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And this points to my second question. How do we maintain that balance? Just from my own experience living in Bushwick, the rents have increased significantly within the past 4 years but there has not been any changes in neighborhood aminities. There's no new muffin shops, or coffee shops, or restaurants. The only change has been that a lot more white hipsters have moved in. So, it got me wondering if all it takes is a white face for speculation to start and rents to increase? Would it be the same if they were blue/gray collar working or middle class whites? Is it possible to have increased diversity, rejuvenation, and moderate rents/mortgages all in one neighborhood? Or does the mere presence of whites, regardless of their income level, in transtional hoods gets developers and apt. owners salivating in NYC?
PS - I'm actually not anti gentrification and I'm pro my white bros & sisters getting/maintaining their piece of the pie too. It would just be nice to learn perspectives of how a balance could be maintained when a neighborhood's demographics change.
Its starts out very subtle, I for one was told by my mother at a very young age, "Don't go to Williamsburg, Bushwick, Lower East Side, or Bed Stuy unless you go there with someone who's FROM there."
So that fact that there are so many new commers in these neighborhoods amazes me.
the phenomenon is not only "white", what ever that is. Hipsters are of all races and creeds. Out of towner people of color are just as much a part of this as white people are.
Like a said before it starts out slow, different products start popping up in your local deli/bodega. Usually soy milk is the first one to pop up. then you start to get good vegetables and fruit. Then comes the cafes, bars, and restaurants.
If you don't want to be a part of it in a negative way, get involved with the community besides hipsters. Volunteer at schools, clean up centers, homeless shelters, out reach programs. Get to know the actual community, act like they exist. Co exist with one another.
Any improvement in a neighborhood, be it schools, or safety, or restaurants, or "beautification," will increase prices because it increases desirability. It doesn't matter if the improvements are made by yuppies, or hipsters, or artists, or the government, or grass-roots community activists who live in the neighborhood. It's a brutal paradox: the more we improve our neighborhoods, the less the people who live there can afford to stay.
the phenomenon is not only "white", what ever that is. Hipsters are of all races and creeds. Out of towner people of color are just as much a part of this as white people are.
Well, I don't believe I said that gentrification was only a white phenomenon. However, in the case of NYC, most gentrifiers are white. If we were discussing neighborhood changes in Philly for instance, I'd point out that the influx of lower income blacks into Mt. Airy and West Oak Lane has had a negative affect on parts of those neighborhoods which were in recent history solid, stable middle income black neighborhoods. That would be black on black gentrification/degentrification. But we're talking about demographic changings in NYC and in this case it's about gentrification, of which, the majority of the participants are white. I'm not applying a "good" or "bad" label to it. It's just the way it is here.
Actually, the jeist of my question is not so much about race but more about the class dynamic and how it may play a greater role in the social and costs ramifications of gentrification.
For instance, does the NYU depart head who's a third generation college graduate, vacations in Lyon, walked the steps of Machu Pichu, and drinks wine relate to his new neighbors in Bed-Stuy the same way the city worker who's the first in his family to go to college, had a blast in Vegas, has season tickets to the Mets, and prefers beer after work? Would the current residents of a transitioning neighborhood feel less threatened by one of the two? Would one have more in common with his neighborhoods than the other? Is it not true that common interest actually helps to build strong communities? How would gentrification be different if it were the latter guy?
Well, I don't believe I said that gentrification was only a white phenomenon. However, in the case of NYC, most gentrifiers are white. If we were discussing neighborhood changes in Philly for instance, I'd point out that the influx of lower income blacks into Mt. Airy and West Oak Lane has had a negative effect on parts of those neighborhoods which were in recent history solid, stable middle income black neighborhoods. That would be black on black gentrification/degentrification. But we're talking about demographic changings in NYC and in this case it's about gentrification, of which, the majority of the participants are white. I'm not applying a "good" or "bad" label to it. It's just the way it is here.
Actually, the jeist of my question is not so much about race but more about the class dynamic and how it may play a greater role in the social and costs ramifications of gentrification.
For instance, does the NYU depart head who's a third generation college graduate, vacations in Lyon, walked the steps of Machu Pichu, and drinks wine relate to his new neighbors in Bed-Stuy the same way the city worker who's the first in his family to go to college, had a blast in Vegas, has season tickets to the Mets, and prefers beer after work? Would the current residents of a transitioning neighborhood feel less threatened by one of the two? Would one have more in common with his neighborhoods than the other? Is it not true that common interest actually helps to build strong communities? How would gentrification be different if it were the latter guy?
It is totally a Class issue. It wouldn't be different if he didn't respect and understand the pre existing neighborhood. Its not about where you vacation or eat dinner, it about respect.
What would make a major difference is if they united together with the not so fortunate. Interaction is key. Many people including myself don't feel apart of the community they grew up in because of this.
The new comers act as if we don't exist and they fear us. We are treated like a rarity or an endangered species. My accent is a damn novelty that hipster girls find "Cute".
One day I would like to go to a coffee shop or bar in a gentrified part of town and not be the only damn Native.
Right! But how do you build unity people that you don't have much in common with? I don't believe that the new comers don't want to relate - they just may not know how to relate (not superficially) to the current residents of the hood.
In NYC, it seems that the in between neighborhoods are becoming extinct. It's like it's going towards your only choices being a Park Slope or a Brownsville.
I believe that the white middle class could be a moderating force in NYC. They may be able to relate to the current residents better, bring more money into the area, but with out desiring the same amenities (boutique coffeeshops, trendy bars, speciality food markets, etc.) that the yuppie or hipster would. I just think the debate would be different if it were these types moving in to the hoods. But who knows, it may be worse. Maybe someone has example were gentrification happen like this.
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