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OK, Hustla, I know you wont' answer this, but do you live in one of the better areas you advise people to move to--the places with all the "good deals" like the Upper East Side? If not, why not? So why do you assume everyone has infinite choices to live elsewhere if they're white?
There are deals to be found in Brooklyn South (Outside Coney Island/Red Hook/Sunset Park), Queens North (outside Corona/East Elmhurst), Staten Island away from public housing and decent Bronx neighborhoods. You just have to LOOK.
If you can't afford to live in a decent NYC neighborhood, that's usually a clue to move. Maybe NYC is not the place for you. Maybe you can find a much higher quality of life somewhere else. If you can barely afford to live in the city, you are not going to have the NYC expierance. You have a better chance of having a good urban experience elseware. Get a clue from the middle class getting the hell out of here.
Last edited by Hustla718; 09-20-2007 at 01:01 AM..
Hustla, once again you didn't answer my question. Do you live in one of those safer areas?
I've lived in NYC all my life--Queens, Manhattan, and now the Bronx. I've had the NYC experience in Manhattan for many years, including both the UES, and the LEs when most people would not live there. I'm not leaving the city. I'm not running away. I'm happy here. Sorry.
Hustla, once again you didn't answer my question. Do you live in one of those safer areas?
No.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elvira Black
I've lived in NYC all my life--Queens, Manhattan, and now the Bronx. I've had the NYC experience in Manhattan for many years, including both the UES, and the LEs when most people would not live there. I'm not leaving the city. I'm not running away. I'm happy here. Sorry.
Hey that's fine. Most people wouldn't want to live on the LES in 1980 or the South Bronx today. Whatever floats your boat. For the rent you are paying where you live, most other people are enjoying a much higher quality of life somewhere else. There is absolutely no point in recommending a ghetto. You need to step out of NYC and see how much the rest of the countrty has to offer. You would be surprised.
Thank you for answering the question, Hustla. If you don't live in one of those safer areas, why is it so difficult to understand that other people cannot afford the "nicer" areas, even if they are, let's say, white?
Have you stepped out of NYC yourself to see for yourself what the rest of the country has to offer? Why are you still here?
I've seen some of the rest of the country, and I'm not interested. I hate suburbia, and I find the sight of inbred pasty white people in every direction very weird. I have a very good quality of life here, by my own standards. I live in a beautiful, gated coop with 24 hour security which is very affordable. I am one of the few whites here. Who cares?
I just turned fifty; one of my aunts is in her 80s and the other in their 90s. They don't like suburbia either. All of us are lifetime NY'ers. None of us has been a victim of a violent crime.
If I had experienced a violent crime, maybe I would feel differently. It could happen, but I'm not running. I feel more unsafe about another terrorist attack, but like many NY'ers, I'm not giving in to he fear, giving up, and running away. That's what I'm talking about, in a nutshell.
I chalk it up partly to some level of NYC street smarts, plus luck and maybe good karma (lol).
I understand what you and others are saying. If you are a cop, I respect the hell out of what you are doing and what you see on a daily basis.
Most posters have a point--there are many sides to everything. I understand the fear and resentment against yuppies (or even just white people whose presence may signal gentrification). I understand that there is serious crime in the Bronx (and elsewhere). But I'm not afraid of neighborhoods just because they have poor minorities in them. If you live in real proximity to other people (like my boyfriend in his section 8 apt), you tend to realize most are just trying to get by, and many are, in my experience, nicer, friendlier, and more courteous than many Manhattanites.
What I don't put store by is anyone who doesn't live in a certain area making pronouncements about it, as some other posters do.
I too have experience the rest of the country...and I am not interested either. What Hustla terms a horrendous ghetto, I see as an affordable, improving place to live that has easy access to the city via public transportation, easy access to a diversity of high paying jobs, easy access to thousands of restaurants from all over the world, the chance to meet the tycoons of the world and just about anyone else.
What is the trade off? Well I do not/cannot live in a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom 3,000sf home on an acre of land, with the priviledge of driving 3 miles for a 1/2 gallon of milk, rarely interacting with anyone, let alone anyone different from me, enjoying the fabulous dining choices of the new Angus Mcdonalds burger or the monster Hardees Belly Buster, and spending my weekends cleaning my gargantuan home, mowing my lawn, and watching reruns of Roseanne (the real America).
That being said, I think many of the poor/,lower class would be better served in places like Atlanta and North Carolina, where they can shed themselves of their miserable inner city/projects lives, and get a $10 hr somewhere that will afford them a much better lifestyle. There has been a big movement to these places from the inner city, with black people for the first time ever decreasing in population in NYC...many have finally seen what places like Atlanta and the South has to offer: a better life! I encourage them to seek out these established communities where they have a much better chance to thrive.
I too have experience the rest of the country...and I am not interested either. What Hustla terms a horrendous ghetto, I see as an affordable, improving place to live that has easy access to the city via public transportation, easy access to a diversity of high paying jobs, easy access to thousands of restaurants from all over the world, the chance to meet the tycoons of the world and just about anyone else.
What is the trade off? Well I do not/cannot live in a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom 3,000sf home on an acre of land, with the priviledge of driving 3 miles for a 1/2 gallon of milk, rarely interacting with anyone, let alone anyone different from me, enjoying the fabulous dining choices of the new Angus Mcdonalds burger or the monster Hardees Belly Buster, and spending my weekends cleaning my gargantuan home, mowing my lawn, and watching reruns of Roseanne (the real America).
Sorry, but I think your portrait of "the real America" is an unfair generalization. Sure, there are some people who live the lifestyle you describe above, but not every suburban area is like that.
I used to live just outside Washington, DC, first in Arlington, VA and later in the further out suburbs of Reston and Tysons Corner. I never had to drive 3 miles for milk and interacted with people on a daily basis. In Arlington especially, I was able to walk to the supermarket, great restaurants (yes, it's possible to find good food outside NYC that doesn't come from a chain restaurant), and shopping. I could walk to the Metro, which was great, but I could also keep a car because there was plenty of parking and the insurance rates weren't astronomical. In addition, most of the apartments there are large, have a washer/dryer and dishwasher in the unit, have walk-in closets, and offer other amenities like a pool and a free gym. You can actually sleep at night without having to listen to car alarms, sirens, etc. And best of all, I was minutes from DC so could easily head there for culture (Kennedy Center, Warner Theater), museums (the Smithsonian is free, btw), and a larger - and very diverse - selection of excellent restaurants.
I realize we all want different things. No city is perfect and no matter where you live, there are going to be tradeoffs. Some people are willing to give up space, amenities and disposable income because they really want to live in NYC and enjoy all it has to offer. For others, the reverse is true. It all comes down to what's most important to you in terms of lifestyle.
I'll say, though, that I grew up in Brooklyn and used to share the opinion that there was no place else to live but NYC. But in the last 10 years or so, I've been fortunate enough to travel to some of the great cities in Europe, have traveled throughout the US, and spent a significant chuck of time living outside the tri-state area. And what that has taught me is that there IS life outside NY. Maybe it's not the life you're looking for and that's fine. We can't all like/want the same thing! But as for me, I no longer believe that life ends once you leave NYC.
I agree with you Alysee...as that is clearly not representative of all of America....of course there are dining options outside of Mcdonalds...and of course everyone does not drive 3 miles for a 1/2 gallon milk (some do drive longer), etc...I was being sarcastic. I believe there are a number of very liveable, fun cities that provide a better balance, as this city is often one of extremes.
I in fact believe there is much better life outside of NYC. I think many cities like Barcelona have the balance just right...and the people really enjoy their lives in ways that Americans, and NYC folks in particular, cannot understand or appreciate. Life certianyl does not end when one leaves NYC, in fact, it begins anew for the many that make their way somewhere else....for greener pastures.
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