
Boston is no stranger to Luxury Development and Gentrification. I am not an expert on the full history or current statistics but I am going to speak to what I see happening around me to myself and my friends.
In my opinion, working class people, people of color, artists, musicians, and alike are all under attack! The leaders of this attack are Mayor Marty Walsh, the Boston Development and Planning Agency, the Boston Zoning Board of Appeals, the Luxury Developers, and a whole host of self serving “upwardly mobile” who care nothing for what makes Boston great, and only for how they can benefit from it.
I’ve lived in Jamaica Plain since 2000. I have loved this neighborhood because of it’s amazing diversity of cultures and economic strata, the mom and pop shops, the artists, musicians, grass roots organizers, non-profits, and the overall non homogeneous melting pot of people. I’ve watched gentrification creep in slowly over the years, and then spike up in an uncontrollable speed in the past 2 years. A Whole Foods Market moving into Hyde Square was basically the introductory death-knell of this neighborhood.
Age old question: Why live in a neighborhood if all you can do is live there?
Why am I speaking out now? Because my block of JP is on fire and we need a bucket brigade of support to help keep what makes JP great from being wiped out!
3371-3375 Washington St./197-201 Green St: City Realty wants to build a massive Luxury Complex around Mordechai’s building (above) and will be kicking out El Embajador Dominican Restaurant, and De Chain Auto Service to do so. Read More
**Full disclosure, this is my legal suit
Keep It 100 Egleston – They work tirelessly to keep housing affordable in Roxbury and JP.
Keep your eyes open people – its not just in JP; it’s in Cambridge, Somerville, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Chelsea, basically everywhere around here. Get involved!!!
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Big Shout Out to Boston Hassle – Doing more to keep underground non-commercial arts and community thriving in our fair cities.
Much love and respect ~ Jonah
http://www.cambridgeday.com/20