According to the NYT, the Jelly/OSA Pool Parties are done on account of Jelly didn’t pay its bills.

I want to get this out of the way up-front: I like music. I majored in it in college. I saw these shows back when they were actually in a pool. I read blogs and shit. I can namedrop and posture and reference and whatever.

So my reason for hating on the soon to be defunct Pool Parties has less to do with the music (or some cursory invective about those fucking hipsters in Williamsburg - where, technically, I am one), and more to do with land use: namely, the condo developments along the waterfront.

Back in 2000-something, when the city granted retardedly huge zoning variances for condos like the Edge and the Northside Piers, it was with the caveat that their footprints would have to include a certain amount of public greenspace. Except then there was a recession and the greenspace failed to materialize. In fact, the only major park - East River State Park - developed in the area was done so by the State, not the city.

Which is now where the Pool Parties take place. And as it happens, the organizers of the pool parties don’t like it when you a) look past the chainlink fence and see the music without paying, or b) use the park at all when there’s a show going on. So when a show’s on, the park is off-limits to all but ticket-holders and sponsors. There are public shows too, but that misses the larger point.

Here’s the thing: the ‘new’ Williamsburg waterfront - big condos and elaborate rock shows - comes at the expense of the larger neighborhood. The things that the city required of developers (namely, additional public space and anchor retail amenities like grocery stores and dry cleaners) have mostly failed to materialize. Meanwhile there’s been no accounting for increased load on public services (fire, MTA, traffic) or the semi-privatization of the public space that already exists.

Which, generally speaking, is counter to the purpose of redevelopment. What’s the point of having a neighborhood concert series that renders neighborhood amenities unusable?

So, sorry Pool Parties. I’m over it. I want my park back.