The culture surrounding Columbia University is eclectic. From the Harlem Renaissance, to the beat generation,it’s an area that’s rooted in cultural change and importance.  However, today, Harlem and the area surrounding from the campus is facing a different sort of change; gentrification. While a local Wholefood’s opening might simply mean a new supermarket to some, to others it marks the change of a neighborhood and not always for the better.

A place that was once hailed as a black Mecca, it once was an area that was predominantly African-American. With the extension of the subway to 145th Street, this gave leaders of the black community an opportunity to expand and establish themselves. From Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association came the promotion of political and economic fruition, as well as new centerpieces of the neighborhood. Decades later, what remains of this culture is threatened by housing renovation that not only demolishes previous cultural icons and landmarks but also increases the pricing rapidly. This in turn, changes the demographic of the neighborhood. Black families who lived there before for many years might suddenly find themselves no longer able to afford the course of living. In the same vein, much has happened with restaurants and shops as well.

With overhauls, fancy windows, and pretty landscaping, comes higher prices for food and clothing. Suddenly being a consumer changes the neighborhood. While it erases historical places that once were, it’s also changing who lives there, and by extension changing the culture. With the area around Columbia seeing an influx of wealthy families, or upper middle class, and white people, it’s certainly going to change. And while some areas may seem prettier, with renovation ultimately comes a loss of great historical significance.