“If you get higher rents, nicer buildings, they’re not going to want a street cart out front.”

This was a quote from when Anthony Bourdain visited Queens, NY on his show Parts Unknown. It’s been lingering in the back of my head for about a week now and honestly, I don’t get it. Where in the bylaws of gentrification does is say that street faire is not allowed? This is how I see it: imagine you’re a wealthy millennial living in a newly constructed luxury apartment on Roosevelt Ave. You pay all this money for these swanky amenities like a personal gym, a pool, and what ever cool features come with paying about $1500 in rent. Imagine having the ability to just walk to your sidewalk and have nearly the entire world’s cuisine presented to you within a 5 block radius. Who wouldn’t want that? Who looks at the woman standing for 8 hours a day at her cart, selling her homemade tamales and scoffs? Having all of this amazing, flavorful, labor intensive food readily available to you seems like one of the greatest privileges in this world, and people are throwing that privilege (and with it, people too) away…