Charleston, South Carolina
I have no clue what to say about this place. I have sat here for 10 minutes now pondering what to write…
I got it: the way that class is portrayed with invisible lines that are evident but not completely clear in nearly every neighborhood and city that comes to mind. We were first introduced to this concept on the very first day when we did a driving tour of some of the various neighborhoods in Memphis. Now some 35+ days later I still find this occurring. In Charleston today it was just as true. First we had the market. This was a place that drew a collective bunch of people. What I would call an enjoyable mix of tourist and locals.
Then continue driving and two blocks later I find my surroundings to consist of Starbucks and Louis Vuitton! I like to think that this was a gradual change, but let’s be honest 2 blocks does not really allow for that kind of extreme transformation. So instead of a gradual change you experience this “invisible line .” It seems to be the habit that they start with the upper, middle class place on the perimeter of these areas. Now, do not be fooled, this is very strategic. Firstly, it establishes who should and should not continue down this route. After all if you cannot afford an outfit from Talbots and a highly commercialized and caffeinated beverage from some lovely coffee franchise then you probably cannot appreciate the even finer things like, $1000 purses that are in the center of this shopping island.
However, Williamsburg offers the even more different neighborhood. This one is the kind that people refer to as the “projects”. A.k.a the area where you end up if you miss that ever important left turn to the the upper class boutiques and stores. While it seems unlikely to occur, I can easily understand how it does. After all these two areas only have a couple blocks separating them too! Once again you experience the invisible line. No where do see a nice sign saying welcome neither to the overpriced shopping area nor for the “poor neighborhood”. It is all very contextual. A person just seems to know. How mysterious.
It is funny when you enter a new state you are always welcomed with the extravagant and unnecessary signs welcoming you. Seriously, they are under appreciated though. Many of us have become oblivious to the entering and exiting of one place to another. It is something that is taken for advantage of greatly in America. The ability to travel is something that is very American. I in fact have been so very privileged as to experience the power of it firsthand. However, with this ease and accessibility people are somehow, weirdly numb to the differences between various environments. They may recognize that they may not feel safe or something of the sort but rarely do we question why, who or what are you afraid from, and the truly most important question: how to change it. I believe this is incredibly important and something that people need to work on. May be if people did this we would not be so frightened to make a wrong turn every once in a while.