Williamsburg is a Brooklyn neighborhood that borders Greenpoint, Bedford Stuyvesant, and Bushwick. It is home to the Brooklyn brewery, Domino Sugar factory, and the Williamsburg Bridge, which extends to Lower East Side in Manhattan. On Driggs and Broadway, you will find Peter Luger’s Steakhouse, established in 1887 and which boosts to be “Rated New York No. 1 Steakhouse for 26 years in a Row.”
The South side consists primarily of Hispanic and Hasidic Jews, and is comprised of a few synagogues and Jewish businesses juxtaposed with multi-family buildings and Hispanic operated businesses. The North side is primarily white and is where many “hipsters” have made their home. NY Bits describes Williamsburg as “Once an inexpensive artists area, full of illegal lofts and warehouse spaces…[which] has become the artist/hipster mecca – and much more expensive than its former “starving artist” residents could possibly afford.”
The gentrification which has given the polished look to certain areas in Williamsburg, has also distressed many of the residents. Governor Paterson, keeping residents in mind, signed legislation that would, “require illegally converted loft buildings to get up to code,” according to the Brooklyn Paper. Although the “Loft Law” was signed with good intentions, this legislation might result in higher rents for those that live in the neighborhood. It is said to give loft tenants “peace of mind” and protection but many believe this will further the gentrification process.
Residents should know how the “Loft Law” came into effect and its potential aftermath. It would also be interesting to look into how gentrification has and still is effecting Williamsburg residents; how it has caused higher rents and is continuing to put mom-and-pops out of business. But most significantly, as the area continues to see the construction of high rises, how do residents feel about possibly losing what has maintained the barely lingering sense of community?