Whether you’re new to town or you’ve been around for a bit, you know the one local issue that keeps popping up, and won’t be going away any time soon, is gentrification. Neighborhoods and demographics in those neighborhoods change, and while real estate agents love to employ the terms “transitioning” (aaaaaaaahhhhh), the reality is that long-time residents are being pushed out.
(It’s worth checking out WNYC’s new podcast on gentrification to hear just how that pushing out is happening; pretty scary stuff.)
What’s more, gentrification tends to be an uncomfortable us vs. them conversation that a lot of folks have trouble participating in, because they don’t always know which side they land on, or would rather not hear. So, for your benefit, we’ve come up with a quick and dirty quiz so YOU can see whether you are, in fact, part of the problem.
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View Comments (2)
"Instead of bemoaning the general real estate situation here in Brooklyn (or New York in general) and trying to avoid criticism, just take some responsibility for your community's welfare and start doing real actionable stuff.
For example, get involved in your neighborhood! Talk to your neighbors, find out their concerns, and start a dialogue that can lead to action. Attend your district's town hall meetings. Work to protect public resources and spaces, like the local library, parks, and schools, especially those services that are most accessible to lower income populations."
nah. fuck you. i already have a 65 hour work week to pay for the piece of shit apartment in a brooklyn "hipster" neighborhood I'd move out of in a hearbeat if I could afford it. the only people who have time to worry about this shit are gender studies majors and wannabe thugs on the stoop (so two types of unemployed people). how about we all just take care of our own shit and stop pointing fingers at white folks one bad week away from food stamps. sincerely. fuck you.
Thanks for reading! From your arguments, you sound like the kind of person who doesn't concern himself/herself with the problem of gentrification; maybe there was no right outcome for you in this quiz. You could have saved yourself some of that precious little free time you have! Good luck in your living situation, and thanks for the sincerity!