Toward the Revival

he polarization of Fort Greene resulting from the recent gentrification has intensified to the point where "the two parts of Fort Greene are as separate and distinct as ever," says Blackwell.

The differences transcend the sharp contrast between the elegant brownstone architecture south of Myrtle Avenue, and that of the housing projects in the north.

Since achieving hot-spot status, the brownstone section has taken on a more cosmopolitan appearance. Residents now affectionately call it "Brooklyn Soho," in part because of the sidewalk cafés that have sprung up throughout the neighborhood.

The stretch of Fulton Street that cuts through Fort Greene, once dominated by illegal drug businesses, is now home to several upscale restaurants, clothiers and beauty salons.

Dubbed the "Bogolan Brooklyn" district by the local black business association credited with the area’s resurgence, the strip is to Fort Greene what Myrtle Avenue was to the area in the 1960s.

The lack of an organized business presence on Myrtle Avenue contributed to its slide, says Curry, who cites the lack of a viable mix of businesses in the area as one of the reasons it has been unable to sustain its luster.

In 1998, the Pratt Institute, Chase Bank and the Fort Greene Strategic Neighborhood Action Partnership, a non-profit community group, joined forces to form the Myrtle Avenue Commercial Revitalization and Development Project.

This partnership aims to revitalize the commercial and social space along Myrtle Avenue.

"Everything seems to be falling in place," says Roy Vanasco, president of the Myrtle Avenue Merchants Association, "we have high hopes that changes will take place."