Gentrification no longer a 'dirty word,' article says
Even in San Francisco, gentrification is more tolerated now, according to this San Francisco Chronicle article. San Francisco has a low crime rate, and, like New York City, it has grown steadily in population since 1980. It is considered one of the Big 6 real estate markets in the US — along with New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles — all cities tied into the international economy. Although the Big 6 generally have problems with gentrification, most other US cities are awash in affordable housing. Philadelphia, the nation's fifth largest city, has some gentrified areas, but the average house costs $110,000. In large sectors of the city a rowhouse costs $40,000 or less. Large swaths of Philly, Chicago, and other major cities are still depopulating, and need an influx of people in general and the middle-class in particular. If gentrification is no longer a "dirty word" in San Francisco, as this article says, perhaps it will be less of an issue going forward in cities that really need it.
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