Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
April--
Bay Ridge is racist and Islamophobic (ironically because there is such a high proportion of Arabs moving in). I lived on 3rd and 74th for about 2 years. I am white, my husband hispanic. Check out their local 'boards'---all racist statements. Look elsewhere.
I'm not black but I know for a fact there used to be heavy racism from Italians to blacks. In some cases it was warranted and in some cases it was uncalled for.
Didn't know that racism could ever be "called for".
^ what does hip hop equal? blacks invented hip hop, smart guy.
Blacks from NEW YORK created Hip-Hop, which makes it a cultural thing (not ethnic). I'm Black and grew up in NY but hip-hop is not a part of my family's culture (they're from the South, so Blues is more a part of our heritage than anything).
Blacks from NEW YORK created Hip-Hop, which makes it a cultural thing (not ethnic). I'm Black and grew up in NY but hip-hop is not a part of my family's culture (they're from the South, so Blues is more a part of our heritage than anything).
Well it started in New York but that doesn't mean it's strictly a NYC thing. People all over the world like hip hop. Of all races. Just because your family doesn't like hip hop means only nyc people like it. Hip hop expanded. It started in the bronx but it didn't just stay there, it broke off to the other boroughs and jersey. Soon it expanded to Philly and LA and son so forth.
I, and my wife and sister, are Black; all of us are in our early 30s. We don't live in Bay Ridge but we live less than 10 blocks from it in lower Sunset Park, and spend a lot of time there. Bay Ridge is my wife's absolute favorite neighborhood in all of NYC. Our church is there, she frequently shops and dines there, she and my sister are members of the Harbor Fitness location down there, and I, an avid race walker, have spent a lot of time walking through the streets there and down on the promenade.
Have we encountered blatant racism there? Years ago, while moving out of a sublet in Carroll Gardens, I briefly struck up a friendship with a guy who was renting his place in Bay Ridge. It was my first encounter with the neighborhood. The landlord had basically told my then friend that whomever he recommended would get the place. I have very strong reasons to believe that I ultimately didn't get the apartment though when the landlord figured out that I was black. It was actually my mother, who was my guarantor, who at the time was making well over 100k a year and could afford to pay several months rent in advance, who spoke with him and got a very bad vibe. Even the guy who was exiting the apartment was shocked at the outcome. It was after that that I heard from other black people that renting in Bay Ridge has been an obstacle. An interracial couple I know had friends, a black and white couple, try and rent there and they ran into huge obstacles. We're talking situations where they were told flat out that places advertised for rent actually were not.
Recently my wife went to a nail salon down there and felt the clientele (not the actual workers) were almost stunned that she dared step into the salon. Very cold, very unwelcoming. But my wife, who is like sunshine personified, didn't care. She doesn't sweat stuff like that at all, loved the salon, and is planning to keep going regardless of the more off putting ladies.
Other than that? Our experience with Bay Ridge, as very frequent visitors, has actually been overall pretty awesome so far. They treat my wife great down at the Harbor Fitness, no complaints from her. Our church is warm, open, loving, and very diverse. Nobody in my family has had any racist run ins, other than what I mentioned above. To my shock and surprise, I have never been stopped by a cop in Bay Ridge, despite the fact that I've speed walked through the wealthier sections VERY late at night, with cops passing me on patrol.
My wife adores the neighborhood so much that eventually she wants us to buy a house down there. Both of us are accustomed to living, working, and socializing in non-black environments and have discussed frankly the challenges of living in an area that doesn't have the best reputation in regards to our race. I like the area, but my wife ADORES it, and feels that what she loves about Bay Ridge outweighs the potential problems.
If you're black but tend to be attracted to more mixed, or white majority neighborhoods, that have the amenities and overall vibe you enjoy, unfortunately you become accustomed to making compromises. Would I wish that Bay Ridge were exactly as it were, save less of a racist rep, and more Blacks? Sure. But that's not the case and there's no use in lamenting about that.
Also both of us grew up in one of the wealthiest black counties in the United States of America, and yet we both have felt more at home in areas that were diverse or majority white. Just because a place is more reflective of your skin color does not ensure that you're going to feel at home there. I've dealt with more ignorance and nonsense in some black areas than I have in many of the majority white areas I've lived in.
I, and my wife and sister, are Black; all of us are in our early 30s. We don't live in Bay Ridge but we live less than 10 blocks from it in lower Sunset Park, and spend a lot of time there. Bay Ridge is my wife's absolute favorite neighborhood in all of NYC. Our church is there, she frequently shops and dines there, she and my sister are members of the Harbor Fitness location down there, and I, an avid race walker, have spent a lot of time walking through the streets there and down on the promenade.
Have we encountered blatant racism there? Years ago, while moving out of a sublet in Carroll Gardens, I briefly struck up a friendship with a guy who was renting his place in Bay Ridge. It was my first encounter with the neighborhood. The landlord had basically told my then friend that whomever he recommended would get the place. I have very strong reasons to believe that I ultimately didn't get the apartment though when the landlord figured out that I was black. It was actually my mother, who was my guarantor, who at the time was making well over 100k a year and could afford to pay several months rent in advance, who spoke with him and got a very bad vibe. Even the guy who was exiting the apartment was shocked at the outcome. It was after that that I heard from other black people that renting in Bay Ridge has been an obstacle. An interracial couple I know had friends, a black and white couple, try and rent there and they ran into huge obstacles. We're talking situations where they were told flat out that places advertised for rent actually were not.
Recently my wife went to a nail salon down there and felt the clientele (not the actual workers) were almost stunned that she dared step into the salon. Very cold, very unwelcoming. But my wife, who is like sunshine personified, didn't care. She doesn't sweat stuff like that at all, loved the salon, and is planning to keep going regardless of the more off putting ladies.
Other than that? Our experience with Bay Ridge, as very frequent visitors, has actually been overall pretty awesome so far. They treat my wife great down at the Harbor Fitness, no complaints from her. Our church is warm, open, loving, and very diverse. Nobody in my family has had any racist run ins, other than what I mentioned above. To my shock and surprise, I have never been stopped by a cop in Bay Ridge, despite the fact that I've speed walked through the wealthier sections VERY late at night, with cops passing me on patrol.
My wife adores the neighborhood so much that eventually she wants us to buy a house down there. Both of us are accustomed to living, working, and socializing in non-black environments and have discussed frankly the challenges of living in an area that doesn't have the best reputation in regards to our race. I like the area, but my wife ADORES it, and feels that what she loves about Bay Ridge outweighs the potential problems.
If you're black but tend to be attracted to more mixed, or white majority neighborhoods, that have the amenities and overall vibe you enjoy, unfortunately you become accustomed to making compromises. Would I wish that Bay Ridge were exactly as it were, save less of a racist rep, and more Blacks? Sure. But that's not the case and there's no use in lamenting about that.
Also both of us grew up in one of the wealthiest black counties in the United States of America, and yet we both have felt more at home in areas that were diverse or majority white. Just because a place is more reflective of your skin color does not ensure that you're going to feel at home there. I've dealt with more ignorance and nonsense in some black areas than I have in many of the majority white areas I've lived in.
I love your description of your wife - sunshine personified!
Interesting take on Bay Ridge - good info I might not be aware of as a White woman. A diverse church also sounds wonderful . . I'll be keeping an eye out for such a church if and when I resettle into Bay Ridge.
Bay Ridge does have of reputation for being racist, but the neighborhood today is very different than it was in the past even a short time ago. It is quite diverse today and there are more and more milennials moving in. That being said, there is still some tension between the various ethnic groups in the area (especially between Arabs and the older Italians) but I wouldn't say BR is particularly racist.
I've lived in Bay Ridge for almost 2 years now, I'm mixed race and haven't felt any racism in Bay Ridge yet. People here are really friendly.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
