My partner and I were verbally assaulted and followed in this neighborhood on multiple occasions, because the neighborhood itself is rife with trauma and oppressive development.
We present as a white facing, upper middle class, and queer couple. The residents of 106th and 1st Ave, situated at the very bottom border of East Harlem, were not welcoming of two seemingly gentrifying, New England men. And we can’t blame them.
The fact that this apartment is monopolizing necessary and extremely sought after housing in a neighborhood facing the paramount of gentrifying forces is not acceptable. The Airbnb is advertised as “this must be the place”. Yes - this must be the place where displacement and ridiculous advertising take it’s true form.
We were deeply dissatisfied with our experience, and felt awful that we had supported an air bnb that unabashedly hid the makeup and geography of such a neighborhood, while simultaneously promoting displacement and gentrification.
To make matters worse, G&G Services offered to pay a partial refund for our silence. We countered with a full refund with the surreptitious intent to continue through the process of writing a review.