Today Gawker threw up This is the Williamsburg of Your City: A Map of Hip America and I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Ugh! Gawker asked its readers to tell them the equivalent neighborhood to Williamsburg – i.e. "its hippest – or formerly hippest – or sometimes just youngest – neighborhood, the one with the art galleries and the boutiques and the lines for brunch?" – in their city, as well its Bushwick (or up-and-coming cool neighborhood).
Gawker says that in San Francisco, the Mission is its Williamsburg and Hunters Point (note, no apostrophe in Hunters, Gawker) and Oakland (sorry, that's not a neighborhood in San Francisco) are tied for its Bushwick. For Oakland, its readers say Piedmont and SF are its Williamsburg (Um, again these are cities) and Fruitvale is its Bushwick.
Perhaps someone should tell this guy – a resident in Oakland's Clinton neighborhood, who recently wrote an infuriating editorial on Oakland Local about why his "undiscovered, rapidly changing neighborhood" needs more "patisserie bites" and a market like Bi-Rite – that he should consider moving to Piedmont or back to San Francisco. In his Community Voices piece, Steven J. Kopff explains that he's working hard to make his community better by joining neighborhood groups, beautification projects, and fighting crime and dumping; those are all great things that he should be proud of, but what irked me (and almost all of the commentors) is his narrow view of what a neighborhood should be and who it should cater to. As many point out, Clinton is not actually in a "virtual food desert," as he calls it. Clinton is surrounded by tons of ethnic restaurants and shops, and supermarkets like Lucky and Trader Joe's, even Whole Foods, within a short drive. True, these stores aren't Bi-Rite, but that's a very good thing, because most of the neighborhood would never be able to afford to buy groceries if it were. Kopff conflating artisan food culture with community is aggravating and demeaning to the people who've lived in his neighborhood for years and newcomers who actually move to Oakland because they like it there and don't want to live in or create a mini San Francisco.
So thumbs down to Gawker and Steven J. Kopff; you can keep your Williamsburg(s).
Top image via Gawker