Million Dollar Listing New York realtor Fredrik Eklund says criticism that NYC is becoming a “playground for the rich” is fair — sometimes.
The luxury real estate broker tackles the issue on this week’s episode of the Bravo show, which sees him sell his $225million development Steiner East Village.
During the episode he has a conversation with his chauffeur Alberto who talks about how his mother fears that older people are being pushed out of the area with prices being pushed up because of gentrification.
Eklund admits that a lot of people blame people in his profession for driving up prices to sky-high levels. But he says it can also be a good thing.
Eklund says: “I don’t want to pretend that gentrification isn’t there. It’s there, it’s a real issue. The fact is, and I acknowledge that, that people from all kinds of income levels actually have an issue in what I do for a living.
“And some of the criticism that people make is that New York is becoming a playground for the rich, and I think that the criticism is fair — sometimes.”
He then gives Manhattan’s Meatpacking District as an example where gentrification has had a positive effect, turning the area from a rough and dangerous neighborhood into somewhere that people can live and thrive.
He says: “Gentrification completely change it in just a matter of a few years. Back when I came to New York only 13 years ago it was kind of dangerous, it was kind of run-down.”
This week’s episode of Million Dollar Listing New York also sees Ryan Serhant hold an event which completely falls flat when he tries to make it just about the building.
Meanwhile, model turned realtor Steve Gold his patience, nerves, and even his cycling skills tested by his co-lister.
Million Dollar Listing New York airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Bravo.