Sigh. It happened again. After City Councilwoman Diana Reyna stated that “‘hipsters’ may be part of the cause” for the New York City’s inaccurate census results, the media went wild, with L Magazine bringing up the tired “hipsters are too cool” argument, and Metro NY going as far as to accuse hipsters of costing NYC billions of dollars in federal funding. (The Awl has a shot of the even-more inflammatory print headline here).

As we pointed out last April, the “hipster” areas of Williamsburg etc had census return rates that were about on par with the rest of the city, making this more of  a story of media sensation and less a story of substance. It also, as City Limits points out, blatantly ignores very real issues that get in the way of census returns: the fact that so many residents live in inaccessible-to-the-public apartment buildings, that so many residents live in illegally subdivided or sublet apartments, that undocumented immigrants may be less-than-willing to talk about their living situation with a government representative, or that the city’s population may indeed have plummeted due to the this-city-being-so-fucking-expensive-no-one-can-afford-to-live-here-anymore factor.

So can we get over this hipsters-hate-the-census thing already,  and move on to some real problems? Like how you can never reach Northside carservice on weekend mornings, or that it’s been almost two months, and the Weeknd has STILL only put out one mixtape?

ps – you all had better have actually filled out your damn census forms, otherwise I’ll look like a real big idiot.

The temperatures are dropping, but I’m still glad I can walk to work. Good luck to everybody else. The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted today to raise subway, bus, and commuter rail prices for the third time in three years. After all the changes and service cuts this past summer, you’d think the MTA would give riders a break, but the fare increases passed in the board vote 12-2. The MTA plans to see a 7.5% increase in revenue from the fare hikes. From The Times:

“The unlimited 7-day and 30-day MetroCards for the city’s subway and bus system will remain unlimited, as the board rejected a proposal to cap the number of rides they are valid for. But the price of the passes will jump significantly. On Dec. 30, when the increases take effect, a 30-day unlimited card will cost $104, up from $89, a 17 percent increase, while an unlimited weekly pass will cost $29, up from $27. Single rides will rise 25 cents to $2.50.”

The MTA is like most of our city, struggling with budget shortfalls and funding shortages. Looks like commuters are going to start facing their own budget shortfalls come soon.