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leads to the displacement of the long-term residents who are, more often than not, on a
lower socioeconomic level. This inquiry will question whether or not gentrification is an
inherent evil, how the displacement of long term residents can be combatted, how the
markets of illicit substances are affected, and the positive effects that it takes on housing
ethnographic studies, interviews of both the residents affected and the developers taking
uptown. The long-standing neighborhood has been a central hub of the arts community
and local music. In 2014 Plaza Midwood was named one of the best neighborhoods to
live in in America by Money Magazine. The social climate of Plaza Midwood has had a
significant change since being reported on by Money Magazine. Money uses the
neighborhoods affordable housing and the local restaurants as examples of what makes
the neighborhood so great. The article also discusses the many public events, such as
concerts, that take place in the neighborhood and draw the community together.
Many of Charlottes new, young, banking professionals have began to move into
the neighborhood and developers began to buy land in the neighborhood to build high-
end luxury apartments. While the influx of affluent residents are raising the property
value of the neighborhood many of the long-term residents and artists are being pushed
out of the neighborhood that was a home and safe space to many underprivileged people.
Many of the new residents seek to live in a community based around the arts, however
the raising of property value is pushing out all of the residents who made the community
what it is. An arts community, which artists cannot afford, is no arts community, but
nationally known recording studio, several affordable music venues, and many other
various businesses that have been there for as long as most can remember. Today, Plaza
Midwood is at the peak of the mix of affluent and lower income residents. Most long-
term residents still reside in the neighborhood but are constantly reminded by the
looming threat that they can be kicked out of the neighborhood at any moment. Michael
Ridenhour, a member of the local music community and previous resident of Plaza
Midwood, spoke about his experiences with what has happened in the neighborhood. I
was gentrified out of the neighborhood, says Michael who was forced to move into the
Phillip Gripper, a long time Plaza Midwood resident and member of the music
community, lived in a house known as RAD-1 on Kennon Street in Plaza Midwood. Phil
and his roommate, Montre, lived in RAD-1 from 2010 until early 2017. In their seven-
year run as a house they helped build a tight-knit community with the families of the
residents in the area. When Phil and Montre moved into the neighborhood in 2010 they
threw a large block party with all required city permits to block the street for the event.
The block party was meant to establish a closer community with long-time residents, as
well as taking donations for charities they believe in. The charitable funds they gathered
went to both Locks of Love and to give underprivileged children in the area bicycles.
During the early years of RAD-1 Phil would help the community by working on, fixing,
As time went on many of the residents who have lived there since the 1960s were
having a harder time affording the growing cost of living in the area. As the new
members moved into the community, Phil noticed a particular trend in how the
developers and landlords would work on the houses in preparation to sell. The house
across the street from them was what was known as a Liquor House, meaning it was a
house where one could purchase liquor after 2 a.m. and hosted underground gambling
rings. When the residents of the liquor house moved out the landlord fixed up the house
by making sure everything was up to code, even though it was the absolutely bare
minimum. Phil saw first hand a house with the rent of $600 a month rise to being sold for
Phil saw this happen to every house on his street and while he didnt like the
change he made an effort to reestablish the same feeling of community with the new
residents. Phil developed a personal friendship with the contractor in charge of the
streets change, Ed. Ed and Phil would often talk whenever the saw each other in various
friend. Around the time of the incoming developments Phils landlord told him that he
and Montre were the best tenants the landlord dealt with. However, come 2017, Phils
landlord contacted him to tell him that he and Montre needed to move out soon, Phil
knew this was because of the new revitalization of the neighborhood. Phil and Montre
were forced to leave their home of seven years that founded a community that cared for
each other to move into the neighborhood of Grier Heights. Not too long after the two
roommates moved into their new home Phil ran into Ed, the contractor, again. While
having a casual conversation with someone Phil once saw as a friend Phil mentioned how
he witnessed a community he built fall apart while losing his own home. Ed, without
displaying any sign of sympathy, told Phil Well, thats progress. While talking about
his last encounter with Ed, Phils face became increasingly stoic before he looked up and
Kennon Street, which was once a welcoming and caring community filled with
hard working people, had become a cash grab for developers to buy low and sell for a
high profit. All the old residents who had lived and owned the houses, for decades, had to
leave because of the contractors desire to take advantage of the economic boom in the
housing market. Phil saw first hand the decline of the community he cared for deeply and
built. When analyzing his last interaction with Ed, Phil passionately stated Progress is
not putting hard working people out of their home so people with money can live there,
Sadly the phenomenon that Phil experienced is not an isolated event, these events
also transpired in the Cherry neighborhood also in Charlotte. The Cherry community was
significantly in recent years. Now, residents in the Cherry neighborhood are threatened
community of Cherry was the oldest historic black neighborhood in Charlotte, and now
its history is threatened by the economic boom in the housing market. Since developers
tightened their grip on the neighborhood the average price for a home raised from
$200,000 to $600,000. As well as an eleven percent drop of the black population from 66
percent to 55 percent in just ten years, making Charlottes most historic black
neighborhood lose its cultural value (Dorsey, Sherrel, Charlottes Oldest Black
pitting working-class individuals against affluent ones: its important to ask the question,
is there a way to benefit both sides? Maureen Kennedy and Paul Leonard discuss social
Primer on Gentrification and Policy Changes. Kennedy and Leonard discuss the three
types of practices that social preservationists use: Symbolic, Political, and Private.
Communities and social preservationists will use symbolic practices through mediums
such as visual art, festivals, and theater to link the community identity to the original
residents. The purposes of the symbolic practices in social preservation are to preserve
the authenticity of the neighborhoods and perpetuate the association of the neighborhood
in reference to the original residents (Kennedy, Maureen and Leonard, Paul, Dealing
With Neighborhood Change, Chapter 4). To slow the gentrification process social
preservationists will use the political strategy in the shape of committees and civic
organizations. The organizations will plan protests to spark a political discourse about
gentrification; however, these organizations must keep in mind to avoid any form of
participation that will affect the long-term residents displacement in a negative way
(Kennedy, Maureen and Leonard, Paul). The private strategy includes supporting long-
term residents local businesses, as well resisting the sale of property for profit (Kennedy,
outline how all members of a community can take action against what could become a
potential threat against developers. The actions the members of these communities took
came in the form of political activism, art, and support of local businesses.
on affordable housing through the symbolic practices of plays and art display made to
pay homage to the long-term residents. The social preservationists of Provincetown will
2004 the community residents, with the help of social preservationists, lobbied for the
Community Preservation Act. The Community Preservation Act did pass which added a
3% tax on real estate sales; the tax is placed into a fund for affordable housing and
historic preservation. 80% of the fund goes into the affordable housing (Kennedy,
The town of Argyle, which is in the early stages of gentrification, has many
speak on the behalf of the long-term residents, rather than creating a platform for the
employs the private strategy through daily neighborhood interaction and the local
community businesses (Kennedy, Maureen and Leonard, Paul). The town of Dresden
consciously avoid certain political act. According to Nina Eliasoph, Political Abstinence
is rooted in a sense of political powerlessness rather than apathy to the issue. The social
preservationists will abstain from certain votes, committees, and social commentary to
The strategies implemented in the four towns discussed by Kennedy and Leonard
can both be perpetuated in and used in many communities. As for Plaza Midwood, many
of the residents use all three of Kennedy and Leonards strategies. Most of the arts
community often speaks out against the rising threat of gentrification through the medium
of visual art, music, and informational films. Many of the popular local bands will use
implemented have been long-standing in the community. Many members often attend
city council meetings to voice their concern against losing their, and others, homes.
Several community members are activists in the fight against gentrification, as well as the
also places a firm importance on supporting the local businesses of minorities. Not too
long ago an individual from the neighborhood made a point to inform the community of a
new Ethiopian restaurant. The community then made a point of going to this restaurant
often to make sure the immigrants who owned and operate it will stay in business and
consequences of those who are not involved with the buying and selling of property.
a tax that will help fund affordable housing would have helped the people of Kennon
Street, like Phillip Gripper, stay in their homes. The idea of the tax would have also
helped the historic Cherry neighborhood, rather than displacing working-class families
who have lived in these neighborhoods for generations. Though gentrification is good for
the economy of a municipality, is the profit worth threatening hard working individuals
livelihood? These people are pushed to more crime-ridden areas, such as Michael
Ridenhour who was forced into moving into West Charlotte. Kennedy and Leonards
defined strategies and how they were implemented could work in every community faced
with the threat of gentrification. If community members stand up the same way many of
the Plaza Midwood residents have then the polarization of the neighborhood would be