Neighborhoods have had their own styles and flairs for as long as the city had been build for. However, in the upcoming years, especially in the city of New York, we have been seeing more and more gentrification take place. The New York Times article tells of the story of Carolyn Burke, who lived in Crown Heights, New York, for the majority of her childhood. During that time, the neighborhood was once burdened by drugs, crime and racial strife. After visiting it many years later, it was completely unrecognizable. The apartments sold for almost triple their value and are taken over by affluent whites, essentially driving out all of the drugs and crime in that area.

Many people who come back to visit claim that they have mixed feelings because they feel as if their childhood home is gone. This reminds me of how the people who lived in Pruitt-Igoe felt when it was torn down many years ago. I understand and sympathize with them fundamentally due to the fact that the homes they they have made so many fond memories in are completely different than what it was. As a result, there is a kind of “culture shock,” in a sense, after looking around and examining the differences between the past and the present.

There are two sides to every coin and gentrification happens to be a hot topic in today’s society. Whether pondering about Harlem or Clinton Hill, it makes people wonder about whether or not to keep the culture and childhoods alive of people who lived there or start raising property value and inviting new, affluent homeowners in.