Abstract
For nearly twenty years, 111 1st Street, a former tobacco warehouse, stood as the vibrant center of the arts community in Jersey City, New Jersey. The owner of 111 1st Street evicted its resident artists in 2005 and demolished the building in 2007. Artists are often viewed as an integral component to the gentrification process. However, the case of 111 1st Street suggests a possible alteration to the typical, gradual process of gentrification and challenges the established scholarship on the relationship between artists and gentrification. This thesis will use interviews and original research to recreate the narrative and history of 111 1st Street, focusing on the events surrounding its demise and its ultimate destruction. Additionally, this thesis will utilize 111 1st Street to highlight any resulting gaps in current gentrification theory.
