Heroin-addict hobos from around the country are overrunning hipster haven Williamsburg - living in stalled luxury condo projects in the trendy Brooklyn neighborhood.
The newcomers, who call themselves "gutter punks," are stirring outrage among residents and shopkeepers who charge the bums brawl on the sidewalk, shoplift and shoot heroin in trendy cafe bathrooms.
"It's like St. Marks in the '70s," said Williamsburg activist Philip DePaolo, referring to the notorious East Village hangout. "It's the bad old days all over again. There's crack and heroin all over the neighborhood."
The squatters, from middle-class families, hop freight trains to the city, where they can earn up to $150 a day panhandling in Manhattan. At night, like plenty of other borough commuters, they return to their homes: grubby hideaways inside boarded-up lots that pock the once-booming neighborhood.
"I've got to sleep somewhere, and I might as well do it in Williamsburg," said Stuart, 22, a Florida college dropout.
The admitted alcoholic and heroin user makes $15 an hour panhandling in Union Square, holding a sign that reads "Traveling Broke and Sexy."
"The girls here like it that I'm dirty and I ride trains," he added.
That's bad news for locals, who want Stuart and his brethren out - as soon as possible.
The vagrants - who also call themselves "crusty punks" - swarmed into Williamsburg this spring, drawn by open-minded young people and vacant lots.
Packs of punks and their mangy dogs clog Bedford Ave. in the evenings. They sprawl drunkenly on the sidewalk and heckle hipsters for money and cigarettes.
"There's a big crowd of us here," said Sethry, 20, of Portland, Ore., lounging near NorthNinth St. one recent night. "Every night it's a party with all our friends."
The Daily News found at least four current or recent squats clustered near Driggs Ave. and North 10th St., each littered with mattresses, clothes and bottles.
Squatters said 510 Driggs Ave. is a "shooting gallery" - a hot spot for heroin. The site, developed by Kalmon Dolgin, was slated to be a 50-unit luxury rental with penthouses fetching up to $5,000 a month. Kalmon Dolgin didn't return calls for comment.
"This is not Haight-Ashbury," said Community Board 1 member Evan Thies. "This is a family neighborhood."
Cops said they haven't seen an increase in crime or vagrants, but would monitor the area. "If someone is found trespassing or sleeping in [the lots] ... they will be arrested," said NYPD spokesman Detective Joseph Cavitolo.
Buildings Department officials said a special unit has been created to monitor stalled construction sites across the city.
shit, shoulda went to NY when i had the chance two weeks ago. next year i suppose
