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I know about DC because my dad's from Charlottesville [now living in the DMV area] and we use to spend lots of time in the Southeast, Capitol Hill area, and the Shaw area. The last time I visited was like 2 to 3 years ago. It's good to see these areas still have their culture intact. If only gentrification was inclusive and not exclusive.
It depends on what you mean by "intact." There are still Black people in those neighborhoods but all of the businesses, with the exception of barbershops, liquor stores and carryouts, cater to a largely white, professional class.
It's like there's really not a true black mecca sans DC to an extent. It seems like each metro (NYC, HOU, DC, ATL, Philly) picks up where the other one lags. It's crazy!
Only if you restrict mecca status to economic/financial/occupational stats but it goes beyond that.
It's like there's really not a true black mecca sans DC to an extent. It seems like each metro (NYC, HOU, DC, ATL, Philly) picks up where the other one lags. It's crazy!
They all have their strengths and weaknesses imo. NYC, for example, is the only city that seems to have any type of critical mass of Black professionals in predominantly Black, transit-oriented neighborhoods that have bars and restaurants that cater to Black professionals. NYC doesn't have the level of Black wealth and education that a few other metros have though.
Atlanta, Dallas and Houston arguably offer greater opportunity for the average person due to their low COL.
DC has the highest percentage of Black professionals, but that really hasn't translated into increased social options for Black professionals in its urban core.
They all have their strengths and weaknesses imo. NYC, for example, is the only city that seems to have any type of critical mass of Black professionals in predominantly Black, transit-oriented neighborhoods that have bars and restaurants that cater to Black professionals. NYC doesn't have the level of Black wealth and education that a few other metros have though.
Atlanta, Dallas and Houston arguably offer greater opportunity for the average person due to their low COL.
DC has the highest percentage of Black professionals, but that really hasn't translated into increased social options for Black professionals in its urban core.
Well in pretty much all of those cities except NYC, Black wealth tends to be suburbanized plus in DC, gentrification is happening at a much faster pace than in other cities. I'm not even sure if you could say that Atlanta has inceeased social options for Black professionals in the core of the city. At the most, it's holding steady.
Only if you restrict mecca status to economic/financial/occupational stats but it goes beyond that.
I agree it goes beyond that but I don't think it goes far beyond that. I don't think any place is worthy of being called a "mecca" if the most common occupation for Black men is a janitor. That's depressing more than anything.
The size of the Black population itself is obviously a huge factor. So is history. But I'm inclined to put a city with a smaller but more economically dynamic Black population (Dallas) over a city like Philly or Detroit.
Well in pretty much all of those cities except NYC, Black wealth tends to be suburbanized plus in DC, gentrification is happening at a much faster pace than in other cities. I'm not even sure if you could say that Atlanta has inceeased social options for Black professionals in the core of the city. At the most, it's holding steady.
Much of the Black wealth is suburbanized in the NYC region too. The difference is that young Black professionals in the NY region overwhelmingly select just two small geographic areas: Harlem and a swath of Brooklyn from Downtown to Malcolm X Boulevard. That's where a young Black professional moving to the NYC region will end up in 95% of all cases. In DC, however, young Black professionals end up scattered all over the city and metro area.
I agree it goes beyond that but I don't think it goes far beyond that. I don't think any place is worthy of being called a "mecca" if the most common occupation for Black men is a janitor. That's depressing more than anything.
I agree with that but the sociocultural infrastructure is a big deal as well.
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The size of the Black population itself is obviously a huge factor. So is history. But I'm inclined to put a city with a smaller but more economically dynamic Black population (Dallas) over a city like Philly or Detroit.
I don't completely agree with that but I understand your reasoning. The legacy Black meccas still have some advantages that aren't easily duplicated in other cities.
NYC has been a mecca for Jewish, Italians, Irish, Middle Easterners and black people, its the biggest city in the USA so it has a higher chance for a more educated black population.
They all have their strengths and weaknesses imo. NYC, for example, is the only city that seems to have any type of critical mass of Black professionals in predominantly Black, transit-oriented neighborhoods that have bars and restaurants that cater to Black professionals. NYC doesn't have the level of Black wealth and education that a few other metros have though.
Atlanta, Dallas and Houston arguably offer greater opportunity for the average person due to their low COL.
DC has the highest percentage of Black professionals, but that really hasn't translated into increased social options for Black professionals in its urban core.
I agree.
Houston is kind of odd. Despite the rapid gentrification ITL, ITL includes of Houston's black social scene; downtown is booming with black clubs and parties, midtown is starting to take off, 3rd Ward/Almeda/Southmore has a plethora of chilled black spots, and Washington Ave. hosts alotta black events and day parties throughout the week. A new spot that is dedicated to the black social life opens up literally every month on Washington Ave.
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