Park Slope, Williamsburg, Downtown
And Brooklyn Heights Lead Borough
By Sarah Ryley
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
BROOKLYN — Brooklyn is stealing Manhattan’s share of creative freelancers, with a 33.2 percent increase over recent years in the number of self-employed interior, industrial and graphic designers; writers, artists, architects and producers living here.
Park Slope, Williamsburg, and Downtown/Brooklyn Heights top the borough, respectively, each with between 2,500 and 3,500 residents who count themselves among this growing class of professionals, according to the Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation (BEDC). The figures are from 2002 and 2005 U.S. Census data, the most recent available.
“You can’t look at Brooklyn’s economy today without noticing the increasing importance of the self-employed creative freelancer,” said Jonathan Bowles, director of Center for an Urban Future. “They’re everywhere.”
In all, 28 percent or 21,860 of the city’s creative freelancers lived in Brooklyn in 2005, versus 24 percent or 16,412 three years earlier. Though decreasing, Manhattan still has the highest share with nearly 32 percent, which represents a 6.5 percent increase in the actual number over the same time period.
Kristine Reed, director of BEDC’s Initiative for a Competitive Brooklyn, said the number of freelancers in the city has grown in general, adding that more are choosing Brooklyn because of its tight-knit communities, and spacious, less costly housing.
She said more of today’s employees were raised through the “childhood empowerment phase,” and appreciate being in business for themselves. Other creative professionals may find they have little choice as the economy weakens, causing companies to lay off full-time employees with costly healthcare plans and retirement benefits, said Reed. “Freelancers will be having stiffer competition, certainly companies that have employees will be having stiffer competition.”
Bowles said, “Like everyone else, these freelancers are subject to the ups and downs of the overall economy. They’re often hit hard by the skyrocketing real estate prices in Brooklyn and by the difficulty getting healthcare.”
Jennifer MacFarlane, a freelance photographer who owns a flat in Bed-Stuy, said she hasn’t noticed a drop in work as the economy has weakened. MacFarlane estimated she spends half her work hours looking for gigs, versus roughly 10 to 25 percent for most freelancers, Reed estimated, though the range included architects and producers, who tend to have longer assignments.
Though MacFarlane doesn’t have healthcare, she said the benefits of freelancing far outweigh the disadvantages. “Being able to focus on personal projects, being able to manage my time really well so I can spend my time doing things that interest me outside of work, like yoga and traveling  I have total creative control of my life.”
MacFarlane said she decided to move to Brooklyn “because I didn’t want to live in a shoebox.
Reed, who worked as a freelance consultant between her JP Morgan job and her current role, said the creative class is attracted to Brooklyn’s tight-knit communities of like-minded people. MacFarlane agreed. “It’s huge, amazing,” she said. “There’s people to meet up with and do projects with, spaces for events, resources like Brooklyn Arts Council, and all these great cafes  venues like galleries in DUMBO that are open to less-established artists.”
She’s in good company living in Bed-Stuy, with 511 other independent artists, by far the largest sector of freelancers in that neighborhood. Park Slope had the most independent artists with 2,659, followed by Williamsburg and Brooklyn Heights/ Downtown Brooklyn, which also had the most freelance architects, graphic designers and producers.
Williamsburg had the most interior designers in Brooklyn, with 487, followed by Bensonhurst/ Gravesend, with 324. Park Slope had the most freelance industrial designers.
The Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation and the Center for an Urban Future are hosting a roundtable March 5 called, “Harnessing Brooklyn’s Creative Capital: The Impact of Self-Employed Creative Professionals on the Borough’s Economy.” Located in the Dweck Auditorium at the Brooklyn Public Library Grand Army Plaza, the event is free but space is limited. For reservations, call 212-479-3341 or email cuf@nycfuture.org.
© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2007
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