The Brooklyn Lens Webcast 4/13/2012 from The Brooklyn Ink on Vimeo.

The Brooklyn Lens webcast for the week of April 13, 2012.

After eight years of pursuing his passion and working for the MTA, Brooklyn-bred filmmaker Wilkie Cornelius, Jr. has finally realized his dream of making a movie. He premiered his first film Single Hills at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and hopes to turn it into his Hollywood debut.

The Avalon Fort Greene is one of many high-rise luxury buildings in Brooklyn. (Cristabelle Tumola / The Brooklyn Ink)

From Woody Allen to “Sex and the City,” film and television have glamorized living in Manhattan. And for years, if you could afford it, Manhattan was the only place in the city to live. In a 2004 “Sex and the City” episode, one of the main characters decides to move to Brooklyn with her family for more space. This choice is portrayed as a great sacrifice. As she recalls all of her horrible Manhattan apartments, she wonders, half-jokingly:

“Why do I think living in Manhattan is so fantastic?”

“Because it is,” says her friend.

But the notion that Brooklyn living is only for bargain hunters is gone. Although Manhattan rents overall are still more expensive, in the last few years more areas of Brooklyn have began to catch up. Expensive Brooklyn areas, such as DUMBO and Williamsburg, are now comparable to rents in several Manhattan neighborhoods. And more people are choosing Brooklyn for its lifestyle than its rents.

“You see people going there because they want to actually live there,” says Andrew Barrocas, CEO of the real estate company MNS, “and they are willing to pay a premium in order to do it.”

Related: Why Brooklyn Foreclosure Numbers Could Get Worse

In January, the average Manhattan rental prices for studios, one bedrooms and two bedrooms in doorman and non-doorman buildings exceeded those in Brooklyn. But the priciest Brooklyn areas were comparable to, and even more expensive than some Manhattan neighborhoods, according to MNS’s January 2012 Market Reports, the only research on the city’s rental rates published on a monthly basis.

For example, the average one bedroom rental price in DUMBO was $3,584. The average one bedroom on the Upper East Side was $ 3,466 for doorman buildings and $2,562 for non-doorman. (More Brooklyn and Manhattan rental comparisons)

Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill are also neighborhoods that have comparable price points to Manhattan, says Samantha Behringer, a Prudential Douglas Elliman Associate Broker who handles sales and rentals in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In Williamsburg average rentals prices were $2,398 for studios, $2,960 for one bedrooms and $3,776 for two bedrooms, according to the MNS report.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO have been comparable with Manhattan for the last three to four years. And in the last two years Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill have accelerated in price, she says. In Boerum Hill one bedrooms went from $2,170 in January 2011 to $2,750 a year later, an increase of about 27 percent.

In Manhattan neighborhoods, such as Harlem, certain areas of the Financial District, Northern Manhattan and Midtown West, a renter can find a comparable or even cheaper apartment. Of those places, Harlem is probably the best known for affordable apartments, and was by far the lowest priced area in the MNS January report. Doorman building rents were $1,433 for studios, $2,023 for one bedrooms and $ 3,300 for two bedrooms. In non-doorman buildings studios were $1,398, one bedrooms were $1,793 and two bedrooms were $2,218.

But the far Upper East Side, typically east of Third Avenue, is another neighborhood that is a great choice for renters, says Behringer. Though it’s not as economical as Harlem, it’s one of the lowest priced areas in Manhattan. Many students live there, so there’s plenty of inventory and a large turnover, which slows down the market somewhat.

If you’re living in a more expensive Manhattan neighborhood like Chelsea, says Behringer, “a great option is to go a little further up and a little bit further east. That tends to be the trend.”

A mason working on the roofline of a condominium and townhouse development in 2008. Today, the neighborhood is one of the most expensive in Brooklyn. (AP)

But Behringer likes Brooklyn. She has lived in Fort Greene since 1997. “People thought I was a little bit out of my mind,” she says. It was a rough neighborhood when she first moved there, but she knew from working in real estate that the area had potential and would see future growth because it was so close to the city.

She was right. And in the last three years Fort Greene has become very expensive, says Behringer. “You can’t find a one bedroom here for under $2,000,” she says. “That’s not a bargain to me.”

Brooklyn’s best selling point is no longer affordable rents.

As pioneers like Behringer came over to Brooklyn, businesses followed, expanding the shopping and entertainment options. Today this growth continues, and is characterized more by independent business rather than chain stores.

People come for the residential feel that Brooklyn’s always had, and is lacking in most of Manhattan, but now there are more amenities. Behringer never hears people say they want to move back to Manhattan, and many want to stay in Brooklyn long term.

When Barrocas started in the real estate business 12 years ago, he used to encounter people that weren’t familiar with Brooklyn and didn’t know how close it was to jobs and life in Manhattan, but its proximity no longer seems to be an issue.

Convenience to Manhattan is an important factor in rental prices. But Williamsburg and Downtown Brooklyn have also benefited from the development of high-rise luxury buildings. These areas have fewer height restrictions, and there’s been a lot of development to meet demand, particularly in Williamsburg.

“It’s certainly, if not the fastest, one of the fastest growing neighborhoods that I’ve ever been involved with in the last 10 years,” says Barrocas.

In Williamsburg, the rental inventory consists of many condominiums that were bought as rental investments, says Behringer. And owners can charge a premium for them.

Rent only buildings are also being developed. The development company Avalon Bay already has a high-rise luxury building in Fort Greene, and is opening one on Willoughby Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn that will have about 800 units, says Behringer. People are willing to pay a lot for these amenity-packed Brooklyn buildings, and are quickly filling up the units.

Renters priced out of Williamsburg are now going to more affordable neighborhoods such as Bushwick, Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights, says Barrocas. 

For now Prospect Heights and Clinton Hill remain on the cusp of the more popular neighborhoods, says Behringer. But those places won’t stay on the edge for long, she says, and others, such as Bed-Stuy, could see a real turnaround in a couple years.

What You Can Get for $2,000 in Brooklyn and Manhattan

Brooklyn’s priciest neighborhoods are now on par with some of Manhattan’s neighborhood deals. All monthly rents are from January 2012. (Source: MNS Real Estate)

A dance studio in Fort Greene, Brooklyn aims to keep African culture and tradition alive through unique dance and music classes. Produced by Scott Eidler and Sarah Munir

The entrance to the Auburn Family Reception Center, a homeless shelter, at 39 Auburn Place in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Photo by Aby Thomas/BI

It may be hard to believe that Michael Jordan was born in the imposing, 10-storey brick building at 39 Auburn Place in Brooklyn 48 years ago. The building, which was once Cumberland Hospital, has no celebratory indication of its link to the basketball legend.

Instead, there is a grimy plaque under a dull grey arch stating that the 59-year-old building is now the ‘Auburn Family Reception Center’.  It houses homeless people.

But the Fort Greene shelter has become a legend of sorts. Neighborhood organizations, advocacy groups for the homeless and seven interviewed residents say that it is infamous as one of the worst shelters for homeless families in the city.

Auburn’s reputation grows from long-standing complaints of poor heating, unpalatable food and bad guards at the shelter, including unconfirmed complaints by four women of some guards asking for sexual favors from residents.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeless Services said that they have received no reports of sexual charges and would take immediate action if it did.

“Auburn has always been a difficult place—it has a reputation of being not a good place to be sent to,” says Dr. Georgianna Glose, executive director of the Fort Greene Strategic Neighborhood Action Partnership, a community advocacy organization.

SNAP has been monitoring the complaints of Auburn residents for nearly five years, and has been actively chasing DHS to provide better conditions at the shelter. More than 100 families reside in the city-run shelter, a small slice of the nearly 8500 families currently using New York City’s municipal shelter facilities for the homeless.

The heating issues at Auburn have been the subject of much worry in the past. The heating system at Auburn is shared with the nearby Cumberland Diagnostic Center and as a result, shelter residents have complained about not having a dedicated heating system of their own.

DHS had a capital budget item to replace the drafty windows as well as the heating system at Auburn a few years back. Although new windows got installed, the heating system was never replaced after the budget got rescinded.  While replacing the windows has certainly helped, the partial fix is not enough, says Dr. Glose.

“The heating appears to still be an issue,” says Rob Perris, District Manager of Brooklyn’s Community Board 2, echoing Dr. Glose’s sentiment. “At this time, DHS is essentially saying the replacement of the windows has solved the problem, and if there’s a continuance of problems in individual units, they’ll move the people out of these rooms and into someplace else where it is warmer. But that seems very much a stop-gap kind of response.”

M, (all names of Auburn residents in this article have been withheld by request), has been living at the Auburn shelter for almost a year with her daughter. She admits that the heat has gotten better at the shelter with the arrival of the new windows, but agrees that the heat ‘needs to be a little bit more.’

M, however, wholeheartedly agrees with the issue of unpalatable food that is usually served at the shelter. At a Thanksgiving lunch thrown by the SNAP office, she seems exhilarated seeing the food that is served, and packs some for her daughter as well. “We don’t really like the food at Auburn. They need to change that,” she says.

J. N. and her daughter N. N., Auburn residents since February, shake their heads angrily when describing the food at Auburn. “The food, forget it, you don’t want to know. Like, a month ago, there were maggots in the food,” J. N. says. “Maggots,” she repeats, pounding her cane on the ground furiously.

“If we could get a camera in there, the first thing I would capture would be the kitchen, because it’s so disgusting,” J. N. says. She says that they have been served old or expired food many times, a statement that has been repeated by six other residents interviewed for this article.

Then there is the question of how the food arrives. Since it is cooked at another location, it usually arrives cold at the shelter and families have to use a microwave to heat it up. However, there is only one microwave for the 100-plus families to use.

“What is terribly disturbing is that the residents have one microwave… but every administrator in that building has their own private microwave,” says Dr. Glose.

The community board along with SNAP had brokered a donation of an additional microwave to Auburn, but Perris called the process an extremely harrowing one. “You wouldn’t believe the kind of hoops we had to jump through to get them to accept it,” he says. And then shortly afterwards, the first one blew up, and so they are back to one again, says Dr. Glose.

Dr. Glose says that another common complaint is regarding the inappropriate behavior of the guards at the shelter.  “The attitude of the guards towards the residents is abysmal, it’s horrible. We’ve been after the DHS to train the guards and to keep them under supervision. They say that they are adequately trained—but that still hasn’t happened,” she says.

“Prisoners, that’s what they treat us like. We’re not convicts, we’re only homeless!” says M. W., who lives in the shelter with his wife and children. Fingers were pointed at the DHS police in the shelter, who were accused of being rude and playing favorites.

“It’s not the security guards, it’s the DHS police,” says N. N. “They think they are the police. They play favorites in there. And it’s obvious. There’ll be certain people they won’t check or they don’t care. And that’s not how it supposed to be.”

A few residents have also accused guards of asking for ‘favors’ in exchange for relaxation of the rules. T. M., a young woman who has been living in the shelter for about a month, accuses the guards, both male and female, of not doing their jobs properly.

“The girls, they come in and sleep all day. The boys they come, they sleep and they want to have sex with you, and if you don’t want to have sex with them, they act all crazy with you,” says T. M., with two of her friends nodding their heads in agreement.

When asked to comment on these allegations, Heather Janik, press secretary at DHS, replied saying there had been no reports or evidence to indicate that the charges alleged by the residents took place at the Auburn residence. “Homeless Services takes all criminal allegations very seriously and were such a complaint to be made to the Agency, immediate and appropriate steps to address the situation would be taken,” says Janik.

Although Janik urges any resident with information about such incidents to report them, chances of Auburn residents actually doing that seem pretty slim.

When asked why they haven’t tried complaining to the shelter officials, T. M. says, “When you complain, they’re going to treat you dirty, and they’re going to f**k you over.” This was the worry of almost all residents interviewed for this article—complaining was not an option as they were afraid of being treated worse than they are now, or being sent to a far worse shelter scenario.

“There are a lot of people who would like to stand up and talk to someone. But they’re afraid. They’re going to find out it was us and they’re going to retaliate on us,” says J. N.

N. N. tries to explain the strife between the guards and the residents. “The workers like to complain about how we all have nasty attitudes and we don’t want to comply with anything. But it’s because of the way they act towards us,” she says. “It’s the whole ‘get respect, give respect’ thing. If you’re going to be nasty with us, we’re not going to want to sit there and be polite to you.”

Despite the resounding number of complaints, there were a few residents who put in a good word for the shelter. Z. N., a young mother with a baby son, did not have any problems with heat, the food or the guards and seemed particularly happy about ‘parties that were organized in the shelter for the holidays.’ Another young mother, S. R., said that while she doesn’t have problems with the heat or the guards, she, however, doesn’t eat any of the food served at the shelter. “The food’s spoiled, you see,” she explains, while holding her young son.

Since entry to the Auburn shelter is allowed only to the residents, assessing resident complaints and inspecting shelter facilities have proved to be difficult, say community activists. “They [DHS] point to privacy issues [when we ask for an inspection], and those are certainly important,” says Perris. “But it seems that they use that as a wall to hide behind, so that no one can see the facility, or see it fully.”

Although state inspections are periodically done at the shelter, residents say they are not much of a help.

“Every time somebody’s coming to visit, they cover everything up.  That’s how they do it,” says J. N. “And then it goes right back to being the same thing. We already got that—we know when someone’s coming in now, because that’s when they start painting a little bit, telling us to do your room this way, that way…”

Patrick Markee, a senior policy analyst at Coalition for the Homeless, an advocacy and service organization, says that although shelters that are run by DHS tend to have poorer conditions than those run by private contractors, Auburn has been considered particularly bad for some time.

“Auburn is probably one of the family shelters we’ve received the most complaints about. It’s unconscionable that the DHS hasn’t done what it needs to do to address the issues there. It’s not even a question right now about the severity of the problems, and it’s been documented by multiple independent sources,” says Markee. “The city itself has acknowledged the problem—they just are not fixing it.”

Dr. Glose says that the rise in the number of homeless people may be the reason why the city seems to be overlooking the issues at the Auburn shelter. But she says that doesn’t excuse the low standards of the shelter, since the DHS are rigorous in their scrutiny of shelters run by non-profits.

“If there was one thing wrong, they’d shut them down. And this doesn’t happen to their own shelter. And that’s an issue,” says Dr. Glose.

J. N. looks forlorn when asked if she expects change at the Auburn shelter. “I want to get out of here. As long as we are not here; that’s all that matters,” she says. “People would rather be on the streets than be here.”

For related stories see: Next Step Shelter Uses Punitive Measures

For related stories see: City’s Transitional Housing for Homeless Lacks Oversight

Although they were promised union membership and jobs in exchange for taking a 15-week apprenticeship course in 2010, the workers claim they were never hired on Ratner’s $5-billion mega-project.

“This was the biggest bait-and-switch in the history of Brooklyn,” said Councilwoman Letitia James (D-Fort Greene).

Students say that the courtroom brought their lectures to life.

Fort Greene’s city councillor, Letitia James, will be at the school today to celebrate the launch of the mock courtroom.

For more on the story, go here.

Darrell Issa (R-CA) current ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is taking over the chairmanship from Edolphus Towns (D - NY) as part of the new Republican congressional leadership. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

By Miranda Neubauer

Brooklyn’s clout in the new U.S. Congress will be greatly diminished come January. Despite easy victories in November, the borough’s three most powerful congressional representatives will be removed from leadership posts in three House committees when the new Republican majority is sworn in.

Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D), who represents Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Bushwick and Sunset Park, among other areas, will lose her chairmanship of the House Committee on Small Business that she has held since 2007.

One organization that is set to receive $750,000 in federal funding this year through Congresswoman Velazquez’s position is the Brooklyn Kings County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The money will fund a not-for-profit business incubator program.

The loss of her position on the committee “will be a detriment to the aspiring entrepreneurs and to the small business community in general, ” said its President Rick Miranda.

The organization, which has existed since 2005, also offers loans through the Small Business Administration, helps minority owned businesses obtain certification to do work for the city and hosts educational and networking forums.

“Someone like Congresswoman Velazquez, who came from a pretty poor background herself, … she realizes that the middle-class citizens that contemplate and dream about opening up a business can never take the plunge because they never have the money or the savvy or the education,” said Miranda. Miranda also pointed out that the group’s business incubator could sponsor six businesses per quarter, amounting to 24 a year. “A huge mouthful in this economy.”

Without Velazquez, said Miranda, he fears such funding for small business might dry up. The new Republican majority “should take a real hard look at what is available and continue to assist those programs that are doing well and not just say we need to cut our spending on these programs.” The new majority should not “choke us in our ability to execute services to the small business community.”

The weakening of the power of other Brooklyn congressmen will have more national effect.

Rep. Edolphus Towns (D), who represents Fort Greene, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville and East New York, among other areas, will lose his position as chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee—a position he has held since 2009.

The change in chairmanship of the committee has a national impact, Julian Phillips, Towns’ spokesperson said. “The congressman was such a strong ally for the president … now that he will more than likely be taking a lesser role, obviously the kind of power and influence he was able to wield as chairman will no longer be the case.” Over the summer, Towns held a hearing in Brooklyn to examine a case of fraud at a Brooklyn census office, after two managers were fired for fraudulently filling out census forms.

As chairman of an investigative committee with subpoena power, Towns has also investigated the BP oil spill and the Toyota recall, among other major issues. “The new chairman may have a different agenda,” Phillips said. While Towns will be able to serve the community as Congressman and as ranking minority member, “his powers will be less than what they were.”

In fall 2009, Director of the National Urban League Marc Morial testified at an Oversight Committee hearing about the impact of the economic crisis on minority communities. With the change in leadership, Morial said, “you’re not going to have as much of an examination of policies and solutions [related to] the disparities of the recession and the disparities of the subprime crisis.”  Foreclosure rates have been highest in areas with high minority populations, such as Bushwick.

Jerrold Nadler (D), representing Coney Island, Bensonhurst and Bay Ridge, will go from high ranking to minority status in the Judiciary and Transportation and Infrastructure committees.

Nadler’s spokesman Ilan Kayatsky also said it is too early to tell how the new majority will play out. “We will still be fighting for the same transportation reforms, such as seeking more funding for mass transit and high speed rail.”

Kayatsky added that “more debates and disagreement on how much and where and why” would be expected with Republicans in the majority. Democrats, he said, will no longer be “driving the house agenda” as negotiations get underway. With a new six year transportation up for reauthorization, Kayatsky said that for Nadler, “it’s really about funding mass transit as much as possible.” The congressman’s priority, he went on to say, was increasing sustainable transportation options and expanding rail freight with “less focus on cars and roads.”

Last July, Nadler helped to secure $ 450,000 for a Brooklyn Waterfront Transportation Study, which will explore the transportation improvements necessary to develop a container port at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Sunset Park. According to the congressman’s summer press release, “the development of deep water port facilities in New York Harbor will create tens of thousands of jobs in New York City and the region, and will protect New York’s position as the East Coast’s major gateway to global trade.”

The party, hosted by Ron Kellman, 40, swelled up to 80 attendants by the time shots were heard outside the house of which the party was held. No arrests have been made.

Inspector Anthony Tasso addresses residents at the recent 88th precinct council meeting (Sanya Khetani/ The Brooklyn Ink)

By Sanya Khetani

Fort Greene residents are about to see a larger police presence than usual on their neighborhood’s streets. At its last community meeting, the 88th police precinct announced an increase in foot patrols and overtime officers on duty in the neighborhood’s “problem areas.”

This police action is partly in response to pressure from a recently formed citizens’ block association, which was organized after a female resident was attacked and robbed last month while walking home from work.

The incident inspired residents of Adelphi Street, where the victim lived, to become more involved in their own safety. “I feel the police are doing the best that they can, but I also feel that they are overwhelmed,” says Sharon Ng, who lives on Adelphi Street.

At this month’s 88th precinct community meeting, Inspector Anthony Tasso said crime had risen sharply by 70 percent in recent months. He also reminded the residents that he did not have the manpower the precinct used to have, a common consequence of budget cuts in the NYPD.

Residents feel that an association would help the police keep more eyes on the street. “I think a block association would be a success!” says Ng, who plans to go door to door to sign more people up to be a part of the association.

So far the group has had an impact. The residents put together a list of demands such as increased police presence, and sent it to Councilwoman Letitia James, who forwarded it to Inspector Tasso, who incorporated the newly-formed association’s needs into his new safety and security measures for the area.

Some residents had also advocated the idea of a neighborhood patrol, but according to the 88th precinct, these are no longer sanctioned by the police.

As part of the New York Police Department’s ‘Civilian Observation Patrol’ program, neighborhood patrols were trained by the precinct and patrollers could anonymously report a crime on 911. However, the new 911 system accesses the personal information of callers, so maintaining anonymity is impossible. Until a new system is developed, neighborhood associations will not receive official assistance from their precincts.

Alfred Chiodo, Urban Affairs Director for the 35th district (which includes Fort Greene) in the City Council says Adelphi Street, particularly the block between Greene Avenue. and Fulton Street. is a magnet for crime. “Not only is this block at the edge of the neighborhood, but it is bordered by Fulton Street, which doesn’t have too many retail stores. This makes the area lonely, so it’s easier for someone to escape without being spotted,” he says.

Inspector Tasso also identified Adelphi Street as being part of a “problem area” from Fulton Street to Fort Greene Park, and Fort Greene Place to Vanderbilt Avenue, where a number of assaults and robberies, almost all involving an African-American male perpetrator and a Caucasian female victim.

But it is not only its location that makes Adelphi an easy target. More than 20 residents who attended an impromptu and informal block meeting testified about issues such as insufficient street and stoop lighting, and broken motion detectors, all of which made it difficult for even the most alert to spot someone hiding in the shadows.

Despite the precinct’s official stance on civilian patrols, Inspector Tasso believes that a good police-community relation is important. “You are our eyes and ears,” he told residents at the recent precinct meeting. So the residents of Adelphi have decided to form an unofficial alliance and watch for the time being.

Chiodo says that forming even an informal union is a step in the right direction to improving neighborhood safety. He explains that since it would help people get to know their neighbors, it would be easier to “spot someone who doesn’t belong.” John Wise, another Adelphi resident says, “Our block isn’t the most sociable, but I hope this will help… We can take not only small tangible steps, but also larger community steps.”

Meanwhile, those at the neighborhood meeting have already begun to pay better attention to the upkeep of the neighborhood and have exhorted landlords to improve the lighting on stoops.

No new incidents have been reported in the neighborhood since the incident in late September. Lawrence Young, a resident of 405 Adelphi St., succinctly sums up the block’s new motto, “We want people to know that this is our block and we’re keeping an eye on it.”