Williamsburg: Squatters' Paradise
On 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…
On 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
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.
Cops only want to make arrests that are worth their time…
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*
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!
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.
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 on the OT but more relevant here:
http://www.latfh.com/
Shitting into a 5 gallon plastic joint compound bucket sounds like paradise.
Filthy free loading panhandling hipsters.