Proximity to Manhattan. The Williamsburg bridge has a bike path and walking path connecting Williamsburg to the Lower East Side in Manhattan so it's as if you are in Manhattan. At first, it was a bohemian kinda place for hippie kinda folks who wanted to live on the cheap cheap and be near everything. read more
One stop on the L train from the east village, which was the hipster 'hood, along w/ the lower east side, before williamsburg became fashionable. Long Island City in Queens is experiencing similar hipster gentrification now, as it is one of the 1st stops in Queens, and is also close to Williamsburg. read more