My NYC Black Folk......Gentrification

the next guy

the next guy

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Mike Ock

Mike Ock

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the next guy said:
http://gothamist.com/2013/11/22/ask_a_native_new_yorker_will_the_so.php
Are you relatively new to this fine metropolis? Don't be shy about it, everyone was new to New York at one time... except, of course, those battle-hardened residents who've lived here their whole lives and Know It All. One of these lifers works among us at Gothamist—publisher Jake Dobkin grew up in Park Slope and currently resides in Brooklyn Heights. He is now fielding questions—ask him anything by sending an email here, but be advised that Dobkin is "not sure you guys will be able to handle my realness." We can keep you anonymous if you prefer; just let us know what neighborhood you live in.

This week's question comes from the Boogie Down.

Dear Native New Yorker,

I was born and raised in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. And while I notice some small changes to the neighborhood and neighboring Melrose, I haven't seen the dramatic change that has happened in areas such as neighboring Harlem and a bit of East Harlem.
Mott Haven has probably the best convenient access to Manhattan via the 2,4,5 and 6 trains yet it doesn't have the draw like Williamsburg, or LIC had. I want to know why is it that the South Bronx hasn't been gentrified and other neighborhoods have? Is the Bronx really a borough for the slums of the city? Thanks.

Erick Bernardez

A Native New Yorker responds:

Dear Erick,

The short answer for why the South Bronx hasn't dramatically gentrified, despite the last 30 years of economic growth in the city, is racism. The long answer is racism and bad urban planning.

There are two types of racism at play here. The first is that the last couple of waves of gentrifiers in New York were mainly white. And most white people, especially in the '60s, '70s, and '80s, were scared of black neighborhoods. This was true whether they were artists, gays, whatever. Sure, they'd live in a cold-water, rat infested squat in L.E.S., or a half-burnt out Brownstone in Park Slope, or a haunted brick factory with no windows in Williamsburg, but these were all working or lower class white or Hispanic neighborhoods at the time

@Mr. Jack Napier @tremonthustler1 @Michael's Black Son @Liquid
Click to expand...


This past Saturday I was at an even which focused on the gentrification of the Bronx (slowly but surely) and just in general. They had a panel of people who worked in real estate and for some profit and non-profit organizations which dealt with housing in the city. Here are factors of rent increase I haven't seen brought up(or may have overlooked) in this thread:

- The general rise in water and electric charges...From what I remember, people living in a building don't usually pay for water. So the money has to come from somewhere.
- The up-keeping, renovating and constant improvements of a building cost money... which lead to rent increase
- The constant rise of property tax
...this is happening everywhere, so the middle class are moving to different areas also. So area's you thought was "your hood" were pretty much areas designated for a certain class of people to live in. Being that increases are happening everywhere, these sectors/hoods no longer have that invisible "do-not cross line" anymore, because those who lived in better areas before that got priced out, still need a place to live in in the city. So "the hood" is no longer a forbidden destination anymore.
- City is slowly eliminating section 8
- Some might see it as landlords being greedy, but they have maintain the finances to own and keep the building running. So say they have a building with a lot of "lower class". Landlords have to deal with people not paying rent on time, or maybe months. How do they make up for that? Rent increase. Some might not want to keep dealing with chasing tenants for rent. So they start renting to those whose finances show that they can pretty easily afford the rent.
-If landlords can't keep up with finances enough to pay the mortgage, they'll sell the building to a new landlord, some foreign investors, or let the city get a hold of it. In any case of the three, profit will want to be made by whoever gets a hold of it and hence renovation and rent increases. All of this shyt intertwines.

...there were a lot of intricate things discussed at this event. It was very beneficial for me.

People have to kinda smarten up with their finances. Don't start having kids before you can afford. Stop depending on gov't assistant, and hoping for lottery apts. Help maintain or improve their areas rather than destroy. And of course, try and own if you can, though it's easier said than done. Also, realize everyone landowner is looking to capitalize. Without saying, education and decent job and better should be a goal seen as attainable rather than "The Jews control everything, why even bother"
 
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