gentrification

Hell’s Kitchen, New York’s Most Eccentric Neighborhood, Is Another Victim of Overdevelopment

David Barwinski

Hell’s Kitchen, circa 2000, was perhaps the quintessential New York neighborhood.  It lacked the pristineness of the Upper East Side, the stroller barrage of the Upper West Side, the fratiness of Murray Hill, the socioeconomic gap of Chelsea, and the tourist hordes of the Village. More than 10 years later, things have changed.  And its story is New York’s story.       

New York's Ever-Changing Character: Creating a New City Experience

Carol Berens

New York City today can shock those who remember the 1970s or 80s, or even the early 2000s. Viewed as a crime-laden center, it now boasts swaths of green and corner cafés. Several decades ago, the difference between suburbs and cities was stark. Suburbs had fancy shopping malls and were perceived as clean and safe; cities, slathered with graffiti, were dangerous. The flight of the middle class from New York, as well as many urban centers, was staunched. Today, parks ring the waterfronts, bike paths parallel auto lanes, and Whole Foods and Sephora nestle in every neighborhood. After complaining about dirt and crime for so long, are we really ready for the “suburban city”?

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