or am I doomed to suburban hell lmao some context I am in tech
Your choices are
- pay huge rent to live around other techbros
- pay less rent in a poorer neighborhood that’s close to work - in other words, gentrifying
- live in the suburbs, contributing to suburban hell sprawl
really don’t think there is a good option. The framing of gentrification as a problem caused by individual, rational actors seeking cheap rent near work, vs a problem created by having housing markets with “rational actors” in the first place, has been an ideological win for the market people. If you live in the US you can’t opt out of capitalism even if you hate it.
When the housing market literally forgot that poor people exist
:pika-cousin-suffering:
Already said here basically, but gentrification is like climate change: Individual choices are basically meaningless in combating it. Unless you know you’re directly putting a family out on the street or something, don’t lose sleep over it.
Move wherever you want. And when you get there, shop in local businesses, eat in local restaurants, join your local community organization, get to know your neighbors, and advocate for them and for your community at large.
Gentrifiers move in, ignore the community, and want everything to be Starbucks. Just be a part of your community and you aren’t a gentrifier. You’ll just be someone that lives in the community.
