There Goes the Hood: Views of Gentrification from the Ground Up

Rather than hewing to theory by asking professionals about gentrification in minority-dominated urban areas, Columbia assistant professor Freeman takes a practical approach, bringing his questions to the residents themselves. Focusing on New York City neighborhoods Harlem, in Manhattan, and Brooklyn's Clinton Hill, he asks residents about everything from widespread retail development to expensive apartments and residential developments. What he uncovers is a ""nuanced reaction toward gentrification. ... welcome by some and feared and loathed by others, and even dreaded and welcomed at the same time by the same people."" It's Freeman's pursuit of this duality that makes the book strong-he's willing to admit that gentrification is both a pleasure and a problem, rather than setting up camp on one side. He explores the reasons that residents welcome gentrification, and the very real, though by no means universal benefits imparted by it. Simple experiences like grocery shopping in a clean, well-lit store, or eating at a decent restaurant, are new and much-appreciated by indigenous residents-except that those residents must struggle to afford such places, despite the measure of economic opportunity created by them. That sense of balance, combined with the powerful voices of the folks involved, that makes this study important and informative. 16 b & w illustrations.