And since someone, probably a writer for NY Yimby, wrote below that they felt I'm being hard them for calling them density-obsessed blowhards, perhaps a bit more info is in order. Here's a NY Times profile on YIMBY founder Nikolai Fendak, with his picture below. Blowhard? Hmm. Thinking on that. I suppose you might call me one too, and I'll bet you will. In YOUR blog. Here though I'm inclined to call a webzine that trumpets the press releases from NY's biggest developers a bit callow and star-struck. The development industry needs no touters. It does quite nicely. But if truth be told, I appreciate its unfettered appreciation for urban planning. The guy Nikolai (the commenter perhaps?) seems genuinely excited about the New City, though clearly could care less what happens to your grandma in the process. As noted in the article, he thinks your grandmother should get outa Dodge if she doesn't like it.
Here's what I'll say to you sir. The New City you champion will be great for you and your heirs. For the rest of the not-so-euro-coiffed world, including the creative and scrappy folks who made NYC the most exciting City on earth, the jury is out on whether shiny and new and big is the way to move forward with justice and dignity. When the crash comes, and it will, there will likely be much collateral damage even in your fave industry. Oh why am I bothering. You're much too young for me to take you seriously. But yes, we'll probably all be working for you one day!
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| pic by Ozier Muhammad for NY Times |
17 comments:
"smirking development-friendly capitalist density-obsessed blowhards at YIMBY" is a jerky comment. Seriously!
If you're so superior to the capitalism-obsessed blowhards at YIMBY, you'll commit to selling your townhouse for the cost of acquisition plus inflation, right?
Superior? Hardly. Just of a different opinion. See addition to my post, just for you. Keep fightin' for the underdog, dude. God knows the Industry needs some warm hugs.
And if you aren't in fact a blowhard, then you must accept that you and YIMBY had little to do with the price of my home. And I ain't selling. See you on the other side of the crash!
To press releases!!!
When the crash comes, and it will, there will likely be much collateral damage even in your fave industry.
"Crashes" are pretty painless when you're not leveraged to your eyeballs, and lots of New Yorkers are not leveraged.
Hahaha! Awesome stuff, Q. I agree.
Is that Yimby guy wearing a turtleneck dickey? (for those of you young'uns, google it) Ok, snark aside, thank you for this post. I didn't even know there was a Yimby. Sigh.
Other things coming to lefferts gardens... Smorgasburg. Wow. Looks like it'll be at the Lincoln rd entrance to the park. I must admit, despite the crowds and too-cool-for-school hipster doofuses, i love this. https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150813/prospect-lefferts-gardens/smorgasburg-sundays-moving-prospect-park-from-brooklyn-bridge-waterfront
I just saw this smorgasburg story blow up in my twitter feed. But we all know, with the Smorgas comes the crowds comes the attention to our neighborhood comes more demand/interest. Not so sure how I feel about this, but I AM sure 626 is loving it. Some new stuff to throw in the marketing collateral.
I admit that I look at YIMBY all the time, they certainly do a good job of compiling all the info on new developments from big to small in one place. The commentary they add however reads like a parody of a Corcoron leaflet. "smirking development-friendly capitalist density-obsessed blowhards at YIMBY" is a kind description in my mind, and that was before I read the times article or saw the picture of that twerp.
Q - House in PLG, house upstate, house in Vermont. A true warrior against social injustices!
You didn't answer the dude's question. Will you sell at cost plus inflation? Will you legally ensure that your child/children do so if you don't sell? Because if not, all of your little guy posturing is just steamy bloviation. Well?
Be interested to hear your take on the new AFFH "Executive Order". On the surface it seems like a well-intentioned way to integrate lower income communities into the suburbs. Though I suspect the end result will be moving poor people from the (increasingly valuable) inner city into the (increasingly less valuable) older, inner-ring suburbs. Of course, further afield uber-rich suburbs which don't rely on Federal HUD funding won't be affected at all.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmatively_furthering_fair_housing
Bravo, Mr. Q for calling it like you (and I) see it! That site, which due to my industry I am obliged to consult regularly, makes me ill. It's one thing to catalog new development (and even a commendable one at that). However, to so obsequiously congratulate every heathen destroying the very fabric of our neighborhoods (some projects are good and deserve congratulation, but not every POS that's on the boards) smacks of something else. Suck up for developer money much? All he wants is a job putting people out of their homes and stealing their property - can't someone just hire him for that so we can stop being subjected to his scorn for everything not tall, shiny, and new (and poorly designed and constructed to boot)?
Anons/Nikolai: You should know as well as anyone that individual purchases of houses to live in are not the same as real estate speculation and development, particular outsized greedy overreaching like so much of Yimby's cover stories. So to answer your question, your question is irrelevant, and I would sooner sell my house at a discount as move to Topeka. Actually, I don't plan on selling or moving because I live here, am raising children here, and have invested in the NEIGHBORHOOD, not just its real estate.
If you don't know the difference, then I fear for your soul.
And leave Stacey alone. Having money or real estate does not disqualify one from trying to right injustice. If anything, it demands one to address the issues head on. Burying your head in the sand is no way to enjoy the fruits of labor and/or largesse. I'm not an anti-capitalist. Only a reluctant participant, given the poor track record of other systems. That doesn't stop me from wanting a more equitable (kinder/gentler?) version of dog eat dog.
Oh, and folks of my generation are known for employing self-deprecating irony and sarcasm. It was once a fuel for critique of the older generation. Now that we ARE the older generation, it becomes something to hide behind fearing critique of our own inability to change the status quo. I'm growing tired of it, but can't seem to escape the trap.
So, the article doesn't say he thinks your grandmother should get out of dodge if she doesn't like what's happening here...
"His response to those who oppose development? “There’s a lot of hatred of development out there,” Mr. Fedak acknowledged. “But generally it comes from selfish people who don’t want to lose their views.” In his eyes, anyone who has a problem with tall buildings should high-tail it out of Dodge."
The writer of the article uses that phrase, but not about those who have lived here a long time or are rent stabilized, but about people who don't want tall buildings.
New development is one of the few things keeping existing rents (somewhat) in check. Not everyone has the luxury of a rent stabilized place and without new development in PLG and the rest of the city, rents would climb at an ever higher clip.
You're inferring a lot about his attitude about long time residents based on the pro-development bent, but I think you're missing at least some of the point. One of the YIMBY's main grievances is the lack of investment in the MTA and the ridiculous notion that all new buildings use their precious space on parking spaces - making this an increasingly car centric city, a less inhabitable city.
Fair enough. But calling people who have a problem with rampant unaffordable development generally "Selfish" is insensitive to say the least. As if the developers themselves are selfless and noble. The very things that made Brooklyn so popular, diverse and livable are fast disappearing. There is precious little anyone can do about it. To us, Yimby might as well be called Gloat.com
I'm getting serious real estate conversation burnout. My only comment is that this YIMBY guy is really good looking. His already great profile is set off nicely by that turtleneck.
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