Brooklyn neighborhood deemed one of "nicest places in America." Here's why.
NEW YORK -- Combine iconic cultural institutions with a beautiful park, friendly people and tree-lined brownstones, then top it off with a legacy of community stewardship, and you get Fort Greene, Brooklyn, aka one of the "nicest places in America."
This fall, the community was a finalist in Reader's Digest's annual contest to highlight the people or organizations that are making a difference.
"This is an amazing neighborhood"
"Our goal is to make this area better. And we kind of feel like we pat ourselves a little on the back when we see that there is a change," says Inez Wilson, Executive Director and co-founder of Switching Lifestylez, a non-profit working to reduce violence among youth.
"It's amazing and comes as no surprise. This is an amazing neighborhood. There's so much culture and history here. Great community, super diverse," says Councilmember Crystal Hudson (D), who represents the neighborhood.
Longtime residents say the area always had a tight-knit feel; a large population of Black first-time homebuyers where neighbors knew each other and helped shape hometown heroes like filmmaker Spike Lee.
"He started out in Fort Greene. So we're really proud of, you know, the film scene a lot. We have do a lot of films shoots here," Hudson says.
"We want people to feel safe to come here"
Switching Lifestylez is one of the organizations celebrated for its contributions to the community.
"If you bring your money down here, we want people to feel safe to come here, to move here, we have great schools here," explains Founder and CEO Carlos Jones. "Even police stations, they rely on us to keep it safe because we do things that they can't do."
Jones and his team all grew up at NYCHA's Walt Whitman Houses. Since 2022, the organization has been active in the community, walking kids home from school, organizing job training events, resume building seminars, and working with young people to resolve conflict that can otherwise turn violent.
"We were once part of that problem. So now we are a solution. So we understand these children so they can relate to us. And that's why we're here to change their mindset," Jones said.
It's the eighth annual contest organized by "Reader's Digest" in an effort to highlight the inspiring people or organizations that make their neighborhoods a better place.
This year's first place winner was Provo, Utah.
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