Gentrification Kind of a Bitch, Generally Unsatisfying in the End

Cynthia Ozick wrote one of my favorite essays, "The Synthetic Sublime," in which she marvels at the way that New York manages to reinvent itself every few years. Gritty neighborhoods are transformed into hip neighborhoods, a downtown strip is renovated until it's rendered unrecognizable, an empty lot sprouts new condos, a building is destroyed by fire; our landmarks are constantly changing.

New York neighborhoods are always shedding their past lives to become something new, and Williamsburg's "shedding" is really starting to piss me off. I find myself, rather than embracing the neighborhood I came to know and love, being beyond annoyed at it. I spent Sunday afternoon there, getting my hair cut and selling clothes at Buffalo Exchange and drinking beers and reading a book in the garden at the always pleasant Soft Spot.

And what bothered me so much? Who knows...a snaky line of hipsters waiting to see Blonde Redhead, too, too many, it was sad, somehow, all that waiting. A trio of obnoxious assholes thrusting ironic T-shirts into the air like flags at Buffalo Exchange. The new cafes (even a sweets shop!) that make it look like the Hamptons. Me, annoyed at a Williamsburg where Galapagos and Northsix, among others, got forced out. I remember an acquaintance saying once that he didn't want to live in Williamsburg anymore cause it was like a college town.

I disagreed then, but yesterday it seemed a college town to me, and I found something uncontrollably and inexplicably frustrating about it. I ran into three people I knew within a matter of five minutes (go State College!) and maybe I'm annoyed in the same way that the old-timers who sit outside on their stoops must have been annoyed at me and all the people who got there before me. But I at least tried to be friendly and smile sweetly and say, "Good morning" or "Good night."

But these people! It sucks when a neighborhood becomes less of a place to live and more of a place to be seen. That's how I feel about it right now, but I hope that I find something to change my mind.

This conversation below isn't it. From 11222 via New York Shitty:

Earnest young wanna-be-yuppie type with phone glued to ear:
"Yeah, so I think I'm going to go in on this real estate thing...well, I know I've never done it before, but I think it's a really good idea...I just didn't see anything I liked in Williamsburg... well, this Greenpoint, it's definitely up-and-coming...of course, there are no *guarantees*, but, this place, there's like absolutely nowhere to go out, something has to change...it's got this really weird neighborhood-y vibe to it, you should see some of the people who live there..."

Overheard Cell Phone Conversation