It's a common scene: A friend from out of town is visiting. You show her around and explain some history about the neighborhoods you're exploring. "This is the Mission. It used to be a predominantly Latino neighborhood, but it's been brutally gentrified." You tsk over $11 cocktails. And then you stop and wonder: Wait, am I a gentrifier?
Slate sought to answer this question. They asked Ingrid Gould Ellen, a professor of public policy and urban planning at New York University, to help them concoct a formula. Ellen's input on what denotes gentrification: "If your neighborhood’s median income is lower than the median income of your city, and your income is higher than your city’s median, you’re a gentrifier."
The result: a calculator that uses your income, the type of household you live in and your zip code to brand you a gentrifier or not.
While you wait for your results, a loading window flits from "Opening a juice bar" and "Chasing a taco truck" to "Going to brunch" and "Sipping artisanal coffee." It's an attempt at humor because you might stop smiling after you find out your result.
