As I was reading Oldenburg’s description about a “third place”, a specific donut shop in my neighborhood popped into my head. It’s called “Shaikh’s Place/Donut Shoppe” that’s known for its homemade donuts, but also recognized for its great Mexican food. At the front display, there are rows of donuts and closer to the back is a breakfast bar with a grill behind it. I’ve been in there a few times for their delicious donuts, but also for quesadillas and burgers. A few of the “third place” pointers applies to the donut shop. During the few times I’ve visited, I have always gone after school. On the breakfast bar would be the regulars eating while casually conversing with the man by the grill. It’s always had a warm and playful vibe to it because they always laughed while they talked. Although the people sitting at the bar are mostly Hispanics, I would still categorize the shop as a leveler because I’ve seen other people who are not Hispanic at small tables with eating a few donuts while talking to a friend.
As I read through the other readings, I couldn’t help but also relate what was discussed to the stores I see every day. Zukin and Benediktsson mentioned threats that were jeopardizing local small businesses. I think back to Hi Tea Cafe (a local bubble tea shop) and the chain bubble tea store a block away from it. Despite being in the same convenient location and having cheaper prices, Hi Tea Cafe never seemed to have as much business as the chain store. I also remember walking by this local supermarket in SoHo. It had a sign on each one of its glass windows stating that it would be closing down soon because its lease would not be renewed.
Lastly, although the news of displacement of small businesses is not new to me, I found it interesting that the articles stated that change could happen through the government. The government can create laws that protect the rights of small businesses and keep their culture alive. I think it would be important to raise awareness about this so that people are pushing the mayor to create reform to support their local businesses.
