Building Boom Revives Rockaways - NY Daily News 5/25/08

[north st.]

I still think the best way to get a super express train is to strongly lobby for a rapid airport to manhatten train.   

[da Kook]

after ditching anthropology grad school, I've given up on cultural relativism as a useful principle, so I'll stand by my statement.....

Dude you haven't a clue.  Make a compelling argument and I am extremely willing to consider your side. 

Go for it discussions with Yo can take some interesting turns, even his narrowmindedness does make you nuts.

The best quality about you is your narrowmindedness! Its really an attractive quality of yours. As for my narrowmindedness makin you nuts, you already were nuts.

C0nsider what side dude? I have'nt taken a side in this matter at all. Its not always about sides dude. I was expressing my opinion of Section 8 and affordable housing? What ar eyou talkin about? I guess I don't have a clue? I ain't askin you to take my side anyway, Just don't make broad judgments about peoples' narrowmindedness it shows off your narrowmindedness. If you actually agreed with me I'd know that I did something wrong. Besides its too friggin hot at my un air conditioned job to be "taking sides" right now. Can't we all just discuss sh*t?

Northstreeet, see what I mean. 

[HydroGlide]

In order to prevent the crime and violence that exists on the penninsula the community needs to develope more after school programs, community recreation centers, job training, etc.

These are good things that would need to be paid for by hard working taxpayers.  I'm curious to know what the success rate is for reducing crime in similiar areas where these governmenmt sponsored after school programs have been built and staffed in the past?  It should bring crime down a bit just by keeping some kids off the street and placing some in jobs but overall its seems really tough to offset kid's abusive and neglectful home lives with a few hours after class at the government center.   

[Joe 6-Pack!]

In order to prevent the crime and violence that exists on the penninsula the community needs to develope more after school programs, community recreation centers, job training, etc.

These are good things that would need to be paid for by hard working taxpayers.  I'm curious to know what the success rate is for reducing crime in similiar areas where these governmenmt sponsored after school programs have been built and staffed in the past?  It should bring crime down a bit just by keeping some kids off the street and placing some in jobs but overall its seems really tough to offset kid's abusive and neglectful home lives with a few hours after class at the government center.   

I'm not sure of the exact effect of these publicly funded programs, but studies have shown that they work better than putting the kids in Juvenile Detention. Chicago has used such programs to battle violence in problem areas and have had incredible success. I prefer the process of prevention rather than prosecution. A few hours off the street with the right guidance will give the kid a better opportunity of avoiding crime and violence. The programs have the ability to guide the kids in the right direction and they provide hope.

[jscottk]

I still maintain that the best way to stop crime is to mix up the neighborhood.
Take a look at Chelsea and the East village.
Yeah yeah Im sure that there have been people displaced (like me for example) but the project housing is still there.

Would it be better if the rents were super low like they were in the 70's, I know that the crime rate was a lot higher back then.
So is that "Better"...of course not.

Why is it that if a neighborhood becomes to gentrify that the crime rate goes down?
Sounds like a stupid question but its not.

No body is buying and moving into Redfern or the Hammels, so who is being displaced?
If you can afford to rent an apartment, anywhere in NYC and pay your rent on time, my guess is that there is less of a chance that you might be be a Gang banger or criminal.  Now if your sleeping on your grandmas couch.. with nothing to do all day..

If your renting in Rocaway the changes are that your paying well below the $2000 mark and thus are rent protected to begin with, unlike a lot of other NY'ers, so how does someone moving in a buying a home hurt that?

How many live'able homes were knocked down to create Arverne? It was a hell hole over there.
Same with most of the new dwelling and condos.  Your knocking down a building that held 20 or 25 people and replacing it with a area that holds 200.
 
There has not been one change made to any of the middle income laws , Dayton towers, or any of the Adult homes since the boom began.
Yes the Hotel Lawrence on 116th was shut but that should have been shut down years ago anyway. Come on what a fire pit.

The only thing that is happening is that a lot of young/mid aged couples seem to be moving in and buying homes.
So you would think muggings would go up, Here is a bunch of peeps with wallets and ipods right?

Nope it goes down, why?

I have my thoughts on this but they are to complex and long...
and best not put out on a public forum.

I know that my back neighbors have seen how we live and are now considering working on "their garden" to try to make their home nicer, which by the way they own.

Its all about the mix and the mixing...

[Joe 6-Pack!]

I still maintain that the best way to stop crime is to mix up the neighborhood.
Take a look at Chelsea and the East village.
Yeah yeah Im sure that there have been people displaced (like me for example) but the project housing is still there.

Would it be better if the rents were super low like they were in the 70's, I know that the crime rate was a lot higher back then.
So is that "Better"...of course not.

Why is it that if a neighborhood becomes to gentrify that the crime rate goes down?
Sounds like a stupid question but its not.

No body is buying and moving into Redfern or the Hammels, so who is being displaced?
If you can afford to rent an apartment, anywhere in NYC and pay your rent on time, my guess is that there is less of a chance that you might be be a Gang banger or criminal.  Now if your sleeping on your grandmas couch.. with nothing to do all day..

If your renting in Rocaway the changes are that your paying well below the $2000 mark and thus are rent protected to begin with, unlike a lot of other NY'ers, so how does someone moving in a buying a home hurt that?

How many live'able homes were knocked down to create Arverne? It was a hell hole over there.
Same with most of the new dwelling and condos.  Your knocking down a building that held 20 or 25 people and replacing it with a area that holds 200.
 
There has not been one change made to any of the middle income laws , Dayton towers, or any of the Adult homes since the boom began.
Yes the Hotel Lawrence on 116th was shut but that should have been shut down years ago anyway. Come on what a fire pit.

The only thing that is happening is that a lot of young/mid aged couples seem to be moving in and buying homes.
So you would think muggings would go up, Here is a bunch of peeps with wallets and ipods right?

Nope it goes down, why?

I have my thoughts on this but they are to complex and long...
and best not put out on a public forum.

I know that my back neighbors have seen how we live and are now considering working on "their garden" to try to make their home nicer, which by the way they own.

Its all about the mix and the mixing...

Def agree jscottk, wow we actually agree on something, I think
In order to provide diversity you need section 8 and public housing. Cause eventually the rent in Roqaway will reach the $2000 mark like everything else will. With a combination of programs to better prepare the kids for the future and government regulated rentals, it will ensure a bright and diverse future for Roqaway.

[jscottk]

Conversation with my cranky old long time local white neighbor who lives behind me..

Cranky old white guy
"All those new people are going to ruin Rockaway.  First it was the blacks now its those Rich people moving into Arverne.  They're going to ruin this place they dont know what its like around here..They got no respect for the people who grew up here, If I could flatten this place with a bomb ..boom. I should have sold when that guy offered me money last year, but where would I go? "

Me
"By the way, you know the value of your home just went up about 10 grand today, since they started a ferry service to Wall street..."

Cranky old white guy
"Really?" ..And ya know what else is wrong with this place...blah blah blahblah...

[Joe 6-Pack!]

Conversation with my cranky old long time local white neighbor who lives behind me..

Cranky old white guy
"All those new people are going to ruin Rockaway.  First it was the blacks now its those Rich people moving into Arverne.  They're going to ruin this place they dont know what its like around here..They got no respect for the people who grew up here, If I could flatten this place with a bomb ..boom. I should have sold when that guy offered me money last year, but where would I go? "

Me
"By the way, you know the value of your home just went up about 10 grand today, since they started a ferry service to Wall street..."

Cranky old white guy
"Really?" ..And ya know what else is wrong with this place...blah blah blahblah...

Is your neighbor Archie Bunker?
There is a great book called "Race, Space, and Riots" by Janet Abu Lughod. Its all about the spacial distribution of ethnic and racial groups in New York, LA, and Chicago. Its a fascinating study into the tensions between groups of people and the riots they usually led up to. I'm not trying to say that Roqaway is on the verge of a riot, but it has had a number of decentralizations of groups in its history. Nobody can ruin Roqaway, that is in the eyes of the beholder. Definately people will change it it depends on whether you wanna change with it.