Gentrification is typically known as the renovation of worn down buildings to turn them into modern ones. Although this improves the overall appearance of the neighborhood, it harms the original residents who were living in the area. The affordable prices of housing drastically go up and as a result, the original residents need to leave and find another affordable place to live in. Although this is what most people associate with gentrification, it also includes the continuous impact that is has on the neighborhood. I will be exploring how the business has changed in the area and how it will continue to change.
Astoria is currently undergoing the early stages of gentrification and the effects of it will be apparent in terms of businesses in the future. As of now, there are many changes that are occurring in the area which include the redevelopment of the buildings and transportation system. Additionally, there has not been an increase in a lot of chain stores. According to an interview that we had with Joanne. Joanne is currently 33 years old and she has been living in the area for her entire life. She stated that the mom and pop shops are the mainstay of the neighborhood and that people will typically shop there for their daily necessities. The necessities are gradually increasing but she told us that there are still many affordable products in small businesses. The continuous prosperity that the original business obtained is assisting them in staying.
However, there are small signs that gentrification is starting to increase in the area. Chain stores such as Papa Johns and Dunkin’ Donuts has resided which will provide cheaper alternatives and possibly drive away business from the original stores that were established for a while. One example of this can be observed in a grocery store that sells organic foods nearby Joanne’s house. With the incoming number of affluent residents, the grocery store has been able to obtain a large amount of profit and decided to renovate to have a second floor and open up more stores that were only a few blocks away from the original store.
The storefront of Dunkin’ Donuts
Focusing on the restaurants, many of them originally resided in the area because it was relatively close to the train station. They assumed that this would assist in bringing in more customers to the restaurants since people would want to purchase a meal or a beverage before heading out on their journey to work or get a quick dinner. However, with the startup of gentrification, we were unsure of whether or not these stores were impacted dramatically. As a result, we decided to interview several restaurants around Little Brazil in Astoria to learn their opinion on the current situation.
Fresco Tortillas
Fresco Tortillas is a Tex-Mexican fast food restaurant that has been in business for 10 years. The owner of this establishment decided to start up here because the location was near a train station which made the area extremely busy especially during rush hour. The customers who come to eat have been diverse and includes people with Chinese, Italian or Mexican heritage. When asked about his opinion on gentrification, he seemed to be rather pleased with it. He wasn’t concerned with the incoming chain restaurants and focused more on the optimistic side. The owner was excited for more business to come in and to have heavier traffic. With this, they will be able to gain more income which is what many desire.
The storefront of Fresco Tortillas
Psari Greek Captain Restaurant
This restaurant has been serving Greek cuisine for over 30 years and the employees too have noticed how there has been a change in who is coming to their restaurant. There are more people of different ethnicities who are visiting their store rather than the usual Greek and Brazilian customers. This business, however, focused more on the negative aspects of gentrification. They noticed how the rent price is increasing and that many people, including their friends, are getting kicked out and moving because of the high costs and more people from the city have been moving into the newly built apartment buildings.
The storefront of Psari Greek Captain Restaurant
Rio Market
Rio Market is a supermarket that has been established for 24 years and it focuses on selling mainly Brazilian products. Their customers have been mainly Greeks and the Brazilians. However, they recently gained popularity when a New York Times article wrote a positive review of the establishment. Now, there has been noticing more tourists of different backgrounds who have been coming to Astoria and visiting the area which will also generate profits for this store.
The storefront of Rio Market
After interviewing these shops, we learned about the double-sided sword of gentrification. The benefit is that there will be an increase in affluent individuals who can go to these stores and purchase meals to eat. This advantage would provide these businesses with more money with which they can further improve their establishment. Although the chain stores are progressively making their way into Astoria, there has not been any significant tensions between the two groups. They have been coexisting with each other since the current residents still purchases items from both the mom and pop shops and chain stores like Joanne stated. However, I believe that tensions will be arriving soon. When the new group of wealthy residents move into the area and decide on where to purchase their products from, they will most likely go to chain stores since they are well known and have reward programs to encourage the customers to continue to return.
Although there is an imminent challenge that these pop and mom shops need to face, they will continue to persevere. Close to the train station, there are many businesses that offer various combinations of ethnic cuisines and items which are available for many to enjoy. This is the shops’ unique aspect which will make them stand out from the rest of the chain stores. These businesses will continue to work diligently and strive to prosper with the new influx of customers that will arrive with the improvement of the buildings and transportation systems.
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