A City of Neighborhoods – New Multi-racial, Multi-ethnic communities

Prior to our first reading, the concept of gentrification had not crossed my path. Gentrification is "the buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper- or middle-income families or individuals, thus improving property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses" (Merium Webster). I could have easily been the young, white women moving in to a "trendy" area, unaware of the consequent negative implications for the local population. Our field trip, viewing the progression of gentrification in some of Chicago's neighborhoods, has really opened my eyes to the complex issue of gentrification.

By and large, the process of gentification follows a fairly established pattern. Students and artists seeking cheap rent move into a realatively unprosperous area. This group is generally followed by young, white "hipsters" searching for an edgy, up-and-coming neighborhood; While this group may not pocess the ecomonic capital of their peers in more affluent neighborhoods, they have a larger quota of social capital, which encompasses their higher educational degrees, than the local population, whom they displace. In addition, this "hipster" circles are oftentimes economically supported by their well-off families. As this transition occurs, the neighborhood is customarily seen as safer, allowing for an additional white migration into the neighborhood. As a result buisnesses move into the area and advertisers promote the area as trendy and swank This brings wealth into the area, ultimately raising the rent prices and pushing out the local minority population. This transformation is disproportionately affecting Hispanic areas.

The controversy over gentrification relates largely to the issue of how to gentrify responsibly. I have to admit that if given the choice between an apartment with hardwood floors run by a real estate company or an apartment with tile floors run by your baker's brother, Jose, I might pick the apartment with hard wood floors. Our tour ranged from less gentrified to completely gentrified in coresponding order. As our adventure progressed, the houses shifted more from houses I would not want to live in to houses I would love to live in. In addition, as the rental prices rise, there is a mass influx of buisnesses to the area, making it for desireable for living. Thus, part of the issue lies in whether we choose what is best for us as an individual or what is best for the community as an entire entity. This is in part what makes responsible gentrification so difficult. While investment in a community can bring income into a community, it can also wreck havoc on the local population who often cannot compete against large chain stores.

ADDENDUM: An interesting sign of gentrification, that only someone with the vantage point of 5+ years working with children would notice, is the quality of stroller found in a neighborhood. We started our van tour in an area just beginning the process of gentrification, followed by a neighborhood further in transition, and ended with a fully gentrified, upscale neighborhood. As we ventured farther on our tour, the strollers changed from the $30 umbrella strollers all the way to the top-of-the-line, prestigious bugaboo and orbit stroller systems (costing upwards of $2000.)