A hungry young politico from a Brooklyn little-known sub-neighborhood wants to put his community on the map.
Adam Diamond, a 23-year-old Georgetown native working for Assemblywoman Jamie Williams (D–Canarsie), resurrected the formerly defunct Georgetowne Civic Group (yes, with an “e”) four months ago, and now he’s hoping to get area peers civically engaged and breathe some new life into Southern Brooklyn’s civic scene. Our reporter caught up with the up-and-comer to learn more about his plans:
Alexandra Simon: Why is it important to get a younger demographic involved in the civic?
Adam Diamond: They are home more — they will also be around longer, and they have the energy and time to be make the civic what it is. I started getting involved when I was much younger — 10 or 11 years old. If there are teens who want to be engaged in their community, they can come down.
AS: And how has your experience been as president so far?
AD: It’s been interesting. It’s been difficult. One of the most difficult things is just getting people to the meetings. Seeing as we’re a small civic, where we don’t have a built-in base like other civics that have been around for 50–70 years, so pretty much what I was trying to do in April was restart it, and get some new, younger people in who can help us grow.
AS: Why do you hold the meetings in the Mill Basin library ?
AD: One of reasons for that — we were looking at spaces in Georgetown. Since Georgetown is so residential, there’s almost no place to hold a meeting, no community center. One very good location is where Community Board 18 holds theirs, but they would need to hold staff in order to have the meeting there. But we’re looking at all our options going forward.
AS: Georgetown is not a very well-known neighborhood — why do you think that is?
AD: I think because a lot of people tie it into Bergen Beach — most maps you look at, it gets tied in with Bergen Beach. It really is kind of like an unknown suburban part of the city, which is nice. It’s nice to not be known, because there’s a lot of stress that comes with being known. But it’s also nice if people knew that we were here because it really has a quiet little suburban feel.
AS: The civic spells Georgetowne with an “e” at the end — is that the correct spelling?
AD: It’s actually spelled both ways. When they were developing Georgetown originally, the developer wanted it to be spelled with “e.” The development was supposed to be Georgetowne Greens. When that development never took place, the “e” kind of fell off. Even when you drive through Georgetown, you can see some stores spell it with an “e.”
AS: What is your preference?
AD: I don’t spell it with an “e.” For the next civic meeting, we’re going with the Georgetown spelling without the “e.” Seems like most people spell it without the “e” — the only place that spells it with an “e” is the Georgetowne Shopping center.
AS: So how to do you manage the work demands of being community group leader and working for Williams’ office?
AD: It’s been going very well so far, because the assembly member and senator [state Sen. Roxanne Persaud (D–Canarsie)] who I previously work for, both did cover Georgetown. I was able to hear complaints while I was at work that had to do Georgetown, and that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to start it.
AS: Is this club a political stepping stone?
AD: No. I would consider this important, whether or not I pursue politics.
AS: Do you see a future in politics?
AD: I definitely enjoy what I’m doing, I enjoy community, getting to know people, I enjoy hearing the issues that are taking place, and hopefully being able to solve them — so I do enjoy that aspect. I like to consider that I’m good at what I do. If I have a future in it? I certainly hope so.
