The fairy tale characters of "Once Upon a Time" are going to face a different kind of curse in Season 7, one feared by city dwellers everywhere: gentrification.

"OUAT" creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz explained to Entertainment Weekly how Season 7's new, different curse has affected adult Henry (Andrew J. West), Regina (Lana Parrilla), Hook (Colin O'Donoghue), and Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle).

And it all centers around Lady Tremaine (Gabrielle Anwar), evil stepmother of Cinderella (Dania Ramirez).

"Lady Tremaine doesn't like Cinderella very much and she's got an agenda. But there is something broiling beneath that's personal and painful that is driving all of this," Horowitz said.

Kitsis added, "She's somebody who wants to get to the top and will use any means necessary. So why it's important for her to be royal, why it's important for her to crush everyone else, is the story of the year. In true 'Once Upon a Time' fashion, evil isn't born, it's made, and we'll see that with her as well."

While Lady Tremaine didn't necessarily cast the curse, she takes advantage of the its memory-wiping effects as a ruthless urban developer seeking to gentrify Hyperion Heights, where the fairy tale characters live. This way, she can scatter the them to the wind and prevent them from teaming up against her.

"You push them the hell out and you gentrify the neighborhood and you bring in a cold press juicer and they can't afford it anymore," Kitsis said, "Then you won't worry about the Pied Piper finding, you know, Alice [in Wonderland, now played by Rose Reynolds]."

"Once Upon a Time" Season 7 premieres Friday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. on aBC.