What can I say about this? The Times fawns over the newbies, mainly because those invading Ridgewood today are not the same working class people that had been moving in since the early 20th century. Instead, these are people who whine that housing is becoming unaffordable, yet seem to have plenty of money to patronize bars and restaurants that are opening up on every corner posthaste. Maybe if they were a little more disciplined in how they spend their money, they wouldn't have to use their well-off parents back in Michigan as ATMs (of course the article fails to mention that). What gets me is that there seems to be an unlimited supply of these dweebs, as well as their clueless parents, and they actually think of themselves as "artists".
They priced out many people who grew up in the area, and the actual artists that were here before them, as well as first generation immigrants struggling to make it, so they deserve no sympathy. All they do is leave a path of destruction behind them as they pass through. As Curbed put it, "Congratulations, Ridgewood. Enjoy all the construction."
Personally, I am getting tired of these post-college arrested development cases. Normal people finish their studies, grow up, start careers and families, try to make it on their own and are not hanging out at warehouses-turned-clubs every night and sitting in coffee shops with laptops all day playing the part of developer bait. The biggest crisis these folks seem to face is when the food they order on Seamless takes an hour to arrive and the ketchup is missing. If your main obsession in life is brunch, it's a safe bet that you have way too much free time on your hands. Volunteerism and sacrifice are foreign words to most of this set. When will they come to realize that their frivolous behavior is going to ultimately drive them to their own exodus?
My advice to them, not that they'll take it: Stop walking around acting like you're not only entitled, but smarter than everyone else because you drink craft beer. You live in f*cking Ridgewood. Get over yourselves.
Rant over.
21 comments:
Now *that* is a proper way to let loose. And totally accurate, to boot.
Nicely done, Crapper.
You'll surely set off a firestorm here, Crappy.
These young dependents are indeed a strange lot, many of them actively emulating the "starving artist living in the 'real' NYC" brand. They make an art out of being annoying and for all their progressivism, seem clueless about local politics and civic concerns. But at the same time, I bet most aren't sponging off (the often poorer) taxpayer, and by moving to cheaper areas, they are self-regulating however much mommy and daddy dole out in allowance to supplement whatever odd work they do in order to maintain their lifestyle.
That's more than you can say for a lot of old-timers here who have been blissfully ignorant and content to live as serial renters, thinking just because they have ethnic connection or multigenerational past to the neighborhood that THEY are somehow entitled to a neighborhood frozen in time. If people want to keep affordable housing, they should make a down payment on it when it is affordable and invest in their community. There are plenty of New Yorkers "wasting time" gossiping in Polish at Greenpoint drinking Vodka, playing chess and gambling in Russian-frequented parks, gabbing on Bocci courts, jibing to Latin American beats out of a car stereo on picnic blankets, and so on. Let's not romantacize the "real" New Yorkers as paragons fastidious productivity!
Not romanticizing, just stating how it is. There will always be a need for working class rentals. When the supply of such is occupied by the well off who will be moving on shortly, the working class are forced out. Generally the older folks are the ones to cash in because they actually own property.
Anon # 2:
These people leech off of others (their older relatives) and the government passes law after law that furthers their entitlement and protection.
They are anything but self-regulating, to call them otherwise is to spit in the face of actual NYers.
I understand what you mean by the 'entitlement illusion' on behalf of the natives, however that doesnt excuse the instant gratification and instant gentrification crowd from thinking that the whole city should be run to accomodate them (which is unfortunately what is occuring).
"There are plenty of New Yorkers "wasting time" gossiping in Polish at Greenpoint drinking Vodka, playing chess and gambling in Russian-frequented parks, gabbing on Bocci courts, jibing to Latin American beats out of a car stereo on picnic blankets, and so on. Let's not romantacize the "real" New Yorkers as paragons fastidious productivity!"
Do you not understand that these others are retired and expected to have free time?
spot on QC
You have to wonder if the senior staffers at the new york times(which I don't buy anymore and refuse to subscribe)real estate section gets under the table commissions to make these declarations,repeatedly in this case.
Generation Gentrification has been the biggest scourge in this city since crack.It's hard to see that when all these towers that have gone up in the past 7 years and the value of brownstones and apts meant for families and couples have rose to grotesque stratospheric levels.but their existence and the obnoxious behavior and frivolous spending is ruining the character and the(hate this term,but it applies)quality of life for those still struggling here,whether it's living check to check or being taxed trying to provide for your family with the cost of food and energy bills.
what's appalling is that the reason for this economic surge and rapid development is based on a demographic group not on the actual needs of taxpayers.Based on speculation and not in reality.And the bubble is going to blow up again.
And these willfully oblivious shameless dicks and dickettes don't seem to give a shit.They know they are being coddled,and they will continue to go warehouse and backyard parties and "events",buy 10 grilled cheese sandwiches,get tattoo sleeves and make soulless music,lousy art and drink crapft beers with the grapefruit peels and dingleberries,and glue pubes on their upper lips.
you want to get even madder at the costly pandering to these types?has anyone seen this commercial?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyIhU1x8p0I
watch that and remember this from some pseudo creative drone from the perpetually irrelevant network MTV
“Creative people love to be the ones that explore new territory
What else can be said people like this,who create ads and say condescending shit like this about towns?They crassly think that these places didn't exist without them.Well,even though I don't live in Ridgewood,Fuck all of you dweebs,and I demand you stop ruining beer and hamburgers.
and so some of these creative dicks are going to open up bars after saving a century old one?Lookout Gottscheer!You're next.
I dunno. A friend just escaped from Ridgewood, full of drug dealers, pimps, on the street action, gun shots, too much noise late at night. From her kitchen window my friend witnessed a pimp telling a teen age prostitute what to do when she got into the car with a trick.
And when the cash flow from mom and dad dries up, they take to Kickstarter...
How does commenter #2 propose that a guy or girl making $50k a year buy when housing prices are cheap? When does he think that will be?
Queenscrappers with their typical disdain of social welfare programs need to sort out their feelings on "affordable housing" and what that means. The hipsters and gentrifiers are spending only their own money or that which their parents are willingly giving them. Even if no one puts up luxe condos, they will displace other residents. Gonna let the free market figure it out or what, dear readers?
It's not the free market when developers are getting tax breaks to gentrify the neighborhood.
"Even if no one puts up luxe condos, they will displace other residents"
Read a little closer. The developer bogeyman is not the reason 9 million by 2030 cannot fit in this overpopulated coastal city.
We don't need more people in this city that sit in coffee shops all day. We need housing for workers. That's the point.
I would add to the rant by noting that the newcomers refuse to participate in the local civic group, Kiwanis, church, scouts, etc. As the neighborhood appears to prosper economically, the civic and religious groups are on the decline.
One of the best essays ever Crappy. This is a issue that should be examined repeatedly.
Good work.
The hacks have marginalized themselves here and the people now have an opportunity to find their voice.
excellent article Queens Crapper.
It's calle dpolitical blockbusting
Good job QC. The fact is, none of these tragically hip douchebags are going to raise families here. What will be left are the wealthy, not rich, illegal aliens, chinese slumlords, welfare cheats and the real poor. The fact is, after 9/11, the drool was pooling around politicians and developers.
As a young person born in and living in Ridgewood my whole life, I am sick of all these hipster crapheads coming in and trying to make a town they know nothing about "their own". As if times weren't hard enough around here, they are forcing property values to constantly increase, but the quality is decreasing. Many people I knew growing up here have all moved out recently due to the influx of these turds. The middle-working class of immigrants that once used to be Ridgewood is slowly fading into a mirage of unnecessary thickly-framed glasses, unappealing facial hair, horrible sense of fashion and smelly arm pits on the WAY TOO OVERCROWDED M train in the mornings.
Interesting point. The M train used to be a joke to these folks when it went to the Wall Street area. I have to wonder if it was changed to ride up 6th Ave to hasten development of Ridgewood.
@anonymous (last one)
Oh absolutely I bet it was. Ridgewood is now considered I think "East East Williamsburg". If that doesn't market to the hipsters, then I have no idea what does.
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