A response

Frequent rabbler and neighbor Josh writes the following and my answers in bold:

1) "I moved into this neighborhood almost thirty years ago with my husband. We were just starting our family and I fell in love with the huge houses in Brooklyn." Don't you see the hypocrisy? You moved here because you were just starting a family and loved the huge houses. Now that others are just starting families and moving here because they love the huge houses, you have a problem? I have no problem with people moving in to expand their families. I do have a problem with them doing it at the expense of long-term residents. Wouldn't you?

2) "As they moved out a new crop of folks started to move in--whites. Not just any whites but whites with little kids with plans for more." This is an echo of my previous comments. Do you have less against whites without kids? Is it the procreation that bothers you? I have no problem with whites moving in but I do not like whites who move in to not celebrate and appreciate the history and culture of the neighborhood but seek to turn it into their own little utopia.

3) "There was a time when this neighborhood was predominantly white but middle-class african-americans and afro-latinos had turned the neighborhood to their own. That was no more." So you acknowledge that NY neighborhoods constantly change and indeed changed relatively recently from white to african-american and afro-latino. Yet, now that the neighborhood is changing once more, you have issues with it? How can you possibly justify such stubborness? Of course NY neighborhoods change but that doesn't mean that the new residents shouldn't work closely with the long term residents so that everyone will feel welcomed. The people over at Ditmas Park Blog have not done this.

4) "One half of the married due is not even an American and the other half is from one of the most elitist and posh backgrounds that one can ever imagine." What does their nationalities have to do with anything? You mention previously that the glorified Caribbean restaurant was a place to eat Caribbean food and discuss what was happening 'back on the islands'. If these immigrants posed no problem to you, why does another? If they were here to do good I wouldn't have a problem.

6) "Why is it whenever individuals get the idea to try to improve the community it involves blacks and browns being left out?" No where has there ever been evidence of community activities or imperatives that leave blacks and browns out. You make this up out of your own fears and then blame it on those trying to do good. We saw it when you refused to participate in a women's group, claiming that they were racist, when in reality, you didn't even open the door. We saw it when you boycotted Qathra because there wasn't a minority behind the counter. You're not being forced out. You're choosing not to participate. That is a huge and vastly important difference and one thta suggests you are the racist not they. That is simply not true. Countless studies have shown that gentrification pushes minorities out of neighborhoods. That is what is happening here. As for the groups and restaurants, the women's group only addressed the lack of color once it was brought to their attention. Why did it have to be brought to their attention?

6) "Some of us miss our old diverse neighborhood and want it back." You don't miss diversity. You don't like white people. The 'diversity' you fantasize about doesn't include anyone but your friends .That's not diversity. That's prejudice. Simply not true. I have white friends in the neighborhood.

7) "It's a tough subject but no one wants to seem to address what two wealthy and elitist individuals have done to the history of the neighborhood." This is simply not true. Everyday people post on the DPB what the owners have done to the history of the neighborhood. Everyday people discuss what's happening, what's in development and what's to come. Yet, it seems that I'm the only person who reads this blog. Who comments here. Why would theirs be so much more popular if they were as demonic as you say? And where's the outpour of support for yourself that you claim you receive? There isn't any. I get quite a bit of emails from people who are distressed with how the neighborhood is changing. I'm sure if I had some sort of counter like other websites it would prove that people do read. My inbox is filled with wonderful comments.

Face the facts. The neighborhood has changed. For the better. We'd love to have you as a part of it. See you around town! I'll be the one smiling with friends, sitting outside our new restaurants, enjoying the neighborhood I love and plan to stay in for a long long long time.