Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Sometimes the term is used when whites moving into a black neighborhood aren't even "affluent", like college students or artists. But I've never see the term "gentrification" applied to a poor white neighborhood that turns middle-class. There certainly are areas like that, but the media misses the story consistently.
South Boston and Charlestown, Boston are both locally described as examples of gentrified neighborhoods. Not sure if the previously location was even poor, lower-middle class might be a better word. Philly and possibly New York City have similar examples. Many of the gentrified neighborhoods in Manhattan were white
Quote:
I've also never seen the term applied to Asians moving into black neighborhoods, although that happens a lot too. And then there areas that used to be American blacks but have a huge influx of North African or Middle Eastern immigrants. That's happened in several spots in Michigan, Minnesota and DC. There's a large Ethiopean neighborhood in DC with great restaurants and stores.
It's only gentrification if the new population is wealthier than the old one. (don't know the specifics of your examples).
South Boston and Charlestown, Boston are both locally described as examples of gentrified neighborhoods. Not sure if the previously location was even poor, lower-middle class might be a better word. Philly and possibly New York City have similar examples. Many of the gentrified neighborhoods in Manhattan were white
It's only gentrification if the new population is wealthier than the old one. (don't know the specifics of your examples).
South Boston is about as perfect an example of gentrification of a mostly-white neighborhood. Perhaps at one point this happened in the North End too with rich young professionals pushing out the ethnic Italian population.
I've also never seen the term applied to Asians moving into black neighborhoods, although that happens a lot too. And then there areas that used to be American blacks but have a huge influx of North African or Middle Eastern immigrants. That's happened in several spots in Michigan, Minnesota and DC. There's a large Ethiopean neighborhood in DC with great restaurants and stores.
There is a neighborhood in minneapolis, a cluster of ugly high rise apartments called 'the ghetto in the sky' that changed from poor American blacks to poor Somalian blacks. I certainly would never call it gentrification though, still probably one of the worst neighborhoods in the city.
South Boston is about as perfect an example of gentrification of a mostly-white neighborhood. Perhaps at one point this happened in the North End too with rich young professionals pushing out the ethnic Italian population.
I've also never seen the term applied to Asians moving into black neighborhoods, although that happens a lot too. And then there areas that used to be American blacks but have a huge influx of North African or Middle Eastern immigrants. That's happened in several spots in Michigan, Minnesota and DC. There's a large Ethiopean neighborhood in DC with great restaurants and stores.
It's only gentrification if the new population is wealthier than the old one. (don't know the specifics of your examples).
East nashville (originally the rich section until a terrible fire one hundred years ago) is seeing it, with projects on Shelby street being planned for a teardown next year. Old Victorians and ranch homes being renovated, while old churches become charter schools.
The folks that usually lead the charge in gentrification are gays, artists and folks with no family yet.
It's definitely a class factor, and some folks that do get displaced go to trad. Black middle lass areas in suburbs and usually bring trouble as was the case near Chicago and Detroit. I blame that on welfare state and drug prohibition.
Excellent point. What's happened to all the people that have been priced out/forced out of these gentrifying neighborhoods?
This is a good question, as far as I can tell nobody's really keeping track. In the San Francisco Bay Area, black people (and others) are being displaced from San Francisco and to a lesser extent Oakland. It seems like the black population is getting more dispersed, with some folks moving to newer suburbs like Antioch or Hercules. In many cities (like Chicago) it seems that while the inner neighborhoods are gentrifying, the outer neighborhoods and inner suburbs are getting poorer.
It's not exactly an indicator of gentrification, but it does measure the attractiveness of cities. The Census looked at how many people live within 2 miles of City Hall in the main city of metropolitan areas. City Hall is a proxy for the center of town, and exists almost everywhere. They found the greatest absolute population growth (2000-2010)within that 2 mile ring in Chicago, then New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington. Those cities added between 19,000 and 48,000 new residents in that inner ring.
Excellent point. What's happened to all the people that have been priced out/forced out of these gentrifying neighborhoods?
not everyone has been forced out - some were homeowners, and sold their houses for a pretty nice gain.
And that will, of course effect where they move TO.
In DC, most of the african americans leaving gentrified nabes are going to PG county in Maryland (though some go elsewhere in Md, and some to NoVa, and some I assume retire outside the region, etc) What you can afford in PG county is going to be different for a renter who leaves with nothing, and a homeowner who manages to sell an old house for 350k (to an investor who will renovate it and then flip it for 500k to some pair of yuppies) that he bought 20 years ago for 50K. 300k in equity will go pretty far in PG county.
Many aren't forced. Many move to inner-ring suburbs.
My friend grew up in the lower-middle area with the Christmas lights above. Her dad has lived within two blocks of the place he was born for 60 years. Same for her mom.
Its gentrification is nearing completion, in many ways. For instance, the diner on the corner became a place that serves ostrich.
Prices have gone rather hyperbolic (by Baltimore standards) in the area. So her folks sold their house for more than they ever dreamed and moved to an inner-ring suburb. So they were not forced.
BTW if you want to see this neighborhood at the early stages of gentrification, rent John Waters' "Pecker." For other Waters commentary on Baltimore gentrification check out "A Dirty Shame."
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
