Neighborhood Revitalization essay

A good example of areas where neighborhood revitalization took place is in LeDroit Park. This park has its own beauty as it is architecturally rich as well as historically interesting. Neighborhood revitalization is very important in a community as it creates job opportunities for the neighborhood, improves economic status and residential housing although it contributes to vandalism and racism in the community. Residents play a very important role in neighborhood revitalization. Neighborhood revitalization is highly effective where residents are directed by the vision and are empowered to take a central leadership role in the society. Neighborhood revitalization encompasses various activities such as house renovation and restoration. Various job opportunities are available during house renovation and restoration; people participate in various activities thus earning a living.

It is evident that today’s successes are as a result of previous years of community fundraising, organizing, and strategizing (Ahlbrandt et al. The community fundraising aimed at empowering residents to participate in neighborhood revitalization. As many houses were built people changed them into various layouts according to their preferences, for instance, shops provided job opportunities to community members as residents were employed as shopkeepers. The homes were built in various designs such as Gothic, Italian villas, and Empire styles. These styles brought a difference between the LeDroit Park and entire society; actually, the park had its own beauty. The Park was surrounded by a fence, had a gate, and a guard. The fence was important according to historical accounts. The fence was used to separate residences of the Park from the other surrounding neighborhood and thus creating a whites-only neighborhood.

The Royal is a fabulous restaurant which is well known by the locals for its breakfast offered along with lunches, dinners and the cocktail pub. The Red Hen restaurant offers Italian foods, and it is located in one block east. Finally, Kyirisan restaurant is well known for its Chinese delicacy. The three restaurants have really improved the economic status of the neighborhood as they are a source of income to the society. LeDroit Park has been recognized as a true community whereby various events take place. Renovation of houses made the Park appear more beautiful and also improved monthly income of the Park. Basically, renovation and restoration of houses is a win-win situation because of both the owner and the tenant benefits.

In addition, house renovation and restoration lend the owners a variety of layout options either to make the houses rental or au-pair suites. The owner decides on the layout according to his or her preferences (Ugochukwu 54). Also, renovation and restoration create job opportunities. At first, the Park was surrounded by a fence, had a gate, and a guard. Later on, the demarcation policy and the fence were removed, and the whites were able to integrate with other communities. A neighborhood of African American citizens was formed. Neighborhood revitalization improved the park whereby the houses were renovated and restored. Works Cited Ahlbrandt, Roger S, and Paul C. Housing Receivership and Self-Help Neighborhood Revitalization. New Brunswick, N. J: Center for Urban Policy Research, 1985.