THe Hipsters are moving in in droves - I am very happy!

As a
1. predominantly, though not exclusively, white male
2. between ages of 22-35 who
3. drinks lots of coffee and beer,
4. reads novels,
5. votes Democratic,
6. sees movies at BAM Rose Cinemas, the Quad, Film Forum, etc, who
7. wears clothing purchased at thrift shops,
8. would take my dog to bars if I had one,
9. is adventurous with food,
10. never wants to own a car, who has a
11. diverse music collection that leans heavily towards indie rock, who
12. loves (and writes about) dive bars,
13. comes from areas outside of NYC, is a
14. college-educated
15. champion of racial and ethnic diversity, and above all
16. is generally creative and funny,

I wonder what all the fuss is about.

Tenants don't inflate real estate prices, landlords, opportunists, and inflation do.

nokindofrider wrote: Tenants don't inflate real estate prices, landlords, opportunists, and inflation do.

#1 Howdy neighbor.
#2 The price dynamic is not that simple. If tenants were not willing to pay inflated prices, then your opportunist landlords would not be able to inflate said prices. I see a weird situation where you have say a $550 apartment and that is viewed by, uh, well at risk of oversimplifying let us say that it is viewed by "white folk" as "ghetto". But you take that same apartment and tag it at $950 and add a couple tag words like "rapidly gentrifying" and "diverse, vibrant community" and you suddenly get the "white folk" beating down your doors.

To drastically oversimplify and underwhelm you. Or something.

From a:
1. Predominantly, though not exclusively, white.
2. Between ages of 22-35.
3. Drinks some beer but no coffee or caffeine.
4. Reads novels. And non-fiction too!
5. Votes for Mickey Mouse, generally, regardless of the office, write him in!
6. Doesn't see movies. Over ten years since I've been a movie theatre.
7. Doesn't wear clothing purchased at thrift shops, but would.
8. Doesn't have a dogs and doesn't take children to bars.
9. Are adventurous with food.
10. Doesn't own a car. Is generally averse to car ownership in NYC.
11. Has a diverse music collections, doesn't lean at all towards indie rock.
12. Likes dive bars.
13. Come from an area outside of NYC.
14. Is not college-educated.
15. Is not a champion racial and ethnic diversity, but believes in it, and has few friends of other races. Also has few friends of same race, for that matter.
16. Is generally creative and funny, as long as physical looks count.

nokindofrider wrote:
Tenants don't inflate real estate prices, landlords, opportunists, and inflation do.

The value of something is determined by what someone is willing to pay. Tenants decide if they are willing to pay the price being asked, therefore tenants set the price.

If an apt is overpriced it won't get rented and the landlord will be forced to keep it vacant or lower the price to what people are willing to pay.

If landlords started asking for $10,000 per month for a 1-BR apt that would not drive prices up. They would only be driven up when people started to pay that much.

Ben wrote: [quote=nokindofrider]
Tenants don't inflate real estate prices, landlords, opportunists, and inflation do.

The value of something is determined by what someone is willing to pay. Tenants decide if they are willing to pay the price being asked, therefore tenants set the price.

If an apt is overpriced it won't get rented and the landlord will be forced to keep it vacant or lower the price to what people are willing to pay.

If landlords started asking for $10,000 per month for a 1-BR apt that would not drive prices up. They would only be driven up when people started to pay that much.

So, um, are you blaming tenants or landlords or nobobdy?

while it may be true that tenants AS A GROUP help raise prices, that line of reasoning is remarkably unhelpful to the individual renter. if you believe otherwise, then i really wish i'd had your help when i was last looking for a place.

Blame the dynamic. Blame the market. Blame synergy. Blame Darwin.

It is what it is.

Tenants pay the least they can get away with. Landlords charge the most they can get away with. The point those two meet is market rate.

daver wrote:

Tenants pay the least they can get away with. Landlords charge the most they can get away with. The point those two meet is market rate.

well put. when i was a kid and would ask my dad why a thing cost so much, he would always say this, which has proved sound:

"Because they couldn't get more for it."

Just to elaborate on what neene said so succinctly and brilliantly:

a hipster is someone who values nonchalance as their most important accessory

i'm not sure an influx bodes well for a sense of community

The difference is that it's these sort of people who move into a community but don't become a part of the community. It's the haughty, affected 'tude from those who whine about why you can't get a decent latte or why FD doesn't deliver, and the sense of entitlement that the neighborhood needs to adapt to THEM, rather than the other way around. There are ways to uplift and enhance a community, without completely tearing it down. They're here for cheap rent--which, btw, ain't so cheap anymore. A similar apt. I rented for $1450 less than a year ago is now commanding $1850, which is insane. The house next door flipped for an extra $200K in that same time. But hey, if yuppies and hipsters think that's a bargain, that's who's gonna move in. Is it happening in "droves," per se? Not quite. But a slow, bleeding trickle.

Ironically enough, TONY's issue this week is devoted to the theme Hipsters Must Die. How timely.

BoogieKnight wrote: [quote=Ben][quote=nokindofrider]
Tenants don't inflate real estate prices, landlords, opportunists, and inflation do.

The value of something is determined by what someone is willing to pay. Tenants decide if they are willing to pay the price being asked, therefore tenants set the price.

If an apt is overpriced it won't get rented and the landlord will be forced to keep it vacant or lower the price to what people are willing to pay.

If landlords started asking for $10,000 per month for a 1-BR apt that would not drive prices up. They would only be driven up when people started to pay that much.

So, um, are you blaming tenants or landlords or nobobdy?

I'm not blaming anyone just trying to explain the market dynamic. My point was that the act of asking a high rent does not drive the prices up.

BoogieKnight was claiming that tenants do not play a role in the increase of rental prices and that it is only the landlords, opportunists (whoever they are) and inflation. My point is that it takes two parties, landlord and tenant, to agree on a price. It's not a one sided equation.

Yes. It's called economics- supply and demand.

I love indie rock and hip-hop and dub reggae and jazz sometimes! I also love to read three newspapers everyday while I listen to whatever my heart desires. I love Mr. Ford and Ripple. I love people I know on the street. I love my cats and talking at them with stupid jokes and shit. I love my wife. I love hating the Yankees though I love them. These days, I love watching the Mets play seamless baseball. I love hating people who add hyperbole and raise rents in a once affordable neighborhood.

LeeHo wrote: I love hating people who add hyperbole and raise rents in a once affordable neighborhood.

And that was never you?

I scored 14 out of 16! AND I just moved to CH last month...maybe I'm the elusive hipster everyone's jawing about...

Jack Krohn wrote: I'll get the ball rolling. This is intended to be a preliminary brainstorming list, so please don't take it literally and feel free to detract from or build upon it.

Hipsters:

1. Are predominantly, though not exclusively, white
2. Are between ages of 22-35
3. Drink lots of coffee and beer.
4. Read novels.
5. Vote Democratic or Green.
6. See movies at BAM Rose Cinemas, the Quad, Film Forum, etc.
7. Wear clothing purchased at thrift shops.
8. Take their dogs and/or children to bars.
9. Are adventurous with food.
10. Own, or wish they owned, a car.
11. Have diverse music collections, but lean heavily towards indie rock.
12. Love dive bars.
13. Usually come from areas outside of NYC.
14. Are college-educated.
15. Champion racial and ethnic diversity, but have few, if any, friends of other races.
16. Are generally creative and funny.

verdantone wrote: I scored 14 out of 16! AND I just moved to CH last month...maybe I'm the elusive hipster everyone's jawing about...

No, that would be me. I'm moving to CH because I hate Park Slope, for which you get extra points.

Mod Note: Edited to fix tags

on the Clintonhill board, we've been told that a Hipster looks like Shaggy from Scooby Doo. There, all sorted!

14 out of 16 as well for this CH resident.

Dang, I only scored a 10. If that makes me a hipster, then this is one hipster that'll get priced out of this neighborhood should it become pricey.

I scored 13, borderline 14 with the car bit.

[quote=Guvna]on the Clintonhill board, we've been told that a Hipster looks like Shaggy from Scooby Doo. There, all sorted!



I definitely saw that guy at Soda! :evil:

One question: why do people use 'hipster' and 'yuppie' in the same sentence, as if they're comparable? Don't you realize that those two groups despise each other? It's like equating Israelis and Palestinians (well, maybe not quite that bad, but you get the point).

Oh, and luckily I only scored 5 or 6 on Jack's excellent list, thank god.

is this thread racist or about racism?

brooklynleather wrote: is this thread racist or about racism?

very gawker.com.

thank you for that

escap wrote: One question: why do people use 'hipster' and 'yuppie' in the same sentence, as if they're comparable? Don't you realize that those two groups despise each other? It's like equating Israelis and Palestinians (well, maybe not quite that bad, but you get the point).

In the classic gentrification model, hipsters pave the way for yuppies. See: Lower East Side etc etc

Oh, and luckily I only scored 5 or 6 on Jack's excellent list

yeah, that list was spot on...except replace the part about car ownership with fixed-gear bicylce ownership...

I didn't see anything about money on the hipster list. Do hipsters have money or not? None of the hipsters I know in San Francisco have much money. But I've met some hipster looking folks in New York that actually have trust funds.

I agree that first comes the hipster then comes the yuppie, so if that was the context then I understand. Just so long as we're differentiating.

Incidentally, while we're at it I see yuppies as being further divided into two subgroups: the artsy/pseudo-hipster variety that likes obscure films and novels, wears funky, stylish clothes, likes coffees or facial creams etc from exotic far-off locales, votes Democrat, and in general feigns counter-cultralism while working in fully mainstream jobs; and the classic suburban yuppie who wears Banana Republic, plays golf, drives an SUV, and generally disdains that which is not mainstream. I believe the first type has already spread through most of downtown Brooklyn but the second is just sending out a few feelers here and there and hasn't yet planted roots. I guess we'll see if they decide to colonize us or test the waters and run away scared.

in what areas of crown heights are we talking? how is the utica metro stop area?

escap wrote: I agree that first comes the hipster then comes the yuppie, so if that was the context then I understand. Just so long as we're differentiating.

Incidentally, while we're at it I see yuppies as being further divided into two subgroups: the artsy/pseudo-hipster variety that likes obscure films and novels, wears funky, stylish clothes, likes coffees or facial creams etc from exotic far-off locales, votes Democrat, and in general feigns counter-cultralism while working in fully mainstream jobs;

That was wonderful. I love being reduced to a cultural stereotype.

frugalandhep wrote:
That was wonderful. I love being reduced to a cultural stereotype.

I think it's important to remember with cultural stereotypes that they're only a good fit for the vast majority.

Why ppl would get upset at the fact that when white ppl move into a neighborhood it lowers the crime rate is understood yet true;
Crown Heights is evolving and as the gentrifying ppl move into the hood we all hope it will bring the crime rates down.

On The other hand local residence are doing their best and this week they had 15 drug rats locked up.....

I agree with those who said that it will be difficult to imagine hordes of manhattanites and others commuting to crown heights to get their hipster groove on. This neighborhood from what I've seen of it is very hard core west indian and very entrenched in terms of their businesses and culture. Short of massive developer buyouts of property, I don't see it being dislodged by a hipster invasion in the near future............or maybe ever for that matter.