if any only there was a viiable way to fight gentrification, to prevent neighborhoods from transforming in transient disney lands....any realistic ideas?

Thanks Jen, that was a good post not about Williamsburg.

This isn't the old country, where towns remain more or less unchanged for hundreds of years. This is New York, where neighborhoods change ethnic and demographic hands every half-century or so. I can think of far worse elements to take over your neighborhood than gentrification and yuppies. You did a good job taking care of it all these years, and that's why people with money want to move there now. You can either sit around and cry about it, or you can adapt and continue your life.

By the way, Ray Liotta called and he wants his face back.

Sweet. All those Townhouses and apartments will be open soon!

Some people here are overlooking an important detail.

The problem is not the outsiders moving to Brooklyn (and as mentioned in the video, many of the guys talked about family that were transplants themselves, from Italy). New York thrives on immigrants (a.k.a. "transplants"). New York changes hands every few generations. Change is constant.

The problem is that most of the new transplants don't stay or even want to stay. Seriously, walk up to a random person who might seem to be a transplant, and ask them where they see themselves in 10 years. The greater majority of them will mention leaving! They usually say a variety of simple-minded reasons, such as wanting a large grassy yard for their future children to play in (they've never heard of parks), or thinking they "don't see themselves living here forever, it's just too busy after a while."

Once upon a time, when someone moved to New York, that person stayed and wanted to stay forever. They loved New York! What happened? New York ain't so bad. Why are the new transplants leaving within 10 years?

Because many of the transplants actually miss middle-American things such as having a car, fencing-off their neighbors, and having unnecessarily bloated houses filled with gadgets they don't need, they tend to never embrace the comparatively European way of life here (combined with, of course, with the great American drive that makes New York a unique place). They see New York as summer camp, as an adult playground. They don't think far in the future.

So this is where the big problem comes in. The money that swarms around these new transplants are plowing over neighborhoods, remaking communities with their own distorted middle-American vision, without any intent of staying.

After the bulldozers and the pricing-out of the old-timers, the new transplants don't even bother to truly make the neighborhood their home. THAT'S the heart of the problem—the use-then-dispose attitude. It's an American symptom that's starting to rot this country from the inside out.

All those degos would be really pissed off if it was black people coming into their neigb like they did in the 70's.

Those people can sell, make millions, and move to tampa bay where they belong.

and further, what is with self-loathing white people feeling so guilty about what they are doing? They've clearely ruined the neighborhood yet they aren't moving. Why bother with all the false nostalgia? I think the same goes with the LES.

reality check,
In re 10 year residents: have you considered that the punitively high rents and property values in desirable areas make long term NYC living economically unrealistic. Don't kid yourself, if the people bitching in the vid (which is now un-viewable) owned property they would pump the next buyer or renter for every cent. I despise those who own McMansions, and I hated owning a car, but I want more than a 350ft2 studio in long island city before I shuffle off this mortal coil. If the property values (prices) halve in the next 10 years, I'll buy and live happily ever after. If they do not, I'll move up the Hudson line and be happy in a different way.
I don't blame the property owners for charging what the market will bear; I am just unable to purchase, or rent long-term, at that price. As usual, it would have been nice to have been born wealthy.

The bitters™ in that video should have thought about that before they started voting Republican and moving to the suburbs in the '60s.

NYC at one time had a thriving, unionized working-class that nearly made the city a social-democracy ["Working Class New York"] ["The Assassination of New York"]. The people in places like Carroll Gardens were the main beneficiaries. That is, before the takeover of the city by the FIRE sector. But did they do anything to stop it? I dun think so! They're too fond of marble- and gold-plated McMansions in Central Florida, not to mention too dead-set on getting as far away from "the undesirables" as possible.

Great video, thanks for posting.

Also, I thought Raccuglia Funeral Home was going to be shut down...they were part of that body parts selling ring.