gentrification, fancy cheeses, the bull's eye & cheap wine
last week, i mentioned possibly having to move next summer, and i wanted to elaborate a bit. (i'm not sure how ready i am to talk or how much i'm comfortable revealing, b/c there are too many unknowns. it's all up the air and I haven't felt this insecure in ages). all at once i want to open the floodgates and talk about feeling unsettled, then excited, then scared, then hopeful, then insecure again. it changes from moment to moment.
OK, so, TWO things about the possible move: first, a geographic move IS possible. it's exciting, scary, and weird. BUT there are still too many unknowns right now b/c it depends on several variables. plus, i'm not sure how practical or feasible a long-distance move is (financially & health-wise). my guess is that the chances are statistically small, but, you just never know. wouldn't it be weird if, a year from now, i'm writing from the opposite coast, or from a colder, snowier place? blows my mind. i think IF that type of move becomes a real possibility in several months, i'll be incredibly torn, emotionally.
the second thing: even if there's no out-of-state move, i probably have to find a new place come june. three weeks ago, i learned that my building was sold and will be converted to condos. unless i buy my unit, i'll most likely have no choice but to leave. the one thing i always thought i could count on for as long as I'm meant to be around here, was my bachelorette pad. now it's like it's been yanked out from under me. the thing that is so obnoxious about all of this, is that this is a university town. and the demographics reflect that. this has always been a popular rental building for grad students and young professionals. but here comes this damn realty company that is essentially forcing out those who can't afford to make a $250K condo purchase. (or those whose mommy and daddy aren't gonna buy it for them). wtf?
and the city now has all of these new rental laws/policies in place to limit the spread of student types (& young, starting-out, single professionals). apartments that used to cater to them are now being converted to luxury condos. any remaining rentals get jacked up. i had a really good lease deal that made my friends envious here: prime location, large apt complex, $550 for a two-bedroom! now if I stick around town, I'm hard pressed to find something under $900/month (1BR). trust me, there's grumbling among my neighbors (most are students or young professionals). we wonder how the shrinking rental market in town will absorb those displaced by this?
now it's no secret that charlottesville's housing & rental costs are so high. $450K for a home in what was once the "wrong side of the tracks" (a.k.a. Belmont)? commonplace. now we jokingly call it "Trendy Belmont". even young professors or newly minted doctors are having to live in surrounding counties b/c it's too expensive here. are you a police officer or teacher? sorry, you'll never own a home. and if you're single? forget it! recently, cindy and i talked about homeownership, and how, if either of us was married/had a mate, homeownership would be more realistic by default of the dual-income.
call me na�ve. but i never thought of myself as being directly or negatively affected by gentrification. intellectually i knew about its effects esp. in inner cities, like DC. but in my little head, i always saw it as "someone else's problem", typically affecting those in lower socioeconomic brackets or minority communities. for me it was, "oh, another Whole Foods is coming here? awesome! more fancy cheeses for me!". fancy cheeses or not, the effects are the same. i must still take my educated, Nordstrom-and-Ann Taylor-and-Banana Republic-clad self and go find an affordable place to live. did you say underwear was on sale this week at Target? welcome to my world, "Tar-Jay"! i think we'll become close friends. my lease expires on 6/15/06, and you know how fast six months go by. it's scary. i want to drown my fears in wine. but it will have to be cheap wine�
