Fwiw, this guy is not a gentrifier. He is a bike commuter. He was headed home to Silver Spring, which is just north of the D.C. line. The story doesn’t say exactly where he lives and works, but my guess is that he has about a 6-8 mile commute, most of it on a good trail. In decent weather, that’s pretty sweet. Plus he can probably ride it just about as fast, and maybe faster, than he could drive it in rush hour.
That said, the area of the attack IS gentrifying. It is in the urban adventure phase now. Those who stick it out will be real estate millionnaires down the road.
Urban adventure — that’s funny. I lived in Silver Spring when I was a kid. It was a decent area to be a kid, but it was, even then, on the edge of crapiness. I was mugged in Tacoma Park and my best friend was assaulted by assailants which I would not even have to describe for you to have a general idea what they looked like.
Yes, you can make a lot of money if you get in on the ground floor during a gentrification. Lots of young liberal professionals are moving back to the city. It’s all the rage. They can have it. I escaped a long time ago and I am never going back. Now, I live in the great state of Texas where I am allowed to defend myself at all times. People of all types are more friendly here. Moving here was the best decision I ever made.
I feel a bit of sympathy for liberals when they encounter the results of their own ideology, but the feeling doesn’t last long. At some point, people have to figure this out on their own.