There Goes the Neigborhood
If we read another mention of Busta Rhymes’ purchase of three condos in the Gretsch building as proof of the neighborhood’s arrival, we’re going to be ill. This is such a transparent marketing scheme–we lived three blocks from the Gretsch for the last two years and never heard of anyone ever seeing him in the…
If we read another mention of Busta Rhymes’ purchase of three condos in the Gretsch building as proof of the neighborhood’s arrival, we’re going to be ill. This is such a transparent marketing scheme–we lived three blocks from the Gretsch for the last two years and never heard of anyone ever seeing him in the neighborhood. It’s just another example of a celebrity lending their name to a project and then flipping their unit(s) for a big profit. But you’d think the press would be a little smarter about playing into the whole racket…Anyway, where were we? Oh, yeah. Another big news-breaking article on the arrival of Williamsburg–this one in the New York Observer. The piece’s angle is that the new Richie Rich’s moving into the hood are displacing artists and not supporting the arts. Really? Yawn.
The Hip Gets Square [NY Observer]
Wow, Will, some memories.
I remember on NAG benefit had a miniature golf course set up on the same concrete slab.
And the Hasdic johns used to park their station wagons in front my friends shop/house on N6 off Kent. Pile of condoms every morning.
A friend who owned a station wagon had all four wheels and all lights stolen one night (N8 off Kent). I’m some crackhead sold the whole to the Hasidim – its the only reason anyone would strip a car like that.
As for Schaeffer, from what I hear, its walled off from itself too – the market rate section is separated from the affordable section. Guess who has 24 hour access to the waterfront promenade?
….track-bike hipsters….
I don’t think that it is the celebrities lending their name to the project, I think that it’s media writing about it because it’s a good and interesting story. Celebrity homes sell, and if Busta happens to cash in on the unsolicited media attention about it, well, good for him.
I too had a mighty fear of the ‘burg until I went by there last weekend…I was pleasantly surprised and I HATE hipsters…there really are some pretty cool bars and restaurants..has anyone renovating been to that Moon River Chattel place…I thought it was pretty awesome and had some cool reasonable priced stuff…
“Creative my ass. It’s time to bring back conscription.”
anon @11:20 a.m.
yeah! i moved to wburg in ’93. at that time the artists that were here had been here for more than ten years; most of them are long gone .
yup, brownstowner, this is, indeed, all such a giant yawn …
my boyfriend was on a very crowded bedford avenue around 10 p.m. last friday night. some doofus was SKATEBOARDING ON THE SIDEWALK WITH A HOT CUP OF COFFEE IN HIS HAND. my dog went after him and he took a tumble. of course he wanted to be reimbursed for his coffee money. my boyfriend refused and said to the complaining idiot “what do you want me to do? you’re not supposed to be skateboarding on the sidewalk.” the kid threw his hands up in the air and yelled “SO BUILD ME A SKATEPARK, MAN”.
on the downside, this retard is one of the neighbors. on the upside, we haven’t laughed this hard in years.
Scheafer Landing really is a fortress … it was very suprising biking down there a few weeks ago.
As for the post below:
In east williamsburg near the Pfizer building there used to be a tractor trailer in a vacant lot that was inhabited with a bunch of guys and festooned with Puerto Rican flags …
And on the waterfront there were a number of people living in abandoned buildings … there was this one little shack by the water, that has since collapsed into the East River.
There was also… maybe still is, and open hydrant there that trickled into an abandoned bathtub before leaking out all over the ground, creating a mini-marsh eco system with crickets and everything.
There was the year Neighbors Against Garbage had a clean up & cookout on one of the concrete slabs down there and someone painted a mural on the wall, bands played and skaters set up impromptu half-pipes.
Oh yeah that year (96?) my roommate also planted trees on N. 7th and Kent – they’re still there, bigger & better than ever.
Not to mention the Hasidic guys in station wagons picking up the african american prostitutes near that same corner.
Williamsburg has changed a lot, Alphabet City changed a lot.
Now I can go to the Life Cafe on Flushing Avenue to meet a younger artist friend and think to myself – “what a shithole this area is” I’m sure that’s what 30-ish people thought when 10 years ago they visited there 20-ish friends in williamsburg, and in 10 years …
The comparison to Alaphabet City is interesting, however
Williamsburg never had a Cannibal.
Williamsburg never had a guy dressed as an Indian Chief who lived in a teepee in one of its parks.
Williamsburg never had a NYPD Tank parked on one of its streets.
Just because you have a tattoo, roll your own cigarettes, and own an apple laptop does not make you hip. Someday a real rain will come and wash away the filth.
I love these comments. As mentioned yesterday, they’re exactly the same tone and messages I heard in the East Village 20 years ago. I now live in Williamsburg and actually find the commentary about the changes rather entertaining. I suppose one gets to an age or point in their life when “supporting the arts” doesn’t require living without hot water and a flushing toilet.
As for Schaefer Landing. Anyone who’s gone by will see that it isn’t particularly central to Williamsburg, and had been designed to be a self-sufficient, gated community. They’re advertising shuttle buses to the subways as well as ferry service to Wall Street. I’m sure the whole complex can fill up and most residents of Williamsburg will never even know they’re there.
The entire neighborhood is a joke. Go to Bedford Ave on a friday night and it’s like a hipster “Dawn of the Dead”. Hundreds of zombies in 80’s clothing.
Creative my ass. It’s time to bring back conscription.