BY TANYA
“Gentrification the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of
middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces
poorer residents” [Merriam-Webster]. Gentrification happens every day in the
poorest of neighborhoods where people are forced to move out of their homes
because new places are being built and rent is increasing which makes it
unaffordable to live in their homes. Why would those who gentrify want to make
it seem as if it’s going to help benefit all people when it’s just an
inconvenience to those who are most important to those neighborhoods?
I’m
originally from Brooklyn, NY where gentrification has taken place in the
downtown area of Brooklyn. Before the Nets Stadium was built downtown Brooklyn
was a place where people could go shopping or just hang out. Now all you can
see in the downtown area are condos and luxury businesses which make it
unaffordable for those who use to go downtown to hang out or have fun. As Sharon
Zukin says in the chapter Gentrification
as a Market Place, gentrification in New York occurs near Mass Transit
lines. I know that many trains pass by this area which makes it accessible to
all but not affordable to all. Trains from a lot of neighborhoods go where the
Barclays center is located. Just because many people can get there doesn’t mean
the area around the Barclays Center is affordable or the events are
afforadable.
The
way I see it, those who are in charge of the gentrification think that because
they put these major popular places in these low-income neighborhoods people
will feel that their neighborhoods are important. What I don’t think they
understand is that although these places are important places where tourist and
wealthy people want to go, lower class or working class people can’t afford to
live there. In Spanish Harlem where they plan to build this place to show that
they are trying to bring in Latinos, by looking at the model it shows that once
this place is built others won’t be able to live there. In a sense it’s really
a way to move the poor out and only keep those Latinos who can afford to live
there and those that can’t to just visit.
I find the concept of gentrification to be a bit funny and hypocritical. They plan on building an entertainment center in Spanish Harlem directed towards Latinos but in reality they are pushing latinos out. Therefore eventually they wont be enough latinos to fill the place up because as the minority they wont be able to afford it. I think that by trying to change the image and rebranding certain neighborhoods will make the next generations to come loose a sense a culture. If the bottom rung of society keeps getting pushed out and higher class that has different ideals and does things differently because they have more money , the poor will have to move to any neighborhood they can afford. This will begin to separate different cultures. Which in turn will cause society's to be separated and not have a strong sense of culture like some of our neighborhoods today such as Washington Heights and Spanish Harlem .
ReplyDeleteI do agree that gentrification is hypocritical but more than that I feel it's inevitable. I too am from Brooklyn down in Coney Island, I've seen Major Projects around my neighborhood including Astroland, Barclay's Center, Brighton Beach housing, etc. Growing up I've known a bunch of people that were moved out due to these projects, it goes without saying it is extremely unfortunate when it occurs to you or anyone else that you know, but it is also important to see what these new arenas and parks and condos do for the community. Barclay's is a great example of giving back to the community it is said to have destroyed, in my opinion. It sells discounted tickets to all Brooklyn Residents, aside from having like $15 dollar tickets every game so that any and everyone can attend throughout the entire city. It's the most accessible part in Brooklyn via subway or LIRR and the more people touring the streets of my city only leads to them buying whatever's around them and that all goes back to the city. Hopefully East Harlem gets the best for its community, and if it happens to kick out a number of residents it's certain that more than 10x that many people will be reoccurring visitors/residents.
ReplyDeleteGentrification seems to be taking place very often in our latest generations which is effecting many people that are living in and around those areas. I feel that gentrification can lead to a gap in wealth to show the differences with the wealthy and poor. It keeps them separated so they don't coexist in the same neighborhoods. It does bring about higher revenue for the area since upper scale shops and homes are coming in. This does also force the lower income folks to have a limited choice with their area of living.
ReplyDeleteGentrification is an immense topic to just justify it into one negative notion. I definitely agree that its a process that is very popular in our generation and something new that we are not used to. I believe that with today's latest economy we are all suffering from it one way or another. Lets face it, change is inevitable. Gentrification does bring a lot of poor Latino folks the ultimate decision to move out of these areas. Its a realistic tragedy and therefore seen as the downside to the process. However, gentrification will also bring in diversity and a higher economy that can overall better the states. My question is, Is it fair?
ReplyDeleteI don't think gentrification is far at all. I understand the concept of bringing higher economy but does it really bring diversity? In my opinion, it does not. Why? because most of the diversity groups are hispanics and to be quite honest I doubt they would be able to afford the new areas. It's ridiculous the fact that these people are being moved out of their apartments and areas.
ReplyDeleteI too find the concept of gentrification hypocritical. While gentrification brings in diversity of socio-economic classes and races, those that often gentrify an area are those that grew up in this area. You want me to come back and live where I grew up, yet my neighbors won't be there anymore? Those old men on the corner won't be there anymore? It's a struggle to live in the barrios and other urban lower middle class areas as is, and to become upwardly mobile would mean to displace those who mean the most to me.
ReplyDeleteI see gentrification mostly as a downside, but I can understand how it can also have a upside to it. I agree that whenever a neighborhood is being gentrified, the lower class residences has to move out, which is not fair for them. At the same time its business, it goes back to survival of the fittest as harsh as that sounds.
ReplyDeleteGentrification will always be a way for the government to make money out of the simplest things they might see prosperity in. . . I totally agree with what you are saying; i dont think the government or anyone at that, understand the damage they cause when they relocate and attempt to gentrify a neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteIts funny because my own group on campus actually did a program on the gentrification of Brooklyn because of the Barclays Center. Personally I found it sad when I looked up the info on it and how it drives the poor out of neighborhoods. The middle and higher class may use the excuse and say that it helps out everyone in the end but I think its just a ploy to make the rich richer which also makes the poor poorer.
ReplyDeleteBY EDWARD
ReplyDeleteGentrification in my eyes can be positive or negative. It can be positive because it can clean up an area and push it towards a better living place. Its also negative because it does take away from people's culture for example whites moving into Spanish Harlem. Because there are many whites now moving into Spanish Harlem, a lot of people are leaving and that is taking away the Hispanic culture from this area.
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