I am a NYer. Altho it was decades since being active, I noticed Bethelites on the subway one day. Somehow they stood apart. They were together but did not talk to each other. Somehow I knew in my gut. They did not dress quite like New Yorkers. The body language is what convinced me. I sat down next to a Bethel and announced "YOu're Bethelites. My father and uncle were Bethelites. My great-grandfather is Remnant and a former Bible Student. They were thrilled but expressed a certain retinence since I said no current affiliation. I was naughty. Finally, I said I read my Bible as a cohesive package without jumping around and was certain beyond a doubt that the WTBTS was dangerous.
There was no room for them to escape my demons jumping on them. I exited at the next stop as tho I owned NY. This is so out of character. Another time I was in the Brooklyn Heights area for work. Thousands of weirdly dressed men walked in unison between the Watchtower buildings. It was creepy.
They have a very bad reputation in Brooklyn Heights. Brooklyn Heights is even nicer than Greenwich Village, IMO. The people are active in block associations and lovingly restore brownstones. The housing stock is superb. This is definitely an arugula eating crowd. Dead plants, fake plants are worse than no plants. Fake plants are the ultimate in tackiness. Despite repeated requests, the Society would not install fresh plants. I believe they offered to pay for the plants to upgrade the whole neighborhood. They are fake, not even faux. Sometimes I want to kick Hasidic Jews. The same is true with Witneeses. I don't know why. It is an ugly impulse that terrifies me. They are the other.