Same situation as me growing up, and even then I had the exact same realization of this author (only without the "and that's a good thing" coat of paint) - that the ethnic-minority idea of a fun neighborhood is garish multi-colored apartment blocks bouncing side to side to the beat of constant noise and drama. Part and parcel of living in the big city!

Middle-class neighborhoods in Mexico (for what you can call middle class there) have constant music blaring into the streets and that's the way they like it, and they wonder why successful people who value peace and quiet don't want to stay there. IIRC The Bell Curve describes the rich vs poor divide there pretty well and how demographics are making it a reality in America.