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July 15, 2009

Williamsburg: Squatters' Paradise

205-north-9th-street-0709.jpgOn the heels of a post on Curbed yesterday, the Daily News today has an article about how the living is easy in Williamsburg for squatters. The paper profiles a drifter named Jonny who enjoys the easy access to abandoned buildings like 205 North 9th Street ("We just kick the fences in. We get in easy") and the short train ride to Wall Street where he rakes in $150 a day panhandling ("My girlfriend and I bought a laptop, a portable DVD player and a PSP"). And, according to Jonny, the police in Williamsburg are also very cooperative: "I'm seeing more squatters on Bedford," he said. "The cops don't mess with you." In a related article, neighborhood residents show they aren't as happy with the situation. "It's like St. Marks in the '70s," said Williamsburg activist Philip DePaolo, referring to the notorious East Village hangout. "It's the bad old days all over again. There's crack and heroin all over the neighborhood."
Squatting Made Easy in Williamsburg [NY Daily News]
Punks Invade Williamsburg [NY Daily News]
Busted Williamsburg [Curbed]
Photo from Curbed




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:14 AM | Comments (27)
Categories: Quality of Life, Williamsburg

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Comments

Thanks Daily News...Former Squatters' Paradise

Posted by: bmfesq at July 15, 2009 10:28 AM

Its ok, they only need 3.5% down to buy a place there.

Posted by: dittoburg at July 15, 2009 10:50 AM

quote:
"he rakes in $150 a day panhandling ("My girlfriend and I bought a laptop, a portable DVD player and a PSP")"

scrub, PLEASE! the laptop, dvd player, and psp were paid for by him and his girlfriend's parents. the 150 dollars a day they panhandle goes to coke and meth. let's not kid anyone here.

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at July 15, 2009 10:53 AM

Did the What get banned again? He should be all over this.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 15, 2009 10:53 AM

quote:

"I'm seeing more squatters on Bedford," he said. "The cops don't mess with you."

gee, i wonder why. :-/

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at July 15, 2009 10:54 AM

summer squatters.. they'll be gone by the end of fall

Posted by: adamsa at July 15, 2009 10:55 AM

I would think the presence of heroin-addicted panhandlers will add to the area's allure. People moving to Northside love that shit - it lets them think their neighborhood is more 'authentic.' These are the type of people who romanticize the 1970s-1980s East Village with the squats, shooting galleries, homeless encampment in Tompkins Square Park.

Posted by: Sparafucile at July 15, 2009 10:57 AM

No, the What has not been banned. Perhaps he's out at his place in the Hamptons...

Posted by: brownstoner at July 15, 2009 10:57 AM

The What is on his way to Wall Street, $150 bucks a day panhandling is more than he makes spewing garbage on brownstoner all week.

Posted by: Adam Incognito at July 15, 2009 11:07 AM

Filthy free loading panhandling hipsters.

Posted by: dosteov at July 15, 2009 11:14 AM

Shitting into a 5 gallon plastic joint compound bucket sounds like paradise.

Posted by: IMBY at July 15, 2009 11:16 AM

Posted on the OT but more relevant here:

http://www.latfh.com/

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at July 15, 2009 11:17 AM

I called 311 about the place on North 9th and Roebling. Looks like someone put up more wood planks to block the entrance.

also, as i've mentioned before - i've seen people climbing up from a subway grate on Union Ave btw N9th and N10th (three times now)

Posted by: dirty_hipster at July 15, 2009 11:31 AM

Minimum wage is $7.15 per hour--that's a little over $70 per day if you're working a 10-hour day. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume most of those jobs don't have benefits.

It's insane that panhandlers are making more than minimum wage workers. Something is VERY messed up in our labor markets, that one can live better on the pocket change given away by the uber-wealthy than on a full day's work.

Posted by: bkrules at July 15, 2009 11:38 AM

We had a similar reaction when we heard about the dude who panhandles in front of Peas & Pickles in Dumbo taking a car service home at the end of the day!

Posted by: brownstoner at July 15, 2009 11:49 AM

i tend to give pocket change to panhandlers, but only the ones i like really. im kind of selective. no clue how much they make. i do not think 150 dollars a day is average, i think these people in this article are just bragging and trying to glamorize their lifestyle, which is sad, these types of people are homeless by CHOICE. i feel bad for the people who are homeless due to circumstances beyond their control. these kidults panhandling and then bragging about having laptops need a serious dose of REAL reality.

on one hand it angers me, on another hand im like ugh, why dont i just go and do that too?! and on another hand im glad i dont.

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at July 15, 2009 12:02 PM

Cops only want to make arrests that are worth their time...

Posted by: spnder at July 15, 2009 12:07 PM

I walked up Flatbush Av the other day behind a male/female couple each of whom I've seen separately begging around the Slope. They were having an argument about where to hang their new state-of-the-art t.v.
Maybe I'll join the What in town.

Posted by: Arkady at July 15, 2009 12:14 PM

Man, everyone here just couldn't wait to hate on some hipsters! The article is typical hyperbolic bullshit. No one is making $150 EVERYDAY begging and no one is going on electronics shipping sprees. Sounds like some people are bitter about their $150k loan debt from NYU.

Posted by: IronMaiden at July 15, 2009 12:21 PM

ironmaiden ive seen some of your other posts, youre kind of an idiot.

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at July 15, 2009 12:23 PM

About six months ago I noticed the panhandlers had invaded Bedford. It's just like Haight St. First the artists, then the recent college graduates, then the lawyer interns, then the Meatpacking District wannabees, and now the panhandlers. I don't think it is all about the abandoned squats. I think it's also easy for them to beg on Bedford because there's so many people there.

Yesterday on the 6 train around Grand Central there was a woman begging with two girls ages about 7 and 10.

Most people who beg are mentally ill. Others have a house to live in but disability and such doesn't go very far. Others have substance abuse problems. I doubt many are making $150 a day. Also my first thought is the laptop and such were stolen.

Posted by: mopar at July 15, 2009 12:30 PM

@brownstoner: That P&P dude takes a car service!?? The panhandlers in DUMBO frustrate me. Don't they realize they are limiting themselves to a small pool of people? If you live/work in the area, the guy in front of P&P might ask you for change 2 or 3 times per day. Go downtown or take the subway to Manhattan where 10x as many people will walk buy you!

I feel bad not being able to give something to everyone asking. I am very fortunate and I am thankful for that. However, when its the same guy over and over every day I might as well hire him to just do work for me rather than giving a couple of bucks every time.

Posted by: AndYouWillKnowUsbyTheTrailofRenters at July 15, 2009 12:31 PM

IronMaiden - what have the hipsters got to do with the squatters?

Posted by: dittoburg at July 15, 2009 1:06 PM

I can only aspire to reach the level of sophistication your posts bring, Rob. This will be the last time I acknowledge you.

Posted by: IronMaiden at July 15, 2009 1:50 PM

"@brownstoner"

can we PLEASE not turn this blog into twitter.

Posted by: Return of Randolph at July 15, 2009 1:54 PM


NYC has always had its share of squatters. Some have just found a new "home."

Posted by: East New York at July 15, 2009 2:09 PM

they aren't pleasent, the smell, the begging
hoping they don't come back every summer

Posted by: 11211 at July 18, 2009 2:51 AM

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