Brooklyn buildings – residents’ nightmare

As a journalist I have encountered many people throughout the globe (mostly third world) and have been fortunate enough to visit some of their homes in different countries. But I have found a common factor and it’s nothing expect the strange similarity in lifestyles. They share almost similar standpoints, aspirations, frustrations, anguishes in spite of the divisions of class, language, religion. Well, there is another similarity and it’s their dilapidated buildings which ashamed them a lot. I was quite stunned to witness their disgraces though everything was beyond their control. What did I fail to make them realize was that ramshackle buildings do exist even in the New York City, the most populous city of the mightiest nation of world, US.

Are you getting amazed over this? But there is nothing to get startled so much since it is a reality and even New York City is not devoid of this. Have you heard the name of Brooklyn? It is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located on western Long Island and most populous with 2.5 million residents. But, in spite of all these positive aspects, the city houses ramshackle buildings. Long skirmishes between tenants and landlords have also been witnessed regarding the buildings but there is no solution yet.

In this respect the 113 crumbling Brooklyn buildings, which come under the city’s list of the 200 worst apartment buildings across New York, deserve special mention. All these buildings due to the antipathy of the property owners are in abject impoverishment and the majority of the owners have no options expect to leave. But in spite of this many are not leaving since they have nowhere to go and they continue to live in places that are devoid of heat, water and other basic amenities to lead a decent life but certainly infested with large rats.

Do you think this as remarkable? It may be but is certainly a reality.