From A Neighborhood in Transition
You have reached the page on Economics, Gentrification, and Criminality in Morningside Heights, New York. Economics directly affects many aspects of this, and any, neighborhood-- and is critical in its influence on Crime and Gentrification. Below we will analyze in detail the effects of economy, gentrification, and crime on the general scope and livelihood of the neighborhood.
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Law Enforcement & Criminality
For the main article, see Law enforcement & criminality.
The Morningside Heights area is not especially dangerous. Though crime does exist, it is not prevalent, and the level of crime has been drastically reduced over the past decade. The area is under the protection of Precinct 26, whose perimeter includes area outside of the immediate neighborhood. A detailed examination of both the precinct house and the neighborhood proves that security is high and the community is well protected. This is a direct effect of the high level of gentrification and economic upturn that has occurred; as prices go up, people of another caliber begin to move in, more security is placed in the rich area with a rich population, and overall crime levels decrease.
Economy
For the main article, see Economy.
The economy of the Morningside Heights neighborhood is mainly commercial in nature, and is at least partially dependent, if not mostly, on the educational institutions that lie within its borders, namely Columbia University. Upon foraying into the neighborhood, our economics group noticed many economic trends that defined the area. (Note that the economics group focused their study mainly on the portion of the neighborhood between 110th-125th and along Amsterdam Ave and Broadway).
Gentrification
For the main article, see Gentrification.
Gentrification is widely described as the movement of people of higher social standing into less opulent neighborhoods. The term is mostly associated with urban movement since cities are most likely to house people from all levels of the social hierarchy. Also, the growing population of cities has created a dearth in the availability of housing, even for the rich. As a result, many developers have taken steps to increase the expansion of neighborhoods and availability of houses for the wealthy. This process, although formally referred to as urban development, is dubbed by many as slum-clearing.
While urban development has increased the availability of housing in many areas around the city, it has inevitably raised the cost of living, from the sky-rocketing leases to the posh restaurants and snobby businesses. Much of the same can be said about the Morningside Heights area, where Columbia University’s expansion projects have created a neighborhood that is gradually infiltrating into the greater, less-developed Harlem.
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