Running head: GENTRIFICATION IN NEW YORK CITY 1

Gentrification in New York City

Janelly Silverio
Molloy College














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Gentrification in New York City
Gentrification is a general term for the arrival of wealthier people in an existing
urban district, a related increase in rents and property values, and changes in the district's
character and culture (Grant, 2003). Gentrification can be seen as a positive thing to some
and negative to others. Through gentrification there will be reduced crime, new investment in
buildings and infrastructure, and increased economic activity in the neighborhoods; but,
unfortunately, the benefits of these changes are only enjoyed by the new arrivals, where the
established residents find themselves economically and socially sidelined (Grant, 2003).
Today gentrification is considered to be more corporate, more state facilitated, and
less resisted than before (Lees, 2003). In the past gentrification was looked at as the black
plague. Today many people are viewing it as a gift. Many communities with higher crime
rates and dangerous buildings are receiving a make-over. Two years ago I had my first
positive experience with gentrification. 2
nd
avenue is not always looked at as the best avenue
especially In Brooklyn where its full on strip clubs and drug dealers on every corner. In
2012 something interesting happened; majority of the strip clubs were taken down and in its
place private factories were put in. Although many people were outraged (mostly men),
many were thrilled with this change. With less dangerous areas, parents would not be so
scared with their children roaming the streets alone.
Gentrification has caused major conflicts all over New York City; Neighborhood
change is often viewed as a miscarriage of social justice, in which wealthy, usually white,
newcomers are congratulated for "improving" a neighborhood whos poor, minority residents
are displaced by skyrocketing rents and economic change (Grant, 2003). As a child growing
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up in Brooklyn, I learned at an early age the importance of community. At the age of 7 I was
walking to and from school alone because there was so much trust within the neighborhood
that no one ever figured anything would happen. The sense of community is very important
to people who have lived in the area for years and years. The reasoning is because everyone
in the community bonds through similar hardships with the day to day life experiences that
the community becomes family. Well once I turned 10 it all changed, I experienced
gentrification. Many of my favorite playgrounds were torn down and as I used to say big fat
construction men were everywhere in sight. Familiar supermarkets and stores that I would
visit with my parents were quickly starting to disappear. Even though I was young I could
tell that something was not right and that everything was changing very quickly. Along with
locations changing, distrust also came into the community. No longer was I allowed to walk
home by myself when these changes started happening, the sense of community we once had
was no longer present. My neighborhood was starting to undergo gentrification and I didnt
like it one bit.
First it was playgrounds, next it was buildings. Friends that I had been in school with
since Pre-K were being kicked out and moving far away. The newer companies were coming
in and buying their homes just so that they can use the buildings to build their company
buildings. Slowly we were starting to lose all the members of our community but my
neighborhood was not going down without a fight. My neighborhood was outraged with the
change and decided to start protesting against it but just like in the 1970s and 1980s they
were not able to stop gentrification but they were able to get limited agreements from banks,
developers, and the state to make the gentrification process less deleterious to the existing
community (Hackworth, 2002). What that basically means is that although the community
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would be undergoing changes, many companies agreed to not touch certain areas in the
community. Till today, we still have many local areas that we have fought to keep around
and are glad we did.
Gentrification too many people is viewed as positive thing. Why wouldnt it be, right?
A whole bunch of old useless things just being destroyed to make room for something better.
But the question is, what does gentrification mean to someone that actually grew up and lives
in New York City? Gentrification to me is the destruction of the many places that hold my
memories. The feeling you get when you see a building that was there your whole life being
torn down, is more than upsetting its devastating. Gentrification is looking around and
seeing all the bodegas and playgrounds being brought down to build a new place where more
money is encouraged to be spent. Gentrification doesnt only knock down buildings, it also
pushes out people that youve known your whole life. Gentrification may be helping to make
New York City to become a better place, but its also destroying what made it so great in the
first place.









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References
Grant, B. (2003). What is Gentrification?. PBS. org, 12.
Hackworth, J. (2002). Postrecession gentrification in New York city. Urban Affairs
Review, 37(6), 815-843.
Lees, L. (2003). Super-gentrification: The case of Brooklyn heights, New York city. Urban
studies, 40(12), 2487-2509.