As we read Jeremiah Moss’s rather depressing take on a New York City that has, in his opinion, already reached its end thanks to the suburbs and gentrification reaching ridiculous degrees, it was difficult not to imagine the struggles that minorities and impoverished people experience on a daily basis. In his book, Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul, Moss describes a New York plagued by the upper class. A New York in which the blue collar workers are thrust to the side and ignored, so that white collar workers can move in to take their place. Multi-racial workers from diverse backgrounds were left behind as the City gentrified at a rapid, almost unprecedented, level. People who were left behind in slums that were rapidly degrading.
Unfortunately, things seem not to have changed. In a recent article by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Raanan Geberer and Liliana Bernal described a neighborhood in turmoil. People living in rent-stabilized homes, are facing similar struggles in dealing with gentrification. A neighborhood landowner, Rubin Dukler, refuses to fix the residences of those living in these stabilized homes. There are roach and rodent infestations, collapsing infrastructure, and necessary repairs that are not getting done. Instead, circumstances for these people get worse and worse, until they are finally forced to find a new place to live – often at a higher price. As soon as they are gone, Dukler makes the necessary repairs and sells the apartments at an inflated price. This forced gentrification is ruining the lives of some tenants who are working three jobs just to afford their current expenses, and it is nearly the exact same situation that Moss describes in the conclusion of his book. That similarity, in fact, is what forced me to connect Moss’ book with the situation in Crown Heights.
Fortunately, the City is not on the landlord’s side. The Department of Social Services has come out in support of the tenants, offering them legal services for their current suit against Dukler. They wish to help the tenants live in homes without the “hundreds of violations” committed by Dukler.
It seems like the historical world Moss paints has been replaced by a better, more equal one, if this story is taken for example. In this story, unlike in the 1950s and on, the New York City government is on the people’s side, rather than the rich landlords or the CEOs looking to gentrify and build over the properties of New Yorkers. It cannot be said that the City has completely solved its issues of course. One needs to only read on in Moss’ work to understand why. As recently as 2013, innocent people were being arrested for making displays against gentrification and other means of destroying the City’s culture, such as with the 5Pointz building. Kids, who spray painted “RIP 5Pointz” in protest of the 2014 demolition, were promptly arrested.
It is hard to say what this City will look like in 10 years, let alone 20, 30, 40, or 50. It is hard to say the levels that gentrification will reach, the degree of diversity, and the type of populations that this City will draw in the years to come. Moss believes that this City will soon become a hub for the rich, rather than a home for the underprivileged. The people dwelling in Dukler’s homes, however, might disagree. While the individuals may have cruel intentions, the City itself will always be a home to those who need it. Just as some New York City departments are coming to help them, surely someone will always be there to help those who need it.
Questions:
- What will this city look like in another 50 years?
- How can we adequately fight gentrification, as Moss vows to in his conclusion?
- Can New York be a home to the very rich and the very poor, or will one eventually be forced out?
Sources:
Geberer, Raanan, and Liliana Bernal. “Rent-Stabilized Tenants Accuse Crown Heights Landlord of Harassment, Neglect.” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 22 Feb. 2019, brooklyneagle.com/articles/2019/02/22/rent-stabilized-tenants-accuse-crown-heights-landlord-of-harassment-neglect/.
Moss, Jeremiah. Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul. Dey Street Books, 2018.
