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I was born and raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and lived in other neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn for many years. I wound up going overseas for eight y
by eggy 8y ago
I was born and raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and lived in other neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn for many years. I wound up going overseas for eight years, and when I came back the biggest thing I noticed was sort of a "cultural appropriation" of Brooklyn by people who only moved to Brooklyn, and have lived there long enough to open a business and put "Brooklyn" in the business name or on their product. I passed by some hipster clothing and other accessories shop on Fifth Ave. in NYC in the 30's or 40's with Brooklyn in the title, and it made me wonder what selling power it conveyed. I am of the generation where I worked on losing my Brooklyn accent to better my chances of getting a job in the early 80s. When I was working outside of the U.S., acquaintances thought I should hook up with a worker from Brooklyn for some camaraderie. I met her and asked where she was from in Brooklyn, only to quickly find out she was from LA, CA, and had lived only for 3 or 5 years in Park Slope Brooklyn. I didn't call her on it. Later I walked away from our conversation wondering what would drive somebody to say they were from Brooklyn when one, they no longer lived there, and two, they only lived there a few years. I wonder if the author Hamilton Nolan is born and bred, or a Brooklyn or NYC transplant. Of course, I really don't care, since I don't have any dibs on "Brooklyn". I just find it interesting, and want to understand the phenomenon. And as a note, I never felt like people from Jersey or finance workers invaded my turf.
- speedplane 8y agoI was raised in NYC too and also used to get irritated by transplants claiming some MYC identity as their own. But then I realized that what makes NYC special is that people come here from all over. It is the transplants that make the city so dynamic. Changing neighborhoods and cultures is the price we pay for that. Brooklyn is now more known for artisanal candles and soaps than working class grit, but I’m okay with that.
- eggy 8y agoThe shops with Brooklyn in their name don't irritate me, or transplants. I am glad things look less gritty, although, I don't want to go too Disney or Normal Rockwell here ;) After all, I am a mutt, and at some point on my father's side, his father was from either the Ukraine or Poland depending on the borders at the time, and settled in the Lower East Side. My grandmother, my mom's mom, was from Ireland. My (4x) great grandfather on my father's side was from Scotland and fought with George Washington in the Revolutionary War. I was confused and curious at the same time on why someone who was born and grew up in LA, lived in Brooklyn only for two or three years or their 35 year old life, then back to LA before I had this conversation with her, would answer "Where are you from?", with "Brooklyn". She had been in SE Asia for a couple of years by then too. She also seemed like she got caught in a lie when this came up with me. Chameleon?
- speedplane 8y agoMaybe Chameleon, or maybe she just identified with Brooklyn more than the other places she lived. She may not be an authentic Brooklyn-ite, but it’s a testament to the dynamism of NYC that she identifies with it most.
- mav3rick 8y agoWhat is "your turf" ? Your family must have moved in at some point as well.