Naomi Kooker tells of the rapidly increasing pace of gentrification in the once gritty, now expensive, Boston suburb of Somerville.
"Up until the past few years, Somerville has been [an] affordable neighborhood, an alternative to high-rent Boston and Cambridge, allowing anyone who longed for the vibrancy of a city and proximity to the Hub a piece of property (bought or rented) in exchange for a little grit and a blighted block or two," writes Kooker.
"But that blight has morphed into prettier streets and higher property values. With the constant influx of students and empty-nesters now flocking to Boston, city living is in high demand."
The critical data, to back up the narrative of rising rents: "Since 2011, the median, or midpoint, rent in Somerville has jumped by about 30 percent, from $1,683 to $2,183, according to Zillow.com."
Read the full story: Skyrocketing rent has tenants searching outside city
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
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Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello