There goes the neighborhood. Such sentiment is often uttered on our fine planet whenever the wrong neighbor
moves into the wrong neighborhood. In the case of Madrid’s Las Letras quarter, this unwelcome newcomer is
Europe’s first Hard Rock Hotel.
Las Letras has historically been the literary center of Madrid, its narrow alleys, aged buildings, and
salt-of-the-earth character is quintessential old world Spanish charm. According to The New York Times,
however, the area is quickly gentrifying into
a hip neighborhood full of nightclubs, restaurants, luxury lofts, boutique gift shops, and now, the Hard Rock
Hotel.
While this may sound appealing to Spanish hipsters and foreign tourists, local residents are tragically lamenting
the loss of the “old town” atmosphere that has made this quarter so quaint and wonderful over the
years. Dale Fuchs of The New York Times covers the interesting, yet oft overlooked side effect that such gentrification has upon the
character and atmosphere of gracefully aging parts of town. Hip, his article reveals, is not always cool.