It's amazing to me that three houses could instigate such an inspiring rebirth--which is why this piece is right to open with them. The piece gives a good idea of local color, with an opening character's thick New York accent, and notes how when gay folks move in, things are bound to change, in this case, as in most, for the better. The speaker calls it "good gentrification," and the program then points out, interestingly, that the term is not necessarily oxymoronic. (I wasn't totally convinced, but it's got me thinking.) I really got a good feel for the neighborhood, even with a few visual images stuck in my head.

This piece fills a good niche in discussing issues facing contemporary urbanism, as seen through this single case study. I wish it could have been longer, to delve into the seamier side--the old Hawley-Green, with sounds and interviews of same.

In a side note, public radio, for all its vaunted liberalism, maybe doesn't represent the gay population as avidly as the gay population tunes in, so it's good to hear the lead speaker here.