Tour Group Hits Williamsburg, Locals Photograph Them

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Photo by Robert Fritz

Move over, Colonial Williamsburg; the tourists are now flocking to Brooklyn's 'Burg to see what all the fuss is about (what is the all fuss about again?). A tipster sends us this photo, saying, "This was a tour group that got off the subway at Driggs and North 7th. There was a person directing them and explaining where they were. The tour guide gave instructions to meet back at the subway entrance at a specific time and directed them to Bedford Avenue." Oh the things they must have seen!

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"what is the all fuss about again?"

Why don't you tell us? About 80% of your posts are Williamsburg-related, so you should probably know.

Oooh, provocative! Obviously, the percentage of Williamsburg-related posts on here is actually much lower than you suggest. Also, since Gothamist writes a lot about events/happenings, the arts, new restaurants and bars, etc., it would make perfect sense that they would have a lot of posts about the neighborhood.

Nice try, though.

I think he was referring specifically to Jen Carlson's articles. And I agree...she writes like 5 articles a day about the neighborhood, each one completely mocking it, but its fairly obvious that she lives there.

Whoops. Fair enough. Sarcasm rescinded.

Bedford Ave. is basically 3rd Ave, with different fashion choices. It has it's place, but it hasn't been "interesting" in a couple years.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what Greenwich Village was like 40 years ago.

This is important. Now tourists can bask in the natural habitat of the 'Hipster' species, drink their strange coffee in their non-conformist coffee/bookstore shops and listen to the same lameass music as they do.

And once they discover how stupid it all is, they will travel back to their homeland with stories of ridicule, and thus squash the supposed 'fuss'.

At least that's what I wish would happen...

Don't forget that you are not allowed to have a PC when hanging in said non-conformist coffee shop

Only problem there is that the coffee, bookstores, and music are kinda good.

Words that end with "ster" that aren't "hipster":

Tipster
Oldster
Youngster
Toaster
Webster
Brewster
Friendster
Napster
Mobster
Gangster
Spinster
Upholster

any more?

Sister
Mister
Alabaster
Plaster
Faster
Master

"Welcome to Williamsburg; Walk south until you start seeing fuzzy hats, turn around, walk north until you start seeing baggy pants again, and then meet up at the L and go home."

ya why didn't this article just say the truth... 'hipster tipster'. really who else would care to take a picture of tourists in their neighborhood, except self-important hipsters.

also, why are so many Gothamist articles about Williamsburg. Is everyone affiliated with the Gothamist also a fake hipster Williamsburg resident?

hey at least they took the subway, they get points for not parking their lazy butts atop a fume-spewing double-decker bus.

I don't understand how artists afford to live in neighborhoods like that.

They can't. Their mom and dad, however...

If you're a real artist as opposed to someone who uses it as some sort of social title, you can live anywhere, a barn in Kansas, it doesn't matter, you're focused on your art, not where you can sip a latte and look cool.

Nah... That's not really true. It's good to have all the good art in one place for artists to see and for others to enjoy. A bunch of artists making art influence one another and things get better faster. Barns in the woods are for crazy people, or jetsetters.

But the trouble is that Williamsburg doesn't really have any good galleries, except two. Most of them are "pretend" galleries run by third-rate wannabees for their friends, it's people buying their way into an art scene.

The other trouble, of course, is that Williamsburg is fabulously expensive and any artists living or working there ARE rich and stylish and there for the cool lifestyle.

What art galleries?
I don't think Williamsburg has any art Galleries.
3rd Ward may be, but that's not Williamsburg really.

"fabulously expensive"? weird choice of words.

I agree with Ides_of_march. A real artist can be anywhere. Not to say they flourish in isolation at all. But they don't also need to be in the center of whatever neighborhood is designated as hip. Any by the way, Williamsburg's boat has sailed on that label long ago. Any term of hip, or hipster in Williamsburg is meant ironically now-a-days.

"in neighborhoods like that" - like what?

They've been doing bike tours of the area for years now. Lots of "there used to be industry here, now there's that guy" comments by the guides.

Give them credit for leaving Manhattan at least. I get gawked at around 20 times a day near both home and work by tourists ducking under traffic lights on top of double-decker buses. I wonder if anyone's ever stood up on one of those and been knocked out by a tree branch or whatever.

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ps...headline reads "Williamsbug"

Ha. My friend and I were walking back toward McCarren from Walter Food (which was recently on AHT---great burger) on Driggs and a group of 10 girls asked me where Bedford Ave was and where 'everything' was.

"Um, it runs parallel with the one we're on. Walk that way (points) and you'll find a lot of stores, bars, and restaurants," I replied.

I thought it was odd. It makes more sense now.

They've had guided tours in this neighborhood since at least last winter. How come it can't become news until there's a photograph of it?

if the artists who moved in 10 or 15 years ago got rent stabilized apartments, they could still be there. but the ones in illegal lofts have probably been long since kicked out so the buildings could be turned into condos.

the hype over Williamsburg/hipsters is created by the people who make a fuss about it. even the jackasses I work with (who would blend right in on Bedford and hang out there) are constantly bitching about hipster this and hipster that. who cares?!? fine. apparently lots of people. people who need a new topic of conversation.

Wow! Tourists in Williamsburg! Let's take a picture of them! Let's blog about it. Let's tweet about it. I just shit in my pants just thinking about tourists in Williamsburg...

so. the gothamist shouldn't write anything about williamsburg anymore?
that seems sorta like, it wouldn't be the gothamist. i wish people wrote about my neighborhood. or i wish i had enough money to live in a nice apt and do whatever i wanted.. all the time.
i didn't know there were tour groups in willamsburg, last time i was there i just dropped something off to a friend at the train station. so i thought it was interesting to know.

Hipsters without their money are useless and worthless bums.

-You heard it here first.

oh, boy! Tons of comments on the Williamsburg post.. again. For those who really have a disdain for this part of Brooklyn, adding all your hateful posts still is equal to more people reading more advertisements on this site when it comes to Williamsburg articles.
But if you really hate the burg, maybe it's time to take a tour of the not as smart as a fifth grader landscape that fits between chelsea and oakland, california. You'll be loving every part of Brooklyn in no time.

progression of comments on williamsburg articles on gothamist

williamsburg is SO OVER --> it was ALREADY over --> art is dead --> huge meaningless debate about what qualifies as art and what is important about those who make it --> snarky comments about trust funds

Added Overview:

williamsburg is SO OVER --> it was ALREADY over --> art is dead --> huge meaningless debate about what qualifies as art and what is important about those who make it --> snarky comments about trust funds --> overview

The tour group search for meaning continues...

I live in Bushwick and saw a couple of tour groups around the Morgan stop over the summer. Pretty ridiculous.

So much hilarious rage about this itty bitty neighborhood.

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I find it pretty strange that mostly middle-class, suburban out-of-towners are going to Williamsburg to watch mostly upper-middle-class, suburban transplants live in NYC. That being said, nearly everyone's gotten crap for emigrating to NY over the course of its history, but I'm none too worried that repetitive Innernet comments are going to hurt the prepster/yupster/whatever you wanna call them (yurdster?) contingent.

That's funny... I used to got to NYC all the time for tourism and stuff. I admit I sometimes looked like a tourist, but what can you do. It was so much fun, though. I used to live in PA and would book hotels in NYC at hotels-in.com. So much fun -- memories I'll never forget.

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