These NYC centric posts bring up a question I've been thinking a lot about lately

As some folks here know I recently moved to NY from SF.
During my last few years in SF I was becoming deeply bitter for a laundry list of reasons. One of the major sticking points was the influx of transplants who were unwillingly to mingle with the natives.

They came, built their own infrastructure on top of what was already there and pretty much turned away from the local culture and traditions.

Now that I live here I have heard many long term people lament/bring up the old NYC and the good old days. At the same time I've heard old NYers say that the new city is better, cleaner and safer.

I guess what I'm wondering is if there is a dialog/engagement/discourse/awareness recent transplants should have?

I'm well aware of the fact that I'm a gentrifier in some ways, it is what it is.


Does this make sense?

***********************************************************
https://soundcloud.com/swageyph/yph-die-with-me

you just opened the floodgates.

expect lots of bitching and whining about the good ol' days when there was more human waste flowing freely through the streets and everybody got shivved at least once per year and there were hookers selling subway tokens to be stolen by the stick-up kids who never actually used the subways b/c they preferred to use rats as transportation (b/c the rats were as big as horses then not like the puny little rats they have now - thanks, Giuliani!).

they like to pretend like NYC was better then as if back then the whole city looked like the set from The Warriors.

as if NYC was better when Time Square looked like this:

http://madisonleighrose.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/blog-8.png

i just flat out don't believe anyone w/good sense would rather ride in this:

https://40.media.tumblr.com/64a60649c8790163a79c82ff8b27a643/tumblr_n69j3fDFYl1r499tto1_500.jpg

as opposed to this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Empty_subway_in_NYC.jpg

ignore them and live your life.

you will never be authentically NYC enough for them.

but in a few yrs you can join in shitting on more recent transplants. as several of the ppl shitting on you moved there from Kansas.

fuck you.

you hate us so much you love us
I'm so touched.

here for dis.

fuck you.

because you have no sense of nostalgia
because apparently you dont care about the old chicago
doesn't mean we didn't care about old NY

there is good but yes there is bad
we have a damn ex mayor talking about he saved black people in NY
you want to talk fake nostalgia??????
go kick him in the teeth and pants
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

Cunty yet hilarious

prototype

stand ur ground, believe in urself,
believe in love, prepare urself for love, remove the negativity from ur life, and accept the love u kno u deserve

LOL

that was the purpose.

fuck you.

People do the same thing with DC... although I get caught up discussing how much better DC in 2002 was too...

looking at pictures. i'm not from NYC

IRL the were HOT as hell in the summer

i dont miss the old trains and buses for that
i'm so damn grateful for AC
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

>One of the major sticking
>points was the influx of transplants who were unwillingly to
>mingle with the natives.

peep the discussion Mongo and I were having about oversimplifying names of neighborhoods. Like it's not enough that you move in and change the vibe of entire hoods to where it's unrecognizeable, you have to change the name to something that matches where you probably really wanted to live in the first place (because SoHo/NoHo/Tribeca were the only neighborhoodsv that I knew of growing up that had those kinds of names).
WaHi (Washington Heights)
FoHi (Forest Hills)
to me, shit is dumb. Those neighborhoods are special because of their distinct character. Many people come and try to make New York fit into their idea of what it should be versus trying to fit into New York.

here for dis.

It's a dated reference, but I feel like SATC fans are the first wave of transplants who came to NYC and tried to mold it into something it wasn't.

granted I was still in HS and college when that happened but it was around that time that I became aware of it happened as I started to explore NYC on my own as a young adult.

here for dis.

>>One of the major sticking
>>points was the influx of transplants who were unwillingly to
>>mingle with the natives.
>
>peep the discussion Mongo and I were having about
>oversimplifying names of neighborhoods. Like it's not enough
>that you move in and change the vibe of entire hoods to where
>it's unrecognizeable, you have to change the name to something
>that matches where you probably really wanted to live in the
>first place (because SoHo/NoHo/Tribeca were the only
>neighborhoodsv that I knew of growing up that had those kinds
>of names).
>WaHi (Washington Heights)
>FoHi (Forest Hills)
>to me, shit is dumb. Those neighborhoods are special because
>of their distinct character. Many people come and try to make
>New York fit into their idea of what it should be versus
>trying to fit into New York.


^^^that sounds tardio.

***********************************************************
https://soundcloud.com/swageyph/yph-die-with-me

YOU TRANSPLANTS AND YOUR NEWFANGLED WORDS

here for dis.

***********************************************************
https://soundcloud.com/swageyph/yph-die-with-me

tardio cardio!

here for dis.

prototype

stand ur ground, believe in urself,
believe in love, prepare urself for love, remove the negativity from ur life, and accept the love u kno u deserve

i imagine it's happening all over. real estate douchery is a widespread problem.

fuck you.

I was looking at apartments there over the weekend, and I heard it way too much.

-------------------
I wanna go to where the martyrs went
the brown figures on the walls of my apart-a-ment...

I'm nostalgic about gritty NY, but if such a city existed today, I probably wouldn't move there.

98-02 had everything that's good about modern-day NYC, but it still FELT like the old NYC.

9/11 pretty much signified the death and rebirth of NY

***********************************************************
https://soundcloud.com/swageyph/yph-die-with-me

They miss the old prices. Nothing more nothing less.
There are a few places that closed down that I miss but I have found new places to go.

http://soundcloud.com/djshinobishaw
http://www.rareformnyc.com
http://twitter.com/DJShinobiShaw
https://twitter.com/RareFormNYC
PSN: ShinobiShaw

"Arm Leg Leg Arm How you doin?" (c)T510

the thing about NYC is that nothing lasts forever so either find new shit to love or move to Florida.

here for dis.

We're full!

here for dis.

i miss being able to find a seat on the subway
laying out when i'm on the way home from the club

i miss the ease with which an apt could be found

i miss seeing regular black folk
regular latinos
in my neighborhood
that change from work to home was vital and important
and its whats missing in todays exchanges
there was those folks
and then there was us
and they want to be us but like being black
they really dont but they get ALL of the amenities
and fuck that imma damn well enjoy these amenities because one day
finding dominican cake is going to be damn hard


~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

>As some folks here know I recently moved to NY from SF.
>During my last few years in SF I was becoming deeply bitter
>for a laundry list of reasons. One of the major sticking
>points was the influx of transplants who were unwillingly to
>mingle with the natives.

these new black folk are not trying to mingle with the native black folk
except for koku
but shes apparently an exception everywhere
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

here for dis.

>
>>As some folks here know I recently moved to NY from SF.
>>During my last few years in SF I was becoming deeply bitter
>>for a laundry list of reasons. One of the major sticking
>>points was the influx of transplants who were unwillingly to
>>mingle with the natives.
>
>these new black folk are not trying to mingle with the native
>black folk
>except for koku
>but shes apparently an exception everywhere


one of the big reasons I came here was to be around more brown people

and

now I'm starting to wonder how I interface

in the sense that I am both Black among the many folks here who have a multi-identity

and

I'm slighly a buppie (i couldnt think of a better term to describe the situation, i kind of totally hate that word....but I digress, I am in a interesting place and I wonder how I fit into the context of this city)

I'm not losing sleep over this, but I do wonder!

***********************************************************
https://soundcloud.com/swageyph/yph-die-with-me

>one of the big reasons I came here was to be around more brown
>people
>
>and
>
>now I'm starting to wonder how I interface
>
>in the sense that I am both Black among the many folks here
>who have a multi-identity
>
>and
>
>I'm slighly a buppie (i couldnt think of a better term to
>describe the situation, i kind of totally hate that
>word....but I digress, I am in a interesting place and I
>wonder how I fit into the context of this city)
>
>I'm not losing sleep over this, but I do wonder!

the more you will find out
thing is everyone isnt a stereotype
i like that you can get an assortment of brown folk here
i didn't realize how rare it was until i was talking to latinos in LA and they were marveling at me speaking spanish

i still 0_o at that
oh and hanging out with iwasmadetoo is an experience if you want the carib side of life here
if you get an opportunity jump at it
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

So many opportunities to get in where you fit in and benefit from the breadth of the diaspora along the way.

~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

you want a certain amount of new/white people eating your food, but once they start outnumbering the locals, you start to question whether or not its worth it to keep going back.

even new/white people feel that way about ethnic restaurants.

..|.,

If you still don't know what Jade Typhoon is, click here:
http://jadetyphoon.blogspot.com/ (WS)

***********************************************************
https://soundcloud.com/swageyph/yph-die-with-me

i lived in nyc my whole life, now live in SF for the last 2 years.
most of the people i hang out with outside of work are nyers or east coasters.
not sure how that happened. most of the places i go are full of transplants. most of the people i meet are transplants.
must be the places i go.
kinda hard to find locals, or im not trying hard enough.
i have fam here too, so i do hang with some locals, but not naturally.

..|.,

If you still don't know what Jade Typhoon is, click here:
http://jadetyphoon.blogspot.com/ (WS)

i LOVE the amenities

i'm not so sure i like all of the white folk though
they cool
some of them
sometimes

i dont like being outnumbered
its actually still relatively new to me
something i expected for school and work but not during MY time
and i've been out numbered in my commuting, socializing and now...where i live

~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

just like the restaurants, once the white people are willing to pay double for that pupusa and larb nar, its time to look for a new restaurant.

..|.,

If you still don't know what Jade Typhoon is, click here:
http://jadetyphoon.blogspot.com/ (WS)

yes

=(

YES


~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

i miss the elders
i miss the camaraderie
i miss pple knowing u will get hit by a car if u walk or bike ride ur dumb ass in the street
i cldve stayed elsewhere for what is here and what is abt to come
seriously

-----------------------------------
we aint the two and i aint the one- lyte

------------------------------

50+ FREE Mixes on www.DJR-Tistic.com!

Twitter and Instagram - @DJ_RTistic

I also prefer patronizing black and Latino local businesses, from new, crepe-serving cafes to the endangered black gay nightspots. I've even joined a historically Black tennis league in Harlem, and I plan to volunteer at the tennis camp that they have for youth at Marcy projects. They have white hipster, yuppie, New York magazine-approved versions of all of these things, but as a transplant living in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, I try to go Black whenever I can.

Part of the reason I do so is selfish -- generally, Black landlords and (NON-WEST INDIAN) business owners treat me better. For example, my landlord has rented most of the apartments in our building -- situated in what has become a disconcertingly trendy location -- to 30-something Black folks like me, and he charges us hundreds of dollars less than what the hipsters pay to live in white-owned buildings on our same block. I literally trust the Black dude at the wash 'n fold with my dirty draws, on the strength of him remembering my name after only my second visit. And I'm loyal to the black juice shop a block away partly because the prices are reasonable, and partly because the middle-age Guyanese owner flirts with me as he blends my apples and kale. I appreciate an old-fashioned DL holla.

But as a young Black professional, and unwitting gentrifier, I also feel like I have some kind of duty to support the Black cultural life that existed before I got here. After all, the vision of Black folks owning brownstones, playing tennis where Althea Gibson learned the game, making art, raising families, and living out their dreams is what drew me here in the first place. And their ability to continue doing so is the only reason to stay.

-----------------------------------
we aint the two and i aint the one- lyte

here for dis.

***********************************************************
https://soundcloud.com/swageyph/yph-die-with-me

Luckily, I've found a sexy one. By socializing in the central Brooklyn scene, and even dating black professionals in the area, I have halfway infiltrated a circle of black gay brownstone owners in Bed-Stuy. The other day, I asked one of them, a guy in his early 40s, how many people in his crew own their brownstones. He said, "I can't think of any of my friends who *don't* own." They have all kinds of tea on BK real estate, and I will look to them the next time I'm on the hunt. I aint above sleeping my way into Fort Greene.

Try doing the same (the networking, not the sex part). And maybe look into the housing/neighborhood associations in your area of choice.

But I defer to teef, lfresh and other New Yorkers on here, as they are better versed in the housing game.

>Luckily, I've found a sexy one. By socializing in the central
>Brooklyn scene, and even dating black professionals in the
>area, I have halfway infiltrated a circle of black gay
>brownstone owners in Bed-Stuy. The other day, I asked one of
>them, a guy in his early 40s, how many people in his crew own
>their brownstones. He said, "I can't think of any of my
>friends who *don't* own." They have all kinds of tea on BK
>real estate, and I will look to them the next time I'm on the
>hunt. I aint above sleeping my way into Fort Greene.
>
>Try doing the same (the networking, not the sex part). And
>maybe look into the housing/neighborhood associations in your
>area of choice.
>
>But I defer to teef, lfresh and other New Yorkers on here, as
>they are better versed in the housing game.

my dating has involved meeting some of the most insanely successful black women I've ever come across, some of the time I'm like "how can i be like you?"

im joking...not at all.

sounds like youve set yourself up nicely

***********************************************************
https://soundcloud.com/swageyph/yph-die-with-me

_______________________________
Maintain chill at all times.

where did you move from?

is the move (to NY) permanent?

if so do you plan to buy a home? what will be your first step in that process?


in terms of careers, what do the black folks who own brownstones do?

<--- Peace to Bayete Ross-Smith.

>where did you move from?

Philly, by way of South Jersey

>is the move (to NY) permanent?

I'm definitely here for the long-haul. If there are any other practical contenders, they are D.C. and Philly, based on my career and social requirements.

>if so do you plan to buy a home? what will be your first step
>in that process?

I don't know. I think the first step is to make six figures. I'm not making that yet lol. So I need to either advance in my career or marry someone who earns at least the same as me.

To be fair, I know you don't have to be part of a six-figure household to own here. A former roommate, an entry-level ad guy making $45K, bought a condo as part of a program for first-time home owners. It took him from our Crown Heights apartment to a hood block in the Bronx, a move that I wouldn't make.

The people who own suggest that I should look into buying something in East New York or Brownsville before they get gentrified, but I dunno. We all have to make decisions about what we're willing to sacrifice to get certain things.

>in terms of careers, what do the black folks who own
>brownstones do?

They're all educated professionals who made smart investments within the past 10 years:
Interior architect
Investment banker
Restaurant owner
Graphic designer
High school principal

because I cant imagine buying anything on six unless its a near the 200k mark

***********************************************************
https://soundcloud.com/swageyph/yph-die-with-me

He makes about ~$300K and is closing on a place in Clinton Hill. The others make about half as much, but snatched up their properties in the early to mid 2000s, before brownstones in Bed-Stuy started going for $1 million.

But like I said, you can purchase something on much less; it will just be in a less trendy neighborhood.

>because I cant imagine buying anything on six unless its a
>near the 200k mark

but nah
have not.

-----------------------------------
we aint the two and i aint the one- lyte

Haha

My cousin her parents have owned since the 70s and. Is familiar with the travails of ownership
Myself not so much
Had been telling me for years that my landlord values me more than I realize

After decades of slumlords my response is like
*sniffles*
Weally??

Still slightly doubtful
But really my landlord treats me well and is pretty upstanding
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

I need to be hanging with you
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.

Even in Bumblefuck Nebraska, there are families moving in because of schools, or individuals moving in for wide open spaces/a quiet life. They survey the area, and then maybe one opens a craft store because they don't see any non-chain options.

Obviously, the big differences are 1)that with denser populations, more people are affected by those changes, 2)in cities, those effects are felt predominantly by black and brown folks, and 3) those changes in smaller towns aren't THAT likely to displace an entire population and totally change the neighborhood

My advice is that the city is really whatever you want it to be. New York is a huge city made up of a bunch of little cities. You can be at the beach hearing Russian families in the morning, at a bomb-ass street food mall for lunch, and seeing some fantastic art/performance after dinner. Talk to your neighbors when you get the chance to. Set a day each week to walk around a different neighborhood (or get out a stop or two early on your way to work/home and walk the remainder). Don't be afraid to do SOME tourist shit (like walking- WALKING; save the biking for the Manhattan or Williamsburg unless its super early in the morning- over the Brooklyn Bridge or up and down the High Line). There are neighborhood blogs ALL over that can tell you what's opening/closing/happening in your hood or others (I'd recommend Brokelyn for cheap/free events).

---------------------------------
Photo zine(some images NSFW): http://bit.ly/USaSPhoto

"This (and every, actually) conversation needs more Chesterton and less Mike Francesa." - Walleye

everything. the smells, the sounds, the diversity.
mostly everything open past 10pm.
It tripped me out that yts and full blown projects lived blks away from each other and
nobody got robbed.
I'm from chicago which is a city that is notoriously segregated.
I hung out in BK alot my first year.
everyone was BEAUTIFUL. man, woman, and child.
secure in their style, appearance, in themselves period.
I was drunk in NYC love.
now that i'm coming up on my 3rd year here
I've gotten used to it but I still marvel at the fact that *I* live here.
my commute to work takes me down central park south going west.
the lights of times sq. still amaze me.

living situation here is abysmal. it takes 3-5yrs to really get on your feet.
(meaning own place/with ac and central heat/no roommates/awesome job/lay of the land)

I gotta be like goldmind tho.
gold-nyla fix my apt life!! plug me in to your brownstone matrix!!!(i'm not ghey tho.lol)

***************************************