Gentrified People

Hasidic Jews      |     Gentrified People      |      Arts Community        |       Conclusion

The people who lived and or worked in the gentrified neighborhood didn’t really interact with the people of the other communities.

When we visited the neighborhood, to look for buildings that would seem to be a result of gentrification, we found this apartment complex. On the outside, the building was very tall and seemed to not have been built too long ago. Inside, past the glass doors, the lobby has its own security desk built in with monitors to watch over each floor. There was an HD television hanging off the wall for people to watch soccer off while the mothers chat with each other while feeding their babies.

One resident of the apartment complex we interviewed moved here nine months ago. When asked if he ever saw the people from the Jewish community or the Latino community, he told us he never went up there before. He only goes to places close to his apartment.

He goes to Bedford Avenue quite often. He goes there to eat and to travel to school. He didn’t really know about the other communities of Williamsburg such as the Hasidic Jew or the Latino community. However, he did mention that there is a festival that is held weekly near his apartment. He said that many people of different cultures attend. This particular festival brings together people of the different communities to help them interact with one another.

The other person we interviewed, the receptionist of the apartment complex, came from Queens to work here. When asked if he knew about the communities of Williamsburg, he knew of them but never went to the area. At a deli around the area, the owner, like the security guard, was also not from here. He came from Queens as well.

It seems like people who are in the gentrified area don’t go around Williamsburg except for the places around them, including Bedford Avenue. One factor could be the fact that the Hasidic Jews keep to themselves. However, a more important factor is the location of the area. The people of the gentrified community and the people of Hasidic community live on completely different sides of Williamsburg. The distance between the groups may be a result of the differences between their communities. Not only that, but the places the groups go to would also be different as well. Thus, the chances to interact between each other are non-existent.

However, since the gentrified area is more diverse than that of the other communities, the people are more inclined to interact with people not of their descent. Even though the gentrified people haven’t heard of the existing Jewish community, they still interact with people on a day to day basis. The people who live in that particular apartment complex are not based on one culture. Rather, it is a variety of them with many different people. This shows how the gentrified area of Williamsburg interact with people more often, just not with the distant Jewish community.