One Festival Day, Not Six, Could Bring Relief
The idea for a community-run festival celebrating Williamsburg’s unique character is a good one; but the Bedford Avenue commercial corridor is already too saturated with crowds, noise, street peddlers, and sanitation issues to withstand the present six-event schedule of Williamsburg Walks (WW) and the thousands of visitors it attracts.
Nominally a city-sponsored event, loosely supported by various profit and non-profit partners, WW’s coordination has over the past three years fallen increasingly into the hands of Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG), a grassroots advocacy organization that has led the community in challenging environmental hazards, developers, and the city’s rezoning process. NAG, unfortunately, appears to have inherited the undemocratic management style that has characterized WW from the start; in its role as coordinator, it has also begun to hear complaints from residents and merchants that the annual six-time summer street fair is excessive.
The debate over whether chain stores in Williamsburg are good for the neighborhood is nothing new. Indeed, Reverend Billy (a crusader for sustainable consumerism whose 2009 mayoral campaign was endorsed by L Magazine) launched a massive protest in 2001 when it was rumored a Starbucks was opening on Bedford Avenue. For nearly ten years, however, the main drag of the ‘Burg has remained relatively chain-free. Until now. Duane Reade opened a store at the Northside Piers on Kent Avenue in September, and recently a “coming soon” sign from Duane Reade appeared on Bedford and North 3rd Street— right across the street from Kings Pharmacy.
