Interestingly, however, some of the factors that have driven away other potential home buyers -- the blighted and sparsely visited waterfront, the multiracial population, and the deteriorating housing stock -- are precisely what the urban gay population finds most attractive.
With its extensive waterfront, its relatively large population of African-American freemen — slavery ended in New York in 1827 — and its many antislavery churches and activists, Brooklyn was an important nexus on the "freedom trail".
Traditional ouzeries rub shoulders with modern hotels; buzzy cafes and restaurants line the waterfront and the big student population ensures a lively nightlife.
"Connecticut has all the tools to make the industry happen here: a highly educated and literate population, an open waterfront, good transportation, and a perfect location between two of the most important hubs in technology, New York and Boston," Mr. Kesten said.
After a short stroll down the pretty waterfront you will know half the population.
It's known as HafenCity, and the new borough is expected to double the population of central Hamburg with 5,500 waterfront apartments, slick offices and a glass-sheathed concert hall designed by the firm of Herzog & de Meuron.
"What we'd like to do," Ms. Kris continued, "is be of assistance to the city in trying to create waterfront access that is attractive, available to a broader population in the community, and which complies with the law".
But some transportation experts worry that the boats will appeal only to an affluent sliver of the population — those who can afford upscale apartments along the waterfront.
The waterfront, where the Bush Terminal and the Brooklyn Army Terminal fueled early population growth a century ago, remains an important source of jobs in what is still a working-class neighborhood, Mr. Laufer said.
With nearly 590 km of waterfront along the main rivers of Jakarta, a significant proportion of population is exposed to frequent flooding.
