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The closest thing I've seen is the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It's sort of similar in some ways with lots of vintage clothing stores and whatnot, but the built environment is very different. Is there anything in the USA similar to KM not only in terms of the types of businesses, but in terms of the built environment. KM has lots of businesses set well back from the street (many occupy old houses) that allow ample room for them to display their wares out front (or for ample patio seating if they're a bar/restaurant). Even the businesses closer to the street have an "open" feeling between the sidewalk and the inside of the store as long as the weather is nice, instead of doors that are kept shut.
If you're unfamiliar with KM, here are some Google Street Views to give you an idea of the look and feel.
I guess a little, but I'm not seeing a lot of clothing stores and fruit/vegetable markets displaying a lot of their wares outside with their doors kept open. Or a lot of bars/restaurants with big patios out front. And the streets look a lot wider than Kensington. In Kensington the streets are so narrow and the traffic moves so slow that it's almost like a pseudo-pedestrian/bicycle mall.
A little bit like Pasyunk Sq in Philly; maybe Bella Vista
Based on the pics it doesnt look too much like the Lower East side to me at all
Not the built environment, but the businesses (vintage clothing stores, indy record shops, funky bars and restaurants are similar). The LES' buildings are too close to the street for a lot of room to display wares outside with the business doors kept open. Or for large outdoor patios between restaurants and the sidewalk. The LES doesn't seem to have as many fruit/vegetable markets either. LES has also been getting some highrises in-between the old lowrise buildings, which would never be allowed in KM. One other thing, there are no wide streets cutting through KM. All the streets are very narrow where vehicular traffic moves very, very slowly.
A little bit like Pasyunk Sq in Philly; maybe Bella Vista
I look at that on Google, and don't see any similarities. It seems to be almost 100% residential. I was talking more a place with clothing stores and food markets spilling out into the sidewalk, lots of restaurants with patios, almost 100% independent businesses (as opposed to chains), no banks, drug stores, or other banal businesses, narrow streets, slow moving traffic, an alternative, almost hippie-ish feel (like the "Roach or Rama", "Serving potheads since..uh I forget") place:
I look at that on Google, and don't see any similarities. It seems to be almost 100% residential. I was talking more a place with clothing stores and food markets spilling out into the sidewalk, lots of restaurants with patios, almost 100% independent businesses (as opposed to chains), no banks, drug stores, or other banal businesses, narrow streets, slow moving traffic, an alternative, almost hippie-ish feel (like the "Roach or Rama", "Serving potheads since..uh I forget") place:
Wicker Park and Bucktown in Chicago has strips of shopping, much of which includes clothing thrift stores.
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