Key takeaways
After the park was built, increased foot traffic revitalized the local business scene, but the rising rents that same vibrancy created led to the departure of longtime residents and small business owners running laundromats, hair salons, and similar shops. Fact That said, more recent data also shows some signs of rents gradually adjusting downward. Fact
The ones who benefit are the corporate-backed storefronts able to afford the rent, and the building owners. The ones forced to relocate are the longtime residents and small business owners. And the ones who lose the street's original identity, as a result, are the very people who built this neighborhood in the first place.
What to look for on site
- The contrast between corporate-backed storefronts and the old shops that remain
- Vacant storefronts that might hint at recent rent adjustments (varies by when you visit)
- Traces of the old residential neighborhood still scattered through the street
A structural question worth carrying with you
Who ends up owning the vibrancy a park creates? FIT TRIP won't answer that for you. But it's worth carrying the question as you walk.