There Goes the Neighborhood
'Coffee, Pizza and Beer'
How do you know a neighborhood’s changing? Look for the new coffee shop. This eight-part series is supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
By Saul Gonzalez • • 26m ListenGentrification isn’t just about who’s moving into the neighborhood. It’s about juice bars, yoga studios, and of course, coffee shops. What’s it like to open a business that neighbors will clearly recognize as a symbol of change?
Mike Voss and Adam Kestel of Frogtown Brewery in L.A's Elysian Valley neighborhood. Photo credit: Saul Gonzalez.
Lorena Jurado and Rex Roberts, owners of Little Ripper coffee shop in Glassell Park. Photo: Saul Gonzalez
Entrepreneurs Lisa Jurado and Rex Roberts just opened a coffee spot in Glassell Park, a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles, and they know when some people see their shop they’ll mutter about gentrification. But Jurado and Roberts worry more about the possibility of a Starbucks taking their business than neighborhood backlash.
