$3500 Spacious 2BR Apartment
in Historic Two-Family Brownstone
(Central Brooklyn)
Hello there!
We’re Jim and Annie — a thirty-something, progressive white couple committed to leveraging our privilege in the struggle for the full equality of marginalized people in our society. That’s why we sold the Upper West Side penthouse that Annie inherited and relocated to Brooklyn, where the vibrant diversity of New York can most readily be appreciated. To us, gentrification is really an opportunity for integration — a commitment to living, working alongside, and learning from those of different cultures. This is the future we envision for all people; especially our precious six-month-old son, Atticus Jamal.
Our new property is located in the historic Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, and accessible by essential forms of mass transit such as Lyft, Uber, and local green taxis. There is an abundance of clean eating options in the community, from local farm shares to food co-ops. We’ve also confirmed that FreshDirect, Blue Apron, and Hello Fresh all deliver to the area (we are working on increasing access to Amazon Lockers). The apartment for rent is located on the first floor, and boasts stunning views of our custom-built Japanese tea garden. It features hardwood floors, all new energy-efficient appliances, and pristine pre-war molding throughout the property. Thanks to some networking and several backdoor meetings, we were able to secure a “historic site” designation for the property-making the rent a steal!
We are really committed to entering our new community as diversifying agents and correcting the deep history of redlining that has restricted opportunity for others. To that end, we are seeking tenants that share our commitment to progressive values and inclusion. We’d also really like to rent to a family with a young child, so that Atticus Jamal has a friend to grow up with. Annie is a legacy at La Puissante Pépinière, so we’re pretty sure that’s where AJ will go for day care when the new Brooklyn campus opens. After some very persistent advocacy by a small group of parents (led by us), a portion of the seats have been put into a lottery for local community residents. There are also some scholarships; although we find the tuition to be very affordable at $15,000 per year. We’ll have applications available at apartment viewings and would be more than happy to provide a recommendation (not that you’ll need it — Annie is on the selection committee).
Jim is a supervising attorney at the local public defender’s office and Annie operates a small private counseling practice from the basement. Ideally you would also be employed in a helping profession (and open to the occasional #selfcare dinner and movie night — we’ve got to look after each other). We know that not every community has access to credit, so we are prepared to be flexible on the credit score so long as you’ve been stably employed for at least two years, have some savings, and an income at least 40x the monthly rent. We are open to exploring some entitlements like Section 8 on a case-by-case basis, but this is new terrain for us. We already haggle with the city over late payments and filing requirements in our work lives; we don’t want to add battles over loud music, marijuana smoking, and rowdy guests to that mix. Your cousin or friend that just got out of jail can stay for a few nights here or there, but it can’t be permanent. We really want this to be a good home environment for the children. For the right candidate, a little paperwork and patience is a small sacrifice for keeping folk in the neighborhood. If this sounds like you, feel free to email us with any questions or to request a viewing!
In solidarity,
Jim, Annie, and Atticus Jamal