See, look how easy this is....this is beautiful....everyone's happy, feeling good, having a good time.....why does there have to be so much ugly and destruction!?....Why can't things like this continue on!?!?
To everyone complaining about gentrification, St. James and other brownstone streets in Clinton Hill pretty much looked like this in the 80's-90's while areas close by were bad. Clinton Hill was always diverse - majority Middle-Class/Artistic African-Americans who owned buildings/businesses (Spike Lee grew up close by, his father was a noted Jazz musician Bill Lee ) but also Hispanic, Italian, old school White families going back to Navy Yard days and before, many Artists, students, graduates and teachers from Pratt and St. Francis College, Middle Eastern, Hassidic, Asian, Caribbean, etc.. It's always been a unique but classic Brooklyn neighborhood. Biggie Smalls grew up on St. James on top of the hill which wasn't too crazy and usually used to get to/from the Subway. The other end by Myrtle and the neighboring blocks could be relatively quiet/safe in the 80's because the Mob still had a social club there and had an eye on things. There were two Greek Diners on it and Joe's Place Italian restaurant was nearby on Waverly Ave. It wasn't all heaven. Blocks in surrounding areas were bad and gunshots were common. Drugs were on Gates Ave. "88' on Gates" - Notorious B.I.G..
Obviously we see young , smart kids who observe social distancing during covid. if that orange head ex president had encouraged people to party like this in 2021 a lot less people who have gotten sick.
