Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Developers Trying To Gentrify East New York
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jan 9, 2014
Modified Jan 9, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jan 9, 2014
Modified Jan 9, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Rich hipsters are flooding Bed-Stuy, Gowanus stuck a Whole Foods over its disease-flecked waters and Bushwick stars in so many media trend pieces it might marry Chris Martin and start bullying the editor of Vanity Fair. It's time to find a new Brooklyn neighborhood to utterly gentrify into a Bugaboo-pushing yuppie dystopia—turn your attention, please, to East New York!
The Daily News ran a piece today extolling the neighborhood's cheap real estate, noting that homes in the area can run lower than $400,000. One homeowner profiled in the piece purchased a $360,000 East New York townhouse last August, gut-renovated the space and has put it back on the market for $599K, a major jump that is still a more affordable deal than, say, a $700K apartment in Clinton Hill, or a $6.5 million loft in Williamsburg. Plus, you can always hook those renters looking for a spot in The Most Popular Borough Of Our Time. "Rates are very low and rents here are going through the roof," one real estate agent told the paper of the $599K property. "It’s a great house because if you bought it, your rental income would cover most of your mortgage."
Then again, East New York has one of the highest crime rates [pdf] in the city, and though it too has benefitted from the overall decrease in violent crime over the past decade, it's still pretty far off the Starbucks index. From January 1st to December 29th of last year, for instance, the neighborhood reported about 1,035 grand larcenies, 901 robberies and 939 felony assaults, in addition to 18 murders and 64 rapes.
But is the prospect of an East New YorksBurgWickStySlope all that crazy? Considering the current development happening in formerly high crime Brooklyn neighborhoods, eventually even those crime stats may not deter homeowners from trying to score a good deal. And it doesn't hurt that East New York borders increasingly popular and pricy Bushwick, or that it can be accessed from the 2,3,4,5 and L trains, assets homeowners can use to attract profitable renters. Slap a hybrid name on the neighborhood and the people will come; these nifty sales tricks have worked before, and they will work again.
Like its now-gentrified and gentrifying neighbors before it, East New York could face a whole new set of problems if and when developers and Australian investors pick up on the cheap property values. Just a few years ago, reports noted an influx of low-income black New Yorkers moving into the neighborhood after being priced out of Bed Stuy and Fort Greene by developers catering to wealthier residents. "We’re asking developers to realize the median area income is $30,000, and we’re asking for tax breaks so the people who live here can stay here," said Councilwoman Inez Barron, who represents the district. Good luck with that.
Tagged
brooklyn
crime
east new york
gentrification
real estate
Rebecca Fishbein
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council to consider earlier Legionella reporting after deadly outbreaks
A bill facing a hearing Monday would require cooling tower owners to notify city health officials when bacteria levels reach a much lower threshold.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 18, 2026 at 7:36 p.m. ET
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
Bail reform remains major issue in NY governor's race, 7 years after it became law
By
Gino Fanelli
NYPD identifies Bronx man, 26, killed in Midtown subway shooting
By
Ryan Kost
,
Elizabeth Kim
and
Phil Corso
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .