Doing what is neccessary

I was thoroughly impressed and somewhat dismayed after reading "The New Riverfront" article, which seems to express a powerful message of hope for a number of communities that have been struggling since industrial powers left the region. The article explains a number of residential renewal plans intended to provide up-scale housing units for residents along coastal Hudson towns like Yonkers, Sleepy Hollow and Kingston. A number of these developments would be constructed on former industrial sites providing an economic boost to areas that could certainly benefit from an influx of real estate business as the housing boom of the last few years declines. Now, I know a number of you are thinking that's a bit of a bold statement. Housing developments are going to revitalize the Hudson region? Yes they are, and I'll tell you how.

As a resident of Westchester County, I've observed, first-hand, the effects of post-industrial decline on towns like Yonkers, Tarrytown and Irvington. Some communities have been more successful than others at handling the effects, finding other ways to support their economies. Irvington built a baseball field on a former industrial site bordering the shores of the Hudson, and one of the nicest restaurants I know sits just down the street from the famous Anaconda Wire and Cable Company. A number of up-scale Westchester communities had little trouble recovering from the loss of big industry through strong community action and the housing boom of the 90's that sent prices sky-rocketing. But the school systems were so strong that residents were willing to pay the higher property taxes. But some cities, namely Yonkers, hasn't been able to recover as easily. Whether it's a lack of a strong education system, close proximity to the Bronx, an extremely diverse demographic profile, or a number of other factors, Yonkers remains a relatively dangerous city. Yet recently developers have taken an interest in restoring the beauty of this Hudson River town by building housing developments near the old Yonkers pier. Now I may be a bit of a heartless realist when I say this, but sometimes in order to economically revitalize a region it's necessary to overhaul the population. Activists are frequently concerned with helping lower-income families, but these housing developments are going to be expensive properties, and will attract a different demographic to the region, namely wealthy New York City families looking to raise their kids in the suburbs. The rest of Westchester County has been experiencing this migration for years now and the rest of Westchester County is thriving. Local business is strong. The real estate market is strong. The school systems are nationally recognized. The communities are safe. So if we have to do away with low-cost housing in favor of attracting a different crowd that's going to revitalize the area, I'm all in favor of it. Hanging on to the past is only going to lead these cities further deeper into the pit of poverty. It's time to try something different, and I'm confident that the real estate market could very well be the solution.