Capturing Communities in Words and Images:

A Community in Transition

Red Hook Brooklyn, named for the red clay it was built upon and the Dutch word Hoek, meaning “point” or “corner,” juts out upon the East River. It is the only part of New York City that has a full frontal view of the Statue of Liberty from land. Like the statue, it has welcomed generations of immigrants throughout the history of this great city.

Recently, a new wave of travelers have been setting upon the land, but unlike the past settlers, they are not immigrants.  Like many New York City urban neighborhoods, Red Hook is experiencing an onset of gentrification. Gentrification is a word that’s thrown around frequently in this time, but what does it mean? According to the dictionary, it is defined as the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents.

My project seeks to capture the metamorphosis of this community, in real time, as the old and the new meet head on. What does this actually mean to those who have spent their lives there, and those who now go there to build their lives? I hope to capture in images and words both the stark contrasts, and the inevitable blending that has always shaped the New Amsterdam landscape.

55 thoughts on “A Community in Transition”

  1. It is important to do deep research into the community. For example, is there an official or “semi-official” local historian? Is there a local librarian who has archives? What institutions have been there for decades (churches? schools?)What industries–factories etc. used to be in the neighborhood and what is the current composition of industry?

    The challenge in your project is to go beneath the surface –you want more than the contrast of old vs. new. You want to unearth the changes, even the more subtle ones.

  2. This idea is terrific. But it seems a bit broad as of now. I think once you start you investigation, you’ll probably find yourself interested in particular people–mainly those in building A, or those on street B. From a narrower example you could really elaborate on deeper trends that are representative of the larger community.

  3. I definitely like your idea. It promises a lot of great photographs. I think professor Bernstein’s advice is great and I also agree with Susi.

    It seems that you identify your community more by location than people. Is that right? Because old people and new people may not form one community on other basis. As I’ve noticed with such areas (I have seen similar projects done in other neighborhoods around the city) the new wave does not always get involved in the location right away – they tend to be young professionals who maybe chose the place for price or proximity to work, but are not yet interested in the personality of the location.

    If you are creating your community around the geographical aspect, you might want to learn more about specifically what role does this particular location play in the lives of your subjects, both old and new. This will definitely connect to the history of the place for the old, and would be interesting to learn what brought there the new.

    I am looking forward to learning more from you! 🙂

  4. This is an interesting topic to me because I see it happening to some degree in my neighborhood. Maybe you could find someone who was displaced by this new shift in the neighborhood. You could look at how the rent of the various apartments have increased and how the people themselves have changed. You could even find out why exactly these new “settlers” choose Red Hook as there home.

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