March 29, 2012 | 9:44 AM | By

Gentrification, HBO Style

Gentrification is an emotionally-charged subject — so much so that an entire television series will be devoted to documenting a neighborhood in transition.

Premium cable network HBO is developing a new drama series following longtime Latino residents as they face gentrification and an influx of white professionals into their Los Angeles neighborhood. The show will be based on the book “The Madonnas of Echo Park” by Brando Skyhorse.

If D.C.’s gentrification were to get the HBO-treatment, which neighborhood’s story should be told?


The Madonnas of Echo Park will examine the lives of the Latinos who built their Los Angeles neighborhood from their personal relationships to their careers as they struggle to make peace with the changes to their home from an influx of hipsters who are rapidly changing the face of the area. The novel looks at the complexities of two different groups sharing a home and attempting to live with each other’s differences. The plotline seems to echo the sentiments of many such neighborhoods facing gentrification and fighting to keep their cultural identity, and may well resonate with those audiences.

Read more at: www.cinemablend.com

  • chinitachow

    Columbia heights for sure !!! 

  • Patroni

    H-Street would be my bet. Depending on how you look at it, the “damage” is already done in Columbia Heights.