Michael Kimmelman’s “An Arena as Tough as Brooklyn. But Street Smart?” discusses the arrival of the glorious Barclay’s Center and its impact on Brooklyn. He says, “At first blush it’s a shocker, which is one of its virtues.” He goes on to describe the stadium as a piece of art and explains how things can get a bit “tricky” because of the venue’s location in Brooklyn.
In the heart of Brooklyn, in Fort Greene, about a mile from the Brooklyn Bridge, there stands a magnificent fortress of an arena. Its exterior is reddish brown, consisting of 12,000 grainy weathered steel panels. Each panel is a little different using computer modeling. This gives a hardcore industrial look to it. The building has openings here and there for slivers of windows that people can look through to the inside. In the front of the building, there is a huge open roof canopy with a loop of 85 feet. On the inside of the loop, there is an electric billboard that displays the inside of the arena and the scoreboard. The fact that the arena is street level, gives a good vibe to neighbors, who are glad to not see a skyscraper in the middle of Brooklyn.
The area of the massive structure is about 675,000 square feet. It can seat a whopping number of around 19,000 people. The rows of seats are steeply stacked, so everyone gets a great view. The crowd circulation is very good and everyone that responded said that the staff is very friendly. You even get free WIFI while you’re there! The restaurants inside the stadium are all Brooklyn established, such as Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs and Brooklyn Cupcakes. The people of Brooklyn were very happy about this because it gave a nice Brooklyn feel to it.
There is a plethora of events that go on inside this gigantic stadium. From rock concerts and rap concerts to basketball games and hockey games. They are also hoping to host tennis games in the near future. One of the main reasons that this stadium was built was to house the Brooklyn Nets. Perhaps this is a means to increase revenue for the team, because it is proven that New York City affiliated teams make the most revenue.
The location of this operation was a total work of genius. It is easily accessible by public transportation including eleven bus lines and eleven subway lines. Barclay’s Center promotes everyone to take advantage of its accessibility and go to the events.
People, especially architects say that the Barclay’s center is an “anti-Manhattan monument”. By this they mean that this structure is different of Manhattan and its glass or titanium buildings. It is “tougher and stronger” just like the borough it is in. Also the unevenly colored panels are similar to Brooklyn’s brownstone buildings.
Now there are some questions that must be asked. Will the Brooklyn Nets have a better season now that they’re in New York City? How will this newfound gem be beneficial to the people of Brooklyn? Do you think introducing Brooklyn to more urban buildings such as the Barclay’s Center will make it more like Manhattan? Is this a way of “cleaning up” some of the bad parts of Brooklyn?
My high school is only about 5 minutes away from the Barclay Center and some friends and I would always pass by the area before we go play football. Of course, the center wasn’t fully built but we were able to see the entire construction site. The area would already be described as lively with the Atlantic mall and other department stores like Models within the vicinity. But the Barclay Center would be categorized in its own stratosphere by uplifting the neighborhood’s business, atmosphere and environment to an entirely different level. This is a great way of “cleaning up” as you would say, but it is definitely not a cost-effective way. Brooklyn is still far from Manhattan in regards to urban buildings and architecture.
I also passed by the area a few times when it was being built. The place sounds like a good cultural addition for Brooklyn. I like the convenient access, since it is near Atlantic Avenue. And I’m pleased to know about the free wifi. Not everything has to be in Manhattan, and this is a nice change. It will make the experience even better if you’re around the area. I don’t like the phrase “cleaning up”, but this construction will help Brooklyn’s popularity. There will probably be a lot of events there, and more people would be there on a general basis.
I’m really glad they built Barclay’s Center. I don’t believe that by constructing these buildings Brooklyn will transform into Manhattan. I like to think that they are finally integrating Brooklyn and offering more social events to be held in Brooklyn. Like Aaron mentioned, not everything has to be in Manhattan. It gives Brooklyn people a nice place to go to hang out without the travel time it takes to get to Manhattan. The easy transportation to Barclay’s is also a plus. The free Wi-Fi will definitely attract more people around the area. The choice of foods offered in the center is also a smart pick. Hotdogs and baseball games definitely go well together. Personally, I’m looking forward to what music concerts they are going to hold there. I’m tired of always having to travel to Manhattan or New Jersey for concerts.
I think that the Barclay’s Center will be a good thing for Brooklyn. Having a major sports venue will not only increase tourism in Brooklyn, but will also help increase its economy and attract business. As well, Barclay’s Center was not only built for sports, and will attract many musicians and performers to Brooklyn and New York. I think it’s nice that the city is trying to bring people to enjoy the outer boroughs of New York and not just Manhattan. I don’t think the term “cleaning-up” should be used to describe the effect of the center in Brooklyn, because I don’t think that the center will be “cleaning-up” anything. I think that the center is only going to attract tourism and business and that’s it. There are still some “bad parts” of Manhattan, even though it is filled with major venues and attractions. Instead of a clean up, I think the center will only drive in more business and people.
I’m not really into sports so I wouldn’t be able to tell you whether or not this building will give the Brooklyn Nets a better season, but I do think this “gem,” as you call it will boost the morale of the players, the fans, and the people of Brooklyn in general. It’s been a while since Brooklyn has been featured as the site of something so monumental. Personally, every time I pass Barclays Center I feel proud about the building an excited about what it offers. The stadium will also do wonders for local businesses, which will be bombarded with thousands upon thousands of people each game night. I’m sure, though, many of the surrounding residents are unhappy about the stadium being so close to their homes. The truth is that you can never please everyone; there will always be two sides to every decision. But ultimately I think that the Barclay’s Center is beneficial to Brooklyn and its residents.
I think the Barclays Center will have many positive effects on Brooklyn. For one, it’s easily accessible because of its location. Secondly, it appeals to a wide audience because of the diversity in the events that take place. I agree that this probably would not transform Brooklyn into Manhattan, but this is actually a good thing. They are preserving the special culture of Brooklyn by selling food from the restaurants that are Brooklyn-based and the design of the building itself is very different from many of the buildings we come across in Manhattan. I’m interested to see the different types of events that the Barclays Center will host and how this new building will affect tourism in the future.
As many of you know, the Barclays Center (AKA the ‘Atlantic Yards’ project) has a long history of controversy. Suffice it to say not everyone in Brooklyn is happy with the project.
My high school is just a short walk away from the Barclays Center, so i often walk pass the site before it was built. I think it is an amazing addition to the neighborhood because it can bring customers to departement stores in the surrounding area. By offering free WIFI service, Barclays Center will sure attract many. However, i do not think that introducing Brooklyn to more urban buildings will make it more like Manhattan. Brooklyn is still very different from Manhattan in terms modern architecture. There is a long way to go before Brooklyn can be like Manhattan.
I think the Barclay’s center will have a positive affect for Brooklyn. While Brooklyn has its gems, the Barclay’s center is the first big sports stadium/concert arena in Brooklyn. This adds to Brooklyn’s reputation. The building style, while modernly urban, has a different feel to it than Manhattan’s buildings, which I like. If Brooklyn were to get more modern buildings, I don’t think it would be such a bad thing if they visually differ from Manhattan’s buildings. I think it would make Brooklyn seem more unique. In terms of using it as a method to clean up “bad” parts of Brooklyn, I don’t think it will work. It may help bring more publicity to the problems of a neighborhood, but it will take a lot more than a few nicer buildings to solve those.
I am unsure about the Barclay Center’s effect on Brooklyn. On one hand I can see how it can be beneficial by providing business and activity to Brooklyn, helping businesses to receive money and boosting the local economy. However, it also can have its negative effects. For example, it can turn a more quiet neighborhood into a more urban setting with people competing for parking and the noise of the stadium and the people affecting the surrounding areas. I think it’s important to take both sides into account.
I think the center will bring in a lot of business for nearby businesses and help improve the financial well being of the area. I don’t think Brooklyn will ever be anything like Manhattan, but I think it will improve with buildings like Barclays.
I like that the Barclays Center has been constructed in Brooklyn. It’s very easy to get there since its near Atlantic Avenue and be reached by many trains. More sports events and other cultures can be showcased here. For example, I’m a fan of professional wrestling and WWE is showcasing a pay-per-view here next month. I can attend one of their events for once and its all thanks to the construction of Barclays Center!
This place seems really cool. It’s location seems to be really great, as a lot of people live in brooklyn and, as such, it’s really accessible to many people. Also, I think it would be really helpful to the neighborhood to have a stadium there, as people coming to the stadium could shop at neighborhood stores, so it would help the local economy.