I'm just tryna get home... 47th Street

Many people may know, but I always seem to have a story about my adventures of taking the #47 bus and Green line to church on Sundays. It really never fails. I recall when venturing to church on Easter Sunday last year, this brotha asked me "since it's the holiday and all, why don't you partake with me in a lil' wine," as he breaks out his flask. Really brotha? On the day that Jesus rose from dying for our sins? My people...

Part 1:
So I'm now addicted to attending 8am service. You can't beat getting the Word first thing in the morning, getting out at 10am and having the entire day to yourself. Yesterday, I'm traveling back home from church, and as I get on the #47 bus, I see most of the passengers eyes glued to a scene outside. The bus driver turns around and says to everybody, "you see they got that boy." Undercover cops have a man hemmed up against a store by the 47th Street Green line station. One cop is choking the brotha, while the other is holding his arms. It's obvious the man is trying to swallow whatever contraband he had on him and they're trying to make sure he doesn't. Next thing I know the man is flailing his arms and legs, kicking at the cops... they continue to break him down and until he vomits up whatever he has in his mouth. A crackhead starts bothering the cops and they have to hit at her. Next thing you know, they have this man cuffed, reading him his rights and scraping up the drugs that he threw up on the ground. I felt like I was watching a scene out of The Wire. Once again... my people.

You are probably wondering why am I able to see all of this. Because the bus driver says "I am running ahead of schedule so we can sit here for a few minutes..." Really brotha? What if something had popped off, where this man's cronies wanted to go out blazing. I don't need that... *sigh*

Part 2:
I am fully aware that 47th street is going through gentrification. It has been since I moved to the Chi four years ago. There are million dollar homes in the area and the area is truly becoming diverse, however I am hoping to know from one of my fellow Chicagoans (or anyone who is very knowledgable about gentrification and how it worked in other cities) why it is taking so long for the area to come full circle.