NabeWise

Bike. Stroller. Bike. Stroller. These two vehicles seem to dominate the streets in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Though both happen to be ecologically friendly contraptions, they serve very different purposes and carry very different passengers.

On the bikes you will most likely find young, tattoo-covered, scruffy sneaker-wearing artists, and in the strollers you will detect a snugly swaddled toddler, being pushed by a parade of dark cloaked men in black hats with sage-like beards accompanied by their head-covered wives leading their train of overly dressed children. Presenting; the hipsters and the hassids. Beards are prevalent in both communities, but that is where the commonalities stop.

Around fifty years ago, Orthodox Jews began to migrate to Williamsburg where they built a reputable, religiously oriented environment for themselves and their families. Complete with kosher restaurants, yeshiva high schools, and plenty of space for Saturday afternoon strolls, everything was coming up knishes for the hasidic community. But several decades later, like the wicked witch from the west on her gothic bicycle—-at least from the hassids’ perspective, in poured local artists attracted to the music scene, funky galleries, and overall—-the low rent.

One almost hopes for a musical to emerge on Broadway, portraying a likeness to the feud between the Jets and the Sharks in “West Side Story”, except tight-shirted gangsters would be replaced by conservatively dressed rabbis and trendy vintage tee-shirted, prescriptionless black-rimmed glasses in this finger snapping duel.

Regardless of the rather comical dichotomy that divides the ongoing gentrifying neighborhood, Williamsburg has more than just material for a killer sitcom to offer New Yorkers and visitors to the city.

Trendy cafes, independent bookstores, eccentric thrift shops, art galleries and plentiful music venues are sprouting up at a more rapid pace. However, it has not been long since Williamsburg was considered a raggedy and even dangerous neighborhood. While the area has cleaned up certain of its less savory historical aspects, the “Burg” as many locals call it, has maintained elements of its gritty, unpolished flavor. Perhaps for a family looking for homes in Greenwhich, Connecticut, such rugged traces would prove unappealing, but New York City is arguably lacking in this pre-ironed, pre-gentrified character. The streets of Williamsburg feel authentic, and the diverse community that comprises it echoes the original virtues of old New York.

Against the odds, the rent has managed to stay relatively low in the neighborhood—-though the relative real estate scale in New York City is about as comforting as a serial killer telling you you can have your toes back after he cuts them off. However, young writers and musicians are making it there and if a hassidic stroller pusher and ukulele toting cyclist happen to collide when rounding a corner—-well, that’s just New York for you.

The Williamsburg proper, McCarren Park and the grid of streets to the south, is settling in as a real fixture of New York City. It’s no longer truly the hip, up-and-coming place it recently was. The area is well-known and the community of largely younger people is well established. The area around Bedford Ave has become a lot like Park Slope in its pleasant walking atmosphere and wide variety of stores and restaurants.

The Burg gets a bad rep sometimes for having rambunctious and drunk hipsters but there are those that have lived here for years (sometimes even decades) who are really friendly and great to converse with. Once you meet one, you end up meeting a whole bunch of them. Really great people and always down to lend a hand.

Williamsburg for the longest time was one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Brooklyn. However very recently it has completely gentrified as local artists flocked towards the very low rent. But because of this migration of artists, bohemian cafes and bars began to sprout, drawing a hipster crowd. Now Williamsburg is one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the city, and the rent is comparable to that of Manhattan. The general demeanor of Williamsburg is `spend a lot of money to look like you have none.’ And many visitors can find this pretentious and annoying. The air in the area can sometimes be exclusive, which is intimidating. However if you are immune to this, or simply don’t care, it can be a fun and “cool” place to live. It’s also just one stop into Brooklyn, which is appealing to the Manhattanites who swore they’d never live in Brooklyn.

I’ve worked for an internet start-up in Williamsburg for a couple of months and I like it out here. It is a real pain to find a normal sandwich, they tend to be named, organic sandwiches on specialty bread, delicious and expensive, but that is just my provincial tastes shining through. I’ve seen some shows here and my band rehearses here too. I like it here and I also like that if it really came down to it and I had to fight someone in Williamsburg, I could probably take most of the malnourished dudes in this neck of the woods.

People rag on Williamsbug (including myself), but there are definitely some good reasons to live or just hang out around there. It is the heart of the Brooklyn music scene (which means the heart of rock these days), so there’s lots of good clubs, bars, and venues. Rent is pricey, but there’s a cool community vibe there.