To those who also live in the Bronx (New York, Yonkers: high crime, school)

[SuperMario]

Originally Posted by Guywithacause

No..they are unhappy because they believe they "own" the nieghborhood, and the community should play by "their rules" i.e. we want cheap rent, we want to play loud music until 4am, we want to hang out in the streets and do whatever we want with no repurcussions, and we certianly don;t want anyone here that does not "belong."

Unfortunately, life changes....and the party is over. There are other people moving in, and mainstream values are being reinserted back into these communites....the community can fight it all it wants, and push scary stories to keep people out, but it is a losing battle and things are changing..and I for one am glad to see it.

Ca-ching! right Guy

$$$$$$

[Guywithacause]

If I were all about $$$, I certianly would not have remained in Mott Haven, nor would I try to improve the lives of my neighbors and my community. I in fact care so much about my community that I put my $$$ where my mouth is...I keep it local, support community activists, and take the initiative to personally dispell false tales about my neighborhood, offer my time and services to those wanting to see Mott Haven for themselves, and I use my own hands to clean, plant trees, and improve my community. SuperWario....your perceptions about me, and Hispanics, are completely skewed and just plain wrong.

[NooYowkur81]

Originally Posted by Guywithacause

If I were all about $$$, I certianly would not have remained in Mott Haven, nor would I try to improve the lives of my neighbors and my community. I in fact care so much about my community that I put my $$$ where my mouth is...I keep it local, support community activists, and take the initiative to personally dispell false tales about my neighborhood, offer my time and services to those wanting to see Mott Haven for themselves, and I use my own hands to clean, plant trees, and improve my community. SuperWario....your perceptions about me, and Hispanics, are completely skewed and just plain wrong.

I'm sorry but it still cracks me up when I see you calling him SuperWario.

[Guywithacause]

Lol....yeah well....I think it is far more appropriate than his actual handle.

[DoomDan515]

Originally Posted by bronxchick

Hate to start another racially-based thread, but as the only white girl within at least twenty blocks of my apartment, I gotta ask:

Is there ANYTHING I can do to stop people from harassing me? Almost daily, I get comments like "go back to Brooklyn" or "hey whitey", or "white chocolate", or "what up, casper". I don't usually let it bother me too much, and I'm sure the residents here resent me to some degree, as I represent part of what they're calling "gentrification" in the South Bronx (a polite term for "the whites are starting to move there"). I try not to call attention to myself, but I'm about as pasty-white as they come, and I can't hide that. And it seems the nice weather has brought out more heckling.

Should I respond, and assert myself, or ignore it and walk away?

Move out of the South Bronx, it'll be another good 10-15 years before that area sees any improvements.

[Guywithacause]

Bronx Chick...it is very hard for me to believe that you get these verbal assaults on a daily basis. Quite honestly...I don't believe you...neither do I believe the residents resent you at all..if in fact you have heard such comments at some point, which I do not doubt, it is always from the dumb kids who do nothing all day and are just having fun with you.

Furthermore, if you live in the Mott Haven area, the nearest white person is certianly not 20 blocks from your apt...I too live in Mott Haven..and I am the whitest person around also....but they are sprinkled in here and there. The point is, you should not move out as DoomDan suggests...unless you somehow believe that you are physically unsafe. Running from this silly problem does not solve anything, and it in fact rewards the idiots and reinforces their behavior. It's a knee jerk reaction to someone they are not used to seeing. I say stay the course...as they don't own the nieghborhood any more than your predecessors (the white folk) owned the nieghborhood before them. They better get used to seeing your face..because that is the face of this country.

[Rudbeckia]

Originally Posted by Guywithacause

Bronx Chick...it is very hard for me to believe that you get these verbal assaults on a daily basis. Quite honestly...I don't believe you...neither do I believe the residents resent you at all..if in fact you have heard such comments at some point, which I do not doubt, it is always from the dumb kids who do nothing all day and are just having fun with you.

Furthermore, if you live in the Mott Haven area, the nearest white person is certainly not 20 blocks from your apt...I too live in Mott Haven..and I am the whitest person around also....but they are sprinkled in here and there. The point is, you should not move out as DoomDan suggests...unless you somehow believe that you are physically unsafe. Running from this silly problem does not solve anything, and it in fact rewards the idiots and reinforces their behavior. It's a knee jerk reaction to someone they are not used to seeing. I say stay the course...as they don't own the nieghborhood any more than your predecessors (the white folk) owned the nieghborhood before them. They better get used to seeing your face..because that is the face of this country.

I believe her when she says she is getting harassed. With the warmer weather I get to look forward to the taunts and cat calls and the man on the street that yells "white people get the f#$^ out of our city" But "daily" sounds like it might be an exaggeration.

Bronx chick-try just to ignore them, and find the closet male walking and walk next to them. I find you are less likely to get taunted if you are walking in a pair.

[DITC]

Originally Posted by SuperMario

Me thinks the west Bronx is the first to go

But must the whole city be gentrified. Whose to say it wont stop at Harlem?

Agreed. It seems like someone's cause is to have it this way.

[Guywithacause]

I am all for the city being REVITALIZED....and posters like SuperWario do not understand the difference between a revitalization and gentrification. What is occuring in areas like the Bronx is not gentrification, but a revitalization....but using the term "gentrification" is scary and gets attention...and rallies the troops to your cause. The reality is there is far less gentrification than the papers, and SuperWario would have you believe. The reality is that white people continue to exit the city, poor people of color continue to increase in numbers, AND areas are improving...but of course everyone will focus on the article in the NY Times about the latest million dollar condo going up in Bed-Stuy and the 30 year old couple from Michigan that bought the penthouse. And that's exactly what the NY Times wants you to do and believe.

[DITC]

Originally Posted by Guywithacause

Bronx Chick...it is very hard for me to believe that you get these verbal assaults on a daily basis. Quite honestly...I don't believe you...neither do I believe the residents resent you at all..if in fact you have heard such comments at some point, which I do not doubt, it is always from the dumb kids who do nothing all day and are just having fun with you.

Furthermore, if you live in the Mott Haven area, the nearest white person is certianly not 20 blocks from your apt...I too live in Mott Haven..and I am the whitest person around also....but they are sprinkled in here and there. The point is, you should not move out as DoomDan suggests...unless you somehow believe that you are physically unsafe. Running from this silly problem does not solve anything, and it in fact rewards the idiots and reinforces their behavior. It's a knee jerk reaction to someone they are not used to seeing. I say stay the course...as they don't own the nieghborhood any more than your predecessors (the white folk) owned the nieghborhood before them. They better get used to seeing your face..because that is the face of this country.

Ive read your posts and notice you like to play policeman with these racial types of issues, but this statement here by you is very close minded and racist. It goes to show how much you want to whitewash the entire city so your property value goes up. There is NO FACE of this country. The United States is a mix of black, white, Hispanic, Middle-Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian, Asian, Russian, etc.