Fort Greene, je t'aime

I am a sentimentalist.

I remember my last day of elementary school and being overwhelmed with a sense of the finality of it all. I was 11 years old.

So it’s with a slightly more appropriate mix of sadness and nostalgia that I write this, my last post as editor of Fort Greene Patch.

We’ve been through a lot together.

There’s been not one, but two hurricanes, a blizzard, an historic election, the continued battle against gun violence at Fort Greene Houses and the perhaps less publicized moments of charity that have firmly solidified this neighborhood’s place as Brooklyn’s capital of compassion.

True, Fort Greene is much changed these days — with the promise of even bigger developments to come.

But there is much I hope that is lasting in this collection of tree-lined blocks and urban industrial landscapes, this mix of old and new, rich and poor.

Fort Greene is much more than a historic district. It is a living laboratory for the kind of neighborhood we all want to live in, a place where Brooklyn’s past, present and future is on display for anyone to see.

I believe what happens here will continue to have great consequences for the rest of our borough and our city.

Which brings me to my parting thought: Get involved and stay involved because this conversation is only just beginning.

For the last two years, it’s been my privilege to report on people who stick their necks out and try to make a difference.

Whether it’s Schellie Hagan protesting the expansion of neighborhood public space or FAB’s Phillip Kellogg planning the next big improvement for the benefit of shoppers and business owners — both care deeply about their community.

And both are right. This community is worth fighting for, working for, doing anything we can to preserve our past while striving for a better tomorrow.

Onward.