Williamsburg Brooklyn or Cobble/Boerum Hill? 30 year old single male

[StephenHero]



I had no idea. That's the very first neighborhood I saw when I went apartment hunting in New York back in 2007. I was crashing at my friends' (gorgeous) place in Cobble Hill and then saw some shoddily rehabbed places that a guy was trying to rent. It was really a shock to the system for a naive asshole moving to NYC from Virginia.

Yeah. It's an interesting spot. You get two totally different crowds and sometimes the dichotomy on any given block is fairly glaring, which is atypical. You'll see some rundown "crackhouses" right next to perfectly restored neo-Victorian brownstones. I live on the block where Dave Chappele's Block Party was filmed, and even in 3-5 short years since that happened, it has gentrified to the extent that you'd probably get a much different block party today. It might be totally different in five years too, depending on whether the trend reverses itself or not. There are 3-5 really trendy dining places within a block and all of them are less than three years old. I don't follow real estate around here, but there's gotta be some good investment deals for people who could wait out a prolonged gentrification period, because the quality architecture is there to bank on. I think Ted Allen from Queer Eye is in this neighborhood. I would assume he renovated one of these types of places.

 

[erictheobscure]

Waiting for gentrification in NYC seems like such a weird game. It feels like people have been doing it in Jackson Heights (where I ended up living) for a decade, and it's always merely starting to materialize. Not sure it'll ever happen. But maybe Queens is just perpetually unhip. Sounds like all those hipsters that you're allergic to are now hanging out in Bushwick. That being said, if I were to move back to New York (without having won the lottery), I'd probably move to Long Island City.

 

[StephenHero]

Queens has really mediocre architecture and too little green space. I can't imagine too many people visit and instantly feel it would be a missed opportunity to not move there. It's just kind of generic. The people that really get into finding the perfect gentrifying neighborhood are going to be the types that look for places where the ceiling is highest, and that means physical charm in the romanticized You've Got Mail variety. You've Got Gyros is more of a Queens selling point.

 

[erictheobscure]

Yeah, most of Queens is an architectural nightmare. Jackson Heights is actually really funny, and when I go back, I realize just how weird it is. It's the whitest possible architecture (fake Victorian ****) now completely occupied by people of various shades of brown. Long Island City might be far more hideous architecturally, but it does have gorgeous views.

I think Williamsburg proves that gentrification isn't necessarily about charming places. The transformation of industrial places into hipster hangouts seems like a trend that's not going away any time soon.

 

[newintown23]

Agreed. Williamsburg is nothing to look at and the rents are just as much as the slope. If you're looking for architecture Williamsburg certainly isn't the place. I do believe BS will catch up though at some point within our lifetime

 

[StephenHero]

Most of those hideous new buildings in Williamsburg were super-quick market responses to earlier demand for affordable loft type living, which, along with the proximity to trendy Manhattan areas, was the initial gentrifying force. Unfortunately, there won't be any more good new architecture for middle class incomes. That time has come and gone. Labor-intensive materials are too costly to do it any differently, so everything will be more or less made of modular components that are pimped by large scale contractors. ****** aluminum windows, ugly prefabricated panels, loud colors, etc....Stuff they can install in an afternoon. What's that ****** new area of San Francisco with all the butt-ugly new residential architecture? Same problem there. That's the future, and the future is depressing.



Ew! Kill it with fire!

 

[thekunk07]



I have a suspicion that Williamsburg residents compile lots of credit card debt. I also wouldn't be surprised if there was a tendency for lots of them to share their living arrangements with other members of their fledgling folk-ska bands. And everybody dresses in rags, which are pretty cheap. Some of them have shoes though.

there are a lot of media/new media/marketing people there making plenty of money, don't let the neck beards fool you. and they are wearing very expensive rags

 

[StephenHero]



there are a lot of media/new media/marketing people there making plenty of money, don't let the neck beards fool you. and they are wearing very expensive rags

Well, they probably cost ten times as much as the original owners paid for them in 1980, but I'm not sure that qualifies.

 

[newintown23]

So kunk, back to my original question. What are your thoughts? Looking for some imput here.

 

[newintown23]

Bump

 

[newintown23]

Would this thread be better under entertainment and culture or general chat?

 

[akatsuki]

Despite the high level of prejudice here, I like living in Williamsburg. Dating scene isn't bad for single people, there are more interesting restaurants and shopping. The hipster quotient is dropping fast (the hate on hipsters just makes me think everyone on this board is an old fart, they are just ugly skinny kids who finally have a niche to call their own). And it is less settled down that Cobble Hill, etc.

The split in looks is a lot wider - the hot women here are super hot, and the not-so-hot women, are ,well...

 

[NewYorkIslander]

Williamsburg doesn't sound like a good fit for you, unless you grow a beard, ditch the truck and buy a bike, but that would prob increase the sweat in your LI commute dramatically. People pay more for the proximity to Manhattan than the scene...the scene just kind of grabbed hold of that and took off.

No one here mentioned what should be the biggest of your concerns...parking. Figure at least an extra $300 a month on a parking spot in any of the neighborhoods mentioned. As far as your income level, I don't think its fits very well with CH, PS, WB or any of the "trendy" Brooklyn neighborhoods, you'll be among the "poorer" residents. I guess you're single and on your own, but you say you never go into Manhattan and hit Sheepshead Bay a few times a week as well. i don't agree with SH on much, but I think he's dead on with the credit card debt likely in WB, and many may also be living with trust funds or wealthy parents.

Consider Bay Ridge. Rents are much lower than any of the other hoods listed. Its one of the top 5 hoods in NYC according to TO NY and NYMag and I believe and you'll get a lot more for your money. If you get a place by Shore Rd, parking isn't too bad (compared to the other neighborhoods). Food is great, bar scene popular, but its a different kind of crowd than CH, PS, and WB. You'll actually be around New Yorkers, not transplants. If you're from LI, you may feel more comfortable here. Girls galore from all over. Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Italian, Irish, as well as some transplants.

I've lived in CH and PS, and moved down here for the space/cost ratio. It really is a hidden gem. The biggest drawback is commute to Manhattan, but if you never go in, you won't be bothered. Parks are small, but nice here, and you have the gorgeous waterfront.

PM me if you'd like some more info.

 

[newintown23]

Bay ridge was never a consideration, and with all due respect I do not think it will be. A rent of 2500 will be fine for me. I actually saw a couple of luxury buildings which included parking for around 2500. I really have my mind made up on williamsburg. Park slope, BH and CH. always looking to make new friends so thanks!

 

[texas_jack]



there are a lot of media/new media/marketing people there making plenty of money, don't let the neck beards fool you. and they are wearing very expensive rags

or they have rich parents.