Posted on October 16, 2015 by Noel King in Marketplace Marketplace, By Noel King Walter Simpson calls the framed family pictures that decorate his living room wall, the “wall of fame.” There’s his niece, his mom, and an aunt who has since passed away. Simpson has lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn since 1988, when he was a teenager. Back then, crime was much more common. “When you went on the trains, for instance, you were worried about getting your chain snatched,” Simpson said. Crown Heights was affordable then, and the rent Simpson is currently paying, $1,200 a month, is a holdover from that time. He works as a customer service representative for Verizon and the current rent suits him fine. Last year, Simpson’s building was bought. Simpson says the new landlord wants to raise his rent to around $2,200. Renaissance Realty Group, the company that owns the building, had no comment.
