East Los Angeles gentrifying a lot slower than expected. (San Jose: salons, lease)

[sdlife619]

Originally Posted by BuildingsR'Us

I consider myself pro-gentrification. I have no sympathy for long time residents being priced out. I strongly believe the pros out weight the cons, lower crime rates, gangs start to dissemble,better ownshiper value for real estate.

Gentrification isn't destroying any culture, there are pockets of Riverside, Fresno, Bakersfield, Fontana, Yuma Arizona, and El Paso they can move to. So many choices and all affordable. It would actually benefit the people that are struggling in Boyle Heights to just self-willingly give up and move as soon as possible to get a head start financially.

Sounds like words spoken straight from an arrogant developers mouth, it's no surprise, your name says it all.

You have no sympathy for long time residents being priced out? I see, then those long time residents have every right to stand up to rich a-holes developers all they want to, to keep what is theirs and to protect it from change.

Every community tries to protect itself from change, their is no harm in it. If Whites want to keep their Lilly White neighborhood pure White they do it by making sure it's very expensive for minorities to live in, therefore the goal is achieved easily. Well other race groups should be able to do the same to protect and to keep their neighborhoods affordable as possible. Sometimes the trick is to not make the neighborhood look nice on purpose. This discourages people with money to move in. But as young people with money want to live closer to urban environments, it has become harder for these poorer communities to keep that change from happening.

I am all for diversity, but lets be real here. This State is heavily segregated by Class and Income levels than it is race. It is money that is separating us, and lots of it.

Go to Texas and see how much more integrated everyone is. Because the cost of living is so low, it allows for diversity to thrive in almost every city and community because for one thing, Texas actually has a high number of Black and Hispanic Middle Class residents compared to CA.

CA will eventually become a White Majority again in another 30 or so years, ignore what the Census says.
Look at the prices of everything, this will be a major factor moving forward. As median home values continue to reach closer to the $1 million dollar mark in many of CA biggest metros in the future, it will be almost impossible for the poor minority families to continues living here, or even now the middle class in CA to sustain itself will have to move on from here. Economically it's just not feasible anymore for anyone that doesn't make close to a $100,000 a year to live comfortably in big cities like L.A., SF or SD.

Gentrification accelerates this process because a huge chunk of what was once "affordable" neighborhoods for many working class families, is gone forever. So yeah, I have a problem with gentrification. It's not only a poor Black and Brown problem, it's a problem that affects everybody from the student in college having nowhere to live because rents are too high, to the cook at a restaurant that works his ass off for his family, but has to live so far out of the city wasting more time and money on his commute to work, because he can't live close to his job since the effects of gentrification has eliminated his options to be in that community.

[jacktravern]

Originally Posted by l1995

What's wrong with old homes? At least where I live, the houses built in the 1910s-1940s look nicer than the more recent ones.

Old homes tend to be very ugly aesthetically, and carry issues such as rodents, and roaches. Not to mention the insides which features mold and old pipes.

Houses over 100 years old really need to be demolished at this point.

[jacktravern]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

Go to Texas and see how much more integrated everyone is. Because the cost of living is so low, it allows for diversity to thrive in almost every city and community because for one thing, Texas actually has a high number of Black and Hispanic Middle Class residents compared to CA.

Look at the prices of everything, this will be a major factor moving forward. As median home values continue to reach closer to the $1 million dollar mark in many of CA biggest metros in the future, it will be almost impossible for the poor minority families to continues living here, or even now the middle class in CA to sustain itself will have to move on from here. Economically it's just not feasible anymore for anyone that doesn't make close to a $100,000 a year to live comfortably in big cities like L.A., SF or SD.

.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself man. I'm black in LA and I do just fine for myself and don't see 100k a year. yet a drive a new car and live in whats considered an affluent neighborhood. And as homes get close to the $1millon dollar mark, well guess what, you are anybody else doesn't HAVE to own a house. At least not in southern Cal. A lot of people, unfortunately in the minority community out here, make a lot of bad decisions...namely not continuing their education, having babies early, or even if they do attempt and achieve higher education they rarely, never venture out of their comfort zones and continue to live in the Downey's, and bell gardens of the world. Kind of a self segregation. other blacks out here to it too to a degree

From what I hear, the COL is starting to rise in the nicer parts of Texas, specifically Dallas and Austin, but that's another story.

But I will say this, i don't think the Latino minorities will be leaving anytime soon regardless of the cost, becuz more than any other group, they seem willing to stack 5-7 adults in a house to stay afloat.

California is a prime location in this country. Perhaps it should be a survival of the fittest. Why live under the lowest common denominator, plenty of other states for that. Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas, take your pick

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by BuildingsR'Us

I consider myself pro-gentrification. I have no sympathy for long time residents being priced out. I strongly believe the pros out weight the cons, lower crime rates, gangs start to dissemble,better ownshiper value for real estate.

Gentrification isn't destroying any culture, there are pockets of Riverside, Fresno, Bakersfield, Fontana, Yuma Arizona, and El Paso they can move to. So many choices and all affordable. It would actually benefit the people that are struggling in Boyle Heights to just self-willingly give up and move as soon as possible to get a head start financially.

Gee, maybe you can just round them up and put them in camps.

You clearly don't know anything about the culture of Boyle Heights. There are generations of families that have been in Boyle Heights since WW2 or before. Newsflash, many own their homes outright and are just passed down through the generations.

Not everybody wants a Starbucks on every corner and all areas looking the same.

[bruhms]

Originally Posted by jacktravern

Old homes tend to be very ugly aesthetically

depends what you consider old

[bruhms]

Originally Posted by jacktravern

even if they do attempt and achieve higher education they rarely, never venture out of their comfort zones and continue to live in the Downey's, and bell gardens of the world. Kind of a self segregation. other blacks out here to it too to a degree

what's wrong with self-segregation based on race/ethnicity? high-income educated minorities have been moving out to majority white high SES neighborhoods and that has not relieved racial/class tensions. perhaps the solution is to halt or reverse the brain drain from majority nonwhite neighborhoods...

[Texamichiforniasota]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

A high amount of Minorities are being affected by this kind of change as gentrification at the end of the day benefit Whites and not poor Hispanic and Blacks since many of these people aren't homeowners, and if they are, they are being forced to pay higher property taxes because of the increase housing values. Some can't afford the increase, and eventually they are forced to sell their home in time

You may be right about the renters, although a lot in LA have rent control, but you clearly don't know anything about how property tax assessments work in California. Unlike TX where there is no limit to how much an assessment can go up by, in CA, the increase is limited to 2% a year from the purchase price. That's why my elderly neighbors who have lived in the same house for 35 years are assessed a value 75% less than mine, and the new people down the block are assessed 20% more. That 2% increase is automatic whether prices stay the same or go up by 30%. If they go down or stay the same, you could potentially file an appeal, but good luck winning. Your taxes are going up by 2% per year regardless of what your actual property value does. So every homeowner should be praying for gentrification. In adittion, they get less crime, better schools, and a better maintained neighborhood. While more of the gentrifiers are white than the previous residents, anyone who's been to Highland Park or Echo Park sees a large number of the gentrifiers are upper middle class Hispanic people.

[Ceece]

Yes they are mostly auto dependent residential houses but many of those houses are lovely and ripe for rehab/restoration. The "modern look" isn't for everyone and is only "modern" for a decade or so before being dated too. Others may be ripe for tear downs and rezoning to get markets and shops in the area. Places change, and East LA is no exception. Despite what everyone seems to think there are always going to be people who want to live away from the action and don't mind hopping in their car....and even enjoy driving.


It's not going to happen overnight but it will happen eventually.

[l1995]

Originally Posted by jacktravern

Old homes tend to be very ugly aesthetically, and carry issues such as rodents, and roaches. Not to mention the insides which features mold and old pipes.

Houses over 100 years old really need to be demolished at this point.

Where I live at least, the old homes definitely look nicer (in my opinion at least) than the more recent "Splanches" which have been built.

[Suburban_Guy]

I have fond memories of Boyle Heights.

My family lived there when I was a little kid in the early 70's, and my family would periodically visit that area on a regular basis after we moved away. I also lived there for a year to commute to high school living with my grandmother in the mid 80's. I remember Evergreen cemetery and a few other spots.

Back then I never got the impression that it was too dangerous to walk around East L.A. Sure, some parts are hairier than others, but where I was, definitely 'working class' but no unsafe. I have fond memories of the place and not sure how things are these days.