One word: Hipsters. They're trying to pass Bushwick, a horribly gang infested Brooklyn dump, as "East Williamsburg". These hipsters from other places come in, thinking they're in Village Part 2 paying ridiculous rent...it's a sad joke. Meanwhile, there's a huge problem recently with white hipsters being threatened in their own streets and buildings because there is literally no buffer between these naive kids and the projects. They love the image of a gritty New York City, completely oblivious to reality. I can't fault them for trying to do something fun in that crappy place, though.
And Norton, if that's a swipe at Rudy, NYU has done far more to ruin Manhattan than he ever did, especially the East Village. No wonder CBGB's and The Continental couldn't last. It's only a matter of time before places like Manitoba's follow suit imo.