I have to say that speaking to Tom of Strange Maine and collecting a map from him truly affected me. I left the shop feeling ashamed that for so long, I had only had a narrow vision of Portland, its people and culture. We have learned in this class about gentrification, pointing out Munjoy Hill on our field trip, and here I was talking to a displaced native of that very neighborhood. He was honest and willing to talk, and never once slighted the “bougie”. But I could tell that he was sad and nostalgic for his Portland.
I wonder if Portland could be “cool” without gentrifying. The answer is easily no, because space is economically valued (according to views, proximity to desirable areas and topography) and money always wins. Where better to have the arts district and a stretch of upper-class restaurants than Congress, on the top of the hill? I had never even noticed that it was on a hill, since nothing had previously attracted me to explore beyond Congress, the heart of the city to me. Standing on that street, I am not only above socioeconomically, but topographically as well. The descent on either side of this “crest” is steeper on the side towards Cumberland Avenue, and dramatically different aesthetically. This parallel street is plain, average. This is where I saw modest houses and black people living their lives. On the other side of the “crest”, the streets slope more gradually towards Old Port and the water, where there is an interesting mix of places: boutiques catering to people brought in by cruise ships, gelato stores, a hippie chain shop (Mexicali Blues), specialty Himalayan pink salt crystal shop, a cheap pizza joint on the same street as Standard Bakery and tourist shops.
I also found that on the Western Promenade a beautiful little green space; anyone would be naturally drawn to it. It was so open, the setting sun was brimming over the edge. When I got there, I realized that I was practically on a cliff, and when I looked down I saw the pocket of strip mall and fast food joints I had encountered earlier. I was so high up, looking down at a place I had declined to explore further on my transect walk. The light did not hit what was below the same way it hit the patch of green I was standing on. I remember when the public artist we met on our field trip asked each of us where our favorite places where. I was surprised that we all chose places in nature. My favorite place is a hill in a Valley Forge Historical park, but when I stand atop it and look down, there is only more green below it. I feel as if anyone could stand on top of that hill with me and we could share the view; in that way it the word “public” is at its purest. Not just public by money-backed standards.
There are many exciting angles in which we can begin to improve Portland. But I think lost under those are solutions directed towards the displaced. Perhaps a smart survey project could be conducted which maps out the costs of what constitutes experiencing culture. The map would be accessible to all, an interactive map exploring all that Portland has to offer and allowing lesser known places more visibility. It should integrate quantitative data and direct, qualitative human input in order to show people that yes, the Asian grocer on the west end of Congress is worth visiting, and quite affordable if you need a snack. We need mechanisms that invite people to see an expanded vision of culture, and therefore disperse the concentration of money on top of the hill towards places that may not be as glossy and “nice”, but are rich with culture of another kind.
But now that brings me into confusing question of how to define culture. I am one to be easily blinded by the colors, lights and sounds of Congress St. While I do not have the means to visit every restaurant and pick through every shop, even if I am just strolling around, I can by my very upper-middle class background afford to feel as if this is somewhere I belong. And while I was standing in Strange Maine conversing with Tom, I was dressed in half in thrifted clothes in my ineffective attempts to maintain my outward self-expression while getting away from shiny, new materialism found in stores. I realized then that I cannot separate myself from the culture I grew up in (a very commercialized suburb of Philly), and nor can Tom. We both have our implicit definitions of culture, and they are quite different, but Strange Maine did seem to be an intersection between our two definitions.
There is cultural wealth and wealth of culture. Which would we rather have?
Kelly Arbor, 37. Queer, of Italian/French/Canadian/Lithuanian background. Change Artist and Barista Witch. Has lived in Portland for 4.5 months and is originally from Mexico, Maine. Leads Maine Educationalists on Sexual Harmony (MESH), whose goal is to “create a holistic integration of sex and identity and to (re)build a stronger community united with sex-positive awareness”. Used the word “mesh” multiple times in conversation. Made a conceptual map of places where he is planning events. Talked about “third spaces” (where one does not live or work) where he strategically plans educational “protests” so that they intersect target groups; for example, the street that Portland High School students pour out onto when they get out of school for the day.
Suggestion for Improvement: More bike lanes and green spaces.
Tom — caucasian, 30-something male who has worked at Strange Maine on and off for 11 years since it opened in 2003. Born in Portland, grew up in pre-gentrification Munjoy Hill, when people spoke of it as “slightly dangerous”. Likes avant-garde experimental music. Prefers grit in things. Commutes to work because he has been “classed” or “priced” out of the “peninsula proper”. Describes new Portland as having become culturally null, sterilized in a sense, and in a transitional state. “Same stuff in glossier packaging”. Nostalgically describes Congress St back in the day, and recommends that I visit Paul’s convenience store, a Maine-y place where you will hear Maine accents, where “bougie” people don’t go. We discuss other towns in Maine: “Everyone shits on Lewiston”.
Suggestion for Improvement: I did not explicitly ask. But if he could live in the place he grew up, that would be awesome.
Mary, 62 years old, caucasian. Has lived in Portland with husband for 35 years. Have two children with grandchildren. Opened a Quaker School on Mackworth Island (Friends School of Portland). We discussed gentrification: “Portland is an asset…need to bring money in somehow”.
Hunter, 19, caucasian male student. Considers himself a “foodie”. Would rather live here than anywhere else, because of its perfect size — small enough that there’s not much traffic or crime. “If Portland wasn’t gentrified, it wouldn’t be cool”.
Suggestion for Improvement: More means of transportation other than cars.
I really like the idea of creating an app that highlights the places that are lesser known in Portland. I too, have realized that I have a very narrow view of the City and been able to expand my experience of Portland as an entire city during the trips for this class. In the past, I had frequented the same big restaurants, the same part of the Old Port, and essentially repeated my Portland experience over and over again. If I had access to an app that featured different stores, restaurants, galleries, etc. then I would have likely had visited some of these locations. With such an app, my experience of Portland may have been much different. I wonder how this app would be maintained – would someone be in charge of seeking out events that are not highly publicized? Find tiny shops that are tucked away? If so, would these events and places want to be identified? Would that erode their charm and the way they contribute to Portland’s everyday culture. Locals may know about these places already, so is there benefit in creating an app that ultimately attracts more out-of-area visitors to lesser known commercial shops.
You pose an interesting question about cultural wealth versus wealth of culture, and whether Portland could be cool without gentrifying. It was interesting to see that your map makers had differing opinions on the matter. It is hard to take a step forward in developing a city, particularly with smart technologies, and not have it alter the fabric of the city and create different class dynamics. You raise a good point that we need to consider.
I also like your idea for the app that highlights little-known places. A question to consider is, will making these smaller pockets of culture more publicized turn them more mainstream and as a result will they lose their hidden charm?
Annie,
I agree that it would be great to get people to experience parts of Portland that are not as glossy and nice as the top of the hill. My worry with using a survey to do this is that that type of technology would likely be most readily available to “bougie” people. The smart survey tool is in theory a great resource for distributing knowledge, but in practice I have a vision of it being used as an app on an iPhone by Portland hipsters looking for the next patch of uncharted territory. This in turn seems to add up to the commercialization of undiscovered areas, which endangers the existing culture of those areas.
This does sound to me like a great avenue for a public art project that could celebrate lesser-known areas of Portland. This might also be a way of attracting people to those areas without necessarily attracting their sense of corporate gain, which seems to be a line you are rightfully aware of.
Eva
Your question about culture is something that arises again and again in our discussions of Portland. It is a difficult term to define because there are so many different qualifications of culture, and there is not just one correct definition. It seems as though the culture shown in Portland now is much catered to tourists and does not necessarily show all of the culture diversity that Portland has to offer. An interactive map could break this division and show more aspects of the culture that makes up Portland. I think it is a good idea and helps enable people to find hidden gems and stores etc, however you have to be careful that this interactive map does not only appeal to the segment of the population who are fortunate enough to have iPhones. This could be an easy way to spread the cultural aspects of Portland.
When I was interviewing people for the mental maps, I found that they mentioned the same problems and pieces of advice for a gentrifying city. One man complained that in an attempt to appeal to a more youthful (and touristy) crowd, Portland inserts new restaurants, shops, bars, etc. into areas without actually asking the people who currently reside there what they want to see. An equally accessible survey would definitely address this problem.
You also addressed another problem: Can Portland be cool without gentrifying? I think that in order for a city to be celebrated, it does not necessarily have to appeal to “bougies” and you touched on that with your app suggestion (which is a great idea!). Portland has enough culture to appeal to more than just upper middle class tourists. However, as Eva mentioned, the accessibility of an app is more easily accessible to those who can afford smart phones (i.e bougies). An alternate presentation of the survey results could be an interactive, public display in a more “touristy” area that would highlight the lesser known, yet important, cultural spots of Portland.