Gentrification in Flushing

Gentrification

Besides the obvious visible markers of gentrification—an influx of higher end stores and restaurants—our group analyzed data in our assessment of Flushing’s Asiatown. We consulted past New York Times articles, Scholarly Journals on the subject, and both government and academic population surveys. However, we realized early on that it is difficult to write about a location without having actually experienced the sights and sounds that make up its everyday life. A place can be understood on both a macro and micro level; on a macro level, we can learn about the movement of massive amounts of people in and out of a locale, but on a micro level, it is important to experience literally moving throughout the space in question. So, we took a camera and walked the streets of Flushing, moving among the residents that make up our statistics and looking for signs of gentrification. Suddenly, our research became much more tangible; the setting we had explored academically became a living, breathing neighborhood.

To aid our examination of Flushing, we set out to interview the residents and entrepreneurs of this Asiatown; gentrification is not an invisible process, it is clearly apparent to those that live in the changing area. We spoke to a Chinese Real Estate Agent, a Chinese shopkeeper, and a Pakistani cricket player in the park.

==History==

The genesis of the Flushing that we know today began in 1979, when 27 year old    Tommy Huang broke ground on four apartment buildings just off of Main Street. Huang, who had emigrated from Taiwan just seven years before, would parlay the success of these buildings into a series of business ventures that would resurrect a then impoverished Flushing. Despite some political opposition, Mr. Huang aggressively encouraged Taiwanese gentrification and courtship of middle class Taiwanese who had immigrated to the United States, yet wanted to separate themselves from the working-class Asians settling in Manhattan’s Chinatown. His buildings were similar to those found in Taiwan, a combination of residential and commercial. He built three story buildings that allowed the owners to maintain a shop front on the ground level, rent out the second floor, and live on the third floor. ((http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001898/189865e.pdf)) Weishan Huang, a sociologist at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, writes that, “This kind of building design reflected the characters of Taiwanese as conservative investors who gained the security of owning real estate.” Tommy Huang’s approach so appealed to wealthy Taiwanese that he was able to sell his buildings before construction on them had even begun.

In 1984, Tommy Huang had transfigured a downtown Flushing that had once supported only two restaurants in the entire area; property values skyrocketed from “$8 a square foot to nearly $400.” At just 30 years old, Huang was named “Man of the Year” by the Queens Chamber of Commerce and had more than $60 million invested in Flushing real estate development. His time as the “Asian Donald Trump” was short-lived; questionable business practices and backlash from both the Asian and White communities caused Tommy Huang to file for bankruptcy only nine years later. ((http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/03/nyregion/thomas-huang-s-hot-seat.html)) However, the community that he created had outgrown his influence; Flushing survived, and continued to prosper despite the fall from grace of Tommy Huang.

==Ethnicity==

Ethnic Chinese and Koreans constitute an increasingly dominant proportion of the population of Flushing, Queens. The rapid growth of Flushing’s Asiatown has made it one of the largest Asiatowns outside of Asia. It is commonly known as second largest only to Manhattan’s Chinatown, which many experts claim it may soon overcome. Aside from the Asian population represented in Flushing, there are many other ethnicities present in the neighborhood.

Northeastern Flushing, which is bordered by Bayside, maintains a large Greek and Italian presence. Northwestern Flushing adds a Jewish population to the mix of Greek and Italian bakeries, stores, and restaurants. Central Flushing has a mix of Whites, Hispanics, and Asians, while South Flushing has a significant mix of South Asian ethnicities, as evidenced by the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Afghan markets. Despite the wide variety of diversity in Flushing, our focus is on the two groups that most strongly make this neighborhood an Asiatown: the Chinese and the Koreans.

===Chinese===

In the 1970s, a Chinese community settled down in Flushing, whose demographic makeup was predominantly non-Hispanic white. Wealthy Taiwanese immigrants began the surge of immigration to Flushing, since they couldn’t communicate with the Cantonese-speaking Chinese in Manhattan’s Chinatown.

Made up of Italian, German, Irish, and Jewish people, Flushing was 97 percent non-Hispanic white in 1960. Following the early Taiwanese, Asians constituted 41% of the population of the core area of Flushing by 1990. In addition, Chinese represented 41% of that Asian population. ((http://books.google.com/booksid=MR4iVnvulMQC&pg=PA158#v=onepage&q&f=false))  Since the late 1980s, Flushing has come to be known as the “second Chinatown” or “Little Taipei.” ((http://books.google.com/booksid=ghKia5k6hXUC&pg=PA57#v=onepage&q&f=false)) Main Street and the area to its west, particularly along Roosevelt Avenue, became the primary nexus of Flushing Chinatown.

However, Chinatown continues to expand southeastward along Kissena Boulevard and northward beyond Northern Boulevard. Ethnic Chinese are constituting an ever-increasing proportion of the Asian population as well as of the overall population in Flushing and its Chinatown.

===Koreans===

The labels that Flushing received in the 1980s can be disputed today, since Flushing’s Chinatown is no longer as dense as traditional Chinatowns still are. Koreans are a main example of why Flushing is not strictly a Chinatown, but is more realistically an Asiatown. The Chinese do not simply dominate Flushing. ((http://books.google.com/booksid=MR4iVnvulMQC&pg=PA158#v=onepage&q&f=false)) In fact, many Asian stores in the heart of Flushing are owned by wealthy Koreans and employ lower-class Chinese. Most Koreans feel right at home in Flushing’s Asiatown, especially since it contains one of the largest concentrations of Koreans in the world outside of Korea. ((http://www.queenstribune.com/anniversary2002/koreans.htm)) According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea, Flushing is home to the largest concentration of Koreans in New York City and the second largest in the United States after Los Angeles’ Mid-Wilshire District Koreatown. ((http://www.koreabrand.net/en/know/know_view.do?CATE_CD=0002&SEQ=268))

==Residency==

Flushing is a large neighborhood in Queens that generally stretches from Willets Point Boulevard in the North down to Union Turnpike in the South and across from Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in the West to Francis Lewis Boulevard in the East.

The main concentration of the Asiatown is the area in the West that engulfs Main Street. This area stretches from Northern Boulevard to Kissena Boulevard and College Point Boulevard to Union Street.

==Signs of Gentrification==

In our investigation of gentrification in Flushing’s Asiatown, we gathered statistics on the value of land by observing real estate sites and speaking to a broker. We surveyed the neighborhood by looking for boutique shops, discount stores, family-owned businesses, newer franchises, speaking to shopkeepers, and observing parks.

We also analyzed population figures and sources of cash flow in the area to better understand the extent and the characteristics of Flushing’s gentrification.

===Community===

Asian immigration into Flushing has continued long after Tommy Huang ceased to be an economic player in the area. From 1990 to 2000, Flushing’s population increased by 13.5 percent. Chinese immigrants, who as of 2006 made up 57% of Flushing’s Asian community, continue to flock to the area, both to live and to start businesses.

However, according to the New York City Planning Department, the median rent of apartments in Queens Community District 7 went from $832 in 2000, to $1095 in 2005, and then to $1160 in 2006. The median home value has shot up from $269,043 in 2000, to $496,500 in 2005 and then to $535,700 in 2006.

===Cash Entering the Neighborhood===

New York City has been investing more and more money into making Flushing a tourist attraction. The Flushing Parks are a telling sign of the gentrification in the area. The Queens Botanical Garden, Kissena Corridor Park, and Flushing Meadows Park, three parks very personal to Flushing, have all had money pumped into them in the last decade.

Most notably, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park received a 66.3 million dollar addition of an indoor pool and ice skating rink, making it the largest recreation complex in any New York City park. Kissena Corridor Park was restored in 2004, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park received its lucrative additions in 2008, and the Queens Botanical Garden received a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation through New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2005. ((http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/06/nyregion/06donate.html?ex=1278302400&en=93a1beabd4ede5b8&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss)) Large sums of money being pumped into the parks of a neighborhood show that there is an upper class population to be catered to.

===Franchises===

Walking down Main Street, the effects of Flushing’s revitalization are clearly visible: “Signs of gentrification, although minor, can already be seen in Flushing. More mainstream franchises like Old Navy and the United Colors of Benetton stick out next to slightly run down local businesses.” ((http://journalism.nyu.edu/publishing/archives/pavement/in/flushing/next-tourist-hotspot-flushing/index.html)) A most notable sign of gentrification, Main Street is now home to a massive three-story Starbucks; one of the surest signs of expendable income within a community is a willingness to spend five dollars for a cup of coffee.

An interesting detail about the Flushing Starbucks is that the menus are written in English with Chinese subtitles, going back to the point that the influx of gentrifying peoples is made up of both English-speakers and wealthy Chinese.

White communities are evident on the outskirts of Flushing and some proof of their encroachment is apparent on Main Street. Besides the Sbarro’s pizzeria in the center of Main Street, there is a Barone pizzeria, Primo Amore Restaurant, and Magna Restaurant on the North side of Flushing, signifying the Italian influence. On the East side there is a French bakery called Bakery de Paris on Union Street and 39th Avenue that had only a few White patrons and workers on a Sunday afternoon.

Other markets in Flushing also point to the evident gentrification in the neighborhood. Cell Phone stores like T-Mobile and AT&T were generously sprinkled around Flushing’s Main Street. The community interest in technology is not one of an impoverished people, but one of well-off people who are drawn to the idea of making their lives easier and broadening their horizons for a simple cost.

The clothing economy in Flushing also shows signs of catering to a wealthier population. In close proximity on Main Street are a Macy’s, a Modell’s, a Foot Locker, and a shoe boutique called Shoes4Me. Instead of the traditional, extremely inexpensive low-quality clothing that has been churned out of the Manhattan garment industry over the years, these upper-class department stores and boutiques provide a better quality alternative for people in the neighborhood with more expendable income.

===Banks and Real Estate Agencies===

The most numerous big businesses on Main Street are banks. There are both large chains such as Chase, HSBC, Bank of America, TD Bank, and Citibank and smaller, Asian-specific banks like Amerasia Bank, Bank of East Asia, China Trust Bank, Shinhan Bank America, Royal Asian Bank, and Woori America Bank, among others. On Main Street, between Maple and Sanford Avenues, there are a whopping six banks squeezed together. Banks signify a cash flow; that the residents of an area both have money to deposit into the bank and the need for capital to start small businesses.

Real Estate Agencies and Life Insurance Brokerages also help to show that gentrification is occurring. New York Life, MetLife, and Allstate Agencies pepper Main Street. Nelson Leong, a real estate agent working for East Coast Realtors, who deals mainly in Flushing, told us that although Chinese people are his main customers, there is a plethora of ethnicities that his agency sells homes to in the greater Flushing area.  The demand for life insurance represents a population with assets to protect and thus more wealth owned in a neighborhood.

==Maintaining Traditions==

Despite the apparent signs of gentrification there are obvious indications that Asian cultures still shine through in Flushing’s Asiatown. From the butchered pigs hanging in the windows to the herbal healing teashops, Flushing has certainly retained much of its traditional allure. Old school food is still served and alternative medicine is still practiced all around Main Street. A tourist doesn’t have to walk far in order to find ginger duck or pork dumplings. Nor would one have to go on a trek for an acupuncturist. The popular awnings with Chinese writing and shopkeepers who only speak Chinese add to the mysticism of Flushing’s Asiatown. In fact, Mandarin, Fuzhou, Min Nan Fujianese, Wenzhounese, Shanghainese, Cantonese, and Taiwanese are all prevalently spoken in Flushing’s Chinatown. Even the relatively obscure Dongbei cuisine indigenous to Northeast China can be found in Flushing ((http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/dining/10chine.html?scp=1&sq=dongbei%20cuisine&st=cse)). Another example of traditions maintained in Flushing is the Lunar New Year Parade that is celebrated every year in Flushing.

==Assimilation==

In addition to signs of gentrification, however, are signs that the population of Flushing is also attempting to adopt American culture. Gentrification is a multi-faceted change. Besides the constant battle between Gentrification and maintaining cultural traditions, there is also a difference between Gentrification and assimilation into American culture. Upon exiting the 7 train at the Flushing Main Street stop, a pedestrian lays eyes on a McDonalds, a Burger King, and a Popeye’s immediately. There is certainly evidence of assimilationist tendencies in the storefronts observed by walking down Main Street. Amidst the many Asian restaurants, one can also see many examples of classic, American eateries. There is also a Wendy’s, a Subway, a KFC, and a Taco Bell not far from the train hub. These fast food restaurants are not signals of gentrification or any increased capital entering the area; in reality, they offer unhealthy food for very little money. However, within an immigrant community, they do not necessarily signify a poor community; their presence more signifies a culture that is emulating American behavior and American cultural tendencies. Another example of assimilation in Flushing is the presence of plastic surgeons that are so sought after by many Chinese and Koreans. The New York Times recently reported that more and more surgeons have begun specializing in procedures that “Americanize” their Asian clientele, such as the “double-eyelid surgery.” This is a procedure that eliminates the classically Asian eye shape for a rounder, more American shape. ((http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/nyregion/19plastic.html?_r=1))

==Results==

The most interesting conclusion from our accumulated data is that Flushing experiences gentrification from within. Although the traditional people in the area are now Asian, it is still the influx of Asians that are gentrifying the area, since they are wealthy. Although some wealthy Whites have moved into the area, the U.S. Census numbers show that it is the Asians who are actually gentrifying Flushing. For example, Census Track 845 shows a 40 percent decrease in Whites and a 102 percent increase in Asians right off of Main Street, just north of Kissena Corridor Park.(( http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/map)) Since gentrification is a multi-faceted movement, it was very useful to analyze the maintenance of traditional practices and the assimilation of immigrants as compared to gentrification in Flushing. Overall, Flushing is a one-of-a-kind neighborhood, distinct from its predecessor, Manhattan Chinatown, and is continuing to transform as the people that enter Flushing continue to change.