Gentrification in West Chelsea: Advantages and Costs of Revolutionizing a Neighborhood

Gentrification in West Chelsea neighborhood has revolutionized the area causing a dramatic shift in residents' perceptions of their lives both economically and socially. Even though there exist considerable advantages associated with gentrification, there is still a high cost the residents of West Chelsea should be willing to pay in the course of this development.

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In ancient times, the term gentrification referred to the transition of neighborhoods whose occupants were from low social class, basically the working class, to an upper-class residential. The term gentrification carried a negative connotation usually characterized by poverty, homelessness, and dislocation. One of the globally accepted definitions expresses gentrification as the systematic process of renovating and improving an area through an influx of more affluent residents (Nashed 2018). The history of gentrification in New York City can be traced back from the 1970s after the election of Ed Koch in the Mayoral position. During his reign, Ed Koch spurred the privatization of wealth and allowed for tax incentives to wealthy investors. They were willing to develop high-rises in the city for both corporate offices and extravagant housing (Nashed 2018). Initially, the city was drowned in unethical practices, crime, and indecency. For instance, West Chelsea was an occupancy for immigrants and middle-class households, which had an awful reputation, commonly regarded as a dangerous resident (Nashed 2018). The transition was catalyzed by the High Line, which led to the realization of the current affluent West Chelsea.

The High line has accorded life to West Chelsea after the 1.5 miles elevated linear park been deemed as a tourist attraction (Nashed 2018). The park encapsulates a great sense of culture since it houses plants, artwork, paintings, dances, and music performances. Initially, West Chelsea was marked by an elevated railway that builds to achieve effective and efficient transport of commodities to the meatpacking district. The chief purpose of the development of the railway line was to ease traffic congestion and reduce accidents. The West Chelsea neighborhood has, in no small degree, changed both economically and socially, and the impacts can be felt from the pros and cons of the residents in this area experience.

Gentrification in West Chelsea resulted in economic restructuring, which increased to the productivity of various sectors. Initially, the neighborhood was less competitive, but later new industries emerged, transforming the social, economic, and cultural scope replacing the dominant meat processing industries. The revolution introduced a new line of corporate business in the area, including legal, finance, insurance, and real estate firms (Yoon and Currid-Halkett 2015). This resulted in a demographic change in the businesses which attracted professionals who were perceived to be white-collar workers and categorically grouped among the middle social class. The professionals had to pass strict scrutiny when seeking employment, which demonstrated their capacity to run these businesses and provide a more extensive tax base to the city. Besides, the cultural, creative, and artistic industries flourished and gained recognition at a high note.

West Chelsea has been deemed as the cultural successor of all other neighborhoods in New York following its recent efforts to promote art, including galleries and music. The members of the arts were significantly different from the capitalist service providers since they had a great sense of culture, excellent educational background, and entrepreneurial motives (Yoon and Currid-Halkett, 2015). From the new economic structure, an improved standard of living has been realized, evident from the rise of the upper-class social group. The government has earned reasonably from the business thrive in the West Chelsea neighborhood through taxation. The cultural and artistic nature of the region has qualified to be an upcoming tourist attraction boosting business and revenue generation, not to mention the impact of the High Line.

Gentrification in West Chelsea has left most people without affordable housing and other homeless. This has been impacted by the skyrocketing of the real estate value in the neighborhood, which does not seem to accommodate low-income earners due to increased rent. Some of the well-established businesses have seized following the loss of neighborhood customers due to demographic changes. For instance, some of the old family businesses, which included stores, bodegas were closed down and replaced by international conglomerates and multimillion condos in fashion, and exotic restaurants sectors which seem to conform with the current taste and preferences of the residents in West Chelsea (Navarro 2015).

Gentrification has overwhelmingly impacted negatively to low-income earners due to the inclined standards of living in the neighborhood. Some residents travel to other neighborhoods and uptown for shopping following the high prices in items at Chelsea stores, where some argue that the cost of essential commodities is double the average price. According to Navarro (2015), the cost of marinara sauce in Chelsea is double the price in another neighborhood across the river. Similar to other items like toothpaste, rotisserie chicken, among other products. The change in the standard of living is evident from the national statistics where the current average household income in Chelsea is estimated to be $140,000, which is five times greater than that of the people who occupy the public houses in the same area. Further, research findings outline that the highest income bracket in the region has raised above $250,000 (Navarro 2015).

The high standards of living tend to result in the displacement of low-income earners as well as the creation and exacerbation of poverty. The struggle for affordability has made many, especially the young, realize that the West Chelsea will not accommodate them in the future following the yearly upward trajectory in prices of essential commodities as well as rents. Furthermore, most people think that the neighborhood is unfavorable for young families following the high tuition fees in schools were on an annual average. It is about $40,000 for kindergarten to 12th-grade levels (Gold 2016).

With gentrification, West Chelsea has regained its ethical and moral command following a long period of impunity, which had given the neighborhood an embarrassing reputation to the extent of being referred to as a den of immorality. According to one of the residents who grew up in the neighborhood, West Chelsea had a history of rampant drug-dealing and prostitution, and children could not walk home from school on their own (Navarro 2015). But currently, the place has evolved, security-enhanced and young people are empowered, a move that has resulted in minimal criminal offenses where people walk freely in the parks, use their computers and carry out other activities without fear.

Gentrification changed the cultural standards, wipes away history, and unrecognized the people who built the neighborhood. Change of cultural practices begins with the kind food sold in the current stores after the old businesses closed. Initially, the markets sold traditional foods like groceries, including kales, which were said to be healthier. The existing stores do not recognize this fact and tend to cultivate new standards of normalcy, which impacts culturists walk miles away to seek the food from other neighborhoods (Nararro 2015). The mode of dressing has in a high degree, changed since the realization of gentrification. This follows the interaction of people from diverse communities, which impacts the incorporation of foreign cultures. The chief disadvantage of gentrification in West Chelsea was the elimination of the people who built the neighborhood initially. For instance, removing mom-and-pop coffee shops and replacing them with Starbucks can only be perceived as removing the communities' landmarks and installing corporate branding, which is inappropriate. Besides, historical structures were snatched by the real estate developers considering the boom in the real estate sector, which were then upgraded and modernized to suit the current consumer needs and wants.

West Chelsea improved the infrastructural assets as a result of gentrification. Following the government investment in High Line which cost them $152 million for the first and second phase by the end of 2011 and an expenditure of $90 million in the third phase at the end of 2012 have since been the most appropriate income-generating project in New York (Nashed 2018). The government has improved the state of roads and other social amenities like water provision in the High Line, which have benefited West Chelsea more since it is adjacent to the High Line. Other facilities developed include new schools, training centers, entertainment joints, and markets.

In conclusion, gentrification in West Chelsea tends to conjointly exhibit both pros and cons to the residents in this neighborhood. Gentrification has impacted economic restructuring, which has to incline the government coffers through taxation. It has boosted business as well as improving the infrastructure in the area. However, the chief disadvantages of gentrification have been identified as the struggle of affordability, including housing and essential commodities.

Annotated Bibliography

Nashed, Mirna. 2018. "The Gentrification Of West Chelsea NYCROPOLIS." Eportfolios.Macaulay.Cuny.Edu. https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/vellon18/gentrification/mirnanashed/the-gentrification-of-west-chelsea/.

The article focused on the history of gentrification in West Chelsea in depth. The author elaborated on the piecemeal from the leadership of New York, the High Line, which is perceived as the catalyst for gentrification, funding the process, and the impacts.

Navarro, Mireya. 2015. "In Chelsea, a Great Wealth Divide." The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/25/nyregion/in-chelsea-a-great-wealth-divide.htmlThe article examined the standards of living of the people in West Chelsea and the effect of gentrification on personal lives. The article provides real-time and first-hand information from residents of the neighborhood through interviews. The author incorporates diverse standpoints from different people.

Yoon, Heeyeun, and Elizabeth Currid-Halkett. 2014. "Industrial Gentrification in West Chelsea, New York: Who Survived And Who Did Not? Empirical Evidence from Discrete-Time Survival Analysis". Urban Studies 52 (1): 20-49. doi:10.1177/0042098014536785.

The article focused on the effects of gentrification, emphasizing economic and industrial perspectives. The author gives a clear insight into how gentrification changed the industries and the demographic composition in workplaces. The author tends to lean more on the cultural, creative, and artistic sectors embracement in West Chelsea.

Gold, Daniel. 2016. "Review: 'Class Divide' Shows the Extremes hyper-gentrification creates in a neighborhood." The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/13/movies/review-class-divide-shows-the-extremes-hypergentrification-creates-ina-neighborhood.html

The article introduces the idea of social class and divides as impacted by gentrification. It explains how the upper-class have dominated the neighborhood, excluding the low-income earners due to the rise of the standards of living beyond their reach.

Bibliography

Gold, Daniel. 2016. "Review: 'Class Divide' Shows the Extremes hyper-gentrification creates in a neighborhood." The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/13/movies/review-class-divide-shows-the-extremes-hypergentrification-creates-ina-neighborhood.html

Nashed, Mirna. 2018. "The Gentrification Of...