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Comment by xvedejas | Hacker News Reader

I'm curious how real estate development is pushing out clubs. Here in San Francisco I feel like it's the opposite. Rents are too high and there are not enough spaces to open new clubs anyway. And lack of new development means young adults have to leave the city. You have to be lucky enough (and old enough) to have bought a house 20+ years ago to afford to stay.

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Historically, clubs have found homes in places like old cookie factories or power stations. Sometimes these buildings have been empty or in limbo for a long time. So either they’re being occupied by squatters or potential tenants are able to rent them for a reasonable amount.

Fast forward a couple of years. Suddenly rents in those areas have risen 20% yoy. Gentrification is in full swing.

The owner of that factory is approached daily by real estate developers who want to build (often high end) condos in Kreuzberg and Neuköln. Club managers can‘t compete with that money.

Sometimes clubs get evicted so the building can be turned into condos. This happens in San Francisco too. In a city where building is limited, clubs are often located in “blighted” areas that are ripe for redevelopment with few NIBMYs.

I’ve lived in the Bay Area since 2002. During that time I’ve seen Ruby Skye close. A place whose name I can’t recall closed in the design district. DNA Lounge looked like it might go away some years ago. I don’t know what the story was, but a coworker wore a “Save DNA Lounge,” shirt so I have the impression they were in trouble (they’re still open, however).

There was a spot where the basement room had seats from airplanes and was super small and intimate that I’ve never been able to find again after a DnB party (if anyone recognizes this description, please fill me in). I have a sense that there are other places I’ve been that are no more, but it’s been a number of years and there was a lot of alcohol involved.

Hell, there were two websites for tracking events that went defunct over time. BayRaves.com and something else that I don’t recall. We used to have outdoor festivals like Love Parade driving through the streets and then circling up to party at the end of the route. It seem like the scene has been on a slow decline forever.

For a really shocking statistic on gentrification etc: "In the past five years, London has lost half its nightclubs and more than 40% of its music venues." (October 2016, [1]).

I hope they've reversed that trend, but I no longer live in London and haven't followed it very closely.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/22/london-sadiq...

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