Let's Revisit My Old Hood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Postmarked Wednesday, November 8th, 2006
Topic: Thoughts; Travel (308 words, 22 images, 4 comments)

As part of my last-minute trip to the US last week, my cousin Anahita (the Hotta) and I decided to take advantage of a sudden change in weather (stormy to gloriously sunny) and have brunch and a stroll in Williamsburg, which is a short bus ride away from her new place in Long Island City.

I hadn't been back to Williamsburg since August 2005, when John and I were on our way to London and spent a few hours tooling around my old stomping grounds. Funny to think that I moved there almost 10 years ago!

Back in 1997, Williamsburg was still edgy and a bit raw (and artists were already moving away, because of increasing rents and imminent gentrification). There were only 3 bars and a few small restaurants/cafes back then.

By the time I left in 2003, it was officially "over" and had been for quite a while. Young hipster hopefuls from all around the world staked their personal claim on a zip code and an adopted aesthetic. Originality through full hipster conformity (was I ever any different, with my 7-inch records and vintage gear?). When I was moving back to Charlottesville in August 2003, I stopped at the bodega across the street to say goodbye to the sweet brothers who ran the place. "Mami", they said, "You were one of the first blancas out here. Now everything is changing." [Here being Montrose Avenue, the 5th stop on the L train from Manhattan to Brooklyn; in 1997 most "blancas" would get off the train at the 1st stop Bedford Avenue and definitely by the 3rd stop, Graham Avenue, never venturing out that far into "real" Brooklyn).

Well, take a look at Bedford Avenue as I saw it last week. Safe to say it's no longer edgy... and yet getting my coffee at the Verb still made me feel at home. Go figure!

There was a game I used to play, where you'd have to say "It would be great to get a space around here" whenever you passed this corner. It was because this particular building inspired thoughts of loft-living and open spaces, the likes of which were still sort-of affordable in 1997. Now, there is a typically Williamsburg brunch place on the ground floor! Murals still cover the outside.
Nice feel on the inside! The streets still looked the same... Walking towards Bedford Ave, I wondered what had changed... Clovis Bookshop (where Freya Stark's Arabian Sands was purchased in 2004!) was now a cheese shop!
Ah, but Verb was still there. Hotta knows how happy I am to be there again. I loved sitting outside, watching life go by... The vibe was still there... especially on a sunny Saturday.
But there was now a SUBWAY next to my old indie video rental place!!!!! Twilight Zone!! I had to document my confusion in the nearest shop window. Some things had not changed. Here is the face of the New Williamsburg. There was new construction everywhere...
The buildings keep growing higher and higher. I think this was the old L cafe. Now a bagel place?! The L train took me out of my reverie and back in time. I know that sign.
Ah, the charm of the NYC subway platform. Always a performer on hand to keep the mood light. But most exciting, the SIZE of the cars. I swear you can fit 2 London tube cars inside one of these. God they're spacious and gorgeous!    

Reader Comments

1.

Comment from Ariane

Super les photos !!!! Je voyage en restant à Paris par contre notre bon vieux métro parisien est plus beau à mon avis surtout la ligne Balard-Créteil !!!!!!

GROS BISOUS

ARIANE

2.

Comment from Hotta

It was so good to see you... and I really enjoyed your photo novella of our day together.

Booses kouchoulou...

3.

Comment from grit

i was surfing the web and ended up on your photos of brooklyn... i moved to Williamsburg back in 1990 and left in 2004 for upstate NY. i enjoyed your pics and comments. i remember when the storefronts were all boarded up and abandoned. Sometimes you would see a plant or a cat in the window and you would know someone lived there--an artist lived for 15 years in the old pharmacy, which is now the cheese store. i lived in a storefront on driggs. thanks again for the memories. enjoy your travels!

4.

Comment from Scooter

Ah Marrr- Sweet memories for me as well being a NYC transplant to Chicago now. Your stroll down memory lane in Williamsburg made my heart swell a bit too, thinking of how much NYC was a part of my life for 10 years and how much it affected me.

Keep up the good work on the website, and keep in touch!

Scoot

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