One part of the ever developing American Dream has been to move to New York City and get a great career. Well, now that’s shot to hell ever since the ungraceful use of the “G” word has entered a New Yorker’s vocabulary. The “G” word that I’m referring to is… gentrification.
One morning, back in my high school days, I was riding the Z train when I noticed someone wrote on the train, but it wasn't anything bad. In fact, it was a mercy cry; if not a plea. It said “White Bodies Gentrify; Colonize Bushwick gets cleaned; fixed. #Free Bushwick. #No Buy Outs". As I read the words over and over again I realized it was in fact a cry for help.
Was this it? Was New York City doomed to fall to hipster culture or worse a new type of culture all together? I couldn't help but wonder. When it comes to the city that never sleeps has it fallen asleep on the gentrification of neighborhoods?
Hipster culture has become as public as the Watergate Scandal, but how did the word hipster become associated with the word gentrification. Neighborhoods such as Downtown Brooklyn, Carroll Gardens, and multiple other neighborhoods in Brooklyn have already been affected by gentrification. One prime example of this is the redeveloped neighborhood called Atlantic Yards.
The reason it has this name is because it is near the Long Island Railroad Yard of the same name. In New York City former Mayor Michael Bloomberg developed two words for something like this. Eminent Domain.
Now this term means that everyone in a certain building must vacate the premises within a certain number of days while the building is razed, and the redevelopment process begins. Sure they will get money for the apartment they were living in, but that's it. The former occupants of the building must do the rest of the work to find a new place to live.
Picture this. Ready? Apartment for Rent. Apartment 16J, two-bedroom, one-bathroom, full kitchen, and hardwood floors. Located on the West Side of Manhattan, with a New Jersey view, and located near Highline park. Noise problem with Long Island Railroad Train yard underneath building. This isn't fake, but is a part of New York City's "gentrified" reality.
Two of the City's Major building projects revolve around the space above the Long Island Railroad's Hudson and Atlantic Yards. The work for the Atlantic Yards Redevelopment Project has already started, and it come in the form of the new transportation hub called Atlantic Terminal. Another feature of the development involves a "new sports arena", what most people have come to know as the Barclays Center.
As for Hudson Yards the construction has already begun and the opening for one phase of the project is approaching fast. Most people know about it as the 34th street extension pin the Number 7 train.
Hudson Yards has consumed most of the M.T.A.'s time, concluding to the fact that it’s going to be a big deal. Originally the area over Hudson Yards was going to be used for a Jets stadium and so New York City could hold the Olympics. This plan fell through and the Hudson yards development went into effect.
As for Atlantic Yards the words eminent domain has come to good use. People were thrown out of neighborhoods that they possibly lived in their entire lives and their apartment buildings may be replaced with a humongous condominium. Life has taken a serious toll for the people in these areas, and there still improving.
Other businesses can be a leader in causing the neighborhood to fall victim to gentrification. One such business is the demon known as Shake Shack. While they may have lines around the block every day, their burgers are flatter than Debra Messing’s boobs and their hot dogs are worse than “The Big Bang Theory”.
Businesses like Shake Shack are a scam that make McDonald’s burgers worth more than they could ever be worth. New York City has gone down-hill since the first knit hat was worn in Williamsburg. Rents have gone up and begs another important question about Buffalo; is Buffalo next?
With the renaissance of the city making it a new hub for startup business and hipsters, the new Buffalo is only a hop, skip and a jump away from being New York City. The West Side is being developed but other areas such as the East Side are just being left to die.
The narrative of the East Side is sad because it’s dangerous based on its reputation so now it has to be dangerous. People don’t understand that some of Buffalo’s richest history is located on the East Side. Despite Buffalo having a rich history like New York City, they’re going to be lost to the new upscale life of the city people want.
