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One more comment about that article. The Gateway Center isn't really "part" of the neighborhood.
It is a quintessentially suburban-style, automobile-centric, super-sized strip mall with a Home Depot, Target, Circuit City, Kohls, BJ's and other stores. It even has the standard-issue Red Lobster and Olive Garden on the out-parcels. It faces the Belt Parkway and is designed to be convenient to it via the adjacent exit on Erskine St. The vast majority of shoppers here (myself included) pull off the Belt Parkway, do their shopping, then go right back on the Parkway.
My two cents: No.
East New York is the only neighborhood in all of NYC in which I feared for my life. I first went out there in 97 and it was like a third world country. East New York and the Vandeveer Houses are two places I will never step foot in again. I have driven through Brownsville and have seen good and bad, but East New York? Oh no.
The new Harlem? No. At least Harlem has some charms. ENY on the other hand, has zero redeeming qualities. It's a very depressing neighborhood, take it from someone who lived in City Line for 3 years [1993-96].
There is no comparison between East New York and Harlem. Harlem is well known for its vibrant culture. East New York does not have that type of cultural identity and I doubt that it will ever have that particular identity. As stated the closest thing to Harlem in Brooklyn would be Bed-Stuy or maybe Clinton Hill.
You're talking as though Harlem is now Mayberry. I drove around Harlem and Washington Heights last weekend past midnight and saw nothing but trouble on the streets. Didn't look very gentrified to me. I think ENY has a long way to go, and even then it will NEVER be what Harlem was or is. All those condos and new construction going up in ENY will be filled with Section 8 housing when they don't sell.
One more comment about that article. The Gateway Center isn't really "part" of the neighborhood.
It is a quintessentially suburban-style, automobile-centric, super-sized strip mall with a Home Depot, Target, Circuit City, Kohls, BJ's and other stores. It even has the standard-issue Red Lobster and Olive Garden on the out-parcels. It faces the Belt Parkway and is designed to be convenient to it via the adjacent exit on Erskine St. The vast majority of shoppers here (myself included) pull off the Belt Parkway, do their shopping, then go right back on the Parkway.
That Gateway Center was made to be the antithesis of the always-rowdy Kings Plaza. The Gateway caters to those from Southern Brooklyn (like Marine Park or Mill Basin) and Southwestern Queens (like the Western Rockaways or Howard Beach).
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