So, despite the general direction of migration from Park Slope to Ditmas Park, or maybe because of it, "Park Slope" seems to be a bit of an insult around here.
As an anonymous commenter wrote Monday in response to gripes about Connecticut Muffin, "Are you from Park Slope or something? Sure sounds like it."
This reminded me of a moment this summer. I was walking up Coney Island Avenue toward Madina with a friend who (unlike me) grew up in the neighborhood and has lived here most of his life when we passed a raggedy-looking beggar, and who was weaving a bit on the sidewalk.
The panhandler asked us if we could spare a dollar, and while I fumbled for change, my friend voiced his immediate reaction: "Go back to Park Slope."
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If you read Gawker or New York magazine you'll realize that Park Slope is an insult just about everywhere in this city. I say that and I live there! (Although I'll soon be moving to DP.)
Your friend should go back to whatever country his ancestors came from originally. Assuming he's not Native American, of course.
I'd go back in a second if I could afford it. Unfortunately, real estate prices have risen so much faster there than here that I couldn't even buy my old house back if I wanted to.
Doug, I am glad to hear that you will able to get out. Once you arrive, you'll find many of your new neighbors eager to help you get over your trauma. Have a safe journey. See you when you get here.
I hope Doug realizes that when he moves over here, nobody will take too kindly to him if he says stuff like "what Cortelyou Rd really needs is a sports bar like the one on 5th Avenue and Carroll Street." People on this blog will especially give him a hard time if he does stuff like that. He should really just never mention the P word again and pretend he is moving from someplace else like Albany.
I love it when people move here form the Slope and have no ill will towards any mention of it. Does no one else think it's a great thing they are coming here? I think any negativity twords the slope, only insinuates feelings of inadequacy on our part. I'm proud to live here.
The last thing our property value needs is to make park slopers or anyone for that matter, to feel unwanted in our budding neighbor hood.
Obviously or perhaps not so obviously my comments were meant to be sarcastic.
Ahhh.
Aesthetically, Park Slope is a very beautiful neighborhood. Proximity to the park is great. You can eat off the streets. Easy shopping. Better on 5th now than 7th ever was. The amenities, lets face it, are what most of her either pine for or envy.
That aside, I don't miss the sidewalk congestion, the inability to park anywhere, self-rightousness (mostly old guard PSFC types), entitled attitudes (mostly the new guard)...
Perhaps Anonymous merely detected a Park Slope accent/syntax and was trying to be friendly?
For what it's worth, my former nabe of PS is a gorgeous place and generally full of decent folks; we go there often when the local dining/shopping options wear thin. And if we're going to be all jingoistic about it, I would submit that it's the recent influx of insufferable Manhattanites who've pushed the Slope in the direction of lameness. The flippers who are selling their places in the Slope and moving to our hinterland are generally just fine.
Personally, I am of the opinion that Ditmas Park has better food options than Park Slope does--not on one strip mind you--but in terms of accessibility to quality, authentic cuisine from all corners of the globe. We are right smack dab in the center of it, if you are willing to look around. Al di la notwithstanding of course.
I use most of north Brooklyn as an insult.
The only way to settle this Park Slope - Ditmas Park animosity is by holding a rumble.
a rumble sounds awesome, even though I'm somewhat of a pacifist. AND I have nothing against Park Slope... But If we're talking revolution, of course I'm on our side.
without the influx from park slope and other neighborhoods like that we wouldn't have the new restaurants that we have... I've lived here for 13 years and am raising kids here - that said - i'd move to park slope in a heartbeat if i could afford it - shoot me.
Let's keep this all in perspective:
At least it's not Manhattan.
10:57, There will be no guns in this rumble! No knives either! My son suggested a game of Quiditch?
DP=Gryffindor therefore we get Harry as the Seeker.
PS=Slytherin so they get a Malfoy as Seeker.
We can do this on 10/31.
karol (6:23pm),
just curious:
what do you use as a compliment?
"nobody will take too kindly to him if he says stuff like "what Cortelyou Rd really needs is a sports bar like the one on 5th Avenue and Carroll Street."
Well, Cortelyou rd needs a bar. And the guy who owns the place at the corner of Marlborough and Cortelyou wants like $6000 a month rent. So a sports bar maybe the the only type of bar that can afford that place because there is no way that space is going to take in $6000 from newly-transplanted park slope hipsters.
I'm not sure how anyone got the idea that I want Ditmas to be made over in the mold of Carrol and 5th Avenue. I happen to love the old Victorian homes, the quiet streets (at least relative to other neighborhoods) and other features of the neighborhood. I'm not anticipating any trauma at all.
All I meant was that in media circles Park Slope is often boiled down to its stereotypes. I personally have nothing against the neighborhood and have loved living here, but it's too darn expensive if you want to buy anything bigger than a shoebox apartment.
I lived in PS during the days when there were more working class people there and a five room floor through went for under $300/mo and you could buy a brownstone for 75 - 100K. The Slope has an interesting history: The South Slope for a long time revolved around the Ansonia watch factory. There's a string of buildings on 13th street that was built for the managers. The North Slope--you know those incredibly high priced brownstones-- many were single room occupancy buildings. You had Italians, Irish and Polish living throughout the Slope. You'd be surprised how many interiors of the brownstones had been paneled in fake looking wood sheet rock. The wealthier people lived along the park in the Limestones. However, there are some fine pieces of architecture there especially in the North Slope. I live in Ditmas Park now. What impresses me more than anything else is the incredible mix of people: races, cultures, religions and classes. In most other countries in the world you wouldn't see all of us crossing paths with nary a bat of an eyelash. That's what makes this country great. We're all cool!
karol (6:23pm),
just curious:
what do you use as a compliment?
South Brooklyn, baby! Everything south of Park Slope.
And, people, there's already a bar on Courtelyou Road. It's called 773 on Coney Island Avenue (or, alternately, the hip-hop bar across the street whose name-Visions, maybe- is escaping me). Join the dart league. See how the locals live. :-)
"And, people, there's already a bar on Courtelyou Road. It's called 773 on Coney Island Avenue."
So it's a bar on Cortelyou that is on Coney Island Avenue....?
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