America’s Cities Are Unlivable. Blame Wealthy Liberals.

[CWM11B]

Read about urban gentrification. It's happening in my fair city. A lot of people coming from out of state, because it was too expensive where they lived, come in and our pay $300,000 for 1200 square foot home that is eight years old and refurbished. That drives up property costs for everybody, and now there's no affordable housing for low-income or even low middle-income.

Young liberal hipsters are moving downtown and building restaurants and coffee houses and bars where nothing is cheaper than $10 on the menu. And because property value has become so inflated a lot of people are selling and moving out into neighboring counties or into the country.

My house has gained $60,000 in value over just a few years, and there is no reason to think it's not going to keep going north.

Not just your city, the whole state is going this way. And I hate watching what is happening. I cannot wait for the day I put my hometown in the rear view mirror for good.
As an aside, I've heard Durham called a lot of things, but "fair city" was never one of them

[Arik]

Read about urban gentrification. It's happening in my fair city. A lot of people coming from out of state, because it was too expensive where they lived, come in and our pay $300,000 for 1200 square foot home that is eight years old and refurbished. That drives up property costs for everybody, and now there's no affordable housing for low-income or even low middle-income.

Young liberal hipsters are moving downtown and building restaurants and coffee houses and bars where nothing is cheaper than $10 on the menu. And because property value has become so inflated a lot of people are selling and moving out into neighboring counties or into the country.

My house has gained $60,000 in value over just a few years, and there is no reason to think it's not going to keep going north.

Same is happening here too. But it's a double edged sword. I don't mind all the bars, restaurants and coffee shops and while $10 doesn't necessarily mean good, cheap is usually garbage. The double edge part is that while all house prices have climbed tremendously all those gentrified areas were ghettos that would make bombed out Syria look like a cosy place to live. 20 years ago you couldn't go to the Northern Liberties section of the city unless accompanied by APCs and a platoon. Today you have to be a millionaire to live there. Center City and downtown areas were like the green zone, surrounded by huge areas of crime, drugs, dilapidated houses and crackheads wondering the streets like zombies. Today most of those areas have been rebuilt. Old 800sq townhouses knocked down, replaced with 4k sq ft townhouses that start at $700k and up