greenpoint of view

there has been some recent webpress on a "satirical" essay that appeared in a haverford college alumni newsletter. the essay, by a haverford alum who resides in greenpoint is about gentrification, specifically in greenpoint, a prodominantly polish neighborhood and the place i call home. the author makes a series of bad polish jokes mixed with lame prose that, if one was not sure of his intent, makes his essay appear more bigoted than satirical.

now, i live in greenpoint and am aware that i am a "gentrifier". this is something that i have felt conflicted about since i moved here almost 2 years ago. i love the neighborhood, but many of the things it has to offer aren't for me. for instance, there are about five 99-cent stores in a four-block range on Manhattan Ave. 99-cent stores don't have merchandise i want to spend my money on. so i would be glad if, say, a few of those closed and other businesses took their place.

i think that someone who is commited to a neighborhood and wants to see that neighborhood thrive should support businesses in that neighborhood, but only those that provide goods or services of good value in close proximity. for example, the best donuts i have had in the city are made at Peter Pan Bakery. this place is definity polish owned. you can get a huge, hot cinnamon bun for a buck, but their coffee, while cheap, kinda sucks. so if i want a lattee (i know, the icon of lame whiteness) i go a few blocks away, to Cafe Grumpy, to get a lattee that tastes great, is bigger than and costs less than a small at Starbucks. but Grumpy is definitely owned by people who moved to the neighborhood. and that "Franklin Street 'coffee shop'" the author talks about was not opened by native greenpointians. i don't go there either, not because they don't serve "Venti Caramel Macchiato", but because it's further away than Grumpy and the food and coffee aren't very good.

it's a struggle to be a gentrifier and avoid gentrifying your neighborhood. i know the line between neighborhood revitalization and gentrification is thin if it exists at all, but this conflict will probably be rendered moot in a couple years when the waterfront is developed with condo high-rises. oh well. i, for one, welcome our corporate overlords!

Moved to Speak: "The Black Squirrel's Burden" (original essay)
Gawker: "Polaks Protest Haverford Alum's 'Satire'"
Gothamist: "Satire or Stupid to Slam Greenpoint"
The Onion: "Sometimes I Feel Like I'm The Only One Trying To Gentrify This Neighborhood"