How Black Gentrifiers Have Affected the Perception of Chicago's Changing Neighborhoods

Bronzeville Row Houses - Laura Chipps

How Black Gentrifiers Have Affected the Perception of Chicago's Changing Neighborhoods

Another wrinkle in the idea of gentrification. If any Black communities were to ever change and gentrify my only hope is that it's Blacks who are driving it. That's what this article from The Atlantic Cities seeks to argue.

The look at the case of Bronzeville (aka The Black Metropolis). It seems that even though the area has largely changed for the better in recent years. Still even then the area can't remove the stigma of the housing projects most of which have been torn down in the area, especially the ones along the State Street corridor.

Still it seems it's an entirely new thing to see that Blacks gentrifying urban neighborhoods is considered a new phenomenon. It's unheard of and it seems gentrification depends upon your race. Of course this depends upon who you talk to. In that vein this article we see a comparison between Bronzeville and Pilsen.

In any case we have talked about gentrification here on this blog. We have added the terms of South Looped or even Hyde Parked to the vocabulary here. Granted those terms haven't been used here in years!

Still, let's take this discussion further South. There is an interest to attract those same residents who are attracted to Bronzeville to this part of town as well. We want them to buy a home in Chatham for example. We also hope they might bring some of their amenities with them as well!

Would our part of town be burdened by the same issues that has burdened Bronzeville?