Williamsburg

Go ahead and scour the city -- or the whole damn country, if you'd like -- it doesn't get any hipper than this 'hood. Long a home to Polish, Italian, Puerto Rican, Dominican and Hasidic Jewish communities, over the past decade Williamsburg has evolved into ground zero for the uber-cool set.

As a result, this semi-industrial area has become one of the most desirable areas of Brooklyn -- even if there are no brownstones or picturesque tree-lined streets. (Then again, there are plenty of bars, Thai restaurants and used-clothing boutiques.)

First popular with artists who lived and worked in warehouses-turned-lofts, a steady flow of yupsters have arrived each year, pushing the boundaries of Williamsburg ever more east, into Bushwick, and south, toward Bedford-Stuyvesant.

In recent years, condos have replaced lofts as the residences of choice. Blame the boom on The Gretsch, a 2004 conversion that brought Busta Rhymes and high prices ($900 a square foot) to the 'hood. Today, cranes and scaffolding can be found on any given block; even Toll Brothers -- the nation's premier McMansion developer -- entered the act with North8 (49 N. Eighth St.), a condo with units starting at about $500,000.

New condo hotspots include McCarren Park -- which separates Williamsburg from Greenpoint -- and along the East River, where a massive rezoning plan will bring thousands of new residents to the area.

KEYS TO THE CITY

PEEK FOR YOURSELF AT OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND

October 02, 2008 -

It's a game New Yorkers play every day. Walk around a neighborhood, see an interesting building or apartment - and peek inside. Maybe the curtain is open just so, or maybe a door is...more >

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN

$765,000

September 11, 2008 -

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Square feet: 1,246 Common charges: $675 -- Think living in Brooklyn means always taking a taxi home? How about a Water Taxi? Yes, this "pristine" condo at...more >

BUYERS CLUB

SUMMER WASN'T A VACATION FOR THESE NYC HOME HUNTERS

September 04, 2008 -

IT was a lazy end of summer for many, but Halstead Property broker Brian Lewis was hustling last week. He arranged a walk-through and closing for Upper West Side buyer Ivan Rodin, and also...more >

STILL HIPPER THAN THOU

August 14, 2008 -

Sure, some new buildings are pushing Williamsburg as a parental paradise, but don't be fooled. The stroller set has started making inroads, but young hipsters still rule the neighborhood roost...more >

WILL POWER

HIPSTER HAVEN MAKES ROOM FOR BABY, TOO

August 14, 2008 -

You might say that Stephanie Anderson, 43, did the unthinkable: When her daughter Elle was almost 2, Anderson and husband Matt Aronowitz (pictured) moved away from Park Slope, Brooklyn - arguably...more >

WILLIAMSBURG

$759,000

August 07, 2008 -

Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 2 Square feet: 1,044 Common charges: $395 -- Want views? This corner condo loft has three exposures, plus two private balconies and a roof deck. The "designer"...more >

WILL POWER

HIPSTER HAVEN MAKES ROOM FOR BABY, TOO

August 07, 2008 -

You might say that Stephanie Anderson, 43, did the unthinkable: When her daughter Elle was almost 2, Anderson and husband Matt Aronowitz (pictured) moved away from Park Slope, Brooklyn - arguably...more >

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN

$535,000

June 26, 2008 -

Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Square feet: 677 Common charges: $288 -- What do you get for nearly $800 per square foot in the heart of Williamsburg? Well, this new loft-style condo on North 4th...more >