Part 2: Brooklyn poly-house publicity escalates across New York
My post yesterday, Brooklyn real estate project for polyfolks draws more publicity than expected, followed events as they developed from Thursday morning to Friday afternoon. A poly intentional community is taking shape in a specially rebuilt Brooklyn brownstone. In 36 hours, news-media attention grew from a bit of neighborhood interest to coverage (sometimes salacious) by newspaper, radio, and TV across the New York metropolitan area, population 20 million.
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| "Leon Feingold is the realtor of the 15-bedroom Bushwick house for polyamorous tenants." (Natalie Musumeci / New York Daily News) |
A partial transcript.
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An hour later, the New York Daily News online published a story that will probably be in the print edition. Says Leon, "This one might be my favorite. It's quite even-handed, well-informed, and has some good quotes. And I think I even look OK in the pictures."
So do the living spaces! The paper put up a slide show of the spiffy new interiors.
Inside Bushwick manor that is a haven for polyamorous tenants
A three-story residential building in Bushwick is being converted into a safe haven for the polyamorous — those who don’t mind having romantic relationships with multiple consenting partners.
By Natalie Musumeci
...Replete with a hot tub, gazebo and wet-bar, the 15-bedroom “Hacienda Villa” is for people who practice and are supportive of “responsible non-monogamy,” said Leon Feingold, the realtor of the Troutman St. building and co-founder of Open Love NY, a group that caters to the libertine community.
“We can have romantic, physical and/or emotional relationships with multiple people simultaneously, lasting anywhere from a single interaction to a lifetime, as long as everyone involved knows and consents,” said Feingold.
"Building realtor Leon Feingold is even considering taking a room at the 'Hacienda Villa,' which is complete with a backyard hot tub and a gazebo." (Natalie Musumeci / New York Daily News)
The “free love” household located on Troutman St., one block away from the Myrtle Ave. stop on the J, M, or Z lines, is already home to three tenants with four more on the way, said Feingold.
A 40-year-old scientific researcher, Lily, was one of the first residents to move into the house last week.
“I’m really happy and safe knowing I’m going to be in a place where people are really wise and understand the community,” she said, adding that she had her first poly experience two years ago with another couple. “We totally hit it off.”
...Make no mistake, said Feingold, the manor will not be a “swingers” pad.
Building realtor Leon Feingold is even considering taking a room at the "Hacienda Villa," which is complete with a backyard hot tub and a gazebo.
“It’s not a sex-fest. It’s not a place to come and get your freak on. It’s a place to come home to,” said Feingold, who is considering taking a room for himself in the house.
All renters must be verified by an existing member of the polyamorous community so that the house remains a judgment-free zone, he said....
See the whole article (online May 16, 2014).
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About an hour later, the website of CBS New York posted a similar nice article: Polyamorous Community Offers ‘Judgment-Free’ Living Space In Bushwick (May 16, 2014).
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Meanwhile, in TimeOut New York:
Brooklyn’s Hacienda Villa has been refurbished as a polyamorist-friendly swinger pad
Here are the passive-aggressive roommate notes we’d expect to find in such a place.
...Polyamory seems like one of the few taboos left in NYC, so it’ll be interesting to see if this project helps make the general public more accepting of it. But we can’t help but wonder: Do the polyamorous communicate with each other the same way the rest of New York’s roommates do — with passive-aggressive notes? If so, here are some you might find taped to the fridge. Or the bathroom door. Or the TV. Or the window because OMG YOU GUYS I TOLD YOU TO CLOSE THIS BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
- If you see that the extra-large hand-pump KY dispenser is empty, maybe consider refilling it? Kthxbye!
...- Dear everyone, My parents are visiting today. I know it’s asking a lot, but please put some pants on.
- SOMEONE left out the edible chocolate massage oil last night and we now have roaches. Jeremy, I know vermin is your thing, but it's really foul.
...- Everyone REALLY needs to keep the noise down after midnight. I could barely manage to get any sex at all, thanks to the sound of the rest of you snoring peacefully in your beds.
The whole piece (May 16, 2014).
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Local satire in The Burning Bushwick: New “Monogamists Only” Complex to Open as Alternative to Polyamory Building. (May 17. NSFW artwork.)
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Leon is co-president of Open Love NY, the city's largest poly education and social group with 1,500 members (as of two days ago). In January I spoke at its monthly public discussion forum, which is held in the Theater Arts Building in midtown Manhattan. Its biggest events are the monthly Poly Cocktails nights at a rock club in lower Manhattan, which have been running since 2007.
OLNY's Mischa Lin responded to criticism about dealing with outlets like the New York Post:
Right now OLNY is in customer-acquisition mode so yes, almost any publicity is good. If sex is what brings people in, then it's our responsibility as a community to show newcomers that we're about more than just hooking up. If we want this to be a movement, we have to keep growing, both in numbers and in refining our message.
As of dinnertime Friday, OLNY had over 120 new membership applicants. And in fairness, the Post story was what triggered everything that followed, including the rival Daily News playing catch-up.
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Labels: New York
1 Comments:
I am still amazed (but shouldn't be) of the sex-act centric conversation predominant in in non-poly culture.
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