Foodies as the New Gentrifiers
The Brooklyn Paper has an article this morning about the gentrifying effect of upscale food establishments. The artists might get to a new neighborhood first, say the article, but in recent years, a new cafe or thin crust pizza restaurant is the sure sign that a neighborhood has hit its tipping point. “Food is the…
The Brooklyn Paper has an article this morning about the gentrifying effect of upscale food establishments. The artists might get to a new neighborhood first, say the article, but in recent years, a new cafe or thin crust pizza restaurant is the sure sign that a neighborhood has hit its tipping point. “Food is the new art in the urban cultural experience,” said Sharon Zukin, author of Naked City: The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Culture. “You used to have artists moving in and opening galleries, now there are foodies moving in and opening up cafes.” The examples are legion: K-Dog in Prospect Lefferts Garden, The Farm on Adderly in Ditmas Park, Northeast Kingdom followed by Roberta’s in Bushwick, Saraghina in Bed Stuy. Even Kensington made it only the foodie map recently with the opening of Brancaccio’s Food Shop. Of course, not all pioneering restaurateurs are met with success: Abigail’s proved too pricey for Crown Heights and Bread Stuy’s recents problems have been well publicized. Another other good examples you can think of? Surely the L Cafe in North Williamsburg and Diner in South Williamsburg deserved mention. Others?
Foodies Now Leading the Gentrification of Brooklyn [Brooklyn Paper]
Signof the times, you are so right about dinner parties.
How much better it is to have a big gathering at your house where you cook, eat good food, hang out, drink, talk, laugh, drink coffee, eat desert and the problem is getting people to go home rather than being bankrupted at a place that is eager to throw you out.
Locanda Vini e Olii, that place opened up back when most of the surrounding neighborhood couldn’t afford to dine there. now of course the neighborhood is a lot different, but to me that was a real example of a restaurant outside of its expected boundaries, staking a claim and having the area come around to it over time. for better or worse.
I think we might soon have to move to a white box in the sky. Twee-ness antidote.
“im sorry, but BARF!”
I know, the twee-ness is starting to overwhelm.
Oh, French food. Next on the list to try, thank you!
You know what’s really funny? I think the style of a restaurant or the retail serve to sort of uphold and reinforce or support whatever style of person they cater to.
When I was in Jackson Heights I felt extra invisible and alone because there wasn’t one establishment catering to my kind of taste, even though there were plenty of people in the neighborhood who would have gone to it. In fact, the closest thing was a dosa restaurant that seemed to attract the local Indians with PhDs.
Clearly the presence of NEK — well, there is a whole community of people that has formed around NEK and the people who work there. That was also true of some Williamsburg restaurants for a time.
No doubt this is equally true of other types of restaurants catering to, say, Ecuadorian expatriates, etc.
No, DH, what is Le Barricou!?
Posted by: mopar at March 1, 2010 11:19 AM
French spot, pretty good, super crowded.
No, DH, what is Le Barricou!?
“im sorry, but BARF!”
Ha ha you might have a point, Rob.