Walking around in the East Village, one can be sure to see the signs of gentrification that the neighborhood has been going through over the past years. Instead of bodegas, there are trendy cafes selling small sandwiches with coffee for $15. Where affordable housing used to be are tall glass buildings, charging $3000 for a one bedroom apartment.
The newest addition to the already visible signs of gentrification is high-rise boutique hotels, charging $400 per night. These hotels are popping up all around the neighborhood, but in particular around The Bowery. The Bowery used to be a historical street, at first home to flop houses and then home to many artists, authors, and filmmakers. Today, residents are being pushed out by landowners so that they can sell their buildings to hotel developers. According to the Bowery Association Network some of the major developments include the Bowery Hotel at 335 Bowery, the Avalon Bay buildings centered on Houston St., and the New Museum at 235 Bowery. In addition, seven more hotels are being developed on The Bowery. The primary issue is obviously that the long-term residents are being pushed out, but residents are also concerned with the character change that the expensive hotels are bringing.
The poor artists and the people who have to create to have, are always the trendsetters. The fashion industry spies around for the latest trends and the flop houses become hotels. Too bad the people at the bottom never reap the reward for being there when it all began!
It’s nice how you were able to take a post and turn it into a conflict story. Gentrification is always a good, running story.