Ooh, Cobble Hill folks are worried that their neighborhood is losing its charm, as cookie-cutter shops are opening along Smith St.

Good thing our new apartment is closer to the Gowanus and the BQE...

• Smith Street Confronts the Corporate Takeover - New York Times
  Despite the neighborhood’s predilection for remaining under the radar, compared with more-famous borough destinations like Park Slope or Williamsburg, the cost of opening a store along this stretch of Smith Street can now be twice as high...