Settled hipsters battle new wave of rich kids

Hipsters who took over Bushwick about a decade ago are rallying together to resist the influx of young new residents who they claim are still being supported by their parents.

The older hipsters have expressed their frustration regarding luxury residences such as the new CastleBraid rental complex, which is chock-full of amenities to attract a fresh wave of residents. The hipster bells and whistles at the Mayer Schwartz-developed building include a recording studio and a digital media lab. Last month, the older hipsters put crime-scene tape with the word “Occupy” written on it across the building’s entrance, in reference to The Occupy Wall Street movement.

Rents in the building are extremely high for the neighborhood, ranging from $2,200 for a one-bedroom unit to $3,400 for a three-bedroom unit.

“It’s an adult children playground,” longtime Bushwick resident Angelina Dreem told the New York Post, of the CastleBraid residents. “They’re all, like, subsidized.”

The hipsters are demanding that CastleBraid’s management set aside 20 percent of the units as affordable housing in exchange for a tax abatement that the building received, according to the Post. But Schwartz told the newspaper that was not required because the project kicked off before the new rules requiring affordable housing were put into place.

Last month, Australian firm Dixon Advisory scooped up 71 properties in Bushwick, another sign that the neighborhood’s rents are set to grow rapidly. [NYP] – Hiten Samtani