Brownsville Just Might be the Next Williamsburg
- Reed Young/Time Lightbox
With insanity like “East Bushwick” and and, uh, an East Williamsburg that includes part of Queens gaining real estate momentum, it’s never too soon to speculate on what the next hot hot hot neighborhood for gentrification will be. So let’s talk about Brownsville for a minute.
The Observer helpfully rounded up speculation from various corners earlier this week, adding in a bit of their own:
“If trends in nearby neighborhoods are any indication, it won’t be long before Brownsville—a byword for blight, home to the largest concentration of public housing towers in the city and to this day a place that some mail carriers fear to tread—is selling something artisanal besides stamp bags.”
Oof. Maybe (well, definitely) not the words I would have chosen, but it touches on a legitimate point. Development is moving outward, toward the Halsey stop in Bushwick, and further south, according to DNAinfo, past the “far eastern Edge of Crown Heights.” More importantly, parts of Brownsville are on the L train. “The line of gold,” in case you’d forgotten. So, what? Should we all pack our bags and head for Brownsville? Well, if you’re really playing a long game (or just want a cheap apartment and don’t mind being a little isolated and not being allowed delivery from Seamless), then sure. And if you’re a gentrification-chasing real estate speculator, then absolutely. Snap up some buildings or whatever. The rest of us can ride out our leases, and maybe get a nice betting pool going on what absurd new name realtors will try slap on the neighborhood.
Follow Virginia K. Smith on Twitter @vksmith.
