Did you actually live through that era?
lived in. I'm sure Bill the Butcher was realer than any current NYC gangsta and the Big Band scene was better than any NYC music scene today. But that's besides the point.
That's a non-sequitur. My post was comparing current NYC neighborhoods quality of life. It had nothing to do with living through the Five Points, 1920's Harlem Renaissance or whatever Rebel
No...your point clearly ties itself to those who lived through the periods in NYC you didn't experience and why they're not reaching for the good life of your own.
Bringing up Bill the Butcher being "realer" than anything is just you being a dumb ass. No one made it a "my time was realer" argument. No one cares about you contrasting eras you didn't live in.
I contrasted my time living in NYC and other black enclaves to the NYC you're living in now. You called now "the good life" as if it didn't exist before you and the people you're celebrating got there. I wouldn't want to accept being on that steez either if someone else pointed that out about me.
You find Williamsburg dining expensive?
I'm sorry, but the Williamsburg dining experience doesn't touch whats in the West Village and other places in Midtown.
either way, I just don't find anything great in these new neighborhoods that you can't find in other places. There's nothing unique or special about them.
And being a dude whose actually LIVED in both worlds, I think I have a broad enough scope to say that I found going to old DC, Philly and other black and hispanic enclaves to be more interesting. The experiences were more unique and quite honestly, more unique.
It started years ago... black people are just starting to notice. Ceos and business men are buying 15 properties at a time. crakers come by my house all the time trying to buy.. They pray on the dumb nikkas around midtown and downtown who want to sell to move to the brokendown wack suburbs.
I am running out of black people in my neighborhood.. and it's not just white.. it's white as hell, with white events and activities. They are even trying to get the X-Games to be in downtown Detroit
The Xgames is cool.. but the whole scene is gross because black parents and citizens wanted developments and the city and State gov didn't give a fukk... now people on 2nd n 3rd are receiving those letters because they don't own shyt.. and haven't owned shyt for generations... "You have x amount of time to get ur black ass da fukk on somewhere"
A few generations ago, we moved to the burbs because of the plants and nikkas were eating good. The most valuable land in any area is the core city. Now the children of all the CAC who left the city in White Flight to get away from blacks are now moving back into the city - near the most valuable areas.. downtown, by the water, near cultural centers... and are buying up property in Mass. It's cool to live in corktown and midtown now. There are bumper stickers n shyt. It's gross because I own 2 house right in the best part, while the Old head ignorant nikkas lead the younger generation (born between 80 - 89) out to the cheap burbs trying to assimilate with white people who never really wanted us in the first place. Now places like southfield are black as fukk, while midtown is White as fukk and booming.
. I love not having to walk around with the 
and once in a while walking upon a new scene, yellow taped up, where someone my age got murdered. 
. I love being able to turn up my music and not have mrs buttersworth call in a noise complaint. I love having a bunch of bars, restaurants, activities continuously moving into the hood. And I love developers coming in and restoring everything giving the neighborhood a breath of fresh airall these older NY cats need to stop with this back in the days talk. At this point it's 10-15 years removed. Give it up.
Were the neighborhoods then interesting? Yes. Did they have culture? Yes. Was there an identity? Yes. The latter two things which these new hipster neighborhoods admittedly don't have.
But there is a single factor as to why I prefer Williamsburg/Fort greene/crownheights over the rest. Crime.
Say what you want but I love the ability to go out past 9pm and not hesitate. I love being able to pull out my iphone to switch albums and not feel
That alone makes these neighborhoods
Another factor? The youth. These old neighborhoods, yes were authentic deep trenched neighborhoods. But I'm 24 years old. Right now I'm not tryna have that. I want a young hip neighborhood where I don't have to deal with hoards of kids at 3pm
It's not a black or white thing. Stop being so uptight.
The one thing I don't like is how all blacks are being flushed out. Which is why my fave hood is Clinton hill/crownheights. Because there is still a black presence there and it gives a nice healthy mix.
--but on that factor, shyt happens. When a neighborhood starts developing, demand goes up. Demand goes up, the price brackets go up. Prices to up, the income brackets of its residents go up. And unfortunately, blacks can't keep up.
If you don't agree at this point then we should just agree to disagree.
Because a safe neighborhood >>>>> old brooklyn.
Trendy bars, restaurants, activities like the Brklyn flea/smorgasborg >>>> the same tired corner stores food spots (dont get me wrong though occasionally I'd go deep in the HOOD for some AUTHENTIC Jamaican food, soul food, and the likes). I'm YOUNG, and id rather live in a neighborhood that caters to the same.
Those two factors alone id deem the gentrified neighborhoods >>>> other
