Southside Rising

Today the Journal has an article describing the in-progress gentrification of Williamsburg’s Southside, noting in particular the various restaurants that have opened in the past few years, like Fatty ‘Cue, and the smattering of new condos, like 88 South First Street. The big development elephant in the area, the Domino conversion, is also mentioned, though a rep for the project says financing has yet to be finalized and no start date has been set for construction. The story also has the expected mention of the growing pains caused by gentrification: “‘Every time I go for a walk around the neighborhood, I see signs for a new place opening where some of us can’t afford to eat or shop,’ said 63-year-old Jose Vargas, who has lived in the area for decades. ‘It’s only a matter of time before we can’t afford to live here.” It also notes, though, that a reinvention of the neighborhood is still years away: “empty warehouses and tenements still pepper the neighborhood and some say the South Side has a way to go before the area is fully revitalized.”
South Williamsburg Keeps Grip on Old Ties [WSJ]
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