Today, (or yesterday, as I forgot to post the blog), we visited the Strip District. The area is home to one of the largest commercial enclaves, where it houses over 20 businesses in an Ocean City, boardwalk-esque style. Our mission today was to discover the different parts of the Strip District that make it unique, as well as find and photograph four different aspects of the place: its sense of place, investments and disinvestments, hangout spots, and branding. We were also assigned to talk to two people and acquire information about the economics of the place. Then, we will present our findings to our Haller class.
By far, the easiest photo to find was a spot that people liked to hang out, as that was the terminal. Finding two people to talk to was the hardest one, as some people were less than happy to talk about the district. The district definitely works as two opposing groups, the mom-and-pop shops and the corporate developers. Whereas the developers want to increase rent prices and create new apartments, the mom-and-pop shops want to resist that and retain their business. It’s a clash between the top 10% and the other 90%, in a sense.
I learned some extremely valuable skills today, as talking to the people really broke the shell of “strangers on a street” outlook that many people have. Being able to comfortably go up to people and ask questions is a nerve-wracking thing to do, but being a part of this project helped me push through that. I will definitely use this skill while in Ireland, as our Digital Disruption team needs further information about the technological advancements in Carrigart to find solutions.