Gentrification is a process of renovating and improving an urban area that is deteriorated, or may be of lower class value. Powerful and wealthy people may take over this area in order to make it a middle and higher class taste because they believe the area is valuable, however the residents, stores and buildings may not be up to par with their expectations. In addition, they see the potential these poorer neighborhoods have to make great profit, so they advance them through construction in order to attract more wealthy people to live there.
In the 1960s, many parts of New York City carried joblessness, crime, drug addiction and abandonment across entire neighborhoods. African Americans and Puerto Ricans who flocked to New York were faced with many struggles. Jaffe describes “redlining”, which was when federal and local banks forbid them to borrow money in order to gain a place to live. This was because these banks discriminated against these people and did not trust them to ever pay back the loans. Urban Renewal was another effect which faced newcomers. Powerful figures using federal funds to break down neighborhoods without providing adequate housing for the abandoned poor people was a tactic that was advantageous for the more wealthy people, however a nightmare for people who could not find other places to live.
In 1975, the city government ran out of money. In the South Bronx and Central Brooklyn, Landlords began to abandon thousands of apartment buildings and fires were intentionally set by these landlords in order to save themselves and escape the city’s downfall. However, they did not realize that in doing this, the safety and care of the people living in these buildings are now at jeopardy.
Although these people were left abandoned with their buildings, the people of the community formed movements in order to save their neighborhoods in the late 1960s and 70s. Father Louis Gigante was a leader of this time who protested many areas of abandonment. One organization formed was the Mid-Bronx Desperados Housing Corporation (MBD) and another organization included the South East Bronx Community Organization (SEBCO). These organizations held bonfires in order to protest as well as renovation events lead by the people and run by the people. Block by block, apartment buildings for moderate-low class workers were renovated day by day. The Public’s Development Corporation raised over $300,000 in loans for renovations. Not only did this speed up the apartment building renovation process, but it also inspired many other organizations and communities to donate and get involved as well. Brooklyn’s most stressed neighborhoods in like 1990s included Brownsville, Ocean Hill, Bedford Stuyvesant and East New York and these communities saw advancements happening in the Bronx and learned.
The Northwest Bronx Community (NBCC) held campaigns that brought political art into play when campaigning for more money towards poorer areas, and it worked. They persuaded banks to reinvest in at-risk neighborhoods with the campaign sign “Don’t Move! Improve!” as this sign quickly became a known rallying cry. New Yorkers were starting to realize picket lines, sit ins, bonfires and homesteading was not enough to engage powerful and wealthy people in order to convince them to invest. So, in order to gain money and power Gigante’s SEBCO took action and successfully obtained housing funds fro the city, state and federal government. This attracted redevelopers and investors.
The East Brooklyn Congregations was another one of dozens of organizations that helped to bring up the standard of struggling neighborhoods. This was founded by Reverend Jonny Ray Youngblood and its first campaign was to improve local food shopping; which ironically is still an issue in neighborhoods today. They combatted high prices and threatened to call police on health regulations. In addition, Nehemiah homes were built to provide affordable housing in the Bedford Stuyvesant area, Ocean Hill and Crown Heights.
In the Brooklyn chapter of Jeremiah Moss’, Vanishing New York—How a Great City Lost its Soul, Moss clearly captures the gentrification of Brooklyn today and we can compare that to what we read in Jaffe’s description of Brooklyn and the Bronx’s struggle to survive in the 1970s-1990s. Moss describes Brooklyn today in a way that conveys that the people who fought for Brooklyn and its rights in the past are the same people that are being pushed out by wealthy people who are coming in and taking over apartment space. Black owned mom and pop businesses are gradually giving way to high end chains like Shake Shack and a “median priced home [is] $615,000” (Bloomberg Business). Moss explains that “social media” speeds up this process of gentrification, and he is correct. Many people are quickly able to see the beautiful aesthetic of Brooklyn and are realizing that Williamsburg is only one stop away from Manhattan on the L train across the river. It turned from a ghost town to an area filled with luxurious storefronts; a local consumer movement. Brooklyn’s brand is now redeveloped thanks to gentrification and we sure know it is a bad thing, as the poorer people that have been living here for years now can not keep up with the high end stores and increasing rent rates.
Moss beautifully uses juxtaposition to compare Manhattan Ave. and Franklin street of today. He describes Greenpoint to be extremely luxurious and Franklin street more including mom and pop restaurants and more of a homey feel. Bedford Stuyvesant, although its struggle we discussed earlier, is now filled with luxury condos and empty lots that re being prepared for luxury construction. Barclays center came up because of a huge gentrification project as well.
Gentrification is not just see in certain places. We see in Moss’ Queens chapter and the article on Chinatown that these places are also seen as valuable (because they are) and rich people just love to take advantage over every situation they can to make more profit than they already do today.
We should be aware of the effects this has of the people who were at these now “cool” places before us, the affiliation they have with these places, and what would happen if they can not keep up with the rising rent rates. A grandfather plan should definitely be put in place to accommodate these people in order to grant them a normal and steady monthly rate. Hopefully lawmakers will look past the money and “opportunity” that comes with new modern buildings and take care of the people who need the help most. The people who fought when these places were abandoned.
MN
