Williamsburg (and most of Brooklyn besides Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights) was cheap because it was pretty much a hellhole in the early 90s. Starbucks? Lol. Quality restaurants or cool nightlife? Train to Manhattan. Professional jobs? None. Murder & crime rates at their peaks. Williamsburg costs a lot because current residents benefit greatly from 30+ years of gentrification, community building and services.
And yeah I've been in BK for almost 20 years now, I remember hanging out in Williamsburg in 2000 when I was in college, it wasn't that bad. I actually prefer the old version of it to what it is now. Sure, it wasn't the Los Sures of the 80s by the time I got here, but it was a lot more fun. I only had my life threatened once and we deescalated quickly!
You've spent your entire adult life, 20 years, living in one of the most "cool, hip, upscale" neighborhoods in the world, obviously that location and lifestyle comes with a high price tag. If somebody repeatedly bought brand-new Ferraris for 20 years, you'd shake your head if they started complaining about money.
Also, in the 90s in Brooklyn you could get a condo for quite a lot cheaper -- the building I live in in Williamsburg was built a couple years before 1995 and the condos sold for $40k then (about $80k with inflation). Today they go for about $1.2 million. A 7.93% loan on $40k is quite a lot more affordable than on $1.2 million.