It all started out with the invasion of the hipsters to the dilapidated neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Greenpoint. They took over those neighborhoods and suddenly it became cool to live and play in those areas.
Then someone came up with the idea to build a professional sports complex in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn. As far fetched as it sounded, it gained traction, with promises of housing, jobs and commerce to the area and of course, with the blessing of the Borough President, Marty Markowitz, a sports team. And after what seemed like forever, a state of the art facility was born: The Barclays Center.
And with the Barclays Center came a professional basketball team: The Brooklyn (formerly New Jersey) Nets. With a ultra-hot rapper as a part-owner (Jay-Z) and a billionaire owner from Russia, the former doormat of the NBA's Eastern Conference has all of a sudden become hip.
And just when you thought that was enough to make you want to venture off the island, now comes the stunning news that the NY Islanders will be leaving Nassau County and make Brooklyn their home in 2015. This is a brilliant move for the Islanders, as they will finally have a facility that will be attractive enough for their fans to want to visit. And by 2015, their team should be ready to contend for a long run in the playoffs. Most importantly, with access to 8 million people, this move should assist in building a new legion of fans. I guess Charles Wang figured if it works for the Nets, it should work for them as well. Not to mention that having both the Nets and Islanders closer to Madison Square Garden will no doubt strengthen the rivalry between the four teams.
With all of this newfound optimism surrounding the Barclays Center and downtown Brooklyn, the pressing question for Mayor Bloomberg and Borough President Marty Markowitz is simple:
If the Nets or Islanders win a championship, where are you going to hold the ticker-tape parade?
Nuff Said.
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