Written Testimonies
Interviews by Location (Google MyMaps)
INTERVIEWEE #1
White male in his mid-thirties, working behind the desk at a real estate office on Bedford Avenue between S 2nd Street and S 1st Street
Q: How long have you lived here?
A: Ten years.
Q: What changes have you noticed in the neighborhood during that time?
A: Well, prices have gone up dramatically.
Q: What are the general demographics of the people moving in to Williamsburg?
A: For legal reasons, I can’t really discuss the demographics of the people here.
Q: What do you think draws people to the neighborhood?
A: Accessibility, especially to the L train. You have a lot of…finance people coming in from Lower Manhattan. There are also great city views, and now there are so many new luxury buildings.
Q: Why are there suddenly so many new luxury buildings?
A: Developers are taking old warehouses in formerly industrial areas and turning them into condos and co-ops.
INTERVIEWEE #2
White female, grey hair, looks to be in her fifties or sixties giving the realty office a new paint job
Q: What changes have you noticed in the neighborhood?
A: Twenty-five years ago I had a two-bedroom apartment here in Williamsburg. I paid $400 a month. Nowadays? That same apartment would easily cost three-grand.
INTERVIEWEE #3
White male, late twenties/thirties, European accent—possibly German—with a stroller and child walking alond Bedfrod Avenue through central Williamsburg
Q: How long have you lived in Williamsburg?
A: Two years.
Q: What drew you to the neighborhood?
A: Uh, availability.
Q: Where did you live before this?
A: I lived in the West Village.
Q: Do you feel safe in this neighborhood?
A: Oh, yes, very safe.
INTERVIEWEE #4
Hispanic female, maybe in her seventies, spoke only a bit of broken English, walking along the street on the southeastern edge of Williamsburg
Q: How long have you lived in Williamsburg?
A: Forty years.
Q: Have you noticed the neighborhood changing at all?
A: Changing, yes.
Q: Have you noticed it getting more expensive?
A: Oh, more expensive! (Laughs.) Rent is go up, yes. Whoops! (Laughs.) Too much, too much…
INTERVIEWEE #5
White male, probably in his fifties or so, sitting alone on a bench in Continental Army Plaza
Q: How long have you been living in Williamsburg?
A: Three months, but I’ve been hanging out around the neighborhood since 1990.
Q: Have you noticed any changes in the neighborhood?
A: Definitely. I’ve seen it gentrifying, for sure. It’s much more Caucasian now.
Q: What drew you to the neighborhood?
A: Three reasons, mainly. Opportunity, friends, and the community. I found a place that was rent-stabilized, so that was a great opportunity, at that price. I have a bunch of friends who live here, and I really liked the art community—all the art craziness and everything.
Q: Do you feel safe in this neighborhood?
A: Yeah, I feel safe.
Q: What do you do for a living?
A: I draw pictures.
