many go up that close together in an entire decade. Not to mention, they're sprouting up like weeds on all the shitty sub-5th Ave blocks that no one wanted to live on before.
Who the hell wants to live on 4th Ave, a fucking highway! :scratch:

I've noticed the quality of life in this city go down just in the past few years alone, due to overcrowding on the subways (a crowded train at 3am??) and streets, it won't be long before NY loses its appeal once again and the johnny-come-latelys head for the next 'it' town. :roll:

cool the kid

Restless Native wrote: it won't be long before NY loses its appeal once again and the johnny-come-latelys head for the next 'it' town. :roll:

Never, there's too much going on in this city for people to just up and leave; I can't think of a place that compares.

I don't think we've ever seen anything like what the city is going through now, which is parts of the city basically becoming uninhabitable, then slowly becoming inhabitable again. It's a delicate process that will take a lot of work to preserve the GOOD characteristics of said neighborhoods, but will be beneficial to those who live here as the crime will go down, there will be more businesses and tax money coming in, etc. etc.

I think people are just naturally resistant to change, even if it has potential for good.

superdave

What's the word on the condos, are they selling? Went to an open house last weekend that was pretty full, but haven't heard of any offers. $600k seems awfully steep for a 2br on Washington that far from the park!

restless native

Cool The Kid wrote:
Never, there's too much going on in this city for people to just up and leave; I can't think of a place that compares.

I don't think we've ever seen anything like what the city is going through now, which is parts of the city basically becoming uninhabitable, then slowly becoming inhabitable again. It's a delicate process that will take a lot of work to preserve the GOOD characteristics of said neighborhoods, but will be beneficial to those who live here as the crime will go down, there will be more businesses and tax money coming in, etc. etc.

I think people are just naturally resistant to change, even if it has potential for good.

Although I would argue what makes a place more "uninhabitable" (a little bit of crime or a complete lack of soul) I think we can both agree that as people get older they start to value everyday quality of life over things like art shows, trendy restaurants, coffee shops or gourmet supermarkets.

The little things that I mentioned before, in addition lack of parking, high cost of living, overcrowding, apartment living, and especially crime (which will continue to increase and become more violent as the income disparity continues to grow and the poor get more desperate), grate on MY nerves, and I've been dealing with it since day one of my life.

Also... don't be so quick to predict drops in crime (which has done been on the rise). Take a ride out to Brownsville, Wingate, Bushwick, East NY - Brooklyn is still a third full of some seriously disadvantaged people who are not going anywhere anytime soon. To top it off, word is starting to spread that there is a gold mine of victims to be had in places like Park Slope. Think home invasion robberies.

Anyway, no matter how many times these airheaded 20-something yuppies repeat the "I'm never leaving New York" mantra, they'll be back off to the burbs again once their priorities change. I will bet my 7 figure PPW property on it. 8)

booyah_achieved

I've got to agree with GC72 and say I sure hope that's the case (minus the hipsters of course). I'd love a good bar or restaurant to open up so the n PH/w CH folks can stop walking fast/glancing over their shoulders all the way to Vanderbilt. The next big thing is a stretch, but I wouldn't mind having some identity beyond nice apts NEAR a nice area.
I recently moved to the area because I was able to get a great apt at a great price in an area that really doesn't terrify me as much as it seems to with others in this forum. I hope in another year I'll be even happier with that decision.