My Neighborhood
Coming from New York, Sharon Zukin's, THE NAKED CITY, hit home. Growing up on the Upper West Side and then moving to Soho, gentrification and chain stores replacing original unique ones is not a new concept to me. The Upper West Side was not always a sterilized suburb of new york. When I was younger, creative communities thrived and Central Park was still a place to avoid during the evening. The neighborhood where my childhood took place is almost unrecognizable; Korean markets, novelty stores, and artist communities have been pushed out and replaced with chain stores and restaurants that make you feel you may as well be in a mall. Few landmarks remain, but places such as Zabars and H&H bagels have been able to stick it out.
Although this kind of gentrification was inevitable in Soho, but even high end businesses, such as my old hair salon, was replaced by a Tommy Hilfiger. One of the most upsetting additions to this area is the integration of foreign companies such as the British Top Shop and All Saints. Not only do these stores continue the dull trend of chain stores in a once unique area, but their arrival in America has taken something away from London as well. These stores are no longer special or unique and homogenize major cities.
My new home is in a section of Brooklyn Heights called Boerum Hill that has been slower than other parts of the neighborhood to become an extension of Manhattan. To the right of my house there are at least 25 oil and spice shops and a few schools of Islam. To the left of my house there are famous designer's studios such as Jonathan Adler and Steven Alan and there are numerous nonbrand boutiques selling organic furniture. One block North of my house is the Brooklyn Tabernacle, the historically black neighborhood and Fulton street mall where you can buy wholesale sneakers and wigs. Two blocks South of my house are the Gowanus Housing Projects and the metal works warehouses. Four blocks West is BAM. Two blocks West is the court system and the local jail. In the diner down the block, you will see neighbors from each area eating in the same restaurant. There is a sense of safety in knowing people throughout the neighborhood. My parents always talk about our neighborhood and describe it as Sesame Street. But there are recent developments that you would never see on Sesame Street. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/19/realestate/commercial/19brooklyn.html. A Barney's Coop moved in down the block next to the Trader Joes. WHile some see the Trader Joes as equal to the Barney's addition, the supermarket provided the neighborhood with a much needed grocery store that is affordable for most sections. Serving only the smallest percentage of Boerum Hill Barney's sticks out like a sore thumb as a big step in building the bridge from Manhattan to Boerum Hill.
The article describes a theater troupe who has written the divisive history of Brookleyn's major redevelopment project, Atlantic Yards, into a musical. It was built from extensive interviews with people directly impacted by the massive reconstruction plans, including local business owners, residents, and politicians. The article labels the musical as more of a commentary than a theatrical production, as it "present[s] a layered portrait of a city and a neighborhood changing, sometimes under duress."
In addition to clearly reflecting the impressions of imposed redevelopment and loss of place identity we have read about and discussed in class, I think this particular response rperesents a step towards action and community ownership. It certainly attempts to inspired people to be aware of and care about the changes going on around them and to recognize the lack of choice they have traditionally been given as well as how they might start to take back that power as a community.