There Goes the Hood: Views of Gentrification from the Ground Up Book

This was an assigned text for a class I took on urban education, and takes a close look at gentrification in two NYC neighborhoods, Harlem and Clinton Hill. I currently live in the latter, and it certainly was unsettling to see my apartment (and the coffee shop across the street) not only mentioned as an example of neighborhood change, but pictured! But, one of Freeman's central arguments is that gentrification is not either all negative or all positive--some changes can be good for all residents, both new and "indigenous," such as increased amenities and police protection, while other changes can be bad, as is the case when indigenous residents are priced out. Freeman does a nice job of incorporating into his analysis perspectives from many different kinds of residents in both neighborhoods. On the whole, this is a worthwhile book for anyone who interested in urban spaces and renewal, and in the policies that shape who lives where.