What's in A Name?
Brooklyn Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries is all upset with names like SoHa (South Harlem) and SoBro (South Bronx) he is introducing a bill that punishes real estate brokers who market properties with "fake" or "unofficial" neighborhood or micro- neighborhood names. He wants real estate brokers fined, licenses revoked or suspended from the profession.
I don't follow Brooklyn politics and I never heard of Hakeem Jeffries until reading about his idiotic bill today. Ironically prior to entering politics, he was a corporate lawyer for CBS where he defended their right to free speech in cases such as Janet Jackson's Superbowl costume malfunction.
Fortunately real estate brokers and other groups that may not always be popular are also protected by the 1st amendment from publicity seeking state assemblyman.
It must be real boring in Albany these days. No important issues confronting the great state of New York other than anacronyms and abbreviations that brokers use? Mr. Jeffries suggests these mini neighborhood names made up by brokers falsely increase rents and drive up property values.
I would love to see some any proof of that. Data Don't Lie!
Jeffries is quoted in the NY Times: "It's the Wild West in New York City right now, brokers are allowed to essentially pull names out of thin air in order to re brand a neighborhood and have the effect of raising rents or home prices."
A sad irony since this month marks the 43rd anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in the purchase, rental and financing of housing. Real estate brokers are required by NY state to take federal and state Fair Housing continuing education every two years. Unfortunately, Fair Housing training or education is not a requirement to be elected state assemblyman only to be licensed as a real estate professional.
It's hard to imagine in the year 2011, we have an elected state assemblyman, a Democrat from Brooklyn advocating segregation by naming neighborhoods based on distinct boundaries based on race and ethnicity and socio economics.
His bill would require new city neighborhood names to go through a serious vetting process, garnering approvals from the local community board, the City Council and the mayor. Fortunately the mayor is an advocate of diversity, tolerance and change, he knows what attracts talent to the city and why NYC is a great place to live and work.
This bill is not about brokers naming micro-neighborhoods, it's about segregation and the status quo. Neighborhood mini neighborhood names change. The community embraces the names or they don't.
Harlemites named the section "Sugar Hill" during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920's meaning "Sweet and Expensive" (exclusivity and status) and the Harlem micro neighborhood right below was named "Strivers Row" for it's ambitious residents.
Why stop at NYC, all over the state micro neighborhoods have names that are not official communities designated by municipalities. Parts of Mt. Vernon are called Fleetwood, North East Yonkers is called Crestwood and Riverdale in the Bronx. How about the whole world including New Yorkers from the outer boroughs and suburbs referring to Manhattan as "The City" or "New York City"
New Yorkers, not only brokers, like names to give a sense of identity to a micro-neighborhood. Sometimes the names are silly, sometimes they stick, they help to identify and develop it's character. A few are below:
SoHo = South of Houston (pronounced House-Tun)
Tribeca = Triangle below Canal
Avenue of the Americas = 6th Avenue
Gotham = Manhattan (First used by Washington Irving)
FIDI= Financial District
NoLita = North of Little Italy
Most New York neighborhoods were named by the Dutch or by the native Algonquin Indians. New York was New Amsterdam changed to New York when the British conquered the colony and re named it after the Duke of York.
New York is 400 years old! New York City is constantly changing and reinventing itself. It is a place of perpetual motion where things change in a New York minute.
As a matter of fact, New York: A city of Neighborhoods is a map displaying the neighborhood names and community district boundaries along with informative statistics on the geographic, demographic and economic profile of New York City neighborhoods.
It is located on the New York City Department of Planning website. a city agency responsible for zoning, rezoniong, infrastructure, public spaces, greening efforts to make New York City a greener, greater place to live, work, and visit.
Apparantly state Assemblyman Jeffries never heard of New York City Department of Planning since he's under the illusion delusion that real estate brokers plan and zone city neighborhoods by pulling names out of the air.
Mr. Jeffries also has a problem with neighborhoods named after the dead rather than the living. (Washington Heights 1st President of USA) (Hamilton Heights 1st Secretary Treasurer) (Stuyvesant Town 1st NY Governor)
Please Mr. Jeffries find something meaningful to do with the tax dollars that we're paying you with...If you're truly concerned about real estate, you should introduce a bill requiring coops to give a reason for rejecting a purchaser. Housing discrimination will always take place (in progressive New York City) as long as coop boards are allowed to operate in secrecy with no accountability. Your current bill perpetuates housing discrimination and segregation.
What's in a name?
I posted this in Speechless Sunday because although I have a lot to say - This Bill left me speechless.
Wishing A Happy and Joyous Easter Sunday to all those celebrating today!
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