Monday, December 20, 2010

OMG! Every town in the mid-Hudson Valley is the 'new Brooklyn'

Many a twittering/facebooking person sent me a link to the New York Daily News real estate feature in Kingston on Friday, which called the first capital of New York "Brooklyn north."

I read it with some interest and amusement (It's nice to see people you know or cover featured on big dailies). But there was something off.

I could have sworn I'd seen this type of story before.



Note also that in the photo, 'Downtown' looks a lot like Uptown.

I'm am not trying to say this is not good publicity for the city, or all the other communities involved. But I'm getting a little - just a little - bothered by New York City dailies' condescending tone and the overall tone of the pieces.

All have the same elements.
So here's how to make your "x town is the new Brooklyn" story.

* Feature a hipster who has recently moved to the area (I mean that in the best of ways, unlike this).
* Imply that the town is a crappy place to live.
* Imply that the town is vibrant and cool now because said hipster moved there.

Done!
.


In short, Kingston is not the new Brooklyn. Kingston is the new Kingston. And we should all be proud of that. (Also, what is Midtown, the new Harlem?)

Anyway, kudos to the Kingston Digital Corridor - whose members are meeting tomorrow in an event in conjunction with the Ulster County Musicians Network. I'll be dropping by to livestream some of it (it's a fundraiser for the Queens Galley, and it's at Keegan Ales in the city, so there will be beer).
So I'll see you there.