Fort Greene Sees Visible Signs of Gentrification
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"It was like a jail because I was closed up in here, sometimes I had to open the door a little just to get air," Mrs. Garcia said in Spanish. "Thank God it's going to change." With crime decreasing and new restaurants constantly springing up in Fort Greene, and particularly DeKalb Avenue where Elly's Supermarket is located, Mrs. Garcia and her husband, Winston, decided to replace the security of concrete with glass. "The wall served its purpose but as times change, it's time for the wall to change," Mr. Garcia said. NYPD CompStat reports crime statistics in the 88th Precinct, which includes Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, are down 68% from one decade ago. Brownstones now go for a million dollars, and in the past five years the number of restaurants on DeKalb Avenue have quadrupled. "When you see a change in crime you also see a disappearance of those type of separations at stores," said Lieutenant Eric Adams, a platoon commander at the 88th."DeKalb Avenue is an indicator of that change. Once the stores that lined DeKalb Avenue from St. James to Flatbush had Plexiglas. Now you find small, chic restaurants." When the Garcias, both immigrants from Puerto Rico, opened their grocery store in 1968, Fort Greene was a very different neighborhood. "They would break your window if you didn't give them a pack of cigarettes,"Mr.Garcia,58,said."A lot of robberies, muggings, frequent holdups." For decades, four stores on the block remained vacant and every building had either iron grates in front of all the windows or protective Plexiglas. But when the neighborhood was designated a historic district in 1978, the situation began to improve, according to Mr. Garcia. As part of an anti-graffiti initiative art students from nearby Pratt Institute drew a sea scene with "Elly" scribbled in large letters on the cement wall, creating a neighborhood landmark. In the past five years, the neighborhood has become a nexus for young professionals across racial lines. "Ethnic restaurants and even specialty grocery stores have showed up, but everyone comes to Elly's," said Margaret Vincent, a retired schoolteacher who grew up around the corner in the 1940s. "Elly's the old reliable." The couple's clients range from the neighborhood's few remaining Italian old-timers to celebrity residents, including Chris Rock, Spike Lee, and Rosie Perez. Working from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week takes its toll. The Garcia never have a chance to go to the movies or frequent the street's fancy new restaurants. "We don't have time to sit down," Mr. Garcia said. The couple even keeps a stair-climber stashed behind the counter to catch up on exercise between clients. Three years ago, the Garcias decided the time had come to be able to see the outside world. They began working with an architect to make up plans for a renovation. "We wanted to restore it to its glory, to what it used to be when they first built the building." The couple replaced the original 1880s cornice above the entrance, window boxes, and internal columns. "What I think is important is she's returned it to the original historic building. It's a real change in the streetscape," said Deb Howard, director of Housing at the Pratt Area Community Council. "Elly is putting an investment in the neighborhood." The Garcias, elated to live without a wall, still stashed a couple of pieces when it was demolished in their apartment above the store. "Don't forget, we left our middle age here with the wall," Mr. Garcia said.
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