You Know Your Neighborhood Is ‘In’ When . . . .
Venice. Melrose. Silver Lake. Echo Park. Downtown. Mt. Washington. Eagle Rock. The march of “in†’hoods goes on and on, morphing L.A., it seems, into some Warholian cityscape where every urban enclave will bask in the limelight for a mere 15 minutes. Whether you’re a landlord itching to jack up the rent or a pathetic square wondering if geography has suddenly made you cool, knowing when and if the capricious tornado of trendiness has touched down on the street where you live is crucial. So rather than rely on guesswork, here are 12 time-tested indicators that say, “Congratulations, your neighborhood has finally arrived.
1. The old greasy spoon opens a wine bar.
2. There’s at least one Dennis Woodruff vehicle stationed on your block.
3. You get your own “adjacent†designation in the real estate ads.
4. Boutiques pop up catering exclusively to shoppers from Japan.
5. Painted-over storefronts reinvent themselves as “artist studios,†while any ratty space above street level is automatically dubbed a “loft.â€
6. You overhear people arguing over who was hip to your old haunt first.
7. Businesses where you went for useful services such as new keys and auto repair are replaced by those purveying something precious and unnecessary--but still retain the old name.
8. A sitcom bearing your ZIP Code is in development.
9. Your immigrants are transplants from the Westside, the suburbs and the American Heartland.
10. Your police precinct records a sharp spike in parking space-related assaults.
11. Local street characters show up in Nike ads.
12. You escape to some far-flung turf to find an uncrowded bar and discover that all your neighbors are already there.â€
