Gentrification
They Came for the Neighborhood
Although the long-term impact of the ongoing pandemic upon cities remains uncertain, one reality remains constant: housing costs continue to tick upward in desirable urban areas. This raises the twin specters of gentrification and displacement. The causes and connections of these processes have been hotly discussed and debated over the past several decades in both…
Greetings from Asbury Park
A review of Gentrification Down the Shore — a new book exploring a changing Asbury Park, New Jersey, an epicenter of creative and LBGTQ communities on the Jersey Shore.
Fall Writing Projects
The fall brings several new writing projects, including contributing to a digital non-profit and serving as a book critic.
A Different Spread
Wealthy New Yorkers fleeing COVID-19 set off a chain reaction of displacement and cultural loss in rural New York and other regions. Artists and the creative class might receive blame for the dramatic changes in their communities. However, artists seldom win in stories of gentrification.
My Fordham Conversation Continues
Discussing the contours of Jersey City history and politics isn’t easy. In fact, Robin Shannon’s and my extended sit-down for Fordham Conversations, a weekly program on WFUV (90.7 FM), resulted in two full episodes. You can hear Part 2 here.
My Fordham Conversation: Part 1
Recently, Robin Shannon invited me to join her on Fordham Conversations, a weekly program on WFUV (90.7 FM). We chatted about Jersey City, artists, regional history, gentrification, and my book, Left Bank of the Hudson.
Keeping Cities Weird
Recently, I visited “To Fast to Live, Too Young to Die,” an exhibit showcasing the graphic art of the early punk scenes in New York and London, at the Museum of Art and Design. The exhibit captured a raw, wild creative moment in New York.
Yes, People Live in Lofts
When discussing my book, Left Bank of the Hudson: Jersey City and the Artists of 111 1st Street, at a public event or even among a handful of people, a fundamental question invariably arises: what might be done to retain–or better yet, draw–artists to a city undergoing development and gentrification?
We Need Some Milk
2019 is starting right! We Need Some Milk, a podcast jointly based in Boston and Jersey City and focusing on urban issues and politics, invited me to appear on its first 2019 episode. A real honor.
Little City Books: An Evening in Hoboken
On the evening of April 4, 2018, Little City Books in Hoboken, New Jersey invited me to talk about my book, Left Bank of the Hudson (Fordham University Press), and its larger themes of artists, cities, and gentrification. DJ Trouble from WFMU (91.1FM) served as a sharp and engaging moderator for the event. (Fun fact:…