The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Gentrification Took Your Job

Not sure I fully understand the implications here, as I'm accustomed to the big G being blamed primarily for lack of housing, rising rents and shift in culture:
Provocative? Most def. This was posted as a flyer, anonymously, in our 'hood. Thoughts?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh please there are no jobs. I belong to a university gym; recent grads are stuck with nothing for months and months.

Anonymous said...

Well, this is just a way to get one group angry at a different group. According to my husband, there is a similar sign near the Church Ave stop stating: "Gentrification affects you." (Their misuse of words...)

Not a constructive tactic. I can think of other ways of having this conversation that doesn't have to drum up anger or jealousy.

Jen

Dan said...

Last week I left a huckleberry pie cooling on my windowsill, came back 5 minutes later and it was gone. Who did i blame??? GENTRIFICATION!!!

Anonymous said...

Well... PLG is definitely going through some gentrification, very slow gentrification at that. Imagine if PLG becomes the next Williamsburg? I think I might just cry.

Karla said...

Gentrification sucks all around, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's partly responsible for eroding job opportunities, especially if you're not one of the Right Kind Of People.

Anonymous said...

I'm confused. Please someone list for the rest of us here all the job opportunities that are being swept up by the new comers.

The new condos on Parkside may shift things a bit, but Williamsburg and Bushwick have an endless supply of empty warehouses and lots for developers to do as they please. Those things are lacking here and that is why the G has been very slow in PLG. It is what it is and all of NYC has and will always be in flux.

-josh

Dan said...

There's some connection between urban deindustrialization and gentrification. The trendy lofts in Williamsburg/bushwick and Soho were once homes to serious industry and blue collar jobs.

So that's a connection between the big G and jobs.

Probably not what the sticky label author was referring to since its addressed to recent college grads.

To me gentrification seems like it wold be a jobs booster for architects, construction tradespeople, movers, etc at least during the swing from neglected poor neighborhood to swanky refurbished hood.

Anonymous said...

Dan - I would question that. From my understanding, most of the industry left prior to gentrification. I think because of the increase of land value, factories can't justify the cost of operations in particular areas. I wouldn't call that gentrification though. Rather I would speculate that it would be sign in what sort of industry becomes the main employer as well as overall shifts in manufacturing in the U.S. A lot of the buildings that were taken over were abandoned. Land is cheap else where. Also, because of population density I'm guessing lead to stricter air quality regulations. The cost of retro-fitting old factories can be prohibitive in the eyes of the owners. So, it's easier to leave to where land is cheap and regulations are easy.

Jen

ElizabethC said...

Just FYI-- this was at the Church Ave subway station so technically Flatbush...which made me understand it even less.