Newswalk resident Dalia Fahmy wrote Saturday in the Financial Times:
“… Since buying an apartment with my husband in Prospect Heights a few months ago, my only regret is that we didn’t move here sooner … Across the street from our building, architect Frank Gehry is designing a stadium…”
“…recently, gentrification has reached frightening heights, pushing property values up almost 50% in the past three years … Entire communities of lower-income minorities have been displaced, and long-time residents are increasingly resentful … Many sport trendy 1970s-style T-shirts that read ‘Develop, Don’t Destroy Brooklyn.'”
“… I can’t help but enjoy the gentrification. My husband and I briefly considered Dumbo before settling into the more accessible Prospect Heights, in a converted condo loft in [Newswalk]. Our new neighbourhood was (and still is) more affordable than others in Brooklyn because some buyers are scared off by the pending [Atlantic Yards project]. Residents of the one-family brownstones nearby worry about the congestion and sports bars the development will bring, and African-American homeowners on my street have draped posters in their windows in protest.”
“But my husband and I are betting on Gehry to keep things civilised. We still have access to coffee shops with internet access and customised lattes … a bigger and better choice of restaurants than [in the] Upper West Side, and buying gifts for friends is easy in one of Prospect Heights’ many artsy boutiques.”
LINK:
Brooklyn bridges the property gap [Financial Times]
PHOTO: [Greg Mango for The Brooklyn Papers]
I live in Newswalk and I think Dalia is living in a dream world if she’s betting on Frank Gehry to keep thinks civilized if this boondoggle ever gets built. First of all he’s supposed to build the Arena only not the 20 skyscrapers. I would love to see if she sticks it out when there’s construction, pollution,rats and dust in her backyard for the next 20 years. I hope Ratner gets hit by a car trying to cross Atlantic Ave.
jeez, no wonder people hate newcomers to the neighborhood. what a poseur. and really, is the FT so behind that they’re just getting this whole ‘brooklyn is okay to live in’ thing?
trendy 1970s-style T-shirts? and how does she verify that the homeowners putting up the banners are “African-American”. my guess is that a wide range of ethnicities are in protest of the Atlantic Yards project.
Funny cause isn’t Newswalk a trendy 70s style building?
Yeah, other neighborhoods around staduims are really “civilized”: the area right around Madison Square Garden is someplace I’d definitely like to raise my kids. Also the Meadowlands and Yankee Stadium evirons are cultural oases.
MSG is not a stadium
Right on, Kristen.
pathetic.
This woman has some nerve. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s on Ratner’s payroll.
I think any city planner, economists, and anyone besides CAVE people (citizens against virtually everything) would opine that an area of a city that is major hub of public transportation is prime for commercial and high density development – especially area that is underutilized.
Whether Ratner’s plan is the very best can be debated – but we’ll all be long dead before the naysayers agree on much of anything that would be economically viable and over the long run add to tax base of NYC – the tax base that can pay for police, fire and teachers and new schools.
Park land and a few more low-rise townhouses isn’t going to do that.
CAVE, interesting term, Pete. I also like BEOR (Blame Everything On Ratner).
Ratner was very smart to put Gehry on retainer. Brilliant way to sucker the local intelligentsia. But anybody who believes that Frank Gehry will have anything to do with this project in another year (besides branding) probably also thinks that Daniel Libeskind is designing the WTC.
Petebklyn. What tax base?
new term.
NIMBYOY
Not in My Backyard OR Yours.
I’m buying a condo in Newswalk and I happen to love the neighborhood!! I’m not worried about the construction, coming from Manhattan, no matter where you go there is construction that holds true for Brooklyn as well. If the project does go through I believe it will only increase the value of my apartment over time. This neighborhood will only get better no matter who winds up developing the property.
I am actualy looking for an apt in the Newswalk bldg. Anyone want to sell?
there’s always apts. for sale in newswalk, call a broker, duh…