This post is courtesy of senior staff writer Catherine Villnave, who wrote “The new neighbors: A look at Mount Pleasant’s changing demographics.”

“Before I even went to the area, I asked the elected officials of Mount Pleasant what they thought about their neighborhood. Their response was unanimous: the beloved diversity of Mount Pleasant was being wiped out by evolving gentrification. I saw what they meant when I reached the end of Mount Pleasant Street during my first excursion to the neighborhood. I was stunned; to my left stood rows of bustling stores and crowds of friends speaking Spanish while to my right were solitary townhouses with a lone jogger disturbing the leaves. Right in front of me I could see one world colliding with another.

The most delicate part of the story was portraying this problem while acknowledging the fact that no one is out to get anyone. The issue is space, but that is complicated by class, race and culture. I talked to one of my friends, a new resident, about the article after I wrote it. She acknowledged the harsh fact that people like her were pushing out long-time residents, but helplessly reflected that Mount Pleasant is the only place she could afford – where else is she supposed to go? Mount Pleasant residents see few solutions for the future, only rising prices.”