Culture and gentrification are two terms that are often used together. Gentrification is the process of renovating and improving a property or area, typically one that is in a rundown condition. This can lead to an increase in property values and rents, as well as improved amenities and services. Culture, on the other hand, refers to the customs, beliefs, art, and way of life of a particular group of people.
In many cases, culture is one of the main driving forces behind gentrification. As areas become more desirable places to live, work, and play, they often attract new residents who are looking for a more vibrant and exciting lifestyle. This can lead to the displacement of long-time residents who can no longer afford to live in the area.
While gentrification can have some positive effects, such as improved infrastructure and increased economic activity, it can also have negative consequences, such as the loss of community character and the displacement of low-income residents.
If you’re considering moving to an area that is undergoing gentrification, it’s important to be aware of both the potential positives and negatives. Doing your research ahead of time can help you make an informed decision about whether or not the area is right for you.
Gentrification is a controversial topic with different implications for everyone involved. For example, many neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn have experienced gentrification to make room for new residents.
While some think that gentrification is good for economic development, the residents are afraid of expensive housing costs, social out-casting, and loss of cultural value. Although it may seem like change is constant in this world, the people don’t want to see the changes that gentrification brings.
The image of a community is important to its residents. It is a representation of who they are and where they come from. For many people, their culture is an important part of their identity. When gentrification occurs in a community, it can often lead to the loss of that community’s cultural identity.
Gentrification can also cause social out-casting in a community. As new people move in and old people move out, the social dynamic of a community changes. This can often lead to long-time residents feeling like they no longer fit in in their own neighborhood.
Finally, gentrification often leads to increased housing costs in a community. As new, often wealthier, people move into a community, the cost of living in that community often goes up. This can price out long-time residents who can no longer afford to live there.
While gentrification can bring some economic development to a community, it often comes at the expense of the community’s cultural identity, social cohesion, and affordability.
The expensive housing caused by gentrification is one of its many negative impacts. “Since 2000, average market rents have doubled in Greenpoint-Williamsburg, and rent stabilized tenants face increasing pressure from landlords looking to flip their apartments to the affluent young people now flooding the neighborhood” (Paul 188). Everywhere that gentrification occurs, these types of greedy landlords exist, who offer higher rentals to push out long-term residents and make more money off of developers and newcomers.
On the other hand, as new people come in, there is always this idea of change and newness that follows them. These changes are not always negative, but they do often lead to displacement of the original residents. Newcomers often have different ideas about how the neighborhood should be, and they may not value the culture that already exists there.
For example, “when newcomers to a gentrifying area open businesses catering to their own tastes—say, a yoga studio or a trendy restaurant—they may inadvertently drive up rents and property values, making it more difficult for longtime residents to stay” (The Impact of Gentrification).
While some argue that displacement caused by gentrification is an inevitable side effect of progress, others assert that it is possible for new developments to take place without pushing out existing residents.
It is important to consider both the positive and negative effects of gentrification when it comes to culture. On the one hand, it can lead to the displacement of longtime residents and the loss of cultural history. On the other hand, it can bring new people and new ideas into a neighborhood, resulting in a more vibrant and diverse community.
These circumstances made them feel that gentrification is implying that they aren’t wealthy enough for their own neighborhood. When longtime residents are driven out from their apartments, they felt the rise of social out-casting. “Since 2000, average rents have doubled in Williamsburg- Greenpoint and almost 40 percent of the Latino population has left the neighborhood likely because of the housing costs (Paul 194). Due to these expensive rentals, manyresidents were forced to leave and some don’t even know where to go next.
Gentrification is not only affecting the housing market but also local businesses are being priced out. When small businesses leave it makes the area look abandoned which can lead to an increase in crime rates. A lot of people have strong emotions when it comes to their neighborhood especially if they’ve been living there for a while. It becomes familiar and comfortable like home. When changes happen, it doesn’t feel the same anymore.
Gentrification has erased some aspects of culture in neighborhoods. The new residents that come in don’t really value or understand the importance of certain things that may mean a lot to the original residents. An example of this would be how “hipsters” took over the Bushwick Collective which is a group of graffiti artists that turned an abandoned area into an open air gallery (Paul 196). The thing is, the new residents don’t see this as art, they see it as vandalism.
The widening socioeconomic gap is causing many low-income residents to become homeless or move to places with poorer living conditions. As the upper class gets richer, they are slowly driving out the cultural values that makes Long Island City in Queens an artistic community.
There are many art galleries, art studios and art spaces that help local artists to showcase their work. But as the rents start to rise, these businesses have to close down one by one, leaving the community without its cultural value.
In Brooklyn, Bushwick is known for its street art. The whole neighborhood is like an open-air gallery with murals and graffiti on every building. But as more and more people move into Bushwick, the property values go up and the landlords raise the rent. This forces the artists out of their studios and into other neighborhoods, where they can no longer afford to live.
Gentrification is a huge problem in New York City. It’s causing displacement of low-income residents, loss of cultural value and a gap between the rich and the poor. We need to find a way to stop it.
