As I mentioned previously, my dad described Prospect Heights as a “changing neighborhood.” Since I moved there in October, I have seen the area change quite a bit. For one, there are more people in my, um, demographic living there; the group of people who get off at the Eastern Parkway stop has become more mixed. And the neighborhood is beginning to reflect the shift: Teddy’s, a Greek restaurant, is opening on Washington Ave. in a few weeks.
While many Brooklynites consider gentrification a dirty word, I don’t really see the problem. The influx of affluent people to my neighborhood will lead to more restaurants and better grocery stores, which will mean more people (eyes) on the street, leading to an altogether safer community. Prospect Heights is close to major subway lines, Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Museum. It’s just a matter of time before it becomes the kind of neighborhood people from Manhattan consider dear. I’m excited to watch these developments. Like Mahatma Gandhi said, you must be the change you wish to see in the world. Living in Prospect Heights, I’m doing my best.