Civics and Urban Life

Brad and Stephen: What Does It Mean For Park Slope?

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Starting in January, Park Slope will have two new councilmen: Brad Lander in the 39th district and Stephen Levin in the 33rd.

Since 2001 it's been The deBlasio/Yassky Show in Park Slope. Both City Council members represented their own large sliver of Park Slope and when it came to Seventh Avenue, Fifth Avenue and other important community spots—they seemed to work together. 

Maybe it was purely symbolic. But deBlasio and Yassky seemed to share Park Slope in a nice, even- handed way. For one thing, they always seemed to be at the same events. For instance, at the graduation ceremonies at PS 321 and MS 51: de Blasio and Yassky would both show up and make speeches.

Same with street fairs, sports parades, school events and other community-wide celebrations. While the line between the 39th and the 33rd is an esoteric piece of urban geography, it's not like either of them seemed religious about enforcing the boundaries (though I'm sure there are times that they did).

So what about the new guys? Will they get along? Do they even know each other? And will they handle Park Slope the same way that deBlasio and Yassky did. Because if you really spell it out, this is who gets what:

Like, who gets PS 321? Lander.

And who gets the Community Bookstore? Levin.

How about Old First Church: Levin

Congregation Beth Elohim: that's Levin, too

What about JJ Byrne Park: Lander

MS 51: Lander

And on and on…

Sure, they each have Brooklyn neighborhoods that are their's alone. Lander has Carroll Gardens, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Boro Park while Levin has Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

But Park Slope is shared.

Soon it will be time for the The Lander/Levin Show to take over deBlasio and Yassky's time slot. It will sure be interesting to see how Lander and Levin divvy things up and if their relationship is as compatible as DiBlasio and Yassky's seemed to be.

3 thoughts on “Brad and Stephen: What Does It Mean For Park Slope?”

  1. Park Slope is split into two districts in the State Assembly, State Senate, and the City Council. We must demand that the splitting of Park Slope must end in the next redistricting, which will occur after the 2010 census and in time for the 2012 elections.

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