7 ms·

I like the message, but I also think it cuts both ways. Take Chicago for example. When I moved to Chicago five years ago, Wicker Park was the "hipster" neighbo

by j2kun 11y ago

I like the message, but I also think it cuts both ways. Take Chicago for example. When I moved to Chicago five years ago, Wicker Park was the "hipster" neighborhood, where many of the exciting cultural events (at least for people in my age group, young 20 somethings) were happening. By the next year, Wicker Park had become too trendy and gentrified, and all the hipsters moved further west to Logan Square. Today Logan Square is too upscale, and the hipsters have moved south into Pilsen, forcing many of the local hispanic families out of the neighborhood because of rising prices. Now there are organic juice bars sprouting up in Pilsen and the gentrification process is starting anew. This is almost exactly the pattern described in the article, except it's the people who want authentic communities that are causing the problem! It's a catch-22: if you don't like your community you can try to go elsewhere, but a few years after you do you will hate your vapid community again. In this case it's the drive for culture that causes monoculture. Once something is seen as authentic people flock to it and it becomes trite. How can you deal with that?

m_mueller 11y ago
Maybe the question that should be asked is why a large part of the population can't afford to live in a hip place in town, so what's left at the end is only rich people and banks. I think there's two aspects to this: (1) Income inequality and (2) smart zoning laws. I think (1) has been discussed ad nauseam but for (2) see Japan as an example: http://urbankchoze.blogspot.jp/2014/04/japanese-zoning.html http://urbankchoze.blogspot.jp/2014/04/japanese-zoning.html. I live in Tokyo and I have to say - while there is still the business district that noone can afford and the gentrification process is somewhat visible in some places (however IMO slower than elsewhere), it's really not too hard to live in a place with lots of small business, shops, nice restaurants and locals to talk to. We pay <1000$ rent and have a three small supermarkets, ~15 good restaurants, 2 train stations, a recreational park with big pond and all kinds of small shops do get whatever supply you need, all within 10min walking distance. And this place is far from exceptional in Tokyo, this city is basically a huge spread of small towns grown together and connected with a train system on steroids. And I think zoning laws is probably one of the most important influences on why this happens - basically you can build an expensive house, a cheap apartment building, a restaurant, a medium sized supermarket, an estate agency and a fish tank supply shop all in the same block here - and that's also what actually happens. I've never seen this sort of chaotic mix in Europe or the US, but I think this is exactly what you need for a thriving community that stays this way.
- j2kun 11y ago
  Well the problem starts right after the hipsters move in, because they displace the local families. At least this is the current concern being voiced by those in Pilsen.
floatrock 11y ago
> In this case it's the drive for culture that causes monoculture. It's the drive for a culture that can be commodified and packaged up that causes monoculture. I was passing through times square the other week. One of the 10-story tall LED billboards had a girl in underwear with the tagline "No retouching on this girl! The real you is sexy." We seem to be disillusioned, and that makes authenticity in advertising hot. So find the hottest authentic girl, package her up, and mass-produce her authenticity. The way out is to build your cultural values around that which cannot be commodified. Value authentic authenticity, and value the things that can't be measured in dollars and economic efficiency. We've known what that is: self-expression, creativity, friendship, family, and love. What we struggle with is recognizing fake authenticity. For some reason we value hallmark love more than a handwritten note because the hallmark typeset is more refined or it has a more clever tagline or the art on the cover will supposedly evoke a deeper emotion than any stick figure I'm capable of drawing. We've been conditioned to think the best expression of our love is something that can be bought in the card isle, and we've forgotten that our love is actually ours to give freely. The only way out of the catch-22 is to decondition your way out of the value and belief system that perpetuates the catch-22. What's the old adage? Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth: there is no spoon.

by j2kun 11y ago

m_mueller 11y ago

Maybe the question that should be asked is why a large part of the population can't afford to live in a hip place in town, so what's left at the end is only rich people and banks. I think there's two aspects to this: (1) Income inequality and (2) smart zoning laws. I think (1) has been discussed ad nauseam but for (2) see Japan as an example: http://urbankchoze.blogspot.jp/2014/04/japanese-zoning.html http://urbankchoze.blogspot.jp/2014/04/japanese-zoning.html. I live in Tokyo and I have to say - while there is still the business district that noone can afford and the gentrification process is somewhat visible in some places (however IMO slower than elsewhere), it's really not too hard to live in a place with lots of small business, shops, nice restaurants and locals to talk to. We pay <1000$ rent and have a three small supermarkets, ~15 good restaurants, 2 train stations, a recreational park with big pond and all kinds of small shops do get whatever supply you need, all within 10min walking distance. And this place is far from exceptional in Tokyo, this city is basically a huge spread of small towns grown together and connected with a train system on steroids. And I think zoning laws is probably one of the most important influences on why this happens - basically you can build an expensive house, a cheap apartment building, a restaurant, a medium sized supermarket, an estate agency and a fish tank supply shop all in the same block here - and that's also what actually happens. I've never seen this sort of chaotic mix in Europe or the US, but I think this is exactly what you need for a thriving community that stays this way.

j2kun 11y ago
Well the problem starts right after the hipsters move in, because they displace the local families. At least this is the current concern being voiced by those in Pilsen.

floatrock 11y ago

> In this case it's the drive for culture that causes monoculture. It's the drive for a culture that can be commodified and packaged up that causes monoculture. I was passing through times square the other week. One of the 10-story tall LED billboards had a girl in underwear with the tagline "No retouching on this girl! The real you is sexy." We seem to be disillusioned, and that makes authenticity in advertising hot. So find the hottest authentic girl, package her up, and mass-produce her authenticity. The way out is to build your cultural values around that which cannot be commodified. Value authentic authenticity, and value the things that can't be measured in dollars and economic efficiency. We've known what that is: self-expression, creativity, friendship, family, and love. What we struggle with is recognizing fake authenticity. For some reason we value hallmark love more than a handwritten note because the hallmark typeset is more refined or it has a more clever tagline or the art on the cover will supposedly evoke a deeper emotion than any stick figure I'm capable of drawing. We've been conditioned to think the best expression of our love is something that can be bought in the card isle, and we've forgotten that our love is actually ours to give freely. The only way out of the catch-22 is to decondition your way out of the value and belief system that perpetuates the catch-22. What's the old adage? Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth: there is no spoon.