Sara Brody at The Bold Italic writes an interesting essay on gentrification.
What worries me more is when I hear natives and longtime residents talking about moving somewhere else because they feel the city has somehow changed irreparably. It hasn’t. A community that petitions to rename the Bay Bridge the Emperor Norton Bay Bridge is one remarkably in touch with its history, and I see traces of each San Francisco “phase” wherever I go, whether it’s the Barbary Coast, the Summer of Love, the Castro in its heyday, or countless others. We’re not “losing” our city; rather, we’re piling new things atop the old, as we always have.
If my parents owned a house in Cole Valley, I probably wouldn’t worry too much about my financial future.
But yes, to the point, gentrification brings at least as many pluses as minuses. Lower crime, safer streets, nicer homes, better restaurants and an uplifting feel to the neighborhood.
Sarah Brody really captures how I think most SF natives feel. As a San Franciscan who is blessed to still reside in the city can relate…great essay that every San Franciscan should read and appreciate. Thank you Sarah
Sarah