Can culture be preserved?

We’ve got a great top story for you this week. Our reporter, Drew Sitton, focused in on Number One’s patio and the buzz around it. I think this story exemplifies some of the seemingly unanswerable questions San Diego has about its own future.

We’re a city in desperate need of more housing. Portions of Uptown have been hailed as space where the solution to this problem could see the light of day. But, how does a neighborhood maintain its identity? How does a neighborhood shield itself from gentrification? Should it? Can it?

San Diego struggles with an identity in the first place. Are we a big city? A city of towns? So, when an area has an identity we can point to and specifically name, people pounce. Enter Hillcrest. San Diego’s very own “gayborhood.” It’s one of the few areas where spaces for queer folks are front and center —the culture revolves around it— or rather makes these spaces what they are.

So, what happens when those who move in next door aren’t accustomed to the culture? Let’s dive in.