An "Occuparty" at a half-finished apartment complex at Driggs and North Eighth Street in Williamsburg was broken up by the police last night, as a "few dozen" protesters moved trash cans, chanted and pondered a march down Bedford Avenue. While the Daily News and the Post both report arrests and injuries to the police, the NYPD couldn't confirm how many or what the charges were, and declined to say whether or not any service members were injured. more ›

The creepy/sexy Williamsburg mainstay Savalas—where a man once publicly displayed his pierced foreskin—closed in January after six years of DJs, dancing, and debauchery on Bedford Avenue. A nation mourned. And everyone wondered, what would take its place? If you've been observing the ongoing Manhattanization of Williamsburg, you may not be shocked to see that Savalas has been completely gutted and transformed into some sort of bourgy cheese, wine, pasta, and protein restaurant called Masten Lake. more ›

There's nothing like discount drunk-shopping at Marshalls after downing a few beers at your local Duane Reade. THIS IS YOUR FUTURE, Williamsburg. Just like the Mayans predicted. According to the Real Deal, the discount department store is interested in moving—along with a CVS—into a currently stalled development at 242 Bedford Avenue, which is right there in Williamsburg proper. This basically means that the neighborhood is turning into a strip mall, and not the kind with an Apple Store in it. more ›

Earlier this month word got out that the Williamsburg mainstay Deli Mart would be closing after 25 years on the corner of Bedford and North 7th Street. The business, like many others, was allegedly priced out when the landlord raised the rent to a whopping $25,000/month (up from $12,000). Well, locals, at least you don't have to worry about a Starbucks taking over the space (yet!), as the Brooklyn Paper reports that Khim's Millenium Market will open in the space. Just what the neighborhood needs... a 5th Khim's location. But it could always be worse. Not sure what this means for Williamsburg's soul, however. more ›

The website WalletPop claims to know the 29 safest neighborhoods in America's major cities, and yes, New York has earned a spot in the top. more ›

Yesterday we got an email about some kids knocking down garbage cans in Williamsburg over the weekend... but it never mentioned ninjas! Over at Free Williamsburg they have a more detailed and intriguing tip regarding the incident:

"I wanted to see if you had heard anything about another vigilante attack on N 6th St last night (Sat 4/17) between Bedford and Berry. I live on the block, and my friends and roommate reported seeing a 'Ninja looking' crew dressed in all black run[ning] down the street from Bedford to Berry and smash[ing] the drivers side window of every car on the block. I saw patches of glass all the way down N 6th."

Pedestrian plazas might be all the rage in midtown, but in Brooklyn one is causing nothing but trouble. Last year's Williamsburg Walks was terrorized by local skateboarding teens, and this year organizers of the temporary pedestrian plaza on Bedford Avenue are considering changing things around, following criticism from local merchants. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Hipster olde tymers may recall the big Williamsburg Starbucks scare of Aught One, when anti-chain activist Reverend Billy rallied his troops to protest outside a rumored location at the corner of North 5th and Bedford. Funny enough, during the rally, the new tenants suddenly appeared to explain away the rumor—it was "Fabiane's Pastry and Cafe, an Independent Pastry Experience," on the way, not Starbucks. Nine years later, the ubiquitous coffee corp. has yet to find a foothold in the neighborhood, but all that may be about to change. more ›

Egads, behold these infernal hip-sters clogging Bedford Avenue with their fixed-gear "safety bicycles." And good heavens, there is a slatternly dressed female cyclist pedaling among them, a sight that's certain to scandalize the local Hasidim (someday)! This photograph—probably taken during one of their incessant political demonstrations demanding fanciful traffic regulations—clearly shows these ped-HELL-ers' wanton disregard for pedestrians and locomotives alike. Reached for comment, one Wiley Ignatius Norvel, who represents a criminal anarchist group in favor of bicycle proliferation, stridently asked, "How many bicyclists must be injured after slipping in manure before the Brooklyn carriage industry equips their horses with absorbent diapers?" more ›

Hotly-anticipated peace talks between supporters and opponents of the recently-erased Bedford Avenue bicycle lane fell short last night when both parties left a discussion at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg with the same seemingly irreparable differences that they brought to the table. Supporters of the Bedford Avenue lane insisted that a biking path on Brooklyn's longest road is necessary for both transportation and safety, while a community activist representing South Williamsburg's Hasidic Jewish residents expressed concerns about dangerous biking etiquette. more ›

"I want to see some boobs," shouted a lone NYPD officer (seen here) who pulled up to our photographer at Bedford Avenue in South Williamsburg, ironically blocking the former bike lane in the process. "I've been trying to find out online when this is happening and nobody had the start time! Did I miss it?" Minutes later, a group of 15-20 fully clothed cyclists pedaled by, trailed by almost twice as many photographers, TV news crews, and assorted media. The "topless" protest over the controversially removed bike lane was not the NC-17 provocation the media and others had hoped for. At one point, two men in a parked car near Division Street shouted at the cyclists, "We've been waiting for two hours! Where's the skin?" more ›

Demonstrators have promised to ride bikes down Bedford Avenue naked this evening to protest the recent removal of a bicycle lane amidst mounting pressure from South Williamsburg's Hasidic community. But will the so-called "Freedom Ride" actually happen? more ›

If you wondered how much the DOT has spent so far to add and subtract a controversial 14-block stretch of bike lane on Bedford Avenue in South Williamsburg, here's your answer: $11,000 to install and $15,000 to sandblast it away. As NBCNewYork.com observes, "That's $26,000 of taxpayer money that isn't making bicyclists any safer." But at least now that the bike lane's gone, the Hasidic rabbis in the neighborhood can protect their flock from immodestly dressed outsiders—that is, unless bicyclists do something crazy like ride without a bike lane. This weekend, some are planning to do just that. And without clothes. more ›

After a demonstration last weekend drew more police officers than protesters, cycling activists will rally again to show their support for the Bedford Avenue bike lane — but this time they'll do it in less clothing. more ›

The saga continues: At some point last night or early this morning, the impromptu bike lane painted by activists on Bedford Avenue in South Williamsburg was painted back to black by the DOT. This Sunday, bereaved cyclists will hold a "New Orleans-style funeral procession" for the deceased bike lane, so perhaps the black paint is fitting? Baruch Herzfeld, an Orthodox Jew who runs a South Williamsburg bike clubhouse, tells us, "I can't believe they are dedicating resources to make sure cyclists are less safe than more safe. There are tons of bike lanes that need repainting and they spend their time repainting one away? Whoever is in charge of the DOT bike lane painting must have a consignment deal with the Malach ha'mavess (angel of death)." more ›

Two cycling activists suspected of repainting the Bedford Avenue bike lane turned themselves in at the 90th Precinct in Williamsburg yesterday. According to the Post, 26-year-old Quinn Hechtropf and 24-year-old Katherine Piccochi were among the bikers who used paint rollers, spray paint and stencils to recreate the South Williamsburg cycling path, which was removed by the city last week with little explanation. more ›

Williamsburg cyclists got a new bike lane on Bedford Avenue yesterday morning, but they lost one last night when dozens of cars obstructed the cycling path on Kent Avenue. Just hours after biking activists repainted a cycling path on Bedford Avenue that was recently removed by the city, the equally controversial Kent Avenue bike lane was blocked by parked cars for a major Hasidic celebration. more ›

The biking activists responsible for repainting the Bedford Avenue bike lane have shared video of their actions with Gothamist. After the city controversially decided to remove the bike lane from a 14-block stretch of Bedford Avenue last week, the guerilla cyclists walked up and down the avenue with paint rollers and spray paint to recreate the cycling route. more ›

We haven't been able to verify this one with the NYPD yet, but sources tell Gothamist that police — and South Williamsburg's Shomrim Patrol — arrested two men suspected of attempting to repaint the recently-removed Bedford Avenue bike lane this morning. more ›

Just when it seemed like the hoopla over bike lanes in Williamsburg had come to a close, Gothamist has learned that the Department of Transportation is planning to remove a 14-block section of the Bedford Avenue cycling route. A spokesman said that the agency will remove the "small portion" of the bike lane between Flushing and Division avenues in South Williamsburg "as part of ongoing bike network adjustments in the area." more ›

In a real world example of supply and demand economics, the proliferation of Southeast Asian eateries on and around Williamsburg's main commercial street has hurt business, according to neighborhood restaurateurs. The pad thai business is ailing in a three block area centered around Bedford Avenue and North Sixth Streets, where four Thai and three Asian fusion restaurants compete, according to the Brooklyn Paper — which dubs the enclave "Brooklyn's Little Bangkok." more ›

Poster Child has finally brought a planter box to New York City! This dwarf pine is now planted outside of the Bedford Avenue L stop in Williamsburg; he explains his project: "If you are new to these FlyerPlanterboxes the idea is to take the empty & disused newspaper and flyer boxes that litter our sidewalks and put them to a better use than say trashcan or Space-Filler." And check out that newspaper dispenser, it's from The National, which debuted in January of 1990 and folded 18 months later. He notes, "this empty, useless box has somehow managed to consume valuable sidewalk space in New York for 16 odd years." more ›

Cops were breaking out the heavy machinery again and revving up the chainsaws—it's bike removal time once again on Bedford Avenue. Greenpoint resident Ben Running started shooting video of the cops removing bicycles in another fiery scene on Bedford and North 8th in the heart of Williamsburg. Police make it clear that they don't want him shooting because as Running says, "They don't want you to videotape and put it on the internet." So like any decent citizen journalist, Running did just that. more ›

A nine-year-old boy on his way to the temple in Williamsburg yesterday was struck and killed by a driver who was operating her vehicle on a suspended license. The accident took place as 54-year-old Novella Bilkerdyk made a left turn onto Wallabout Avenue off Bedford, striking 9-year-old Joshua Ganzfried with her Honda Accord and dragging him under it for a few feet. Police in Brooklyn charged Bilkerdyk with driving with a suspended license after having it taken away from her in 2007 for multiple insurance lapses. The Post talked to a witness who did not want to be named but told them, "The driver got out and started screaming hysterically," as he says Bilkerdyk screamed, "A Jewish boy! A Jewish boy!" Ganzfried was one of seven children from an Orthodox family, dressed in traditional garb as he headed to Saturday services. Neighbors tell the News that the corner the incident took place is notoriously a dangerous spot. more ›

If you have been to Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, you have seen the ranting grey-haired man pacing up and down the middle of the street. Usually positioned between North 5th and North 7th, sometimes later in the day he'll make it all the way down to the South Side, probably on his way home. Lawrence LaDouceur lives at the Glenwood Hostel, and prior to that he's led quite a life. One brave soul has now gone one-on-one with him, making him the subject of a short film; Russel Fong captures LaDouceur's thoughts as they pour from his head, and he even visits his current home. Maybe next time you see him you'll give him a chance and have your own one-on-one (it's a bit heart-wrenching when he tells Fong of their talk: "you don't know how good this is for me.") more ›

Good news, seven blocks of Bedford Avenue will become a pedestrian-only zone again on select Saturdays as Williamsburg Walks returns for the summer. more ›

The incident that took place on Bedford Avenue on Election Night (you know...riot gear, arrests, etc) lived on last night at the 94th Precinct Community Meeting. NewYorkShitty has a rundown (with video), reporting back that Captain Fulton was on hand to field questions and concerns, as well as locals (both young and old). "Overall it was a pretty ugly meeting. The reason for this had little to do with Captain Fulton. Rather, it had to do with how the 'old guard' treated the younger people present. For example: When Aaron Short (of the Greenpoint Courier and BushwickBK) asked if this was 'a generational issue'," crowd responses allegedly included: "The issue is order over anarchy!" and "Too lenient!" In the end, a sit-down "with people present on Bedford Avenue that evening who felt the police acted inappropriately" has been promised. more ›

Our sources are telling us that Apple has purchased the building that currently houses the Salvation Army located at 176 Bedford Avenue (on the corner of Bedford and North 7th) in Williamsburg. more ›

If you've ever been to Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg on a weekend day, you'll know the sidewalks can become overcrowded, especially on the north side. This summer the pedestrian traffic jams will be eliminated...at least for four days. The Brooklyn Paper reports "the city will close Bedford Avenue to traffic, turning the thoroughfare into a pedestrian-only plaza between Metropolitan Avenue and North Ninth Street." The project has been in talks for a while now, and is called Williamsburg Walks, appropriate since it is centered around walking, and doesn't include any special events, street fair type activities or vendors. Sadly, there will be no carpet made of artificial grass...but if you're okay with plain 'ol pavement, head over there any Saturday between July 19th and August 9th. more ›

Back in January video emerged of an enthusiastic street performer, Matthew Silver, dancing in front of Earwax record store on Bedford Avenue. It seems that a war has been going on since, between the employees of the store and the ever-growing troupe of Silver's clowns (dubbed the BC Fools) that adorn the outside of its shop. more ›