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[GK86]

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http://gothamist.com/2017/08/25/sum...08.692288389.1503313500-1788463160.1490642846

Update: Crown Heights Bar Owner Refuses To Remove 'Bullet Hole' Wall: 'I'm Sorry I Have A Sense Of Humor

And for good measure, she added a watermelon cocktail to the drink menu.

Dozens of protesters turned out in Brooklyn on Saturday to slam the decor of their neighborhood’s newest restaurant.

The owner of Summerhill, who promoted her Crown Heights business by hyping bogus “bullet holes” in the walls and a sketchy past as an illegal gun outlet, was inundated with demonstrators eager to defend their neighborhood.

The crowd of about 100 people choked the sidewalk outside the restaurant and chanted “Bye bye, Becky!” at owner Becca Brenna — who did not appear, but issued her second apology of the week.

“I deeply apologize for any offense that my recent comments might have caused,” read a statement from Brennan. “I did not intend to be insensitive to anyone in the neighborhood, and I am sorry that my words caused pain.

“I made light of serious issues and that was wrong.”

Brennan, a former attorney and native of Canada, described her use of “bullet hole” wall for marketing as “cheeky,” and also announced plans to serve a 40-ounce bottle of wine in paper bags. She has since admitted the holes weren’t from bullets.

Angry residents responded by hanging signs on lamp posts and trees denouncing Summerhill.

“This is what gentrification looks like,” some of the signs read.

She got the idea for the bullet holes based on a random internet comment:

According to Brennan, the idea to advertise bullet holes came from a comment on the website Brooklynian, where commenters trade gossip and details about new businesses. Last September, an anonymous commenter wrote, "If I'm not mistaken this was the corner store where you could buy a 'certified pre-owned' firearm back in the day."

Brennan said she did not investigate the gun rumor further. "I don't have any backup to that, but when you think about it as a joke like, yep, that's a bullet hole," she said.

 

[Omadahl]

Jesus lady, I know you think it's cheeky but consider the optics. Some people are just dense.

 

[Kayhan]

also announced plans to serve a 40-ounce bottle of wine in paper bags

She really committed to her idea.

 

[andythinkpad]

THIS IS GENTRIFICATION LOOK LIKE

Good for you lady.

 

[entremet]

Been a lot gentrification protest of late in Queens and Brooklyn. Owner was tone deaf of course, but really this is just a tiny sympton of a corrupt NYC wide development practice. Just like SF, it's very hard to build new developments and thus supply and demand kicks in and landlords raising rents.

 

[Escape Goat]

Bye, Becky.

 

[BigAT]

That BYE BECKY sign...

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

Watermelon cocktails, 40z in a paper bag, fake bullet holes.....There is a word for this and it's not gentrification.

 

[KNT-Zero]

....And it's called Summerhill...

 

[sc0la]

Bye Becky 👋

 

[Bronx-Man]

Please don't tell me adding "urban elements" to upscale resturants is a legitimate trend.

 

[Technosteve]

crown heights getting gentrified? damn

 

[CrocMother]

crown heights getting gentrified? damn

Gentrification ground zero

 

[The Jazz Cabbage Master]

Bye Becky 😂

Awesome

 

[Alligatorjandro]

Watermelon cocktails, 40z in a paper bag, fake bullet holes.....There is a word for this and it's not gentrification.

Smells like racism

 

[DrFunk]

Please don't tell me adding "urban elements" to upscale resturants is a legitimate trend.

remember this?

http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Calif-bar-selling-40-oz-bottles-of-Colt-45-with-10806519.php

 

[OmniGamer]

crown heights getting gentrified? damn

As a lifelong resident of of Crown heights for 35 years...yep, you better believe it.

 

[Chmpocalypse]

Guntrification

What a dumb decor choice.

Edit: missed some of the details. This is also racist af

 

[Bronx-Man]

A good time to post an underrated SNL bit.

 

[shintoki]

Becky Becky Becky!

 

[tbm24]

Anyone who goes to a website called Brooklynian is not from Brooklyn. She can get stuffed. The gentrification is on full speed and it's just going to keep pushing natives out of their neighborhoods.

Also a 40oz bottle of wine in a brown paper bag along with the bullet holes is so gross. Seeing an apology stating the owner had no idea it would offend anyone drives me nuts.

 

[dreamcastmaster]

Please don't tell me adding "urban elements" to upscale resturants is a legitimate trend.

I don't know, but I remember a recent topic about a restaurant being urban. Backlash was the same.

 

[Skelter]

As a lifelong resident of of Crown heights for 35 years...yep, you better believe it.

I saw my home go from violent to hipster paradise. Damn do I miss living in Bushwick.

 

[Permanently A]

remember this?

http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Calif-bar-selling-40-oz-bottles-of-Colt-45-with-10806519.php

Isn't this more like cultural appropriation? I thought gentrification was a poor neighborhood getting encroached by richer tenants.

 

[Mysterious]

remember this?

http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Calif-bar-selling-40-oz-bottles-of-Colt-45-with-10806519.php

What does the paper bag mean in a historical context?

 

[entremet]

I saw my home go from violent to hipster paradise. Damn do I miss living in Bushwick.

Bushwick is now home to a huge nightlife and party scene. Tons of hipster lol. All the cool kids go there for the big parties instead of Manhattan these days. The Manhattan club scene got boring.

 

[Technosteve]

I saw my home go from violent to hipster paradise. Damn do I miss living in Bushwick.

but bushwick is up and coming.

is bayridge gentrified? i haven't been back for two decades.

 

[jstripes]

....And it's called Summerhill...

For those that don't know, Summerhill is a very wealthy neighbourhood of Toronto, and where the restaurant owner came from.

 

[Sirpopopop]

Gentrification is the effect of rampant NIMBYISM, not the cause.

As to this "restaurant": I think the proper word to use is racist.

 

[Alucrid]

Isn't this more like cultural appropriation? I thought gentrification was a poor neighborhood getting encroached by richer tenants.

who do you think is buying a $15 40 in a paper bag?

 

[Escape Goat]

who do you think is buying a $15 40 in a paper bag?

going by google image search its white people in their 20s.

 

[Heroman]

What does the paper bag mean in a historical context?

You can drink in public

 

[Brian_FETO]

I was under the impression that gentrification was all about stripping away the culture of an area to make it more "valuable" vs. what appears to be just blatant racism

 

[CrocoDuck]

but bushwick is up and coming.

is bayridge gentrified? i haven't been back for two decades.

Nah Bay Ridge is still cool, from what I know. Most of the gentrified areas are in the north, though there is a starting trend to see these people seep heir way towards the south, starting with Sunset Park.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

This is how I like my racism. Blatant as fuck.

 

[GK86]

A good time to post an underrated SNL bit.

Ok, this was pretty great.

What does the paper bag mean in a historical context?

Peeps used brown paper bags so they can drink out in public.

 

[Jay Sosa]

then stop shooting each other. and by each other I mean the entirety of the US.

How about directing your anger at the lack of gun control?

 

[zeemumu]

also announced plans to serve a 40-ounce bottle of wine in paper bags

 

[AlexFlame116]

I'm actually curious as to what the watermelon means in all of this. I've never heard of that before.

 

[CrocMother]

then stop shooting each other. and by each I mean the entirety of the US.

Wow just drove by with that, not even reading that the bullet holes are fake.

 

[StrangeRoboMemory]

What's the over/under on hipster doofuses saying "Yeeaaaa boooi" and "This is for my homies, heheheheh" when they buy the 40 in a bag?

 

[GK86]

I'm actually curious as to what the watermelon means in all of this. I've never heard of that before.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon_stereotype

 

[zeemumu]

then stop shooting each other. and by each other I mean the entirety of the US.

How about directing your anger at the lack of gun control?

...what?

 

[Jay Sosa]

Wow just drove by with that, not even reading that the bullet holes are fake.

Huh? It says in the title its just a decoration.

...what?

Is this really the problem? Or rather that we (well at least she does) sadly associate bullet holes with urban USA?

 

[StrangeRoboMemory]

I'm actually curious as to what the watermelon means in all of this. I've never heard of that before.

Interesting article on this: https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/how-watermelons-became-a-racist-trope/383529/

But the stereotype that African Americans are excessively fond of watermelon emerged for a specific historical reason and served a specific political purpose. The trope came into full force when slaves won their emancipation during the Civil War. Free black people grew, ate, and sold watermelons, and in doing so made the fruit a symbol of their freedom. Southern whites, threatened by blacks’ newfound freedom, responded by making the fruit a symbol of black people’s perceived uncleanliness, laziness, childishness, and unwanted public presence. This racist trope then exploded in American popular culture, becoming so pervasive that its historical origin became obscure. Few Americans in 1900 would’ve guessed the stereotype was less than half a century old.

 

[sangreal]

What does the paper bag mean in a historical context?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9YgBF58Qks

 

[CrocMother]

Huh? It says in the title its just a decoration.

Then what the heck are you trying to say?

 

[Sylas]

Wow just drove by with that, not even reading that the bullet holes are fake.

 

[Jay Sosa]

Then what the heck are you trying to say?

read my reply to the other dude.

If shootings/bullet holes have become a stereo type then there is a deeper issue than just some tasteless and racist restaurant owner.

https://www.theatlantic. /magazine/archive/2015/09/a-matter-of-black-lives/399386/

https://www.google.at/amp/abc7ny.com/amp/news/mugshots-12-alleged-gang-members-arrested-in-turf-war/2071933/

 

[AlexFlame116]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon_stereotype

Interesting article on this: https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/how-watermelons-became-a-racist-trope/383529/

Okay yeah that's pretty bad. Especially when combining it with the other things.