The process of gentrification was the primary focus of my MCHC 1002 course with Professor Bayoumi. As such, “The Birth of Gentrification” by Loretta Lees was one of the first class assigned readings. A year ago, the class discussed the article in relation to Park Slope. Reading it now, I appreciate the differentiation Lee’s made between “brownstoning” and “redevelopment” because of how interchangeably the two terms are used in texts regarding gentrification. My favorite line, from Lees, was on the irony of gentrification as well-to-do middle class citizens move to the city despite preferring to live in a rural setting, living a more traditional life. In conclusion, I look forward to having a class discussion based on the scholarly content of the article rather than being based on personal anecdotes.

“Mapping the Gentrification Frontier” by Neil Smith was more difficult to understand as the author elaborated on complex economic theories and terms. However, beyond this, my biggest challenge, while reading the article, was visualizing the progression of reinvestment, in an area, without the maps and charts included in the original article.

Question: When did the reinvestment turning point begin in Williamsburg?