Bloglanta

If you’re looking at a community for the first time, the stores there are like a juke box.   What’s in the jukebox can tell you an awful lot about whom the place is trying to attract.  Cafes are especially a good juke box.  They make money for their communities, but also provide a cultural service.  They also help define the intended clients for the community. 
When Waffle House wanted to start attracting a Hispanic clientel they added Hispanic songs to their boxes.  The Corner Tavern in East Point has a Juke Box with smart music from all sorts of genres… you get the idea.
So let’s look at some neighborhoods: 
o Cabbagetown:   A few informal but upscale restaurants, post grunge funky clothiers,  the Habitat for Humanity Store…  Clearly for the unpretentious and not corporately concerned.  A place for people with a conscience, not car fix.  Ani Difranco & Steve Earle listeners welcome.
o Vinings:  Lots of merchant packaging with a similar producer.  Restaurants of are up scale and traditional.  Clothiers cater to women who may work, but want to do the mommy too.  Lots of Sinatra here, but never more ethnic than Sammy Davis.
o Decatur:   Diverse upscale restaurants, Gay friendly tracks, smart up scale galleries and shopping, and one of Atlanta’s best Hip Hop record shops tucked in (at 145-B!), just to remind you that they are open to anyone…as long as their upscale.  Norah Jones-ville with some Carolyn Aiken for the old school feelies. 
Guess which neighborhood is Klezmer Punk!  Which used to have a heavy Morrissey feel, but is increasingly filled with the Mandy Moore versions instead!  Measure your own neighborhood this way.  You might be living in Brittney Spears land!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 1st, 2005 at 2:19 am and is filed under Stupid Development Tricks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.