Picking up (but not crediting) a post on Curbed yesterday, the Daily News today has an article about how the living is easy in Williamsburg for squatters. The paper profiles a drifter named Jonny who enjoys the easy access to abandoned buildings like 205 North 9th Street ("We just kick the fences in. We get in easy") and the short train ride to Wall Street where he rakes in $150 a day panhandling ("My girlfriend and I bought a laptop, a portable DVD player and a PSP"). And, according to Jonny, the police in Williamsburg are also very cooperative: "I'm seeing more squatters on Bedford," he said. "The cops don't mess with you." In a related article, neighborhood residents show they aren't as happy with the situation. "It's like St. Marks in the '70s," said Williamsburg activist Philip DePaolo, referring to the notorious East Village hangout. "It's the bad old days all over again. There's crack and heroin all over the neighborhood."
Squatting Made Easy in Williamsburg [NY Daily News]
Punks Invade Williamsburg [NY Daily News]
Busted Williamsburg [Curbed]
Photo from Curbed
