On Hipsters and Rupert, Downtown

Photo by myself at Houston Street and First Avenue, on the Lower East Side.

A photo from last weekend, in front of Yonah Schimmel, a knishery that first opened in 1890.

Catching sight of a hipster fellow in this spot was just dumb luck. Both the haircut and the signage harken back a few decades.

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The above was taken a couple weekends ago, during a long walk in town. This past weekend, we did almost nothing, since Mark was laid up with a bad back. He is now extremely crooked, and the smallest movements issue groans of pain. Poor kid.

Anyway, see below for another photo from the same walk. We found a little painting of a Boston Terrier named 'Pickles', outside the Alias Restaurant.

Rupert obliged me with a pose. He is not 'breedist', however, and treats all dogs pretty much equally.



Related posts: Where the Kids Are - The L Train Platform, Street Corner, in Midtown, and Old and New, on Fifth Avenue.

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Hipsters in their Natural Habitat

Photo by myself in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

This weekend Mark and I traversed into Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to view hipster douchebags in their natural environment.

There was no need to hide within a tent or creep up on the subjects. They were shuffling around in the open air without a care in the world, in their ragtag clothing, ironic sunglasses, shoes and no socks.

Even in these times, the life of the hipster douchebag seems good.

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Generally Hipsters are kids who look like they've rolled out of bed. They spend much time and often money on their appearance, which is contrived to look casually thrown together. Prefers thrift store clothing. Has a trust fund. Modern-day Bohemians.

Stubbornly non-conformist, yet they all tend to look the same.

Here's a link to some definitions of a hipster.

Related posts: The Hipster Olympics, Where the Kids Are - Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Hipster Douchebags.

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The Hipster Olympics

Photo by myself on the subway platform.

Not every subway platform has a newspaper stand. Sometimes they're outside the gate, by the tollbooth. Sometimes they're above ground.

They're great for getting a snack, a pack of gum, the latest celeb gossip. These stands can be good company during late hours, when you're all alone on the platform, waiting for the train.

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Did anyone catch the credits for the Olympics Sunday night?

If you stayed awake late enough, you were in for a treat. A montage showed the highs and lows of the Summer Games.

You can see the awesome video here.

I was struck by the lows, by far. There is so much focus on the winners, and for every three winners, there are dozens of competitors who don't make it to the podium.

For the New York version, here's a video of the 'Hipster Olympics'. Hipsters are the breed of young folk who stroll around, their hair rumpled and bed-headed. Mark calls them 'Hipster Douchebags' because they bother him so.

The clip has some classic shots of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where hipsters are in their natural environment:



Related posts: Where The Kids Are - Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Hipster Douchebags, and Cheers.

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Hipster Douchebags

Tonight, like many nights, I waited at the very back of the platform for the N and R trains, along with a crowd of hipsters. Mark calls them 'hipster douchebags'.

This happens every day - people know exactly where to stand on the platform so when the doors open, they're right by the stairs or the exit. All those hipsters (and I) were waiting for the last car of the train, so we could get out at Union Square and dash down the stairs to the L train. There, we'd all assemble again, on one end of the Brooklyn-bound platform, to squeeze into the last car. We'd stumble out at Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg and trudge up the stairs to the open air.

I wish I'd had my camera tonight, because it was raining. On the platform, and later on the trains, I was crammed together with a mass of damp, bed-headed folk dressed in saggy jeans and slouchy hooded sweatshirts. Mark hates them, (hence the 'douchebag' part).

Everyone (except me) looked like they just walked out of a Gap ad. That's the Williamsburg demographic, and tonight, they looked especially bed-headed.

Next time I'll have to bring the camera. Hopefully, it'll be raining.


Image from a review of The Hipster Handbook.

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The Beginning of the End

Greenpoint is featured in this week’s Time Out as the next new thing.

On any Sunday two summers ago, Mark and I might be the only ones brunching outside the Greenpoint Coffeehouse. We’d see a couple people out walking their dogs if we were lucky. The menu was just half a page, but we had our favorites. It was enough.

Time Out is comparing GP to Williamsburg, the neighborhood next door. I’ve been noticing that the sidewalks have been growing crowded, and everyone looks like they just stepped out of a Gap ad. Mark calls them ‘hipster douchebags’ and a bunch of other names.

We thought GP would never change; there is a strong Polish family population that is highly visible. On Sundays, a steady procession pores out from church, all dressed up. Most of the shops have Polish names: Polam International, Bakery Rzeszowski, Staropolski Meat Market. In line for my smoked kielbasa, I am the only non-polish speaker. I act out what I need in mime.

Recently, a couple of nice bars and restaurants have opened, and the street next to the street next to the water has been repaved. New condo buildings have gone up, too, but they ain't cheap. Everyone wants to get a deal in the city, and now that GP’s gotten such PR, only more hype will follow.

Long Island City, just North, is starting to heat up too; LIC is slated to be the next Battery Park City (BPC), with high rises already planted along the water and a Whole Foods rumored in the works.

It’s a tough tradeoff; on the one hand, it’ll be great to have more than a handful of restaurants to choose from. On the other hand, sidewalks and restaurants and parking spots and subway seats will be fought over. Everything will become more upscale, yet bland. Just as what’s been happening to Manhattan, all the personality and quirkiness will be threatened.

Starbucks recently took over the old movie theatre on Manhattan Avenue, slapping its logo on the marquis. Meanwhile, Lomzynianka and Restauracja Relax are shaking in their shoes. I hope they can stand their ground.

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