<
https://theconversation.com/are-rents-rising-in-your-philly-neighborhood-dont-blame-the-baristas-216887>
"Baristas who work in specialty coffee shops, along with hipsters more
generally, have been referred to as the “shock troops” of urban gentrification
– and it’s no different in Philadelphia. These servers of artisanal coffee
contribute to economic and demographic changes in neighborhoods in two ways.
First, they work in coffee shops that appeal to a new wave of middle-class
residents who can afford higher rents – while at the same time alienating
longtime and less economically advantaged residents.
Second, these baristas almost invariably live in gentrifying neighborhoods.
They don’t have much money, but they tend to exude a cool, white middle-class
presence. The appearance of specialty coffee shops and baristas signifies that
a neighborhood is becoming trendy and more expensive.
As a professor of sociology at Temple University who is fascinated with urban
artistic subcultures, I recently published a book called “Barista in the City”
with co-authors Keith McIntosh and Ewa Protasiuk. In 2019, we interviewed 61
baristas in a variety of gentrifying neighborhoods in Philadelphia, including
Fishtown, Kensington, Point Breeze and West Philadelphia.
We wanted to understand why baristas become gentrifiers and how they view their
role as agents of change."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
