Freeman analysis of the gentrification of New York is a rather non-conventional outlook of an often demonized topic. Freeman also used an interest technique to develop and contexualize his ideas. Freeman treats gentrification as a metaphor for america’s once great frontier. Just as America’s frontier was once conquered by intrepid pioneers so too were the once desolate urban neighborhoods now undergoing gentrification. While I believe the metaphor served its purpose in describing gentrification and paralleling it with the history of American expansion, I am still at odds with Freeman’s assertion that features of gentrified neighborhoods actually encompassed elements of the old west.
Gentrification is still an ever-present phenomena and is still hotly debated today. The idea is relatively simply. The process occurs when individuals of means move into low-income neighborhoods. While generally the neighborhood sees many material improvements, often as a result these neighborhoods experience a rise rents or home values, which push less fortunate individuals out. The end result is a more prosperous neighborhood, yet with a very new and different culture and demographic.
In many ways neighborhoods that became gentrified were quite similar to the wild west or new frontier. These areas were relatively underdeveloped nor well understood. In addition, they share many of the same elements of danger such as high crime. Even less access to basic health resources pervade both areas. “The taming of the wild west” is a commonly used refrain by Freeman, which works well with how gentrified neighborhoods take on more docile persona. Just as the old west was once dominated by bandits and criminal though slowly materialized into orderly cities and communities, so to a gentrified neighborhood usually rids itself of its criminalized past.
I was in way kind of baffled by Freeman’s assertion that gentrified neighborhoods literally internalized elements of the old west. Freeman repeatedly points to locations, business establishments, and public places in gentrified neighborhoods which bare names which reference the old west. Additionally, he uses a source which identifies new residences of gentrified neighborhoods as “urban cowboys.” While this may make for an interesting point, I can see no scientific reason for these references, other than the fact that residences enjoy their appearances as pioneers. The argument seems to me rather a coincidence than an reliable fact concerning gentrified neighborhoods.
Overall, I enjoyed Freeman exploration of gentrified neighborhoods as a metaphor for the new frontier and the parallels it shares with the old west. Freeman made several intriguing points, and rather cleverly paints the metaphor well. Yet, I am still rather skeptical regarding the internal perception of gentrified neighborhoods as pioneers. In fact, I feel the label is rather disrespectful to the original residences of these areas.
