Jamaica, Queens: Gentrification, Diversity, and Urban Development
This paper examines Jamaica, Queens as a case study in urban development that has, at least temporarily, avoided the displacement effects common to gentrification in New York City. The paper reviews housing costs per square foot compared to Manhattan and Brooklyn, highlights the neighborhood's racial and ethnic diversity, and discusses public investment directed toward locally owned businesses. It also considers the long-term risk that growing popularity—evidenced by The Gothamist naming it the city's hottest neighborhood in 2015—may eventually drive up costs and alter the community's character.
- Introduction: NYC gentrification context and Jamaica Queens overview
- Affordability and Housing Costs: Comparative real estate prices vs. Manhattan and Brooklyn
- Diversity, Transportation, and Public Investment: Cultural diversity, transit access, and government funding
- Conclusion: Future gentrification risk and cautious outlook
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What makes this paper effective
- Uses concrete, comparative data—price per square foot figures for Jamaica, Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn—to ground its argument in measurable evidence rather than generalization.
- Balances optimism about current conditions with an honest acknowledgment that gentrification pressures could emerge as the neighborhood's profile rises.
- Integrates multiple factors (housing affordability, public transit access, cultural diversity, government investment) into a cohesive neighborhood assessment.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative analysis: rather than evaluating Jamaica, Queens in isolation, it benchmarks the neighborhood against Manhattan and Brooklyn on a shared metric (price per square foot), making the affordability claim concrete and falsifiable rather than impressionistic.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows a tight three-part structure. The introduction frames Jamaica, Queens against the broader pattern of New York City gentrification. The analysis section develops four supporting points—affordability, diversity, transportation, and public investment—before acknowledging future risk. The conclusion synthesizes these threads into a cautious but measured assessment of the neighborhood's trajectory.
Introduction
When it comes to the facts, figures, and details of New York City, there is a great deal to consider. This is especially true regarding social and economic issues such as gentrification, transportation, and urban development. When the realities, statistics, and details of these issues are examined, the assessments and perceived outcomes are often negative. For example, many areas of New York City are being rehabilitated and revitalized. However, this restoration is frequently accompanied by an influx of wealthier residents, the displacement of lower-income and minority communities, and widespread rises in the cost of living. While Jamaica, Queens could find itself in such a situation in the coming years, it is currently bucking that trend.
Affordability and Housing Costs
As noted in the introduction, Jamaica, Queens is currently getting the best of both worlds when it comes to livability and improvement. It has become a bustling, revitalized transportation hub and an attractive place to live—without pricing out the people already there through gentrification or cost-of-living spikes. Indeed, many analysts assess the cost of living in Jamaica, Queens to be anywhere from five to ten years behind present-day values seen in other parts of the city. This stands in contrast to Manhattan and other parts of New York City, where housing prices are rising at stratospheric rates.
As of late 2016, the average price per square foot in Jamaica, Queens was a reasonable $317. Compared to Manhattan, that figure is very modest. It even compares favorably to many desirable areas of Brooklyn. A review of the Jamaica, Queens market shows that the most expensive property in the area reached just over $517 per square foot—a figure still lower than Brooklyn's floor, which bottoms out around $630 per square foot (Rosner).
Works Cited
Fishbein, Rebecca. "The Next Hottest Neighborhood In NYC Is... Jamaica, Queens?" Gothamist. N.p., 2015. Web. 2 Nov. 2017.
Rosner, Leah. "5 Reasons To Consider Buying In Jamaica, Queens (Hint: Price Is A MAJOR One)." Brick Underground. N.p., 2016. Web. 2 Nov. 2017.
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