I think the real change in this neighborhood occurred during the 50s and 60s when the so-called white flight happened. But people complain about this Neighborhood changing, gentrifying, maybe caucasians moving in. And a Starbucks. The total opposite than of what happened during white flight. You certainly had all these immigrants stores opening up. I wonder if people were complaining back then about the bodegas on their block taking away business from their own coffee shops and delis
I would say that in the 1960's, the immigrants saved neighborhoods from becoming another abandoned Detroit. (Detroit of today where they have lost over 50% of their population from their demographic peak)
NY was shrinking in population due to the white flight in the same way in that 1950's/60's/70's/80's era.
You can tell this was definitely occurring in Jackson Heights because Historic District co-ops had decreased greatly in price in the 1960's/1970's. (and then 1980's due to JH becoming a drug center for NYC)
Co-ops were worth less because folks were fleeing NYC and population was decreasing.
So, I imagine business folks were GRATEFUL for the immigrant influx.
More folks = more business.
