Much Like the Plague, Here Come the Yuppies!

Park Slope was once home to the working class. When I was growing up in the 70’s, families (assuming they saved up a bit and held a steady job) would one day attain the American dream of home ownership. It wasn’t a matter of if, only when.

Today, although both my husband and I work, don’t have any outstanding debt, and don’t engage in any extravagance, we are still unable to attain the necessary funds to buy a home in the neighborhood. We have 3 kids and split shifts to avoid the costs of hiring a babysitter.

So what exactly changed and when? Of course the large flux of young urban professionals taking the lunge and making the perfunctory crossing of the Brooklyn Bridge has had a major impact on the old neighborhood and everyone knows this. There have been countless articles, websites, blogs, and plain old street corner conversations on the topic. And there’s nothing new to say really. I mean I don’t necessarily blame these willingly uprooted affluent folk ( much). They do bring a sense of newness to the old stomping grounds, not to mention a deluge of organic produce sections in otherwise old fashioned supermarkets. So what’s all the drama about?

I think one conflict arises when these newbies pretend to know the neighborhood better than the natives. I once mentioned to a colleague and transplanted Sloper, the name of the school my children attend, and said it was in Park Slope.

“But isn’t that on Prospect Park West”, she asked.

“Yes, it is”, I replied.

She began to tilt her head and squint up her eyes and then proceeded to talk about specific boundaries that she had researched before moving here on an online map clearly stating that Prospect Park West is not located in Park Slope and how could I even think it was? It was clearly known as Windsor Terrace. Yes, I suppose the transplanted folk from Connecticut might think they know boundaries because they read them somewhere but they forget that us Park Slope oldies know straight away that Prospect Park West can be considered either Park Slope or Windsor Terrace depending on who was saying it at the time and furthermore did it really matter? I mean if we want to talk technicalities here, I must point out that any one who refers this street as “Prospect Park West” is in fact a relocated yuppie because natives know it has one of three names, “Ninth”, “Ninth Avenue”, or simply “The Avenue”. But I just smile and nod because engaging in a full out war over street boundaries is not my idea of riveting conversation.

I’m sure many of you will identify with this and probably have a “worst yuppie” story of your own. I encourage you to send them along to me- maybe we can start commiseration committee of our own.

Next post: Identifying Yuppies- a Starter course