Oh No Not Normal Heights!! (Kensington, Mission Hills: hair salon, rent, house)

[sdlife619]

Boy oh boy, it's been all but maybe a year to 8 months since I have driven down Adams ave, and I am not happy with the changes I saw yesterday.

My once beloved "Low Key" "Cool" Normal Heights neighborhood has been hit hard by gentrification. As many know by now, I am hugely against gentrification, and what it does to older neighborhoods, not only in terms of displacing average to poor working class families, but it wipes out the unique character that gives these places their charm. I was disgusted by what I saw block after block down Adams, some older businesses I still recognized, but it seems like more and more "Trendy" hair salons, and just general "Trendy" crap businesses have moved in the past year, and basically making the neighborhood look a little more upscale in certain spots. I remember just 2 years ago, it was more of a hipster haven, with punk kids roaming around, especially around Lestats, now the Yuppies have moved in, baby pushers with their fancy brand new expensive Lexus's and Beemer's trying to feel as if they moved into Mission Hills

Well many businesses have popped up to cater to this crowd, and it really sucks.

Just about every business has had major face lifts, older buildings all but remodeled, and painted in Pink Can it get any worse! Jesus! I almost wanted to puke after what I saw. I wish the hipsters would move back in and make the area less lame, too late, the Yuppies have classed many people out of that neighborhood, including the Hipsters.

I am utterly disgusted, even going towards the corner Market next to Antique Row Cafe, looks way different.

I hope it doesn't get worse, when nothing but high end waste moves in and destroys all the old school character in Normal Heights. I miss the old paint on the Lestats building, now it's a huge blob of Pink Peachy paint. I wonder why?? Mmmmmm....oh yeah, now they are trying to lure the Yups from Starbucks across the street, when before they couldn't care less.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

Boy oh boy, it's been all but maybe a year to 8 months since I have driven down Adams ave, and I am not happy with the changes I saw yesterday.

My once beloved "Low Key" "Cool" Normal Heights neighborhood has been hit hard by gentrification. As many know by now, I am hugely against gentrification, and what it does to older neighborhoods, not only in terms of displacing average to poor working class families, but it wipes out the unique character that gives these places their charm. I was disgusted by what I saw block after block down Adams, some older businesses I still recognized, but it seems like more and more "Trendy" hair salons, and just general "Trendy" crap businesses have moved in the past year, and basically making the neighborhood look a little more upscale in certain spots. I remember just 2 years ago, it was more of a hipster haven, with punk kids roaming around, especially around Lestats, now the Yuppies have moved in, baby pushers with their fancy brand new expensive Lexus's and Beemer's trying to feel as if they moved into Mission Hills

Well many businesses have popped up to cater to this crowd, and it really sucks.

Just about every business has had major face lifts, older buildings all but remodeled, and painted in Pink Can it get any worse! Jesus! I almost wanted to puke after what I saw. I wish the hipsters would move back in and make the area less lame, too late, the Yuppies have classed many people out of that neighborhood, including the Hipsters.

I am utterly disgusted, even going towards the corner Market next to Antique Row Cafe, looks way different.

I hope it doesn't get worse, when nothing but high end waste moves in and destroys all the old school character in Normal Heights. I miss the old paint on the Lestats building, now it's a huge blob of Pink Peachy paint. I wonder why?? Mmmmmm....oh yeah, now they are trying to lure the Yups from Starbucks across the street, when before they couldn't care less.

This entire post just makes me angry. This is my old neighborhood too, my favorite area I have ever lived in SD. I love, or should I say loved Normal Heights! I haven't been through there in over a year or so. I stopped going because these changes were already taking place. Like you, I hate gentrification.

Normal Heights had a lot of character and charm and at one time, you could rent a pretty decent place for a very good price. I lived by myself there for 6 years. Please tell me, is Mama Mia Pizza still there?

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

Boy oh boy, it's been all but maybe a year to 8 months since I have driven down Adams ave, and I am not happy with the changes I saw yesterday.

My once beloved "Low Key" "Cool" Normal Heights neighborhood has been hit hard by gentrification. As many know by now, I am hugely against gentrification, and what it does to older neighborhoods, not only in terms of displacing average to poor working class families, but it wipes out the unique character that gives these places their charm. I was disgusted by what I saw block after block down Adams, some older businesses I still recognized, but it seems like more and more "Trendy" hair salons, and just general "Trendy" crap businesses have moved in the past year, and basically making the neighborhood look a little more upscale in certain spots. I remember just 2 years ago, it was more of a hipster haven, with punk kids roaming around, especially around Lestats, now the Yuppies have moved in, baby pushers with their fancy brand new expensive Lexus's and Beemer's trying to feel as if they moved into Mission Hills

Well many businesses have popped up to cater to this crowd, and it really sucks.

Just about every business has had major face lifts, older buildings all but remodeled, and painted in Pink Can it get any worse! Jesus! I almost wanted to puke after what I saw. I wish the hipsters would move back in and make the area less lame, too late, the Yuppies have classed many people out of that neighborhood, including the Hipsters.

I am utterly disgusted, even going towards the corner Market next to Antique Row Cafe, looks way different.

I hope it doesn't get worse, when nothing but high end waste moves in and destroys all the old school character in Normal Heights. I miss the old paint on the Lestats building, now it's a huge blob of Pink Peachy paint. I wonder why?? Mmmmmm....oh yeah, now they are trying to lure the Yups from Starbucks across the street, when before they couldn't care less.

Yeah I know what you mean about how its changed over the past decade or so. I am curious how long these trends will ultimately last for.

On a side note: Your rants remind of music fans that were into a band when they were starting and playing the club circuit (aka the "real fans"). Once they made it big time, those fans turned their back on the band because they were now sellouts and have a whole new audience. Music may have never changed but the crowd did, thus its not "your" band anymore.

[NYSD1995]

My brother has owned a house there for almost 20 years - he loves what's happened to the neighborhood - in fact he's now an owner of a prominent business on Adams.

Why would you complain about something that you have nothing invested in? How is it "your neighborhood" if you never owned anything there or contributed to it in any way? The folks who contributed and made it what it is now, live there, own homes there, and raise kids there. They get to decide what the neighborhood looks like. Maybe you should try the same thing in your own neighborhood.

[PollyGlott]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

My brother has owned a house there for almost 20 years - he loves what's happened to the neighborhood - in fact he's now an owner of a prominent business on Adams.
Why would you complain about something that you have nothing invested in? How is it "your neighborhood" if you never owned anything there or contributed to it in any way? The folks who contributed and made it what it is now, live there, own homes there, and raise kids there. They get to decide what the neighborhood looks like. Maybe you should try the same thing in your own neighborhood.

I agree!
I have lived in Kensington (adjacent to Normal Heights) for over 10 years, and drive through N.H. daily. The fact that some buildings/areas are being cleaned up, repaired, spruced up or modernized can't possibly be bad for those who live or work there.
Those who might prefer that it look old/neglected/funky probably aren't residents, and no doubt wouldn't want their own neighborhood to look that way.

[kettlepot]

I have become very encouraged that at least a smidgen of the gentrification bug has finally hit Normal Heights. It needed it.

I always knew the business district, at least the western end, had potential as a dining and entertainment spot. However, it will take a lot more than improvement to the commercial area to fix the disaster created by the Huffmanization of the south-of-Adams portion of the neighborhood. In the mean time, I say bring on as much gentrification as the area can attract. Maybe then the eastern part of Adams Avenue in Normal Heights will become pedestrian friendly as well. But let's face it, and it is sad to say, because of the Huffmans, the area will never become a truly nice neighborhood. There will always be a certain dumpiness to it that will make certain people feel (^^^^^) at home.

[skeke]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

I have become very encouraged that at least a smidgen of the gentrification bug has finally hit Normal Heights. It needed it.

I always knew the business district, at least the western end, had potential as a dining and entertainment spot. However, it will take a lot more than improvement to the commercial area to fix the disaster created by the Huffmanization of the south-of-Adams portion of the neighborhood. In the mean time, I say bring on as much gentrification as the area can attract. Maybe then the eastern part of Adams Avenue in Normal Heights will become pedestrian friendly as well. But let's face it, and it is sad to say, because of the Huffmans, the area will never become a truly nice neighborhood. There will always be a certain dumpiness to it that will make certain people feel (^^^^^) at home.

I'm out of the loop here. Who are the Huffmans?

[sdlife619]

I used to hang out in Normal Heights all the time with friends, and my grandmother worked at an old little market off Adams when I was a kid, so I spent much time enjoying the funkiness, grittiness, and it's low key factor of NH over the years. I guess I really dislike yuppies for the fact they make these older neighborhoods very expensive out of thin air, and make people like myself and others that are not uppity at all, less comfortable to shop and eat out unlike a year or 2 ago. I understand it's great to clean up old spots of the neighborhood, but if I lived in Normal Heights, and saw all the rehabbing going on, I would definitely take notice and be prepared for a rent increase. This a consequence of gentrification. Even if I was wealthy, I still wouldn't be for Normal Heights changing into another North Park.

Mama Mia's is still there, the building is also peachy pink.

Peachy Pink is a new trend in color it seems, it's god awful if you ask me. SD is not Miami.

Hopefully in time, maybe another 10 years, or if the economy tanks again, gentrification will reverse itself. When all the wealthy young people today living in the urban sectors of SD are aging, have kids, they will want a more quiet place to live. Or they might simply get tired of these area's, and want out. If this happens, businesses close, especially the trendy one's, and things will go back to being "Normal" in Normal Heights.

[sdjimbob]

Originally Posted by skeke

I'm out of the loop here. Who are the Huffmans?

Not who, what. I had to look it up myself. I typically refer to them as crappy multiplexes that took the place of charming single family homes.

You'll know you're on a street affected by them whenever the following is true:
-no street parking after 3 pm
-car break-ins common
-For-Rent signs constantly out
-heavy street traffic

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by sdlife619

I understand it's great to clean up old spots of the neighborhood, but if I lived in Normal Heights, and saw all the rehabbing going on, I would definitely take notice and be prepared for a rent increase.

Spoken like a renter.