Gentrification in Columbia Heights

Urban neighborhoods are being renewed across the country at the cost of the people living within them.

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Nonprofits & Activism

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[lealalley]

Another whiney tirade against evil white gentrifiers by some equally white suburbanite.

[urellbudz]

Thank you for your comment. I appreciate very much what you are saying as I play a role every day in the gentrification that is going on in the city of D.C. I would encourage you to take a second look, however, and consider how D.C. has primarily been populated by African Americans for the past couple of decades and now suddenly upper class (mostly white people) are interested in city living again and a lot of people are being forced out that have lived their for years.

[miguellisman]

More than half of those images are of U Street and Adams Morgan neighborhoods - two adjacent but very different neighborhoods. The gentrification dynammics there are quite different than what is happening in Columbia Heights.

[urellbudz]

Thank you for the comment. I did this for a school project and unfortunately the footage my team members gave me wasn't exactly "accurate" in terms of geography. I would love to hear your insights into how gentrification is different in the areas you mentioned as compared to Columbia Heights.

[shaihuludx]

Is it not okay to be critical of an important social phenomenon, regardless of one's race? I live in columbia heights. I am white. I am not a 'suburbanite'. I am the victim of racial slurs and threats of violence on an almost daily basis. It's not fun, but i understand peoples' frustration. Now tell me - do I support gentrification? point: it's not that fucking simple. There are pros and cons to any social movement such as this. Does a person's race really discredit everything they have to say?

[ProgressiveAction10]

gentrifiers = people with jobs who raise their children and make positive contributions to society.

[JoeyCrackization]

@shaihuludx Maybe it's you or I believe you are lying. I live in Columbia Heights play basketball walk the neighborhood, I've never heard a racial slur, not once and I am white as day.

[KatieinaLull]

the interesting thing about gentrification is that, in the united states, race and class are inextricably intertwined. it is possible to be white and not a gentrifier by working with current residents and contributing positively to the neighborhood and supporting local businesses rather than the corporations that seek to profit from hipsters, etc, but from an outsider looking in, any white person in a changing neighborhood is a gentrifier.

[scheme007]

This doesn't have to do with the fact that your white! The fact is that the people who live in the neighborhood now, and who live in these run down buildings aren't even being considered by these re-developers. Why is that? Everything around them is new! Condos, restaurants, cafe shops, mall, parking lots and what about these buildings where people are barely making the minimum wage? How come those buildings aren't being re-constructed or re-developed? Why? is it to push them out? I think so!

[shaihuludx]

Just a few facts: My best friend is black. I am also poor as shit at the moment. I bust my ass doing manual labor (I drive a pedicab) everyday to live in the neighborhood. Am I still a gentrifier? probably - but sometimes i don't really feel like it...

[scheme007]

When I can down from NY in 98', there were no white people living in this neighborhood. Now, i've recently visited Columbia Heights and what i've noticed is, that there are many luxury condos but, one block away you have run down buildings on Park Road and 14th street. What is that all about? Plus, all i notice is white people hanging out with other with white people in these outdoor restaurants that are priced to keep out the working class, which are Latinos and blacks of that neighborhood!

[sluggosluggosluggo]

Why do I suspect the author of this racist screed complaining about white people moving in is himself white?

[ChachiTelevision1979]

Hey look! At 4:02, it's Secred Heart!

[ChachiTelevision1979]

It's pretty incredible. Even places like BusBoys and Poets on 14 St are against the gentrification of the area, but wouldn't exist there without gentrification. The whole idea is infested with contradiction.