Can bohemia be saved?

Sat, 25 Aug 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Of all the enviously coveted urban baubles, nothing compares with bohemia. Its allure drove cash-poor artists to crime-infested Williamsburg in Brooklyn decades ago. Others soon followed, drawn by magazine articles announcing that a new, artsy neighborhood had been discovered -- until the place was saturated with people and bars and high-end retail and everyone was asking, "Where's the new Williamsburg?"

There may not be one -- at least, that's the sentiment that underpins a new book by Robert Anasi, "The Last Bohemia: Scenes From the Life of Williamsburg," in which the author chronicles his time there: Fourteen years, from 1994, when it was a lawless artists' enclave, until 2008, when its transition to ultra-trendy destination was complete. "What made Williamsburg and other post-World War II bohemias unique was that they took place in these abandoned cities and let people form utopias," says Anasi. "You could have an idyllic life for almost no money."

An urban utopia for almost no money -- old-timers wax nostalgic about it, and newcomers curse their luck for being too late. But is Anasi right? Are urban bohemias, you know, so over?

Salon.com > Gentrification

Can bohemia be saved?