The Brooklyn Civil War?

Ah yes, now, thanks to the New York Observer, we have a "Brooklyn Civil War: It's North vs. South, Ratner Against Ledger."

Among the nuggets is this: "Brooklyn isn’t a united front. The North Brooklyn of do-it-yourself fashion and vinyl siding (Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick) just feels separate from brownstone South Brooklyn (from Fort Greene to Park Slope). South Brooklyn is rich and pretty; North is rougher-edged and moody."

And this: "Park Slope bears the brunt of a lot of Brooklyn contempt....at this point, it’s fair to say that the easygoing nabes of Boerum and Cobble Hills are just as affiliated with the Slope, no matter what the early settlers of Smith Street might contend."

And this bit about hipness from a development company official who is to hipness what the snake is to a mongoose: “No question about it—it’s hipper,” said Michael Brooks, 30, over the phone, of North Brooklyn. He’s a project manager with the Developers Group, the company that’s bringing high-rise condos to the McCarren Park area. “If there’s a hipness meter, Carroll Gardens is not on the same end of the scale as Williamsburg,” he continued. “There’s a lifestyle in Williamsburg. It’s become a place that people want to identify themselves with, being in a place that feels like everything is happening. It’s just a moment—there’s a moment in Williamsburg right now.”

But, GL's absolute, best favorite is this bit of verbiage, which confirms our conviction that Gowanus is on the verge of big things: “I read on the Internet that this was the place to live if you couldn’t afford anything else … ,” said Jay Brandt, 24, standing outside another Williamsburg bar, the Royal Oak, on a recent Saturday night, smoking in a tight, striped sweater. He moved here 10 months ago from Minneapolis and works both at a hedge fund and the Chelsea restaurant Parish. “I heard it was a post-collegiate utopia.” But alas …. “I don’t like it,” Mr. Brandt said. “It’s insular and cliquey …. I’ve heard good things about Gowanus—is that how it’s pronounced? Oh, Gow-ah-nus ….”