Neighborhood Threat

I found out about the evacuation of 475 Kent through the website of a writer, who was distraught that she’d come home from a book tour to find out that she’d been evicted while she was away. I click on the link and it goes to 475 Kent.

When I was planning my move to Brooklyn, 475 Kent was one of the buildings I was considering. I wanted to live in a creative community and I wanted a big open space, but in the end we went the traditional apartment route because while it would have been great for me, it probably wouldn’t have been so great for my other half. Thus we ended up in Greenpoint.

But 475 Kent being evicted breaks my heart. This is not one of the loft buildings full of stupid hipster kids from Iowa, like out at Morgan or Jefferson, these were some of the OG’s. There was a difference, you could feel it when you walked into the building (and I have been in all of these buildings).

The threatened demise of 475 Kent breaks my heart because we are slowly killing this city of its life and its creativity and the things that makes it tick, the things that made me want to come back, the things that make people dream about this city and spend their whole lives planning how they can manage to come and live here. It is already so hard, it has always been hard.

But this isn’t hard. This is just fucking inhumane.

I understand the safety violations and the concerns for safety. Everyone here is pushing everything to the edge: the landlord, FDNY, DOB. But this is a group of tenants who are not whining about entitlement, they are prepared to TAKE ACTION and restore their homes, their community, and their livelihood in most cases.

Listen, I hate hipsters more than the next person. That is not this building.

I just feel like every day I am watching the soul of this city vanish.

much respect to the residents of 475 kent. don’t back down.

Earlier this winter I joked to a friend that I was going to do a review of the 99 cent stores in Greenpoint. But then one closed, and then another closed, and I was STILL going to do it. But, time, and energy and all that. And I have been focused on finishing my second novel (hence the dearth of posts here.)

But tonight on the bus, I noticed that XTRA on Manhattan has big GOING OUT OF BUSINESS signs in the window and I got pissed. XTRA was a cut above the usual 99 cent crap on Manhattan Ave. The people who worked there didn’t treat everyone like a potential shoplifter, and you could find nicer things than the other stores had.

That’s a HUGE space. I guarantee that whatever goes in there will be 1) two stores, because it’s too big for one undertaking and 2) some kind of crappy-ass chain that we don’t need.

At least it can’t be another bank, because they’re already all here (Commerce is opening on Bedford this summer). I hope.

1) INDIAN FOOD COMES BACK TO GREENPOINT: From the CB1 agenda for next week, we see that a Zaika of India Inc. is applying for a restaurant beer/wine license. I could be dead wrong but it would seem that L and A Italian is being succeeded by an Indian restaurant. I will be VERY happy if this is true (although still sad to have lost L and A).

2) 155 Calyer: The former home of the hapless William Taft Vegetarian Diner is now some type of design studio. Which is a fine use of the space, but gosh we (selfishly) wish it was new commerce.