Gentrification: A Series.

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN, NYC.

Industrial buildings, perfect for redevelopment and gentrification. Industrial Re-Make. Perfect for redevelopment. . . and Gentrification, holler.

Infill Housing. Yikes

Toy Store. Kid Robot-esque

Infill Housing. Condo-nation.

SF is guilty, Manhattan guilty, and any other up and coming hood- guilty.

Gentrification, it happens.

Common symptoms of the gentri include:

• hipster infestation
• plaid flannel
• poindexter glasses
• massive redevelopment
• infill housing (bougi-fied condo's)
• lack of black, people.
• bitchy/rude/diva vinyl record store owners.
• lame cafe's with cool storefronts and names.

The newest discovery was Williamsbug in August of 2008, a new/hip/neighborhood in Brooklyn. Don't get me wrong, the area is cute. I'd holla. But the attitude in the area was spoiled rotten. No one on the little Williamsburg strip was actually from there, yet there was a stench of entitlement among the new residents.

Its funny, because I am seem to qualify for a lot of the gentrification symptoms: I wear flannels in the summer and rock the chunky black frames; I'd probably even sit in those cafe's and enjoy the over priced panini and $8 tecate, but I think being aware of your surroundings and what you represent is slight vindication. Thats all I want-->is for people to acknowledge that they're a gimmic, a joke, a misfit, a consumer, a toy in the game they are perpetuating: gentrification.

The pace was slower than the island, and that was refreshing. The shops were cute, nothing new though: toy shops, vinyl records, overpriced thrifting/vintage. Standard. But damn, the attitude, it killed the experience. One bonus: I stumbled upon an underground bar on its karaoke night, that was dope.