In my neighborhood, Census Tract 258, Kings County, NY which is in between 68th street through 71st street and 19th avenue through Bay Parkway, there are signs of gentrification that has been affecting the neighborhood quite immensely. As prices of household incomes increase from owned homes and rented, creates a concern to the people of the lower classes.
Along with the variety of new expensive buildings such as clothing stores, restaurants and pop up shops that open depending on the current trend in society. With all these new buildings and stores opening up might seem as a pro to the neighborhood due to it’s convenience in being nearby such as new restaurants, they do affect the community in a negative way. This gentrification may seem beneficial to the neighborhood, however it is truly a con because it increases the living expenses in the community, kicking out the lower classes that cannot afford the high prices.
With that in mind in my neighborhood besides the new stores that’ve been opening up, there has been an increase in the Asian population over the years. Wondering whether there is a correlation, could the increase in the Asian population result to the gentrification in my neighborhood. Taking a closer look to the new renovated stores, they seem to be mainly owned by Asian people and there it furthered the suspicion.
Within Census Tract 258, Kings County the total population consisted of 4,329 civilians back in the 2000s compared to the 2010s the total population consisted of 4,597 civilians. With a change of 5.8% in the population, shows that more people are moving into the neighborhood. Back in the 2000s the total population consisted of 71.6% Whites, 0.3% Black/African, 0.25% Native, 21.7% Asian, and 3.0% other. Compared to the 2010s the total population consisted of 54.5% Whites, 1.2% Black/African, 0.3% Native, 34.3% Asian, and 8.0% other. As shown in the data the White population has decreased by 17.1%, the Black/African population slightly increased 0.9%, the Native population increased by 0.5%, the Asian population increased by 12.6%, and the others increased by 5.0%.
Looking into the Asian population, it shows that they had the most increase in size with a 12.6% increase in the past 10 years and as a result a semi-decent portion of the White population has decreased by 17.1%. With this information, we can see that throughout the years the Asian community is building up within my neighborhood. Although it seems like not much of a change in the population, there is definitely a change in the surroundings around the neighborhood. For example a after school tutoring center called Asian Community United Society (ACUS), which is located on 20th avenue 68th street was originally owned by a single white family (Zillow).
However as of June 2006, the building was transformed and changed into a tutoring center now known as ACUS which is owned by Asians. Another store that opened up a couple of year after on October 2008 was 80’s Tea, a new bubble tea place, located on 69th street, Bay Parkway which was also owned by a single white family back in the days (Zillow).
With this in mind as the Asian population increases my neighborhood seems to be gentrifying as more stores begin to open up. This shows that as the Asian population increases more stores and new buildings are established which shows the process of gentrification within my neighborhood.
As new buildings and stores get renovated, the housing units and its householders have also changed slightly throughout the years. Back in the 2000s there was a total of 1,611 housing units that were occupied and in the 2010s there was a total of 1,613 housing units. In the 2000s, 79.5% were White householders, 0.3% Black/African, 0.1% Native, 14.9% Asian, and 2.5% other. In the 2010s 65.8% were White householders, 0.9% Black/African, 0.3% Native, 25.5% Asian, 5.9% other. With the amount of White householders to decrease by 13.7%, increase of 0.6% Black/African, increase of 0.2% Native, increase of 10.6% Asian, and increase of 2.4% others. As shown in the data the greatest increase in change in householders was the Asian population which has increased by 10.6%.
In the 2000s, 58 housing units were vacant and in the 2010s there were 100 vacant housing units. Knowing that the occupied housing units have hardly changed even though there has been an increase in vacant housing units, shows that gentrification is taking place since vacancy has nearly doubled in the past 10 years.
In the article, Banking on Vacancy Homelessness and real Estate Speculation, it states that with the amount of vacant home, they can be used to house many people of the lower classes who cannot afford the expensive housing. However due to the rent gap it prevents those of the lower class to purchase or rent these homes because once these homes are renovated the owners increases their cost and expenses of its property.
