The ill-concealed dream of every flyover state art school grad and casual hip hop fan to move to Brooklyn has finally come true: Williamsburg is officially the city's worst urban hell of rusting empty buildings. Just like a real ghetto!

They were building new condos all over the 'Burg when the recession hit. Now construction has ground to a halt, as people slowly come to their senses, emerging from a boom-time daze and muttering to themselves, "Jesus, was I really about to pay $700K for a one bedroom condo one block from the BQE?" Boom, instant urban decay:

Williamsburg is ground zero in the growing scourge of stalled construction that has left the neighborhood littered with 18 vacant lots and rusting steel building frames — more than in all of The Bronx

More than in all of the Bronx. It doesn't get any more hood-like than that! This is a total free cool pass for every 21 year-old who moves to Williamsburg in the next year. "Dude," you'll tell jealous newbies as you sit in a gelato shop with them five years from now, "when I got here this place was a fucking hellhole." They'll think you mean 1992! This sort of street cred is a priceless gift.
[NYP]