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Achraf T.                                                                                                                       11/09/2016

Prof. Poltrack                                                                                                               Fiqws 2pm

A Positive Perspective on Gentrification: Harlem

Gentrification is usually portrayed as this negative phenomenon or a bogus conspiracy to displace the less fortunate and the original communities. It is also characterized as a prodigy to raise housing prices; extruding in the process low-income minorities (often Hispanic and blacks). While many activists tends to denounce urban renewal, and argue that it is at the detriment of low-income residents; sociologists had observed that poor people often move away from nongentrifying neighborhoods, too. Naturally they move frequently for a variety of reasons. These reasons are commonly the high crime rates in the area, poor schools and lousy services. Despite, at times causing frustration among long term community residents; gentrification very often results in renewal in infrastructures, safer neighborhoods, local service improvements and employment.

In its Early Years Harlem was a very prosperous community and even gained international recognition as a center of African American music, art, and literature. When crack and cocaine reached its doorsteps, Harlem went from The Mecca to the slum. Drugs weren’t the only cause of its fall. Capitalism, the falter of its infrastructure also was a major reason for the decline of Harlem. In its early years Harlem was so vivid that people will travel from around the boroughs to Harlem’s jazz clubs and nightclubs. After the great depression, a lot of these folks stopped coming causing these activities to falter. A little later drug infested Harlem’s streets, thus increasing criminals in its streets. This is how this once prodigious neighborhood quickly became a slum.

Osofsky Gilbert explains in his publication in 1973, that; Harlem was the capital of blacks and the pride of Negroes who dominated the neighborhood by 1920’s. At first Harlem slum was the product of a few major development. Then the migration got so large that a black minister preached it was forged by God almighty himself. Between 1920 and 1930; 118,000 white people left Harlem and 87,000 African Americans arrived (Osofsky, 97). By the late 1930s Harlem became a slum. The major reason was the deteriorated housing and infrastructures. One major cause was that rent doubled in a space of ten years. The norm became, high rent with poor salaries very quickly. Especially back then, many blacks were not skilled workers, they had little paying jobs, which was customarily regarded as Negro job. Harlem quickly became a gambling hotspot and the prostitution center of Manhattan. Poverty and family instability also led to high incidence of juvenile delinquency.                

This post great depression effects sent the housing market of Harlem to the ground. The worth of the brownstones quickly faltered. The lack of education and the increase poverty eased the decline of the neighborhood. It wasn’t until the early 1990’s that reinvestment begun in Harlem. Where property was purchased and renovated changing the face of the inner-city and improved public transportation, shops, and apartments.

Skeptics often view this renovation as negatives. Instead of embracing the change that comes with development they tend to rather have a wary stance on the issue. Vance Rawles, an African American that resided in Harlem for decades weighs in at an interview: “it’s nice to see a Starbucks in Harlem so we feel like we’re not behind the rest of the world, but bringing business to Harlem is not the same as turning it into the new Wall Street or SOHO. It’s nice to have bigger apartments and fancier stores, but the heart of the matter is that what makes Harlem valuable can’t be quantified in that way.” (Humanity in Action). Mr. Rawles is leery of the changes happening around him; He appreciates them on one hand but is doubtful about these changes maintaining the integrity of his community. Many residents likewise perceive the gentrifiers as the causes of their rent jumping to the roof and the rise in prices of daily goods in their local grocery stores.

On the contrary gentrification revitalizes the soul of the community, because what is a community if it leaves in rubble? Have bad local services? Or is infected with crime?

Renewal of Infrastructures

The infrastructure in Harlem was deplorable in the early 90s. There were dozens of abandoned buildings that were just left because the exorbitant costs to renovate them. Today most of these building are purchased and renovated into new apartments to fulfill the need of the middle class. These abandoned houses that were priory used as crack houses or gang strongholds are now gorgeous apartment buildings, the new jewels of Harlem. There are more and more folks from all races that are moving to Harlem to take advantage of its positive changes. These folks integrating the community will cause a cross pollination, not only racially but also economically and ideologically.

Safer Streets

Crime rates in Harlem have significantly decreased since 1990; the neighborhood was once the most dangerous area in New York State.  Robberies and murders were daily realties. Families couldn’t live in peace and the community was in constant state of fear. Harlemites could lose their lives if they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Gang violence was prominent and at its peak in non-gentrified Harlem. According to the Huffington Post, “Over the past few decades, criminologists have become convinced that places can make people more crime-prone than they otherwise would be. Fix the place, and the people will be safer.” (Roman, 2005).  This outcome implies that a neighborhood is safer when its residents are diverse. Aside from the economic integration of Harlem, the migration of middle class residents into the neighborhood will also results into an increase of police activity in the sector, in an effort to reassure the new comers of the safety of their new homes.

Local services improvements and employment

Employment in general saw a huge boost in Harlem. As new constructions sites opens up, employment picks up in the community. The in-movers change neighborhood harmony and increased exposure to more educated and more networked residents. The imminent economic metamorphosis attracts new businesses who will in turn hire locally. This affects directly the low-income residents in a positive manner. They become more exposed to economical opportunities and unemployment will decrease in the neighborhood, hence having a more productive community. These developments also resulted into the openings of malls, bars, restaurants, sports clubs and more sophisticated supermarkets, improving in general the overall experience of Harlem. The fiscal advantages are simply exceptional for gentrifying communities. Both the gentrifier and the gentrified profited from redevelopment. Economists Lance Freeman and Frank Barconi conducted a similar research on NYC as whole and stated:  “The most plausible interpretation,” the authors concluded, “may be the simplest: As neighborhoods gentrify, they also improve in many ways that may be as appreciated by their disadvantaged residents as by their more affluent ones” (Butin, the Myth of Gentrification).

Improvement in inner-city is not a disastrous action. On the contrary it integrates working class and low-income residents into safe and prosperous communities. It is known that cities progress better when its communities are diverse economically. Harlem in the 80’s was a place where no one wanted to be. Its streets were full of drugs and gangs, the people abandoned in dreadful conditions within a declining community. The influx of reinvestment today in the neighborhood is giving back Harlem its charm. Businesses are now prosperous than ever. The community is safe and Harlem is once again attractive to tourists. Long term home owners can now enjoy an increase in property value. It is safe to say that under gentrification, Harlem is booming again.