Friday, February 22, 2008

Thru Being Cool?


So -- Gawker today gawked at the NY Observer's claim that Williamsburg has finally seen it's day: So, with its mix of hipster residue and tragically suburban folk, Bedford Avenue finally completed its transformation into the new Avenue A.... Me being no resident of NY saw of course the same "No Duh" parallels with our own beloved Capitol Hill. We've got our Bridge (520) and Tunnel (i90) crowds coming in, as well as people who have decided they want that 'artsy urban livin' that is pushing my friends out of overpriced neighborhoods and causing all kinds of tensions, criminal and otherwise.
I caught myself thinking the other day -- where did the party move to? It seems that right after the Belmont/Pine Block blew up, there isn't anything on the hill that's spectacular. Things are starting to lose their luster... (case in point, Septieme's new color change). I started to think about maybe there is some surburban enclave where bohemians are actually doing things (versus buying things). I hypothesized if I were to open a really interesting bar in someplace like Renton, would I get the hip, single-somethings or the burb-family's looking for a night out?
But maybe not... A few interesting coffee shops and bars will just bring in the same people. And the whole issue of "gayborhoods" going the way of gentrification. And not just in Seattle... There seems to be a drying up of interesting places. I've heard the death knoll for neighborhoods like Silverlake, all the way to cities like Berlin which are unfathomably huge and too big to sustain the influx of bland-minded urbanites.
Maybe the creative class is too big. Maybe it's inclusive of too many people who appreciate the arts, but not enough. Maybe the lure of moving to somewhere for the 'interesting people' ends up enveloping itself with imitators. Maybe the people who do stuff are people who have a low profile, live in obscure corners and acknowledge noone. Maybe the party isn't. Maybe it's all hermetically sealed and not allowed for public consumption. I know this is elitist, but hey - i would group myself in the team that's probably not doing alot... so maybe I am one of the boorish masses who spills out onto the pavement at 2am and breaks my beer bottle against a parking sign, gets in fights and then wakes up on monday to do it all over again.

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