Gentrification is a transformation of the community, which usually means diversity and prosperity in the community but it also forces some low-income original residents out of the community where they live. But is gentrification a sign of cultural loss in the community? In my opinion, gentrification is a good thing. It represents the renovation of old communities, the rapid development of the community economy, and more diverse residents.

First of all, New York City’s Harlem has always been a black community, an incubator of black culture and the birthplace of jazz, and a breeding ground for great literary talent. The gentrification of Harlem added some new life to this old community. For example, the gentrification makes Harlem have more job opportunities, according to the article “Have we lost Harlem?” Says that “The real benefit, however, is jobs. There are between 300 and400 jobs supplied by Harlem USA and those jobs, for the most part, went to residents of the upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone.” This quote shows that Harlem has more job opportunities, which can help more people find jobs more easily. Of course, gentrification in Harlem doesn’t just increase job opportunities; it can also help businesses cope with stress.” having greater choices is a good thing. It creates competition. Smaller businesses are put under some strain, but at the end of the day, choice is the better alternative. UMEZ has also extended low-interest loans to African American and Latino businesses.” In other words, it means that low-interest loans can help some small businesses in Harlem to stay in business without forcing them to close or leave because of high rents, and in this way, it can boostHarlem’s economy.

Secondly, Gentrification has also renovated some of Harlem’s historic buildings and added new ones with a strong artistic flavor. A church renovated from a casino stands out. According to “Walk Through Harlem New York most storied Neighborhood” as we can see a picture of a colorful building with a huge white cross on it, this is The Greater RefugeTemple. The article shows “Formerly the Harlem Casino, revamped during the ’60s with swooping white curves and domes and a multicolored facade by Costas Machlouzarides.”This means that Harlem’s transformation has transformed a casino into an artistic church, and the colorful churches give Harlem a different aesthetic. The prosperity of the community attracted more residents. In the article “Have we lost Harlem?” says that “according to data from Clarita’s Incorporated. This data also shows that Harlem’s African American population declined 7.5% between 1990 and 2002, while there was an increase of Hispanics, whites, and other ethnicities by 22.3%, 9.3%, and 68.5%, respectively.” This speaks to the fact that Harlem has changed to attract more residents, which makes Harlem more diverse than it is a purely black community.

Finally, the development of Harlem drove the economy of New York and made many families wealthy. With the development of a city, many new industries will inevitably appear, which is accompanied by more opportunities. At the same time, the real estate industry in Harlem will develop rapidly, and families who own real estate in Harlem will become wealthy people. So many families can find their future in the new Harlem. The article “HaveWe Lost Harlem?” shows that “starting at $500000 to $70000, two- and four-story dwellings have already sold for as much as $1.3 million.” The author’s article surface, houses located in Harlem also became rare as Harlem flourished, expensive. This allows many people who seize the opportunity to obtain a considerable fortune. So Harlem’s development is beneficial to New York, and it also creates opportunities for more people.

There are some people who believe that Gentrification has brought unprecedented prosperity and diversity to Harlem, but it has led some to believe that gentrification is an acultural loss to Harlem. The article says that “Shuler watches this new wave of migration…will never have the same sentiment as old-school Harlemites; the same feeling of community.” He believes that the gentrification made Harlem’s history has been erased and that the new residents do not care about the loss of Harlem’s history and culture, which is a manifestation of the loss of Harlem’s culture. While it is not true, The gentrification of Harlem does not erase the original history and culture of Harlem but is the manifestation of the Renaissance of Harlem. The article “A Walk Through Harlem, New York’s most storied Neighborhood” shows a picture of an old church, it says “The architecture of St.Philip’s is the opposite of radical — it’s a solid, plain neo-Gothic building. But for architects of color at the turn of the century, I suspect the radicality was simply proving that Blackarchitects were just as good as their white counterparts at delivering a neo-Gothic church. ” In other words, it shows that gentrification did not destroy the historic buildings of Harlem, but preserved them. It was a preservation of Harlem culture to let more people know about Harlem culture.

All in all, Gentrification brought unprecedented prosperity to Harlem, new artistic buildings, and more employment opportunities, bringing more people into Harlem and filling it with diversity, and the preservation of Harlem’s historic buildings enables people to get to know Harlem’s long history and culture.