You touch on a tension I had not thought about before, that between the old and new in terms of generational change. As someone living in Valencia I am also uneasy at the rapid gentrification of the city (and yes, as a Brit, fully aware I am part of the problem, sorry :/ ).
I tend to take all these vibey-but-samey coffee shops as eye-rolling signs of that happening, especially when there were barely any when I moved here six years ago. On the other hand, if you're in your twenties, don't drink so much anymore and still live with your parents (all trends seen across the EU and UK), then is it any wonder we see the proliferation of so many vibey third space coffee places popping up?
Maybe this is what the community wants, and I just don't 'get it', the same way I suddenly don't 'get' fashion like I did even 5 years ago (sob).
Thanks for sharing your experience Emma! I see cities as self evolving beings and change is just part of it. In the case of Madrid, I worry most decisions are made to cater to tourism and that affects all generations, although it pushes or isolates the elderly first. Just to give an example, all trees in Plaza de Santa Ana were removed, forcing people to consume at the many restaurants’ terraces while leaving no chance to enjoy some shade in an otherwise beautiful public square.
You touch on a tension I had not thought about before, that between the old and new in terms of generational change. As someone living in Valencia I am also uneasy at the rapid gentrification of the city (and yes, as a Brit, fully aware I am part of the problem, sorry :/ ).
I tend to take all these vibey-but-samey coffee shops as eye-rolling signs of that happening, especially when there were barely any when I moved here six years ago. On the other hand, if you're in your twenties, don't drink so much anymore and still live with your parents (all trends seen across the EU and UK), then is it any wonder we see the proliferation of so many vibey third space coffee places popping up?
Maybe this is what the community wants, and I just don't 'get it', the same way I suddenly don't 'get' fashion like I did even 5 years ago (sob).
Thanks for sharing your experience Emma! I see cities as self evolving beings and change is just part of it. In the case of Madrid, I worry most decisions are made to cater to tourism and that affects all generations, although it pushes or isolates the elderly first. Just to give an example, all trees in Plaza de Santa Ana were removed, forcing people to consume at the many restaurants’ terraces while leaving no chance to enjoy some shade in an otherwise beautiful public square.