Whole Foods, Gentrification and the Erasure of Black Harlem

Is the arrival of Whole Foods to Harlem a good or bad thing? Some are happy for fresh produce but others thinks it might be the nail in the coffin for Black Manhattan. We asked the residents their thoughts.
READ MORE HERE: www.theroot.com...

[@citrustaco]

You can’t gentrify an area if it’s NOT FOR SALE. If you own it, then you control it. Notice how Chinatown NEVER suffers from gentrification. They own it, they run it, they are self sufficient, and it’s not for sale.

[@citrustaco]

“But black people never really owned Harlem...”. If that’s the case, then was it ever a black neighborhood?

[@sarahgivens7182]

I was just trying to explain this to my family. How we could rebuild East Cleveland. We all have good jobs and own business. But we must own the property.

[@reggieart]

Yeah that's what I thought until I did further research you can actually be taxed out of any neighborhood through legislation passed by city council

[@ragejinraver]

Really where ? ooohhh wait you mean the China town that used to be canal st before all the rich upper middle class trust fund white people came and destroyed it .

[@cedricb.oliver2771]

And they get their Business Loans from China as well. We never get the opportunity for business or home loans. But I can get financed for a 745i. Black folks with the $$ make excuses and assimilate to the gentrification.

[@merriem24]

Agree with the lovely woman who said “we needed a market 20 years ago.” Exactly! They didn’t build it for old residents.

[@JohnSmith-bt7mz]

It’s not like people in the neighborhood could open one themselves, right? It’s always got to be somebody else who comes and fix problems...

[@wandcamilo3989]

Tell me about it im in sf and the streets were bumpy af in my neighborhood until the whites moved in

[@stevengallanter665]

@@wandcamilo3989 This is exactly why folks need to attend City Council meetings.

[@karlosthejackel69]

You could have done it yourselves!! Just saying, these businesses are private, not a charity

[@nicholasargyros3928]

I know it feels weird to see white people come in and then all of a sudden nice supermarkets opening up, but the truth is that these corporations and companies do not care about the color of someone’s skin, they just care about the median income of the area. Once they analyzed Harlem and saw that the median income was going up, they decided to set up shop. It’s all about the almighty green dollar for these places, it has nothing to do with race.

[@podersa241]

Support your local farmers market on 125th and Adam Clayton Powell. They accept food Stamps and the prices are good. It will help the community. Little by little the farmers are pulling out. Not enough business but you can help turn it around

kjh lk Perhaps getting rid of the food stamp crowd is the first step in improving the farmers market and community

[@ecclairmayo4153]

She said "This is the first time I've paid $2.49 for 3 potatoes!"

[@hankchinaski6515]

FOOD STAMPS?!?! Man, these broke joes gotta go

[@Acl-j8w]

@@ecclairmayo4153 I laughed out loud.

[@bikelifepov9617]

All them black rappers black entrepreneurs that came out of new York are crazy for never buying their blocks back. How tf they say they love their hood so much and never bothered to buy any property? That shit is crazy. Yah was really caught up in them flashing lights buying jewellery cars throwing money at the club KILLING EACH OTHER that yah couldn't see the bigger picture. Thats fucking sad bro. Damn.

[@spacelyman9482]

Very true.

[@pouvoirsignature6867]

Good point

[@thefirsttime7759]

Because of the crime

[@sassoscrib]

what if the properties were not for sale?

[@bikelifepov9617]

@@sassoscrib it's America everything is for sale.

[@baatile]

“I helped a friend open up a juice bar” 👀

[@nathanaeleylar4205]

I'm not a gentrifyer the fact their scared to admit it. Shows me that they no they are wrong. Somebody should start killing em off

[@aniyahking4510]

cool????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????/

[@elderaarondavis1]

He mean his white friend

[@adrina911]

A friend? His white friend. 😒😒😒😒😒

[@mrsoshadabaadman]

Styles P runs a Juice Bar franchise.

[@3506Dodge]

they waited until it got significantly RICH to put their stores in there.

[@misunderstoodkj]

This is why we need to start buying our properties. Don't complain about gentrification when you're not willing to buy in the area where the gentrifier is starting to buy. I can say that because this is one of the reasons why I am a Real Estate Investor now. I want to be able to newly invest in our communities by increasing property values and still making sure that our current families stay living in the communities. I also want to make sure that affordable housings are still in the area.

[@Lana-ro6cb]

Some people, mostly low income black people, don't have the money for that.

[@Lana-ro6cb]

In addition, I've seen politicians and business owners try and push out black home owners out the way so they can take over an area. They do all kinds of tactics from refusing to improve and fix roads in their area, deny school fundings, use the police to monitor the area even though there's no crime rate, or refuse to build much needed community facility nearby claiming "lack of government funding" . I call gentrification the modern day red lining, a very devious racist act.

[@sana-if7rb]

@@Lana-ro6cb and a lot of those properties were never put up for sale...

[@soulsurfer639]

@@Lana-ro6cb Give me a break. I'm black, and worked two low-paying jobs (one full-time and one part-time in the evening). For years I had to forgo any type of luxury eg. eating out, going to clubs, nice clothes... Through hard work and saving, I've managed to buy two properties. I own a house and a small apartment. I rent out the basement of my home to a white couple. My wife and I rent out the apartment through air b & b. Not only do we get passive income, we never have to worry about paying rent or being thrown out, because we own our properties. Don't make excuses, figure out what you have to do to get to your destination and get on it.

[@soulsurfer639]

Thank you for stating this. Every ethnic community who comes to the US, seems to come with the goal of buying property. It's definitely time that we start buying some of this land.

[@TheAlchemist1089]

You move in - gentrification You move out - white flight Can't win

[@Monaedeezy]

Whole Foods is overrated.

[@ecclairmayo4153]

She said "This is the first time I've paid $2.49 for 3 potatoes!"

[@rembeadgc]

Of course it is. It's hype, but that's not the point. Hype excites people. Hype promises people an experience! People pay for how the experience makes them feel. How people feel about an experience is important, because it's something we all respond to as human beings that makes us feel good about our lives. People who haven't figured this out and gotten in front of "the curve" get left behind. Time doesn't stand still. Healthy minded people like to feel that they are growing and improving. If you can't get on that bus or even become a driver of that bus...you get left behind. If there's anyone to blame it's mostly ourselves because we have access to every bit of information to make the right adjustments as anyone else. However, too many people want to believe that they can live in a vacuum where life changes everywhere else but leaves them alone to live in their comfortable vacuum. The time of depending on someone else for our destiny should be gone. Crying about it means that we haven't grown up to see that we are the shapers of our own destiny. Everybody needs to drop the charade. Nobody's listening to it anymore.

[@snickerdoodle212]

Man, I love whole foods.

[@benjaminsmith2287]

I don't go to Whole Foods anymore. I'm from NYC but live in in NJ now. Where I live, there are a lot of black people who can afford Whole Foods. Some whites, some Asians, some Latinos, too. My area is pretty mixed. Now, some people don't go there and it's not always based on white race/ethnicity they are. Some just don't feel it. I used to go there only for certain items that were actually cheaper there than in Shop Rite. But I tend to go to Shop Rite or just use Instacart now and help folks out who make their living that way by giving them good tips and ratings. Whole Foods is OK. It's just a market. There are more expensive and less expensive ones. They go where they think they have the market for it and now that part of Harlem is one area they'll go to.

[@WoahhTeamJacob]

BIG FACTS!

[@yoyossarian9468]

"Actually helped a friend open up a juice bar"... ooookkkkk.

[@baron6271]

Gentrification can only be stopped by one thing: EDUCATION!!!

[@gregoryfabre7471]

Er...yeah...maybe just a bit more than that.

[@EnterSomethingUseful]

Actually, ownership and wealth.

[@jsdev4454]

Property ownership. Own the property then property owner can't force the renter out by increasing rent.

[@ericheart1198]

They complain about it being a food desert but turn around an complain about Whole Foods. I tell black poeple all the time please support your local mom and pops and own land not just living there. If you love it so much own it. Yea it sucks but this is the results when you don't take care of your neighborhoods.

[@merriem24]

I hope this inspires us to own property, even if it’s in the “hood” because neighborhoods evolve.

[@shellbelleloveless2528]

The lady in yellow reminded me of my grandmother when whole foods came to DC! She also thought it was a good thing too. Now it’s yuppie city and everyone from the neighborhood had to move out. My family did sell her 16,000 rowhouse for 700,000. DC is now for rich foreigner investors. Look at that show on Bravo... Million Dollar Listings!

[@travelingjohn69]

The issue is many of the Black residents can't afford whole foods. So I can see why they feel it's a nail in the coffin. I just came from Harlem and long as they provide jobs for Blacks in that area I'm somewhat ok with it.

[@MrAhmedrocks234]

I've been following your website for a while and I was ecstatic to find out you have a KZbin channel. Why? Because you're one of the only ones that cover meaningful topics to the black community from OUR perspective and I appreciate that very much. You have gained a new subscriber!

[@adrina911]

I moved to New York from Raleigh, North Carolina seventeen years ago. I lived in Harlem for a couple months and I loved it. I lived on 149 st and 8 ave, I used to love getting my hair braided at the Africans on 126 st. I stayed in micro braids. I remember the record shop and seafood place on 8 ave between 125 st and 126 st. I went there for the first time to get a fish sandwich, so I order the fish and chips. I’m so country, the guy gives me my food and I’m like where is my chips? He’s like you have your chips, I didn’t know french fries was the chips lol, I thought it came with a bag of potato chips. 😂😂😂😂 I like 110 st and Lenox ave by the two train, that my dream place to live. It’s definitely different now, when I seen the Whole Foods grocery on the corner of 125 st and Lenox ave, I gagged. Harlem will never be the same. Smh

[@THEDISH54]

We used to have a PATHMARK ON LEXINGTON/125TH street and it changed immensely and the sales were good and the people working inside were great...then they announced that it was closing & closed 2 years ago at THANKSGIVING. It was supposed to turn into a condo..it is still sitting there and empty. Then CITY FRESH grocery came to 121ST and 3rd and it was the ONLY DECENT GROCERY STORE IN A 12 BLOCK RADIUS 360 DEGREES AROUND & A NEW CONDO BUILDING WENT UP ON 3RD & 121ST & ON THE 1ST floor is now a FOOD TOWN!! SO THEY PLAN ON WIPING OUT THE CITY FRESH ACROSS THE STREET!! WHY??? It was doing exceptional until FOOD TOWN came and now it is a GHOST TOWN and everyone in there is also congenial. More and more Cindy's are going up on the EASTSIDE in SPANISH & EAST HARLEM and they are NOT PRICED FOR EVERYONE TO RESIDE IN. I heard a few years back that "they" want to push the SPANISH & BLACK TENANTS UP PAST THE BRONX TO MT. VERNON. THEY WANT MANHATTAN TO BE CAUCASION & RICH. Where did I hear this conversation? 2 different places at two separate times....1st...near CITY HALL...during someone's lunch break as I sat near them on a CITY HALL PARK BENCH and in my building when people were walking thru looking to see if THEY WANTED to PURCHASE IT!!

[@staceyholcomb6875]

That was the best Pathmark in NYC, the hot food section was a whole resturant! Property prob. purchased by the new Whole Foods! o_O

[@bernardsimmons9888]

Whole foods have prices that are so out of touch with low income people this a true nail in the coffin for Harlem good buy old Harlem I will miss you .

[@tertommy]

"Whole Pay"

[@AdamTopCommenter]

How bout you make more money then, just a thought.

[@spiderbutts]

@@AdamTopCommenter How about you keep your sh1tty, classist comments to yourself.

[@spiderbutts]

@@AdamTopCommenter Even If I was rich I still wouldn’t shop there.

[@c4tac133]

@@AdamTopCommenterAn impractical one.

[@gerald6919]

Notice no body is complaining about all those stores that's selling Nike sneakers, Foot Locker stores,beauty supply stores etc in Harlem? I forgot Games Stop stores. More sneaker stores is ok, but Whole Food store in Harlem is huge problem. I am black person saying that.

[@gregoryfabre7471]

Well if you are a black person, then you don't live in Harlem because there are a lot of people complaining about those stores.

[@EnterSomethingUseful]

Notice the video also solely focuses on Whole Foods. I have friends that live in Harlem (I don't) who complain about these big companies coming to the neighborhood mainly because they were signifiers and proof of gentrification. Side note: Beauty supply stores are a "black/Hispanic neighborhood," or however you want to call it, staple. If you walk or drive around certain neighborhoods, you could find at least 3 in a block radius. If it's not a chain or a bigger beauty supply company like Sally's, it can be cheap.

[@garcjny]

I have lived in Harlem for 12 years two blocks from Whole Foods (grew up on LES). Two items to take note: the lot had been empty for more than 12 years. It was providing nothing but weeds to the community. Second, the WF and the other stores in the mall/complex provide tons of needed jobs to our community. Do I wish they would have built affordable housing along with the stores, of course! Do I hope that many of the top level people working behind the scene at these stores are POC, of course! I shop at WF, I shop at Fine Fare, I shop at the local bodegas, I shop at the POC-owned cake stores, pizza shops, Kenyan food markets, t-shirt places, etc. Developing an empty, useless block into a slew of stores with jobs was a good thing.

[@mistermood4164]

+shock the sky high prices, is becasue of New York stupid zoning regulations, if simply allow for more housing to be built prices would come down.

[@Maddpill]

Michelle yup

[@brandonpennington8503]

Why would The Root not include any of this in their reporting?

[@safeatthird6060]

It saddens me to see so many black businesses going out of business, I grew up in the south Bronx and would go shopping with family to Harlem go see the Giants play ball at the polo grounds in the 50's as an adult I would go to Smalls Paradise, Baby Grand, Josephine's and the Lenox Lounge I guest things change and many there are changes in the Sugar Hill area.

[@jackmyers1631]

I grew up in a working class neighborhood in Philadelphia that was eventually ghettofied. We had to find new homes as well. I'd rather be gentrified than ghettofied. If folks stay away from Harlem then they are accused of redlining. If they move in and invest then they are changing the character of the neighborhood and accused of gentrifying it. Either way we can't win.

[@mrevilren6507]

Stay where you are

[@jackmyers1631]

@@mrevilren6507 I will so long as I can.

[@roseeze166]

Why don't you all ask AL Sharpton and Calvin Butts why they sold Harlem to the "others"

[@nthperson]

What I learned during a 40 year career in helping to put together public-private financing initiatives for revitalization of distressed and under-served communities is that the main cause of decline in the first place is a tax structure that rewards speculation in land over investment in job-creating capital goods. At the local level the main cause is the conventional property tax. The property tax is almost universally administered to foster land speculation by infrequent and inaccurate assessments. Buildings, which are depreciating assets are over-assessed. Land is generally under-assessed. Thus, the incentive to property owners is to hold land idle in anticipation of rising land values (reducing the supply of land available for development, and thereby artificially pushing up land prices even higher). All one needs to do is walk the streets in a city's central business district and nearby neighborhoods and count the hundreds of buildings that sit vacant or as empty lots. The proliferation of surface parking lots is another clear indication of a counter-productive tax structure. And, in neighborhoods populated by lower-income households, the incentive is to put as many people as possible into housing units, defer maintenance and wait for a government-funded revitalization effort to come along to purchase the land or at least stimulate the demand for land by developers seeking to attract higher income households. When gentrified, where to the low income individuals go; often, they go into the streets or the growing tent cities that plague most of U.S. cities. The optimum rate of taxation on buildings is actually zero. The annual taxation of a building amounts to the imposition of a sales tax year after year after year. The optimum AMOUNT of taxation on a parcel or tract of land is the potential annual rental value of the location, a value that exists independent of what the owner of the land does or does not do with the location. This value is societally-created and is a function of locational advantages, advantages in a town or city that are created by aggregate investment in public goods and services. It is the failure to collect the location rental values that rewards antisocial behavior on the part of property owners. When will those who govern and our civic leaders wake up to this reality? Edward J. Dodson, Director School of Cooperative Individualism www.cooperative-individualism.org

[@freeinghumanitynow]

They complain about "food deserts" but then complain when they get a Whole Foods?? These folks are exhausting. Cleaning up these slums is actually a good thing. The low frequency folks are going to adjust or be removed. People are sick and tired of the foolishness.

[@ecclairmayo4153]

This is the first time I've ever paid $2.49 for 3 potatoes!

[@valerechn1736]

Hello, I am a french student and i have to work on this Vidéo. we dont have the same money,. For you, 2.49 for 3 patatoes, it is expansive ? thank you

[@ortem000]

Great conversation. I just want to point out that this is also providing jobs to the community. Also, You can't think of Wholefoods as one-stop-shop situation because you will definitely over spend. As a native NY'er I know where to go for all the best deals. That way of thinking has been ingrained in me since I can remember. I buy certain things at C-town in my hood, certain things at Target, certain things at the Wholefoods by my job etc. I do believe that you can survive on a paycheck here if you're smart about it.

[@chrissynicki5294]

Can u pay 3200 rent with that job. NO.

[@AndStill.]

Yall want Harlem to stay bad??

[@AndStill.]

@@cynicalskeptic4517 Gentrification comes when you improve yo Community, it happens the best thing is the Gentrifiy your Community before Whites do. Own the house, business, libraries, hospitals, grocery stores, Community police and ect.

[@AndStill.]

@@cynicalskeptic4517 You have to define Gentrification? Are we talking about bringing value and security to a Community, then Property values go up. Then more investor come in and bring more value... So if you Was Black and bought a home or commercial for 30k before Gentrification and now that the value in the area is Up That same Black person can resale for 90k-100k... 🤔 whats the problem

[@AndStill.]

@@cynicalskeptic4517 Yea I've bought a few properties and improvements to the area has helped increase the profits then I flipped. In Louisville ky there is a Major Hospital 🏥 is being built in the Westend on 28th st and its going to be a game changer and my Rental property is going Up.

[@AndStill.]

@@cynicalskeptic4517 You should educate yourself about all Scenarios and concerns with buying a Home or investment property. You should already have a understanding of House owners association, you should already have educated yourself on hoa and District standards. You should educate your on different Zoning Policies. Of course Property Taxes to up if there is More value and Convenience in a area. There is no constructions, traffic construction, businesses, More Police security, fast EMS response and etc

[@AndStill.]

@@cynicalskeptic4517 You cant just think you buy land or properties and think there is no Regulations. You cant get upset you can't just build a garage or Shade you have to Get a Permit and Abide by district, zoning and Hoa standards... Do be surprised get educated

[@neubro1448]

Which is why season 19 of South Park was made. The effects of Whole Foods from the start.

[@anneraso5621]

There have been expensive restaurants and grocery stores in Harlem for 10 or 15 years now-they just are not as famous as Whole Foods so they got minimal media attention. Citarella is more expensive than Whole Foods on many items if you can believe it. There are many luxe restos in Harlem, especially popular for Sunday brunch.

[@podersa241]

I have lived in Harlem for over 15 years. I have to say that finding healthy food was a challenge and to say the mom and pop stores in harlem have left well they were abandoned stores through out 125th street when I moved here. Only expensive Northface jackets and expensive sneakers. Finding a clean supermarket was not possible. It would be ideal and hopefully in the future we can have a Trader Joes. It is all about demand and supply. This neighborhood prefers expensive sneakers and the crowded stores are proof. Now the vegetable market on 125th street which is one avenue away from Whole Foods have very few people shopping and they accept food stamps. So little by little the vendors are dropping. I can go to Marshalls across the street from Whole Foods and purchase a pair of sneakers and pants for under $25 but I want some seriously good healthy food and I am wiling to pay for it. It is all about priority.

[@brandonpennington8503]

Would Harlem have supported an Aldi's or a Trader Joe's 10 years ago? Why or Why not?

[@Moneyfirst111]

Shut the fuck up you clown.

[@rembeadgc]

If a community wants fresh vegetables and is safe enough to sustain a viable business...the businesses and vendors will come, because they want to make money, They don't care what color your skin is as long as your money is green. The issues are multi-layered. If people don't finish school, don't wait until marriage to have children, don't acquire jobs to sustain a healthy lifestyle, don't get the education about health and nutrition, don't have familial or community support, they won't have a mind to demand fresh vegetable for meals they aren't cooking, so why would fresh food vendors move into those places where there is no sustainable demand? At some point yo have to stop blaming other people and get your own house in order. Anything else is is another form of welfare, which is only designed to be temporary until one becomes viably independent and productive. There's a lot of ways to be productive and impactful in the community that ultimately translates into safety , an increase in value and an accumulation of wealth. The element that, IMO, transcends it all, enabling the individual to potentially overcome their past and environment is the fact they are created in the image of God and ultimately can have access to the essence of what gives life purpose, meaning and value and to the individual...power. Too many pastors have failed to preach this.

[@TBLUNTZ420]

Creating jobs and helping a community is racist!

[@bcoop85]

What's the point, all the white ppl take the good paying jobs anyway

[@TBLUNTZ420]

bcoop85 wow. Great attitude. Keep thinking like that and you'll never get anywhere in life. Success has nothing to do with race.

[@bcoop85]

@@TBLUNTZ420 whites dont embrace cultural diversity, they either run from it or keep others out because whites dont like to integrate. And most jobs that are created are low-income jobs or high paying jobs that mostly whites steal from the ppl leaving in that very own community. It can be 15% whites in the community and 85% educated minorities, but somehow they end up taking all the good paying jobs. Race inequality at it's best. Gentrification doesn't benefit no one but the "white flight" generational yuppies

[@DARKSEID76]

@@bcoop85 Bingo.

[@benjaminsmith2287]

@@bcoop85 That's not true. Whites aren't one group of people and some whites are the reason some black businesses and genres are still going. Go to a jazz club. A bunch of black jazz players are playing and who is in the club? Mostly white people. Even rappers sometimes perform to mostly white audiences. All people have to stop generalizing. There are all sorts of different types of white people as there are different types of Asians and black people. And there's a difference between general phony "race" categories as well as ethnicities too. Nigerians are different than Jamaicans for instance. And even with white or black American people, there are all sorts of people out there. And blacks aren't beyond not wanting to integrate as well. Some do, some don't. Same with white people.

[@bluenomadbruh]

Why not open a Trader Joe's, which is more affordable?

[@gaffle-411]

I believe Trader Joes brings EVEN MORE lifted value to the surrounding neighborhoods. At least they do in Georgia.

[@rebekahhakeber5093]

I’m guessing Whole Foods un way more popular than I knew! I would never shop there. It’s outrageously expensive food. You can shop a farmers market and get better quality food for less money and help someone local which in turns helps me because i reinvest in my own neighbors. I hate Walmart Costco Whole Foods.. they come in. Shut down everyone small, fire 3/4 of their employees - install self service kiosks- raise the price on everything and then all the profit goes to a few rich ingrates.... This “gentrification” is occurring in rural southern Illinois. All farm land. Big oil companies wanted landed the farmers said it is not for sale so they used a federal land grab law. “Supposedly trump has undone some of it in utah” hardly helps these poor families in Illinois. It’s not a racial thing as it’s entirely white impoverished tiny farm towns ... what once was a 4 generation ran vegetable farm is now 19 tanks filled with crude oil leaking into the creek that takes water to Lake Carlyle... which is the drinking water! They have quite successfully kept the citizens fighting each other while they literally have taken over 1/3 of all commercial property in the United States . In 6 years time the government spent 13 billion dollars illegally stealing land and paying pennies on the dollar for its value and now the United States government owns 1/3 of all commercial property. Do you how many rental homes are in America ? That’s commercial ! So how many businesses are now actually owned by regular people??? Hardly any. It’s sad. Some call it gentrification some call it globalization... the victims of it call it state sponsored expropriation without proper compensation... or economic terrorism! Take your pick! Now google the things going on around the world. It’s happening everywhere. Many ancient populations are being wiped out. Huge camps of “refugees “ have popped up. Refugees aren’t free to come and go so pretty sure they’d call it prison. Some wild global evil crap is going on. And the average person is just a casualty of their wars. One day. Justice! One day it will happen.

[@sabbottart]

This supermarket is just gross. The quality is not there. It’s as far from a European supermarket in terms of quality as the physical distance itself. It’s unbelievable that New Yorkers put up with bad food.

[@msace6710]

So many black people complain about gentrification. Black people could have controlled that. I commute to 145th street years ago when I studies ballet at the DTH.. Abandoned building sat there for decades. So many people could have put funds together and made the building into something. Being somebody who was not raised in place like "harlem"I always thought people were trying to hurt black people and take what they have away from them. But now how much my could have done to control the gentrification. I understand some of the points that Candice Owens makes.

[@sohoyankee66]

Hey I’m as white as they come but believe in buying local. I’d buy from that fruit cart before I’d give my money to Whole Foods. I hit the farmers market almost every Saturday. You can get great deals on good food.

[@myselfoveryou]

I like whole foods. They need to build one in bushwick

[@lovelylolaunicorn]

There already is one in Williamsburg

[@lovelylolaunicorn]

And why would you want a whole foods on your block it’s a threat and money will be coming out of your pocket

[@Mediazzzzzz]

I want them to try to gentrify compton

[@bronsplan2683]

You haven’t been to Compton lately?

[@albertsancho5909]

Inglewood is

[@mrx2276]

I would rather keep doing my food shopping at C-Town, Key Food, or Bravo instead of at Whole Foods

[@dandelves]

If its a food desert perhaps the youth of your community should stop looting from the stores.

[@iGLOW522]

Gentrification is erasure of culture and the people who live there. People who lived in the neighborhood for years can no longer afford to live there. Imagine not being able to live where you grew up, because the rent keeps going up and nobody can afford it but these young white kids from across the country, because mommy and daddy pay their rent or they have a trust fund. That’s where white privilege comes into play. They only start to clean up neighborhoods like Harlem when they see white people start to move in. They start building schools, hospitals, grocery stores...but 30 years ago, half of those people wouldn’t be caught dead in Harlem and the government and politicians let the low income ppl who lived there fend for themselves. It’s very telling of this country how gentrification works.

[@ragejinraver]

Thats exactly my situation i was born and raised in Brooklyn before the hipster takeover . Now i can't even move back to my own home thats one of the worst feelings in the world . Just cuz these rich upper middle class trust fund hipsters and to live out an episode of friends living in a fake fantasy world .

[@ntrainride]

you're an i d io t. go move to osh kosh or something. da big city too much fo' yur country a s s.

[@robr.5044]

Are you really that attached to the old Harlem?

[@pamle1]

Maybe they're nostalgic for the glory days..

[@Ron-mj3gz]

Exactly. U want crackhead niehbborhoods.

[@gregoryfabre7471]

Hell yes. When everything starts looking like Disney Land time to get the fuck out!

[@gregoryfabre7471]

@@Ron-mj3gz It's what it represents in the bigger picture which is the advancement of gentrification and the implications it has on class and demographics.

[@joanagrossa1719]

rob r I'm from nyc the Bronx. ny. papi. I love the old harlem. and the way it use to be. I hate genttifaction. your takein folks that were born in these streets . and lived here for years. and kickin themout so these rich wealthy bitches can move in. they ain.t touched my borough yet fuckin thank god.

[@candacecannon5284]

So black people can open up a healthy food mart? people will spend money that won't be circulated in their own neighborhood. I like whole foods but they saw a sucker and again the blk community got licked 😓

[@thewordsmith5440]

candace cannon With all the money spent on black panther uniforms yes could have done a lot.

[@increasepeace4996]

Don't worry. With their prices, black people in Harlem will hardly shop there.

[@MondoBeno]

And how much of the fast food money in the community ever went back in? What about the liquor stores owned by Indians? Wholefoods profit may not go into the community, but at least it hires local. If it won't hire locals, then there's a problem.

[@samyb5822]

Michelle people in Harlem dont work...

[@samyb5822]

Michelle I moved to Harlem from Chicago. This neighborhood has great potential. I commend you for finishing your education and getting your life together and wish it upon all and especially those here in Harlem. I refuse to sound prescient but these youths here will still be here in 50 years and just shift the blame to some other group. Successful people in Harlem just means I as well as everyone benefits. Smoking weed from 12 pm to 3 am just ain't going to cut it.

[@TardisInTheSkye]

I’m not sure why gentrification is seen as a race issue. It’s a if you can afford to live their you stay there situation. That’s literally it. I think it’s hypocritical that any Poc complain about wanting change, and progression and as soon as non black people move in then it’s gentrification and racist? If you can’t afford to live somewhere that isn’t someone else’s issue and I think it’s unfair to people that get relocated to the area solely for work purposes. No one is intentionally trying to steal your housing.

[@gregoryfabre7471]

It's a class issue. Except when that class tends to be of one race then it's both. Read up on the effects that slavery and segregation had on black americans. Poverty, crime, isolation, disenfranchisement, loss of identity etc. People that work in the area who will now have to relocate and commute, and how the effects of hundreds of years still have a lasting effect meaning that there's a significant income inequality and inequality of access to higher education. Read Wright, Ellison, Cornell West etc and I think you might come to a different opinion.

[@TardisInTheSkye]

Gregory Fabre Gregory Fabre no I still stand by it. I’ve always lived in nice places but work for what I have as well. I always do a ton of charity work(not in a humble brag way. But you literally see the mentality differences in people who genuinely do want help to change who turn their life around and people who victimize them self’s even when they’re given the opportunity to change) I’ve helped rebuild sections of neighborhoods with other people from well off towns and within 5 months of doing it everything gets wrecked again. There’s literally NO reason for that. I don’t understand how people can complain about something not work towards it (I do understand not everyone has time which is fine. But no one from the town helped rebuild and no one was charged) and yet somehow this still destroy it? That has nothing to do with class or racism. It’s common sense to not destroy something you care about.. when I was little it confused me as to how this still happens but as a young adult it makes me angry and I refuse to waste time helping people who don’t want to help them self’s. As well as donate to animal shelters and find homes for pets now. Pets never do anything wrong and it’s more rewarding finding a kitten or old dog a home. What is your reasoning behind this then? Going into a town donating to charities while also rebuilding the neighborhood NOT increasing living prices and they still somehow manage to undo all the hard work me and other volunteers did ? There’s literally no excuse!!! It’s so terrible and I’m sick of this gentrification is bad discussion. Displacement IS bad yes for the children because they didn’t ask to be born in to this. But poor people choosing to have kids when they can barely take care of them self’s then NOT teach the kids values or have money for their education all just feed in to this. It’s not hard to use a condom a lot of free places give if contraception I know not everything is effective but everyone is being lazy at this point. How does this not upset you?? Why do people act like black people are ALL poor ??

[@Moneyfirst111]

Lol. Wow u people really dont get it

[@c4tac133]

@@TardisInTheSkye ​​⁠ When people say it’s a race issue it’s because U.S. history has set it up so that black and brown residents are disproportionately the most common victims of the negatives of gentrification. When people are segregated, and white communities with most of the wealth are well funded while others are neglected, it is going to have lasting effects. I’m very disheartened that your volunteer work did not succeed. However, there are people who work hard and still struggle because their voices are not heard. Just like how the issue cannot be simplified by saying “all black people are poor,” it can also not be said that “people refuse to help themselves.” Where there is a lack of opportunity, there is a lack of hope. Without hope, there is no future or expectation of change. That also counts for maintaining change. While you made a great point that some people truly won’t help themselves, like you I have grown up in nice neighborhoods all my life and can only imagine the lack of clarity and hope I would have if I lived in a neglected place. Some people don’t help themselves because they don’t know how and believe that they cannot. This is not to say that they are poor, clueless, helpless or anything dehumanizing that makes excuses-It is to give communities agencies by inspiring and rallying them. If you did try to get communities involved or at least knowing of your volunteer efforts, then you can regard this whole comment as ignorant and unfounded if you have not already. I just think awareness is just as important as help. Informing people is just as important as helping them.

[@avinashchandramisra3334]

What about the mom and pop stores that closed down to make way for this monstrosity ? The small stores used to provide niche services for households.

[@BronxGummer]

The guy at 0:53 is totally ridiculous. As if the black community doesn't know and has never known about foods that are good to eat and foods that are bad to eat. Let's blame everybody else for our failures.

[@monique-idamayayo739]

It ridiculous that you didn't understand what he was saying. The point he was making was they needed it in their community way before white people moved in. It wasn't right people in Harlem had to travel to the lower west side of Manhattan to get to a wholes foods.

[@BronxGummer]

You are as pathetic as that guy. What about the white people that had to travel to the lower west side of Manhattan because they didn't have Whole Foods 10 steps from their front door ? Using your logic - If the founders of Whole Foods never existed, Harlem would still be eating McDonald's, Dallas BBQ, Kentucky Fried Chicken and various chips and snacks from the corner store bodega. FYI - it took about 15 years for Harlem to get Whole Foods after the first one in New York City opened. That's actually not bad.

[@brandontorres4499]

​@@monique-idamayayo739and now that it's there, it's only going to cater to those who can afford it, but even then people could be priced out simply because it would raise the property value in the area.

[@diddymuck]

cause it is a low profit area. nobody buys anything outside of necessities. businesses would do way better in a high income more surplus income area.

[@wickedone5082]

Bother speaking. When dealing with weak, victims MENTALITY it's a no win situation. 😈

[@gregoryfabre7471]

You need to put down Ayn Rand and pick up Richard Wright!

[@yusufhasaan8781]

Harlem was a food dessert. This a blessing to have a grocery store!

[@selfworkshop8646]

Thats great that Harlems getting better. I'd love to visit it someday.

[@gregoryfabre7471]

Soon you won't even need to go there you'll be able to go to Disney Land or your local mall and it will be the same experience. Why do you want to visit it, just curious?

[@Moneyfirst111]

No. Stay away

[@bassreeves2410]

too many pinks already.

[@MrAntiSellOut]

That's why I never even bothered to shop for food at the supermarket on W 125th Street and Lenox Avenue

[@forrestliu5783]

I am not a part of gentrification but I helped open up a juice bar....... ok then

[@newjerseylion4804]

Whole Foods. Fresh for you can’t afford enjoy

[@juxyoh4659]

White people like clean neighborhoods, healthy food and nice coffee shops. Stop complaining just because they’re classier.

[@booboobunny5655]

But all of these things are expensive and driving out the poor. Say goodbye to historical property, culture, affordability, family business and hello to consumerist corporate sheeple.

[@erikaeric8313]

Jux Yoh more like materialistic fools, who pay way to much for basic shit...

[@ramboram03]

Aldi is cool it works with working class families and provides very affordable food but Whole Foods is definitely catered to rich/upper middle class white people , the prices are ridiculous and black people never buy properties in their areas and this is the result, you don't see this issue in Chinatown, Indian areas, Italian areas in NYC, they buy their properties.

[@googleuser7454]

All of those areas you mentioned (especially Chinatown) are being impacted by gentrification

[@michaelreed4744]

Hello. Do you think that some of these stories are myths about gentrification?

[@robertbright-jc3sd]

The Brother in the blue shirt & eye glasses was the only one that spoke the truth or made sense from what I had heard.

[@dangercat9188]

I just like their salads and bagels. But it's too pricey.

[@chrishelbling3879]

Losers: rent for 40 years, instead of buying something small.

[@PoxyBear]

Then cry when people come in buy up foreclosed properties that were left to become rundown.

[@lordquastheonly]

Oh my god healthy food cost more money who would’ve knew

[@nytoaddis76]

If people in Harlem bought fruts and vegetables, fruit and vegetable stands would have been opened up by immigrants such as Koreans, and like the Indian man in the video. It is unfortunate but the poor in American do not buy fruits and vegtables, and maybe it is because the food stamps cant be used at vegetable stands?

[@andrewlove3686]

what about white harlem? you know before the blacks started showing up.

[@gregoryfabre7471]

Aww, it's alright...not your fault. You suffer from the same syndrome most white americans suffer from: Historical ignorance. Yes, ace love, life existed in the americas before the white man came and slaughtered almost to extinction the native inhabitants. Here's what I'll do for you...I'll give you a free history lesson free of charge. Did you know that the name Manhattan comes from the Lenape “Manahatta,” meaning “hilly island"? Lenape means “Original People,” and the Lenape are the Original New Yorkers. Hey, don't thank me thank google.

[@Moneyfirst111]

THEY LEFT BECAUSE THEY CHOSE TO NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE PRICED OUT AND COULDN'T AFFORD IT ANYMORE! ITS FUNNY HOW WHITE PEOPLE CAN NEVER ACKNOWLEDGE THE FUCKED UP SHIT THEY'VE DONE TO OTHERS THROUGHOUT HISTORY

[@sohoyankee66]

Gregory Fabre Do you know most whites people? Wow. You must be mighty popular.

[@davyjones-locker979]

Where's the 'love' Andrew, you know when the native Americans owned the land before whites started showing up?!

[@diddymuck]

whole foods in Harlem. BFD. nobody's gonna shop there when the average weekly grocery list is like 300 bucks.

[@wetinjojo]

There was a path mark that closed in harlem. That building is completely empty. Like for real how is that and note nobody came to buy that space to replace it with another supermarket. Whole foods is not affordable for most in that neighborhood.

[@stephanieskyes5777]

Im so sick of this country why. Nothing wrong with introducing healthy lifestyle of living should obtainable for everyone! This country is awful from beginning up to now!

[@lordbeaky3496]

Seesh theres a whole food in Harlem 🥶🥶🥶🥶

[@surfsquatch5]

Ive never been to Harlem but the answer is yes.

[@waltercabey4352]

That’s why I buy my all grocery at union foods. Your amazon employees discriminate against everyone. I’m 28 so that’s fifty years of no grocery buying from you from the remainder of my life. Adios to my money to you and that’s also a lot of other people George bezos

[@kareemharris394]

Black live in Harlem but dont own shit in Harlem

[@msace6710]

Black people could have cleaned and sold healthy food right there in harlem.

[@michaelreed4744]

Hello. Does anyone thinks that there are some myths to these reports?

[@michaelreed4744]

Hello. Do you think that some of these stories are a myth?

[@eman.119]

Hopefully the end of Crack Harlem

[@spiderbutts]

If you’re pro-choice please stop shopping at Whole Foods!

[@gookawild5543]

Pilsen, a Latino neighborhood in Chicago is also gentrifying.

[@PoxyBear]

You mean Pilsen is returning to its original roots.

[@gookawild5543]

@@PoxyBear Oh, so it's returning as Native American land? Great!

[@oysral7896]

And all those nice homes that people are abandoning they're going to move in there. Fix those houses up and they're going to be worth three four hundred thousand when they ain't worth nothing but $2,000 at that right now.

[@prlopez6134]

We need a Whole Foods in the Bronx

[@Whohah-s2p]

First learn to love each other stop hating on another cooperate stop competing with each other do all that vice versa with ''other" you can win till then good luck

[@anneraso5621]

Every major thoroughfare in Manhattan looks like a NJ mall now. At least Harlem has less high rises, though.

[@michaelreed4744]

Hello. Do you think that there are some myths about gentrification?

[@gregoryfabre7471]

No, absolutely no myth about it. Lived in LES while it was happening there absolutely real. Get rid of rent stabilisation. Try and buy tenants out. If they refuse to leave landlord refuses to fix anything building falls into disrepair and the place becomes unlivable forcing people especially with families to move out. At one point it was a common occurence to see whole sides of buildings collapse. Once they're out the scumbag landlords repair knowing that for the apts. they used to get $300 a month rent for they can now charge $1600 (and yes this was in the 90's so now they could probably charge $2600 to $3000 for said apt.) increase police numbers and activity on the street giving out bullshit "Quality of life" tickets and locking people up for petty crimes. Raise rent on local shops, bodegas, etc. forcing them out then converting to apts. or high-end consumer stores, and within a few years you have what you see now in LES. Mostly out of state yuppies/bohemians living in ridiculously priced apts. A multi-racial multi-ethnic neighbourhood that is now as bland as unsweetened vanilla yogurt. Stores that had character like Leshko's which was a great Polish diner has now become a shell of it's former place replaced by something you would find in a strip mall in south Florida...it literally sucks the soul out of neighbourhoods gentrifying it does. I hope you get the gist.

[@justinvelez9796]

Like dude said nice and clean. It's not significantly white, a different bracket of money moved in even high paying blacks, people lack patience they're not going to go home and clean the vegetable and fruits

[@PoxyBear]

Stop whining already! "They" why didn't the people living there 20 years ago open a grocery store/a co-op themselves?

[@EternalLife3811]

I PERFER TRADERS JOES, I AM SICK OF BUMPING INTO THE CRACK HEADS, DRUG ADDICTS AND SO MANY CHANGE OF VENDORS SINCE THIS STORE HAS OPEN, PRICES ARE SO HIGH FOR NO REASON....THEY DO NOT PAY THEIR WORKERS THEY HAVE TO SELECT DAYS TO GET THEIR $15 AN HOUR...

[@mikejunior211]

I love diversity, and I'm glad that Harlem is embracing diversity.

[@emeraldkimble7602]

My local Whole Foods made hardshipaccess due toamazonworkd headquarters cost ruction streets sidewalks torn up iwalktwoblicks

[@herzfeldji]

What?

[@brandnew2767]

Gary you are definitely a gentrifier! I have see so many family who look like Gap adds now repping Harlem and it pisses me off!

[@drunkdonkey1009]

Poor people look at gentrification like it’s bad, people who’ve worked for their money look at is good.

[@c4tac133]

@@drunkdonkey1009poor people work too

[@mactastic144]

But Whole Foods is overpriced.

[@MisfitRecords]

*THE ROOT SUCKS*

[@bigbillybadass]

4 years later... ITS WHITE!!

[@joepho123]

This is simple capitalism lol

[@3506Dodge]

Correlation isn't causation.

[@ericmartine4672]

Allot of black people eat healthy and spend more money on food . some have $$ education and some can't afford or don't care . i don't shop there

[@RooseveltAliWashingtonX]

Is there a college close by?

[@TheAlchemist1089]

Columbia University

[@RooseveltAliWashingtonX]

@@TheAlchemist1089 -- Thank you!

[@brandonpennington8503]

There were no grocery stores there before? There literally wasn't "Food that we could eat here," before Whole Foods? Is Journalism this dead? Really?

[@ericheart1198]

True. They complain they didn't have healthy grocery stores. Now they have one and they are complaining about it. Its the result of not supporting ma and pop stores but yet pretty sure the sneaker stores are still there.

[@ntrainride]

she it. welcome to ny baby. neighborhoods change. y'all done moved into plenty of our turf. an did wha ch'all do. you know what i'm talkin' bout. an now we's re-takin' da turf. haint dat sumpin'!?

[@michaelreed4744]

Hello. Does anyone knows if there are myths about this process?

[@JulianRodriguez-sn6nr]

Just cause it ,"looks nice" doesn't mean anything. Harlem and the rest of Uptown including the Bronx are dying a slow painful death

[@JulianRodriguez-sn6nr]

Ashok Hegde enjoy the cardboard box you'll live in. With that mentality, you're saying it's ok for the culture of Harlem to get ripped away from the people.