gentrificationwhat's Comments

There have been a number of interesting and non-derogatory comments with different takes on gentrification and its meaning and effect. It really would be beneficial to your community of users if you could engage while avoiding token dismissal of one commenter who can't keep their tongue (or fingers) in check.

Now that you've found out what some of your Neatoramanauts think, what about you?
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Let's play a game of what if. Picture your neighborhood, apartment complex, housing development, whatever it may be. Yours, not your conception of an impoverished neighborhood - your own. The neighbors. The street shops, shopping complexes, mini-malls. Not a perfect spot, but you probably chose the area after some consideration.

Now imagine your preferred grocery location was bought out by a higher end retailer. Food's a major part of the budget, and it just got twice as hard to put it on your table, and there just aren't any better options to be had without spending a lot more time on getting to another, more cost efficient store. Imagine half of all your stores are upgraded. Your free time is now spent in the car or on the bus to go and take care of your necessities. Watch as your favored but slightly less capable neighbors examine their budgets and look to cut down on rent by moving away. And watch as their older, outmoded homes / apartments / condos are bought up in blocks and demolished while newer, bigger, and far pricier housing takes its place. Watch your rent go up. Witness neighbors who find your leisure activities almost criminally offensive. See the other local, ethnic shops shut down as their target audience flees, which in turn drives their remaining target audience outwards as they lose their jobs and their sense of community. And now you're about to enter the proverbial poor house.

Does that sound like good times?

Gentrification isn't making a crime-ridden eyesore into an upper-middle class friendly subdivision with higher property values. Gentrification is imposing one demographic's will on another through external and incontestable financial pressure.

I'm going to assume the question "what's wrong with gentrification?" was an attempt to provoke thought and discussion. So please chime back in, Alex.
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  • Member Since 2012/08/09


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