Let me just outline my OWN experiences. Also allow me to clarify that I'm ONLY speaking for NYC. I can't comment on anywhere else. I was born and raised in Brooklyn to working class East African parents (Eritrea and Sudan) who settled in an immigrant enclave in central Brooklyn. I'm 25-years-old and the Brooklyn I remember in my youth was frightening. That place next to the Brooklyn Bridge (DUMBO) where you see people taking selfies nowadays was dilapidated. No one would even dare to walk in those areas. It was riddled with drug dealers and gang bangers. My father worked as a butcher in an area known as the Meatpacking District in the West Side of Manhattan.
That whole neighborhood was also an utter mess. Sometimes my parents would go to work and leave me alone in the area on the weekend (they worked 7 days a week). I distinctly remember seeing creepy men wander those streets in broad daylight (sometimes in their cars). I'd later find out that the neighborhood was a hot bed for prostitution and also drug dealing. I'll get back to this later.
Now, onto some historical background. What made New York such a special city was always its coastline and water ways. It was the main reason why it was colonized by the Dutch in the first place. Over time, lots of industries developed along the coastline next to easily accessible piers. Post World War II, 'white flight' had taken shape and you saw most of America's white population move away from the city and into the suburbs. The creation of the interstate highway system and the affordability of cars ensured that New York's piers and industries would collapse. This led to mass urban decay across all of New York City. Many of the factories which were found along the coast simply relocated or went out of business while the piers were slowly abandoned. By the 1970's there were a lot of squatters who would frequent these abandoned buildings for free housing. It naturally became a hotbed for a lot of illegal activity because it was completely ignored by city officials. The neighborhoods that surrounded these areas were saddled by this illegal activity, thanks in part to the city's dereliction.
For those who like to work with visuals, here's a small neighborhood map of northern Brooklyn, eastern Queens, and southern Manhattan. Look at the large coastline in northern Brooklyn. That's where the majority of the factories/warehouses/industries and piers used to be! The same applies to eastern Queens. All of those neighborhoods were largely rundown and abandoned for close to 40 years. Today, these exact neighborhoods, Vinegar Hill, DUMBO, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Long Island City, Hunters Point, Astoria (not shown on the map but slightly north of Long Island City) are hotbeds for gentrification. If you're curious, the area where my dad worked in the Meat Packing District is between the West Village and Chelsea in western Manhattan. As you can see, it was also close to the coastline.
When crime started going down in the late 90s, lots of young transplants felt safe enough the cheap apartments in these abandoned areas since they were so close to the city (10-20 minutes by train to the heart of Manhattan). Real estate developers soon saw the potential in these marketing these areas as 'trendy'. Developers bought up those abandoned lots and buildings and put up high-rises and worked with the city to produce public parks. Now, almost 10 years later, northern Brooklyn is now the place to be as property values have skyrocketed.
To me, watching all of this unfold is bittersweet. Poll anyone in Brooklyn who grew up here and they'll all tell you they'd much rather have the Brooklyn of today than the Brooklyn of old. The thing that disappoints me is not the gentrification itself. I don't care about that. What disappoints me is that the city was ignored for over half a century. They only began caring as soon as white people started cozying up to Brooklyn. Once that happened, everyone saw the commercial possibilities of the city and began actually putting money into the area. Back when I was younger, my local park would go several summers with a broken basketball hoop. Today, when I walk around these gentrified areas, I see fully equipped dog parks. What does that tell me? That a white dudes Shih Tzu is more important than me?
As I indicated in this comment, I do not think gentrification is about 'kicking people out'. I think it's disingenuous to frame it in that way. The problem here does not lie in the gentrifiers. It lies in the city establishment. New York has gotten much better but it hasn't gotten better for everyone in an equal manner. The quality of life of everybody must be considered. Right now, the only way a neglected neighborhood can get the attention it needs is to be dubbed "the 'New' Williamsburg". Otherwise no one will care. You see this happening in Harlem and Washington Heights (now dubbed 'Wa Hi') where developers are playing up and marketing Harlem's black history or Washington Heights' Latino culture. I'd prefer if the city cared about me without using my culture as a marketing stunt to attract outsiders. Start by improving conditions in those neighborhoods first! Only then will people openly welcome Gluten-Free Pastry Shops or a Vegan Diner.
