Thursday, February 27, 2014

Cookie Cutter City


The great New York City! Vastly known for its bright lights, tall skyscrapers, and marvelous Broadway shows! Well at least that’s what the rest of the world sees. In movies we often hear “I’m moving to New York to follow my dreams”. But is it really that cookie cutter city everyone thinks? I believe not, and as for living here in the city I’ll tell you that if you have a stable job with good income then yes it’s a great place to live, but otherwise it is not so great after all.

Rent is the worst part. Throughout the last couple years New York City has been the hotspot of gentrification. Gentrification is a shift in an urban community toward wealthier residents or businesses and increasing property values of the poorer residents of the community. Eventually, leaving the residents of the community with extreme rents to pay or just pushing them out of the neighborhood completely.

 “Have you seen Fort Greene Park in the morning? It’s like the mother-effing Westminster Dog Show!”(“NY Daily News”). That was Spike Lee’s rant about gentrification in Brooklyn. Brooklyn went from one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city to one of the wealthiest in a matter of years. I guess some people have a positive view on it. But what happens to those families who have to move away due to the rent hikes they are faced with? Well they end up on the streets. Sad but true. According to the New York City Department of Homelessness, the total number of homeless people in shelters is about 53,270. An increase compared to past numbers.

 Because of this is why I believe New York City is not a great place to live if you are not economically stable. With the rent you pay for an apartment in the city, you can pay a mortgage for your own house upstate. Where you would truly live way more comfortable, than here in a noisy and polluted city. But indeed we are all different so if you like the city and think you could live a good live here than go for it! Don’t let me kill your dreams now.

           



Work Cited

 

"The Gentrification of Spike Lee." New York Daily News. 26 02 2014, Editoial n. pag. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.

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