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caverta Over the past quarter century or so,?hundreds of thousands of young people ??? "urban pioneers armed with optimism, hope, and more than a little moxie" ??? have streamed into New York, reclaiming a city their parents deserted for the suburbs. Gentrification is now one of the key issues facing the city. It began in the 1970s, in Soho, then the East Village in the 80s, followed by north Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in the 90s. Now gentrification has reached places like "Soha", as real-estate agents have rechristened south Harlem. But gentrification comes at a price. One long-term Harlem resident complains about a new cafe: "I went in there for a piece of cake and it was like four bucks! I can get a whole cake for four bucks. Obviously they don't want too many of?us in there." Helmreich admits that gentrification is a complex issue and that there are losers as well as winners. But he thinks it has transformed New York, and that this is one reason why the people he meets on his walks are so optimistic about the future of their city.