Music Space

Richard Florida — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:54:33 +0000

When Manhattan rents skyrocketed, creative energy moved out to Brooklyn in search of cheap(er) space. The New York Times reports on a Brooklyn apartment complex specifically for musicians.

When they bought the buildings 10 years ago, Ms. Hertz said, drug dealers were as thick as thieves, and the neighborhood had none of the creature comforts of nearby Park Slope. But the buildings sat right on Prospect Park and over a subway stop. The setting was perfect, in other words, for struggling artists who frequent Manhattan and like to play Frisbee.

One musician moved in, paid his rent on time and recommended another, who recommended another. Noise complaints paradoxically went down, Ms. Hertz said, and evictions did, too. … Word spread as fast as “The Flight of the Bumblebee.” At a time when cheap studios are in hot demand and other landlords want proof of steady work and a co-guarantor, Ms. Hertz mainly wants to know if you have friends inside and can carry a tune …

Today the stairwell railings are festooned with bikes, and the halls are alive with the sound of music. All told there are something like 40 musicians in the two buildings, an improvised community of creative souls who keep similar hours and share an impulse to jam.

Studios typically are 190 square feet, plus a kitchenette, a full bath, a small hallway and two or three closets … Generally, there’s a tacit no-music-after-10 policy, and any boom-chica-boom you hear before then can be considered a reminder to get back to work …

Two interestings things, aside from the tenants. One, this is a for-profit project. And two, it developed naturally and organically over time as was not part of any top-down initiative.

Creative Class » Manhattan apartment

Music Space