New York Times is the Catalyst for Gentrification.

Mind Your Business NYT

This morning I woke up to essentially a “glowing” review of the city of Newburgh in Hudson Valley. The article was called Newburgh, NY: Onetime Jewel of the Hudson River. The author talked about the town’s historical architecture + how fairly affordable it is. It also glossed over the fact that years ago a New York Times article basically called that same charming town the murder capital of the world. 

In October I went to Newburgh to visit the Harriet Tubman statue that was going to be temporarily installed in the town. The statue was beautiful and such a beacon for hope in the city. My friend + I went with the intention to see the statue, the town, and possible property opportunities that could benefit the community. I had read the infamous article in the New York Times about the city being extremely dangerous and basically a modern-day Western where shootouts happened frequently. I wanted to see why the properties were so cheap and if the story even had any basis for it. What I ended up finding was the complete opposite.

We met with a woman who I’ll call G for the sake of anonymity who is a Black resident that contributes her time to every committee and board in Newburgh. She essentially voices all the concerns that POC residents have and tries to create programs and events that all can benefit from. One of G’s concerns is the new influx of out of towners who are snatching up townhomes for next to nothing. She said she would love for there to be more people moving into the city, but the kinds of people who are moving into the city to restore the historical buildings have no interest in the city or the current people who have lived there for decades—basically gentrifiers.

We found there to be lots of abandoned Victorian houses and row homes that would cost upward of 1 to 2 million dollars in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens being sold for a tenth of that price. The main street Broadway had many empty storefronts and some folks just standing out front of said buildings. There were a couple of new boutiques and a Hipster-esque coffee shop, but that was about it. The town looked as though it has been waiting to be revitalized and for economic opportunities to make the main street come alive again. Newburgh was a historically Black city in the early 1900s and was a flourishing one at that. Mismanagement of funds, uprooting of Black residents, waterfront revitalization for White residents and so much more have made this one-time amazing city become lackluster, increased with some crime, and poverty. 

Articles such as the one that was featured in NYT do a disservice to current residents and to potential buyers. It tries to package marginalized and underserved communities as shiny new frontiers for those looking to purchase. It never delves deep into any underlying problems that those communities face. I was so enraged by this that I had to post a comment to the article (which by the way was never added because perhaps what I said hit the nerve of the moderator?). 

I think we need to keep publications like this in check and accountable for the kinds of articles they publish that encourage gentrification. Even if it’s keeping them in check in the comment section of the article. Words go far for both sides. For those pushing the gentrification agenda + for those opposed to it.