Gentrification
Gentrification is defined as the shift in an urban community towards wealthier residents, which, in turn, increases property values. This process is happening right now. As more and more whites move back into the neighborhood, many Blacks and Latinos are being forced to move out, mostly towards the Bronx.
Hamilton Heights is located on Manhattan, between 135th street and 155th street on the West side. There is a rich history behind this community, one that is defined by changes in demographics, socioeconomic differences, and desirability for real estate development. The region has recently began the process of gentrification, which is characterized by an increase in wealth in the community as a whole. This is caused by investment in a community by corporate businesses and wealthy individuals. By doing so, they move out small local businesses, lower income families that can’t afford new rent, and benefit corporate interests rather than neighborhood community work. Gentrification is often associated with a high white population, although it is a stereotype, in this scenario the trends in demographic shift support this stereotype.
To better understand how Hamilton Heights got to its present state, one must first look into its history. Hamilton Heights is named aptly so, due to the fact that Alexander Hamilton lived there towards the end of his life. During the time period when Hamilton lived there, it was simple farmland, with a very low population. The land remained very lowly populated farmland for a number of years, until the end of the 19th century, when the elevated, and underground, subways lines reached there. The housing built in the area was elegant, designed with white residents in mind. The developers of the land had hopes of creating a strong, wealthy, white community. In the 1930’s, the housing market for the community lost its appeal to white residents/prospective tenants, due to a population shifted from a white majority to black majority. This time period was directly after the Harlem Renaissance, which lead to a large migration of blacks to the Harlem area, thus Hamilton Heights.
As it evolved over the years, however, there was a large population shift in the 1920’s and 30’s that led to an increasing amount of African Americans. This was mainly due to African Americans trying to have a better life. Those that became affluent started buying homes in Hamilton Heights too. Sugar Hill actually got its name from rich African Americans who moved in the late 1920’s to the “sweet and expensive” area. A few years later, in the 1940’s, many Eastern Europeans began moving to the area, whom were mostly Russian and Polish. However, they didn’t stay too long and were moving out to other suburbs such as Long Island and New Jersey by the 1960’s.
The next demographic that enters the picture is the Latino’s, which started in the 1980’s. Their reasons for moving to America were political upheaval in their home countries (mostly the Dominican Republic) and also economic issues. At first, Puerto Ricans made up the Hispanic majority, but ultimately Dominicans took it. There were rivalries and fights during this time between the two ethnicities.
Hello! I am writing a news story for my Journalism course, and would love to interview someone here with a few questions about gentrification in hamilton heights and their perspectives. I would really appreciate it! Please email me if you have some availability this week to chat.