book review Danielle Nicolosi

The book I read was There Goes the Hood by Lance Freeman. This books' main theme was gentrification. The definition of Gentrification is the restoration and upgrading of deteriorated urban property by middle-class or well off people, often resulting in displacement of lower-income people. Lance Freeman is and is assistant professor in Colombia University. He actually took it upon himself to go into two gentrified neighborhoods in New York City: Harlem in Manhattan and Clinton Hill in Brooklyn.

There are many pros and cons to Gentrification. I realize at first glance this comes across as a negative to most, I know it does to me, however, it has its benefits. Gentrification brings awareness to the neighborhood. As a result, there are less abandoned buildings, more stores, and less disinvestment. For example you may not have to jump on a train or a bus to get to a supermarket or pharmacy. With Gentrification, now you might be able to have the convenience to just walk around the corner to fulfill whatever needs you may have.

A con to Gentrification is displacement. Displacement can be a threat to the original members of the community. Also, members first coming into the gentrifying community, may not like to see original members are congregating on the street corner. This act may come across as disorder, even though, this is how the neighborhood always acted and nothing was every wrong with it prior to gentrification. Another con is that the people who live in this gentrified neighborhood are indirectly being pushed out because they obviously wont be able to afford this new, up and coming neighborhood anymore. It is a strategic, sneaky, method of changing a neighborhood and is definitely unfair.

What was shocking to me, is that people of the communities actually welcomed this when interviewed. Lance Freeman said, “…nuanced reaction towards gentrification…welcomed by some and feared and loathed by others, and even dreaded and welcomed at the same time by the same people.” The only explanation I could derive from these mixed reactions is that the people who live in Harlem and Clinton Hill may not fully understand gentrification. In the beginning stages where they are getting attention and new stores, this may seem like a positive, however maybe the raised prices didn’t kick in yet.

What reminded me about our Urban Studies class in Hunter College from There Goes the Hood by Lance Freeman, was the debate we had in class. One of the groups in the class actually debated the pros and cons to Gentrification in Harlem. A lot of the points brought up in the debate i saw in come across in the book, like dispacement and disinvestment.

It is not acceptable that Lance Freeman is the first and only person to actually go in there and see how the people who are being affected by this gentrification feel. There should be more focus on this issue. It is unfair that people who call a neighborhood their home, are being pushed out just because certain people think it needs to be changed. Who is it that actually decides a neighborhood isn’t ‘good enough’ anymore? This book definitely brought this issue to my attention. I hope others woke up as well.