It has become common today to dismiss low income residents of New York city in each of the five boroughs by affluent and often times new out of state dwellers and businesses. This phenomenon is termed as gentrification; a process of changing the character of a neighborhood by the influx of affluent residents. Greenpoint in Brooklyn specifically is an interesting neighborhood  to delve into. Young millennials especially from different parts of the world like Australia, France even Connecticut and Maine have displaced majority of the locals in what was a predominantly Polish immigrant neighborhood. This demographic wave has been referred to as ‘hipsters’ because of the unconventional and fancy lifestyles they tend to live; folk and indie music tastes, vegetarian diets, brunching at expensive cafes and thrift shopping and artistic jobs.

Many people assume that it began between 1990 to 2014. Greenpoint was once an industrial  area with warehouses and dumpsites oozing of sewage but that changed when the state demanded the British petroleum and Amoco natural oil and gas companies to clean up the neighborhood . Today you will find expensive high rise complexes and a new business as far as long island city sprawling from corners replacing those who are not able to keep up with the high rent rates. It is often said that after the long term leases expire, landlords continue to raise the rents because they know millennials are willing to pay to live in the hub. Polish family owned stores like bakeries have been misplaced and the older generation blame it on the vicious rent rates.

The map will show the new East river ferry that those going into Manhattan prefer as a quicker form of transport together with the G train that links to Williamsburg and Citi bike docks that have infiltrated the quint polish streets of Greenpoint.

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