Facebook Follies of Friends and Families

[Valmy]

Here's a list of things that a person can personally do.

http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/10/9-ways-privileged-gentrification/

Yeah definitely advice for the urban elite.

[derspiess]

What do you guys mean by "soulless"?

[Valmy]

Garbon is right in that gentrified communities tend to be soulless.  I live in one, and it most definitely is. 

New developments are always soulless. It takes time to grow a soul.

Central Texas, with its rapidly expanding populations and new developments, is very soulless. But the soulless developments from the 1970s and 1980s are now positively charming in a surprising way. It will be the same here.

[Malthus]

Calling poor run-down neighborhoods "communities" in the context of opposing that to the cruel soullesness of "gentrified" i.e. not run-down neighbourhoods has to be  one of the most condescending/racist stereotypes around. If I were from such "communities" I would be appaled at the arrogance and condescending attitude of any sheltered idiots coming to my area's defense.  I would probably utilise them to avoid having to relocate/lose my juicy free council flat, but I would despise and hate them inside.

It seems to be a term that is most appropriate where poverty is correlated to such things as race - as it tends to be in the US.

The assumption appears to be that the process involves a wholesale movements of population: "gentry" (mostly White) move in, "the poor" (mostly Black and Latino) move out, forced out by higher rents and taxes. The new population comes from all over, hasn't any roots in the community and often doesn't plan necessarily to stay there (presumably they could move to a similar place in another city to chase a superior job opportunity - like moving to London  ) - hence accusations of 'soul-less-ness' and lack of community spirit.

There is less of a sense that the people who live there are simply getting more wealthy and improving the neighborhood they happen to live in.

The "fixes" proposed in Garbon's link above are, one suspects, rather Band-Aid-like - unlikely to change major demographic shifts, one would think. 

[Valmy]

What do you guys mean by "soulless"?

Chain stores and same-y houses and apartment complexes.

[Valmy]

It seems to be a term that is most appropriate where poverty is correlated to such things as race - as it tends to be in the US.

That is the nice thing about being a middle class slob. We have middle class slobs of all races and ethnicities. We all share a common American quality of being obnoxious and overweight.

[The Brain]

It seems to be a term that is most appropriate where poverty is correlated to such things as race - as it tends to be in the US.

That is the nice thing about being a middle class slob. We have middle class slobs of all races and ethnicities. We all share a common American quality of being obnoxious and overweight.

The typical American is pretty fit. "Joe Sixpack"?

[derspiess]

What do you guys mean by "soulless"?

Chain stores and same-y houses and apartment complexes.

Ah.  Our gentrification in OTR is kind of the opposite of that.  Every eating/drinking establishment is small and local, and if anything the "soul" of the original German community that was originally there is being preserved/restored.

[garbon]

Here's a list of things that a person can personally do.

http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/10/9-ways-privileged-gentrification/

Yeah definitely advice for the urban elite.

Clearly one has to have some means for items 5 and 6 but I don't think you need to be elite. The rest though...

[garbon]

The "fixes" proposed in Garbon's link above are, one suspects, rather Band-Aid-like - unlikely to change major demographic shifts, one would think. 

Which would largely be impossible if not for legislation.

Still not hard to see if you support the current local businesses rather than the new ones trying to come in, those businesses will last longer.

[derspiess]

My favorite is #7.  Yeah, to hell with safety.

[Valmy]

Clearly one has to have some means for items 5 and 6 but I don't think you need to be elite. The rest though...

Besides the demands I not be an asshole the rest assumes I have moved into a gentrified neighborhood and not some new suburb.

[Martinus]

Calling poor run-down neighborhoods "communities" in the context of opposing that to the cruel soullesness of "gentrified" i.e. not run-down neighbourhoods has to be  one of the most condescending/racist stereotypes around. If I were from such "communities" I would be appaled at the arrogance and condescending attitude of any sheltered idiots coming to my area's defense.  I would probably utilise them to avoid having to relocate/lose my juicy free council flat, but I would despise and hate them inside.

It's just another iteration of the "noble savage" myth that various collectivists have been perpetrating at least since Rousseau.

[Malthus]

What do you guys mean by "soulless"?

Chain stores and same-y houses and apartment complexes.

At the upper end, every house and store is filled with character - that just happens to be more or less the same as the "character" demonstrated in similar places located across the continent. 

My favorite example of rural gentrification was a restaurant in Oro-Mentone Township. It was called "The Settlers Ghost" and it was located right nest to a big new golf course and skiing area. It served high-end international type food - all proudly "locally sourced" and "organic". The fun part was the menu and decor, which featured a long description of how the restaurant was intended to "honor the settler families whose passing allowed the creation of this fine restaurant, chalet and golf course" (hence "Settlers Ghost"). The décor was all ye olde time-y farm stuff.

Thing is, this is still a partly rural area, lost of farmers (from settler's families) still live there, and farm. They are being pushed out by tourist facilities of course, but they aren't gone yet. However, they would be very unlikely to eat at a restaurant like this - and I wonder what they would make of being "honored" in that manner! 

[Martinus]

Gentrification rocks.  In the past decade has turned Over-the-Rhine into a fun place full of good restaurants, bars, and four (so far) breweries.  I can take my kids there during the day.  Many, many historic buildings have been saved and it's a place the city can be proud of again.

Sorry, if you like it, it means it must be bad. It's another reason for you to feel bad about yourself as a white middle class heterosexual male. Shame. Shame. Shame.