Just 500 meters from my home are 1000 less trees, thousands of fewer birds and residing in their shade, and, worse of all, a newly disturbed tranquility. In its place are electrical wires and telephone poles, more than 30 enormous homes, and roaring car and chimney fumes. Ironically, they call this place the “Willows.”
The “Willows” development began 5 years ago when a greedy builder claimed neighborhood-cherished land, promising to enhance the county. Needless to say, for his personal gain only. Instead of building a park or leaving the land, the eager money-grubber tore down trees and created environmental and civilian havoc.
With real estate down from the recent recession, and every tree already plowed away, builders refused to halt the “Willows” project. The developer brilliantly altered his market strategy build more homes on 3/4th the original plot, and generate a faster and greater profit. The resulting buyers, Hassidim, moved in. Not only did Hassidic Jews now have enough space for their large families, but the lack of privacy was not bothersome at all. In fact, they enjoyed being within close proximity to neighbors as their children went to play at friends and in the streets.
Sharon Zukin, an esteemed sociologist professor at CUNY Brooklyn College, suggests that the soul of a community lies only within the grassroots town residents, ancestral neighborhood identities and traditions, and social capital. The more I think about my personal account with the “Willows,” the more I empathize with those gentrified communities, and understand her logic. While no one was physically uprooted from his home, this new project stripped away the “soul” that I believed was the essence of Rockland County. Many people, my family included, chose Wesley Hills because of the greenery, animals, and serenity. Now, not only is there less greenery, but there are gigantic homes infiltrating streets and eliminating all privacy. Many close neighborhood friends who felt the Willows were “flushing out the people who gave the neighborhoods character,” as Zukin puts it, have moved away.
But, despite my connection to grassroots Wesley Hills, I realized that Wesley Hills does not have only one “soul.” It is a necessary and natural process for communities to evolve and adapt its people. One should not despise gentrification as Zukin does, but rather work to redefine what the “soul” of the community is. While Wesley Hills lost grassroots environmentalists and farmers, it has gained youthfulness, and technological and economic advancements. Newcomers have helped my town continue to grow. Each new resident will be slightly different from the previous one, and use his definition of “soul” to bring his Wesley Hills to life.
Aliza Selter
Nice post Aliza!