MANHATTAN’S LOST NEIGHBORHOOD
On November 4th, 2020 I went out to see examples of gentrification in my own community by seeing the residential changes currently happening. Many know of the new developments coming up left and right throughout the Lower East Side, however to compress this down into a more meaningful observation, all of the pictures were taken along Houston Street, from Ave. D to Ludlow.
Shown above is the view you would see of Houston going towards Ave. D. You can tell which side of the street is Ave. D by the NYCHA buildings that go along the whole avenue. This picture represents the new taking over the old and the two sides that are now prevalent throughout Alphabet City and the Lower East Side.
Depicted above is a new residential building undergoing construction between Ave. B and C. Newer buildings that come as a result of gentrification are usually recognizable by the large use of glass that is a staple of modern designs.
Depicted above is a strip of stores that connect along Ave. A and B from the street view of Houston. This particular strip has gone through many changes even throughout my own lifetime. There used to be a blockbuster here which got removed just like all of the other ones when the company went bankrupt. One thing to point out however is the big multi-story complex that is very noticeably out of place compared to the area around it.
Shown above is the new Marshalls that was built back in 2018. This is another great example of the old culture clashing with the new development that has come into the neighborhood. Katz’s Deli is located on Ludlow, just passed Ave. A. When the residents of this neighborhood found out that there would be a department store like Marshalls showing up nearby, they really felt something shift in the air. The Lower East Side they had learned to love had officially been changed forever.
Each of these pictures depict changes happening in the Lower East Side. New development being made right next to the old that made this neighborhood. Markers of both residential and commercial gentrification can be seen. New buildings seen from Avenues A-D are no longer scarce. The owners of these luxury developments are seeking out those who are able to afford newer apartments, and are willing to pay the steep rents in Manhattan. This is an example of gentrification because developers are not creating spaces for the current residents of Alphabet City, they are looking for middle and upper-class people to move in and make a profit for them. Large corporations like Whole Foods, Target, or Marshalls, which as shown, would not have moved a store into the Lower East Side even twenty years ago, but with all the new changes, big businesses are more comfortable knowing they will be able to see sales from the neighborhood. This type of gentrification takes the dollars out of the neighborhood and brings it into the pockets of those who make more than those who live in the NYCHA buildings seen on Ave. D.
