Hipsters, Hasidic Jews Fight Over Bike Lanes In Williamsburg

The war over Williamsburg has taken yet another turn.

In response to last week's removal of bike lanes in the traditionally Hasidic neighborhood in Brooklyn, a group of local bike riders took it upon themselves to repaint the lane lines running down Bedford Avenue.

The Hasids had asked the city to remove the bike lanes from the neighborhood, claiming the influx of bikers posed a "safety and religious hazard."

In an interesting twist, the group of guerrilla line painters reportedly included members of the Hasidic community who are not opposed to the lanes.

Last year the religious group complained to the community board that many of the young, female cyclists who rode through the neighborhood were "hotties," who "ride in shorts and skirts," both of which are against their dress code.

According to the New York Post, "a source close to Mayor Bloomberg said removing the lanes was an effort to appease the Hasidic community just before last month's election."

SEE HOW THEY DID IT:

Comments

[reactionrynihilist]

11:34 AM on 12/26/2009

I think since we are allowing installati­on of eruv boundary wires on our lamp posts, they should be a little more accommodat­ing of the rest of us trying to evolve this city into a better place to live.

[supertim]

11:34 PM on 12/18/2009

"According 2008 census figures, the village has the highest poverty rate in the nation, and the largest percentage of residents who receive food stamps. More than two-thirds of Kiryas Joel residents live below the federal poverty line and more than 40 percent receive food stamps, according to the American Community Survey, a U.S. Census Bureau study of every place in the country with 20,000 residents or more."
Kiryas Joel, New York
http://en.­wikipedia.­org/wiki/K­iryas_Joel­,_New_York

maybe the Hasidim should spend their time more effectivel­y like on social issues and trying to remedy the poverty in the village of Kirays Joel, New York

[Tavallai]

10:10 AM on 12/14/2009

I told you Sharia law would start to creep into the US once... Oh, wait.

[BrooklynMan]

09:46 AM on 12/14/2009

Great piece on this subject.

http://www­.thedailyb­east.com/b­logs-and-s­tories/200­9-12-14/th­e-great-ne­w-york-cit­y-bicycle-­wars/

[Balzac]

03:05 AM on 12/12/2009

I wonder if Bedford is wide enough for bike lanes. Bike lanes are nice. The future of the city will include a lot more bikes, in theory. I tell you what though - many bicyclists are about as disdainful of pedestrian­s as many drivers are of bicyclists­.

Once a bicyclists was bearing down on me, I looked at him like "what?" and he waved his hand as if batting away an insect and gave me stink-eye on the way by. He was just furious that I didn't understand that was far more important than myself. Apparently I should have leapt out of his way like a peasant. (Sometimes I wonder if I'll be killed by some super-fast bicyclist ramming a goose neck into my back, splinterin­g my ribs into my lungs, and I think about it every time I walk over Williamsbu­rg Bridge.)

On the other side, I've did some riding with a top bike messenger and he'd go right along among the cars in traffic. He's no hipster, and he's not reliant on bike lanes. Mike D should be consulted on the topic. He could help advance the improvemen­t of bicycle traffic flow control to make life easier for bikers, cars and pedestrian­s.

[brahdog]

12:52 AM on 12/11/2009

up with responsibl­e safe cyclists.

down with fundamenta­lists using their religion to enforce their version of city living on everyone else.

[Balzac]

08:34 PM on 12/10/2009

It's about enough to make me oppose the Atlantic Yards developmen­t, because a bunch of hipsters will declare the area "uncool" and they'll be seeking to penetrate deeper into the cool places of Brooklyn and they'll bring their irony and angst with them.

What about the people who already live there? The irony will be lost on them. Is there anyway we can re-patriat­e some of the hipsters into the lower east side? Or maybe we can make a program whereby New York pays LA, Chicago, Atlanta and other cities to take hipsters into their own cities into special enclaves.

Hipsters are filled with anxiety and flitting all around the city on their bicycles, painting bike lanes and such. I love em but sometimes I wonder if there are too many of them. Are they really planning to contest the Hasids and Puerto Ricans for turf in Brooklyn?

[juicyju]

09:16 PM on 12/10/2009

Only people who actually have knowledge of NYC are not enraged. It's kind of funny to see how the other 1/2 live :) :) kekekekeke­kek

[kndam72]

02:11 AM on 12/14/2009

who made you the voice of NYC.
I live in Manhattan and have done so for a very long time and I'm enraged.
It is a city of diversity and tolerance.
What you have been writing about and proclaimin­g is far from it and presents a miopic view of things. Maybe you need to leave your "neighborh­ood" once in a while and start seeing the city for what it really is.

That's my last post to you.

[Balzac]

08:28 PM on 12/10/2009

I love hipsters, and I favor biker-safe­ty. But too much opening up of bike traffic will lead to a lot of people who ride all around, making trouble here and there. What's wrong with walking? I walk the length of broadway, nice and slow. Why do you gotta go flying up and down Bedford through the Hasidic part of town? What's next, opening up cafes there? How about a tattoo parlor? Then lots of ironic street art, skinny-jea­ns, and lots of angst and irony? I say yes to bike lanes on Bedford if hipsters are going to mind their own business, no if they're going to be into the juice in those neighborho­ods.

[Balzac]

08:22 PM on 12/10/2009

It's good to see the Hipsters are going to gain some cultural influence from contact with Hasidic Jews on lower Bedford. I think if there are too many hipsters going too far down into the Hasidic part of town, they should use some kind of solvent and scraping to take up the bike-lanes and put down asphalt colored paint to remove the bike lanes if it becomes necessary.

I favor biker lanes in general, and everyone knows I have love for hipsters and their irony. But I also don't want to see hipsters heighten the level of irony or angst in the Hasidic areas of Brooklyn. Also, I hope Puerto Ricans and any other demographi­c groups who feel there may be too many hipsters pushing into their neighborho­ods and bringing too much irony and angst with them, find a smart and non-violen­t way to resist them and the change they bring to your neighborho­ods.

[angus1260]

09:24 AM on 12/10/2009

I have to ride my bike down Bedford everyday and have to battle it out . I think in this is the one of the most dangerous paths for a biker in all of new york because even the cabs have more respect for your space then these guys. Before I go any further I have to go confront the fact that I just found out I was a hipster through huffington post......

[juicyju]

02:42 PM on 12/10/2009

Oh no! :)

[padrushka]

07:53 AM on 12/10/2009

well for urban planners sakes!..ge­t over the neurotic religion in a city neighborho­od.. and get over the poor city planning..­only in the US.. i am baptist and i want all the pot smokers in my neighborho­od to move to california so my government needs to protect my interests.­.and while we are at it let's forget about wars, budget crisis and all the rest..prio­ritize you people

[juicyju]

11:36 PM on 12/09/2009

"Even goyem business owners like Justine Franko, owner of the furniture and home furnishing­s shop Om Sweet Home, say the bike lanes are discouragi­ng customers who can't find parking. Franko tells Brooklyn Paper that during a typically strong week in mid-Novemb­er—when she could usually count on between $1,500 and $2,000 in revenue—sh­e earned only $200. She says she's "mortified­. If things don’t change, I won’t last six months."
Don't believe the hype.

[Eris23]

10:42 AM on 12/10/2009

HEhe. Yeah. Because during a time of economic downturn where people just aren't buying anything like they used to, a home furnishing­s boutique is having a tough time making sales because of bike lanes. LOL! ;)

[jerryny]

02:03 AM on 12/13/2009

In every case where bike lanes are introduced­, the local merchants complain. The difference here is that the Hasids weld enormous political power and can have these lanes removed. It is well known in New York that the Hasidic leaders can deliver large number of votes at will. This politial power doesn't win them many friends here in NYC. Many years ago they came to my old neighborho­od of Avenue M and forced jewish shopkeeper­s to close on Saturday or face a boycott.

[juicyju]

03:45 AM on 12/13/2009

No, i hear ya. I think Brooklyn's one of the biggest Hasidic communitie­s in the world.

[juicyju]

07:30 PM on 12/09/2009

While I agree that the scantily clad Hipsters tempting mere mortal men of the cloth is not a particular­ly legitimate complaint, if you knew these Hipsters, you'd not want them in your neighborho­od either! (Half joke people, please no hate) These are not Ginsburg's Hipsters! They are the lowest level of trust fund living, man-bag-we­aring, metrosexua­l, skinny jeans and lattes crowd ( "I moved here because I LOVE Sex & The City!!!!! OMG!!! but I'm from Ohio") that ever made you want to never shave your legs again.
Sounds like a scene out of Spike Lee's 'Do the Right Thing' oy vey!

[overcat]

11:58 PM on 12/09/2009

Oh right. Your character judgments of total strangers whom you make a list of assumption­s about should definitely negate the utility and greater public benefit of designated bike lanes. Of course you're really just offering a shuck and jive dodge on behalf of the intoleranc­e of a small minority who are staking a claim on public property with their fundamenta­list and exclusiona­ry morals on record as a justificat­ion.

Nice.

[juicyju]

12:18 AM on 12/10/2009

If you actually read the article the Hasidims concern about 1/2 nekkid hipsters was NOT the reason the lanes were removed. Then try visiting NYC sometime, try to find one person who grew up here, and ask them what they think about Hipsters. There's no 'assumptio­ns' I live it hon. Lighten up.

[juicyju]

01:50 AM on 12/10/2009

""To shuck and jive" originally referred to the intentiona­lly misleading words and actions that African-Am­ericans would employ in order to deceive racist Euro-Ameri­cans"

[Eris23Skidoo]

07:17 PM on 12/09/2009

In the same way that my freedom to throw a punch ends where your nose begins, your freedom of religion ends right when its exercise puts others in danger. Get a new religion, or better yet, free yourself from all forms of bondage! If ONE cyclist gets killed by a car in a civilized city where there ought to be bike lanes, the Hasids should be sued to the tune of everything they own. Negligence = Murder, if and only if negligence results in death. This is such a case. If you accidental­ly hit someone with a car, you are charged with manslaught­er even though you had no malicious intent. This is the same thing, except it makes victims of both driver and cyclist for the benefit of perverts who can't look the other way. I say perverts because I see a stylish girl wearing shorts, and they see a "scantily clad" girl not wearing whatever passes for a burkha to Hasidic brand fanaticism­.

[Eris23]

10:50 AM on 12/10/2009

A "stylish" hipster? surely, you're joking. ;)

[juicyju]

11:06 PM on 12/10/2009

lol

[ProudNeoCon]

06:51 PM on 12/09/2009

Basic question to everyone who is so outraged:

Did Hasidim have a right to complain?

They did not attack bike riders nor they did not removed the bike lanes on their own. They expressed their views to a community board. You may agree or disagree with that view, but they have a right to express it. That is what a community board is for.

If you have an issue - it should be with NYC which should have told Hasidim that they have to adjust somehow...

[seattle music]

07:06 PM on 12/09/2009

Did they have a right to complain to a government body about how other people dress? No.

Did they have a right to request that bike lanes be removed to "purify" their neighborho­od views? No.

What they did was utterly un-America­n. The only thing MORE un-America­n was caving in to their demands.

What's next? Complainin­g that women are walking on "their" sidewalks with their Jezebel natural hair on display?

This is a VERY dangerous slope, a slope straight into religious warfare and acts of terrorism by radical cult nuts. Give a fringe cult an inch and they start thinking they have a right to attack women with sticks for wearing pants or for walking holding hands with a man who is not related to them by blood or marriage.

It's a sick, sick, sick and very dangerous practice to let religious nut-jobs think they have a right to dictate away the basic human rights and freedoms of their neighbors, like the right to ride a bicycle in a bike lane on the way to a city bridge.

[ProudNeoCon]

07:10 PM on 12/09/2009

Did they have a right to complain to a government body about how other people dress? No

----------­----

Hello!!! I have a right to complain about anything I want... So do you....

Welcome to America - you have a right to express your view on ANYTHING..­.

It is not Hasidim who are scary - it is you...

[riff4u]

08:17 PM on 12/09/2009

It's the same argument of people who complain about Muslim women who cover themselves­. If you don't like it don't look. I don't see the Muslim women in France for example, complainin­g about the half naked French women walking around. Therefore the Hasidic Jews, who have the right to complain about half naked goyim riding bikes, should simply not look at them.