and the streets will flow with wine and cheese.

Enough people have told me to get out of Williamsburg, BKLYN (even though I live north of it in Greenpoint) that a lot of it rolls off me, but I know the end is nigh; my only argument is that this "end" is the same end New York is generally on the way towards every time another shiny hideous condo building goes up. You know, like this one



or if the New Jersey Nets get their way as the Brooklyn Nets, this one.



Every area has its new new ugliness, although in Brooklyn they tend to stick out a bit more amongst far smaller buildings. You ever seen Batteries Not Included? Remember that tiny, tiny building between two skyscrapers at the end? It's an exaggeration, not a falsehood.

The people these buildings bring into my neighborhoods aren't all bad people, but they are slowly pushing my friends into Bushwick, or Chicago, or their parents' house. (Actually, the last one is more his fault than escalating rents.) Regional character nationwide's been going swiftly downhill ever since John Steinbeck first complained about the coming of franchising in Travels With Charley. New York still has its neighborhoods, but if unsustainable trends continue, more and more of it'll look like the same neighborhood. That and the young professional set bring their shitty rock bands (their "passion") into the clubs around here, and we have enough bad indie rock here.

AND they're taking my cheese.

I've only been here three years, so yes, I'm technically part of the problem, but I've moved from one tiny room in a three bedroom aluminum-sided three-story to a two-bedroom in an old brick facade joint, so I'm not attached to the new mutation.

The Upper East Side needs more corporate finance rock bands anyway.

(Gowanus Lounge post that inspired this tirade. Thanks to Jim for sending it.)