Can We Please Stop With The "Is This Place Ghetto" Threads? (Murray: apartments, renters)

[Roadcruiser1]

Really. It isn't just getting annoying it's starting to be racist.

[El_Mero_Mero]

If we were not focused on NY, then there would be some place where a whole bunch of white folks comprised the "ghetto", so its not really "racist". Also, wan't there a thread recently asking if Chinatown is ghetto? Its not always going after Latinos and African Americans.

Plus, when you are younger and born into the hood then you can accept it. But when you are of age to find your own place, you don't want to put yourself in a ghetto situation if it can be avoided. Rent is too high to be worrying about getting mugged or beat up too.

[Fred314X]

Originally Posted by Roadcruiser1

Really. It isn't just getting annoying it's starting to be racist.

I hear you; I wish these threads would disappear, too. Although, let's be honest, that isn't happening in this universe!

But "racist" is much too strong a word--I don't think there's any real racist intent behind them. A much better (and more accurate) word to use would be "ignorant."

Besides, if you really want to know how a neighborhood looks or feels, you don't do it by asking other people--their answers are going to be entirely subjective. If you want to know these kinds of things, you have to go there yourself and see how you feel.

[bmwguydc]

Many times, people who post threads asking for neighborhood advice, and the relative safety of it, are not from the Metro area, so that's why they ask for current information about a given area, since media portrayals are rarely accurate. If someone is asking about the UES and safety concerns, for example, posting from Murray Hill, then yes, they should visit, but if they are posting from Seattle and need to attempt to make housing arrangements before, it's not as easy. Racism is taken seriously, and merely asking about an area that may or may not have a different demographic profile than a given poster is not inherently racist. Moderators will step in on that issue. If the given topic of a thread, such as safety of the UES, is not of interest, why bother reading it? Moderators have to read the threads, but you are free to ignore threads that you don't wish to read.

[jad2k]

LOL, worse yet are the "is this place safe for a [a young, pretty, petite] white girl?" If an area is high crime, your skin color is not going to protect you. Just because you might look like the majority population in "the Ghetto" doesn't mean you can't get robbed too. I had a friend tell me I should go by the Rule of Three when looking into a new area you are nor familiar with. Visit it three times during the day: the time you normally come home from work, the time you normally come home from bars/clubs on the weekend, and the time school lets out. That will give you a good idea of comfort level.

[D. Scott]

Originally Posted by jad2k

LOL, worse yet are the "is this place safe for a [a young, pretty, petite] white girl?" If an area is high crime, your skin color is not going to protect you. Just because you might look like the majority population in "the Ghetto" doesn't mean you can't get robbed too. I had a friend tell me I should go by the Rule of Three when looking into a new area you are nor familiar with. Visit it three times during the day: the time you normally come home from work, the time you normally come home from bars/clubs on the weekend, and the time school lets out. That will give you a good idea of comfort level.

jad2k should get 500 reps for passing along this advice..What a great way to see what an area is like in depth. Nice!

[nightcrawler]

some folks just do not have a clue about neighborhoods here, that is why they ask these questions.

being a native, I already know by the name which hoods to avoid.

[jcoltrane]

Originally Posted by Roadcruiser1

Really. It isn't just getting annoying it's starting to be racist.

It isn't starting, it IS racist! Has been since I became a forum member. The perpetrators generally do not accept the reality, and frankly do not care. Some are rather deliberate in their attitudes and comments.

There are a LOT of 'code words' used and allowed in this forum, despite the obvious intent.

Making such a request is rather like asking the ignorant to stop being ignorant, virtually impossible, as it requires a mental effort beyond their experience.

MUCH of the prejudice is a simple matter of 'majority' thought and narrow lives. If all the people one deals with think, act and are the same; share the same values and fears, then their common prejudice is just a 'norm', which mostly comes down to 'us' and the 'other'.

You'll also find that 'they' are loath to have an intelligent discussion on the matter. Which frankly is to be expected. How do you talk 'thoughts' with those who do not think? Certainly, not beyond their narrow experience.

How do you get people to view the 'other' as 'us'? Specifically, when self estem is based on the 'other' being 'less than' and 'us' being 'more than'? Upset that equation, and everything which some have valued their existence upon becomes moot. In that case, people have to then question themselves. The possibility and reality that one and one's 'group' may be less than thought, can rock some people's world!

Most refuse to be rocked. For example, I know people who are closer to poor than middle class, yet refuse to view themselves less than middle class. I know people who are 'well-off', yet choose to view themselves as middle class.

Some working class and/or poor view middle class as 'rich', so narrow is their circle. Whenever you hear "...everyone I know....." used as a qualifier, be guaranteed you have entered the world of 'us' and 'other', of narrow experience and often narrow minds.

Some whites refuse to see similarities in themselves, their ethnic 'group' and certain blacks. Some choose to see blacks as a single entity, including many blacks themselves. Which is why 5 blacks in a neighborhood or mall equals 'ghetto'! Which leads to the majority, never being comfortable being in the minority. Similarly, there are blacks who refuse 'disparity' in income, class and behavior, choosing to view and portray blacks as a monolith.

You'll find thought spoken in this forum which defies reality, plain logic and/or reason. Members, so stated NYers, will make 'absolute' statements of ridiculousness.

For example, '...NYers don't have cars; everybody lives in an apt...'. The most ridiculous is someone who stated that, '...NYers do NOT aspire to become homeowners....', that is purchase *houses*. Choosing to live their entire lives as renters of apartments. What demonstrates narrowness more? Many forum members concurred, and I was the only person to challenge this nonsense and other nonsense.

You'd think a NYC forum w/h have a more diverse thought and life experience. Yet, to my observation, the tone of this forum is split between those hailing from dense Bronx like urbanity (code word alert!); and white ethnic NYers with an old school race based mentality.

[nybbler]

Originally Posted by jcoltrane

It isn't starting, it IS racist!

Would "Is this neighborhood a Ku Klux Klan stronghold, where I'm likely to get assaulted for being the wrong color?" be racist? Because that's what a lot of these "code words" mean, only with the colors reversed.

[El_Mero_Mero]

Originally Posted by jad2k

LOL, worse yet are the "is this place safe for a [a young, pretty, petite] white girl?" If an area is high crime, your skin color is not going to protect you. Just because you might look like the majority population in "the Ghetto" doesn't mean you can't get robbed too. I had a friend tell me I should go by the Rule of Three when looking into a new area you are nor familiar with. Visit it three times during the day: the time you normally come home from work, the time you normally come home from bars/clubs on the weekend, and the time school lets out. That will give you a good idea of comfort level.

You gotta visit during the Summer also if possible as that it the time when most people (of all sorts) will be out and about.

For example though, Columbus Circle is a nice spot in Manhattan, but all those skateboarders hanging out are annoying. I don't have to deal with that in any of the neighborhoods I've grown up in.