by Justine Crime is UP – in Williamsburg. I had this whole entire convo with my pops on Sunday regarding this very subject. “My friend said they’re attacking white hipster boys on bikes” quotes the article.
Ask any local. We all saw this coming.
Before I even go any further, I definitely do not condone beating up hipsters or any one for that matter – unless of course they deserve it. But just cause you’re a…
17
Free to read, funded by readers. Join as a member and get a free gift.
Greenpointers has covered Greenpoint & Williamsburg since 2007 — community boards, rezoning fights, local businesses, and the people whose lives and work give the neighborhood its character. Local news is collapsing across the country, but we're still here: independently owned, no corporate backing, no paywall. 18+ years, 280k+ monthly readers and followers, funded by the community we serve.
Why your support matters
Your last few lines are spot on, and those are the type of people I mean when railing against “hipsters.” Not every transplant into the city is a hipster — hell, what makes New York great is its tapestry of immigrants, both international and domestic, and natives — and hipsters don’t understand that they can be a part of something larger because they’re too busy not conforming.
Right on! This isn’t hipster central where you move into your hipster community and all is well and hipster happy. This is a huge, diverse city – thus the basis of it’s appeal – and recognizing that others were here first should make you appreciate it more. You want fresh bread and mozzarella? Graham Ave L stop for the Italians. Puerto Rican pride? Montrose L stop. Brooklyn is so authentic which is why the “artsy” kids are coming in. They’ve just gotta realize it’s not quite theirs. At least not yet.
While NYC is not as dangerous as it used to be, it still isn’t the middle of Kansas. While I do not advocate the robbing or beating up of hipsters, they are getting a bit of a trial by fire. Having grown up here I keep my wallet in my front pocket, always lock my windows, etc… These people moving in still think they are in the suburbs. They run about flaunting their mp3 players and cell phones, they leave their bags unattended, they chain their bikes up overnight, leave their car doors unlocked and a lot more. Unfortunately for them NY is a real city where this cannot happen and they are being taught lessons for their carelessness.
They seem to think that since NY is diverse that people will let you go about your business no matter how you look. this is true to an extent. The hipster look is synonomous with easy mark. Frankly with no muscle and no clue as how to even walk down a street you are easy pickings to people who are poor or pissed off about something.
Folks, you need to face reality. Gentrification is gonna happen, and it’s not all hipsters. I walk to Vernon Jackson every day, now there’s some real gentrification. You’ve got to figure that hipsters are just the first wave, and they’ll get pushed out just like the previous tenants, probably more quickly. Just look at what happened to Hoboken. That’s probably Greenpoint’s ultimate endpoint: a new Hoboken. I don’t think anyone would look forward to that, but we need to accept it and move on. Gentrification is driven by bigger forces than fashion trends, and it will ultimately affect everyone, not just the folks who were born in Greenpoint.
I totally agree with you about gentrification! It’s happened and continues to happen throughout major cities across the country. I’m not a hater of gentrification myself, this post is really just talking about some of the effects. It’s the growing pains.
You make a lot of sense but I was attacked at 7am in the morning. I am not a hipster, do not have skinny jeans, do not have tattoos and I am not an asshole. I am one of the people that got “seriously hurt.” I’m writing to warn everyone to be careful at all hours not just at night. It’s scary.
Jason – I’m really sorry to hear that you got seriously hurt. The uptick in crimes affects ALL of us. Be careful out there people!
Oh and 7am can be a late night for some, not just an early morning… Sometimes I think early in the morning is even scarier than late at night.
Thank you Justine. I would also like to add that I am a native New Yorker. I do and have always respected and appreciated the other types of people around me and the neighborhoods they live in. Unfortunately, this did me no good while I was heading to work and was attacked from behind without warning.
you are so ignorant, but really what can be expected from someone who grew up in a slum.
Maria – You are EXACTLY the type of person that I refer to in my last sentence.
Why live here if you think it’s a slum? Or if you don’t live here then why the fuck would you bother putting in your two cents?
I never comment. But the LAST thing any of these comments, or this astute post is, is ignorant. Pay attention Maria.
I got my iPhone snatched out of my hand in broad daylight right in front of buffalo exchange on driggs. (I was lucky enough to get it back when someone drove after the kid down the street.) I am not a hipster, i am a native new yorker, and just a regular person who happens to really like living in the neighborhood. I was not being reckless or naive in talking on my phone on the street, just acting normally on what still seems to be a relatively safe spot. I’m sure the anti-hipster trend is real, but please don’t generalize by dividing these neighborhoods into Poles (or whichever ethnic group), locals, and hipsters with tattoos. I’m sure if someone wants to rob you they don’t care about the tightness of your jeans or the size of your shades.
David, I think it goes without saying that other people besides hipsters get robbed in the neighborhood.
I also think it goes without saying that not every single person can be lumped into a category or generalization – there are exceptions to every rule. But the reason generalizations and stereotypes exist is because they represent the ‘majority’.
I like to think that people who live in NY already know those basics without me having to post a disclaimer or tutorial in every post.
With that said, I feel awful that your iPhone was snatched out of your hand while you were talking on it but it’s New York and shit happens. As a native NYer you obviously know this.
I was mugged right in front of my Junior High School when I was 14. A couple of guys came up and snatched my gold nameplate right off of my neck. It doesn’t matter whether someplace seems safe or not – if someone wants what you have, they’re gonna take it.
If you were to walk down the street with three or four hundred dollar bills, would you be surprised if someone tried to snatch it from your hand?
Of course, no one would do that… they’d know it’d be a dumb thing to do.
So what’s the difference between that an easily-sold electronic device that’s worth the same amount?
That really struck me the other night when I was in a bar in the neighborhood and a group of three guys went outside to smoke, one of them leaving his iphone on their table. Surprise, it was gone by the time they came back in. Personally I wouldn’t leave even a few dollars sitting plain sight in a bar while I went outside. The bottom line is that if you want to carry expensive stuff around you have to recognize the risk. That has nothing to do with Greenpoint or Williamsburg; it’s universal.
That really struck me the other night when I was in a bar in the neighborhood and a group of three guys went outside to smoke, one of them leaving his iphone on their table. Surprise, it was gone by the time they came back in.
I can’t even imagine someone would be moronic enough to do that.
And I agree with everything you said in your post.
The only time I’ve been threatened in GP was because I was Jewish and told to go back to Bedford not because of my pants. Well then again my pants arent that tight.