GROWING PAINS--

Recently, there’s been a lot of talk regarding gentrification in New York City, especially in Brooklyn. Douglas Rushkoff, a writer and media theorist living in Park Slope, received quite a bit of negative feedback the other week after criticizing the mal effects of gentrification into urban dwellings. Although Rushkoff feels as though he might have taken an unnecessary defensive after sharing parts of his personal life, as he notes on his blog, I am glad the writer brought up the issue, sharing on how he was mugged on Christmas morning in one of Brooklyn’s most expensive brownstone neighborhoods.

The struggles of Park Slope come as no surprise to me, myself having to move to Bay Ridge last month after being priced out of the slope. But I’m not at all surprised with the false shroud of reality that has surrounded my former neighborhood of stoop sales and mom & pop cafes.

Today is the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It's not just his memorial day, but also his actual birthday. Born in South Atlanta, and growing up on the North side of that urban Mecca for southern industry and business, I knew well the teachings of Dr. King from my school years. His home on Auburn Avenue wasn’t too far a walk from Five Points on Peachtree Street, where my great grandfather from Britain had his shoe store. My childhood was one removed from the big city, watching Atlanta struggle with urban flight as I grew-up, watching my parents’ childhood homes fall into disrepair.

Last year, I had taken a group to visit the King Center on Auburn Ave., and I was quite impressed with the amount of gentrification the City had been undergoing. Many of my friends had moved into the City, opting for “Fix-Me-Ups” over suburban living. It has, in a lot of ways, become the cool way to live for America’s young hip professionals.

The situation in Park Slope is no surprise, when market values on real estate sore so high that they can hardly justify their worth against the back drop of tattered furniture left on the side walks by previous owners priced out of their homes. Recent city reports show that Brooklyn’s real estate increased 28% last year, one of the highest increases in the city. Nevertheless, new city dwellers need to remember that luxury can come at a higher cost in the city when the effects of such gentrification are ignored.

On this MLK Day, it’s important to not forget the equality that Dr. King envisioned in the world that he dreamed of forty years ago. New York, as well as Atlanta and other big cities, has changed much since then. But just because something changes doesn’t mean that what sat there before should be wiped clean. Gentrification’s greatest harm is the displacement it places on those who were priced out of the only place they could call home. And when someone is forced out of his or her home, you can imagine that they don’t have the best warm and fuzzy feelings for those who are pushing them out.

Gentrification without generosity leads to the bitter spats like those that have flamed up since Rushkoff’s comments on the subject. King reminds us the greatest leaders are servants. I imagine that those who can afford to live now in Park Slope must lead something, in order to afford such a high standard of living. So I encourage them, as well as all people who move into the city, to not just sit behind closed doors in fear, nor to go rushing to your city council to protest the acts of crime in your neighborhood. Instead, fight for affordable housing, volunteer at local churches and civic groups to help the displaced, spend one night a month at your local shelter or job placement center, helping out or teaching. Don’t rewrite the neighborhood you’re moving into, but become a part of it's living story that unfolds. I would love to hear a real estate company encourage this as they try to make a sell, rather than tell you how the kitchen just got new stainless steel appliances. It’s a global village folks, so you better learn how to live with one another, and be thankful you can choose where you want to live.