Though the Barclays Center doesn’t officially open until September, the Atlantic Yards project has already re-shaped Brooklyn, transforming “neighborhoods prized for their streets of tree-lined brownstones and low-key living,” says the New York Times.
“The neighborhood is now becoming an entertainment mecca — anything that’s hip and of the moment,” Robert Schulman, of Flatbush Avenue’s told the Times.
The article calls out newcomers like , Va Beh’, , and as some of the shops and venues that have cropped up following the announcement of the arena and accompanying high-rise residential and office buildings.
But the Times says that the changes are evidence that the project has accomplished its goal of transforming the Long Island Rail Road’s dreary rail yards and surrounding industrial buildings, described by Forest City Ratner spokesman Joe DePlasco as “a scar that divided the neighborhood.”
But would these changes have happened on their own, anyway? Other Brooklyn neighborhoods, like Williamsburg and DUMBO, blossomed with high-rise condos and artisanal cocktail bars long ago. Vote in our poll below, or let us know your thoughts in the comments.
