Anytime I see the word gentrification and Whole Foods together, I instantly think of the comedy show “South Park”, in which the writers included a whole season based on the the titular setting South park becoming gentrified due to the opening of a Whole Foods grocery store. While South Park is only a comedy, I do believe there is some truth behind those jokes.

Whole Foods represents affluence in my opinion. To have the time to care about healthier food options and buying organic foods is an option only available to those of a higher class. Others will rely on the typical KeyFood or PathMark to adequately fulfill their grocery shopping lists. If a Whole Foods chooses to open in a specific region, it’s because the owners of the store know there will be a potential demand for the products. So, they will only open a store that’s affluent or, as shown by the article “Priced Out of a Childhood Home”, in a region that’s beginning the process of gentrification.

I think I seen it with my own eyes throughout my 4 years of commuting in high school. I would every day have to travel to Jamaica to board the bus. From my freshmen year until 4 years later when I graduated, Jamaica was now home to a brand new and spacious Starbucks along with an organic grocery store, albeit not a Whole Foods. I think these stores are just the first indicators, and that Jamaica will follow suite with the likes of Harlem and areas of Brooklyn and eventually become more gentrified as well.