Park Street, Hartford, CT

In Global Cities, Local Streets, Sharon Zukin, Philip Kasinitz, and Xiangming Chen discuss the importance of local shopping streets. The chapters focus on the impact of globalization, immigration and gentrification on local shopping on cities, and many of their points are applicable to Hartford. The authors argue that local shopping is important for social life, the economy, and a sense of place. Kasinitz et al. write, “They are often the first meeting place between people from different parts of the globe who are brought together by rituals of commerce” (p. 196). A stroll down Park Street in Hartford will show exactly this. Unlike the central downtown district of Hartford, Park Street features various types of restaurants and shops of a prevalent Hispanic flavor, with the names on the storefronts alternating between English and Spanish. This commercial street has an important influence on the residents on and around it, as well as those from elsewhere in and out of Hartford, more so than any other street with a different commercial mix. In other words, “local shops contribute meaning to the life of the city and its residents, including, or maybe especially, for low-income and socially marginalized residents” (p. 197).

However, as the authors point out, local shops can actually be problematic for low-income residents because what they really need is low-price goods, which are often provided by national and transnational chains. In order for the local streets to continue to thrive, it is necessary to find a balance between small and large businesses, new and old shops, and chain and local restaurants and retail stores. It seems Hartford has yet to experience the strong controversial effect of gentrification, therefore their local shopping streets like Park Street continue to be viable.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/874-Park-St-880-Hartford-CT-06106/57735817_zpid/

Claire Quigley ’18