Fort Greene Brooklyn

            The term gentrification hit me soon after moving to New York. I had moved into the financial district dorms at New School University. My new area was safe and clean but lacked culture, nightlife, the arts and a super market. I made my way to Williamsburg each weekend to visit friends. The area suited my interests aesthetically, socially and mentally. So that brings me back to gentrification. .
             I was raised in the city of Philadelphia, smack dab in the center. Center City is relatively small in comparison to New York. There are a plethora of high rises, all amenities, museums, galleries, cultural institutions, recreation and historical landmarks. Philadelphia's history is similar to many east coast industrial cities. With the aid of former Mayor Ed Randell, Center city has morphed into cultural capital. The gentrification I witnessed seemed to be developed by local universities for new buildings or dorms. However, the increase in higher education seemed to out weigh the idea people's home were being taken away. Or at least, I don't recall the word being thrown around the media as it is displayed in New York. .
             Last semester I took a course, Cites, Culture and the Arts. Our final project was in depths look into a Cultural District. At first I thought of doing Williamsburg, but Fort Greene offered more. My focus was the Brooklyn Academy of Music and how it had been and still is transforming the relative neighborhood. .
             My preconceived notions about Fort Greene were no less than stereotypical. I thought, an area being gentrified well that means there must be a minority population, with a lack of cultural resources, 99-cent stores, and liquor stores. I have learned. "Primarily a residential neighborhood, Fort Greene has been known for its racial and social class diversity since the 1840s. Two important characteristics differentiate it from other diverse urban neighborhoods. First, although Fort Greene shifted from mostly White to predominantly Black during its long history, its property values have increased and it has maintained a significant White population, currently about 15 percent.