How safe is Flatbush? (New York, York: house, neighborhood, school)

[Elvira Black]

I love how people here try to one up each other...the most ignorant and misinformed are the first to attack anyone who has any knowlege of NYC. NYC did not appear when you were born, mes amis--it's older than us all, and has a rich and varied history, good and bad. Plus ce change....

[Elvira Black]

Originally Posted by Alan B 718

without knowing the details of how they managed to get the buildings converted to co-ops (there may be some special clause to keep some of the apts for VERY low income) it might not be so easy.
Housing laws, when it comes to low income people in nyc can be very very favorable to said people. especially when it comes to project type buildings. Lots of city regulations and hoops to jump through. and considering flatbush gardens doesnt have a mob of wealthy white people foaming at the mouth to get apartments, they probably dont have much leverage.
Hell my mom's landlord has been trying to get her out of her apartment for over 20 years. she pays 500/mo for a decent 2/3 bedroom in kensington brooklyn. just to annoy him off, she wont take my name off the lease, and her building is just a 4 story walkup. She's not on any public assistance or section 8. Its very hard to get rid of people on government assistance. Since they pay little to no rent, they put up with a world of misery before they leave.

End result, you need to grease alot of peope to get things done in housing in nyc when you're gonna take advantage of low income people, and even then, theres no guarantee.

Example 1. Good Greaser - The guy building the nets stadium downtown brooklyn. Lots of people and community groups making LOTS of noise. NYC basically said "go to hell." We're getting the stadium
Example 2. Bad Greaser - Thor equities that bought up coney island and surrounding properties. Lots of people and community groups making LOTS of noise. NYC told him to go screw himself. no hotels, no highrises, no nothing. just fix up coney.

Flatbush Gardens are NOT coops---YET.

Check out from above article who's behind Flatbush Garden's recent "revitalization."

[Alan B 718]

Originally Posted by Elvira Black

How are they doing it in Flatbush Gardens? Click the rink and find out for yerself.

A Once-Troubled Housing Complex Seeks Change - March 15, 2007 - The New York Sun

I dont know how they got rid of the original residents, possibly the sale of the buildings a few years back forced them out while the new owners re-habbed it. i believe it went from public housing to private owners.

well, it took some searching but this is how they are planning to keep the buildings on the GOOD side.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/ny...ent&oref=login

apparently what they are doing is/might be illegal. legally they are allowed to "discriminate" against people with criminal records, housing laws are fine with that. whats illegal, is discriminating against people that are on government subsidies.

IMO i think that as long as a majority of the residents are black, then they wont have too many problems. If a flood of white pioneers decides to decend on the buildings and snap up the apartments and distorts the "ratio", then i think there will be a lot of backlash against the owners. it will be starrett city 1988 all over again.

[Alan B 718]

Originally Posted by Elvira Black

Flatbush Gardens are NOT coops---YET.

Check out from above article who's behind Flatbush Garden's recent "revitalization."

correct, i originally mis-read and thought they were coops.

yep i read it. same group trying to buy out starrett city.
funny tho, because legally, starrett group has the right to opt-out of the mitchel-llama program, and they are getting blocked and bills are being proposed left and right to block the sale. Senator shoemaker is doing his best to block the sale of starrett while at the same time throwing his full support behind the nets stadium developers.

i guess clipper didnt pay off the right people.

[Elvira Black]

For more info:

Search for The Pinnacle Group

to see how easy it is to get rid of poor tenants in this city.

[SeventhFloor]

Originally Posted by Elvira Black

You've got a computer...do a search under the Pinnacle Group.

im not worried about the pinnacle group....without divulging too much information, the majority of residents in vanderveer had open housing court cases.......i estimate about 80%. the city marshals were busy with that place from the beginning.....thats why the development eventually went bankrupt because nobody was paying rent to begin with. so this is going to make the process easier. but in housing court they still look out for the tenant. 1st step is a 5 day notice, then if thats not answered, then the next step is either a non-military affidavit from which the warrant can be issued, a default judgment from which the warrant can be issued, or a dispossess where the rent is broken down from how much months they missed. if they go to court, the judge may decide on a stipulation depending on how much rent they owe. the process takes a while and landlords lose rent and legal fees in this time. i was in the business so trust me its not easy.

[Alan B 718]

slightly off topic, but this just popped up in the daily news today.

Feds eye New York building sale at housing projects

Now that is going to be verrrry interesting.
for those that dont like to click heres a tidbit.
-------------------------
New Yorks top federal housing official said on Tuesday the city's cash-strapped Housing Authority should consider selling buildings in expensive neighborhoods to create more apartments elsewhere.

"It may displace some people, and that is a concern," Sean Moss, the regional administrator for the federal Housing and Urban Development Department, said at a forum on the Housing Authority's future.

"That is not necessarily a bad thing if you can create more housing with that," Moss said. "Instead of having 300 units [in a project], maybe there is a way to increase that if they are able to ... sell those assets so that you can create more housing."

[SeventhFloor]

you should have made this a new thread.

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by Bkbk1969

I need to find an apartment below $1000 and came across this on the Craigslist:
Flatbush Gardens Area Map of Flatbush Gardens Brooklyn, NY (broken link)

Don't know the area at all. I did an externship at Downstate back in 2000 and at that time the area was NOT something that I would consider comfortable for myself (single female) but things change...

I just can't bear the idea of moving back into Boro Park where I spent 10 years of my graduate school

Flatbush is a tough area as is a large swath of northeastern Brooklyn. Violent crime is one of many problems in the area.

Flatbush Gardens has a lot of problems, a lot of the old residents still live there are will live there.

I would not recommend the area to a single female. ESPECIALLY if you are unfamiliar with "ghetto" neighborhoods.

You get what you pay for though and it will be very difficult to find a good apartment under $1000 in a decent area. You might want to look futher south in Brooklyn, it will take a lot of research to find a place and you will live further from Manhattan but it will be worth it.

[thuglife1984]

OK people, i know this post may be late, but it is informing.
i live in flatbush gardens, i moved there after seeing the ad on the website 6 months ago...here's the rundown:

the website looks alot better than it really is

there are alot of problems in the neighborhood.

make no mistake, these are the projects, the ghetto the hood whatever you want to call it, however it has improved substantially from what neighbors have said. it still is supposedly safer than some areas like east new york and brownsville and bedstuy.

there is an effort to clean up, however the apartments are 'renovated' pretty cheaply...basically a band aid on a huge gash...for example the floors were just sanded and painted...there are holes here and there which provide the perfect james bond type escape for rodents and roaches. also the heaters were painted over with all the old dirt on them still...

roaches and mice are very very common

we had a gas leak for 6 months

there is usually urine in the elevator

the elevator breaks down every week

because of the 'projects' type layout, it is very difficult to get in and out of the building with large items, so moving is difficult since there are stairs and a courtyard to pass through, there is no entrance directly on the street.

alot of noisy neighbors

alot of thugs be hanging around, mostly crips

i have had to call police before because some people were shooting from on the roof.


i may have missed some points since i am from a third world country with lower living standards....