Why Don't They Make Neighborhoods Like They Used To?

     The other night, I was out at dinner with family at Tank House, a barbecue restaurant at J and 19th. (Good tater tots, mediocre food otherwise - but that's beside the point.) Across the street, I noticed a billboard advertising Curtis Park Village, the new neighborhood being built next to Curtis Park. The ad featured a panorama shot of Brownstone-style houses with the large caption, "Why don't they make neighborhoods like they used to?" The ad didn't stand out to me too much at first. But after considering it for a while, I started thinking, "Wow, that's a really white thing to say." If you look at the connotation of this slogan, you can see that this ad campaign has some deeper racist implications. Let me explain.
     Realistically, I'm not particularly informed on the politics of building Curtis Park Village, but I live in Curtis Park, just around the corner from the development, so I've been able to follow the debate over the development for some time. Planning the neighborhood has been a divisive process, with debates centering on what grocery stores to include, whether or not to build public park space, and even whether or not a gas station should be built. Race has been at the periphery of many of these debates. For example, some have pushed for higher-end stores like Trader Joe's to move into the neighborhood, while others advocate for more affordable stores like Save Mart. Because these more affordable stores are attractive to low-income families, some fear that building these stores will attract "the wrong crowd" to the neighborhood, likely meaning families that aren't white and upper-middle class.
     Curtis Park's history can help to explain the role of race in the building of Curtis Park Village. When Curtis Park was created, it was essentially a white-only neighborhood. Non-whites and minorities including Asians and Jews couldn't buy property in Curtis Park. This led to the creation of more diverse neighborhoods like Oak Park.
     Now think about the Curtis Park Village billboard in this context. The ad is trying to project a positive connotation onto the neighborhood. "Why don't they make neighborhoods like they used to?" appeals to feelings of tradition and neighborly values. Maybe it reminds you of your childhood home. In this context, the ad makes Curtis Park Village very attractive. In the historical context of Curtis Park, the billboard has a much different connotation. "Why don't they make neighborhoods like they used to?" You mean neighborhoods that didn't allow minorities? Neighborhoods that were solely white? This gives the billboard a far more negative connotation, drawing up memories of discrimination and intolerance. In this way, I don't think it's completely far-fetched to say that this ad campaign is just another subtle attempt to keep Curtis Park white.
     I am by no means an expert on Curtis Park's history or the politics of building Curtis Park Village, and I'm definitely not against Curtis Park Village. For the most part, I'm excited that the neighborhood is being built. The new stores and public park area will be great additions to the neighborhood. Still, I think it's important to consider the racial implications of what's going on. If you want another interesting example, look at the Curtis Park Village Website. The development is described as being "between the iconic neighborhoods of William Land Park and Curtis Park." True, Land Park is to the west of Curtis Park Village. But isn't Oak Park just east of it? It's interesting that they chose to use two of the whitest neighborhoods in Sacramento instead of the more diverse neighborhood of Oak Park. Is it possible that this is another attempt to preserve the "whiteness" of Curtis Park?
     This is just my view - feel free to comment and share yours!