History of Gentrification in Downtown Brooklyn (1950-1970)

Many Brooklyn neighborhoods have faced a similar fate to Williamsburg, one being the neighborhood of Downtown Brooklyn. 

Downtown Brooklyn faced significant change during the 1950s. The neighborhood was feeling the effects of post-World War II, many major cities such as New York experienced urban decay. Brooklyn was one of the areas to feel the impacts of this, and was no longer thriving as a commercial district. Downtown Brooklyn experienced a decline as “industry migrated to the suburds” and white residents followed, “leaving depopulated and decaying neighborhoods in their wake.” (pg 9) African American migrants, looking to escape Jim Crow and find jobs, were shut out of the suburbs, and instead, along with many Puerto Rican migrants, they replaced the white residents that had left. (Osman 10) The demographic neighborhood had shifted completely, and Downtown Brooklyn became a diverse area, with a mix of immigrants, working class residents, and communities of color, allowing for bustling streets full of culture.

However, over the years, Downtown Brooklyn faced many challenges. Urban renewal projects began to pop up across the United States in the 1950s, as an attempt to revitalize urban areas that were left decaying. (Osman 8) These initiatives focused on clearing up slums, redeveloping existing land for new uses, and developing infrastructure such as highways. Although these projects were aimed at revitalizing the neighborhood, thousands of residents were displaced and the culture was lost.

Projects like the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway had major effects on Downtown Brooklyn during the time. Built between the 1930s and 1960s, it passes through many areas of Brooklyn and Queens, and played a major role in improving transportation between the boroughs for people and for businesses. While the construction of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway may have aided in many ways, including for economic development, it also had many other implications for the neighborhood.

In Downtown Brooklyn, the BQE physically divided the neighborhood, and left parts of it isolated. The highway created barriers that make it more challenging for residents to access certain services. In addition to this, it had many environmental effects on the neighborhood that we still experience now, including “poor air quality, visual blight, noise pollution” (NYC Council). This project further disrupted the area and displaced residents, which contributed to the decline of the neighborhood. 

Gentrification’s roots have been planted in Downtown Brooklyn, as more urban renewal initiatives were planned to continue the revitalization of the area. The city’s plans of reconstructing the area encouraged many transformations in the neighborhood, including the demographic makeup of the community and the culture of it. Due to its proximity to Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn attracted many artists and students throughout the 1960s. This caused rental costs to increase significantly leading into the 1970s and many local residents and local businesses eventually could no longer afford to live in Downtown Brooklyn. While trying to improve on Downtown Brooklyn, it also caused the displacement of many longtime residents in the community, ultimately leading to more issues for them, as they would not get to experience these improvements.