Asking For Everyone's Write up On Sections Of Brooklyn (top, percentage)

[TrudiRose]

Originally Posted by Elvira Black

Sounds nice....How's the rents there? Park Slopeish prices, I'd presume?

We have a co-op (we were REALLY lucky and bought it when we got married in 1993, before the real estate skyrocketed).

But just today I saw a flyer for a 2-bedroom apt. here renting for $1600 a month. I don't know how that compares to rents in Park Slope (but next time I'm on Seventh Ave., I could glance in the realtor windows and find out).

[NJ Chutzpah]

Yeh I agree with the OP, the same thing is happening in the Dirty Jerz

What I do not understand is, isnt there such a thing as immigration quotas? There is a law that only allows a certain amount in. So how are these people able to take over certain sections?

[nuevaluz]

We live in Kensington, which is south of Prospect Park and Windsor Terrace. It's an area of mostly detached older homes, and a mix of early and late 20th C. apt bldgs. The neighborhood comes together at Church Avenue, a low rise, no-nonsense, working class business district with most everything you need except a good sit-down restaurant, or a hardware store.

Transportation options are great. It's 2 blks either direction to the F train/67 bus, and Manhattan bound express buses/Prospect Expwy. The crosstown 35 bus connects us to Sunset Park & Brownsville. By train, I'm 20 min. from either Downtown Brooklyn or the Coney Island boardwalk.

We're a vibrant neighborhood with a colorful mix of people, both immigrants and natives, religious and secular. In the last couple of years, we've seen an influx of "refugees" from Park Slope looking for affordable housing.

We live in a co-op, between Ocean Pkwy & McDonald Ave, which we bought 8 years ago for one fifth of what it's worth today. I don't know what the houses around here cost, but apts are in the 225-400K range depending on what you're looking for.

One of my neighbors was apt hunting in the neighborhood, and found the rents considerably higher than when she moved here a few years ago. She told me that most places she looked at wanted between 1400-1600 rent for a 1 br. A Church Ave. realtor actually quoted 1400 for an apt above a Chinese take out. She seemed more concerned about the conditions of some of these places rather than the cost. I last heard she was moving to Jersey.

[Alysse157]

Originally Posted by bronxchick

Can we turn this thread into what the question originally asked? Because I was interested in that!

Who lives in Sunset Park? Bensonhurst? Crown Heights? Park Slope? Speak up! Tell us what your neighborhood is like, what you like about it, what you don't?

Don't tell us about Williamsburg though- I'm sure we all have a good idea what that's like, no?

The past 2 months, I've been staying with family in Gravesend. I'm not impressed with what I've seen so far and my family is also looking to move in the near future. Is it a terrible neighborhood? No.. but it's not great either. It's not very diverse - still a large number of Italians with an influx of Russians and Asians. The people seem to either be elderly and have lived here forever, or they're couples with young children.

Pros:
- Close to 2 train lines: the N and F
- Street parking is generally easy to find, even on alternate side days

Cons:
- It's far from Manhattan. Though there are trains nearby, neither line runs very well. When heading to midtown for interviews, I generally have to allow myself 90 minutes to make sure I arrive on time. And it gets much worse after the evening rush hour ends and on weekends.
- Aside from a couple of pizzerias and a bagel shop, there's nothing here except discount stores, fruit & vegetable market that smells bad, and one small, dirty supermarket. I'm not asking for a Starbucks or gourmet market, but a clean place to buy fruits & vegetables would be nice, as would a local family-owned restaurant.
- No parks within walking distance.
- No shopping nearby. Need a car to drive to Gateway Plaza or Kings Plaza for that.
- Crime is a bit of an issue. This particular block seems ok, but there have been some shootings at the nearby Marlboro Projects, as well as at a store on Avenue U and somewhere on McDonald Avenue.

[straightshooter]

Originally Posted by sickofnyc

Until you live in Brooklyn, you cannot understand how it feels to be resented because you are an American. We are not speaking of enclaves, it is more like an invasion. The Russian immigrants are not assimilating. I am not speaking about older people, the kids are not speaking English on the streets even though they know how to and are speaking it in school. There is a definite resentment on their part for the Americans that are still here. The Asian and Pakistani kids here are speaking English and I generally have no problem living amongst them because they are not arrogant or rude. Thee are good and bad in all races because after all humans will be humans. I have no patience for a people that have defrauded insurance companiesat our expense, brought in their home grown mafia, illegally obtain food stamps and other benefits that Americans are paying for, and in general are quite arrogant. I did not choose to move to Russia and never would! They have brought it here and it sucks. As I stated in an earlier post, these people have no sense of responsibility concerning the ecology, they blow their noses on the street minus a tissue and spit on the sidewalk so that walking here is nauseating experience. Tree beds are used as garbage receptacles and they drive ridiculously large vehicles. Bottom line....YUK!!!

i do feel you with the russian resentment. most of them do not assimilate, are parochial to the extreme, and are quite rude in public. i corrected a russian woman once at dunkin donuts. everyone was standing in line waiting to be served. in walks mrs. purple valour jumpsuit with oversized chanel sunglasses, pushing a baby stroller. she walks right up to the front, attempting to cut everyone in the line. i straight told her, 'hey; there's a line here.' she looked back at all of us, sneared, and left instead of waiting. it was a gross mistake for the u.s. to recruit soviets with all these social welfare inducements. and, it is disturbing that those inducements continued long after the end of the ussr.

having said that...i agree with the poster who recommeded we get back on topic. i liked my old hood, b-hurst for growing up. but, it has changed so much now that i rarely return. i like my current hood, bay ridge, for many reasons. low crime, mostly white, good food, good neighbors, landlords (at least some) who are more concerned about preserving the quality of the neighborhood than making a dollar.

[BklynGal2476]

I grew up in Boro Park, and lived there most of my life. I was 2 blocks from the F train, 1 block from the B8 and B11 buses, a walk to the B9.

I'll start with the positives, since I don't want to be a complete negative Nancy.

It's relatively safe. In the 45 years that my family owned the house, we were only broken into once and only in the last couple of years were we vandalized.

It was convenient to shopping and transportation.

Some of the houses that have been going up in the area were modern-looking mini-mansions, which drove up the value of real estate in the immediate area. The only bad thing about this is that they wouldn't leave any yard. The houses took up almost the whole entire lot.

And now, the negatives.

The people are the most cold, unfriendly, uncaring people you ever want to meet- unless you're Hasidic. We've known one or two over the years who aren't like this, but most are. I've had people there cross to the other side of the street just so they wouldn't have to look at me or pass me by.
Growing up, there were only a handful of kids who weren't Hasidic and would play with us, but over the years their parents got wise and moved. Imagine, streets teeming with children, none of whom will play with you for the simple reason that you're not one of them. My friends who used to visit were stared at, talked about in whispers and sometimes even laughed at. You want to talk about racism and discrimination? I think the Hasidim hold the title when it comes to dishing it out.

It smells. Really it does. I used to work on 16th Avenue, and every single day it stank like rotting meat and old garbage. 13th Avenue is no better.

It's crowded. I think I heard somewhere that Boro Park is the most overcrowded part of Brooklyn.

Driving is a nightmare. My driving instructor called the Hasidim the "Kosher Kamikaze". They don't follow the rules of the road and have no common courtesy. Let's not even get into the pedestrian situation. Better have your high beams on on Friday night/early Saturday because black clothes + midnight + people who don't believe in sidewalks = big problems for you.

There is no reason to visit Boro Park, as there's nothing of interest there. Unless you're Hasidic. There's no reason for any person looking on these forums for a place to live to want to live there. Unless they're Hasidic. So, there are better places to spend your time and money on. Unless you're Hasidic.

You get the picture.

I could sit here and go into all the horror stories I have of growing up where and when I did, but I really don't have the energy to channel all that negativity. Besides, I'm in a much better place now,

[Kirill]

Originally Posted by whatsleftofbrooklyn

The Russians are totally taking over Brooklyn and slowly leaking into staten island. They have terrible attitudes and feel they own brooklyn. They are very dangerous drivers, very hot headed and feel the world owes them something. I feel threatened by them (and I'm a big guy) that a fight will always ensue b/c of their faux affulent attitudes and there willingness to slice someone's throat for a dollar.

I want to insert to 2 cents here.

I consider myself Russian even though I was born in Ukraine, currently live in Canada, my wife is Jewish and I was schooled Canada. I understand frustration of some people in regards to Russian attitude and the fact the world owns us something, it is a fair observation. You really had to live in former USSR to fully understand where this is coming from. I can tell that Canada especially Toronto has much the same problem. Russian areas usually dirty, run down and populated by people with below average income. They tend to resist speaking English, demand a lot and give nothing in return.

I bet the Russians you refer to are older than 50 who are rood, arrogant, don't really have much and show off a lot. Those are the ones that are more likely to fraud insurance and receive social services that they do not deserve.

There must be a simple explanation. I think this is because they could no adapt and failed to build a new life. They came to the US and Canada with very hight expectations for material wealth and so far have been unable to meet them. I am not supporting their illegal actions, but I sympathize them as much as would to any other looser.

Here is Toronto we had the same thing where undesired people were moving in well established areas populated by Professors, well educated professionals and other welthy people. What eventually happened was desired areas jumped up in prices so much that below average torontonians could not afford to pay. Invisible hand of market actually works, eh !

By the way I am on a job hunt in NYC, and was thinking of living in Brooklyn. Where do you think I should look for a place ?

[NorthmeetsSouth]

When I was growing up in Flatland/Flatbush everybody in the neighborhood was Irish-Catholic, Italian-Catholic, or Orthodox Jewish. there was a fair number of "wiseguys" in the neighborhood, as well as a lot of cops living on my block. It was a very safe neighborhood because of that.
I haven't been back in years, but from what I hear it is nothing like that anymore. Makes me wonder... where did all of the mafia go?

[Elvira Black]

Yes, I know about the Orthodox--my aunt and my cousin are, but they're not Hasids. Don't dress in black and all that.

The Hasids can be that way for sure. Not cool. I agree.

Moderator cut: orphaned quote

Gimme that old time New Yawk...dose were da days, huh?

[BklynGal2476]

Don't anyone get me wrong- I have nothing against Jewish people or Judaism. I just told it like it was, and 30 years of living in Boro Park as an outsider has given me a certain perspective of things.

Even an old boyfriend of mine, who was Jewish himself, got the cold shoulder from the people in my neighborhood.