Friday, September 28th, 2007

Craigslist and the ‘Hood

posted by lizzie    « 8 Comments »    tied to Uncategorized   

After I posted the video on Tuesday, Micah found a free desk on Craigslist. All we had to do was pick it up from the curb a few blocks away, provided it was still there, of course. Craigslist in New York is crazy. We’ve called on things half an hour after they were posted and they are already gone, so imagine our delight when this never-been-used desk, still in the (kind of beat up) box, was where the poster said it would be a whole hour after it was posted. Micah carried it part way home, with the help of two neighbors–both named Israel–and I came and helped carry it the rest of the way. We put it together and a few hours later we had a beautiful new office. The old desk has been put to good use in the kitchen where it has quadrupled our counter space. It’s heavenly.

And for those of you who are curious about our neighborhood, let me tell you a bit about it. I think I’ve mentioned that the majority race is black, although mostly Caribbean, not African-American. So we have lots of Jamaicans, Haitians, Guyanese, Dominicans, etc. And not all of them speak English very well. It seems like every time I go to the laundromat somebody asks me how old Simon is, but they have to repeat the question three or four times before I understand it. The West Indian/Caribbean association has a huge parade (like, 2 million people go to this thing) on Labor Day. We were going to post about it, but it was SO loud (Simon hated it more than anything) and there wasn’t anything really worth posting on a family blog. The only reason we even went out was, actually, because we were getting free stuff from Craigslist and had to fight the crowds to get back home. Most of the white people we see are Hasidic Jews. The headquarters for the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic Jewish community is right down the street from us. I think they mostly speak Yiddish (at least at home), but I can’t say that I’ve had a lot of interaction with them. Sometimes we will see another white person dressed in modern clothes, but rarely.

Our part of town is mostly residential, although there are corner stores and grocery stores and so many beauty salons (all specializing in African hair) on every block. There is a small park a few blocks away, and Prospect Park (the biggest park in Brooklyn) is three subway stops away, as is the main Brooklyn library (there is a local branch a few blocks from us). It is a decent place to live. I have heard rumors of gentrification, but it seems as though every neighborhood is rumored to be gentrifying. If our neighborhood is, we haven’t seen it yet.

And yes, we have heard gunshots nearby. Just once. Hopefully never again. So although we like our apartment and our branch, we probably won’t look back when we move. Of course by the time our lease is up, we’ll probably want another bedroom for Simon anyway. Provided we can afford such a thing.

Comments

  1. Rachel says:
    September 28, 2007 at 6:50 pm

    That desk is sweet. I love getting stuff for free. I think almost everything we own we either got for free or at a sweet discount. Good work.

  2. Bente says:
    September 28, 2007 at 8:41 pm

    Very nice desk! I’m sure the moms are not too excited about the gun shots, but you’re always in our thoughts and prayers. Love you!

  3. Melissa says:
    September 29, 2007 at 6:04 am

    Cool free desk! What good craigslisters you two are!

  4. Jodie says:
    September 29, 2007 at 8:43 pm

    Cool desk, but I’m more excited about the increased counter space in the kitchen! :) Congrats.

    Oh yeah, and I think you should go to one of the beauty salons and get some extensions and dredlocks.

  5. Dad says:
    September 29, 2007 at 11:03 pm

    Your next-to-last sentence sums up my thoughts on living in Chicago’s Hyde park. Glad I lived there. Glad I don’t now.

  6. lizzie says:
    September 30, 2007 at 3:47 am

    Jodie, I’m totally thinking about it. I’m really quite envious of what these women can do with their hair. Mine is so blah next to theirs. :)

  7. Sarah says:
    September 30, 2007 at 9:21 pm

    Lizzie, you should really explain to me Craiglist, because it sounds great, but I don’t even know what it is really.

  8. micah says:
    October 1, 2007 at 1:45 am

    Sarah,

    Craigslist (http://www.craigslist.org) is basically a site that allows people to sell (and give) stuff to other people in their community. You can also look for apartments (this is how we found ours), jobs, and love interests.

    You just go to the site and choose the city that you live in. I assume that SLC would have a rather large following, so I am sure there is a lot on there. I like to check the “free” section in the “for sale” category several times daily. It is really fun to see what people are giving away even if we can’t use it.

    Anyway, check it out. It is really a handy resource and it is totally free.

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