January 19, 2008
Gentrification Fast-Forward
Williamsburg missed a crucial stage of gentrification; the phase where gay people were supposed to pioneer a neighborhood before the young hipsters could supplant them. The social hop-scotching has left gay people out in the cold in Billyburg, unwelcome in what should be a pioneer ghetto. The nightlife reflects the less-than-edgy environment that marginalized NYers try to seek out.
“There’s like one go-go boy, what is that?” grumbled Matthew Kane, a scruffy 22-year-old photo agent. Still, he gazed at the sweaty man and reported, “He’s relatively hot, like hipster hot — you know, vaguely alternative and imperfect.” That description could also apply to Sugarland, where nearly everyone was under 30, weighed less than 160 pounds and wore a V-neck T-shirt and about three days of beard.Maybe we should take it as a strong indication of progress from the city that gave us the Stonewall riots, that gay people have to complain about L train service, like the rest of us. Perhaps that's a true crie de coeur of a New Yorker, one isn't truly welcome until one is priced out. Welcome homosexuals! You've been priced out of the neighborhood. Others continue to seek out more far-reaching neighborhoods.With the state of gay night life in Manhattan a sad tale of shuttered clubs, police raids and a disturbing lack of dance floor space, the boys in Brooklyn (and some women, too) are practically tripping over their Converse sneakers and cowboy boots to sweat it out on their home turf at Sugarland, which opened in September in what was Capone’s, a bar known for its free pizza.
The Williamsburg Savings Bank, by Triborough at flickr
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I think this the first ist editorial that i completely agree with. yay gays!
That said, I'm no socioligist, but as gays become less marginalized, the less they have certain "enclaves" that come with such marginalization. Acceptance means, to me, blending with other cultures. That said, everyone needs a "place" to go to, and gays should continue to seek there own spots that makes them feel amongst themselves.
Also, no homo - cause i don't roll like that.
The fact that a twenty-two year old's quote is used here as evidence is a bit telling. I'm a twenty-nine year old gay man and Williamsburg was indeed pretty gay... ten to twelve years ago. Berliniamsburg, anyone?
everybody knows that gays make the neighborhood better. They increase the property values cause they put curtains up and decorate and stuff. Another good thing about gays is that the only crimes they commit are selling ecstasy and soliciting gay sex, an inverse to this is that the gays will get beaten up and robbed instead of you as well. Man, I wish gays would move to my neighborhood.
I want gays in my neighborhood too. Can't they be coaxed down from Washington Heights into Windsor Terrace? We need gays here bad.
OK.
A.) Gay gentrification did not "skip" Williamsburg. The Abbey was gay or very gay friendly for a long time, Berliniamsburg created the electroclash scene at LUXX, and the Metropolitan is still going strong. I'm a little confused by this blog post.
B.) Sugarland is like a flashback to Berliniamsburg -- the music, the outfits, the scenesters. I can understand The Times' frustration with the state of gay night life in New York...
C.) BUT it's worse everywhere else. I just moved to Seattle a few months ago as blocks of gay clubs were closing along the Pike/Pine Corridor in order to build more condos. This is happening across America as gays are more accepted and don't need to ghetto-ize themselves and while gays and lesbians meet more and more on the internet AND especially while previously "edgy" neighborhoods are being co-opted for the influx of the affluent middle class. There have been a lot of stories about this recently.
uhhh... I mean affluent people with "middle class values." Or upper middle class maybe. You know, ummm, "yuppies."
Gays didn't used to ghettoize themselves on purpose. It's called AIDS. Straight people were too fucking scared to live in gay neighborhoods so the 'mos had no choice but to live together.
Fastforward 20 years - and I can say this as a liberal girl fag myself - stupid liberal toe rags think it gives them leftie cred to nestle up to marginalized folk and price 'em out of their own neighborhoods, like somehow moving to any ghetto makes fucking straight honkeys hip, even though once they move there all they complain about is how there isn't anything good, and why can't someone just build a Starbucks for cryin' out loud and civilize this backwards burb?
Looks like another slow news weekend. You might wanna include this ^^^ as your Comment of the Day. Either that or perhaps include this tidbit for further commentary:
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/01/18/unusual-list-of-sexr.html
It had been reported buy the NYT that the gay populations in major cities have been shrinking. I don't blame them for leaving. NYC is becoming like Middle America. Lame.
"There's like one go-go boy, what is that?"
Could be the lede of the year.
Comment of the Day, Coolmidwestguy? If you're referring to Sandra, all I see is yet another hipster wearing her sexual orientation like a tacky shirt and making yet another tired stab at masking her overt racism against whites with an unfunny ooze of Gawker-inspired snark.
Berniegoetz: I was thinking coolmidwestguy might mean the cat picture he has as his icon? A dig at Jen Carlson's recent apartment article?
Oh, berniegoetz. Using my own tools against me? The humanity.
I don't understand any of this. I'm thinking of moving to Brooklyn for the lower rent and after reading this I'm like... huh? If there's no anal sex on your block you must live in a completely lame neighborhood filled with yuppies?
Can't people just move wherever the hell they want and have it not be tied to any kind of "scene" or trend?!
I wanna pay lower rent. I don't give a sh;t what my neighbors do in their spare time.