Over the past few weeks I have
presented a series of locations and discussed how each location was very
unique. In a way it is what makes San Francisco so special. No matter where you
are in the city, you will find something new and something interesting to
observe. Sadly, not all areas contain things that are nice to examine. Like all
major cities, there are slums and areas of low-income residents. The Tenderloin District is San Francisco’s low-income
district. Surrounding the Tenderloin are various other districts, all unique,
and all different. While some may have been considered one in the same with the
tenderloin in the past, it is very easy to see how gentrification has changed
these areas. These areas are now filled with modern stores, up and coming
restaurants, and hip hangouts. What I found most interesting to observe between
these two neighborhoods was the change in signage. This was a clear example to
me of how the city is rapidly changing and improving. The city is very fluid,
and by observing this change, I wondered how long it would be until the
tenderloin was no longer the cities slum.
Taking a look at
some of the signage within the Tenderloin, it is easy to see who the target
audience is. “Check cashing”, “We buy gold”, “Cigarettes and pipes” are some
examples of signage. It is clear to see that the signage of this area
represents the low-income residents that live within the neighborhood. After
observing more of the signs, and taking into consideration the audience of
these signs, it was easy for me to infer that these signs represent the wants
and needs of the residents who live in the Tenderloin. Because these residents
are low-income residents, the signage must appeal to this market.
Just a few blocks
from the Tenderloin lays a neighborhood that is undergoing the process of
gentrification. This location is known as South of Market, or SOMA for short.
While SOMA used to be an area of low-income residents, SOMA is rapidly changing
to fit the needs of the growing middle class of the city. Many buildings are
being rebuilt, many new stores are being put in, and many of the low-income
residents are being pushed into the Tenderloin district. You can easily see
this by walking down the street. The signage in SOMA is quite different from
the signage in the tenderloin. Signs that read for art stores, high-end grocery
stores, and small business outweigh the amount of decaying buildings and closed
stores. It is easy to see how the process of gentrification is changing the
neighborhood, and changing the sense of place.
Something I found
incredibly amusing was the amount of history I could still see in these
neighborhoods. From the street planning catalogues at the Library archive, to
the light fixtures with displays of the gold rush, the history of San Francisco
has been kept alive in these neighborhoods. It will be interesting to see what
the future holds for these neighborhoods. Will gentrification purge the city of
ne’er-do-wells? Will the tenderloin forever be the slum of San Francisco? Will
the history of these locations be preserved for years to come? Only time will
tell.
