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Post by admin on Oct 18, 2007 9:48:18 GMT -5
With the sub prime mortgage bust there will be hundreds of thousands of Americans losing their homes and looking to rent in towns like FB. As far as I'm concerned, they go to the front of the line. Let's reach out to them and invite them to our town. Let them be a new wave of appreciative residents and teach them to be civic minded in their new communities. Marc I apologize big time for this. for the most part I am trying to stay out of local election issues. Ted has been speaking about alternatives to rentals and working with land lords for some time. He has specifically mentioned targeting professionals to rent here. This is why he is running. He has ideas and it appears the only way they will get to the table is if he is elected. Some of his ideas may never work out, that happens. I do hope that regardless of the results of the election, the Mayor and council will be wise enough to reach out to him and listen. He does care and wants to see this town go in a good direction. In other words, stop dealing with the LLA and seek out the people who REALLY care about this town. PS Geo, Your community service idea is a very good one. It works well, I know from experience of working with them. |
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Post by admin on Oct 18, 2007 9:50:05 GMT -5
one last thing, Marc, have you guys on council heard about landscapers buying houses to give their workers a place to live in FB?
I did and it was rather disturbing.
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Post by stffgpr2003 on Oct 18, 2007 10:10:26 GMT -5
Wouldn't surprise me. Area restauranteurs, too. After all, what is the absolute profile on an investor? They can be anyone. I'm sure what you point out isn't a new trend, either. This is why we must continue to be vigilant with code enforcement and look for ways to retain and recruit more owner occupied homeowners.
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Post by Libyan Sibyl on Oct 18, 2007 10:27:36 GMT -5
Marc, what is your take on those things that have recently been implemented from the Rental Advisory Committee - working, not yet, too soon to tell???
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Post by misterpr1981 on Oct 18, 2007 12:22:25 GMT -5
I've said it before and I will say it again.
If you haven't read, The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community, and Everyday Life by Richard Florida, you better get online or get to Barnes and Noble or Borders or wherever right now and pick it up and read it.
If residents in Freehold Boro want to continue to live in the strictly conservative "traditional" sense and not have the passion to reinvent the town in a progressive fashion, we will continue to see the same pattern of a downwards slope moving forward.
You have two choices as far as I'm concerned. You can either get with the program, so-to-speak, and bring in some bars and clubs and cool retail stores and indie movie theaters, and you will get CHELSEA, WEST VILLAGE, EAST VILLAGE, NOHO, SOHO, TRIBECA, HELL'S KITCHEN.
OR...
If you continue to want to see Freehold Boro stay the same, you will get the Bronx, parts of Brooklyn, Staten Island, parts of Queens, etc.
Recently I was having a discussion with my business partner about the nice parts of Manhattan, and we came to the conclusion that almost every part of Manhattan that has been revamped and is considered "trendy," has been majorly impacted by the gay community moving to those parts prior. Same goes for Asbury Park. Same goes for San Francisco, etc.
I was talking with a famous drag performer (won't name names) last week about when he originally moved to Hell's Kitchen in NYC over ten years ago. He said that the area was full of drug addicts and not a nice place to live at all. He said as soon as they opened up the first gay bar, another one opened and before they knew it, the whole area started to be transformed. Now there are outdoor cafes and expensive boutiques. Go there, you will see this.
The same thing goes for the Los Angeles area. One of the nicest areas of LA is West Hollywood. It's one of the safest and cleanest, and it is also where one of the biggest gay communities thrives. If you go to any part of the country, the cities or towns where there is a large gay community are usually the ones with the highest property values, the cleanest and the safest. They don't tolerate anything less. Trust me, I know.
But it doesn't have to be the gay community. It can be the artistic/professional community. Look at Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It used to be one of the worst parts---now it's one of the nicest parts. It's full of artists and musicians and professionals. Call it gentrification, but I'd rather live there now than ten years ago.
If you do not go after the young crowd and the gay crowd, you will have an illegal crowd and a bad crowd. It's called, get with the times, people.
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Post by Libyan Sibyl on Oct 18, 2007 13:00:57 GMT -5
Here is the question though, do these things happen normally (or organically as some say), or are they part of a conscious group effort. Marc's link is interesting (is this a left-wing conspiracy???), and I think Steven's own business is interesting. The niches that are carved out, or maybe better put as those niches that people find, it's simply amazing - that's capitolism. How does Freehold get listed on gayborhood (funny name)? Steven could write this up better: Cheap housing. Great restaurants. Business opportunities. Centrally located. Diversity. There's some houses on my street that could use some renovation. I'd be happy to tell Mr. Gaybor about them. Is New Brunswick really a gay town? Westfield? Morristown? Huh, never knew. Anyway, as Steven and others may know, I don't agree with gay-oriented politics. But I appreciate a good neighbor. And that goes for all groupings of people. I'm not an illegal alien supporter, but, oh, if there are legal citizens or legal residents, I may not support their politics as a group, but I appreciate them as neighbors if they are nice, neighborly, considerate of others, etc. I think most people fall into this. Just think if the illegals weren't seen as people who overcrowd, swarm cars, line the streets, get caught committing quality of life violations, etc, they'd have won the battle and nobody would complain, but those complainers would be shot down. IMO, all the illegals here have done was given the town and make enemies of people who may have supported them, or make enemies of people who'd have been more apathetic. |
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Post by misterpr1981 on Oct 18, 2007 13:31:12 GMT -5
I don't see them as "politics." I see them as human rights. Always remember..you already have those rights. I am denied them. Let's put it to you this way. Two gay men or gay women moved next door to you. You were friends with them. You got along. You both paid the same property taxes and so forth. However, you were allowed to get married to the person you loved, however they were denied that. Wouldn't you feel that for them it wasn't about politics, but about their basic civil rights as people? For me, it's not political, it's personal. It's my life. Please do not discount that or reduce me to anything less than I am as a human being. As far as creating communities organically or consciously....even I don't know the answer to that and I've always been curious. I think it can be and is both. Those communities are gay communities, but probably not as much as places like Asbury. Montclair is another big one. I would consider some of those to have gay communities in them, but I wouldn't call them gay destination spots, like Asbury, Rehoboth Beach, P-Town, and so on. But you also have to remember...even though I'm gay, I have an equal amount of straight male friends and gay male friends easily. I don't JUST hang out with either one, and being able to hang out with both groups, I see a lot of overlapping between the two groups that is hard to see just hanging out with one group. I'll leave it at that. I'll just say.. a lot of people have many archetypes within themselves but choose to only show one to most people.  |
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Post by Libyan Sibyl on Oct 18, 2007 13:46:21 GMT -5
I wasn't looking to debate those aspects of my post, and I won't. Just take them for what they are worth, and simply a lead-in to the fact that most people just want good neighbors regardless of political, philosophic, ethnic, sexual or religious differences.
So, who is sending Freehold Borough's info to Gayborhood?
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adefonzo
Junior Member
If I can see further than some, it's because I have stood on the shoulders of giants
Posts: 308
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Post by adefonzo on Oct 18, 2007 19:01:58 GMT -5
For the record, I too have several gay and lesbian friends and co-workers. I have never had a problem dealing with anyone based on their sexual preferences, in fact I find some of the conversations quite fascinating.
I have stated in other areas on this site my thoughts on the whole gay marriage issue, so I will not get into that here.
But I strongly reject this idea that Freehold Boro needs to become some sort of hip and trendy, artsy, intellectual, community with a large gay population in order to grow out of the current funk that we are in!!!
If there are artisans, homosexuals, or so called intellectuals who would like to move into our town, please feel free to!!! I agree with Libyan when she says that all we're looking for are good neighbors who will care about this town, I don't care what race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation you are.
I think Freehold has to give up this idea that we're a "blue collar working families town"...there aren't too many people working in the factories anymore, let's move past all that.
Freehold is a small town with a lot of history in it...why can't we survive on that?
MisterPr, your statement that "If you do not go after the young crowd and the gay crowd, you will have an illegal crowd and a bad crowd." I have to be honest, I find that a bit offensive. Are those really our only options?? I don't believe that at all. There are certainly other ways to deal with the "illegal and bad crowd" and make room for young families, older retirees, or anyone else who may want to move into our town, and it does not have anything to do with adding "some bars and clubs and cool retail stores and indie movie theaters"
Freehold doesn't have to be "CHELSEA, WEST VILLAGE, EAST VILLAGE, NOHO, SOHO, TRIBECA, HELL'S KITCHEN"...we're not in Manhattan here. Freehold can be just Freehold and it can do just fine. All we need is leadership that has a vision to move the town forward rather than continuing to leave everything as it is.
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Post by misterpr1981 on Oct 18, 2007 23:49:56 GMT -5
And where will it end up?
Who wants to live in just a boring small town? We need to spice it up a bit. It's 2007. We already have the beautiful small town and the nice people. Why not add to that and make it a destination spot?
Look at all of the popular towns in New Jersey. Most of them have spiced it up. Most have outdoor cafes, boutique or artsy stores, bars and clubs, and other things. Why would anyone be against that? Without that, you just have a small town like any other. I'm not talking about building luxury condos or high-rise office buildings. I'm talking about making Freehold Boro a fun, hip place to come shop, dine and live.
And it's really going to be the only way to turn things around. You can't turn things around with nothing. If you think pulling an Elizabeth Montgomery is going to quickly change Freehold Boro around, you are sadly mistaken.
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bergsteiger
Full Member
War is simple, direct, and ruthless
Posts: 1,189
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Post by bergsteiger on Oct 19, 2007 6:30:14 GMT -5
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Post by misterpr1981 on Oct 19, 2007 8:47:24 GMT -5
You don't live in FB so don't get involved.
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bergsteiger
Full Member
War is simple, direct, and ruthless
Posts: 1,189
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Post by bergsteiger on Oct 19, 2007 11:36:58 GMT -5
You don’t know where I live, do you? That’s just one more thing you are clueless about.  |
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Post by misterpr1981 on Oct 19, 2007 20:37:09 GMT -5
I know that you don't live in Freehold Boro.
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adefonzo
Junior Member
If I can see further than some, it's because I have stood on the shoulders of giants
Posts: 308
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Post by adefonzo on Oct 20, 2007 8:18:40 GMT -5
And where will it end up? Who wants to live in just a boring small town? We need to spice it up a bit. It's 2007. We already have the beautiful small town and the nice people. Why not add to that and make it a destination spot? Look at all of the popular towns in New Jersey. Most of them have spiced it up. Most have outdoor cafes, boutique or artsy stores, bars and clubs, and other things. Why would anyone be against that? Without that, you just have a small town like any other. I'm not talking about building luxury condos or high-rise office buildings. I'm talking about making Freehold Boro a fun, hip place to come shop, dine and live. And it's really going to be the only way to turn things around. You can't turn things around with nothing. If you think pulling an Elizabeth Montgomery is going to quickly change Freehold Boro around, you are sadly mistaken. Honestly, I don't think we're too far apart on this issue, I think the main disagreement lies in how far we're each willing to take it. Personally, I don't see Freehold as being "a boring small town". I love the history that we have here in this town...our town and many aspects of it date back to the Revolutionary War (and I am not just talking about Mayor Wilson's time in office - sorry, couldn't resist). I have always loved towns and cities that embrace their history, and put it out in the forefront for everyone to see and admire. As much as I love New York City, I wish it would embrace it's history more like Boston does. And I certainly don't feel we do enough of that here in the Boro, which is a shame. I have lived in Manhattan and speant time in many of New York City's neighborhoods. I have visited towns like Rhinebeck, Piermont, New Hope, and even speant some time in West Hollywood (had a good friend that lived out there - but my thoughts on the entire LA area are best reserved for another time). There are certainly ways that Freehold Boro can lift itself up out of the quagmire we are in, but I don't feel we need to go to extremes. One quick note...many of the towns that are referenced in this thread have one of two advantages that unfortunately we don't have here in Freehold Boro. Either they are: 1. in or right off of a major city - or 2. they have a waterfront (this is the one thing that I really wish Freehold had...some sort of waterfront, ocean, lake, river...whatever) That's not to say we can't make changes anyway...just pointing out that many of the towns mentioned have these advantages...which just forces us to be more creative. |
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