Lower East Side Gentrification Essay

The Lower East Side is one of the oldest and culturally rich neighborhood of New York City. In this neighborhood, the streets are decorated with unique boutiques, a thriving arts scene, and an overall bohemian energy all while being steps away from some of the major attractions that draw tourists to New York City in the first place. The Lower East Side didn’t always use to be like this, however. Over the decades, it has transformed itself from a lower working-class neighborhood into a trendy area with hip boutiques and a bustling arts scene. For some, this gentrification over time is a positive change for the neighborhood. For others, the gentrification has had a negative effect including loss of culture, businesses, and people. In the Lower East Side, Orchard Street Hotel, Extra Butter, and Round Two New York are local businesses that all show the effects of gentrification.
To begin, the Orchard Street Hotel is located at 163 Orchard Street in the Lower East Side. The goal of the hotel is to provide “stylish rooms with unmatched service at an affordable price point.” They also take pride in the fact that they are just a few blocks away from shopping on Broadway in SoHo or a quick subway ride away from the Empire State Building and Times Square. I had
Located at 125 Orchard Street, this up and coming fashion/sneaker store is anything but ordinary. The goal of the store is to provide customers with a shopping experience like no other. This experience centers around a movie theater theme including velvet curtains, a concession stand, reclining seats, and even movie screenings weekly. This store is a prime example of gentrification within the Lower East Side (although when asking employees, they didn’t even know what gentrification meant). The store provides expensive, up and coming styles that are priced to be affordable for someone with an upper-class check