sad evening in...

Flatbush yesterday, as cityboy attended the forum on rezoning at the church on East 37street in Brooklyn. It is in a basically all black (probably a lot of West Indian) neighborhood, and from my walking around a lot last night, I found the neighborhood people I encountered, both in and outside the Church to be very warm and friendly. It is mostly private homes, though many corners in the area have apartment houses. I spoke to some people living in the area; they seemed very mellow. But the sad part comes from the discussion---which over and over again pointed out that the "city" (I.e.the DeBlasio administration) is forcing its rezoning vision with a callow viciousness in many black and latino communities, while leaving white communities untouched. The five panelists repeated this mantra again and again, and as I left, community members who attended the meeting were asking important questions. But why do we have this? Why is the current administration so inflexible, and what, if anything, can the next mayor do to change this?  When I think about this, I feel very sad and frustrated---of course, more community action is necessary---city council members who are really the only check that the community has on the mayor's vision, must understand that they serve the people in their communities, not the developers who finance their campaigns. And education and commitment is also important---educating serious "onlookers" or "artists" who call themselves idealists, but don't want their vision to include the problem of displacement and gentrification.
   The next BAN meeting, which, assuming that I am not tired from work at Friends that day, I should attend, is next Tuesday, ironically the same day and the same time that my friend Sarah is presenting a very meaningful theater project at the Tank, which is actually very near the place where the BAN meeting is being held. What am I to do? I want very much to see this work that Sarah is directing,  a kind of take on Long Day's Journey, but as I sit here now, I also want to follow up on last night's meeting and share my thoughts with other like minded BAN people. Well we will see what happens.
    Last night, I left while the panelists at the forum were still taking questions, I walked a block south to Church Street--very hungry---thought I would take the Church street bus west and find a place to eat in Ditmas Park (where? Not sure) but when no bus came, I walked to Nostrand and took the 2 to Atlantic and then the Q to 14th, where I got off and grabbed a pizza at the place on 3rd and 14th. Very good pizza too. Again, I was faced with the problem---go to a bar and watch the end of the Yankee-Red Sox game but spend about $15.00, or get a slice of pizza and balance my budget. You know what my choice was. Disappointed, I would have loved to have found a place in Brooklyn to hang out, but that just the way the cards rolled last night.
  Tonight, have just ordered a ticket to Danger Signals, a play at Ohio Space that my friend Jessie is in. Will be nice to see her. It also frees me for Saturday, which is good, because so many options seem to exist for the next two weeks. Will report soon.