Is Brooklyn So Over?

The NY Times is hinting that Brooklyn may be so over, a theory that seems to be based around Heath Ledger leaving the borough.

What if Brooklyn’s recent cachet as the locus for what’s next is little more than a thin and fragile crust of chic, hiding the insecurity of people who constantly measure the social currency of their ZIP code by Manhattan standards? The number of trendy boutiques, bistros and music clubs in Brooklyn may have spiked in the last five years, but its infrastructure of cool still represents only a fraction of that found in Manhattan. Its new identity is moored to a finite number of shops, restaurants, luxury condominiums and, yes, celebrities. If even one leaves, a void is created. Could the borough’s new status vanish as quickly as it ascended?

We think perhaps their belief is based upon a "thin and fragile" foundation. After all, if a borough's cred is based upon shops, condos and stars...Brooklyn is faring pretty well. With Trader Joe's, Urban Outfitters, an Apple Store and luxury condos flooding the market and John Turturro, Rosie Perez, Norman Mailer, Steve Buscemi, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, Paul Giammati, Adrian Grenier, Michael Pitt, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard calling it home -- it seems Brooklyn won't be suffering from a lack of attention anytime soon, Heath or no Heath.

The Observer recently took a look at Brooklyn's real estate market through the eyes of Eric McFarland, manager of Corcoran Group’s first Williamsburg office. He spoke of the "Manhattanifying" of Brooklyn, and bringing a small army of people across the river to the new emerging markets. Sounds like the borough will be just fine (though maybe they jumped the gun on the whole Red Hook thing), but the current residents may not be into this "Manhattanifying" of which Mr. McFarland speaks.

Photo of Williamsburg condo on fire via I'm Not Sayin.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment, News on October 1, 2007 5:01 PM

Comments [rss]

guest

I was Brooklyn before it was Breukelen. But your smallpox blankies killed me. What a shame.

Chief Anna Merkin

guest

I was Brooklyn before Brooklyn was Brooklyn. Where were you all in 1962 when I was born in Brooklyn Jewish Hospital? Where were you when I was playing on Avenue Z and riding the D train to junior high school? I was a Brooklyn writer before the Hot Brooklyn Writers knew Park Slope existed? And Park Slope is not really Brooklyn. Come to Sheepshead Bay. Now THAT'S Brooklyn.

Just reminding people that we were the natives before you stole our land.

:}

guest

who is heath and why should i care where he lives?

MarygraceNYC

#32 Fellow Queens Native

Thanks.

I will try to cut down on the exclaimation points. I just sometimes get excited, that's all. LOL

; >

JRod5417

Worst article ever. People who have lived in Brooklyn for a long period of time (as I have) do so specifically because it is not Manhattan. I go to Manhattan to work and I go to Brooklyn to live and I am A-OK with that. NYTimes...Suck it!!!

guest

I didn't realise that the NY Times was the media leader in what is 'cool'. Stupid me!

Anyone who reads that article and takes is seriously should stay in manhattan. I just got word that theTimes is doing an article about how Hoboken is the new Brooklyn, which of course, was the new (old) East Village, which at some point was part of New Amsterdam. Which of course was the new...Amsterdam! So There you have it, going to Hoboken is just like taking a trip to Europe!

Pack your bags!

guest

Marygrace, I think this is the first post I've seen from you that didn't have any exclaimation points. Heehee.

Oh, and I agree with you. :D

- Fellow Queens Native

MarygraceNYC

Being born and raised in Queens, I would never ever consider for even a NY minute to move to Brooklyn. I worked there (Park Slope/Red Hook) for 5 years 2000-2005 and saw so many changes. It went from a normal Brooklyn neighborhood to Hipster Heaven in that short time (plus no parking). I must say it lost its flavor and identity. Kind of sad. Rent was affordable and people were able to live their lives and not only worry about paying rent. By 2005 rent on a crumby dirty block for a small 1 bedroom was over 1K.

Parts of Queens have changed as well, but not like that. Thank God.

No celebrities in Queens Please. Stick to Manhattan.

guest

god all the years we've been living here raising our families and it turns out it was all a facade - thanks NY times for dehumanizing millions of people so succiently

guest

I live in Brooklyn explicitly because it is where I go to get away from "trendy boutiques, bistros and music clubs", "luxury condominiums and celebrities", and generally "people who constantly measure the social currency of their ZIP code by Manhattan standards". That Manhattan crap is for tourists and jerk-offs. It's not cool that's leaving Brooklyn, it's cool that is rejecting that shit.

guest

HA!! I love it how soo many Non New Yorkers(not born here) live in Brooklyn and pretend they are New Yorkers when the true New Yorkers are from Queens!

-Elmhurst-

guest

Yeah, when I was at the Atlantic Antic this weekend I looked around at the thousands of people there and thought 'This place is so over! There's no one here and nothing going on.'

guest

I love Brooklyn. Heath or no Heath. Thursday Styles is trash.

newsyspice

Trader Joe's? Queens gets TJ's before Brooklyn. You can kiss my ass, Brooklyn.

--newsy

Jackson Heights

Steven

screw Brooklyn. Queens is the place to be! Come on Gothamist show some love to Queens.

guest

Like there is ONE option ONLY!!?! To be manhatan!?

Brooklyn is Brooklyn presisly becaus eManhatan is Manhatan...the article mentioning how brookly is doomed because is not manhatan is sooooooo ZERO SUM

guest

i would love it if you guys thought brooklyn was so over. Then you can get the fuck out of my borough and my rent can stay the same. Go get priced out of some other borough, not mine.

guest

Sounds like they need to be reminded that the five boroughs were only incorporated a little over a hundred years ago, and until then Brooklyn was its own city.