There Goes the Neighborhood…

This morning I was jarred from sleep before my alarm clock went off by what seemed to be a scene from Jurassic Park – something was shaking my entire apartment. It took me a moment to get my bearings before I realized there was not an approaching pack of T-Rex, but it was pile driving rumbling me from sleep. A glance out my kitchen window confirmed my suspicions – construction on the new condo had begun two blocks over. And I couldn’t help but think, “There goes the neighborhood…” I live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Until recently, it was almost entirely off the radar for most Manhattanites, and “out there” according to many of my friends in Brooklyn. Despite its proximity to Manhattan, Greenpoint has remained a tiny enclave of Polish and Puerto Rican immigrants for decades, untouched by “gentrification,” immune to ever-creeping boundaries of the upper middle class due to a lack of decent transportation. Despite the pains of having to take at least two trains to get here, I love living in Greenpoint. I moved from East Harlem last September, where fast-food restaurants and chain stores surrounded me. Between the 110th Street and 116th Street on Lexington Avenue, there are over a dozen fast-food restaurants. 125th street is home to a swath of multinational chains, and has according to Michael Sorkin, become “the urban analogue to a suburban mall, cleansed of locality.” I was happy to be moving out, but as I was moving out, my peers were moving in. A new demographic of young professionals were quickly taking over this African American and Latino neighborhood. And so goes the story all over the city - a story that has been repeating itself for generations – constant change is surely part of what makes New York, New York. However, in the midst of New York’s biggest building boom, New Yorkers are now paying closer attention to the transformation as it shapes the city in a new way. It is plain to see that as buildings go up, so does the rent; and that as the population rises, the wealthy (and major corporations) are the only ones that can afford to live or do business in the heart of the city. The result? A loss of diversity, richness, and energy that once was the soul of New York City.

In a book recently published by Princeton Architectural Press, fourteen authors argue that “the city that never sleeps…has transformed from an edgy, gritty, artistic, and vibrantly mixed group of people and neighborhoods into a more racially, ethnically, and economically separated, sanitized, and gentrified playground for those who can afford it.” Dubbed The Suburbanization of New York, the book presents thought provoking ideas for what has caused this phenomenon. While some articles border on being a little too much nostalgia for a city that existed 25 years ago, overall The Suburbanization of New York forces one to question the radical transformations going on in the city. These questions are not solely linked to building and development, they also cover topics such as the decline of street etiquette; how using an iPod is comprable to car culture by creating an illusion of personal space; the “Starbucks Archipelago”; and how New York is still dependent on an influx of immigrants. Overall, it is clear that New York is not what it used to be. But, is this change a defect that should be corrected or an inevitable fate? Right now, I am lucky Greenpoint still has some of the true character of New York City. It is a place where the signs in the windows are not in English, where local artists hang out at the pub on the corner, and where Mom & Pop still run their successful businesses. Ah, yes…this is New York. But, I had better enjoy it while I can.

The pounding that shook my building this morning is only the beginning of changes that are about to rock my neighborhood. As clearly displayed at the New New York:Fast Forward exhibit at the Urban Center, my sleepy Polish neighborhood is about to become home to up to 5000 new units of luxury housing and at least half a dozen high rise condominium buildings. Like a pack of ferocious T-Rex, “gentrification” is coming – driving out the long-time residents, the artists, and the unique character of the neighborhood. Starbucks opened around the corner last week… Surely, there has to be a solution – a reversal, a point of reprieve. But who will be the driving force behind the Urbanization of New York? What can urban planners, architects, or city officials and community groups do to prevent New York from becoming a victim of its own success? On Wednesday night, the Design Trust will explore the idea of “Gothamitis” at the Museum of Modern Art. Cultural phenomena and observant critics of civic life in New York City, Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Gopnik, will explore the idea of how current development trends are affecting the soul of our city. Attendance at this event is limited to members of the Design Trust Council - you can still join online to reserve your place. We’ll also post a pod-cast of the event on this blog in the upcoming weeks.