Wynwood has been experiencing a rapid transformation over the years with the advent of the "Art District" moniker. There is no doubt the city is more "visitable" than it was before the galleries moved in but at what cost? Since the housing boom in Miami started there has been a tremendous amount of gentrification throughout the Downtown area and it's surrounding cities. But with this gentrification comes the alienation of the people who have lived in those cities for generations. I agree with the fact that we need to help stir economy in poverty stricken areas, but to completely push people out with no option of bettering their own lives is wrong in my opinion. Case in point Wynwood. Current.com has an interesting short video titled Hipster in my Hood on the gentrification issue with interviews of gallery owners and local residents who share their point of views.
The first thing that struck me after watching the video was the the visible disconnect between the residents and the infringer's. There obviously has been no effort by the gallery owners to connect with the people of the city they are now inhabiting. Wynwood has been a working class city for generations and to simply move in and try to change things to their liking has alienated the long time residents.
What good do these galleries do if the people who visit them drive up, walk the gallery floor, then leave without spending time or money on the local eateries and markets? For example, I noticed while going through Flickr that a great majority of photos are of galleries being built, exhibits within galleries and of the people visiting the galleries. It's not a scientific experiment by no means but by simply searching flickr you can see where most peoples interest lies. Is art in Wynwood cultural, relevant or good if it does not represent the people of the city? Add to that the loss of culture, history, neighbors and higher taxes and you've good a brew of trouble. Personally I think change is good, but measured and balanced change. The video portrays seismic change which is evident in the resident interviews. If Wynwood were to lose it's culture it would not be what it is today. I personally love the markets, parks, atmosphere and rugged feel the city has now. Lose all that in Wynwood and what you've got is another Design District. I would love to hear your opinion on the issues. Leave some comments, discuss~
[Hat tip Duran]
There is no doubt in my mind the city of Miami sees Wynwood's potential to be Miami's answer to SoHo. In fact, I was driving a NYC resident a few months back around the area and they commented how amazing they thought the area was with all the railyards and that it reminded them A LOT of NYC.
I personally think Wynwood can keep its Puerto Rican/working class enclave and be Miami's art district if it tried. But alas, it's not going to happen.
My complaint about Wynwood is that the transformation happened way too fast. I saw rents go from $10-12/sqft to $25/sqft (requesting ONLY galleries as tenants) during the course of one year. Like Manhattan, when only the rich can rent, it rapidly gets boring.
where are you eating in wynwood? circa 28 and lost & found have prospered because of the arts district. some places have come & gone (bullfrogs/zion/stop) and the only other thing is a rotten supermarket. Give me more local eateries. most of my time in wynwood is spent hungry.
Is art in Wynwood cultural, relevant or good if it does not represent the people of the city?
90% of wynwood art is From south florida minus the major collections (marguillies/rubell/moca/steinbaum). Which artwalks have you been to where there is no relavent local culture?
I personally love the markets, parks, atmosphere and rugged feel the city has now.
how often do you go to the one park on 33rd street? also, theres practically no food before 36st. are you being general/?
build more galleries, flood out the suffering warehouse businesses, im still pretty sure you have a 60/40% chance of getting shot. Wynwood is the only place ive ever seen a dead body. if thats what you want to consider culture, buy a gun and feed into the violent frenzy while smoke some rocks. personally i think the gallerie growth is the best thing thats happened to miami, culturally. i like my job and the industry. its made me a stronger person. to say it has no culture is to live with head under rock.
WYNWOOD FTW
a) wynwood was an authentic mix of local culture AND galleries
or
b) wynwood was only local culture, and not mired under the pasta salad of galleries
or
c) wynwood was only galleries and not a warzone
everyone wants (a), but truthfully i dont think its realistic.
I want C.
i cant help but thing that: Gallery = Culture
d: i agree, but what can stop that?
miami is blowing up. ride the wave, you know you want to/are already contributing to it .
ill give you a perfect example: miami springs. just recently are they allowing chain stores to move into the circle, basically the commercial hub of the town. years before that it was sooooo depressing to go around there, basically outdated mom-n-pop stores that were just collecting dust anding nothing to the city. but because residents and the government were so opposed to change it took them a while to realize they were only hurting themselves.
Wynwood has a lot of quirky mom-n-pop cafeterias and just an all around great vibe. i hope those who are deciding Wynwood's future don't see it becoming basically part of this no-name conglomerate of former neighborhoods we our now calling "Midtown".
D: good response, I hadn't thought of that.
Art cant help but be a high price industry, but its still a positive force. imho 4life!
I think we can all agree the shops at midtown can go fuck itself.
it can really go in a number of directions at this point. This awareness we are discussing is a step in the right direction, so i still have hope.
wynwood walk it out (we will never forget)