![\"PangeaStorefront\"](\"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/globalcitiessandbox\/files\/2017\/03\/PangeaStorefront.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPangaea is a Nashville boutique that has spent twenty-six years solidifying its position as one of the most venerated establishments in the highly\u00a0popular\u00a0neighborhood of Hillsboro Village. Located on 21st Avenue in the heart of what many call “The Village,” the locally owned Pangaea\u00a0has become\u00a0one of the few staples of the rapidly changing (and increasingly expensive) neighborhood. Since its opening in 1987, Pangaea has sold women’s clothing and accessories, books, jewelry, Mexican folk art, home decor, toys, and a vast assortment of other unique and often quirky offerings. The extremely colorful and somewhat chaotic shop is packed to the brim with this\u00a0wide array\u00a0of goods. Though the\u00a0majority of the stock is an ever-evolving mixture of items, some products have become permanent signatures of the store. Examples of these include miniature\u00a0Day of the Dead sculptures, resin Buddhas, and naked doll charms. Pangaea’s website states that the shop is a “reflection of the owner’s and buyer’s tastes and travels,” with a majority of the goods originating from Mexico, South America, Asia, and India.<\/p>\n
Hillsborro Village is directly adjacent to the campus of Vanderbilt University and only a few blocks away from Belmont University, an asset that has contributed\u00a0significantly to the success of the businesses situated here. Nashville began experiencing a growth spurt around 2000, since when the population of the city has increased from approximately\u00a0545,000 to 655,000. As\u00a0the contemporary “hipster” subculture developed\u00a0during this time,\u00a0the boutiques and coffee shops on 21st Avenue became favorites of the quickly emerging social group. Though Pangaea’s distinctive and somewhat strange offerings made it initially popular among young Nashville hipsters, the shop also began selling clothing brands and other goods directly targeting this group. These include items such as pageboy hats, wayfarer sunglasses, and replica vintage leather jackets. As other establishments did the same, Hillsboro Village continued to be one of the strongest areas economically for businesses, the majority of which were locally owned.<\/p>\n
However, as the\u00a0neighborhood’s popularity has increased, so too have pressures from the real estate and development sector. Rising rent prices have forced\u00a0several of the area’s establishments, including some that had been open for more than twenty years, to close their doors.\u00a0Various\u00a0restaurants and boutiques open and close in the neighborhood every year, each taking a turn at trying to make\u00a0it in Hillsboro Village. Despite the area’s favorable location, rent at a price tag as high as\u00a0$12,000 a month makes establishing a successful independent business\u00a0extremely difficult. As a result, many of the area’s distinctive brick storefronts have been torn down and replaced with staid complexes that house high-end specialty shops owned by larger corporations or high-priced\u00a0chain restaurants. Several buildings no longer have occupants. Many believe these\u00a0developments\u00a0have caused\u00a0Hillsborro Village to\u00a0lose much of its gestalt, or charm.\u00a0However, there are several venerated local shops and restaurants still in business, as Pangaea demonstrates. Time will tell if\u00a0the neighborhood can\u00a0stabilize and reclaim a new sense of identity.<\/p>\n