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I am very interested in the recent history of New York City, and especially the culture during the 80s and early 90s. Information on the state of places like the South Bronx in the 80s is very well publicized, but i have heard a lot that Brooklyn was just as bad if not worse in those days. Still, i haven't been able to find much as far as pictures or stories from back in that era as they relate to the borough of Brooklyn. I was wondering if anybody on this board had some pictures or stories about this time period.
Location: Red Hook Brooklyn-winter Derby Line Vermont-summer
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I can think of two movies off the top of my head that show Brooklyn project life pretty accurately although they are fiction.
1-is Clockers,filmed in the Gowanus Projects.Tells a decent realistic story.The book however takes place in NJ.So see the movie.
2 Straight Out of Brooklyn a film by Matty Rich who also wrote,directed and starred at like 18.
A story about 3 friends and getting out of the projects,Red Hook Projects in this case where it was filmed and takes place.
Book wise I really think Buddy Boys about crooked cops in the 77th precinct in Bed-Stuy is as good as any at describing what ghetto life was in the late 80s/early 90s for cops,perps and law abiding citizens.It was written by former NY Daily News columnist Mike McAlary (R.I.P)
I don't know of a specific site for photos.
Curious to see what others add to this thread,I am always looking to learn more about the Brooklyn scene of late 80s early 90s.
The now beautiful brownstones in many neighborhoods had been neglected and torn up by drug addicts. They took out plumbing, copper, fixtures, wire, etc. to buy drugs. Nothing was nice in downtown Brooklyn with the exception of Brooklyn Heights. MetroTech was the first good thing to come in the late 80s, and the start change. Nobody wanted to move to Fort Greene, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, or Prospect Heights. They were regular neighborhoods ranging from poor to middle class people. Some yuppies had started trickling into Park Slope. There were no bars, restaurants, club/lounges or cute little shops. I was petrified of the area that is now DUMBO. It was a dump. All of Brooklyn was very segregated with the southern part white and the central part black/hispanic. Williamsburg was industrial and grimy, with a decent sized hispanic population.
People who were around back then will remember Benzi Boxes. I need say no more when it comes to break-ins and crime.
The now beautiful brownstones in many neighborhoods had been neglected and torn up by drug addicts. They took out plumbing, copper, fixtures, wire, etc. to buy drugs. Nothing was nice in downtown Brooklyn with the exception of Brooklyn Heights. MetroTech was the first good thing to come in the late 80s, and the start change. Nobody wanted to move to Fort Greene, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, or Prospect Heights. They were regular neighborhoods ranging from poor to middle class people. Some yuppies had started trickling into Park Slope. There were no bars, restaurants, club/lounges or cute little shops. I was petrified of the area that is now DUMBO. It was a dump. All of Brooklyn was very segregated with the southern part white and the central part black/hispanic. Williamsburg was industrial and grimy, with a decent sized hispanic population.
People who were around back then will remember Benzi Boxes. I need say no more when it comes to break-ins and crime.
boerum hill, and caroll gardens? avoided? you sure you don't mean gowanus?
boerum hill, and caroll gardens? avoided? you sure you don't mean gowanus?
no she is correct. those parts of brooklyn werent desirable back then. even as late as 2000, smith street was nothing more than a strip of bodegas and 99 cent stores.
a good movie to watch is strapped starring bokeem woodbine. that really depicts brownsville brooklyn in the early 1990s. certain parts of brooklyn still look like the did in the 1980s however. one particular strip that comes to mind is rockaway avenue north of fulton street. real gritty.
back in the days, my aunt lived in prospect park south (sitll lives there) and they used to steal the front doors of her building periodically to sell for scrap metal. dont ask me how they made off with those heavy doors. and crack was everywhere. kids used to sit on people's cars, music used to blast all night long. brooklyn was a really crazy place back then. projects used to be all graffitied up, inside and outside. i remember my cousin lived in the projects (it was only 1 building) on chauncey street. on her floor, the wall was covered in graffiti to the point to where you coulndt tell what color the wall was originally painted it. downright scary-looking.
squeegee men would come outa nowhere and try to wash your car's windshield with a dirty rag, the trains were awful, the lights would often go out on them and you would have to keep your wallet/purse real close. back in the 80s in far rockaway i actually witnessed somebody get mugged in front of my house, and my mother told me to duck down for fear somebody started shooting.
im just glad i made it.
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
People who were around back then will remember Benzi Boxes. I need say no more when it comes to break-ins and crime.
LOL! Benzi Boxes I had not heard of them in about 20 years.
removable car radios, right?
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
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