Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
McKibbin Dorms Get Front Page Treatment from Times
By
John Del Signore
Published May 7, 2008
Modified May 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published May 7, 2008
Modified May 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Gray Lady slums it out to far East Williamsburg to report on the hipster bohemian squalor of the sprawling McKibbin Street “dorms;” two hulking buildings converted from garment factories to lofts in the late nineties by a trio of savvy Stuyvesant alums. It’s since become a filthy, bed-bug ravaged rite of passage for the young DIY arts set, who pile on top of each other in warren-like lofts more crowded than one of Dan Deacon’s dance-a-thons.
The walls are paper thin, and the surrounding neighborhood still crime-ridden, but the appeal for many is in the sense of post-collegiate community and cheaper rent – though even that’s changing. We spoke to Jeff Seal, a McKibbin veteran who recently moved out after an 18-month stay in building 248. He says his rent for a tiny, low-ceilinged cubby in a loft with seven roommates was costing him $700:
The walls are so thin I could literally hear the person next door rustling his sheets.
And the other neighbor would play electronic music every night until 4am; even with earplugs the bass would haunt my dreams. One of my roommates was mugged in the loading dock of my building, and after one party some people spray painted swastikas around the building, which our Jewish landlord was understandably upset about.
Maybe he didn’t get that they were supposed to be ironic swastikas? The Times article characterizes the McKibbiners as care-free twenty-somethings who admit they “don’t really speak to the locals,” many of whom live in less romantically squalid housing projects.
But Seal counters that some McKibbin kids have been active in building bridges to the local community in East Williamsburg and Bushwick. His group, Arts in Bushwick, organizes outreach programs with neighborhood groups to try and address the issues of gentrification and displacement, while also working with local businesses to help them profit from the demographic change by stocking products the white artists want. So hold tight, McKibbiners; bodegas with day-glo fanny-packs are just around the corner.
Photo of 255 McKibbin St. from the roof of 248 McKibben courtesy Thatsplenty.
Tagged
artists
arts
bed
bohemian
brooklyn
bugs
bushwick
city
dorms
east
gentrification
lofts
mckibben
NY
squalor
times
williamsburg
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 11:36 a.m. ET
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
Seeing high hopes dashed had become so routine, it was part of our identity. This year feels different.
By
Catalina Gonella
News
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
Seeing high hopes dashed had become so routine, it was part of our identity. This year feels different.
By
Catalina Gonella
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
By
Willow Higgins
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
By
Rosemary Misdary
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .