Williamsburg

Neighborhood Profile

Location: North-Western Brooklyn. Character: Running along the waterfront area of Brooklyn just east of Manhattan's 14th street in Manhattan is Williamsburg. Once an inexpensive artists area, full of illegal lofts and warehouse spaces, Williamsburg has gentrified dramatically, becoming the artist/hipster mecca it is today (incidentally, much more expensive than its former "starving artist" residents could possibly afford). The main drag of Bedford Avenue is buzzing at all hours with fashionable artsy folk, mostly in their 20s-30s, with the occasional artsy family. Many boutiques sell one-of-a-kind artist's wares. That said, parts of the neighborhood are somewhat gritty, their building stock being largely converted from warehouses; don't expect a lot of trees. Demographics: A curious mix of 20- and 30-something hipsters (now the majority), yuppies, Hispanics and Hasidic Jews (the latter two groups mostly in the southern part of the neighborhood).

Apartments & Real Estate

Apartments range from do-it-yourself warehouses (basically, you build the walls to your room, and expect a utility-style bathroom) to older homes to newly constructed (typically mid-rise and upscale) buildings. Many are older apartments are “railroad” or “shotgun” style, which means one room leads into the next (these are not easily sharable). Some older buildings' electrical systems have not been updated, so if you work from home and use many appliances, it may become a problem.

Current Rental Statistics

Selected Rental Buildings

• new! 1 North 4th Place (Williamsburg) - 8 listings, all of them 'no-fee' apts
  A modern high-rise building.
• 100 South 4th Street (Williamsburg) - 7 listings, all of them 'no-fee' apts
  A turn-of-the-century mid-rise elevator building offering laundry facilities. The apartments have very high ceilings.
• 175 Kent Avenue (Williamsburg) photos - 3 listings, all of them 'no-fee' apts
  A modern mid-rise concierge elevator building.
• 265 South 2nd Street (Williamsburg) - 6 listings, all of them 'no-fee' apts
  A mid-rise walk-up building.
• 50 North 5th Street (Williamsburg) - 11 listings: 9 no-fee and 2 fee apts
  A modern mid-rise elevator building.

See all Williamsburg Rental Apartment Buildings (153 buildings)

Selected No-Fee Rental Listings

See all Williamsburg No-Fee Rental Apartments (51 total)

Condo & Co-op Buildings

• 111 Kent Avenue (Williamsburg)
  A modern mid-rise doorman elevator condo building offering a gym, a pool and a garage.
• 20 North 5th Street (Williamsburg)
  A modern mid-rise elevator condo building.
• Two Northside Piers (164 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg)
  A modern doorman condo building offering a gym, a garage and a children's play area.

See all Williamsburg Condo Apartment Buildings (64 buildings)

• 134 Ainslie Street (Williamsburg)
  A low-rise walk-up building.
• The Continental (185 South 4th Street, Williamsburg) - 2 listings, all of them 'no-fee' apts
  A modern mid-rise building offering a gym and laundry facilities.

See our list of Williamsburg Co-op Apartment Buildings (10 buildings)

Historical Notes

Williamsburg was once an independent city whose main economic engines were oil and sugar refineries built near the East River.

The Williamsburg Bridge, built in 1903, linked the area to Manhattan and helped many Lower East Side Jews escaping the poverty and the appalling living conditions of the neighborhood across the river resettle in the area.

Additional Links

Note that the site(s) mentioned below are not affiliated with NYBits

• Williamsburg @ Brownstoner - Williamsburg section of the Brooklyn blog.