If you're a millennial who was born and raised in New York City, you're probably familiar with the term gentrification.
Especially in New York City, one of the most expensive places to live in the United States, housing in Manhattan is now outrageously expensive. Because of this, people are now being forced to look elsewhere for more affordable housing. Those within the middle-upper class are moving into the outer-boroughs, displacing locals due to the increase in rent. A prime example of this is Williamsburg-- or in more colloquial terms, “hipster haven." A once impoverished, immigrant neighborhood, is now a revitalized social hub amongst millennials who come here for artsy Instagram pictures and the overpriced sub-par coffee.
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But what about Queens? Now that even Brooklyn is getting more expensive, Queens is becoming an increasingly popular borough amongst recent college graduates, as well as for entrepreneurs to open up their small-businesses. Here are three major indicators that Queens is becoming gentrified.
1. Long Island City
Not so long ago, abandoned buildings and industrial complexes covered the entire neighborhood. Now, the ambiance of neighborhood is full of life-- dilapidated structures replaced with high-rise business corporations, fancy restaurants and bars covering Vernon Boulevard, luxury high rise condominiums with a waterfront view of the LIC Piers, the list goes on.
This industrial-ridden landscape began to change with the opening of MoMa PS1 Contemporary Art Center that replaced a local public school in the 1970s. This drove artists who couldn’t affording housing in Manhattan to rent out art studios scattered across LIC due to its affordability. However, because of its close proximity to Manhattan on the 7-Line, wealthier people have been slowly creeping their way into the neighborhood. Due to recent developments, it’s predicted that many of these artists must locate elsewhere due to the skyrocketing rents.
2. Jackson Heights
Jackson Heights is important due to its wide accessibility to the subway. If the majority of your friends live in Queens, meeting inside the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue train station is the easiest, and quickest way for them to gather. With multiple lines running through this station, it's much easier to access Manhattan from Queens. Additionally, Jackson Heights is a working class neighborhood that serves as a melting pot of diversity amongst a wide array of ethnicities, culture, and religion.The streets are covered by bodegas, mom-and-pop shops, and small authentic take-out restaurants that can satisfy any of your cravings.
Because of its affordability and easy access into the city, Jackson Heights is appealing to the middle-class who have been placed out by high rents in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Long-term locals who already struggle with paying bills are afraid of being displaced, since they now have competition from higher-income individuals who find the expenses relatively cheap. And not only are original residents worried about displacement, but are also worried about the rich culture being stripped away from a one-of-a-kind neighborhood. So while they're struggling financially, they're also trying to preserve any culture left of their home.
3. 5Pointz
If you're an urban explorer, or an appreciator of street art, then you probably know about the demise of 5Pointz. Located at Hunter’s Point in Queens, it was once a warehouse that served as an open-space for street artists to exhibit their work. Many artists from around the world have left their mark on the walls of this warehouse, bringing together the international art scene with NYC’s street art scene.
Unfortunately, 5Pointz has recently been demolished, in which two high-rise buildings are being built in it’s place. Many locals as well as artists are outraged about the destruction of 5Pointz, claiming that the neighborhood is becoming “white-washed”. Now that new businesses, in addition to apartment complexes, are on its way, it’s certain that the rent will rise.
What was once a structure that encompassed Queens’ essence as being diverse and tight-knit is now being completely destroyed by urbanization, an explicit representation of gentrification.
