Somerville already has hipster hangouts, soaring home prices, and soon, the Green Line. So what's the next knot to tie in the scout kerchief of gentrification? Why a farmers' market of course! This Saturday, forced from our un-air-conditioned home by the sweltering heat, Bostonist stumbled upon the debut of this market, presented to the people of Somerville with much fanfare by Mayor Curtatone, Alderman Provost, and other city notables.
In fairness, neighborhood evolution is inevitable, and no matter what you think about gentrification, it's hard to argue with a farmers' market. (Bostonist sometimes wonders where we stand in the gentrification scheme: On the one hand, ours is a young professional family that moved to Somerville only three years ago; on the other hand, we are entirely priced out of Somerville's housing market.) This particular farmers' market, sponsored by the city, the Federation of Mass. Farmers' Markets, and Union Square Main Streets (no website yet), was heavy on the baked goods and flowers, with not so much in the way of hard-to-get fresh produce. Mayor Joe promised, however, that as the growing season went on, the market would have more farmers, along with local artisans. (He claimed, in passing, that Somerville is second only to New York City in artists per capita. We have not been able to verify this claim, but we think "City of Artists" would make a much nicer slogan than "Most Densely Populated City," "Twelfth Largest City in Mass.," or "The Cambridge of Medford.")
To make up for the the paltry food offerings, there were live animals from Drumlin Farm, various tables with artsy projects for the youngsters (most of them involving dry pasta and glue), and a woman whom we were inclined to call the Greek Goddess of Produce, but whose official title was Harvest Queen. She had a Carmen Miranda-style hat full of veggies, a long green robe with a white cape, and a Statue-of-Liberty-esque torch (made of celery) in one hand. She led the assembled young Somervillians in produce-related chants and games, flanked by a young girl on stilts and two young women who looked to us like members of Josie and the Pussycats (short shorts, furry black boots, pouty rock-star demeanor).
Bostonist liked the market and looks forward to frequenting it during the summer (no word yet on whether the Harvest Queen will be a regular). Despite our sense that a farmers' market is a harbinger of gentrification, we noticed that the full demographic diversity of Somerville was represented in the market's patrons. The reason for this may be the same reason for the market's ultimate success: its Union Square location is right in between the two stores that no Somervillian of any class, race, color, or creed can live without: Target and Market Basket.
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what is the opposite of gentrification?
I don't think we have a single word for it; it's always compound verb phrases, like "go downhill," "go to the dogs," "take a turn for the worse," or "fall inexorably into the heartbreaking spiral of urban blight, decay, and abandonment."
I like that last one most - it really rolls of the tongue.