Brooklyn: No longer the land of charm or affordability? That’s what several young ex-Brooklynites interviewed by the Wall Street Journal charge. “I lived [in Williamsburg] for the postindustrial charm or the affordability and neither of those really exist anymore,” said 27-year-old Philip Bjerknes, an advertising executive who has lived in Brooklyn for six years. “I love Brooklyn. It’s adorable, with great places to eat, but they also have that in Manhattan,” he continued. He recently signed a lease for a one-bedroom in Alphabet City for less than $2,400 a month. Broker John Brandon of Citi Habitats said he has seen an increase in Brooklyn residents wishing to move to Manhattan since January. “Rents are going up so much in Williamsburg,” he said. “If you want to live in Manhattan, it’s kind of six of one, half a dozen of another.” In many Brooklyn neighborhoods, said Jonathan Bowles, director of the Center for an Urban Future, “the rent just keeps going up and up, even in the sluggish economy, even in the slight downturn in the housing market. For a lot of people that turned to Brooklyn in part because it was a little of a bargain, I think they’re being forced to look elsewhere.” What do you think? Are prices in the two boroughs the same? Would you prefer Manhattan over Brooklyn if it didn’t cost more?
Manhattan Rents Beckon Brooklynites [Wall Street Journal]
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