One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and one man’s progress can be another man’s downfall. Gentrification can benefit some people, but for others, it can be a life-changing calamity that forces them to uproot from neighborhoods they may have lived in for generations. Some people on Reddit have shared signs of what to look for when neighborhoods start gentrifying, and some of them have even highlighted why some of these changes can be so problematic.
Have you seen any of these signs in your neighborhood? Also – perhaps more importantly – would you consider yourself a beneficiary or a victim of these changes?
#21
A lot of this is spearheaded by property developers/home flippers looking at analytics to find the next neighborhood to invest in.
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9points
#22
You know a place is being gentrified when a lot more artists move in. Artists first go somewhere for cheap prices and then make it 'interesting' to richer people. We then — usually accidentally — attract monied people who want to either be associated with us or exploit us, and then, the dive bars flourish. Then, you start seeing artisanal coffee spots. From there, you give it five years.
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#23
If an area is headed for gentrification, people who don’t have children start moving in. Artists, musicians, writers. College students. Restaurants, especially trendy restaurants. Galleries and music venues. Bookstores. Coffee houses. All the kinds of places young hipsters like. Housing stock that is neglected but can be restored. Young people living in a cooperative.
8points
#24
Recovering planner here.
In the background, people look for parcels that are worth more than the improvements. If there are a lot of them in an area - especially an area with amenities and good transport bones, it is a good candidate.
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7points
#25
I've worked in Civic Center SF since 2003, so I've seen its evolution for the past 19 years. This place went from a total wasteland to one of the most busiest locations in the City. The first thing they did right when Twitter moved in? They started razing all the cheap hole in the wall restaurants and parking lots for shiny new apartment buildings.
Basically expect any old ma and pa businesses and parking lots to be the first to go.
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7points
#26
I experienced this in Atlanta through the full process. I moved into a neighborhood that was mostly elderly residents who have probably lived there 20+ years. The house I bought needed repair, but this was in 2011, so the price was manageable. The first sign of things changing was an increase in racist judgemental posts on Nextdoor that were like, 'Sketchy AA male acting weird and walking in the street.' When I moved in, my neighbors were extremely friendly and let us know some of the characters in the area, like 'Watch out for the guy who tries to get you to drive him to Auto Zone then try to scam you for cash-type stuff. Then a new development went up down the street (my street was half in a nice city zone and half in the incorporated county). This is what really started the process. Another development went up a year or so later.
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6points
#28
Look at transit changes - road changes, public transit changes, etc.
Look at plans for new parks that didn’t exist prior.
Look at permits for major developments - house redevelopments, new condos, etc.
San Francisco has a map of permits, both at application level and approved level
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4points
#29
One thing that has stood out is a new trendy name that has come out of nowhere. We live in 'insert name,' and it’s been called that forever. Uhhh, no it hasn’t!. Exactly! We actually have a new area deemed SODO. I asked someone once about all of the names, and I almost lost it and laughed in their face. They asked how would you know where to go if you had to meet someone somewhere or go to their house. I held it together, but I’m sure my face gave it away. I don’t even think I responded to that.
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4points
#30
Big demographic shifts. Not just the people of the neighborhood, but the local businesses as well.
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3points
