By banning chain stores in a four block area, planners may attempt to keep gentrification in check around popular and super-hip Hayes Valley.
Gourmet restaurants and pricey accessory stores are now the norm in Hayes Valley, but the four block area used to be an neighborhood filled with liquor, drugs and prostitution. Some local businesses that helped fuel the turnaround are now being forced out by the high rents. But who deserves to enjoy the fruits of the recent revitalization? "When de Jager [a Hayes Valley heating and plumbing business owner] wants a cocktail after work, he'd like something cheaper than the $7 offerings at fashionable Absinthe across the street. Especially for drinks with names like "Dapper Apple."'
Thanks to Ratna Amin
Read the full story: A changing Hayes Valley wants to retain funky vibe
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Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
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