A Snapshot of Gentrification

Transportation can easily be seen as a means of gentrification, as it makes neighborhoods that were traditionally not accessible more accessible, thus more attractive to move to. This is being seen along the L train. It was a huge factor in the gentrification of Williamsburg and it is now a huge factor in the gentrification of Bushwick. The photo seen to the left is a picture of recent development on the street of Himrod St, in Bushwick. This photo was taken on my rooftop to give a vantage point of the contrasting developments. The building in the middle of the construction was an old recycling warehouse where many homeless people and low-income residents would come to drop off bottles and cans to make an extra buck. This is now going to be luxury condos with an art gallery, restaurant, and organic market on the ground floor. This, through my eyes, is a prime example of gentrification. Development of this sort is now being seen all over Bushwick, repurposing something within the built environment that once served a purpose for low-income residents and transforming it into something that the new, higher-income residents can strictly benefit from having.