131 replies to this topic

[Sneakeater]

Indeed, by some measures, Bushwick is already over.

[Wilfrid]

Not before time.

[Lex]

When Bushwick is over, Orik will be the first one to tell us.

[oakapple]

It's not about attractions. By that measure, midtown and Times Square are the most vital neighborhoods in NYC.

Vital to what? Midtown is not just the city's, but also the nation's, largest office district. Times Square is the city's premier theater and tourist district, and while I avoid it like the plague, our city would be seriously impoverished without it.

[Steven Dilley]

I spent an afternoon checking out apartments in Bushwick a couple months ago... the realtors must have all attended the same seminar: Roberta's, Hana Natural, Northeast Kingdom. Hana appears to be some strange combination of Tribeca pricing and C-Town goods, with a small dash of local thrown in. I'd much rather live around the corner from Dapanneur. As far as blue-chip, Chelsea galleries setting up shop in Bushwick... the amount of ink is out of proportion to what's actually out there, but it makes for a story, I guess. There is some interesting stuff, and I'm sure there's more on the way, but you're as likely to stumble across packs of kids on sports bikes running wheelies than a gallery with regular business hours.

[Adrian]

Bushwick is the next current already over step in the narrative that has seen the LES, the East Village, Tribeca, Williamsburg, Soho, etc. become some of the most important, interesting, and vital neighborhoods in the world (at least at one point or another). BPC is a real estate development designed to be a nice place to live, especially if you work close to there. This is why people care about Bushwick and nobody cares about BPC.

Of course Midtown is an important part of New York.

[porkwah]

ridgewood

[oakapple]

Bushwick is the next current already over step in the narrative that has seen the LES, the East Village, Tribeca, Williamsburg, Soho, etc. become some of the most important, interesting, and vital neighborhoods in the world (at least at one point or another). BPC is a real estate development designed to be a nice place to live, especially if you work close to there. This is why people care about Bushwick and nobody cares about BPC.

There are thousands of residents of BPC, all of whom chose to live there. I suspect they care. The thousands of people I see sunning themselves on the esplanade on summer days? I suspect they care. In that respect, it is a typical NYC neighborhood. And Billyburg "one of the most important, interesting, and vital neighborhoods in the world"????????? Yeah, maybe for 15 minutes two years ago.

[Anthony Bonner]

Oakapple - surely you see the difference between "important, interesting, and vital" and "A nice place to live". Surely you recognize that the former group adds to the vitality of a city?

People who live in BPC obviously care about BPC - no doubt. But if as Ori suggests it sailed across the Hudson other than losing a bunch of office space and a nice park the city itself wouldn't really miss much, but if you took out the "hipster, bohemian, art-scene" crowd that has migrated along that path Adrian laid out, then you would be losing a ton of what has made NYC, NYC. That's the difference.

[Adrian]

Yes, AB. Which is not to discount the UWS, UES, or other such neighborhoods - they're all more important, interesting, and vital than BPC.

[Sneakeater]

Which, again, is not to say that BPC wouldn't be a pleasant place to live (especially if you have young children). We're not talking about that.

[Sneakeater]

With respect to Wilfrid's initial question, here's what's currently compelling about Bushwick (by which I obviously mean the New Bushwick, racistly disregarding the thousands of pre-existing longtime inhabitants): it gives the sense of being a real bohemian enclave. How long has it been since Williamsburg was anything like that? You walk around New Bushwick and you get the feel that you're among real bohemians -- not a bunch of post-collegians who are too cool for Murray Hill.

[Sneakeater]

Yeah, a few galleries

And a theater. And a music club.

[Orik]

And a world class bed bug epidemic. Roscoe the dog fears Bushwick.

[Wilfrid]

Bushwick is neither important, nor interesting, nor vital, and if it is going to become the next SoHo, it needs to be utterly transformed.

Steve Dilley's post got it about right.