Brooklyn is a constantly evolving borough. Words that Brooklyn is defined by get re-defined and their connotations re-thought-out. Where the grittiness of Brooklyn was once something to force people out, it changed to a defining characteristic that drew people in. Brooklyn is now described as being “authentic”, making it cool and desirable to live in. Sharon Zukin discusses this point at length in her book, Naked City. She says, “By the mid-1990s, just when art galleries, performance spaces, and artisanal beer were starting to define Williamsburg’s new authenticity, gritty neighborhoods became a destination for cultural connoisseurs.” Here she discusses the definition of a new authenticity and the change of outlook on gritty neighborhoods. What first began as a move away from the high rents and frenzied competition of Manhattan, soon made Brooklyn a resemblance of the place they ran from.
Arnold Zwicky discusses this morphing of Brooklyn in his blog. In his post, “Cold Comfort Brooklyn” he brings a cartoon that I believe does an amazing job at showing what is going on in Brooklyn.
If one were to analyze the cartoon, one would see the contrast of the grey and the color. They would see the insincere concern. Thomas Wolfe wrote in an article in the New Yorker , “Dere’s no guy livin’ dat knows Brooklyn t’roo an’ t’roo, because it’d take a guy a lifetime just to find his way aroun’ duh goddam town.” There, he discusses the point that there is so much to Brooklyn that no one can possibly KNOW Brooklyn. Here, put into Thomas Wolfe’s mouth, is him making another point. Only those that can get themselves around the city in a timely and efficient manner will ever know Brooklyn. Here, the people that will have a shot at knowing Brooklyn “t’roo an’ t’roo” are not the dead but rather the rich. It is no longer true that “Only the Dead know Brooklyn” but instead “Only the Rich know Brooklyn.” The dot-com millionaires are not seen as a step up from muggings but rather a change to the neighborhood that is hurting it. While there are those who see the upscaling of Brooklyn as authentic, Wolfe is said to be seeing the upscaling of Brooklyn as riding it of its authenticity. When looking closely, one can also notice the irony in the fact that the diner is seen as characterless while in fact, it is the changes to Brooklyn that are getting rid of the amazing character that was created by the diner and replacing it with chain stores. It is not the fact that character is being replaced by no character, rather that the character doing the replacing has nothing to do with Brooklyn and its character.
Questions to consider:
- Who defines authenticity?
- Who decides who has the right to live in a certain area and who’s culture is worth saving?
- Can anyone ever know Brooklyn? Is the Brooklyn of today worth knowing?
- Is gentrification a step up from or down from muggings?
