Sharon Zukin believes that the “soul” of a neighborhood is found in its locally owned stores, and residents who have been there for decades. Authenticity is of great importance in any neighborhood, and I too believe it is built on the residents of many, many years who sit on their steps and greet everyone who walks by, and have conversations with the mail man whenever he passes. The core of the neighborhood is formed around its storeowners, so storeowners who greet their customers by name prove their establishment in the area. Also, the cart that has been on the same corner all its life and whose owner speaks to his customers about their children or pets is a gem to an ever-changing world. While exploring the Lower East Side and chatting to business owners about the neighborhood, we encountered two who had been in the same building for the past 30 years. During our interview, they would welcome those into their store, several of whom they knew well, and catch up on recent news. All the while, they spoke about the new wave of gentrification and how slowly but surely they knew fewer people in the neighborhood. Yet in the same token they spoke about they were a part of a gentrification wave 30 years ago, and used to be the ones who no one knew.
This brings me to the thought that those residents who have history in areas are incredibly valuable and appreciated. However, there is no way to permit or stop change from taking place, as it always will. And when change comes, it brings new people, with new flavor and ideas that change the climate of the neighborhood. Therefore, 30 years from now, it is going to be those people who have created the “soul” that the neighborhood possesses. Indeed, it is the residents of the area that create its “soul,” but as the neighborhood is constantly changing, so is its “soul”. Simply with the way the New York City works, change is incredibly hard to control, and there is no way to harbor advancements – no one neighborhood is exactly how it was 100 years ago. Change is inevitable. The character of Williamsburg, which Zukin explains to have been industrial, has now become the French café brunch location with secondhand stores lining the streets. The culture, soul and character of Williamsburg is now being cultivated by a mixture of artistic, corporate and wealthy yuppies and hipsters. However, this up and coming neighborhood may possess a very different core in several decades time, altering its soul and charm. Only time will tell.
– Kristy Timms
