Williamsburg Renaissance in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Williamsburg Renaissance is a design I made for a new hotel in the neighborhood. The idea is to celebrate the rebirth of culture – music, art and writing imagery shown amongst typically urban elements and local landmarks like the dome of the Russian Orthodox church. I recognize that it could be seen as superficial to celebrate the rebirth of culture at the same time that rampant development and gentrification is pricing out a lot of the creative class from this area, the same way it has been doing to the local families and their culture for the past 15 years, but no piece of art can tell the entire story. For this paper I chose a moment in time and an optimistic viewpoint.
Place you live: Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY, USA
Place your postcard is designed for: Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY, USA
Can you sum up Williamsburg? Williamsburg is a neighborhood in north Brooklyn. It has Hasidic Jews and hipsters and Puerto Ricans and visiting art students and Polish delis and expensive condos, a lot of bars and coffee shops and people with tattoos.
Occupation: I design wallpaper.
Preoccupation: I make ornamental art and play soccer a lot.
A perfect day in Williamsburg? Soccer, brunch, coffee, hanging out in a park with my kid, dinner, beverages and work at the studio.
If someone was visiting, what must they do? Probably get a room at the Wythe Hotel so they can see this wallpaper. I also endorse Spoonbill Books.
A perfect meal in Brooklyn? Pretty much anything at Diner is perfect. Five Leaves is good too, but always crowded.
What is the best thing about the place you live? So many friends, studios, restaurants.
And the worst? So many people.
A little known fact about where you live? No one tells me these things.
Where is your favorite place in the world? Besides here? The Pacific northwest.
Wythe Hotel photos by Matthew Williams.